January 7, 2018

Orlowski makes it 3 in a row at DHI Cup

Michal Orlowski has made it three 2WD titles in a row at the DHI Cup, the Schumacher driver successfully defending his title with the perfect performance.  Top Qualifier in Odense, taking all four qualifiers, the Polish driver secured the title when he backed up his A1 win with another in A2. Rather than sit out A3, he would use the track time to test, taking that also despite coming under pressure from star of the weekend Elias Johansson.  Johansson would finish second overall being the only driver to mount any challenge to Orlowski over the weekend.  With former champions David Ronnefalk and Joern Neumann not delivering the level of performances expected, Jesper Rasmussen enjoyed a strong race to complete the 2WD podium.

‘It is alway pretty good to start the new year with a win’, was Orlowski reaction to his win.  He continued, ‘we knew the KC is a good car but still it wasn’t easy here with Elias. He makes me feel quite old now but with a start like this I am looking forward to the rest of the season’.  Continuing on the 13-year-old he said , ‘He was quick all weekend. Even in practice I was surprised by his pace.  I had to show him full respect in the finals but luckily I was faster’.  Asked about his decision to run A3, he replied, ‘we tested something, we wanted to see how the car was with softer shock all round’.

‘I’m really happy with my finish. It was more than expected’, was how Johansson summed up his impressive podium finish.  The Associated driver added, ‘I didn’t do anything to the car, I just had to drive it’.  Having a good battle with Orlowski in A3, he said, ‘I was pretty tight in the middle but then he pulled a way a little, racing with Michal is good experience for me. I’m looking forward now to the 4WD finals’.

Summing up his third place, Team Associated driver Rasmussen said, ‘I am pretty happy to make the podium.  In A1 I was on new tyres and the car was terrible.  I changed back to my other tyres for A2 and the last one and also changed to harder oil and a stiffer roll bar and the car was much easier to drive and I could get on the podium’.  Behind the Dane, former Top Qualifier Oskar Levin would finish 4th overall ahead of Ronnefalk and Hampus Berg.

View the complete event results here.

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January 7, 2018

Volker hangs on to win A1

Having dominated qualifying Ronald Volker had to work a lot harder for victory in the opening A-Main at the DHI Cup, the Yokomo driver only just hanging on for the win as challenges from both Yannic Prumper and Marc Rheinard ended with them each suffering rolls. In the end Volker would cross the line over a second clear of Rheinard, but the Infinity driver had the fastest car on track and looked a much more threatening proposition than he had in qualifying, his two rolls costing him over 3-seconds.  Recovering from an early roll, that allowed Rheinard through, Elliott Harper would complete the Top 3 ahead of Viktor Wilck, with Prumper opting to pull up and save his tyres after rolling his Yokomo a second time.

‘I got very very lucky in A1’, was Volker’s reaction after the race. The World Champion said, ‘I had a total lack of balance.  No rear grip and too much front grip. I had oversteer in all the corners. I jumped the chicane and gave myself a body tuck. Luckily Yannic, Elliott and Marc struggled behind me otherwise I would not have won that main’.  Having switched back to the progressive springs set-up he ran in Q3 for the finals, he said, ‘the track changed so that set-up was off.  For A2 I will change the shock set-up and make a tyre change’.

Rheinard summed up A1 by saying, ‘the speed was there but its still hard to drive. It is not grippy enough overall’.  A two time DHI Cup Champion, he continued, ‘Ronald was not as quick as in qualifying, and if I had qualified second it could have been a different result.  I got lucky at the start when Elliott crashed and then when Yannic rolled I could catch Ronald but I made a mistake and rolled. He then had a mistake and I could catch him again but my car hit the bump and rolled’.  Looking to A2 Rheinard said, ‘I will just drive my own race again and see’.

‘It was a bit harder for everyone to drive’, was Harper’s view on A1.  The Schumacher driver continued, ‘I traction rolled which let Marc by and after that I drove more conservative. If I had pushed more maybe I would have got Marc back but it was still a good result’.  For A2, the British driver plans ‘a few changes to stop the flipping’ and allow him get a better start.

View the complete event results here.

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January 7, 2018

Orlowski cruises to A1 win

Michal Orlowski cruised to an easy victory in the opening A-Main of 2WD Buggy at the DHI Cup this morning.  The Top Qualifier quickly pulled clear of the field and such was his lead that even with a roll off the corner table table which required his Schumacher to be marshalled he still had more than half a lap advantage at the finish.  Behind, Elias Johansson would take second, the young Swedish talent having an equally comfortable gap of the battle for third which would go to David Ronnefalk.

Commenting on his win, reigning champion Orlowski said, ‘we changed the rear camber link to make it easier on new tyres and it was perfect for laps’.  The Pole continued, ‘I had a good gap after 3 laps so I just kept my head down and then Elias had a mistake which gave control of the race. I had a small error at the corner table top but it didn’t cost me anything’.  Chasing a third 2WD title in a row at the DHI Cup, the EOS Champion will be aiming to get that job done in A2 saying, ‘we will run the same car for A2 and see what we can do’.

‘Pretty good but I had two mistakes’, was how Johansson summed up A1.  The Associated driver said while new tyres had made the car nervous to drive at the start, he put his two mistakes down to ‘driver error’.  Having made no changes to his car over the weekend he has no plans to start changing anything now adding he expects A2 to be better due to the fact the tyres are now broken in.

Qualifying only 8th for 2WD, David Ronnefalk was happy to get third.  He said, ‘I threw up four times during the night so I didn’t have any expectations for the race. I wasn’t even sure I would be able to drive. I just wanted to finish’.  The HB Racing driver said his changes to his car since qualifying had given him more speed and ‘carnage’ in the race allowed him to gain some early places.  Battling with third place qualifier Jesper Rasmussen he would pass the Dane only to make a mistake but was be able to get the position back by the finish.

View the complete event results here.

View our event image gallery here.