Joy for Wischnewski, Heartbreak for Balestri

There was a dramatic outcome to the 2009 EFRA 1:10 200mm European Championships here in Gubbio, Italy this evening, with heartbreak for race dominator Dario Balestri and total joy for new Champion Dirk Wischnewski. Starting from pole Balestri’s Novarossi powered Team Magic was untouchable allowing the defending back to back Champion to lap the entire field, but in the final 10 minutes of the race the Italian suffered gearbox problems ending his quest for a hat trick of titles.

With Balestri out of contention, eventually retiring on lap 134, it was Wischnewski who was best placed to take over the lead.  Having recorded the fastest lap of the race the German Champion had a 6 second gap on second placed Alexander Hagberg. With Hagberg involved in an intense battle with Manuel Huber, Wischnewski was able to extend the gap eventually crossing the finish line over 11 seconds clear to claim his first ever European A Championship title. Behind it was nitro Euros rookie Hagberg who took the runners up spot but just with Huber only 0.674 behind the Swede after 45 minutes of hot racing.

After the race the very down to earth Wischnewski was clearly surprised by his win saying, ‘My car, engine and mechanic were all perfect in the race. Once Dario lapped me I thought second is a great result for me as my aim was just to make the final but when he went out I started to feel a little nervous because I was now fighting for the European Championship. I just tried to stay calm for last few minutes and it was a great relief to reach the finish. I’m so happy and I want to thank my pitman Bertram Kessler who was a big part of this victory’.

Making his 1:10 200mm European debut Hagberg was very happy with second. Progressing from the 1/4 Finals, the electric touring car ace came here aiming for a place in the main final but said finishing on the podium was far more than he expected. The Xray/Max driver, who is competing in only his first year of nitro racing, said it was a very close battle with Huber but his one stop less fuel strategy gave him the upper hand.  With his home country Sweden hosting next year’s European Championship Hagberg said he will do pre event testing at the Vast 8 track unlike this year and hopes that will help him to go one better.

After a good start to the race, Huber was to lose half a lap following a crash involving Francesco Tironi. This forced him to push his Xray very hard as he recovered the lost ground but over the last five minutes he struggled with tyres and although surprised to claim his first European podium he was a little disappointed to miss out on second having come so close.

Finishing a lap down on the leaders, fourth placed Martin Hudy was disappointed with his race.  The factory Xray driver, a podium finisher at the Worlds, said he couldn’t push after the wrong tyre choice left him with understeer.  With his engine also set to lean, the Slovak said while it a frustrating race for him he was delighted for Xray who took the Top 6 places in the final.

The final wasn’t a good race for any of the four direct qualifiers. One can’t help feel for Balestri and his crew as they came so close to becoming the most successful team in 200mm. It’s going to be a very sombre drive home for him and his large entourage who had been accustomed to taking home the winning trophy. The normally very jolly Francesco Tironi was also very down after the final. The factory Sirio driver said his race was over after the first lap as he struggled with a very difficult to drive car and finishing 10th was not how he had envisaged his home event. Jerome Renaux missed the start as he couldn’t get his engine to start but took some consolation from the fact he bettered his two 10th places finishes at the Euro B Championship to claim sixth. Wonder kid Biagio Spataro may not realise yet how big an impression he has made on the sport and will be disappointed to not have finished higher but the new Junior European Champion’s big day is sure to come.

After a week of echoing to the sound of high revving engines, silence has fallen on the Gubbio track here in Italy with a new name added to the list of European Champions. For some the trip home with be a chance to reflect on what could have been but overall the biggest winner of this European Championship is our sport. The organisation here has set a new standard as to how an event given the task of hosting such a prestigious event like the European Championship should be presented and run. The attention to detail was superb and we say well done to Mr. Agostinelli and his crew for raising the bar. We hope now EFRA will ensure that level is maintained. Finally a special thanks to Raimondo Gilletti who acted as our Italian translator in the pits. Ciao.

Final overall standings
1. Dirk Wischnewski (Xray/NR) – 159L 45:03.983
2. Alexander Hagberg (Xray/Max) – 159L 45:15.194
3. Manuel Huber (Xray/Max) – 159L 45:15.868
4. Martin Hudy (Xray/Max) 158L 45:05.808
5. Giorgio De Felici (Xray/Max) – 153L 45:01.774
6. Jerome Renaux (Xray/NR) – 138L 45:13.132
7. Dario Balestri (TM/NR) – 134L 38:12.900
8. Biagio Spataro (Xray/JP) – 134L 45:09.379
9. Gerhard Kandelhardt (Xray/NR) – 116L 45:02.446
10.Francesco Tironi (Mugen/Sirio) – 112L 34:23.133

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Dirk Wischnewski takes European title

Dirk Wischnewski has taken the win in a thrilling final here in Gubbio Italy. Long time leader Dario Balestri hit troubles and this allowed a consistent Wischnewski to bring his Xray to the front. The top three finished on the same lap with Alexander Hagberg taking 2nd and Manuel Huber in 3rd.

Full report to follow.

Final grid complete – Big names missing

The Semi Finals have been run and the 6 drivers who will join the four direct qualifiers has been decided.  In the Semi B Manuel Huber took a relative easy win over Dirk Wischnewski but the Semi A was a far more dramatic affair. Serpent’s Michael Salven lead for over half of the 20 minutes encounter but with 7 minutes to go and with a healthy lead his engine cut. This handed Mugen’s Guiseppe D’angelo the lead but he too flamed out with less than 3 minutes to go. Having benefited from the demise of Mark Green’s out of control Serpent 733 to move in to second, Martin Hudy came through to take the win from Gerhard Kandelhart. The other two qualifiers based on the next two fastest race times from both Semi Finals were Alexander Hagberg and Giorgio De Felici who come from the Semi B.

In addition to the demise of Salven, Green (fuel in radio gear) and D’angelo, the Semi also saw the end for Worlds Top Qualifier Jilles Groskamp, Madrid pole sitter Teemu Leino, Robert Pietsch and Niki Duina.  Groskamp, who was running a Max engine he borrowed from fellow Dutch racer Maarten Van Lierop, said his car was perfect but he pushed too hard and rolled his 733 which then suffered an engine cut.  Leino, who caused the Semi A start to be delayed went out when he lost control of his Team Orion powerd Xray, a broken receiver battery wire the fault.

Final starting order
1. Dario Balestri – Team Magic/Novarossi
2. Jerome Renaux – Xray/Novarossi
3. Francesco Tironi – Mugen/Sirio
4. Biagio Spataro – Xray/JP
5. Manuel Huber – Xray/Max
6. Dirk Wishcnewski – Xray/Novarossi
7. Alexander Hagberg – Xray/Max
8. Martin Hudy – Xray/Max
9. Giorgio de Felici – Xray/Max
10.Gerhard Kandelhardt – Xray/Novarossi

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Quarter Final Update

The quarter finals have been completed and graduating from the 1/4 B to the Semi B are Swedish electric touring car star Alexander Hagberg, Spain’s Rodrigo Pahisa Lopez and Italian Antonio Pietroforte who is having a good morning having graduated from the 1/16th final.  In the 1/4 A Final, Finland’s Teemu Saarinen, Italian championship front runner Michele Romagnoli and young Belgian Maxim Claes move on to the back of the Semi A grid.  Casualties of the quarter finals include Mugen team drivers Rick V. & Walter Salemi, Germany’s Eric Dankel and factory Team Magic driver Mario Spiniello.

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World Champions packing up early

Current World Champion Daniele Ielasi’s tough week didn’t get any better this morning and the popular Italian will play no further part after his Shepherd suffered a rear belt failure 8 minutes into the 1/16 final. 2004 World Champion Adrien Bertin did go one better bumping up to the 1/8 final but a number of incidents meant the Kyosho/Team Orion driver missed out on the 1/4 Final by just 1.6 seconds. Afterwards the Frenchman said, ‘This is the worst event for me in 15 years’ but jokingly added ‘at least I went one better that Daniele.’

Other big names packing up early are Worlds Finalist Martin Christensen and Alessio Mazzeo. Debuting the new Capricorn chassis Christensen suffered an engine cut which ended his chances of progressing. Madrid podium finisher and reigning European Junior Champion Mazzeo, who started out in the bottom 1/256 Final due to his best qualifying run being disallowed after his fuel tank failed scrutiny, bumped up three finals but it all came to an end in the 1/32 final when the gearbox on his Serpent got stuck in second gear. Currently the quarter finals are underway.

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Balestri aiming to complete Euros hat trick from first pole position start

Dario Balestri will start tomorrow’s EFRA 1:10 200mm European Championships from pole position after the fourth and final round of qualifying failed to see any improvements from the front runners, Serpent’s Jilles Groskamp being the biggest improver going from 42nd after round 3 to a Semi Final place with 13th. Fastest for the round, which was overall slower due to the higher track temperatures, was Jerome Renaux who lines up a very impressive second on the grid.

Balestri failed to complete the last heat but the Italian, who is chasing his third consecutive European title, still posted the fastest lap with his Novarossi powered Team Magic and was very happy to secure his first ever European Top Qualifier honours. Having won his last two titles against all odds, after starting out in the 1/4 finals, Balestri hopes carrying the No. 1 race number on his G4RS 09 will bring him luck. ‘Two years I didn’t think it was possible to win. Now I hope being first will bring me luck here and the situation will not create any problems for me’. The last driver to win the Euros from pole was Michael Salven back in 2004 and since then the Top Qualifiers have failed to make it on to the podium.

A finalist at the last two European B Championships, Renaux is one of the big surprises of qualifying admitting himself that lining up second for the final was ‘totally unexpected’.  The Xray driver came to Italy hoping to qualify for the 1/4 final but the unfamiliar hot conditions have suited the two time Belgian Champion. Used to low traction circuits and plenty of wet racing in his home country he said getting directly into the Main is already a result for him but hopes he can finish higher than 10th, a result he has achieved on both occasions in the EC-B finals.

Jolly Italian Francesco Tironi joked ‘three is the magic number’ after securing third on the grid for the final, the same starting position he took at the World Championships. The Sirio team driver said he was very happy with the result in particular for Mugen whom he only joined this season. Talking about the final, the 2005 pole sitter said tyre wear will play a big part in the outcome of the race but he will try very hard for the win as claiming your first European title on home soil would be very special.

The fourth and final direct qualifier, Biagio Spataro said he is already satisfied with his European Championship no matter what the outcome of the race.  There was much hype about this emerging Italian talent before the race and the 15-year-old admitted he felt the pressure but making it into the Final he can now relax and enjoy the race.

‘It sucks’ was how Michael Salven summed up qualifying fifth, putting him pole for the extremely competitive Semi A final. The two time former Champion said it was frustrating as his 733 has been perfect all week but engine problems meant he was unable to challenge for the desired top 4 spot. Overall the designer of Serpent’s new 200mm chassis was disappointed for the team in particular for Groskamp who proved in the opening qualifier he had the pace to challenge for the TQ honours.

Lining up on Pole for the Semi B Final Dirk Wishnewski was still reflecting on his mistake this morning which almost certainly cost him a Top 4 time.  Originally setting himself a target of making the Semi, the German Champion is disappointed to have come so close but said he must now focus on the job in hand.  Having already tested his Xray on larger tyres he is pretty confident he will be strong over the 20 minute encounter and can progress to the Main.

Elsewhere ‘Warm Up’ race winner Giuseppe D’Angelo said he is very disappointed to end up eight. Having struggled with understeer on his Reds Racing powered Mugen today he dropped from holding second overnight but the Italian is confident he can progress from the ‘difficult’ Semi A to the Main and from there challenge for the outright victory.

For the two World Champions racing here in Gubbio tomorrow it is set to be a very busy day. Current Champion Daniele Ielasi summed up their week very well, ‘Its crazy, two World Champions are here but we are no where after qualifying. I hope tomorrow we will make many kilometres.’ Ielasi said 50th position was not a true reflection of the new Shepherd as earlier in the week the car was able to achieve 16.1 lap times easily. Despite rebuilding the car last night and reverting back to the set-up he ran Monday and Tuesday he can not get the car to his liking.  Lining up 47th, 2004 World Champion Adrien Bertin said it’s been one tough week but he finally has a car that is drivable. With his Team Orion powered Kyosho feeling strong in the final qualifier, the Frenchman said he pushed too hard and crashed as he desperately chased a good time.

Top 18 qualifiers
1. Dario Balestri – Team Magic/NR – 26 laps in 07:09.413 (Q3)
2. Jerome Renaux – Xray/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:11.161 (Q3)
3. Francesco Tironi – Mugen/Sirio – 26 laps in 07:11.328 (Q3)
4. Biagio Spataro – Xray/JP – 26 laps in 07:11.502 (Q3)
——————
5. Michael Salven – Serpent/Mega – 26 laps in 07:11.594 (Q3)
6. Dirk Wischnewski – Xray/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:12.733 (Q3)
7. Giuseppe D’angelo – Mugen/Reds – 26 laps in 07:12.978 (Q2)
8. Giorgio De Felici – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:13.326 (Q3)
9. Teemu Leino – Xray/Team Orion – 26 laps in 07:13.728 (Q3)
10.Manuel Huber – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:14.013 (Q4)
11.Martin Hudy – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:14.369 (Q4)
12.Kyle Branson – Serpent/Sirio – 26 laps in 07:14.866 (Q3)
13.Jilles Groskamp – Serpent/Max – 26 laps in 07:15.254 (Q4)
14.Niki Duina – Xray/Max – 26 laps in 07:15.490 (Q1)
15.Mark Green – Serpent/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:15.609 (Q3)
16.Robert Pietsch – Mugen/Novarossi – 26 laps in 07:15.940 (Q4)
17.Gerhard Kandelhardt – Xray/NR – 25 laps in 07:00.733 (Q3)
18.Guido Barbera – Xray/Max – 25 laps in 07:01.069 (Q3)

Complete qualfiying results can be found here (PDF)

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