April 21, 2012

Neumann trounces rivals in 4WD Qualifying

Having won a closely fought battle for the 2WD Buggy Top Qualifier honours this morning it was a very different affair in the afternoon at the TLR/Spektrum sponsored Euro Offroad Series, as Team Durango’s Joern Neumann trounced the opposition in qualifying for both 4WD Buggy and Short Course.  Having already wrapped up the 4WD Buggy title with TQ’s and wins in the Czech Republic and Belgium, the German ace now wants to complete the 100% perfect score in the class, of which he is the reigning European Champion, and going by his form so far this weekend the battle tomorrow is all about second such is Neumann’s pace.

Describing 2WD qualifying as a challenge, Neumann said both his 4WD Buggy & Short Course Truck were ‘good as always’ adding that there was not much more he can do to improve them.  On target not only for a hat trick of race wins tomorrow, the first European winner of the prestigious Reedy Race is now clearly poised to became a triple champion of the inaugural EOS.

Wrapping up the pole position in Q3, Neumann used the fourth & final qualifier to scrub in a new set of dBoots tyres and fighting with an edgy DEX410 this was the only time his name wouldn’t be top of the time sheets. That honour instead went to Tamiya’s Lee Martin who was fastest ahead of factory Yokomo Touring Car driver Yannic Prumper with Neumann third having posted a new outright fastest lap of 19.205.

All baring a major disaster, the top step at the podium presentation in Dortmund tomorrow evening already has Neumann’s name on it, but the race to see who will stand each side of him should produce some good racing.  Better known as one of the World’s top touring car drivers Prumper will start second on the grid. Breaking his chassis in Q2, which because he has no spare he had to glue back together, the young German was the only other driver to record 16 laps when he finished second to Neumann in Q3.

Managing only fourth fastest as his best run prior to TQ’ing Q4, British Champion Martin will line up third on the grid with his Tamiya in front of the Durango of Hupo Honigl with fellow Brit Darren Bloomfield completing the front end of the grid in fifth as the highest placed Losi driver.

Putting in impressive runs in Q1 & 2 when he posted the 4th & 3rd fastest time respectively with the aging XXX-4, Team Losi Racing team-mate Mike Truhe is the best placed American driver lining up in sixth ahead of former European Champion Marc Rheinard, who considering his surprise 2nd on the grid in 2WD, didn’t do as well as expected on the high grip carpet track.  Rheinard is one of three factory touring car drivers to make the A-Main with Kyosho’s Christopher Krapp getting the 10th and final spot.

Having BQ’d in 2WD, Schumacher’s lead driver Tom Cockerill ensured the British manufacturer is on the grid for the main 4WD event with his Speed Passion powered CAT SX4 set to carry No.8 tomorrow.  Also making the show on his European indoor offroad debut is Associated team boss Brent Thielke whose Reedy powered B44.1 is the only buggy from the World’s most winning offroad manufacturer with team-mate Tony Truman taking the unenviable BQ ahead of TLR’s Dustin Evans where he will be joined by the third of the AE drivers Paul Bradby who starts 5th.

In Short Course behind Neumann team mate and title rival Hupo Honigl will start 2nd followed by Bjorn Prumper, older brother of Yannic. Horizon Hobby Germany backed Prumper is top Losi lining up ahead of factory drivers Dustin Evans and Mike Truhe with Russian driver Dmitry Malyshko completing the top 6.

4WD Buggy A-Main Grid
1. Joern Neumann (DE) – Durango – 0 pts
2. Yannic Prumper (DE) – Yokomo – 2
3. Lee Martin (GB) – Tamiya – 3
4. Hupo Honigl (AT) – Durango –    3
5. Darren Bloomfield (GB) – TLR – 5
6. Mike Truhe (US) – TLR – 5
7. Marc Rheinard (DE) – Tamiya – 7
8. Tom Cockerill (GB) – Schumacher – 9
9. Brent Thielke (US) – Associated – 11
10. Christopher Krapp (DE) – Kyosho – 12

View complete event results here.

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