March 9, 2013

Savoya tops Q4 but Neumann Top Qualifier

Having surprised his rivals by topping the opening round of qualifying, Team Xray’s Renaud Savoya proved it was not by chance as he again put his XB4 top of the time sheets in Q4. Ending qualifying equal on points with defending Champion Joern Neumann, the French ace was denied the overall TQ on his debut in the TLR/Spektrum Euro Offroad Series due to the German having a faster combined time from his TQ runs in Q2 & 3.  For Neumann securing the Top Qualifier honours maintains his record as being the only driver to start on pole position in 4WD Buggy in the EOS since its creation.

Having struggled with a very nervous buggy in Q3 after he set his ride height incorrectly when copying that of his team-mate Martin Bayer, Savoya said with it set correctly his Orion powered XB4 was ‘way more easy to drive’.  Conscious of the fastest time deciding the tie break he said he pushed as hard as he could but his tyres went off hence the slower time which was 1.4 second off his own opening TQ time.  Not expecting to be as competitive on his debut, the 3-time 1:8 Offroad European Champion said he is really looking forward to racing Neumann, who is recongnised as one of best 4WD Buggy drivers in the World, in tomorrow’s triple Mains.

For Neumann, the final qualifier saw him retire his Durango with an electrical problem the source of which the European Champion has yet to find.  In 4WD Short Course, of which he is also the defending champion,  he had problems too failing to finish all his heats after he TQ’d Q1 but he said these were due to radio interference.

Starting third will be Bayer, the Czech driver backing up his impressive 2WD qualifying performance in which he claimed second on the grid.  Third fastest in Q4 behind Associated’s Peter Pinisch, Bayer came very close to TQ’ing Q2 & 3 only to lose out to Neumann on the very last lap and he will certainly be one to watch in the finals.

4WD Buggy Round 3 Qualifying Top 10
1. Joern Neumann (DE) – Durango – 14/5:05.166
2. Martin Bayer (CZ) – Xray – 14/5:05.961
3. Hupo Honigl (AT) – Durango – 14/5:07.213
4. Michal Orlowski (PL) – Durango – 14/5:11.350
5. Jiri Mara (CZ) – Xray – 14/5:12.794
6. David Ronnefalk (SE) – Kyosho – 14/5:13.266
7. Martin Kreil (AT) – Durango – 14/5:15.701
8. Oliver Scholz (DE) – Team C – 14/5:16.286
9. Patrick Hofer (CH) – Associated – 14/5:17.502
10.Kaja Novotny (CZ) – Durango – 14/5:17.596

4WD Buggy Round 4 Qualifying Top 10
1. Renaud Savoya (FR) – Xray – 14/5:12.239
2. Peter Pinisch (AT) – Associated – 14/5:15.191
3. Martin Bayer (CZ) – Xray – 14/5:15.463
4. Michal Orlowski (PL) – Durango – 14/5:15.653
5. Jiri Mara (CZ) – Xray – 14/5:15.916
6. Oliver Scholz (DE) – Team C – 14/5:16.308
7. Martin Hansen (DK) – Kyosho – 14/5:16.374
8. David Ronnefalk (SE) – Kyosho – 14/5:17.618
9. Martin Kreil (AT) – Durango – 14/5:20.310
10.Roland Hauleitner (AT) – Associated – 14/5:20.885

4WD Buggy A-Main Grid
1. Joern Neumann (DE) – Durango – 310 pts
2. Renaud Savoya (FR) – Xray – 310
3. Martin Bayer (CZ) – Xray – 306
4. Hupo Honigl (AT) – Durango – 304
5. Peter Pinisch (AT) – Associated – 303
6. Michal Orlowski (PL) – Durango – 303
7. Jiri Mara (CZ) – Xray – 300
8. Oliver Scholz (DE) – Team C – 298
9. David Ronnefalk (SE) – Kyosho – 296
10.Martin Kreil (AT) – Durango – 295

Complete event results can be found here.

View our event image gallery here.



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