April 23, 2017

Orlowski survives early chaos to win A1

Michal Orlowski came out on top of the opening A-Main of 4WD at the Euro Offroad Series in Austria, the Schumacher driver capitalising on all three Xray drivers starting ahead of him rolling at the same corner. Off the start it was Top Qualifier Bruno Coelho who led away the field from team-mate Martin Bayer but as they came onto the straight for the first time the Xrays performing a synchronised roll which would end Lee Martin’s challenge as he collected Bayer’s car.   This would leave Martin Wollanka to lead but 3-laps later he would execute an almost carbon copy of his team-mate’s error allowing 5th place starter Orlowski to go to the front where, despite his slipper going, he would stay to the end.  Wollanka would finish second with Neil Cragg completing the Top 3.

Having highlighted after qualifying that anything could be possible in the finals here with the example of the P2 he got from 8th on the grid in the second of the A-Mains at Round 3 of the EOS at the Hudy Arena, Orlowski said with a smile, ‘I got a bit lucky at the start’.  He continued, ‘I don’t know what happen but I just tried to not hit anything and went from 5th to 2nd.   Then I followed Wollanka until he made a mistake’.  The EOS’ 2WD Champion said towards the end of the race he could feel a belt or his slipper was going so he ‘tried to be really smooth’ which was why Wollanka started to close. With enough of gap however he would roll the last few jumps adding ‘I was lucky to finish’.  Discovering afterwards the slipper was ‘worn out’, they will fit a new one for A2 and ‘hopefully something similar will happen up front’.

‘I was first and it was all looking good but then I hit the dot’, was Wollanka’s reaction after the first encounter of the triple A-Mains.  The Austrian continued, ‘I tried everything to close on Orlowski.  I closed a bit but it was not enough to try to overtake’.  Tangling with Lee Martin as they both tried to recover from the first lap chaos, Coelho would eventually pull up half way into the race explaining that his roll was a result of hitting the dot in the corner coming onto the main straight.

Cragg said, ‘I just waited for the chaos and got through to third’.  The Associated driver continued, ‘my car as a little twitchy but I that was down to new tyres and more me than the car’.   Catching and battling with Wollanka, with whom he had an altercation in the final qualifier, for a second time the Brit would throw away a possible 2nd with a mistake but concluded, ‘I can’t argue with getting a third’.  Behind Cragg AE team-mate Karri Salmela would have a good race finishing fourth from 9th on the grid.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.



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