Easy win for Bayer in opening 4WD Main

Martin Bayer took an easy win in the opening A-Main of 4WD Buggy at the Euro Offroad Series, the Top Qualifier being the only driver to complete 14 laps of the Hudy Arena.  Securing his first EOS victory earlier when he took the overall 2WD win, the Xray driver briefly lost the lead on the opening lap to Naoto Matsukura but once back in front took control of proceedings to win ahead of a much improved Joern Neumann.  While Matsukura would only finish 7th, his Yokomo team-mate Lee Martin completed the Top 3 10-seconds back behind the defending champion.

Losing the lead at the second corner, Bayer said the TQ position made the start difficult due to how close it was to the first jumps of the lap.  Having started 2nd in 2WD, he said that was much easier, and having to go safe over the jumps it was this that allowed the No.2 buggy of Matsukura to get down his inside to go to the front.  Retaking the lead after the Japanese driver rolled on a landing on lap 2, the European Champion said being able to build up a gap over his rival helped by a second off he was then able to control the race to the finish.  Looking to become the first driver to beat Neumann in 4WD he said it was ‘a very good way to start of the 4WD finals.

A driver who has dominated the class since the creation of the EOS, winning all nine races to date, Neumann has struggled this weekend after the race said his event has ‘now just started’.  Finding an issue with the diff in his DEX410 which he believes was the reason for his mysterious lack of traction in qualifying, he said the buggy was much better highlighted by the fact that he ran his first 22-second lap of the weekend.   A mistake early in the race left him short of time to catch up Bayer by the time he got up to second but going into A2 the World Championship Top Qualifier is confident about his chances.

Despite finishing one position higher than he started, Martin said he ‘wasn’t fast enough’.  The British ace said his Viper powered B-Max4 didn’t want to land flat so he had to play safe.  Trying to jump long he said the buggy would just crash and so for A2 he will change to a different suspension set-up.  He said the issue was compunded by a little understeer with his fastest lap some 7/10ths slower than team-mate Matsukura.  Matsukura said after a good start his race just went downhill.  Suffering some spectacular cart wheels as he dropped down the field, he said his car was ‘good’ and the next one will be ‘better’.

Starting 8th on the grid David Ronnefalk was pleased to finish 4th.  Changing the toe in on his Kyosho from 4 to 3, something he said he should have done earlier in the event, it made it much easier to drive.  Declaring his race as having went ‘pretty good’, the Swede is looking forward to A2 adding he is confident of a good result now that he knows what his buggy can do.

4WD Buggy A-Main Leg 1 Result
1.(1) Martin Bayer – Xray – 14/5:21.970
2.(3) Joern Neumann – Durango – 13/5:02.832
3.(4) Lee Martin – Yokomo – 13/5:12.612
4.(8) David Ronnefalk – Kyosho – 13/5:15.229
5.(6) Hupo Honigl – Team C – 13/5:16.291
6.(5) Renaud Savoya – Xray – 13/5:17.019
7.(2) Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 13/5:19.310
8.(10)Robert Batlle – Yokomo – 13/5:31.307
9.(7) Miguel Matias – Xray – 12/5:03.133
10.(9)Oskar Levin – Team C – 6/2:29.553

View the complete event results here.

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