Ronnefalk TQ’s third 2WD qualifier

David Ronnefalk snatched a last lap TQ run in Q3 of 2WD at the Euro Offroad Series when Michal Orlowski found himself caught up in someone else’s mistake.  Losing over 2-seconds in the incident Orlowski would hold on to hold on to claim 2nd as he did in the previous qualifier.  The pace setter in Q1 & 2 with two faultless drives, Yokomo’s Lee Martin looked on target to wrap up the overall TQ until his first driver error of the day dropped him almost 4-seconds to leave him finish the round 3rd quickest. Ronnefalk’s TQ run puts the Swede in contention to claim his first ever overall EOS TQ in the final round of qualifying but in order to do that he needs to run a faster time than Martin’s Q2 pace.

Having started off only 17th fastest in the opening qualifier, Ronnefalk improved in Q2 to finish 3rd. Looking to get his Associated based Red Workshop B52 conversion to rotate more in the corners, the HB driver went to heavier oil in the rear diff for Q3, the change resulting in having to not push as hard in the corners.  With a Top 3 starting position in the A-Main secured, the 19-year said with the car easier to drive he would leave it unchanged and instead try to to better his grid position through another clean run.

On target to TQ the round, Orlowski said he was just lacking in the luck department.  ‘Super happy’ with how his Cougar KFII has been running this weekend, with him leaving the set-up unchanged since practice, the 13-year-old found himself with nowhere to go on his final lap when another buggy slid on its roof right across his path. Collecting it, he too also ended upside down and needing to be marshalled.  Finishing 1.3 seconds off Ronnefalk, the Polish ace said it would have been nice to TQ but I know I have the speed and with a bit more luck everything should fine.

Another driver to leave his car unchanged all morning other than have Yokomo engineer Shin Adachi rebuild his shocks, Martin said he just messed up his line through the single single and on the landing caught a dot which sent the car bouncing off the boards on the opposite side of the track.  Setting the fastest lap of qualifying in Q3, with a 19.371, he said his YZ-2 was good and the error was simply down to himself.

Just out for fun, Yokomo touring car ace Yannic Prumper would set the 4th fastest time with his YZ-2 which he built and set-up as per the manual.  The German who hasn’t contested an offroad race for over a year said it was a pretty clean run and 4th was about right in terms of where his pace is at.

Enjoying his first Top 10 run, Adachi was happy with his run to the 5th fastest time, less driver errors the reason for his improvement.  Here to support Yokomo drivers, the popular Japanese driver said he is very happy with how the entire team are performing this weekend and the fact that they are all pretty much running their cars unchanged every run.

Completing the Top 6 just ahead of Serpent team-mates Joern Neumann and Hupo Honigl, Xray’s Martin Bayer said the qualifier started out really well until a mistake which dropped him around 3-seconds.  While he would like to find some more corner speed from his XB2, he said without the mistake his pace would have been good and he hopes to keep the next one clean having had a 2nd in Q1 and a 4th in Q2.

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