Track Focus – Arena33 (Outdoor)

Name – Arena33
Owner – Tonisport
Country – Germany
Location – Andernach (130 km East of Frankfurt)
Direction – Anti-Clockwise
Surface – Astro
Previous key events hosted – 1 X EOS Indoors

After 28 races over 7 championship seasons on indoor carpet tracks, the 2017/18 Euro Offroad Series concludes this weekend with a first as the race takes place outdoors on astro turf at Arena 33 in Germany – And marking the occasion the Summer has finally arrived in Europe with it a beautiful sunny day.  Joining the EOS calendar last year when it hosted the penultimate round on its indoor carpet track, the championship’s first ever outdoor race was made possible following the subsequent building of an astro track to the rear of the Tonisport owned Arena33 in Andernach, home town of the Rheinard family.  Built using astro turf that previously was used on a soccer field, the track features EOS carpet covered jumps and fills an area 24 meters deep by 41 meters wide.  With converted shipping containers as a drivers stand, drivers are pitting inside in Arena 33, the cool indoor conditions a nice break from the heat outside.

In terms of track layout, a driver with more experience of astro tracks than most is Neil Cragg and having had 3 runs on it it he gave it a seal of approval.  In contention for the 2WD title this weekend he said, ‘It’s pretty fun driving out there and I think everyone is enjoying the track.  They (Tonisport) have done a good job building the track’.  He added, ‘the layout is good, the jumps are good and the sun is shining, what more do you want’.  Asked the most difficult element of the track he replied, ‘the pipes are so unforgiving. It you touch it you get stuck in it’.  His 2WD championship rival Michal Orlowski summed the track as ‘different but pretty good’.  Having raced a number of times in the UK on astro turf tracks, he said, ‘the traction is a little weird right now. I was expecting it to get more grippy after each run but it’s getting less and less’.  He added, ‘there is different traction in different spots.  I think it will be a struggle for those who are not used to racing on astro’.

Reigning 4WD Champion Bruno Coelho, said, ‘the track is fun’.  Asked about the switch to astro, the winner here on the indoor track last year said, ‘the World’s four years ago was the last time I raced on astro.  My schedule meant I couldn’t test here but we did 2-days on an astro track in Austria, but here the traction is much less’.  On the layout, the former World Champion said, ‘when you first look at it it looks standard but when you drive it it’s pretty hard.  There are many bumps in the track so you have to take different lines’.

One of the organisers of the EOS along with Uwe Rheinard, Scotty Ernst is along with announcing also racing this weekend and the American is loving his first experience of astro.  Asked how he likes the astro he replied, ‘Amazing experience.  Coming from a dirt guy I had questionable expectations but after a few runs on it I can say it’s a joy to drive on’.  The American added, ‘I’d be lying if I didn’t say it wasn’t easier (than dirt) but being able to drive Mod 2WD and be in control is a lot of fun.  The challenge is the bumpiness under the astro which makes it a great challenge to driving a perfect lap. Also having changing track conditions without the tyre headache we have on dirt is great. You just drive. As the track changes you adapt your driving.  He concluded, ‘It’s just a different kind of fun. Dirt guys love dirt but don’t knock it (astro) until you have tried it’.

Image Gallery