Neumann caps off EOS with win #10

Joern Neumann has capped off the third season of the Euro Offroad Series with the overall win in Austria, a result that brings the Team Durango tally of 4WD Buggy victories in the championship to 10.  Having sewn up his third consecutive championship title in A2, the German would go on to win the closing race of the Modelbau Wels Hobby Show event to take victory at the season finale ahead of Top Qualifier Naoto Matsukura with young star and Durango team-mate Michal Orlowski completing the podium.

Going into A3, three drivers where in the hunt for the overall win but off the start Martin Bayer back flipped his Xray dropping him down the field leaving Matsukura and Neumann to battle it out.   One of his strongest sections of the track for the 1:12 World Champion, on lap 6 it would be the undoing of his quest for a first 4WD win.  Clipping the track piping through the high speed chicane this would let Neumann through to the front where he would stay for the rest of the 5-minute encounter.

Commenting on his win Neumann was very happy to claim his 10th win from 11 races adding he couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the championship.  On the race he said both himself & Matsukura had a very similar pace but his rival took more risks which would play into his hands.  Once ahead of the Vice-World Champion he said he knew the gap on such a track was too much to make back and said even if he had of caught him just keeping to his lines would have kept the Yokomo behind him.  Having lost his 100% winning record at the Hudy Arena where Bayer took the win from the TQ position, Neumann pointed out that he is the first driver who was not the Top Qualifier to win 4WD at the EOS.

Matsukura said it was a little frustrating to make such a mistake at his favourite part of the track but finishing 3rd overall in the championship he was happy with his first full season.  Having won the 2WD title yesterday, the first driver other than Neumann to hold an EOS Buggy title, he declared he would do the double.  Setting the fastest lap of the event in the third A-Main as he tried to reel back in Neumann, he said his buggies this weekend were really good thanks to good team support.  A driver who races many different categories and this being a World Championship year for both electric touring car and 1:12, he said he doesn’t get to test offroad much and because of this Shin Adachi is a huge help as he can test and relate that knowledge back to his car.  He also said having Lee Martin in the team this season has been a good for the team.

Finishing runner up in the championship, Bayer said the win today wasn’t to be.  Going ‘too hard off the line’ he said once he lost position it was way too hard to regain the ground lost.  His first full EOS campaign, he said he was pleased to have been able to push the World Championship Top Qualifier so hard for the championship.  Still the only driver to beat Neumann the Czech ace vowed for next season to get him for the title.

4WD Buggy A-Main Overall Result
1. Joern Neumann (DE) – Durango – 2 pts
2. Naoto Matsukura (JP) – Yokomo – 3
3. Michal Orlowski (PL) – Durango – 5
4. Martin Bayer (CZ) – Xray – 6
5. Hupo Hoingl (AT) – Team C – 10
6. Lee Martin (GB) – Yokomo – 11
7. Ronald Volker (DE) – Yokomo – 12
8. Martin Wollanka (AT) – Xray – 13
9. Carson Wernimont (US) – Schumacher – 15
10.Oliver Scholz (DE) – Team C – 18

4WD Buggy A-Main Leg 3 Result
1.(2) Joern Neumann (DE) – Durango – 16/5:12.898
2.(1) Naoto Matsukura (JP) – Yokomo – 16/5:15.567
3.(5) Michal Orlowski (PL) – Durango – 16/5:19.083
4.(6) Lee Martin (GB) – Yokomo – 16/5:21.530
5.(3) Martin Bayer (CZ) – Xray – 15/5:02.728
6.(4) Hupo Hoingl (AT) – Team C – 15/5:04.414
7.(10)Martin Wollanka (AT) – Xray – 15/5:06.679
8.(7) Ronald Volker (DE) – Yokomo – 15/5:11.156
9.(8) Oliver Scholz (DE) – Team C – 14/5:03.085
10.(9)Carson Wernimont (US) – Schumacher – 6/2:01.177

4WD Buggy Overall Championship Standings (Top 10)
1. Joern Neumann – Durango – 468 pts
2. Martin Bayer – Xray – 462
3. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 458
4. Lee Martin – Yokomo – 452
5. Hupo Hoingl – Team C – 452
6. Renaid Savoya – Xray – 447
7. Michal Orlowski – Durango – 442
8. David Ronnefalk – Kyosho – 442
9. Ronald Volker – Yokomo – 434
10.Oskar Levin – Team C – 430

View complete event results here.

View our event image gallery here.