Matsukura sends out message in 4WD practice

Naoto Matsukura has topped 4WD practice at the season finale of the Euro Offroad Series in Slovakia.  Having opened Season #4 of the EOS in Poland with a double win for Yokomo but then splitting with the team, the series returning Japanese driver said his blistering pace in the second of the timed practice was a message to his rivals that he and his Kyosho team are a force to be reckoned with in this world championship year. Although free practice pace setter and last year’s Hudy Racing Arena round winner Martin Bayer had problems in TP2, Matsukura would end Day 1 of the event an impressive one and a half second’s faster than the Xray driver who in turn was 1.1 seconds faster than Schumacher’s 3rd placed Michal Orlowski. 3-seconds off Lee Martin would be the fastest Yokomo with the fourth fastest time.

‘Car is perfect, just need to freshen it up for Sunday’, that was Matsukura’s reaction to his pace. Running eight 24-second laps over the 10 laps he completed in TP2, his rivals struggling to manage just one, he said going a little harder in he rear shock oil had improved his Lazer ZX6.  With the car featuring a new chassis plate for his event, he said the shock change gave more stability both in the corners and on the landings.  Seeking confirmation that 3 out of 4 rounds count for the overall championship, this being only his second outing, he said ‘I have no championship to worry about but still we can show that I can also win in red’ referring to his Kyosho team clothing.

Finishing the final practice with only 2WD due to a pin breaking in the front centre drive shaft, Bayer said he was happy with his speed, his fastest time set in TP1.  With the track getting faster each run but only Matsukura able to go faster he said his XB4 feels good and has the speed.  Happy that he can run clean laps over 5-minutes, the Czech driver says he is confident for Sunday.

Dremeling the pins on his tyres for the final round, Orlowski said it was an improvement but while less edgy he was still getting it up on two wheels through the corners.  Planning to start qualifying with the car unchanged, the 13-year-old said his focus would be to try to keep the 5-minutes clean.

A slightly dejected Lee Martin said his B-Max 4 was still the same despite changes made after free practice.  With the car still bouncing on the flat landings, the title hopeful said they they didn’t yet have a solution to the problem but said at least they had a day to brainstorm and come up with something.  Team-mate Marc Rheinard would post the 6th fastest time.  The new Yokomo offroad team recruit, said while his car was not too easy to drive it was ‘not bad’.  While ‘it could be better’ he said the key thing come qualifying was going to be to drive 5-minutes without mistakes.

Ending the day 5th fastest, Miguel Matias said he is still playing catch after his brake issues but his Xray was pretty consistent.  ‘Lacking a little speed’, the Portuguese driver said this was compounded by the fact he ran new tyres each run so as to have them broken in for qualifying, used proving better on the new carpet tiles being used here at the Hudy Racing Arena.  Team-mate Martin Wollanka would make it three XB4s in the Top 10 as the Austrian posted the 7th fastest time.

One of three US Team Associated drivers making the trip to the EOS Season finale, Ryan Cavalieri would end practice 8th overall.  Having struggled in free practice, the former World Champion said a different front end set-up on his Orion powered B44.3 had made it more comfortable to drive on a surface that is completely alien to the Californian based driver.  Describing this final practice as ‘pretty decent’, he is confident they have now found the right direction to go with set-up adding ‘we’ll have it figured out for Sunday’.  While Kody Numedahl is only doing 2WD, team-mate Carson Wernimont would complete the Top 10 times ahead of defending champion Joern Neumann.  Wernimont said he was ‘struggling with everything on the track’ adding he needed to find a better overall balance.  The 18-year-old added ‘we are still putting bait on the hook and throwing the line in the water and we’ll catch something sooner or later’.

‘Compared to Naoto and Bayer I am way too slow’, was how Neumann put his pace into perspective.  The German said he is ‘losing time everywhere’ and he has ‘tried everything already to try improve it’.  He said there is some time in pushing harder but at the risk if damaging the buggies weak point, the diff gear.

View the event image gallery here.