Matsukura takes first A-Main in Austria

Despite a roll that cost him over two & a half seconds, Naoto Matsukura triumphed in the opening A-Main of 2WD at the Euro Offroad Series finale in Austria.  Starting from the TQ position the Yokomo driver looked to have proceedings under control until a mistake just before the loop moved title rival Hupo Honigl to the front.  While the Team C driver would lead for 5-laps after failing on his first attempted pass on the second attempt Matsukura would force his way back to the front where he would stay till the end.  Having been somewhat off the pace in qualifying, making use of the 1-hour free practice session before the start of the finals, Lee Martin got his Yokomo working piling on the pressure on Honigl in the closing laps the former European Champions separated by just 0.068 at the line.

Describing his Yokomo B-Max 2 as ‘perfect’, Matsukura said his mistake was down to driver error as he jumped too short on the corner double after the chicane the front of his buggy catching the second of the jumps sending it landing on its roof.  Rejoining behind Honigl, the Japanese ace was helped by the Austrian getting caught in the corner after the end of the straight allowing him to shadow the No.2 buggy.  Having to wait on Honigl after making contact with the TM2 V2, he didn’t wait long to make a second pass which he himself described as a ‘good pass’.  Able to control the race out front helped by Honigl coming under the attention of Martin, Matsukura said it was not easy to pull away and he is taking nothing for granted in A2 when he could wrap up his first ever EOS title.

Honigl said he could do nothing about Matsukura’s ‘comfortable lead’ early in the race but after the leader crashed he just tried to stay in front with a safe drive.  With him closing he said he was forced to push and this ultimately lead to his mistake.  The winner of the season opener Honigl said while he can follow Matsukura without much trouble his rival just has the ability to push harder something that when he tries results in mistakes.  Wanting always to push harder but knowing its going to lead to problems he said this is quite challenging mentally.  Commenting on the challenge from Martin he said the British ace ‘came pretty much out of nowhere’ adding he ‘didn’t expect him to be so fast’.

Having had Shin Adachi drive his car in the 1-hour free practice after qualifying and driven the Japanese driver cars, Martin said he made a number of changes to his car for A1.  Fitting a new gear diff case, which made the diff much smoother, adding droop and going to a harder shock spring he said the changes gave him a competitive car.  Encouraged by this Martin said he is very confident going into A2.

Behind Martin, Martin Bayer finished a distant fourth followed by 12-year-old Michal Orlowski who was the only Durango DEX210 in the race.  Unnoticed by us, Neumann this morning made a switch from his DEX210 to a DEX410 with the front diff and drive shafts removed for today’s 2WD action.  The German, who pulled off to save tyres after contact on the opening lap with Martin left him last, said he made the switch due to the more forward position of the motor in the 4WD.  For A2 he said he hopes his gamble to pull off meaning he has free tyres for the next two mains while his rivals will have to run one set a second time will pay dividends.

2WD Buggy A-Main Leg 1 Result
1.(1) Naoto Matsukura (JP) – Yokomo – 15/5:10.858
2.(2) Hupo Hoingl (AT) – Team C – 15/5:12.149
3.(4) Lee Martin (GB) – Yokomo – 15/5:12.217
4.(5) Martin Bayer (CZ) – Xray – 15/5:19.867
5.(8) Michal Orlowski (PL) – Durango – 15/5:24.528
6.(9) Juho Levanen (FI) – Associated – 14/5:06.836
7.(10)Peter Pinisch (AT) – Associated – 14/5:07.114
8.(7) Shin Adachi (JP) – Yokomo – 14/5:13.730
9.(6) Tom Cockerill (GB) – Schumacher – 13/4:54.915
10.(3)Joern Neumann (DE) – Durango – 0/0:12.100

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Matsukura is Top Qualifier for EOS Finale

Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura is Top Qualifier for the title deciding season finale of the Euro Offroad Series.  The Japanese ace secured the 2WD pole position for the Modelbau Wels event in Austria with a second TQ run in the final qualifier with his Q3 time giving him the tie breaker over Hupo Honigl who took Q1 & 2.  Honigl will start second on the grid with the third of the title contenders & defending champion Joern Nuemann set to start in the number 3 spot.

His third TQ of Season #3, Matsukura was understandably pleased to secure the honour maintaining his record of starting every EOS race he has attended from pole position in the championship’s premiere class.  Again not a fully clean round, the 20-year-old making one mistake that cost him almost 3-seconds & dropped him to fourth, he said he was ‘super happy’ to be leading away the grid.  Missing the opening race of the season, where Honigl took his win, Matsukura said although his aim for this evening is to take the win he has to be conscious of the points scenario as unlike his rivals he must count today’s result as 3 from 4 rounds are counted.  Chasing his third EOS race win, he knows he doesn’t need a victory to become only the second driver to be crowned EOS champion ending Neumann’s reign.  With all drivers set to start off the finals with new Pro-Line tyres, the rules allowing them to get two new sets for the triple A-Main, Matsukura said that will be the only change to his car for A1 with him confident his car works well on new tyres.

‘I gave everything but he was a hair faster’, that was how Honigl summed up the final qualifier.  The Team C driver pushed Matsukura right to the finish, how hard he was trying coming to light when he crashed on landing four corners from the finish with his buggy needing to be marshalled.  One of the instigators of the EOS, the multiple European Champion said ‘still second on the grid is fine’ and for the finals he will be on ‘full attack’.

Neumann said while he tried his best for a TQ run his tyres were too far gone.  In with an outside chance of retaining his title for a third season, the German said with a fresh set of tyres for A1 he was going for nothing less than the win with his Orion powered DEX210 ‘really good’ on new rubber.

Having a poor final qualifier, ending up only 29th fastest, Lee Martin starts fourth on the grid right in front of Martin Bayer.  The British ace said his chances for the race would depend on what work he could get done on the set-up of his Yokomo during the 1-hour free practice session between qualifying and the start of the finals.  Planning to swap cars with Shin Adachi, who lines up 7th for the final, during the practice he hopes by the Yokomo’s head of development driving his car and him driving the Japanese drivers car they can find something that allows him to mix it with the three title contenders starting ahead of him.

Bayer, who backed up his improved Q3 performance with another 3rd fastest time in the final qualifier, said they continue to make progress with the prototype XB4-2 but said being realistic he doesn’t believe he is yet in a position to challenge a podium adding the ‘Top 3 are really fast’.

2WD Buggy A-Main Grid
1. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 310 pts
2. Hupo Hoingl – Team C – 310
3. Joern Neumann – Durango – 305
4. Lee Martin – Yokomo – 304
5. Martin Bayer – Xray – 304
6. Tom Cockerill – Schumacher – 302
7. Shin Adachi – Yokomo – 300
8. Michal Orlowski – Durango – 299
9. Juho Levanen – Associated – 297
10.Peter Pinisch – Associated – 295

2WD Buggy Qualifying Round 4 – Top 10 times
1. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 15/5:17.760
2. Hupo Hoingl – Team C – 15/5:22.424
3. Martin Bayer – Xray – 14/5:01.263
4. Joern Neumann – Durango – 14/5:04.660
5. Michal Orlowski – Durango – 14/5:04.856
6. Juho Levanen – Associated – 14/5:05.294
7. Peter Pinisch – Associated – 14/5:06.584
8. Oskar Levin – Team C – 14/5:07.000
9. Carson Wernimont – Schumacher – 14/5:08.095
10.Ronald Volker – Yokomo – 14/5:08.325

View complete event results here.

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Matsukura takes Q3 at EOS

After setting the fastest laps of the opening two qualifiers of 2WD Buggy at the Euro Offroad Series in Wels, Austria, Naoto Matsukura finally managed to pull off a TQ run in the penultimate round.   Laying down another new outright fastest lap, the Yokomo driver took Q3 from early pace setter Joern Neumann in a new fastest time, something that could prove crutial should qualifying go to a tie break with Q1 & 2 pace setter Hupo Honigl.  While Martin Bayer had a good round to complete the Top 3, after a perfect morning at the Modelbau Wels Hobby Show, mistakes in the third qualifier meant Honigl would post only the fourth fastest time.

Running a time that was 3-seconds faster than Honigl’s best TQ time, that gap being reduced by a mistake by Honigl on the last lap that delayed both Matsukura and Neumann, Matsukura was happy to finally cut out the errors that cost him in Q1 & 2 although the Japanese ace did still have one moment of his own doing.  Happy with his B-Max 2, he said other than a refreshing of the shocks the plan for the final qualifier is to ‘go for the overall TQ’ and deny Honigl the extra championship point it carries.

Changing to a lighter oil in the diff of his Durango, Neumann said his DEX210 was ‘much better’.  On the TQ pace the defending Champion said he threw it away with a mistake.  Passing Lee Martin at the chicane he got the double wrong and this led him to miss his line for the jump section in front of the drivers stand causing him to roll on the landing.    Confident the pace is in the car he will be hoping he can end qualifying for his first clean run of the day.

‘Heading in the right direction but still not perfect’ was how Bayer described his car after setting the third fastest time.  Winner of the previous round of the championship at the Hudy Arena last month, the Czech ace said a change of the front and rear geometry on the prototype XB4-2, he is racing for the first time this weekend gave the buggy better steering.  Improving the car ‘step by step’ he said both himself and the car’s designer Juraj Hudy are learning more and more about the car every run and so will continue to try new things every run.

After the perfect morning, taking Q1 & 2, Honigl said he just made a number of small mistakes at the beginning of the run which dropped him back but it was a double mistake on his last lap that cost him dearly.  Crashing at the chicane he would immediately repeat the crash as he tried to turn around back into the racing line.  This would delay three cars most notably Matsukura and more so Neumann as they all piled into the crashed Team C.  Honigl said the car was good and for the last qualifier it is just the driver that needs improving.

Behind the Austrian, Shin Adachi and Tom Cockerill completed the 6 while Lee Martin had a poor run to set only the 7th fastest ime. The World Championship runner-up said having to let Neumann and Matsukura passed, the former two times after he crashed,  ended up costing him time and positions.

2WD Buggy Qualifying Round 3 – Top 10 times
1. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 15/5:17.108
2. Joern Neumann – Durango – 15/5:18.013
3. Martin Bayer – Xray – 14/5:02.066
4. Hupo Hoingl – Team C – 14/5:02.388
5. Shin Adachi – Yokomo – 14/5:03.649
6. Tom Cockerill – Schumacher – 14/5:03.683
7. Lee Martin – Yokomo – 14/5:05.187
8. Martin Wollanka – Xray – 14/5:05.679
9. Oskar Levin – Team C – 14/5:08.772
10.Michal Orlowski – Durango – 14/5:10.419

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Honigl again in Q2

The second round of qualifying at the Euro Offroad Series, which is taking place at Austria’s biggest hobby show Modelbau Wels, saw title contender Hupo Honigl post another TQ run.  The Team C driver ran an almost identical time to his opening qualifier, this time round heading British drivers Lee Martin and Tom Cockerill.  For Honigl’s title rivals it was a tough round with Joern Neumann ending up fourth and Naoto Matsukura sixth.  Neumann was on target for a TQ run until he came up to lap Torben Højfeldt and his Durango tangled with the Dane’s Team C.  For Matsukura, who again posted the fastest lap, the run contained ‘just too many mistakes’.

Honigl was even happier with his Q2 run saying his TM2 V2 was really good.  Having been struggling a little for steering at the end of the straight which for the front motored car is not normally an issue, a change of top deck for Q2 cured the problem.  Modifying the top deck that was on the buggy to give the car more flex believing he had a spare he discovered that he didn’t leaving him with that option.  Fortunately a spare of the pre production part was able to be brought to Wels late last night which the Austrian was able to fit to the car for Q2 opting not to risk fitting it for the opening round.  Honigl said he plans now to just run the car as is for Q3 when he could potentially wrap up the overall TQ and take the all important bonus championship point that it carries.

‘Start average, end good’ was how Martin described his run to the second fastest time.  The Yokomo driver said while he is getting closer with his set-up his car is still not jumping perfectly.  With the piston change after Q1 improving it he said for Q3 he will now try to remove weight from the car to see if that changes the way the car lands to where he wants it to be.  Despite a ‘couple of small mistakes’ he said overall the run was pretty decent.

Changing to a shorter wheelbase set-up on his Schumacher Tom Cockerill said it was a step in the right direction.  Making the car more nimble it also gave him the more drive out of the corner he was so desperately seeking.  Despite the improvement he said he still needs to find more speed as without Neumann & Matsukura’s issues it would again have been a Top 5 run.

Behind Neumann, Japan’s Shin Adachi posted the fifth fastest time.  The head of development for Yokomo’s electric Offroad programme he is essentially a test bed for set-up changes for both Matsukura and Martin.  Happy with fifth he said a change to softer shock oil made for ‘not good’ landings so he will try something different for Q3.  Also looking to get rid of some of the car’s understeer he will try a lighter diff oil next time out.

2WD Buggy Qualifying Round 2 – Top 10 times
1. Hupo Hoingl – Team C – 15/5:20.846
2. Lee Martin – Yokomo – 14/5:00.435
3. Tom Cockerill – Schumacher – 14/5:03.446
4. Joern Neumann – Durango – 14/5:05.056
5. Shin Adachi – Yokomo – 14/5:07.206
6. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 14/5:10.057
7. Michal Orlowski – Durango – 14/5:10.366
8. Juho Levanen – Associated – 14/5:10.855
9. Joakim Nicolaisen – Associated – 14/5:10.870
10.Martin Bayer – Xray – 14/5:11.478

View complete event results here.

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Honigl TQs opening 2WD Qualifier at EOS Finale

Team C’s Hupo Honigl TQ’d the opening round of 2WD qualifying at the Euro Offroad Series this morning in Wels, Austria.  The only driver to complete 15-laps over the 5-minute qualifier, the Austria headed both his rivals for the overall EOS Championship title with Naoto Matsukura and defending champion Joern Neumann completing the Top 3.

Pleased to kick off the first of the four qualifiers with a TQ run, his rivals appartently not liking the early start, Honigl said the run was the first time his TM2 V2 ‘felt really good’ on a brand new set of Pro-Line’s hand out tyre.  Making changes to his buggy as he looked for more steering at the end of the straight, while it didn’t cure that problem it did make the buggy better through other sections of the track.  The winner of the season opener joked he thought he knew what he was doing when he made the change but it cured something totally different and he hopes the next change he makes actually improves his steering at the end of the straight.

Setting the fastest lap of the round with a 20.557, Matsukura said ‘car good, me shit’.  Laying down a TQ pace early on the Japanese ace crashed twice at the same spot on the track.  Happy with his B-Max 2’s performance he said he will leave it as is for Q2 and instead focus on improving his driving adding that by then he should have woken up.

‘Just too many mistakes’, that was how Neumann summed up his opening qualifier.  Having topped yesterday’s timed practice the German lead away the top heat but crashed on the opening lap allowing Matsukura to the front.  Chasing his first 2WD win of the season, the 5-time race winner said his DEX210 was ‘OK’ and attributed his poor driving to it being ‘maybe too early in the morning’.

‘Could be worse’ was how Lee Martin described his run to the fourth fastest time with his idler gear starting to go in the final minute of the run.  The Yokomo driver said he ‘hate(s) early morning runs’ and as a result he didn’t drive very well.  Still working on getting his Viper powered B-Max 2 to land better he will now try a piston change in his rear shocks for Q2.

Setting the 5th fastest time Schumacher team leader Tom Cockerill described his qualifier as a steady run but said on checking the times afterwards he was a little frustrated as he was just 1/10th of a third for the round.  The British driver said they are ‘being killed’ out of the slow corners and for Q2 he will change to a short wheelbase set-up on his Cougar.  Team-mate Carson Wernimont, who is making his European race debut this weekend, would claim 12th for the round just behind Round 3 race winner Martin Bayer.

Behing young Polish talent Michal Orlowski, who completed the Top 6 with his Durango, were the Team Associated’s of Juho Levanen and Peter Pinisch.  Running the new B5M for the first time, multiple European Touring Car Champion Levanen said overnight changes to the car had improved it quite a bit over yesterday’s practice.  Commenting on the main difference between the new car and the Centro C4.2 he campaigned at the previous EOS encounters he said the B5M ‘jumps a lot better which for a touring car driver helps a lot’.  Planning further set-up changes for  Q2 the Finn said he is looking to find a balance between having enough steering but not too much.

2WD Buggy Qualifying Round 1 – Top 10 times
1. Hupo Hoingl – Team C – 15/5:20.523
2. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 14/5:00.051
3. Joern Neumann – Durango – 14/5:05.226
4. Lee Martin – Yokomo – 14/5:05.283
5. Tom Cockerill – Schumacher – 14/5:05.323
6. Michal Orlowski – Durango – 14/5:07.515
7. Juho Levanen – Associated – 14/5:07.551
8. Peter Pinisch – Associated – 14/5:08.565
9. Shin Adachi – Yokomo – 14/5:10.103
10. Oskar Levin – Team C – 14/5:11.308

View complete event results here.

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‘From Race Control’ – Day 2, 2WD Qualifying/Finals

Responding to feedback from racers, the finale of Season #3 of the Euro Offroad Series will see a change to the regular schedule with the serious business of qualifying and racing now being seperated by classes with 2WD and 4WD having a full dedicated day each. After timed practice for both 2WD and 4WD yesterday, today is just for 2WD starting off with the first of four rounds of qualifying, a driver’s best 2 of 4 to count. With qualifying complete the day will conclude with triple Mains for all racers with the new 2WD Buggy EOS champion set to be crowned in Wels, Austria later this evening.