Tessmann & Hara set for EOS debut at Season #7 opener

With just over a week to go until Season #7 of the Euro Offroad Series goes live in Poland, Ty Tessmann and Atsushi Hara are to make their debuts in the multiple round indoor carpet offroad championship. 2014 1:8 Offroad World Champion Tessmann is the latest North American offroad superstar to go up against Europe’s leading drivers with Ryan Cavalieri, reigning 2WD World Champion Spencer Rivkin and most recently Ryan Mayfield all having made trips to Europe to compete in the EOS. Taking place in Warsaw, Tessmann will join Xray’s already strong EOS line-up of reigning 4WD Champion Bruno Coelho, multiple race winner Martin Bayer and Martin Wollanka. The entry for the first of the championship’s five rounds, that also takes in Germany, Slovakia and Austria, will also see Offroad & Onroad World Champion Atsushi Hara make his first EOS appearance, the Japanese ace once a regular on the ETS tour. Taking place on October 20-22 in Central Europe’s largest International Exhibition and Conference Center, the EOS runs as as part of World Travel Show 2017 which last year attracted over 30,000 visitors.

Maifield to make EOS debut at season finale

American offroad ace Ryan Maifield is to make his Euro Offroad Series debut with the confirmation he will travel to the season finale of the five round championship in Wels, Austria (21-23 April).  Joining Yokomo’s 1:10 Offroad team for the 2017 season, the 4-times EOS Champion manufacturer will be hoping the input of their high profile signing will lead to the team’s first win of Season #6 since Marc Rheinard won the season opener.  With both EOS buggy title’s having been decided at Arena 33 in Germany earlier this month, all drivers will be targeting the win to cap off the season with Maifield’s participation adding an extra dimension to winning at Austria’s largest Hobby Show.  Featured on the Euro Touring Series calendar last year, the Modellbau Wels show attracted over 30,000 visitors.  At last season’s finale, held at the Nurburgring, Maifield’s great rival Ryan Cavalieri became the first American to win a round of the indoor carpet track based championship but it wasn’t the Team Associated driver’s first EOS outing.  Accompanying Maifield on the trip will be the Arizona driver’s longtime sponsor Jason Ruona whose JConcepts brand is an associated sponsor of this year’s Euro Offroad Series.

Orlowski targets first EOS title at Arena33

The Euro Offroad Series makes its second trip of the season to Germany this weekend (March 17-19) with the all new Arena 33 the venue for the penultimate round of the championship.  With three of the expanded five round calendar to count, both Michal Orlowski and Bruno Coelho will be targeting wrapping up the Season #6 titles.  Completing back to back victories in 2WD last time out at the Hudy Arena, a third consecutive win in Andernach would bring Orlowski and Schumacher their first EOS title and end Yokomo’s three year reign as champions of electric offroad’s premiere class.

Reigning back to back champion Lee Martin, second in the points standings, is Orlowski’s main title rival but with a season so far void of victory the British driver must win on Saturday if he is to have any chance of retaining his title.  Attending the EOS Warm-up race last weekend at Arena33 and winning it, Martin will be hoping this gives him an early advantage on his rivals.

The only other 2WD winner, taking the TQ and victory at the season opener at the Nurburgring, Marc Rheinard has had a tough time since but still finds himself third in the standings and in title contention.  Like his Yokomo team-mate however he must win to stand a chance.  Having been very much hands on in the building of Arena 33, which is run by his brother Toni, he would love to win the first international event to be hosted by the indoor track which has future plans to add an outdoor track.

On the same points as Rheinard, Neil Cragg was hoping for more last time out having claimed his first EOS podium finish in Poland.  The Team Associated driver hasn’t lacked the speed and now entering into the concluding part of the season the reigning European & former World Champion will be keen to prove he has finally mastered racing on the carpet surface.

Having clinched the 4WD title in his debut season, Coelho will be looking to successfully defend that impressive feat come Sunday.  Kicking off the season with a win, the World Champion will be hoping for a repeat German performance.  The Xray driver claimed a much expected win at the Hudy Arena, and only Orlowski has got the better of him this year when he did the double in Warsaw.  Orlowski had an amazing recovery drive in Solvakia, turning around 8th in qualifying to finish on the podium behind Lee Martin and Coelho. While former champion Martin would open the season with a TQ, the EOS’ last double champion hasn’t been able to make it onto the top step of the 4WD podium either, a fact he will be determined to try & quash this weekend.

While the debut of its new B64 at Round 3 didn’t net the result they had hoped, Team Associated got a lot of set-up data from the trip to the Hudy Arena.  Both Cragg and Joona Haatanen can be expected to be a much stronger force in 4WD this time out.

Rivals out to crash Xray house party at EOS Slovakia

The Euro Offroad Series reaches the midway stage in the 2016/17 Championship this weekend (3-5 Feb) as drivers descend on the Hudy Racing Arena in Slovakia. The world famous home track of reigning 4WD champions Xray, the visiting rival teams will be out to try & crash any home victory party the host manufacturer might have planned with Bruno Coelho in particular the driver they are all out to beat. Leading the 4WD standings after the first two rounds having won the season opener, Coelho took victory at his second-home last year enroute to becoming EOS Champion in his debut season.

The first double winner of what is the sixth season of the EOS, Michal Orlowski is expected to lead the main challenge to Xray this weekend. At his home round in Warsaw, Poland, the teenager completed the perfect 2WD performance to both TQ and win to put himself at the top of the points standings. While in 4WD it was Coelho who would TQ, Orlowski got the better of the World Champion to claim his first 4WD win in the series. Opening 2017 with an all conquering performance at the DHI Cup in Denmark and the fact that the Hudy Racing Arena was the venue of a break through first international race win for him during Season #4 of the EOS, the Schumacher ace won’t be lacking confidence in any way as he tries to extend his 2WD points lead.

The only other winner of the current season, Marc Rheinard will be aiming to make amends for a disappointing result in Poland. Having won 2WD at the season opener for reigning champions Yokomo, the German could only manage 7th and in 4WD didn’t fare much better ending up 8th on what he will be hoping is one of his throw out results in the final championship standings. Team-mate & defending 2WD Champion Lee Martin has yet to register a win but 3rd at Round 1 and 2nd at Round 2 the British driver will be aiming to continue the trend in Trencin and close the gap to Orlowski to whom he currently lies second in the standings.

Having finally replaced their ageing 4WD platform with the new B64D, which debuted at the recent Reedy Race of Champions helping EOS race winner Ryan Cavalieri to claim a fourth victory, Team Associated will be the team to watch this weekend. Neil Cragg claimed his first EOS podium last time out, admitting that success in the EOS was much harder than he had given credit to, and this weekend will see the former World Champion in action in both classes. Having opted to sit out 4WD due to the old B44 not being competitive on the carpet surface, the British driver will debut the all new car with high hopes. Fresh from finishing as the top European at the Reedy Race after some very impressive displays of race craft during the famous heads up racing event, Joona Haatanen will also be looking to impress on the B64D’s EOS debut as well as in 2WD.

Date confirmed for EOS Round 4

The Euro Offroad Series is pleased to announce that the date for Round 4, the penultimate round of Season #6, is now confirmed as March 10-12 March 17-19.  The second German stop on the 2016/2017 calendar, the race will take place in Andernach which is the hometown of Round 1 2WD Top Qualifier and race winner Marc Rheinard.

EOS Season #6 fires into action at Nurburgring

The sixth season of the Euro Offroad Series fires into action this weekend (16-18 September) at the famous motorsport mecca that is the Nurburgring.  With the race marking the 20th race since the indoor offroad championship was started in 2012, the weekend is the first round of what is set to be its biggest and most competitive yet.  Expanded to 5 rounds for the 2016/17 calendar, the third time to visit the legendary 1:1 race circuit, the EOS will run alongside the Nürburgring 1000KM, a round of the full size sportscar Blancpain Endurance Series. In terms of the 267 strong entry, reigning champions Lee Martin and Bruno Coelho lead their respective teams in seeking further success but they will face strong opposition namely from Team Associated, this the iconic offroad brand’s first time to field a full factory EOS campaign.

Having successfully defended his 2WD title last season, having got that campaign off to the perfect start with a win on the first visit to the Nurgurgring, Martin is again Yokomo’s big hope.  Champions of the 2WD class for the past 3 season, their first title coming courtesy of Naoto Matsukura, the Japanese company also holds the honour of the most 2WD race wins.  Marc Rheinard is also a potential winner for the team having enjoyed his first EOS win at Round 3 last year.  One of a number of teams nurturing young talents, Yokomo will also have high hopes of some strong showings from Norwegian up & coming talent Daniel Kobbevik.

After an impressive debut season, securing Xray’s first EOS title when he became the 4WD champion, Coelho is the standout favourite in 4WD.  Having surprised everyone when he took the 2WD TQ on his debut at the Nurburgring last year, the Slovakian manufacturer will be aiming to harness that speed and have their star driver in a position to go for the title double.  Under the guidance of team-manager/racer Martin Bayer, Xray also have strength in the Austrian pairing of Martin Wollanka and Hupo Honigl.  Having made the A-Main a number of times last season, team protege Malin Karlsen will be looking to make that a regular occurrence and give her massive world wide following reasons to celebrate.

Schumacher will again be led by Michal Orlowski.  Runner-up to Martin in 2WD the last two seasons, despite his young age the Polish driver is an established EOS title contender.  A big boost for the former race winner is the signing of Christopher Krapp to the British manufacturers factory line-up.  Krapp has EOS experience from his time as Kyosho’s lead touring car driver and the German should work well together with Orlowski.

Entering Neil Cragg for a selected EOS programme last year as a precursor to a full assault this season, Team Associated laid down the warning shots that they mean business.  Using the season finale to launch their new B6 chassis, Cragg would claim the TQ while US star Ryan Cavalieri took the win.  Part of an increased focus on the European market which includes the introduction of LRP as their distributor for central Europe,  Cragg comes into the new season of EOS at the top of his game having just added another European title to his credentials.  To keep the World Champion on his toes, Associated also have one of the most exciting emerging young drivers on the team.  Joona Haatanen came very close to giving the B6 its debut win and there is little doubt the Finn’s first of many wins is not far off.

Elsewhere the EOS’ most successful driver Joern Neumann also comes into weekend with high hopes.  A driver who tops the stats for race wins in both 2WD and 4WD, he has endured a tough transition to Serpent but having recently secured the 4WD European Championship title, the German will be hoping to carry that momentum into the class he once dominated.