Fifth round added for EOS Season #6

As the Euro Offroad Series gets set to enter into a sixth season of world class competition, the organisers are excited to announce the addition of a fifth date to the calendar. As it did last season, the successful Indoor 1:10 Electric Offroad Championship will open next weekend (Sept 16-18) at the iconic Nurburgring race circuit as part of the 1:1 scale Blancpain GT Series race weekend.

From there the championship moves to Warsaw as Poland, after a year out, returns to the calendar on November 18-20. An all new venue, the EOS will run as part of Warsaw Moto Show at Ptak Warsaw Expo, the biggest Exhibition and Congress Centre in Central Europe.

Moving into 2017, Round 3 will take drivers and teams to Slovakia on February 3-5 with this event set to mark the Hudy Arena as the track to have hosted the most EOS encounters, it will be the championship’s fourth visit to the city of Trencin.

As Europe’s biggest market, Germany will welcome back drivers for a second time in March with what is hoped will be an exciting all new r/c location. The exact date & location of the penultimate round expected to be confirmed shortly after the season opener.

The championship, whose primary sponsors for the new season continue to be reigning 2WD champions Yokomo, reigning 4WD champions Xray and controlled tyre supplier Schumacher with iconic offroad brand Team Associated an exciting new addition for Season #6, concludes on April 21-23 in Austria. After a year out, having swapped the venue with the Euro Touring Series last year, Modelbau Wels makes a third appearance on the calendar, where for a third time over the season racing will be held in front of large crowds of potential future r/c racers.

2016/17 Euro Offroad Series Schedule
Round 1 Nurburgring, Germany / 16th – 18th Sept 2016
Round 2 Warsaw, Poland / 18th – 20th Nov 2016
Round 3 Hudy Arena, Slovakia / 3rd – 5th Feb 2016
Round 4 TBA, Germany / March 2017
Round 5 Wels, Austria / 21st – 23rd April 2017

EOS adds Warsaw Moto Show to Season #6 calendar

The Euro Offroad Series is excited to announce the addition of a new high profile event to the calendar with Warsaw Moto Show in Poland the venue for the second round of the 1:10 electric offroad indoor championship.  Having already confirmed the sixth season of the EOS will again kick off at the Nurburgring, Germany, in September on the same weekend as the famous circuit hosts the full size Blancpain GT Championship, the Polish round will take place on November 18-20.

With the full 2016/17 calendar still being finalised, the Warsaw Moto Show will be the third EOS race on the schedule that puts RC racing in front a large public audience with the championship also making a return to the Modellbau Wels in Austria.  Taking place at Ptak Warsaw Expo, the biggest Exhibition and Congress Centre in Central Europe, and running alongside the Motorshow that draws thousands of fans of the automotive industry, this new event offers a huge exposure opportunity for the championship and its partners.

With Season #5 entries up by over a third on the previous year, 292 drivers registering points in the 2WD Championship which was won by Yokomo’s Lee Martin, the EOS has established itself as Europe’s premiere indoor offroad championship.  With Xray’s World Champion Bruno Coelho winning the 4WD title, the upcoming season looks set to be both the biggest and most competitive as more & more drivers from around the world come embrace the carpet offroad racing.

EOS reaches conclusion at Nurburgring with 4WD title still to be decided

The 2015/16 Euro Offroad Series reaches a conclusion this weekend (29-April/1-May) with the deciding of the 4WD champion the main order of business for the weekend. With Season #5 successfully kicking off at the legendary Nurburgring last September, the Championship finds itself returning to the famous 1:1 race circuit after problems with the original Austrian location. The perfect stage for the high profile 1:10 Offroad Championship, the first visit on the same weekend as the Blancpain GT Championship running on the Grand Prix circuit, some of the world’s best rc drivers will again enjoying racing alongside the rumble of Porsche, Audi & BMW GT cars who this time round are racing on the iconic 20.8 km long Nordschleife circuit. Having made his EOS debut on the first visit to the Nurburgring, it is World Champion Bruno Coelho who comes into the fourth & final round as the 4WD championship leader. Missing the podium then, the Portuguese driver has since won everything with only reigning champion Lee Martin now able to deny Coelho an EOS title in his inaugural season.

While Martin was able to successfully defend his 2WD title at the penultimate round, the Yokomo lead driver, after a perfect start to the season when he won the opening round, hasn’t been able to match Coelho, finding himself third at the next two outings. Needing to TQ & win, and for Coelho to finish outside the Top 3, the British driver faces a challenge but finding himself in a similar position last season when he went into the final round sitting second he managed to get the job done. With Round 3 marking a first EOS win for Yokomo team-mate Marc Rheinard the break through in form could prove vital to Martin in helping his cause of preventing Coelho from getting on the podium.

While Sunday’s 4WD action takes centre stage, the battle for the final 2WD win of the season is a far more open affair with a number of very strong contenders. Back to back champion Martin together with Rheinard will be chasing repeat wins but a number of others will be determined to end their campaign’s on the top step of the podium. Having capped of last season with a breakthrough victory, Schumacher’s international star Michal Orlowski has stepped onto the podium every race and wants it to be the top step this time round and deny Yokomo a 1-2 in the championship.

Making his EOS debut at Mulheim Kaerlich in January, where he qualified 3rd, former World Champion Neil Cragg is back for a second go at the EOS as preparations for a full programme next season. The factory Team Associated driver had the speed but mistakes cost him in the finals and he ended up 5th but with his team manager Craig Drescher having had time to analyse their debut performance expect a much stronger package this weekend. A manufacturer that has put a lot of effort into nurturing a number of young drivers, Associated are starting to see the rewards of that in particular young Finnish cool operator Joona Haatanen. Watch too for Norwegian Joakim Nicolaisen.

Elsewhere former 2WD race winner Hupo Honigl’s second trip of the year to the Nurburgring sees him with a new team. Joining Xray for 2016, the Austrian enjoyed a strong debut with the Slovakian manufacturer in Mulheim qualifying 4th. After a tough 2015 season in which he fell off the A-Main radar, the result from his Round 3 showing should boost the Austrian’s confidence. Last year Coelho surprised the EOS regulars by taking the 2WD TQ for Xray. The man to beat in the newly introduced for this season Stadium Truck class, former multiple EOS Buggy Champion Joern Neumann has endured a second tough season and for the one time king of indoor carpet tracks a podium finish would be a great finish to the season for the Serpent driver.

EOS Season finale moved to Germany

The Euro Offroad Series is set to finish where it started with the organisers forced to find a replacement venue for the fourth & final round in Austria after issues arose regarding the preparations of the temporary Mattsee venue. Having opened Season #5 with a very popular first visit to the famous Nurburgring racing circuit last September, the EOS will now return to the German venue where the 4WD Buggy Champion will be crowned. Able to retain the original April 29 – May 1 date, the season finale perfectly coincides with Round 2 of the the full size VLN Endurance Championship which will host a 4-hour race on the legendary 20.8km Nordschleife circuit.

While the 2WD title of the Yokomo, Xray, Schumacher & Serpent backed championship was settled at Round 3 in Muelheim Kaerlich with Yokomo’s Lee Martin successfully defending his crown, the return to the Nurburgring will decide the 4WD title. Back in September, when it hosted the season opener, it was reigning champion Martin who took victory but the race also marked the EOS debut of 4WD World Champion Bruno Coelho. The Xray driver impressed and despite his limited experience secured third on his first appearance. Since then Coelho has secured two wins leaving him to head the standings going into the season finale with the title now set to be settled between him and Martin on the Sunday at the Nurburgring.

Cragg set for EOS debut as Rd3 attracts record entry

Former 2WD Offroad World Champion Neil Cragg is set to make his debut in the Euro Offroad Series this weekend (29-31 January) as the third round of the championship attracts a record entry. With the fifth season of the EOS opening in Germany at the famous Nurburgring back in September, the championship’s first race of 2016 marks its second visit to the country with another new venue awaiting drivers. Successful host to the German round of the Euro Touring Series for the past 4-seasons, Muelheim Kaerlich near Koblenz will see 371 entries descend on what is the home race of EOS co-founder Uwe Rheinard.

While Team Associated have made one off outings in the past with multiple World Champion Ryan Cavalieri, car design Kody Numedahl and team-manager Brent Thielke, Cragg’s entry marks the start of a new push by the world’s most winning buggy manufacturer to establish itself as a contender on the increasingly popular carpet tracks that dominate the indoor racing scene. With a strong junior team in up & coming drivers Joona Haatanen and Joakim Nicolaisen, Cragg’s confirmation for the second half of the EOS season will bolster the American manufacturer’s efforts to become a race winner. An A-Finalist at the opening two rounds, 12-year-old Haatanen comes into this weekend fresh from the biggest win of his promising career after taking 2WD Open at the Reedy Race of Champions in California last weekend.

With the arrival of Cragg, Associated’s key target will be reigning double champion & his fellow countryman Lee Martin. Martin has won the opening two rounds of 2WD and the Yokomo driver is joint leader of the 4WD standings having taken the season opener. Forced to miss Round 2, Carson Wernimont returns as part of Yokomo’s line up, which also includes Marc Rheinard. A former Top Qualifier, the American will be hoping that as he gets more familiar with his Yokomo cars on carpet he can battle to become the first American race winner.

Securing his first 4WD win & first 2WD podium at Xray’s home track when the EOS travelled to the Hudy Arena for Round 2, Bruno Coelho finds himself sharing the lead of the 4WD standings with Martin. Only his third ever EOS outing, the World Champion heads a very strong Xray team. Along with multiple race winner Martin Bayer and Martin Wollanka, the Slovakian manufacturer has added former race winner Hupo Honigl to its line-up. After an unsuccessful stint at Serpent, the Austrian is highly motivated about running at the front again.

With the EOS’ most successful driver Joern Nuemann opening 2016 with a breakthrough first international win with Serpent at the DHI Cup, the multiple champion will be hoping to carry that form into this weekend. The German’s best EOS result this season is a fifth but following his 4WD victory in Denmark ahead of Michal Orlowki & Coelho he is targeting at least a podium finish.

Another driver to open 2016 in the best way possible when he took 2WD spoils at the DHI Cup, Michal Orlowski has had a strong start to his 2WD EOS campaign. Finishing runner-up to Martin at the opening two rounds, the Schumacher star will be looking to go one better at his third attempt. The reigning European 4WD Champion, Orlowski has struggled in the class over the first half of the season, missing the A-Main in Slovakia but having got 2nd at the DHI Cup expect improvements this weekend.

Rivals seek to deny Xray home EOS win

The Euro Offroad Series takes competitors to Slovakia this weekend (20-22 November) with the Hudy Racing Arena playing host to the second round of Season #5, the venue having hosted the championship’s final & deciding round last season. After a double win at the 2015/16 season opener at the Nurburgring in Germany in September, it is reigning 2 and 4WD Champion Lee Martin who heads the entry but the Yokomo driver is fully expectant of a tough weekend at what is the home track of Xray and their new 4WD World Champion Bruno Coelho. For the past two season Xray’s Martin Bayer, who has been responsible for both the development of the XB2 and XB4, has enjoyed EOS victories at the Hudy Arena, doing the double in Season #3 and winning 4WD last time round.

In terms of its line-up, this season is the strongest Xray has ever looked for its home EOS encounter. The Nurburgring marked Coelho’s first international electric Offroad event with the electric Touring Car ace making an immediate impact by taking the TQ in 2WD, a performance that was a precursor to what was to come in Japan at the World Championships. Also making his Worlds debut in Japan, Bayer would put both is cars in the A-Main on the artificial surface track and at the record entry EOS season opener Martin Wollanka was challenging for his first win, qualifying 3rd and finishing second in 4WD while just missing out on the 2WD podium.

With his Offroad deal with Yokomo commencing at the last season’s finale at the Hudy Arena back in May of this year, Marc Rheinard is the reigning champion manufacturer’s other key charger in Slovakia but both Schumacher and HB come into the event on highs following the World Championships. Michael Orlowski marked himself as no longer a rising star of the sport but one of the establishments as he ran in contention throughout qualifying and the finals at Yatabe Arena. The 14-year-old , who has developed a great rapport with the engineers at Schumacher, made his big break through last season at the Hudy Arena when he claimed his first big international victory in 2WD, ahead of back to back champion Lee Martin, going on since then to become the EFRA 4WD Champion.

The other driver who will be keen to show up Xray at their home track is David Ronnefalk. Still in his first full season with HPI Racing/HB, the Swede had a difficult start to his EOS campaign. With 2WD a character building encounter at the Nurburgring, he did manage to turn things around in 4WD just missing out on the podium behind Coehlo. The two time 1:8 European Champion has since then enjoyed his first World Championship podium finish, putting his D413 into the A-Main in Japan.

One driver who will be hoping for a big step forward in performance this weekend is Joern Neumann. The EOS’ most winning driver, the Serpent driver had a disappointing opening race where rather than vying for the win the biggest challenge facing the German was just making the A-Main. Finishing 5th at the Worlds in 2WD, the 5-time EOS champion needs a good result in Trencin if he is to have a shot at a 6th title, this being his first season not racing as a reigning champion.

The 17th championship event since the creation of the Euro Offroad Series in 2011, two rule changes that are aimed at reducing costs for competitors will come into effect this weekend. The first of these is the limiting to just two sets per class of the Schumacher preglued handout tyres. Following the introduction of new black carpet at the Nurburgring, which will be used at all four rounds, the resulting greatly reduced tyre wear allowed for the much welcome 2 sets limit. The second change applies to the front tyre for 4WD which will now run Schumacher’s Wide Stagger Rib with the rear Minipin remaining unchanged. Also new at the Hudy Racing Arena will be a Mod truck class, allowing drivers from the new for Season #5 Truck class to also run on Sunday as part of the 4WD Buggy schedule.