EOS heads to Berlin with record entry

The Euro Offroad Series travels to Germany this weekend (17-19 Jan) with the second round of the high profile 1:10 electric offroad championship attracting a record 300 strong entry as it makes its first visit to the country’s capital city of Berlin. While set to be the biggest encounter yet in the EOS’ short 8-race history, it is also the most competitive to-date with two reigning World Champions and four current European Champions among the World class field who are set to do battle.

Heading the entry will be reigning back to back EOS Champion Joern Neumann, the German looking to secure a ninth win in 4WD Buggy to maintain his reign as the only driver to win every EOS encounter in the class. The 4WD World Championship Top Qualifier won the season opener in Poland with relative ease and has just kicked off his 2014 season with a win at last weekend’s DHI Cup in Denmark, but in Berlin he will face a much tougher field. Another big change for the German is that he will be without longtime team-mate Hupo Honigl who since winning the season opener in 2WD has switched team. The Austrian’s departure moves highly talented Polish kid Michal Orlowski up to the No.2 position in the team and having taken a podium finish at Round 1 the 12-year-old should be in the mix.

Starting Season #3 back in October with a very popular first EOS win when he won 2WD Buggy, multiple former European Champion Honigl will be looking to build on that success and impress on his EOS debut with Team C. A key driver signing for the relative newcomer to the competition end of the market, Honigl will team up for the first time with the team’s other new signing for 2014, Oskar Levin. The Swede made an impressive international debut last weekend by TQ’ing 2WD Buggy at the DHI Cup. Although the finals did not go as well as he would have wanted, eventually finishing third, the 19-year-old says he learned a lot from the experience. Having TQ’d Round 1 of the EOS but only finished 5th, it was Schumacher’s Tom Cockerill who took the Danish win over Neumann, with the British driver putting the victory down to the experience gained from the EOS adding he is relishing the opportunity of competing against the World Champion field this weekend.

In terms of driver line-up and sheer size Team Yokomo has to be the favourite for at least one victory in Berlin on its return to the series. The team made its official EOS debut in Germany last year with Naoto Matsukura and came away with the 2WD win. This time round the 4WD World Championship Vice-Champion will be joined by the 2WD World Championship Vice-Champion Lee Martin. The team announced one of the biggest signings of the new season when they secured the services of Martin, who is one of only three drivers to have previously denied Neumann victory in the EOS. Also joining the electric offroad aces is reigning 1:8 Offroad World Champion Robert Batlle. The Spaniard who only took up 1:10 electric offroad racing last season has shown great speed on previous EOS outings but this being his first time to have team-mates to work alongside he should benefit hugely. The race will also see Martin’s young protege Jack Embling make his EOS debut. With the race in Germany, the Yokomo line-up will also include Euro Touring Series aces Ronald Volker and Yannic Prumper.

With both their drivers joining Neumann on the 4WD podium at Round 1, Team Xray will be hoping they can go one better this weekend. 4WD European Champion Martin Bayer came very close to beating Neumann at the DHI Cup with the Czech ace looking better & better on carpet surface tracks every race. Together with his team-mate and fellow nitro ace Renaud Savoya, a driver who never raced electric offroad before making his EOS debut in Austria last season, the hard working duo are spending the days leading up to Berlin testing at the Hudy Arena in Slovakia which should set them up well for the weekend.

Kyosho will be counting on their 1:8 Offroad European Champion David Ronnefalk and touring car star Christopher Krapp for a successful weekend. Ronnefalk had good speed at the opening round but came away with disappointing results and the 17-year will be looking to rectify that this Sunday. Having missed Round 1, Krapp makes his return to the series. Having finished runner-up in 2WD Buggy behind Neumann and ahead of his team-mate at last year’s season finale, the German will be hoping he can put in another strong showing at his home event. Another Touring Car ace who will make his EOS debut is Team Associated’s Juho Levanen. Like Krapp the Finn is a winner in the ETS but he has a lot less offroad experience and will be counting on the experience of Associated’s former European offroad champion Peter Pinisch.

Following driver feedback new tyre partner Pro-Line will supply a new controlled front tyre for the event along with a new compound rear tyre for Round 2. The changes show the high level of commitment the American tyre manufacturer is making to the Euro Offroad Series. Attracting backing from Xray, Team Durango, Team Associated, Kyosho, Horizon Hobby and Pro-Line, all primary sponsors of the 2013/14 season, the Berlin event will commence Friday morning with free practice.

Berlin to host EOS Round 2

The Euro Offroad Series is pleased to confirm that Round 2 of its championship for 1:10 Electric Offroad will take place in the German capital city of Berlin over the weekend of January 17-19.  After a very successful start to the third season of the EOS in Poland just two weeks ago, the opportunity to stage the second event on the four round 2013/14 calendar was only officially given the green light by the local government authorities yesterday evening.

Commenting on the news, Euro Offroad Series Race Director Scotty Ernst said, ‘We are really excited about being able to bring the EOS to Berlin and are very thankful to the local government for giving the MSV 06 club the go ahead to put on the event.  After the positive start to the season at the Hobby Show in Poznan which was attended by over 40,000 people I think the opportunity to race in Germany’s capital city will be another exciting experience for our racers and sponsors.’

Attracting backing from offroad racing’s biggest brands, with Team Associated, Kyosho, Xray, Team Durango, Horizon Hobby and Pro-Line equal primary sponsors of the series, securing the Berlin date makes Germany the only country to have hosted a round of the EOS each season since its inception in 2011.  After the trip to Berlin, Round 3 of the series will take racers to Austria while the season finale will take place in Slovakia at the world class Hudy Arena.

EOS to kick off in front of 40,000 show goers

The third season of the Euro Offroad Series kicks off this weekend (18-20th Oct) in Poland, where Europe’s best offroad racers will do battle in front of a crowd of up to 40,000 show goers. For the second year running, the opening race on the calendar of the four round championship for 1:10 electric offroad will take place in the city of Poznan as part of the ‘HOBBY Model Making and Games Exhibition’. Providing the perfect platform to showcase the sport, the entry for the three day event will be headed by Team Durango’s Joern Neumann.

The back to back EOS Champion of both 2WD and 4WD Buggy, the German will be looking to get his campaign to claim a hat trick of titles off to the perfect start but he faces some tough opposition in the class he has made his own. Top Qualifier at the World Championships in California last month, Neumann has yet to be beaten in 4WD Buggy with a 100% winning record over past two season’s of the Euro Offroad Series. Seeking an 8th consecutive win this weekend, his biggest challenger is set to be Xray’s Martin Bayer. Last July, the Czech driver ended Neumann’s two year reign as European 4WD Champion and on two of the three EOS outings he made last season was a podium finisher.

The 2013/14 season will mark Xray’s first full EOS campaign, their first electric buggy the XB4 having not been on the market 12-months ago. Bayer’s team-mate Renaud Savoya is also set to be in the mix for securing the Slovakian manufacturer’s first win in the series. Making his electric offroad debut last year at the EOS in Austria and also contesting the season finale at Dortmund, the French ace travels to Poland having extensively tested and built up knowledge of the high traction conditions of indoor offroad racing.

Another team to commit to a full EOS campaign this season is Kyosho. The Japanese company will be counting on David Ronnefalk to bring them success. The Swedish ace made a strong impression on his two EOS outings last season, claiming podium finishes in 4WD in Austria and 2WD in Germany. The 17-year-old has since then gone on to claim his first major title becoming the European 1:8 Offroad Champion and last month was a finalist in 2WD at the Electric Buggy World Championships.

Others set to feature in Poland include Neumann’s Durango team-mates Hupo Honigl and Michal Orlowski. Last year Orlowski was on the 2WD podium in Poznan alongside Neumann and TLR’s Dustin Evans and the 12-year-old Polish talent will be hoping to again put in a strong performance in front of the large home crowd attending the Hobby exhibition. Just missing the 2WD podium in Poznan last year finishing fourth, Schumacher’s Tom Cockerill will be looking to go at least one better this year for the British manufacturer. Making his first trip to Poland, back to back German 2WD National Champion Oliver Scholz should show strongly for the factory Team C team together with Dortmund 2WD finalist Tom Maquel.

Attracting backing from offroad racing’s biggest brands, with Horizon Hobby, Pro-Line, Xray, Team Durango, Team Associated and Kyosho all primary sponsors of the upcoming season, the biggest change for season #3 is the new tyre partnership with Pro-Line. Working with the famous American tyre manufacturer, they will use the series to showcase their new line of competition tyres designed specifically for offroad carpet racing with the Pin Point and Wedge tyre, in the all-new Z3 compound, the new controlled tyre for the series.

Pro-Line is official tire supplier for 2013-14 EOS season

Just a few short weeks ahead of the opening race of the new season in Poznan Poland (October 18th-20th), the organisers of the Euro Offroad Series are excited to announce that for the 2013-14 season Pro-Line will be the Official Tire Supplier, as well as a Primary Sponsor, of the popular indoor electric offroad series. Having recently released a full range of Competition Tires for Indoor Carpet Off-Road, the US company has chosen the EOS to showcase their new line of tires made specifically for this increasingly popular form of racing. The series will be run using Pro-Line’s Pin Point and Wedge tires coupled with their all-new Z3 Compound which will provide excellent traction on the variety of racing surfaces found throughout the course of the series.

EOS Tire Information:
4wd buggy
Rear control tire – Pro-Line Pin Point Z3 Compound (#8228-103)
Front control tire – Pro-Line 4WD Pin Point Z3 Compound (#8229-103)

2wd buggy
Rear control tire – Pro-Line Pin Point Z3 Compound (#8228-103)
Front control tire – Pro-Line Wedge Z3 Compound (#8225-103)
(The 2WD Front tire does not come with an insert and most will run it without an insert. Insert choice is open)

Short Course 2wd & 4wd
Front & Rear control tire – Pro-Line Pin Point SC Z3 Compound (#10100-103)
(Includes Pro-Line Closed Cell inserts)

Cavalieri adds World class to record EOS Finale entry

Reigning 2WD & 4WD Electric Offroad World Champion Ryan Cavalieri will compete in the season finale of the ‘TLR/Spektrum Euro Offroad Series presented by Horizon Hobby’ in Dortmund, Germany, this weekend (12-14 April) with the American super star set for his first experience of European style indoor offroad racing. Cavalieri is part of a strong line-up of Team Associated drivers traveling to the fourth & final round of the 2012/13 EOS which again runs as part of of Europe’s largest consumer hobby show ‘Intermodellbau Dortmund’ and is expected to attract over 85,000 visitors.

Having made his EOS debut at last year’s season finale, making the A-Main in 4WD, Associated team manager Brent Thielke makes a welcomed return this weekend and will be hoping to pass on his experience of racing on the carpet surface track to both Cavalieri and 2WD Short Course Reedy Race Champion Kody Numedahl who is also traveling over from the US. In addition to the three Americans, Team Associated have also entered 11-time European Offroad Champion Craig Drescher and top Danish driver Jonas Kaerup.

Making the closing race to the second season of the Euro Offroad Series a truly world class affair, the record 249 entries also includes the 1:8 Offroad World Champion Robert Batlle. The Spaniard will be looking to build on his promising international electric offroad debut at Round 3 in Leoben, Austria, where he took his Yokomo to 6th overall in 2WD Buggy.

For all the drivers the man to beat is Team Durango’s Joern Neumann who did the double in Dortmund 12-months ago to lift the overall championship titles, both of which he has already successfully defended having suffered just one defeat this season. The last encounter did see the German ace, who has never been out qualified or beaten yet in 4WD Buggy since the series inception, come under pressure from Team Xray’s Martin Bayer who on only his second EOS outing was the star of the third round. The Czech driver enjoyed a podium double taking the runners-up spot in 4WD and 3rd overall in 2WD.

Bayer’s team-mate, 3-time European 1:8 Offroad Champion Renaud Savoya, also impressed coming close to securing the 4WD TQ honours on his debut only to lose out on tie-break with Neumann. The French ace will be one to watch now that he has had time to analysis all the experience gained at Round 3, the Xray duo staying on after the race had finished to compete a number of hours of testing with the XB4 on the carpet.

Also making his series debut at Round 3 and coming away with a podium finish in 4WD, Team Kyosho’s David Ronnefalk is sure to once again be in the mix. Having started at the tail end of the grid for both A-Mains in Austria, if the Swedish teenager can qualify higher he will certainly be in the hunt for a win this weekend.

World Champion Batlle joins EOS

This weekend (8-10 March) the third round of the ‘TLR/Spektrum Euro Offroad Series presented by Horizon Hobby’  travels to Leoben in Austria where some of 1:8 Nitro Offroad’s biggest names are set to try their hand at 1:10 Electric Offroad including newly crowned World Champion Robert Battle and multiple European Champion Renaud Savoya. Arch rivals in 1:8, both drivers are newcomers to 1:10 and will be looking to impress in particular against 1:8 racing peers Darren Bloomfield and David Ronnefalk who are experienced electric offroad competitors.

Winning his World crown in Argentina in December with Mugen, Batlle has only started racing 1:10 offroad racing after signing a deal with Team Yokomo Spain at the start of this year. Competing in the opening round of the Spanish 2WD Nationals last month, the 25-year-old acquitted himself well finishing fourth overall but faces another new challenge this weekend as he gets his first experience of racing on an indoor carpet track.  Admitting that the move into 1:10 will be a long-term learning process due to it being a completely new class to him, the 2-time European Champion will still be keen to try & finish ahead of Savoya with whom he has had many fierce battles in 1:8.

A 3-time 1:8 Nitro European Champion, the Euro Offroad Series will also be a new experience for Savoya but the French ace has the benefit of joining up with his Xray team-mate Martin Bayer.  A leading driver on the international 1:8 scene, Bayer made a strong debut in the EOS managing to lead a number of laps in the 4WD A-Main at Round 2 in Germany with Xray’s new entry into 1:10 offroad, the XB4.

Having competed in the EOS Pilot race back in 2011, which took place in his home country of Sweden, Kyosho’s Ronnefalk returns to the EOS having gained a lot of 1:10 experience and success.  Better known for his 1:8 Offroad achievements including finishing runner-up at the 2012 European Championship after a great battle with EOS regular Bloomfield and finishing fourth at the World Championships,  in 1:10 the 16-year-old finished second to EOS race winner Lee Martin at the European 2WD Championships last year and is sure to be a podium contender in Leoben.

The current Nitro Offroad European Champion, Bloomfield will be the benchmark for the invasion of 1:8 drivers this weekend.  Contesting his second season of EOS, the Team Losi Racing driver sits third in the standings in 2WD Buggy and enjoyed his first podium finish in the series last time out.

The first time for the EOS to visit Austria, two drivers who will be looking to put in a strong performance at their home event are former 1:10 European Champions Hupo Honigl and Peter Pinisch. Driving for defending champions Team Durango, Honigl claimed a podium finish on the 4WD Buggy podium at the season opener in Poland and will be looking to add a 2WD podium this weekend.  Like Ronnefalk, for Team Associated’s Pinisch this will be his first EOS outing since the Pilot Race and the veteran will be aiming for a strong run on the carpet surface.

Having won 4WD Buggy at his home event, Round 2 in Langenfeld, EOS Champion Joern Neumann goes to Austria chasing a 6th consecutive win. The German ace remains unbeaten in the first two seasons of the series in 4WD but having been defeated by Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura at Round 2 in 2WD he will be more determined than ever to do the double this weekend and extend his lead at the top of the points standings in both buggy classes.