Orlowski leads Schumacher 1-2 in A2

Michal Orlowski took an easy win in the second A-Main of 4WD at EOS Slovakia, the Pole leading a Schumacher 1-2 at the Hudy Arena.  Second in the opening encounter after a first lap error, Orlowski produced a near perfect race going ahead of Top Qualifier Martin Bayer on the opening laps when the Xray driver had a bobble at the main table top.  Once in front Orlowski was never challenged pulling well clear of his rivals.  Bayer lost further ground which allowed Neumann to go by on lap 5 and with the Top 3 all very evenly matched on pace the order stayed static for the remainder of the race.  Having won the first final, Lee Martin wouldn’t have a good A2 finishing 6th behind fellow Brit Neil Cragg.

Commenting on his win, Orlowski said, ‘I was on new tyres and from the warm-up I knew my car was good. Still, I started a bit easier so as to not make the same mistakes as A1’.  He continued, ‘I got past Bayer when he had a bobble and tried to build a gap but the others had a few mistakes which made it easier for me.  With a big gap I was able to back off towards the end to save my tyres for the last one’.  With a win and a second place from the first two, only Lee Martin and Neumann can challenge Orlowski for the overall victory with Bayer’s chances having ended in A2 after he failed to get by Neumann.

Enjoying his most competitive EOS outing for quite some time, Neumann was very pleased with his second place in A2.  The German said, ‘I was on new tyres and was very fast again.  I just got stuck behind Joona (Haatanen) for a couple of laps at the beginning until he made a mistake and I could get by and by then Michal was already gone.  We had very similar pace so I couldn’t gain anything on him’.  Setting the fastest lap of the race, just, his best a 23.533 compared to Orlowski’s 23.583, he said, ‘I think this is the first time in 3-years I am fighting for a podium.  It’s not safe yet, it still is all open but I think my car will be even better now with the tyres on their second run’.

Bayer said, ‘the car was now better. I used my first set (of tyres) from yesterday and they felt really good’.  A driver who has been making time on everyone over the table top it was this that cost him the lead, he said, ‘I made a little bobble which allowed Michal in front, then I got pushed out wide by Lee.  I tried to fight with Joern but we had the same speed and with no mistake it was impossible to catch him.  Sitting fourth overall going into A3, he concluded, ‘hope the last one goes good’.

Running the same set of tyres for a third time in A2, Lee Martin said, ‘My car had a little understeer that time. The tyres went off’.  He Yokomo driver continued, ‘It was bit of a poor run really’.  With a new set of tyres for the final round, the other two potential winners and Bayer having already used their new set, he is hoping this will give him the edge in the deciding final.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

Martin wins A1 as both Bayer & Orlowski mess up 1st lap

Having started out 4WD not looking particularly competitive in practice, Lee Martin’s weekend is turning around with the Yokomo driver taking the A1 win at EOS Slovakia.  Starting third on the grid, the former Champion benefited from mistakes by both drivers ahead of him, Michal Orlowski with the first error followed by a Martin Bayer mistake later in the opening lap.  Initially it was Joern Nuemann who challenged Martin for the lead until a mistake and then getting caught and passed by team-mate Orlowski, it was the 2WD winner who tried to put pressure on the leader but he would run out of time.  Setting the fastest lap of the race, he would finish 3/10ths behind Martin while Neumann completed the Top 3 ahead of Daniel Kobbevik and Bayer.

‘That was alright’ was Lee Martin’s reaction after the race.  He continued, ‘obviously those two crashed out of the lead but I expected Michal to come at me harder.  I had good pace at the end of the race which made it more difficult for him to close in’.  Asked about his improving form, he replied, ‘Its pretty close now and I’m just going to drive the same in the next one’.

Orlowski said, ‘I started out quick and was pushing Bayer. I could feel he was nervous. I was ready to get down his inside but had to check up which meant I couldn’t make the double and I dropped a couple of places.’  The EOS Daun winner added, ‘Joona and Joern made mistakes which allowed me to get by them and I was able to put in very quick laps but I ran out of time to catch Lee’.  Looking to A2, the Polish teenager said, ‘Bayer has used his new tyres which is good for me as I still have new tyres and he will feel more pressure as he has now needs results from the next two (mains)’.

Commenting on his 3rd, Neumann said, ‘It was very good because I was on third run tyres. I decided to use them for the first one so I have good tyres for the next two’.  On the race he said, ‘It was very close until I hit the barriers which let Lee get a gap.  Then I had to single single the middle jump and Michal got by me’.  In terms of his car, the German having had a strong finish this morning to qualifying he said, ‘I changed the set-up for Q2 last night and it was not good so I went back for Q3 and it was really good. I will leave all the same’.

Ending up with a 5th, Top Qualifier Bayer summed up the first final as a ‘disaster’. The Xray driver added, ‘I made a mistake but I was on new tyres and again like in 2WD they were totally different to the previous set. I had zero forward traction, it was like I had the handbrake on.’  For A2 he said, ‘I will go back to one of my qualifying sets (of tyres) and hope the 2nd & 3rd finals are better’.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

Chassis Focus – Joona Haatanen

Chassis: Team Associated B64
Motor: Reedy Sonic 4.5T
ESC: Reedy BlackBox 510R
Batteries: Reedy 5800mAh
Radio/Servo: Sanwa/Reedy
Tires: Schumacher (handout)
Body/Wing: JConcepts F2/ JConcepts
Remarks – Finnish young talent Joona Haatanen managed to qualify 4th for the 4WD A-Main at the third round of the EOS in Trencin. His B64 sports a Brass B-Plate, 45g brass weights behind the motor and a prototype steering rack that offers different ackermann options and is still undergoing testing.

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Chassis Focus – Martin Bayer

Chassis: Xray XB4 ’18
Motor: Hobbywing 5.5T G3
ESC: Hobbywing Xerun XR10 Pro
Batteries: Sunpadow 6000mAh
Radio/Servo: Sanwa/Savox
Tires: Schumacher (handout)
Body/Wing: Kit
Remarks – Xray team manager Martin Bayer TQ’d Round 3 of the EOS at the Hudy Arena behind the wheel of the Slovakian made XB4 ’18 version. His car is equipped with graphite arms and steering blocks, aluminium 12° C-Hubs and Uprights, aluminium steering rack and front ECS. The list of option parts is completed by a Hiro Seiko titanium screws set.

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Orlowski takes final qualifier to line-up 2nd

With the TQ already decided in Q3, Martin Bayer getting it done with a third TQ run, the fourth & final qualifier at the Hudy Arena was to decide how the rest of the field would like up behind the Xray driver.  Having retired from Q3, ending his chances of the TQ double in Slovakia, Orlowski would lay down his intentions for the final by posting the fastest qualifying time of the weekend event with a far from perfect run that included a substantial late mistake.  Still the EOS Daun winner was able to hold on to a Schumacher 1-2 as former Champion Joern Neumann finished just 0.021 off his team-mate.  The result means Orlowski starts second while Neumann jumped from looking like he may not make the A-Main to starting 5th.  Fourth fastest in the final qualifier behind Bayer, Lee Martin will start 3rd on the grid thanks to his P2 and P3 from Q3 & 2.  Making it four different manufacturers represented at the front of the grid Joona Haatanen, who found himself seeded in the second fastest heat, will start 4th, team-mate Neil Cragg starting 8th behind Marc Rheinard.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.