Video – 2wd Buggy Practice

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_usYhSfL8Yo[/youtube]

Build up underway for Austrian EOS title showdown

The Euro Offroad Series season finale officially got underway in Wels, Austria, today where there is to be a showdown for the title of both 2WD & 4WD Buggy. The third season of the championship for 1:10 electric Offroad, to date it has only ever crowned one champion, that being Team Durango’s Joern Neumann. The back to back champion of both buggy classes, this weekend the German is in contention for a hat trick although in 2WD with no wins this season mean the European Champion is only in with an outside chance against Round 2 winner Naoto Matsukra and Round 1 winner Hupo Honigl. In 4WD Buggy Neumann’s only title challenger is European Champion Martin Bayer who at Round 3 of the championship in Slovakia last month ended his unbeaten 9 win run in the class.

Having struggled at the previous round not even making the podium, Neumann said here in Austria was going ‘much better’.  Putting part of his weak performance at Round 3 down to his own driving, he said he has done a lot of practice in preparation for this weekend adding he is feeling pretty confident.  With his main focus being on 4WD Buggy, he is very happy with the initial pace of his DEX410.  Running new front universal drive shafts this weekend he likes the ‘more free’ feeling they give the buggy.  While a 5-time race winner in 2WD Buggy, even if he can pull of his first win of the season this weekend along with the extra bonus point for the TQ, the odds are stacked against Neumann for the overall title.  He can only beat Matusuka on points if the Japanese driver, who missed the season opener, finishes 4th or lower.

Matsukura, who has a revised 2WD for the event, is confident he can get the job done.  Liking the track, although preferring it yesterday when it was available for open practice running in the opposite direction, the always spectacular driver said his focus is not on any points senarios but just going out and going for the win which in turn will give him the title.  In that points game his biggest rival is Team C’s Hupo Honigl although the Austrian needs to pull three points off the Yokomo ace meaning with a win & TQ he would still need Matsukura to finish third or lower.

Honigl knows getting his hands on the title is going to be ‘pretty difficult’ but said he will ‘as always’ just go out and give his best and see what outcome that brings.  Having been a leading 2WD race contender at all EOS races this year and having been rejuvenated since his switch to Team C, he said of all the track’s this season the layout here in Wels doesn’t help his ‘front motored’ TM2 V2  due to the many slow corners, his configuration better suiting high speed corners.   Although not in contention for the 4WD title, he said 4WD Buggy is the better than it has ever been and he hopes he can end the championship with his first podium in the class with Team C.

Having done the double at his Xray team’s home event, Bayer said he is ‘really confident’ about his chances of a repeat win this weekend in 4WD.  Describing the track as ‘small but fun’, he said he is happy with how his XB4 is working feeling the speed is good.   Without a team-mate this weekend, Renaud Savoya not making the season finale, in 2WD Buggy the Cezch ace said winning might be a little more difficult as they have a new prototype front end on the XB4-2 this weekend.   Having run in yesterday’s open practice he said the buggy felt pretty good but added they still have a bit of learning to do with it.

While all the attention will be on the title battles, a number of quick drivers will be looking to make their own marks on proceedings and grab their first wins of the season. While his team-mate goes for the 2WD title, Lee Martin is aiming to sign off his first full EOS campaign with a first win for his new employers Yokomo.  A previous 2WD race winner, taking a win in Belgium in Season #1 for Tamiya, Martin had his best result at the Hudy Arena when he took second behind Bayer in 4WD.

Fellow countryman Tom Cockerill started off the season with a TQ in 2WD Buggy and is hungry for a first win for both him and his Schumacher team.   Top Qualifier in Poland, this weekend is the first time Cockerill has had a team to work with on the EOS.  Schumacher has flown over young US talent Carson Wernimont for the event with fast 12-year-old German talent Micha Widmaier also providing the team with valuable input.  Cockerill said he quite likes the track’ and it should make for good racing but having some quick team-mates to work with was a real positive.  His first time to race in Europe, 17-year-old Wernimont is really enjoying the change of scenery.  Traveling to Austria, via the UK where he did some testing on Astro turf, the Pro-Line Cactus Classic finalist said he has had to adapt his driving more to that of a touring car with ‘keeping the momentum up’ very important.  A lot different to racing on dirt he said he prefers the carpet of the EOS to the Astro Turf he tried but which gave him a quick lesson in how not to drive in Europe.

View our event image gallery here.

Track Focus – ‘Modelbau Wels’

Name – Modelbau Wels
Host Club – ERT-Steyregg
Country – Austria
Location – Wels (200km West of Vienna)
Direction – Anti-clockwise
Surface – Carpet

Season #3 of the Euro Offroad Series reaches its conclusion this weekend in the small northern Austrian city of Wels with the championship finale taking place as part of the country’s biggest Hobby Exhibition ‘Modelbau Wels’.  Run for the first time last year, attracting over 30,000 visitors, the show covers all aspects of modelling with EOS drivers representing the world of electric offroad RC racing, nitro offroad also being represented on a seperate outdoor track.  Situated in Hall 9, local club ERT-Steyregg have presented a technical track utilising carpet tiles from the exhibition centre, which are proving very durable together with a good level of grip.

In terms of the track layout some adjustments have had to be made to the second jump in front of the driver’s stand.  Originally a quad jump at a push, with the levels of all competing drivers taken onboard the spacing was extended to create a double double during untimed practice.  With numerous 180 corners, a good run through the fast mid section of the track is key to a fast lap.  Overall driver feedback on the layout is positive with most describing it as ‘fun to drive’.

Image Gallery