April 6, 2019

ETS Spain finally gets underway as Volker TQs opening qualifier

The first outdoor round of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series finally got underway this evening in Spain with Ronald Volker taking what could prove a very important TQ run in the first of the two qualifiers on the revised schedule.  With yesterday’s action completely washed out, drivers arrived to a dry Asoger RC track this morning allowing for a round of practice in qualifying heat order.  With qualifying finally getting underway it didn’t take long for rain to briefly stop things again but it was only Mother Nature’s warm-up before the action was halted again by a huge downpour meaning another frustrating delay for drivers.  With sunshine finally appearing from behind the clouds to speed up the drying of the track when things did get back on track it was Volker who lead away having been fastest in Thursday free practice from Bruno Coelho.  Coelho looked to be on target for P2 also in the opening qualifier until a mistake with a minute to go which would benefit Marc Rheinard and Freddy Sudhoff who ended up 2nd & 3rd fastest respectively ahead of the reigning champion.  Winner here last year, Alexander Hagberg ended up only P9.

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April 1, 2019

Sobue takes Rd8 victory while Rheinard wins PYC event

Akio Sobue has won the final round of the OneTen series from his team mate, and overall PYC Hong Kong modified class event winner, Marc Rheinard. It was very close between the Infinity drivers during qualifying but in the final, after an untidy first lap, Sobue was able to take a clear win ahead of his German team mate. Nicholas Lee found pace just in time for the final and took 3rd with Gary Huang and Naoki Akiyama completing the top half of the field. Akio summed up his race by saying ‘now good, perfect’ referring to the traction returning in time for the 8-minute final and his car being very good again. Explaining his race he said, ‘the first lap the car was strange, then good after’ and once in a clear lead he drove safely to conserve both his tires and batteries. Having had a difficult day yesterday, only finishing in 5th, combined with today’s victory he ended up 3rd in the combined event standings.

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March 31, 2019

Akio Sobue snatches Rd8 TQ in final qualifier

Akio Sobue is top qualifier for the final round of the 2018/19 OneTen series presented by Infinity at PYC in Hong Kong, the Japanese Infinity driver gambling big earlier in the day only for it to pay off in the last two heats. The only other person that could go for the pole position, Marc Rheinard could only take 2nd for the round, 9 tenths back, and will start right behind Sobue in this afternoon’s single 8-minute A-main. Jin Sawada makes it an all Infinity IF14 top 3, with Serpent driver Naoki Akiyama having a much better Sunday and he will start from 4th on the grid, just ahead of top Hong Kong driver Kenrick Fong. Speaking to Akio following the race he said ‘big gamble’ referring to his saving tires in this morning’s first two rounds of qualifying. Using his tires from Q3 in Q4 he said the car was really good on used tires, while according to those that ran new tires in the final round, they were difficult to drive at the start with little feeling. For the final, like all the other front runners, he will run his remaining set of new tires.

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March 31, 2019

Rheinard again in Q2

The second round of qualifying for today’s eighth and final round of the OneTen series has gone once again to Marc Rheinard, the Infinity driver playing the tire strategy perfectly to all but seal the TQ, 2 qualifying rounds from 4 to count. Jin Sawada took 2nd, the Infinity pairing both running one run tires as Sobue continued to run old tires, gambling on the last two rounds to have a shot at pole position. It was a better run for the Yokomo team as both Meen Vejrak and Nicholas Lee bolted on fresh tires to claim 3rd and 4th respectively with Xray’s Gary Huang taking 5th. Marc said ‘it felt ok, the first lap was not so fast but from the 2nd lap it was ok’. Using the same tires that he ran for the opening qualifier, the German noted that ‘the drop off is not too big, I just had two bad laps where I went into the dust. For the remaining 2 rounds, he will work with his Infinity team mates regarding when to use their new tires to claim the best possible starting spots for the final.

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March 31, 2019

OneTen Rd8 first qualifier goes to Marc Rheinard

Marc Rheinard has continued where he left off yesterday, the winner of Rd7 of the series here at PYC taking the opening qualifier over a much improved Naoki Akiyama. Jin Sawada would come home in 3rd place while Hong Kong Yokomo driver Kendrick Fong was 4th just in front of his Thai team mate Charlee P. It was a tough start for both Akio Sobue and Nicholas Lee, the newly crowned champion starting qualifying with used tires and ending up in 6th while Lee ended 8th having to scramble between practice and qualifying as he destroyed his car in free practice. The Singaporean hit a stationary Kendrick Fong at the start of the straight away and completely destroyed his car, team mate Jackie Shum sacrificing his race to give his team mate his race car to run. Rheinard, who is racing for the first time in Hong Kong, was quick to comment that both ‘Naoki and Jin are also very fast now’. With conditions changing overnight, it being more windy and dusty today, the Infinity driver used the first heat to again test the Zoo Racing Preopard which he feels has more turn in but carries less corner speed.

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March 30, 2019

Victory for Marc Rheinard at OneTen debut

Marc Rheinard has won on his debut at the OneTen series in Hong Kong, aided by an accident between his team mate Akio Sobue and pole sitter Nicholas Lee. Misjudging a passing opportunity Akio made heavy contact with the Yokomo driver, breaking his rear upright and forcing him to retire on the spot. This allowed Marc into the lead where he was able to drive it home and take the win, in doing so preventing Sobue from making it a clean sweep of the series this season. Rheinard commented that he ‘just stayed back’ and following the accident he ‘just took it’. He was again on old tires and with the win sealed up he has an extra set for tomorrow which will aid him in doing the double here at PYC.

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March 30, 2019

OneTen Modified A1 goes to Rheinard

Marc Rheinard has taken the win in the opening round of triple A-mains here at PYC. The Infinity driver could take advantage of his new tires to work his way passed Akio and then Nicholas, with a very nice pass down the inside. Akio’s race would implode early on as battling with very low traction he hit the curb coming onto the straight and went into the wall. This would pop off his shock and he would retire. Behind the top 2, Jin Sawada and Naoki Akiyama completed the top 4 after a very nice battle following an earlier incident that had dropped both down the order. Marc summed up his win as ‘so far so good’ the multiple WC admitting that he was on ‘new tires while the others were all on old’. Once passed Akio, he closed on Nico and made an ‘ok pass’ and now with the others needing to use their 3rd set of tires for the 2nd main, Marc will decide when to use his 3rd and final set of handout Sweep tires.

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March 30, 2019

Nicholas Lee breaks Sobue’s streak to TQ at PYC

Nicholas Lee has taken the TQ spot here at PYC having taken the 3rd and final round of qualifying by over 2 seconds. The result was a repeat of Q2 as the Yokomo driver again headed Sobue and Rheinard, giving the Singaporean his first pole position of the season and the first by anyone other than Akio. Jin Sawada, Meen Vejrak and Gary Huang all finished in the same place as they had in the Q2 and that would be how they start this afternoons 4-minute triple A-mains. ‘Finally Akio didn’t win every round’ was what a happy Nicholas Lee said when asked about his run. Running on new tires, he described the decision as last minute as Akio had also changed last minute and with the two of them in the hunt for the TQ, the Singaporean followed suit. Describing his BD9 as really good, he said ‘in the beginning it was close but by the end it was really good’.

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