January 9, 2017

Orlowski does double & ends Neumann DHI Cup reign

Michal Orlowski has pulled off the double at the DHI Cup presented by LRP. Having successfully defended his 2WD title earlier in the day, the Schumacher driver was also to bring an end to 5-time unbeaten Champion Joern Neumann’s reign by winning 4WD. Unlike his 2WD win which he took with ease, 4WD was to prove a much more exciting affair with David Ronnefalk ensuring it went to A3 when he forced an error from the Polish teenager in A2.  With Orlowski starting from the TQ, Ronnefalk and himself again ran nose to tail, the pair’s pace almost identical. Again Ronnefalk would get the mistake he needed but as Orlowski fought back he managed to push the Swede into an error and once back in front he didn’t put a wheel wrong to become only the second DHI Cup Offroad double winner. With Ronnefalk getting second, the podium would be completed by Neumann, a podium finisher for a sixth year in a row, a result many drivers would be happy to emulate even if it marked the end of his impressive streak. Having made the podium in 2WD on his first DHI Cup Offroad outing, Marc Rheinard would miss out in 4WD, finishing up fourth.

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January 9, 2017

‘Iceman’ Kutvonen takes convincing DHI Cup win

Viljami ‘Iceman’ Kutvonen has won the prestigious season opening DHI Cup.  Just scraping into the top heat for qualifying having only managed the 10th fastest time in seeding practice, the Awesomatix driver turned around what started off looking like a difficult weekend at Danish event to take a perfectly executed win. Only his second major international race win, his first being the 2014 LRP Masters, the Finn got things figured out when it was needed taking the final two qualifiers to secure the overall TQ ahead of 7-time reigning champion Ronald Volker.  From pole, he would make light work of his rivals to win A1 with conviction over Volker.  Needing to repeat that performance for the win at an event he has twice been runner-up, that is exactly what Kutvonen did to claim the top step on the podium.  Behind the popular winner, having been denied a second run of 3-consecutive DHI Cup wins, Volker would finish second with Yokomo team-mate Naoki Akiyama, 6th last year on his first visit to Odense, getting his 2017 season of to a strong start by completing the podium.

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January 8, 2017

Orlowski holds off Ronnefalk to win first 4WD encounter

Fresh from wrapping up the 2WD win with ease at the DHI Cup, Michal Orlowski has won the first 4WD A-Main encounter but this time round the Schumacher driver had to work hard to stay out front.  Having claimed the overall TQ yesterday, Orlowski came under intense pressure from the No.2 starting Ronnefalk in a battle that went on for the entire race.  Keeping his calm however, he would manage to hold off fellow World Championship finalist Ronnefalk by 9/10ths of a second. Behind, Joern Neumann managed to see off the challenge of Marc Rheinard, the Serpent driver looking to lack the kind of performance he will need to retain a 6 consecutive DHI Cup title.

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January 8, 2017

Orlowski opens 2017 with flawless DHI Cup win

Michal Orlowski has kicked off his 2017 season with a flawless win in 2WD Buggy at the DHI Cup presented by LRP.  Starting as Top Qualifier, the defending champion produced a repeat performance of his dominant opening A-Main performance in A2 to retain his title.  In the battle for the best of the rest, which would be decided in A3, it was former back to back champion Joern Neumann who claimed second with the A3 win over Marc Rheinard, who completed the podium at the sixth running of offroad at the historic Danish event. Off the podium, Team Associated’s Jesper Rasmussen would be the top Scandinavian this year snatching fourth overall from former DHI Cup champion David Ronnefalk thanks to his third place finish in A3.

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January 8, 2017

Kutvonen cruises to easy A1 win at DHI Cup

Having secured his first overall TQ last night for the DHI Cup having started second a number of times before, Viljami Kutvonen made sure he capitalised on pole position taking a convincing tone to tone win in the A1.  Starting ahead of defending 7-time champion Ronald Volker, the Awesomatix driver was able to pull clear with ease eventually crossing the finish line 1.6-second ahead of the Yokomo driver.  Behind Naoki Akiyama ensured the Top 3 finished as they had started, the Japanese driver having a lonely race. Freddy Südhoff would be the highest placed driver to gain a position over the 5-minutes getting passed the Xray of Alexander Hagberg after a minute & a half.

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January 8, 2017

Orlowski makes light work of rivals in A1

Michal Orlowski made light work of his rivals in the opening A-Main of 2WD Buggy at the DHI Cup this morning.  The Top Qualifier almost immediately took control of the race clearing off in the distance ahead of Joern Neumann and David Ronnefalk, an early mistake putting Marc Rheinard out of contention.  With defending champion Orlowski winning by 7.5-seconds, the main action of the race was to come towards the end as Ronnefalk caught Neumann getting by when the German cased the jump in front of the front of the drivers stand.  Next time round however Ronnefalk would get it wrong at the same section allowing Neumann back through.  Ronnefalk would made another attempt to get second on the final lap but trying to capitalise on a bobble from Neumann flipped over & needed marshalling but still managed to hold onto 3rd ahead of Dane Jesper Rasmussen.

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January 7, 2017

Orlowski does TQ double at DHI Cup

Having become the 2WD Buggy Top Qualifier earlier in the day, Michal Orlowski completed the TQ double at the DHI Cup presented by LRP taking the final two rounds of 4WD qualifying to secure pole for tomorrow’s A-Mains.  The Schumacher driver had a less than perfect start to qualifying when he ran Q1 with a loose steering servo but despite this still managed to get P2 behind Joern Neumann.  After another P2 run in Q2 behind David Ronnefalk, Orlowski finally delivered in Q3 setting the stage for a Q4 showdown for the overall TQ.  With both Neumann and Rheinard struggling, Orlowski just had Ronnefalk to contend with and while they went back and forth, both having to deal with traffic, it was Orlowski who took the spoils.  Behind him it is Ronnefalk who will line-up second followed by undefeated 4WD champion Neumann, with Rheinard and Samppa Orhanen making up the Top 5 starters.

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January 7, 2017

Kutvonen Top Qualifier at DHI Cup

Viljami Kutvonen is Top Qualifier at the DHI Cup after delivering a second TQ run in the fourth & final round of qualifying at the Danish event.  With the weekend not starting out well for last year’s podium finisher, the Finn just scraping into the top heat of qualifying, the Awesomatix driver turned things around drastically in the second half of Day 2. Heading a 1-2 from team-mate Freddy Sudhoff in Q3, the team was on target to repeat that result in the closing qualifier until Sudhoff, who was on the heels of Kutvonen, had to avoid a marshal attending Yannic Prumper’s VBC on the last lap. With this dropping Sudhoff to fourth, Alexander Hagberg got a personal best of the weekend P2 from the round ahead of defending champion Ronald Volker who, having TQ’d the 2nd qualifier, will line up second on the grid. Although Naoki Akiyama would break during the round, having taken last night’s opening qualifier the Japanese teenager will start 3rd on his second DHI Cup appearance equaling his best international qualifying result achieved at last October’s IIC in Las Vegas. Hagberg will start start 4th with Sudhoff making up the top half of the grid for tomorrow’s triple A-Mains.

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