Apolaro wins Great Lakes Challenge

One of the United States most iconic Onroad nitro races,  the Great Lakes Challenge saw DJ Apolaro take the 1:10 Sedan win at the 2023 running of the event held at the TSRCAR track in Lebanon Ohio over the weekend.  The Wallace Motorsports driver Apolaro would secure the TQ from Jamie Corrado after setting the fastest time in the 3rd of the 5 rounds of qualifying.  In the 40-minute A-Main,  Apolaro would have a flame out in the first couple of minutes of the race and had to fight his way back from 6th place.  With just two minutes remaining he would find a way by Diatta Collymore for the win.  Collymore led for most of the race being able to capitalise on DJ’s flame out, but finished in 2nd place.   Jerry Guerra Having qualified 5th Jerry Guerra was able to come from as far back as 9th position to take 3rd place to make it an all Infinity IF15 podium.  In the 1:8 Open class  Michael Palazzola took the win from Top Qualifier John Dickson with Mike McBride rounding out the Top 3 after 45-minutes of racing.

Balestri wins his 3rd 1:8 Onroad European title

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has retaken the 1:8 Onroad European Championship title today in Portugal with a dominant and control victory in Portugal today.  Having lost the title to Dominic Greiner last year in Spain, starting from second on the grid the Italian would take control of the 45-minute final after getting by the Capricorn of Top Qualifier Toni Gruber in the opening lap.  Once in front and opting for a single tyre change while his rivals stopped twice, the 2014 & 2019 was able to control the race from the front with the former World Champion eventually winning by lap from Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch.  Looking to emulate Greiner’s 2022 double of winning both the 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Nitro titles, new crowned 1:10 European Champion Gruber would have issues while chasing Balestri from P2 to eventually take the final step on the podium.  Running second in the race for some time, unfortunately as the race reached the final 10-minutes Greiner would retire from the final.  Robert Pietsch was another notable retirement, the 2013 Champion at the same Vila Real track seeing his race last only 12-minutes this time round.

Image: Julie Thurston

Balestri holds provisional TQ at 1:8 Onroad Euros

Dario Balestri holds the provisional TQ at the EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship, the Infinity driver setting the fastest time in the second of the two heats that made up Day 1 of the qualifying at the Vila Real track in Portugal.  In the opening qualifier it was Capricorn’s Toni Gruber who set the TQ pace, the newly crown 1:10 Nitro European Champion fastest from Balestri and Jilles Groskamp.  Having topped seeding practice and crowned European Champion the last time Vila Real hosted the European Championships in 2012, Mugen’s Robert Pietsch wouldn’t complete Q1 but was right in the mix in Q2 with Balestri just getting the better of the German on the final lap to snatch the TQ by 3/10ths of a second with Gruber third.  For defending Champion Dominic Greiner, he finds himself P5 overnight behind Groskamp with Mirko Salemi completing the provisional Top 6.  With the 21st running of the EFRA European Championships attracting 72 entries, drivers have three more rounds of qualifying tomorrow.

Image: Dario Balestri [Facebook]