June 16, 2016

Kurzbuch & Wischnewski aiming to build on early ENS lead

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Simon Kurzbuch and Dirk Wischnewski travel to Germany this weekend aiming to build on the early points lead victory brought them at the Euro Nitro Series season opener in April. Following an 8-week break since the Bologna event, the onroad nitro championship returns to Minidrom Ettlingen which last year made its first appearance on the ENS calendar bringing contrasting results for the two drivers. For 1:10 specialist Wishnewski, his home race would end a 6-year drought of international wins as he notched up both his and Team Shepherd’s first victory in the high profile championship. For Kurzbuch, then as the reigning ENS Champion, the race would effectively end his title hopes as the Top Qualifier finished only 7th. As he struggled, up front it was the new champion to be Dario Balestri who would claim his first 1:8 victory of the ENS.

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April 25, 2016

Kurzbuch takes ENS win with ‘perfect’ race strategy

Kurzbuch takes ENS win with 'perfect' race strategy

Simon Kurzbuch put his quest to regain the Euro Nitro Series title he lost to Dario Balestri last season firmly on track by denying the Italian a home victory today in Bologna.  Starting the season opener from 4th on the grid, Balestri the Top Qualifier, Kurzbuch would have a race long battle with the Capricorn driver ultimately securing the win in the pits. Picking up where he left off last season when he won the season finale ahead of the champion to be, Kurzbuch’s third ENS win capped off the perfect day for his Shepherd team – Dirk Wischnewski winning the 1:10 A-Main for the German manufacturer.  With rain forcing the race distance to be reduced from 45 to 30-minutes, the race started on a slightly damp but drying track with a fast starting Mirko Salemi leading the way until a tyre stop at 8-minutes.  While this left Balestri to lead, the stage was set for a duel between the two champions which appeared to be decided by a quick final stop from Kurzbuch but ultimately it was strategy that would decide the race with Balestri quickly fading in the closing minutes, his Capricorn down to the rims. Finishing on the same lap as Balestri, Robert Pietsch would complete the podium for the first of the championship’s four races with Salemi, who impressed many this weekend, getting fourth a lap further back.

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April 25, 2016

Wischnewski wins wet ENS season opener

Wischnewski wins wet ENS season opener

Dirk Wischnewski has won the opening round of the Euro Nitro Series, the Shepherd driver mastering wet conditions to take victory in Italy ahead of Alessio Mazzeo and Joe Kerry. Only eighth in qualifying having struggled with understeer around the high speed L.Collari RC Raceway, the German had no such trouble on the wet track taking up the lead 10-minutes into the half hour race where he would stay until the end. With the first few laps of the race looking more like a Z-Main as the drivers, all running on rubber wets, struggled to get to grips with condition. As things somewhat settled down it was Britain’s Kyle Branson who took the early lead but the Capricorn driver would succumb to engine problems. While Kerry and Mazzeo would battle for the lead, a change of fuel strategy after the first refuelling would promote Wischnewski to the front. A late mistake would almost undo all the advantage of the two saved stops allowing Mazzeo a last lap do or die opportunity to challenge for the lead but spinning his Serpent and getting collected by the 2-laps down Top Qualifier Bruno Coelho his race was done. Despite not making the finish he would still get second with Kerry claiming his first ENS podium 19-second in front of Coelho. For reigning champion Jilles Groskamp his race would last little more than 3-minutes leaving him 11th only because Erik Dankel opted not to start the wet race having not had time to prepare a wet version of his new Mugen.

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April 23, 2016

Hächler & Groskamp join A-Main grid at ENS

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Silvio Hächler and Jilles Groskamp join the A-Main grid for the opening round of the Euro Nitro Series in Italy.  Finishing 1-2 in a rain effected B-Main they complete the 12-car line who will battle it out for the 1:8 victory at L.Collari RC Raceway.  Starting from 7th on the grid and not looking like a race contender early on, a light rain shower would turn around the ARC drivers fortunes, the Swiss driver helped by a call from his pit crew to pit for wets with just four & a half minutes to go in the 20-minute encounter.  Starting from pole, Bruno Coelho would pull out an early lead but 12-minutes in the Xray driver would go off spectacularly on the main straight while battling with Alberto Picco – the screw in his steering servo horn having fallen out.  Groskamp would then take up the lead but with 6-minutes to go a drizzling of rain left cars struggling to get around.  Hächler and Marco Vanni made the call to pit for wets and for a moment both looked to be moving up however Vanni would crash, handing the final spot on the grid to Groskamp.

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April 23, 2016

Hagberg & Kerry complete grid in Bologna

Hagberg & Kerry complete grid in Bologna

Alexander Hagberg & Joe Kerry will complete the 12 car grid for this evening’s 1:10 A-Main at the opening round of the Euro Nitro Series in Bologna, Italy. Both direct qualifiers for the event last year, Kerry qualifying 5th and Hagberg 8th, but this time round they found themselves in a competitive B-Main. A 20-minute encounter, Kerry’s Capricorn started on pole with Hagberg’s Xray starting fourth. Leading away, Kerry would stay out front for 6-laps before Hagberg went to the front where he would stay till the finish winning by almost a full lap over Kerry. The British driver would have to work hard for the final bump up spot coming under intense pressure from the KM of Eduardo Escandon. All over the rear bumper of the pole sitter, the ENS Fiorano Finalist would come together with Kerry and end up on the grass ending his chances of a bump to the reduced 30-minute A-Main.

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April 22, 2016

Balestri starts ENS title defense on pole

Balestri starts ENS title on pole

Dario Balestri will start his title defence from pole position after securing the overall TQ for the second year running at the Euro Nitro Series season opener in Bologna, Italy. Going into the fourth & final round of qualifying as one of four drivers who could become Top Qualifier, the Capricorn ace almost matched his Q1 TQ pace to again top the times, this time from Infinity’s Carmine Raiola and WRC’s Andrea Pirani, the latter posting the fastest lap of the round. While traffic would again hamper him in Q4, thanks to his TQ run in Q2 Mirko Salemi secures an ENS career best of 2nd on the grid. Carmine’s P2 in the final qualifier would see him snatch third on the grid from Simon Kurzbuch on tie break while Robert Pietsch made it five different manufacturers at the front end of the grid.

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April 22, 2016

Coelho is Top Qualifier at ENS opener

Coelho is Top Qualifier at ENS opener

Bruno Coelho is Top Qualifier for the opening round of the Euro Nitro Series in Bologna, Italy. The Xray driver claimed his first ENS pole position by topping 2 of the 4 qualifiers and was on for a third TQ run in the final qualifier before a mistake. This left an improved Dominic Greiner to take Q4 and with it secure 2nd on the grid ahead of his Serpent team-mate Alessio Mazzeo. Mazzeo was the only one who could deny Coelho the overall TQ but the Q2 pace setter’s engine ran rich over the opening laps which was enough to leave him with a P2 in the very closely match World class driver line-up. For reigning champion Jilles Groskamp he will start his title defence from 6th on the grid behind Mark Green (P4) and former champion Erik Dankel (P5).

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April 22, 2016

Salemi suprises with TQ run in Q2

Salemi suprises with TQ run in Q2

Mirko Salemi put in a somewhat surprise TQ run in the second round of qualifying at the Euro Nitro Series in Italy.  Having sent out a warning to his rivals in Q1 when from the second fastest heat he posted a P4 time, the BP Racing driver would outpace reigning champion Dario Balestri by half a second on his second attempt.  Behind them Carmine Raiola would make it an all Italian Top 3 with his Infinity just outpacing the Mugen of Germany’s Robert Pietsch.  In 1:10, Serpent’s Alessio Mazzeo made up for a mistake in Q1, to TQ ahead of team-mate Mark Green with Mugen’s Erik Dankel third.

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