April 26, 2019

Leo Arnold tops 1/10th seeding at ENS season opener

Leo Arnold is top seed for the 1/10th scale class at the ENS season opener in Bologna, the Xray driver improving on his CP1 time to go over 2 tenths quicker in his 2nd timed run. The Frenchman put his improvement down to changing to a shorter first gear which improved the drivability of his NT1. His team mate Alessio Mazzeo also improved his time but will stay as 3rd seed, behind Teemu Leino who failed to improve in the 2nd session having tried a different body shell but finding it much slower. Jilles Groskamp who was continuing experimenting with setup took 3rd in CP2 but being slightly slower than his CP1 time he ended practice 4th and will now revert to his setup from the final free practice session. The Shepherd trio of Melvin Diekmann, Eduardo Escandon and Thilo Todtmann complete the top 7 after practice.

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April 26, 2019

Robert Pietsch heads first timed practice by large margin

In the opening timed practice for the 1/8th scale class it was former world champion Robert Pietsch who was the clear leader, the Mugen driver some 5 tenths up on his nearest rival over 3 laps. Francesco Tironi was the best of the rest, the Italian driver heading another former World Champion Simon Kurzbuch in 3rd, with Andrea Pirani and current World Champion Dario Balestri completing the top 5. Asked about his rather large advantage on his rivals, the German put it down to a number of factors such as his good working relationship with his mechanic and new engines from sponsor OS which he says has more power which together makes for a better overall package. Looking ahead he doesn’t plan to make any changes to his Mugen, instead focusing on his driving saying ‘the track is easy, but it also very easy to push too much and go wide, losing a lot of time’, continuing ‘my main focus is stay calm and drive smoothly’.

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April 26, 2019

Teemu Leino tops CP1 in Bologna

Teemu Leino has topped the first of two controlled practice sessions here in Bologna for the 1/10th class, the Infinity driver making up one of a very close trio that was competed by the Xray pairing of Alessio Mazzeo and Leo Arnold. Split by less than 7/100ths, behind the top 3 was reigning class champion Jilles Groskamp, followed by the Shepherd trio of Melvin Diekmann, Thilo Todtmann and Eduardo Escandon completing the top 7 with the difference between first to seventh less than a second over 3-consecutive laps. Asked about how his practice has been so far, Leino simply said ‘good’, before elaborating saying that they have changed the car every run, but now it is the best it has been. Feeling there is still a little bit still to come he said his IF15 is very easy to drive and the setup they have is perfect for the final.

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September 24, 2018

Balestri takes ENS title with Fiorano win

Dario Balestri is the 2018 Euro Nitro Series Champion, the Infinity driver lifting the title with victory ahead of team-mate Carmine Raiola at the season finale in Fiorano, Italy.  The World Champion came into the weekend as one of three drivers in contention for the title but with reigning champion Simon Kurzbuch taking the TQ bonus point that eliminated Toni Gruber from the battle. With Balestri qualifying P2, the final would be a straight up battle at the front for the race win and the title.  Pitting together Balestri would find a way passed Kurzbuch after the second round of fuel stops with a pass on the out lap and then began to gap his rival.  Unfortunately for the Shepherd driver, his race was to go downhill, a sticking one-way bearing causing an off that would end his quest for a hat trick of titles.  The worsening problem delaying him further later in the race and leading to his retirement just inside the final 10-minutes.  With his rival in trouble Balestri took charge of the 45-minute race with the attention now on the battle for who would join him on the podium. Riola, Andrea Pirani and 3rd place qualifier Robert Pietsch all took part but there was cruel luck for Pietsch as he battled with Riola over second.  Entering the pits together for their final stop, Pietsch led them out of the pits but at the other end of the pits Alberto Picco’s car was released and collected by Pietsch’s Mugen which from the opposite end of the pit was already running in 2nd gear.  The impact destroyed Pietsch’s car ending his race on the spot, allowing Riola in to second for an Infinity 1-2 while Pirani inherited his second ever ENS podium finish.

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September 24, 2018

Greiner wins but Groskamp crowned ENS Champion with P2

Dominic Greiner did exactly what was asked of him at the season finale of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series securing the TQ and the win in Fiorano but a strategic drive to second place by Jilles Groskamp sees him crowned the 2018 Champion.  The Infinity driver came into the weekend leading the points with Greiner his only challenger for the overall title.  The Serpent driver’s first obstacle was the bonus TQ point which he needed to have to go into the 45-minute A-Main in contention for the title.  He did that in style, his pace one notch above everyone while Groskamp found himself P4 on the grid.  A track that has played into the hands of the Dutch driver’s skill of playing the long game, his 2015 title coming about thanks to doing to final without a tyre stop that secured him second place which was enough for the overall win, he again played that card today getting the second place which gives him the title on tie-break.  There would be a dramatic start to the final as second place starter Teemu Leino tried a move down the inside of Greiner into the second corner that result in contact and the World Champion going flying off the track.  Cutting the track, Greiner was then forced to wait dropping him back to the back but the German quickly proved why he is the benchmark for 1:10 racers as he needed just 10-minutes to get back to the front where were he took total control of the race.  A single side tyre strategy, that came early in the race, was Groskamp’s strategy and knowing he didn’t need to finish ahead of Greiner he drove a title winning race to second.  Leader for a time after the first corner clash, engine tuning issues ended former winner Alessio Mazzeo’s bid for glory with contact with a slower car then finishing any hope of getting by Groskamp for second with the Xray driver eventually finishing in the final podium position, half a lap back.

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September 22, 2018

Kurzbuch to start title defence from pole

Simon Kurzbuch will defend his Euro Nitro Series title tomorrow at the Season Finale in Italy from pole position.  The Shepherd driver made it a clean sweep of qualifying for the 2018 season as he wrapped up his fourth TQ from the championship’s four races.  Having suffered a broken front belt in Q3 and title rival Dario Balestri getting the TQ for that round, Kurzbuch had to wait until the final round to bag himself the extra championship point which could prove vital at the end of tomorrow’s 45-minute final.  He took the final qualifier ahead of Robert Pietsch and Toni Gruber after a hard pushing Balestri had a mistake in the second half of the qualifier.  The Italian will start 2nd with Pietsch third while Andrea Pirani makes it four different manufacturers at the head of the grid.  Kurzbuch’s TQ today eliminates Gruber from the title fight, the WRC driver at best being able to equal the leaders points tally with a win but losing out on the tie break.  Between himself and Balestri, however, if the Italian wins he must be sure to finish on the podium with a 3rd place giving him his 3rd consecutive title on tie break with the only driver who has previously denied him becoming champion.

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September 22, 2018

Title ‘still alive’ as Greiner secures TQ at ENS Italy

Dominic Greiner’s hopes of a first Euro Nitro Series title are ‘still alive’ after the Serpent driver secured the overall TQ in the fourth & final round of qualifying in Fiorano, Italy.  Needing the bonus championship point so as to start the final with a chance denying championship leader Jilles Groskamp his second title, Greiner took Q4  by over 1.3-seconds from Alessio Mazzeo.  The only driver who could potentially start on pole having TQ’d Q3, Teemu Leino couldn’t match Greiner ending up third quickest ahead of his Infinity team-mate Groskamp.  Overall the result means Leino will start second with Mazzeo moving ahead of Groskamp to start third with Erik Dankel completing the Top 5 on the grid.  In order for Greiner, the championship’s most winning driver, to secure the title he first must win and then hope that Groskamp is third or lower.

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September 22, 2018

Leino takes penultimate qualifier at ENS Italy

Teemu Leino has taken the penultimate round of qualifying at the Infinity Euro Nitro Series finale in Italy.  The Infinity driver lead a 1-2 for the team with championship leader Jilles Groskamp also putting in his best performance of qualifying so far.  Leino was a full 1-second clear at the top of the times with Alessio Mazzeo completing the Top 3. Having dominated the top of the times sheets in practice and the opening two qualifiers Dominic Greiner would end up fourth but still looks firmly on target for the overall TQ he needs to challenge Groskamp for the title in tomorrow’s 45-minute final.

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