Red RC » ENS

June 8, 2018

Kurzbuch remains benchmark at ENS Germany

Just as he was at the season opener at ENS Netherlands, Simon Kurzbuch is the 1:8 benchmark going into qualifying at Round 2 of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series in Germany. The Shepherd driver was fastest over 3-consecutive laps around the Minidrom Ettlingen track at the end of controlled practice topping the times from fellow World Champions Dario Balestri and Robert Pietsch. On his first outing of the 2018 season, Toni Gruber would settle into the event with the fourth fastest time with Round 1 find Jeffrey Rietveld fifth fastest ahead of fellow Dutchman Rick Vrielijnck who made it six different brands of cars in the Top 6.

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June 8, 2018

Groskamp tops practice at ENS Germany

Jilles Groskamp has topped practice at Round 2 of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series in Germany. Winner of the season opener in the Netherlands, the Infinity driver was fastest around the challenging Minidrom Ettlingen track from Dominic Greiner. Groskamp set his fastest 3-laps in the first of the two controlled practices while Greiner found improvement in the final practice round, all drivers reporting overnight rain had changed the track from yesterday’s free practice. On his first outing of the 2018 championship, Eric Dankel made it three different manufacturers at the top of the time sheets ahead of Mugen team-mate Dirk Wischnewski who also missed the season opener. Behind, Rucphen podium finisher Eduardo Escandon completed the Top 5, the entire field very closely matched with 4/10ths covering the Top 10.

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June 8, 2018

Intense 1:10 battle expected at ENS Germany

After a successful opening round to the 2018 Infinity Euro Nitro Series in the Netherlands last month, Round 2 of the high profile Onroad Nitro Championship is back on familiar asphalt as the world’s best drivers descend on the Minidrom Ettlingen track in Germany this weekend (8-10 June). With the championship’s debut in Rucphen adding two new winner’s names to the ENS roll of honour, Jilles Groskamp taking 1:10 and Robin D’hondt winning 1:8, Ettlingen is a track which presents its own unique challenges. The fourth year of inclusion on the ENS calendar, the track has a traditional nitro layout but has one particularly distinct characteristic, a very fine asphalt from the 2014 resurfacing of the track. In terms of winners, in 1:10, the class proving ultra competitive given it is a World Championship year for touring cars, the track has produced a different winner each visit. In 1:8, Simon Kurzbuch has won on the previous two visits with Dario Balestri winning on the track’s first appearance on the ENS calendar in 2015, but with the championship’s 17th race attracting over 110 entries the battle for victory will be as intense as ever.

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May 7, 2018

D’hondt claims first ENS win in thrilling season opener

Robin D’hondt has claimed his first ever ENS victory today in the Netherlands, the Capricorn driver securing victory ahead of three of the 1:8 Onroad’s greatest drivers. Starting from fifth on the grid, the Belgian was able to capitalise on others hitting trouble but when they came back at him he kept is nerve together with running a flawless race both on the track and in the pits. Top Qualifier Simon Kurzbuch looked like he was on another of his Sunday drives but coming up to his second fuel stop the Shepherd driver’s car stopped. This allowed the Infinity of Dario Balestri to move to the front but he would have problems on his first tyre stop with a stray tyre in the pitlane which he thought had come from his car. All the while D’hondt was there to take control, and while Kurzbuch somehow recovered the 2-laps he lost early on, the European Champion kept the ENS Champion at bay. With thrilling battles throughout the race for the podium positions, Silvio Hächler in the mix until hitting problems, when all the final pitstops were done & dusted, the final 4-minutes would produce a great battle for second between Kurzbuch and Balestri, the latter holding off his rival. With Lamberto Collari a part of the battle but getting caught at the line he would just miss the podium.

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May 7, 2018

Groskamp opens ENS season with first win

Jilles Groskamp has opened the 2018 Infinity Euro Nitro Series in the Netherlands with his first ever win of the championship. Despite being the 2016 Champion, a title that came from consistency, the Dutch driver claimed the win in Rucphen with a perfect strategy while his rivals hit problems. Top Qualifier Alessio Mazzeo would quickly struggle with an engine problem dropping him off the earlier lead. Having quickly worked his way from fifth on the grid, World Champion Dominic Greiner would also have a similar faith after looking like he was about to dominate proceedings. Eventually retiring from the final, the race was a continuation of what was to be an ‘unlucky’ weekend for the pre-season favourite. With their rivals out of contention, the race turned into a battle between Groskamp and his Infinity team-mate Teemu Leino but with the INS box knocked off in the previous fuel stop the Finn’s engine ran lean resulting in plug failure. In the end it would be WRC Racing’s Melvin Diekmann who would take second with Eduardo Escandon, who had clutch issues in the second half the race having lead for a time, completing the Round 1 podium. While Mazzeo would cross the line third, when Diekmann was reinstated missed laps, the Xray driver was classified 4th ahead of 1:10 rookie Lamberto Collari.

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May 5, 2018

Mazzeo claims first TQ at Dutch ENS

Alessio Mazzeo has claimed his first ever TQ start of the ENS. The Xray driver secured pole position for tomorrow’s season opener by taking two of the four rounds of qualifying in the Netherlands today. He will start ahead of the day’s other two TQ runners, Jilles Groskamp and Teemu Leino. With Mazzeo backing up his ‘rocket round’ Q1 TQ with another fastest time in Q3, it was then only Groskamp who could challenge him for the top spot in the final qualifier. A slower track however prevented this and while Groskamp would finish ahead of Mazzeo it was Leino who would register the TQ time, albeit it the slowest of the day. This would secure Leino third on the grid ahead of Shepherd’s Eduardo Escandon. For title favourite Dominic Greiner, an unlucky day will see him line up 5th but given how closely matched everyone is, the Serpent driver knows it is still all to play for for the win.

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May 5, 2018

Kurzbuch to start title defence from the TQ at Dutch ENS

Simon Kurzbuch is set to start the defence of his Infinity Euro Nitro Series title from the TQ. The Shepherd driver claimed the first championship point of Season #5 by posting a third TQ run in as many qualifiers on the championship’s first visit to the Netherlands. Opening the day with a TQ run over rival Dario Balestri, he would continue to reign over proceedings in Q2 and 3 to secure his ninth ENS career TQ. Fastest from Dutch surprise Jeffrey Rietveld in the second qualifier, it would be fellow countryman Silvio Hächler who get P2 in the penultimate qualifier with the ARC driver now looking to make it a Swiss 1-2 on the grid in the final qualifier.

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May 5, 2018

Groskamp takes Q2

Jilles Groskamp has taken the second round of the qualifying at the Infinity Euro Nitro Series in the Netherlands, the Infinity driver reversing the result of Q1 to top the times from Alessio Mazzeo. Teemu Leino would again complete the Top 3 after a spin with 3 laps to go dropped him off the TQ pace. Eduardo Escandon would also repeat his Q1 result with another P4 run. Having failed to start Q1, Top Seed Dominic Greiner’s bad luck continued with a chunked tyre causing him problems including an off on the final lap leaving him to finish P7.

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