August 16, 2008

Leino, Strom & Lemieux into Final

Leino, Strom & Lemieux into Final

Teemu Leino, Roland Strom and Paul Lemieux have secured their places in the 2008 Worlds Final after taking the top 3 places in the Semi Final B combined results. The race had to be run over two parts after a rain shower interrupted to orginal run 17 minutes in. Lemieux had a comfortable lead over Leino in the first part of the final when the weather caused the race director to stop the race.

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August 16, 2008

Rain delays Finals at WC

Semi B final stopped

The Semi B Final has been stopped due to rain. Young American star Paul Lemieux was holding a comfortable lead from fellow electric touring car ace Teemu Leino with 13 minutes to go when a shower caused the race to be stopped. The remaining part of the race will be run after a short delay with the two parts added together to decide the result. Due to the weather interruption it will now be the Top 3 from each Semi that progress to the Main Final.

Update (15:56 GMT): Racing is to resume in just under 5 minutes with the second part of the Semi Final B which is to run over 13 minutes. Drivers will line up in the order in which they finished Part 1 of the race so Paul Lemieux is on pole from Teemu Leino.

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August 16, 2008

World Champion Fukuda out

Teemu Leino action

Defending World Champion Keisuke Fukuda will take no further part in the 2008 World Championship after finishing outside the top 3 in the 1/4 Final B. With the Japanese driver not progressing to the next final it means, weather permitting, that this evening we will have a new World Champion. The 1/4 Final B was dominated by electric touring ace Teemu Leino who lead from start to finish under the guideance of double World Champion Adrien Bertin and his super fast pitman. Behind the Finn it was another Scandanavian who drove a faultless race as Sweden’s Roland Storm took second.

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August 15, 2008

Defending Champion through to final day

Keisuke Fukuda

He’s the current World Champion and he’s been enduring a tough time in Portugal so far qualifying only 34th but Keisuke Fukuda has kept his title defence hopes alive by winning the 1/8 Final B which will see him progress to the final day of the 2008 competition. The Japanese ace looked as though his woes were to continue today as his car stalled during the count down to the start, the drama putting him last at the end of the opening lap.

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August 15, 2008

Overnight exhaust controversy at Worlds

Sirio Pipe

Following an official protest by Novarossi during the final round of qualifying yesterday, Sirio drivers, who make up 3 of the top 4 drivers will no longer be allowed to use the latest version of the Sirio #2611 exhaust pipe. Novarossi’s protest was originally not accepted however at what we understand was a very heated 1:10 Section meeting last night at the official hotel for the event, IFMAR made the descision to issue the following statement late last night which means that the new version of the #2611 pipe, as used by Jilles Groskamp to TQ, may no longer be used.

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August 14, 2008

Groskamp TQ’s World Championships

Jilles Groskamp is Worlds TQ

Jilles Groskamp has secured the TQ for the 2008 IFMAR 1:10 200mm World Championship to claim his first ever placing in a nitro World Final in style. The last of the six heats here in Lisbon produced a thrilling climax to the three days of qualifying with most of the title hopefuls running a TQ pace. After 10-minutes however it was Chris Tosolini who stopped the clocks in the fastest time just 9/1000th off Groskamp’s TQ time which was set in the earlier of the day’s two heats.

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August 14, 2008

Groskamp moves into TQ position

Jilles Groskamp

Jilles Groskamp has regained the TQ spot with a superb drive in the penultimate qualifier for the 2008 Worlds here in Portugal. The Dutch ace was delighted with his run saying, ‘Finally it worked out for with my engine and fuel.’ Groskamp clocked up 32 laps in 10:11.241 giving Team Sirio boss Andrea Rossi every reason to punch the air in delight.

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August 13, 2008

No change at the top in Lisbon

Dario Balestri heat action

The second qualifier for the faster group of drivers has been run but it made little change to the top of the timesheets. Dario Balestri was biggest benefactor of Round 4 climbing four places in the overall qualification standings after producing the fifth fastest run. The Team Magic driver said he had the right tyres this time and his car felt really good although a slight error by his pit woman cost him a possible TQ run. Fastest for the round was Martin Lissau who produced an almost identical time to his current FTQ time from Heat 3 finishing just 3/1000th slower!!

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