Kurzbuch takes opening qualifier at Dutch ENS

Having set the pace in practice yesterday, reigning 1:8 Champion Simon Kurzbuch opened qualifying at Round 1 of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series with a TQ run.  The Shepherd driver, who again topped the time sheets from Dario Balestri, stopped the clocks with a 1-second advantage over his Italian rival who in turn had a 1-second advantage over third. Backing up his strong showing in seeding yesterday, it was Robin D’hondt who completed the Top 3 at the De Baanbrekers track ahead of the surprise of Q1, Jeffrey Rietveld, the Serpent driver running in the second fastest heat.

Summing up his first qualifying attempt, Kurzbuch said, ‘The car was perfect. I had a really good feeling and was able to push over the first 3, 4 laps and pull away. After that I was able to control my pace’.  Describing the track as ‘different to yesterday’, the Swiss driver said , ‘there was more grip which better suits my car’.  As for his plans for Q2, he replied, ‘I will leave it as is for the next one and try to put in the same run again’.

Balestri said, ‘I think everything was OK, we just need to find something to go a little faster’.  He continued, ‘I think we will try a different pipe to close the gap to Simon, but this is not news it is alway like this’.  The World Champion concluded, ‘We will try to use qualifying to improve the car for the finals’, a statement which appeared to be an admission that he was conceding the TQ to Kurzbuch.

‘It was a good run but I lost a little time trying to catch Naoto’, was D’hondt’s view on Q1.  The Capricorn driver added, ‘the car was very good but felt a little too easy to drive’.  Planning changes for Q2 to make the car a little more aggressive, the reigning European Champion said, ‘I will change the set-up but I’m not sure yet what’.

Only 15th fastest in timed practice, Rietveld was very happy with his P4.  Only returning to racing last year after a break of a number of years, the 22-year-old Dutchman said he had a ‘flawless run’.  Reporting his engine as being ‘a little rich’ he said ‘I think I can go a little faster’.  Making the C-Main on his only previous ENS outing last year at Ettlingen, he said he has previous knowledge of the track having tested here last year but it is not his local track.  Putting part of his impressive run down to having a clear track ahead of him he said, ‘I was lucky not to have any traffic so I could go flat out the whole session’.

Posting a P5 run ahead of Lars Hoppe, Carmine Raiola wasn’t overly pleased with his run.  The Italian former Worlds Finalist said, ‘I just tried to finish and get points. I played safe’.  Asked about his car, the Infinity driver replied, ‘It is OK but we need to find a better set-up, we need more steering’.

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