Euro Nitro Series heads to Austria

After a hugely successful season opener in Bologna, Italy, back in April, Round 2 of the Euro Nitro Series takes some of the world’s best drivers to Aigen, Austria, this weekend (June 12-14). The second year the track has played host to the ENS, this being a 1:8 World Championship year it is RC racing’s formula 1 category that has attracted the larger entry. Not to be out done however the battle for 1:10 Touring car honours looks set to be just as fiercely contested as like 1:8 it has attracted a world class entry including the reigning World Champion Alexander Hagberg.

A wet race last year it was top Dutch driver John Ermen who took the win from champion elect Simon Kurzbuch. Having switched from Xray to ARC for the 2015 season, Italy was very much a learning exercise for Ermen and the class newcomer but this weekend they should benefit from input from a much expanded team. Joining Ermen and will be the ARC’s ETS star Lars Hoppe and new recruit Silvio Hachler, the Worlds Finalist having started the Season #2 with Mugen.

For Kurzbuch, 5th at Round 1 was not the result the Shepherd driver was looking for to open his title defence and the Swiss driver is aiming to make up for that at the second of the championship’s four rounds. Shepherd took the TQ honours with Oliver Mack in Austria last year and that will be his first target of the weekend because of the championship bonus point it carries. Finishing one place behind his Shepherd team-mate at the season opener with a sixth place, Francesco Tironi was the 1:10 Top Qualifier at Aigen last year and while the wet final was troubled, the popular Italian is sure to be in the mix again in 1:8.

Taking the TQ in Italy but having issues during his pit stops that would leave him to finish second behind Lamberto Collari, lead Capricorn driver Dario Balestri is expected to be the benchmark for the weekend.

After a very impressive showing in Bologna when he claimed his & his small WRC team’s first ENS podium finish, Andrea Pirani will be aiming to build on that form. Having raced for the smallest manufacturer in the championship, Pirani now finds himself with a team-mate, none other than former 1:10 World Champion Daniele Ielasi. Two drivers that have worked successfully with small Italian manufacturers, their combined efforts should be a big benefit to WRC.

The best represented manufacturer in the A-Main at Round 1 and the championship’s most winning manufacturer, Mugen are looking to make it 2 from 2. With privateer Mugen drivers Collari and Alberto Picco skipping Round 2 , the Japanese manufacturer will turn to factory drivers Robert Pietsch and Rick Vriejlink to deliver results. Problems with his car in Bologna, having qualified 4th, meant former World Champion Pietsch ended the 45-minute encounter 10th.

At Serpent, Merlin Depta was their only driver to make the A-Main in Bologna but Michael Salven qualified second in Aigen last year and will be hoping for a stronger overall team performance this weekend.

In 1:10 there will be a number of drivers trying to make up for costly Round 1 errors. Having taking a very convincing TQ, HB/HPI Racing’s Teemu Leino was in charge of the final when he clipped the pit lane entry pulling a wheel off his R10. Serpent’s Dominic Greiner, who qualified third would also go out in a similar way. Reigning champion Eric Dankel had a terrible start to his title defence the Capricorn driver not even making the main final.

Marking his ENS debut with a win in Bologna, Bruno Coehlo’s form since the breakthrough victory has excelled with the Portuguese star going onto to claim his first Euro Touring Series win in Luxembourg recently. The factory Xray driver’s World Champion team-mate Alexander Hagberg joined him on the podium at Round 1 making them a formidable force going into Round 2. Separating the Xray duo at Round 1, Jilles Groskamp will be looking to build on his successful nitro debut with HB. Like Coelho, the Dutch ace has also established a strong rapport with his new team he too enjoying success at the ETS in Luxembourg where he finished on the podium having won A1.

Carrying local interest at Round 2 with be Team Shepherd’s Gerhard Kandelhart, the Austrian bumping up from the B-Main to finish fourth in Italy. Team-mate & 2014 championship runner-up Dirk Wischnewski had a tough time at Round 1 running only one lap of the race’s 45-minutes due to an engine failure. Having qualified 2nd behind team-mate Tironi at last year’s event, the former European champion will be aiming to get his second season with the German manufacturer on track this weekend with a competitive result.