ENS introduce new technical checks

The Euro Nitro Series is pleased to announce the introduction of new technical checks that will be implemented for the remainder of the 2016 season. Now in its 3rd season, the ENS has quickly established itself as one of the most prestigious titles among the World’s top onroad nitro racers and the new checks are aimed at protecting the significance carried by winning rounds of the championship. Taking onboard feedback from manufacturers following a successful start to Season #3 in Bologna, Italy, the championship organisers will tighten up both pre & post race technical checks.

With Round 2 taking drivers to Ettlingen in Germany on June 17-19, one new test that will be introduced from this race is an exhaust test, the measuring tools for which have been provided to the ENS by Bertram Kessler. Responsible for Xray driver Alexander Hagberg’s 200mm World Championship winning campaign and founder of Orcan products, Kessler’s tools will allow for both the length and the diameter of the exhaust stinger to be checked to ensure it meets specification.

With primary sponsorship from car manufacturers Xray, Shepherd, Serpent and newcomer Infinity, the Euro Nitro Series is run over four rounds. Dario Balestri (1:8) and Jilles Groskamp (1:10) are the reigning champions but with victory at Round 1 it is World Champion Simon Kurzbuch and former European Champion Dirk Wischnewski who lead the standings as the drivers make their final preparations for a return to Ettlingen which made a popular first appearance on the calendar last year.

New ENS season brings new competition

The wait for the highly anticipated start to the third season of the Euro Nitro Series is over as the world’s best onroad drivers travel to Bologna, Italy, this weekend for the first of four stops on the 2016 calendar.  New to the championship last season when it also hosted the opening round, the L.Collari RC Raceway circuit owned by RC legend Lamberto Collari has attracted over 150 entries with the biggest news of the new season being the arrival of the new Infinity team.  Making their ENS debut with a small presence at the 2015 season finale in Fiorano, 1:8’s newest manufacturer has over the winter recruited an impressive driver line-up in it’s quest to win the prestigious ENS title.

In 1:8 it’s Capricorn who are the reigning champions with Dario Balestri and the successful Italian partnership remains upchanged for 2016. One interesting addition to Capricorn’s line-up is multiple World Championship Finalist Robin D’Hondt.  Infinity’s intentions are clear with the Creation Model owned brand having signed up none other than 9-time World Champion Collari to lead a star studded team.  Although they have yet to produce their own 1:10 car, another top signing is reigning ENS Champion Jilles Groskamp who is also joined by his race race winning HB team-mate of last season Teemu Leino. Racing in both classes this weekend, Groskamp will use a Capricorn in 1:10 while Leino will focus only on 1:8.

As the 2015 1:8 Champions, Team Shepherd will be relishing the prospects of a competitive campaign. Winners of the inaugural ENS title with Simon Kurzbuch and on the back of a great win at the season final back in October, the Swiss driver went on to be the World Champion in Brazil.  The German manufacturer will also be looking for a strong 1:8 performance from European Champiom Oliver Mack.  In 1:10 Dirk Wischnewski will again lead the Shepherd challenge.

Winners in Bologna last year with Collari, then running as a privateer,  Mugen will this year look to former World Champion Robert Pietsch.  By his own standards Pietsch didn’t have a great 2015 season and will be looking to make amends for that.  Alberto Picco, the man responsible for Pietsch’s engine sponsorship, will again be another of the leading Mugen contenders.  In 1:10, having lacked strong representation in the class last year, Mugen have boosted their efforts with the signing of 2014 Champion Eric Dankel. The German returns after a break from racing following a difficult & curtailed campaign last year.

While Xray have a new 1:8 car which they hope will bring them improved success in the sport premiere class, in 1:10 they can be expected to again be title contenders.  A World Championship year for 1:10 nitro touring, they are the reigning World Champions with Alexander Hagberg and everyone knows the threat that is Bruno Coelho.

In 1:10, expect Serpent to be right at the sharp end thanks to the sometimes controversial but very fast Dominic Greiner.  On outright speed the German is unquestionably one of the touring car classes’ fastest drivers but luck tends to elude him.  Dominating the season finale, he was robbed of a potential title victory by an engine failure.  That win would go to his team-mate Alessio Mazzeo, who with Greiner makes Serpent a formidable 1:10 title challenger. In 1:8, Merlin Depta showed strong for Serpent last year and should be one to watch.

Elsewhere ARC will be hoping to build on a strong debut season with Lars Hoppe a potential winner. Former ENS race winner John Ermen and Silvio Hachler will be aiming to be in the mix also with the R8. Having started 2015 with just one team driver but adding Michele Ramagnoli, WRC have high hopes of improving on their 4th position in last year’s overall championship with Andrea Pirani.  Unfortunately Daniele Ielasi has opted to sit out the opening round.

Supported by Shepherd, Xray, Serpent and now Infinity, the Euro Nitro Series continues its single tyre supplier per race format with Contact providing drivers with traction for Round 1.  Ettlingen in Germany is the venue for Round 2 when Enneti makes  it return to the championship with Hotrace the supplier for Round 3 in Aigen, Austria. Having supplied the tyres for the season opener the past two season’s Matrix will now take care of drivers needs for the final round at Fiorano, Italy.

Euro Nitro Series releases 2016 calendar

The Euro Nitro Series has released details of its 2016 calendar with the third season of the hugely successful nitro onroad championship again set to run over four rounds. With almost 300 drivers from around the world registering championship points over the 2015 season, a growth of over 10% on its inaugural running in 2014, the ENS will take competitors to Italy, Austria and Germany.

Kicking off on April 22-24, the opening round will be hosted by legend of the sport & the ENS’ most winning driver Lamberto Collari.  Opened in 1978, L.Collari RC Raceway was the first ever permanent track to be built in Italy, a country widely recognised as the spiritual home of onroad racing. Making its first appearance on the calendar in 2015, it was at the Bologna track that Dario Balestri would score the first championship point of his successful 1:8 title winning season when he took the overall TQ.

After Bologna, the championship travels to Germany. A very popular addition to the 2015 calendar, Ettlingen moves to an earlier slot hosting Round 2 over the weekend of June 17-19.  With the 1:10 200mm World Chamionships taking place in August, the championship takes a two month break before resuming on September 2-4 in Austria.  The Aigen track witnessed one of the closest races in the ENS’ 8-race history with Teemu Leino taking his first win ahead of champion elect Jilles Groskamp and Dominic Greiner all three covered by just 6-seconds after 45-minutes of racing.

Attracting a record 156 entries when it hosted the 2015 season finale, the Mini Autodromo Jody Scheckter in Fiorano, Italy, will again be the concluding round of the championship. Round 4 will run on October 21-13. Running a different brand of handout tyre for each round, an element of the ENS which has contributed to its success, details of the 2016 tyre partners will be announced early in the new year.

2016 Euro Nitro Series Calendar (Season #3)
Round 1 – Bologna, Italy (22–24 April)
Round 2 – Ettlingen, Germany (17–19 June)
Round 3 – Aigen, Austria (02–04 September)
Round 4 – Fiorano, Italy (21–23 October)

ENS Season finale to decide 2015 Champions

Both of this year’s Euro Nitro Series Champions will be decided this weekend (23-25 October) at the world famous Minicar Fiorano circuit in Italy with four drivers in contention for each of the titles.  The fourth & final round of the high profile nitro onroad championship, the conclusion to Season #2 has attracted a record entry of 170 drivers but the focus is on who will lay claim to the prestigious titles come Sunday evening. A season that has seen three different winners from the opening three rounds it is very much all to play for among the title protagonists.

In 1:8, which has attracted a massive 100+ entries, it is Dario Balestri who comes into his home event at the top of the standings two points clear of reigning champion Simon Kurzbuch.  Last season the Capricorn driver ended his campaign with his first ENS success taking the 1:10 win in Fiorano.  Top Qualifier at this year’s season opener, Balestri had to wait until Round 3 in Germany to post his first 1:8 win.  Describing that win as ‘maybe one of my best races ever’, he will be chasing a repeat performance this weekend in his quest to become ENS champion.

Having come into this event last year with an outside chance of the title but getting the job done, Kurzbuch is another of this year’s winners.  Taking his first ENS win at Round 2 in Austria, the Swiss driver would be Top Qualifier at Round 3 but in the final hit problems that left him to finish only 7th.  Hoping that will be his throw out result, 3 from 4 rounds counting for the final standings, the Shepherd driver has good memories of this track from last season and the determined Worlds finalist will give 110% to try & retain his title.

The driver that lost out in that 2014 title fight, Robert Pietsch comes into the event third in the standings only 4-points off despite no win to his credit, the season’s other winner being Lamberto Collari.  After a poor opening round in Italy, the Mugen driver has been on the podium since and having lost out on a title here 12-months ago the former World Champion will be looking to set things right.  The fourth driver in the title hunt is Andrea Pirani but the WRC driver, who claimed a podium at Round 1, must win to have a shot at the title for the championship’s smallest team.

In 1:10 it is Mr. Consistent Jilles Groskamp who heads at HB 1-2 at the top of the standings.  The former electric touring car World Champion has not registered a win but has finished 2nd in all three rounds giving him an 8-point advantage at the top of the standings ahead of team-mate Teemu Leino.  However when dropped scores are taken into account, Leino crashing out of the lead at the season opener the deficit is just a single point.  Neither driver contested last year’s season finale at Fiorano but this shouldn’t prove much of a disadvantage for these two world class drivers once proceedings get underway.

Winner of the season opener at L.Collari RC Raceway in Bologna, Bruno Coelho sits third in the standings 1-point off Leino.  Struggling at Round 3 where he would only finish 11th, the Portuguese driver has since enjoyed great success becoming 200mm European Champion and the 4WD Electric Offroad World Champion and the Xray driver would like nothing more than to cap off his 2015 season with the Euro Nitro Series title.

The other title contender is Serpent’s Dominic Greiner who like Groskamp has yet to register a win in 2015.  The German was Top Qualifier for his home round but had issues in the pits during the final, finishing the rain shortened race 4th.  With his Round 1 result taken out of the equation, Greiner is just 1-point off Groskamp and a driver who felt he was robbed of a title already this year he is out for one thing only and that is the win and the ENS title.  Claiming his first ENS win at Ettlingen, becoming the third different winner of the season, Dirk Wischnewski is fifth in the standings but a poor start to the season means the Shepherd driver can’t win the title but the former European Champion could influence the outcome.

With Hot Race tyres again the official tyre supplier for the season finale, ENS Round 4 officially gets underway on the Friday morning with 2 rounds of free practice followed by 2 timed practices which will seed the heats for the first of 4 rounds of qualifying.  The champions are to be decided over 45-minute Mains on Sunday afternoon with all the action being streamed live on Redrc.net.

Record 160+ Entries for German ENS

The Euro Nitro Series travels to Ettlingen in Germany this weekend (17-19 July) with Round 3 of the onroad nitro championship attracting an impressive 160 plus entries.  The first time the ENS has visited the recently resurfaced track, it is Round 2 first time winners Simon Kurzbuch and Teemu Leino who head the high quality field.  With no one yet marking their dominance on the second season of the high profile championship the opening rounds producing different Top Qualifiers and winners in both  1:8 and 1:10, this weekend is set to be no different as drivers and teams aim for the top step of the podium on Sunday evening.

Having secured his first ENS win in Austria last month, reigning champion Simon Kurzbuch will no doubt be looking for a repeat so as to further extend his lead at the top of the standings over Dario Balestri.  The Team Shepherd driver will have new found confidence going to Germany and will have the extra support of two strong team-mates in Oliver Mack and the German manufacturer’s new signing Rick Vrieljink.  A front runner last year, Mack makes his first 2015 Championship outing this weekend. While having started out the season with Mugen, for World Championship finalist Vrieljink the race marks the Dutch ace’s debut with Shepherd.  Absent in Aigen, Francesco Tironi also bolsters the team’s 1:8 line-up.

Top Qualifier and runner-up behind Lambero Collari at the season opener in Bologna, Round 2 would prove a tough event for Balestri on the unique track but the Capricorn driver and reigning European Champion can be expected to be back on form at Ettlingen, the track where he will defend his European title at next month.  A finalist at Round 1 but retiring from the 45-minute encounter, after missing the Austrian round Kyle Branson will strengthen team boss Patrizio Rossi’s 1:8 efforts together with Andrea Lorenzi.

Top Qualifier last time out and finishing second despite losing a wheel, Robert Pietsch again leads the Mugen charge.  Sitting third in the standings, the track has good memories for the former World Champion as it was where he won his only 1:10 200mm European title back in 2011.  Also expected to put Mugen in contention for their second win of the season is Pietsch’s engine sponsor Alberto Picco.  Winner of the opening round of this year’s highly competitive Italian National Championship, Picco just missed out on the podium at ENS in Italy. Another significant factory Mugen entry is that of JJ Wang who has travelled from Shanghai to make his first ENS appearance.

A team that put in a very strong showing in Aigen getting four cars in the final, ARC will be looking to build on that performance.   Securing a podium finish at Round 2, Lars Hoppe heads the class’s newest manufacturer along with Flying Dutchman John Ermen, fourth in Austria, Swiss star Silvio Hachler and Shasa Lackner.

Having shown good speed on his debut with WRC at the previous round, qualifying & finishing 5th, Daniele Ielasi together with the car’s designer Andrea Pirani will be carrying the hopes of the small Italian manufacturer.  Despite a tough race in Aigen, having to bump up from the B-Main, Pirani sits fourth in the championship and will be hoping to return to his Round 1 form when he finished third behind Collari and Balestri.

With Merlin Depta their top driver in Aigen finishing 10th, Serpent come to Germany with a strengthened line-up.  Multiple British Champion Mark Green and former European Champion Alessio Mazzeo will both make the switch from 1:10 to 1:8 for the weekend as the sport’s founding manufacturer launches its new Viper 977 Evo.

After a thrilling 1:10 encounter in Aigen where Teemu Leino took a very popular win over HB/HPI Racing team-mate Jilles Groskamp and Top Qualifier Dominic Greiner, the podium covered by just 6 seconds at the end of 45-minutes if intense racing, the touring car class couldn’t be closer.  At the top of the standings Round 1 winner Bruno Coelho and Groskamp are tied on points with Xray’s World Champion Alexander Hagberg third.

After a terrible start to his title defence at Round 1 and being forced to miss Round 2 due to work commitments, reigning champion Erik Dankel comes into the event looking for nothing more than a win now that his title hopes are over.  A double race race winner last season, Dankel together with ThiloTodtmann, who had a strong showing in qualifying at Round 2 and British driver Joe Kerry, the surprise of qualifying at Round 1, will aim to give Capricorn its first win of 2015 after the team notched up 3 wins last season.

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.