Euro Nitro Series announce 2014 Calendar

Following the successful running of a two race Pilot Series this year, the organisers of the Euro Nitro Series are delighted to release the calendar for a full 2014 championship. The new four round championship for 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Nitro will begin and finish in Italy, the traditional home of nitro racing, while also taking racers to rounds in Austria and Germany.

Starting at the Melzo track in April, the championship, which is run by the same team behind the hugely successful Euro Touring Series, travels to Aigen in Austria for Round 2 in May. Having hosted the first of the pilot races in 2013, Hockenheim in Germany is the venue for Round 3 with the race scheduled for June. The first full season of the ENS will then culminate at the world famous Fiorano track in October.

Having attracted strong industry backing for the pilot series, with wins for Team Shepherd’s Jilles Groskamp, Mugen’s Robert Pietsch, Serpent’s Mark Green and Capricorn’s Eric Dankel, the 2014 ENS is expected to be a whose who of onroad nitro teams & drivers. Further information and specific details relating to the Euro Nitro Series will be announced early in the New Year.

2014 Euro Nitro Series Calendar
– Round 1 Melzo/Italy 04–06 April
– Round 2 Aigen/Austria 16–18 May
– Round 3 Hockenheim/Germany 13–15 June
– Round 4 Fiorano/Italy 17–19 October

Groskamp & Tironi confirmed for ENS Austria

Reigning Electric Touring Car World Champion Jilles Groskamp will contest next weekend’s (June 28-30) Euro Nitro Series race in Graz, Austria, the Shepherd driver one of a number of World class factory drivers set to battle it out for the 200mm Touring Car win at the Stöhr-Ring track.  Another confirmed entry for the second race of the ENS ‘Pilot Series’, is Capricorn driver & World Championship podium finisher Francesco Tironi who together with reigning Italian National Champion Giorgio de Felici will be looking to complete a clean sweep of the all new series for the Italian company who at Race 1 earlier this month at the Hockenheimring in Germany took a convincing win with Eric Dankel.

A former 200mm World Championship Top Qualifier and a direct qualifier at last November’s World Championships in Thailand, Groskamp’s ENS race debut forms part of his preparations for this year’s European Championship which will take place at the the Stöhr-Ring in August.  A major supporter of the Euro Touring Series in its early year’s, the Dutchman winning the overall title twice, he will be hoping to make a similar impression on the ENS.

An expanded factory Xray team will see former European Champion Dirk Wischnewski joined by Xray’s Alexander Hagberg and former World Championship podium finisher Martin Hudy. Unable to attend Race 1 due to prior electric touring car commitments, this will also be Hagberg’s first ENS outing and the World Championship finalist is certain to be in the mix.

Another potential winner in the Touring Car class, which for Race 2 will use a controlled tyre from Contact, will be reigning 1:8 World Champion Robert Pietsch.  Only competing in 1:8 at Race 1, where he TQ’d and finished 2nd to Serpent’s Mark Green, the 2010 200mm WC Top Qualifier is in for a busy weekend as he takes on both classes, again the event being an important part of the Mugen designers European Championship preparations.

Entries for ENS Rd2 are still open here.

Salven confident ENS will put ‘fun back in racing’

Veteran onroad nitro racer and chassis designer Michael Salven has given the Euro Nitro Series a firm vote of confidence as final preparations are made for the opening race in the all new series for onroad nitro racing which takes place this weekend.  A former World & multiple European Champion, the German said all the racers he has spoken to are very excited that the organisation behind the hugely successful Euro Touring Series are bringing their concept to nitro onroad and while they have high expectations he is confident the ENS will be a success and will put the ‘fun back into racing’ helping to revive the onroad nitro racing scene just like the ETS has done for electric touring cars.

Salven, who himself will contest both ENS ‘Pilot Series’ races, made the comments following the announcement that Serpent are to join Xray, Shepherd, Novarossi and KM Racing as primary sponsors of the new series.  A pioneering company, Serpent played a huge role in the development of the class that kick started the hobby of rc racing, the first 1:8 Onroad World Champion being crowned in 1977.  Some of the technology which is the norm now in nitro onroad such as the Centax clutch, the 2-speed gearbox and the the INS-Box were all Serpent innovations.

With the use of tyre additive in recent years having had a very detrimental effect on nitro racing across Europe, Salven said the Euro Nitro Series’ adoption of a controlled spec tyre is going to be key to the rebuilding of the class and everyone will be watching to see how it works in the ENS.  At Race 1 of the ‘Pilot Series, which takes place this weekend at the Hockenheimring in German, 1:8 drivers will use a Matrix tyre while the 1:10 cars will all run a tyre provided by Enneti.

Race 1 of the Euro Nitro Series officially gets underway with controlled practice on Friday and culminates with 12-car 45-minute Mains on Sunday. 10 drivers will qualify directly for the main event with the 11th & 12th positions on the grid to be filled by the 2 drivers with the fastest race times from any of the lower finals.  All the action from Hockenheimring can be followed on RedRC where regular updates will be published throughout the weekend.

KM Racing joins Euro Nitro Series

With final preparations well underway for the first race of the Euro Nitro Series, the organisers of the exciting new championship for onroad nitro racers today announced that reigning 1:10 200mm World Champion manufacturer KM Racing will join the series coming onboard as a Primary sponsor of the two race ‘Pilot Series’.  Set to release its first 1:8 Onroad contender, the K8, which is currently under going final development testing, KM Racing join Xray, Shepherd Micro Racing and Novarossi as the key sponsors of the inaugural season of the ENS.

KM Racing will be pinning their hopes of a successful ENS campaign on two time 200mm European Champion Dario Balestri and new signing Adrien Bertin.  The only driver to be a World Champion of both 1:8 and 1:10 200mm, Bertin will contest both classes at Race 1 of the ‘Pilot Series’ at the Hockenheimring in Germany which takes place over the weekend of May 31–June 2. The French ace, who is the man behind Team Orion’s engines, will play a major part in the development of KM Racing’s K8 1:8 chassis.

Novarossi supports Euro Nitro Series

World famous Italian engine manufacturer Novarossi are to support the inaugural Euro Nitro Series, the multiple reigning World Champions joining Xray and Shepherd Micro Racing as a Primary sponsor of the exciting new nitro onroad series.  The sport’s most successful maker of RC racing engines, Novarossi will have a very strong representation at both races that will make up the ENS ‘Pilot Series’ the most notable of whom will be reigning 1:8 World Champion Robert Pietsch.

Created by the organisation behind the hugely successful Euro Touring Series, the concept for the Euro Nitro Series is to establish a number of high profile 3-day events that count towards crowning an overall 1:10 and 1:8 Champion. Aiming to replicated the motto of the ETS, ‘World Class racing for Everyone’, the ENS is open to drivers of all levels and already Race 1 (May 31 – June 2) of the ‘Pilot Series’ at the Hockenheimring in Germany is close to attracting a capacity entry.

Shepherd commit to Euro Nitro Series

Shepherd Micro Racing is the latest company to get behind the inaugural Euro Nitro Series, the German chassis manufacturer signing up to become a primary sponsor of the ‘Pilot Series’ and committing to field an international driver line-up at both races. With their headquarters located just 15km from the Hockenhiemring, which will host the first ever ENS event in one months time, it was Shepherd’s annual European Nitro Challenge which lead to the creation of the Euro Nitro Series.

Having contested a number of Euro Touring Series races during the nitro season’s traditional winter break, Shepherd owner Patrick Schäfer saw the potential for a similar concept in nitro onroad and offered his company’s event to the ETS organisers setting in motion the creation of the new series.

For Race 1 of the ‘Pilot Series’, which takes place over the weekend of May 31-June 2 in Germany, Shepherd has entered an eight strong team with top Italian drivers Michele Romagnoli & Andrea Pirani and World Championship Finalist Simon Kurzbuch heading their challenge in 1:8.

In 1:10 Touring, the team will be headed by former World Champion Daniele Ielasi who at last year’s European Nitro Challenge finished on the podium. The Italian will be joined by Schäfer himself, who was winner of the 2011 European Nitro Challenge, former European B Champion Patrick Nähr, electric touring car ace Freddy Südhoff and top international Austrian racer Gerhard Kandelhart.

In addition to Shepherd becoming a Primary sponsor, it was also confirmed that the company’s Sonic engine brand will also support the inaugural ENS as an Associate sponsor. Receiving a very positive reaction since details of the series were officially announced last month, Race 1 of the Euro Nitro Series has already attracted 110 entries with registration still open.