Kurzbuch in control at ENS season opener

Reigning back to back champion Simon Kurzbuch is in control of proceedings at the season opener of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series in the Netherlands.  Fastest in free practice from World Champion Dario Balestri, the Team Shepherd driver again topped in the first of the two timed practice runs, this time ahead of Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura while Balestri posted the 6th fastest time.  Mugen’s Steven Cuypers completed the Top 3 ahead of team-mate Robert Pietsch, while the Capricorn of Robin D’hondt rounded out the Top 5 seeding times.

Just 5/100ths quicker over three laps from Matsukura, Kurzbuch said, ‘that was a difficult run, it was difficult to drive’.  The Swiss ace continued, ‘I just spoke with Robert and we think maybe its pollen that has changed the track. It was a bit more wind for that run. Everyone found it more difficult that earlier’.  Asked about his car set-up, his advantage in free practice 1/10th of a second, he said, ‘the difficulty now seems to be the track.  I think the is car very good and so is my new Novarossi engine but maybe we will make some changes to the car to make it more stable for the final practice but I would say we are ready to go racing’.

‘This track looks easy but it is difficult when you want to find more time’, was Matsukura’s reaction when asked how he was enjoying the track.  Unlike his rivals, the Japanese driver said he noticed less of an issue with lower traction for TP1 but report his car had a little understeer. Admitting ‘laps time were a little slower’ he said the ‘track was ok and I was able to run more consistent now’.

‘Fine again’, was how Cuyper’s summed up his run.  The Belgian who admitted he has ‘raced here a lot in the past’ said, ‘Yesterday my car and engine was super but then I had a big crash with someone and the engine was broken and we found things broken in the car but finally we are ready in time for qualifying’.  Describing today’s track conditions as ‘completely different to yesterday’, he said, ‘finding a good balance between the front & rear is hard but now we are getting there again’.

Pietsch summed up his P3 pace with, ‘It was ok. I feel pretty good’.  The Mugen designer continued, ‘timed practice was not as good as before. The wind is carrying pollen onto the track.  That’s my thoughts anyway.  When there was no wind the cars cleared the pollen away but with the wind it just keeps falling’.  Pleased with how his car has been working he said based on the track conditions of TP1 he will just adjust the weight distribution adding he will change ‘nothing more as he feels good and the times are super close’.

Admitting ‘I drive here a lot’, D’hondt said, ‘with a fast engine this is an easy track for everyone’.  Happy with his car now he said they had to search for steering in early practice and achieved this by making the car narrower.  The former European Champion has also played around a lot with bodyshell going between the B909 and R19 before trying the older R18 which he said ‘is the best for him’.  Planning to make the car even narrower for the final practice he will also cut the rear arms to get more flex for the traction.

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Greiner tops first time practice at ENS Season opener

Coming in the the fifth season of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series as the clear title favourite, Dominic Greiner has lived up to expectations by setting the fastest time in the first of the timed practice runs at the season opener in the Netherlands.  Having been fastest in practice, the Serpent driver continued that form setting the fastest three laps from former champion Teemu Leino by 3/10th of a second around the De Baanbrekers.  The first time the majority of drivers have been to the Dutch track, it was a good showing for Serpent with Mark Green completing the Top 3 ahead of Jilles Groskamp. Interestingly a driver synonyms with 1:8 racing, Lamberto Collari is making his 1:10 race debut stopping the clocks in the 5th fastest time.

Summing up his first time practice run Greiner wasn’t overly pleased with the performance.  The German said, ‘we made a little change on the car and it was completely different to drive. It was loose in the rear.  We changed it back to what it was before during the run but it was still different. I don’t know if the track changed or the tyre’.  Not sure what way to react to the change for 2nd & final timed practice he said, ‘we need to see if its the tyre or track that is the problem’.  Asked how much worse the car felt compared to earlier he concluded, ‘Its not super bad but it was a lot better earlier’.

‘Ok’ was Leino’s reaction to his run.  The Finn added, ‘before I was looking for steering but now it is loose in the rear but I think it was the same for everyone. I could see other cars were more loose that time.  The track changed probably because of the opening ceremony (held between final free practice and 1st timed run)’.  Regarding changes to his IF14, he said, ‘I will wait and see how the track is’. Asked what he thought of the track, he replied, ‘its nice but looks boring until you drive it and see that you can start to make time out there’.

Describing the track as ‘easy’, adding, ‘it the type of track that you do four laps and you have learnt it, well for 1:10 anyway’, Green was very happy with his P3 pace.  The British driver said, ‘it is going very good. The car is working awesome so I have no complaints. Car, engine, driver are good and the weather is very good’.  Asked about changes to his 748, he replied, ‘the car has been very good from the get go and we just made a few rollbar and caster adjustment so we will keep it as is and just drive around’.

A driver who has raced here previously, albeit in 2003 and racing an electric touring car, Groskamp was quietly pleased with his pace.  The Infinity driver said, ‘Dominic is the benchmark and the gap to him is not to big so I’m happy’.  The Dutch driver who now lives in Thailand, continued about TP1, ‘the track was different, it is more warm now and most cars had less traction.  This is good for me because I was trying to make more steering but now I can just make the rear more stable’.

‘For my first time is not going too bad’ was Collari’s reaction to his P5 time.  The 9-time 1:8 World Champion said the biggest challenge is changing between 1:10 and 1:8 saying it takes about a minute for him to switch back to the driving style needed for each car.  Finding the 1:10 needs a smoother driving style, when asked about set-up he replied with a smile, ‘I didn’t build the car, someone in the team did that for me, Francesco (Tironi) made the set-up and I borrowed the bodyshell’.

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Track Focus – De Baanbrekers

Track Name – De Baanbrekers
Club – M.A.C. de Baanbrekers
Country – Netherlands
Location – Rucphen
Direction – Anti-Clockwise
No. of ENS Races hosted – 0

Season #5 of the Infinity Euro Nitro Series opens with the championship making it’s first visit to the Netherlands and the De Baanbrekers track in Rucphen in the southern part of the country.  Built in 1987 and subsequently resurfaced 15 years ago, a lap of the track covers 257 metres with a banked corner at the end of the straight. In 1:10 the lead cars are running a lap time of mid 14 seconds while 1:8 car covering the lap in a late 12-seconds.  As a club, M.A.C. de Baanbrekers has 100 members racing both EP and nitro classes.  A long standing fixture on both the Dutch and Belgian National Championship calendar the club has previously host the 1:8 Onroad European B Championships, 1:10 40+ and a 1:5 GP event.  Annually the club’s biggest race is the Benelux+ race which is an electric event.

With this being the first time many of the ENS regulars have been to De Baanbrekers, 1:10 World Champion  Dominic Greiner said, ‘It not so big and when you first look at it it seems not so difficult but to be fast here it is very difficult’.  The Serpent driver said the biggest challenge of the track is the first corner leading onto the straight.  Causing a number of drivers to spectacularly crash in practice when they hit the curb, he said you need to get it right and but also carry enough speed to give you a good run down the straight.  Asked about tyre wear, the German said, ‘it is pretty high’ and in terms of the surface he added, the surface is ok.  It is not super flat but it is not super bumpy.  The curbs are risky because they are old and are not so flat’.  He concluded, ‘the track is not easy but its fun. I like it’.

Also on his first visit, reigning 1:8 Champion Simon Kurzbuch described the track as ‘a short but fast track. It’s a cool location’.  The Shepherd driver continued, ‘it has a lot of fast corners and has good flow. It’s fun to drive’.  Asked the main challenge of the track he replied, ‘It has a dangerous curb before the straight where you can risk more and maybe getting a missing 1/10th (of a second).  On the track’s surface the Swiss driver said, ‘the tyre wear is high but the grip is good’.

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