World Champion Pietsch to contest ENS ‘Pilot Series’

Reigning 1:8 Onroad World Champion Robert Pietsch is to contest both races in the Euro Nitro Series ‘Pilot Series’, the factory Mugen driver confirming that he will race both 1:8 and 1:10 Touring in Germany and Austria. A strong advocate of the creation of the new series after making his electric touring car debut at a round of the Euro Touring Series in 2011, the German will head to Race 1 as the pre-event favorite having TQ’d and won the European Nitro Challenge at the Hockenheim track last, an event that lead to the establishment of the ENS.

Commenting on the creation of the Euro Nitro Series, Pietsch, who is also the reigning European 1:8 Champion and a former Worlds Top Qualifier & European Champion in 1:10 Touring, said, ‘Having experienced the ETS I am really excited that the organisers have got involved in nitro and I believe the Euro Nitro Series gives us a real chance to create a professional well presented championship that can only be a good thing for everyone involved in onroad nitro racing. They have shown they can create world class events where the drivers race under fair conditions and can still enjoy themselves. I enjoyed racing at Hockenheim last year and I think due to the track’s association with Formula 1 its a great place to start the ENS’.

Race 1 of the ENS Pilot Series has also attracted entries from leading 1:10 Nitro Touring specialists Dirk Wischnewski and Erik Dankel. The reigning German National Champion, Dankel was Top Qualifier at last year’s Euro Nitro Challenge with former European Champion Wischnewski taking the win so the German duo can be expected to be among the main contenders to claim the honour of winning the first ever ENS event. Also entered for the opening race are Team Serpent’s Michael Salven and Mark Green. A veteran of nitro onroad racing and a multiple champion, Salven has been a strong supporter of the ENS organising team sharing his vast experience of the sport and providing valuable input on how best to run each event.

The organisers of the Euro Nitro Series have also announced the launch of an official website where all information relating to the two ‘Pilot’ races including the rules has been published. www.euronitroseries.com will also be the main portal through which the series media partners RedRC will publish full coverage of the each ENS event through the race weekends.

Despite having only been announced less than 3 weeks ago, the Euro Nitro Series ‘Pilot Series’ has already attracted an overwhelmingly positive response with further team/driver announcements set to be made over the coming days.

ETS organisers announce Pilot Series for onroad nitro

The organisers of the Euro Touring Series, the world famous championship for electric touring cars, are pleased to announce, following ongoing requests from a number of leading, onroad nitro manufacturers and drivers the establishment of a two round Euro Nitro Series Pilot Series for 2013 as preparations for a full five round championship in 2014.  Catering for both 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad, the first of the 3-day events in the ENS Pilot Series will take place at Hockenheim in Germany from May 31-June 2 with race two to be held in Austria at Stöhr-Ring on the weekend of June 28-30.

Commenting on the announcement ETS founder Uwe Rheinard said, ‘Through the ETS we have enjoyed the company of a number of the top nitro onroad drivers who took part in our series for a bit fun over the winter season but at the end of the weekend their reaction was always the same, why don’t we set up a similar series for nitro racing. Busy with setting up the Euro Offroad Series, which also came about at the behest of drivers, we did not have the resources to commit to running a third series last year but with the EOS now firmly established we are really excited about getting the Euro Nitro Series up & running in 2013. We have a lot of support from the industry but as with any new project there is always a lot of learning to be done and this is why, like we did with the EOS, we want to start with a ‘Pilot’ event.

The concept for the Euro Nitro Series is to create high profile 3-day events that count towards crowning an overall 1:10 and 1:8 Champion. Aiming to replicated the moto of the ETS, ‘World Class racing for Everyone’, the ENS will be open to drivers of all levels. With nitro racing having suffered recently as a result of the use of tyre additive, the ENS will after months of negotiations with the main tyre manufacturers introduce its own unique system of controlled tyre to create a level playing field for ENS racers. Although racing and providing drivers with a fun atmosphere is the key aim of all the ETS derived series, some basic rules are required and these along with team & driver announcements will be issued over the coming weeks.

For a new series Hockenheim is the perfect setting to kick off ‘Euro Nitro Series’ as the venue has a long running motorsport heritage being the home of the full size German F1 Grand Prix. For the past two years the large US style track has successfully run the European Nitro Challenge which having attracted a capacity entry last year will now become the first ever ENS event. Stöhr-Ring, venue for Race 2, has a long history of hosting major international nitro races including World Championships and its 2013 calendar includes the 1:10 200mm European Championships and the 1:5 Bike World Championships which both take place after the ENS’ visit.

Euro Nitro Series – Pilot Series
Race 1 – Hockenhiem, Germany – May 31-June 2
Race 2 – Stohr-Ring, Austria – June 28-30