{"id":124475,"date":"2017-08-12T23:23:02","date_gmt":"2017-08-12T21:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikanews.de\/?p=124475"},"modified":"2018-07-17T10:13:43","modified_gmt":"2018-07-17T08:13:43","slug":"efra-110th-ic-track-europameisterschaft-final-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikanews.de\/?p=124475","title":{"rendered":"EFRA 1\/10th IC Track Europameisterschaft – Final-Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geschafft. Mit Toni Gruber<\/a> gewann nach Ronald V\u00f6lker<\/a>, Jan Ratheisky<\/a> und Micha Widmaier<\/a> ein weiterer deutscher Fahrer in diesem Jahr den Europameisterschaftstitel. Gl\u00fcckwunsch in Vogtland an dieser Stelle, wo Toni zu Hause ist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Den kompletten Bericht findet ihr hier in der englischen Version sehr ausf\u00fchrlich. Viel Spa\u00df.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Englische Version<\/h6>\n

EFRA 1\/10th IC Track European Championships – Finals Report<\/p>\n

That it was the racing at the 2017 EFRA IC Track 1\/10th<\/sup>\u00a0European Championships that made the headlines was a story in itself. Unseasonal wet weather on Thursday and Friday would have seen many events either struggle to get finished, or not take place at all. Fortunately a track at Mulhouse that dried relatively quickly and, more importantly, speedy and thoughtful intervention by Javier Garcia, the EFRA Delagate at the event , including a smart decision to move two qualifying rounds to Wednesday when the conditions were perfect, ensured no racing was lost. Remarkable as Thursday was rained out until 16:30 and the time set aside on Friday for the lower finals was also lost to weather.
\nSo all of the finals would have to be run,\u00a0 \u2018wet or dry\u2019 on Super Saturday. Action began spot on time at 8am. \u00a0The track was damp so the first 2 races were declared \u2018wet\u2019 making tyre choice, which for dry running was mandated as a single, controlled, Capricorn compound, free and also allowing a wet chassis if one had been through tech inspection.
\nThe conditions were treacherous and as drivers arrived for the later finals there was much discussion about how they would attack, or merely survive the conditions.\u00a0 After a dull and cold start the weather played ball (almost) all day and there was superb competition\u00a0 throughout the lower finals in the A event with the B Event Semis and B Main also adding action and excitement to the proceedings.
\nWhilst there was close racing and last-gasp passes in all of the \u2018supporting\u2019 events, the A Main provided a fabulous finale to the week.
\nBruno Coelho was red hot favourite. He topped all but one of the five qualifying sessions. He clinched TQ and direct entry to the A Main by the end of the 4th<\/sup>\u00a0Q session. The other \u2018automatic\u2019 qualifier was Toni Gruber who clinched his place by posting the fastest lap time in Superpole.
\nJoining them at the sharp end of the grid were A Semi final winners Greiner (the only other driver to top a qualifying sheet) and Leino.
\nAs the final approached a shower of rain damped the circuit and there was no choice but to declare the race \u2018wet\u2019 \u2013 the organisers making it clear that a single change of chassis would only be allowed before the grid formed.\u00a0 The shower passed and everyone stayed on their primary choice. In fact everyone used the mandated tyres as well, although there may have been a couple of driver left wishing they had packed something \u2018special\u2019 in the race cases.
\nThe drama didn\u2019t end there though. TQ Coehlo couldn\u2019t fire his engine and called a 10 minute technical. The request was barely made when a small piece of debris was found to be blocking the exhaust and, once removed all was well. The damage was done though and he started out of position on the grid. Ultimately this cost him the European title.
\nFrom the hooter it was clear that the Germans at the front of the field had very quick cars indeed and theior battle for the lead was intense for the first couple of fuel runs. Although Coehlo was quicker throughout the 45 minutes, it was only marginally so. The contest though was far from boring, or indeed straightforward. Greiner took new tyres early and dropped well back, whilst Gruber went pretty much to half distance before his first four tyre stop.
\nCoehlo was tantalisingly close and some of the best wheel to wheel racing wasn\u2019t for position per se, but where the main protagonists were scrapping to say on, or get back on the lead lap.
\nHaving a very impressive and well paced run was Edu XXXX withe the Shepherd chassis. A near- flawless run (one of the very few) would net the Spaniard the third step on the podium.
\nThe decisive moment of the race was a stroke of tactical genius from Team Gruber. With Coelo clearly quicker \u2013 and having noted the tyre degradation in their first long run \u2013 they know they had to do something to be able to defend in the closing minutes. However Coelho had just got back on the lead lap so if they were to keep the Portuguese behind there was no time for a four tyre stop. The decision was made to take just new left side tyres. Even then, the crew could afford no mistakes. It was a perfect stop and meant that after Coehlo made his stop, Gruber held the lead \u2013 just. The gap came down to under 4 seconds at one point. The leading pair traded 100ths and 1000ths of seconds lap after lap, including through traffic. The oohs, ahhs and gasps from the sizeable crowd testament to the skill and commitment of the leaders.
\nIn the last stint it was Coelho who started to lose ground, the final margin over 10 seconds as the newer tyres on the left side of the German\u2019s WRC paid dividends.
\nBruno Coehlo must be left ruing that debris, the call for a technical and a start from off his wel-earned pole position. But take nothing away from the victor. A brilliant, consistently fast display of driving over 45 minutes of the A Main coupled with faultless tactics and strategy is what won the European championship for Toni Gruber and his team.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Full Top tem was –<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Pos<\/strong><\/td>\nPilot<\/strong><\/td>\nLaps<\/strong><\/td>\nEndtime<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nToni\u00a0Gruber<\/td>\n147<\/td>\n45:13.647<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nBruno\u00a0Coelho<\/td>\n146<\/td>\n45:00.655<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nEduardo\u00a0Riera<\/td>\n145<\/td>\n45:12.578<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nDominic\u00a0Greiner<\/td>\n144<\/td>\n45:10.711<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nTeemu\u00a0Leino<\/td>\n143<\/td>\n45:06.706<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nKyle\u00a0Branson<\/td>\n143<\/td>\n45:08.912<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nFrancesco\u00a0Tironi<\/td>\n143<\/td>\n45:17.578<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nEric\u00a0Dankel<\/td>\n142<\/td>\n45:08.349<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nAlex\u00a0Thurston<\/td>\n138<\/td>\n45:14.537<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nAlessio\u00a0Mazzeo<\/td>\n131<\/td>\n42:15.898<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Report written by John Hindhaugh<\/p>\n

Quelle:<\/strong>,\u00a0EFRA<\/a>,<\/p>\n\n

Weitere Links<\/h5>\n

https:\/\/mikanews.de\/2017\/06\/14\/wrc-ntx-1-1-110-nitro-touring-car\/<\/p>\n