Motor – Speed Passion (handout)
ESC – Speed Passion (handout)
Batteries - GM Racing
Tires – Ride (handout)
Radio/Servos – Sanwa/GM Racing
Remarks – Martin Hofer is running the all new Mi5 here in the Netherlands having running the car in its pre release form at the previous round in Gran Canaria. While the car is ready for release to the public in the near future the former Pro Stock Champion, along with Chris Grainger, are working on finalizing the tuning parts to be included in the kit currently focusing on the carbon steering knuckle arms which on the German’s car is positioned to make the turnbuckle longer which seems to helping the car here in Apeldoorn.
It’s the end of may now and I had to turnthe heating in my appartment back on! Something’s very wrong.
The ETS in Apeldoorn, unlike the years before, was not the nice, dry and cosy start of the outdoor season but freezing cold, very wet, and most of all pretty pointless.
In a surprise move, Alex Stocker decided to join this ETS race. So I went to his place straight off work on wednesday and built a car for him. T4 that was. Still don’t feel the orange :P
We left too early thursday morning with ok weather. But the closer we got to NL, the darker it got. By the time we had arrived in Apeldoorn it started to rain.
That meant practice on thursday was ended right before the start. After some nice dinner in a WOK restaurant we fell into bed after I had done me a new bodyshell up. Tough day when you start at 4 AM in the morning!
Friday began the way thursday ended. Rainy. With the track being wet, the schedule was changed towards a 2 practice run and 1 qualifier format.
The first practice run however was on a partially moist track.
Since most of the competitors had arrived on mondey or tuesday to do pre-event testing (ETS is slowly getting a practice championship status!) or had been to the track a few times ahead of the event, I was a little concerned regarding the practice disadvantage.
Practice run #2 then was a surprise. I did the fastest lap by quite a margin, Alex did the second fastest lap.
Talent vs. practice this was!
Qualfiers as always where a tough fight. Friday Night Alex got himself an F1 car out of spontaneous interest. So after an amazing dinner at hotel Van der Valk’s buffet, I was sat on our hotelroom desk again building an F1 car. Alex and Alex (Stocker and Wild, confusing I know) where playing the simspons game and chess on their iphones :P
I guess that’s what makes “Hoffer mechanical services” special haha
Saturday morning.
After the track had dried up there where 2 more qualfiers. With 2 out of 3 to count Alex couldn’t waste any tracktime in F1. He managed to qualify in both A-Mains which is a huge-good result considering that he had not done any racing in a very long time.
I put myself second on the grid and managed to make that my final position aswell.
So to sum up the weekend:
- talent vs. practice … a tough fight
- should have found the broken bearing earlier (not only yesterday when I rebuilt my car :P ) , as this would have given me a bit more cornerspeed
- new tires are much much faster
- it’s the people that make a race be fun!
- looking forward to ETS in Austria with a roof above the track
- where’s summer gone? Sub 10 degree in may just ain’t right!
- considering I not had any change to test the car on that track, it was amazingly good!
