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Date: 12.8.2012
Race: DM – round 4
Track: Regnbuebanen – Glostrup Denmark
Condition: Tarmac – mixed – 20-25 degr. C – low grip
Class: Modified
Result: 3rd (A – 3)
Up to the race

I had no time for practice after the WC in Heemstede, as I have a summer job, while I have vacation from the university. The DM4 in Glostrup is the third race on the track this summer, and I have never had a good race there. I got a good result there the last time, but the race was not good, due to the tires and the low grip on the track. I hoped, my setup from the WC with some small changes also would be ok for the race in Glostrup.

Practice at the race
Well arrived at the track and with lovely sunny and hot weather, I was pretty sure, that I would get problems with the tires. I did practice the whole afternoon and evening, but I never found a setup, where I could push the car. Maybe a 2,0 mm chassis would have worked, but I don’t have one. I tried different tire treatment and tire preparation. I could drive the car and it was balanced too, but there was still a very low grip, and I could not push under any circumstances. I spoke with other drivers, and their cars were also difficult to drive. I hoped for the Sunday, that the weather would stay cooler, and new and fresh tires would work a little bit better.

Qualification
The Sunday started with sunny weather from cloud free sky. Later on there came a cloud or two, but nothing to affect the track, which during the day got hotter and hotter, the worst conditions for the tires. In the start of the first round my car on new tires was really good. I drove very smooth not to ruin the tires, and I could drive some good laps below 15 seconds with the best of them to be the hot lap of the day – 14,770 second. Although, after 3-4 minutes the tires were done. I tried still to drive super smooth but fast, but the lap times dropped a half second and even more. I was in the lead right until the very last lap, where I did a 15,6 lap. I missed the first spot with less than 0,2 second after 7 minutes. In the second qualification it got worse. The winner of the first round made a fault and I drove smooth and consistent laps of 15,2 to 15,4 in the lead, as the car after a little more than six minutes got a small stone in the spurgear pulley – and cut the rear belt. In the third round my tires were cooked, and my lap times again dropped a few tenths of a second. I passed the line after seven minutes as third. I should also start as third in the finals.

Finals
The finales were exactly the same as last time in Glostrup. I could drive one racing line and I had one speed. That’s it. If I tried to push, then the car was not drivable. That was not fun!! The three finals I ended as second, second and third, and overall I ended up as third.

After the race
Just after the finals another modified driver with an Awesomatix car and I drove two extra batteries. We used exactly the same setup on both cars as in the last final, just now using used Ride32 (ETS tires) on his car and used Sorex36 (WC tires) on my car. We wanted to see, if the problem really was the Solaris tires, or if it was a problem with the tarmac at the track. We both had a big smile in our faces after just 20 seconds of driving. It was a total different experience. Now we could drive the cars fast, could push them, could drive different lines. Nothing affected the car. In short: we could race. We changed the tires for the next battery. He got mine Sorex and I got his Ride. Now my car was even better. We made some dog fights, and my Serpent was now a racing car. I would have done something in the setup, still I was almost one second faster per lap than on Solaris. Also the motor temperature got nearly 15 degrees C higher, due to the much higher grip. These two batteries were the best of the whole weekend.

We had a short discussion among the modified drivers in Glostrup, and we made an agreement. At the next race in Vejle in two weeks we will race on either used WC Sorex36 tires or new Ride32. If we were not allowed, we will not attend the race. We will race with cars and not have a whole weekend spoiled, because we have to use some bad control tires.


Serpent


When I got the other tires on my car, it was fun to drive it. On the control tires I had problems to get enough grip. The car was balanced with equal grip front and rear, and the steering was ok. I just needed more grip overall. If I had more time, maybe I could have done something more radical changes in the setup, like used a 2,0 mm chassis or tried something weird in the setup. For modified driving the grip simply was too low.

In the superstock class it went better for Serpent, as Serpent team driver Steven M. Olsen won the superstock class after some brilliant driving, especially in the finals. Congratulations with the win Steven.

The race in Vejle I think will be my last this outdoor season. I will in the end of the month start to practice indoor on my home track in Tinglev. I nearly can’t wait to see, what my S411TE can do indoor with my new electronics from Hobbywing and Thunderpower.

See you all at the racing tracks.
Best regards
Rasmus Tobias Callesen