Thomas Bemmerl – ETS Orca 17.5 Stock Champion, Season #14 2021/22
Thomas Bemmerl is our newly crowned champion of the Orca 17.5 Stock class. He won three out of 5 races this season – a great performance. We took the chance to talk with Thomas about his way to his first ever ETS title!
ETS – Hello Thomas, great to have you here with us for a little Interview. You had an amazing Season at the ETS, and you walked away with the overall championship title in the Orca 17.5 Stock class. How does it feel to be an official ETS champion?
TB – Hi, and first of all – thank you for the congratulations! I am feeling really good and I am very happy about my result on one side, but on the other side I am sad that the season is finished now. For me, it was a long journey from Andernach to Daun.
ETS – With your strong win at the race of the penultimate ETS Season #13 (at Arena33), you already gained a lot of attention. You took the win from pole position ahead of Daniel Pöhlmann who won the overall title at the end of this short season (with only three races). Was it your target to go for the overall championship in Season #14 2021/22 after this strong result?
TB – With my win at this race, I achieved a long-awaited goal. After that I had to define a new overall target and I thought “let`s go for the title”. But to win this title in my first complete ETS season is still unbelievable!
ETS – At Arena33, you took three consecutive race wins. What is the secret behind your success at this location in Andernach where you looked so dominant?
TB – To be honest, it is not a secret that I was practicing a lot at Arena33. I like the track layout and the whole facility a lot. I packed my RC stuff in my Sprinter on almost every weekend and drove to Arena33 to have a great time there. The confidence I gained in these practice sessions helped me a lot during the ETS races!
ETS – After your strong performances at the start of Season #14 2021/22, no one had any doubts that you would win the overall title at the end of the season. But then, Dominik Reile was able to win ETS RD3 in Apeldoorn (Netherlands). He was very fast there, and it seemed that a new title contender was in the mix. What did this result change in your approach for the upcoming indoor races?
TB – Of course, at first it annoyed me a bit that my winning streak was over after the race in Apeldoorn. But shortly after, I started to practice even more. With knowing about the next races to be on carpet, I tried everything to be prepared as good as possible. That was also a reason for me to race at the TOS race in Neumünster before the ETS race at this venue. I just wanted to not miss out any chance to gain an advantage!
ETS – In Neumünster we saw a very thrilling race in the Orca 17.5 Stock class. Daniel Pöhlmann was in a very good form, and Jan Gehrig was in the mix for the overall win. In the end, you nailed it and took the overall win with Dominik Reile finishing fourth overall. Would you say that your win in Neumünster was well deserved – or a little lucky as well?
TB – In my opinion, you always need a bit of luck to win a race at the ETS. The competition is so high and there are so many good drivers who can win. Everybody who is constantly running in the top 5 deserves to win an ETS race at least.
ETS – Even with three race wins on your side, it took until the fifth round in Daun to decide the overall championship to your favour. As soon as it was clear that we will not see a sixth and final ETS race of Season #14 2021/22, your title was safe, and you could celebrate it. Dominik Reile took the win in Daun and booked his second win of the season, and with a possible RD6 we would have seen an amazing showdown between both of you. Are you happy or sad about the fact that we have not been able to see this thrilling season final?
TB – Well, I have a crying and a laughing eye. On one hand, this season ending is easier on my nerves – but on the other hand, it would have been a lot of fun to go into a thrilling final to fight for the overall ETS title with Dominik.
ETS – At the end of every season, the winner always deserved his championship title. No matter if we saw three, four, five or six races in total! Have you practiced a lot between all these ETS races to know that you are in a good shape and your driving being on point? Or are you that kind of racer who only can show his full potential during big race events?
TB – I practiced a lot to see where I can gain that little bit of extra speed. With knowing that also Daniel (Pöhlmann) and Dominik (Reile) were practicing very often, I just needed to do a little bit more to stay on top!
ETS – If we are not completely wrong, you are not racing at the ETS since many years. What and where have you raced before, ad what was the reason for you to finally attend some ETS races?
TB – Before I raced my first ETS, I only drove for fun with an old Xray car on carpet during wintertime. My main class until then was 1:5 scale which I always did during the summertime with my brother and my father. In Autumn 2018 I bought an Awesomatix car to practice more seriously during the wintertime. Shortly after that, Michael Koos and others asked me to join them at the ETS in Daun (2019). On our way home after the race, I told them that I would like to race at the ETS frequently now. I wanted to see if it would be possible to win a race at the ETS at some day!
ETS – Will we see you running in the Orca 17.5 Stock class next season again to defend your title, or are you planning to change your racing class?
TB – Yes, I will change the class and my decision is made. I will start in the Pro Stock class during Season #15 and I have set myself some goals. Let`s see if I can achieve them. It will not be an easy task for sure as I am also not the youngest guy anymore 😊
ETS – Would you recommend the Orca 17.5 Stock class to people who are planning to race their first ETS? What would you tell them about this class and the possibility to learn at the ETS?
TB – Absolutely YES! Grab your RC stuff and join us at the ETS. It doesn`t really matter how much experience you already have or not. What I liked the most when I first raced at the ETS was the fairness between the drivers. There are so many friendships around the track and almost anybody is helping each other when help is needed. That was something I noticed directly!
ETS – Where are you practicing frequently, and do you prefer carpet or Asphalt racing?
TB – I am practicing at the MCC Fellbach most of the time. Sometimes I also go to Heilbronn or Senden. I prefer carpet with a lot of traction. But I am also looking forward to the Outdoor Season – especially now when I will run 13.5T Pro Stock.
ETS – Thomas, as we are now coming slowly to an end, we like to thank you for this Interview and your impressions from ETS Season #14 2021/22. We are looking forward to seeing you racing in the Pro Stock class next season, and we wish you a lot of fun and success at the ETS in the next years. If you like to send out some greeting, the last words are up to you now!
TB – Many thanks to my brother – he watched every race in the ETS Pullstart.TV livestream. And thank you as well to my Parents/Employer for allowing me to take some days off from work to race at every ETS. A big shout out to Paddy Miekautsch for always waiting at the stairs of the driver stand to congratulate me, and to Jürgen and Ella for the great hospitality during practice. Finally I would like to thank Max and the whole Awesomatix team for their help on track and the nice evenings during the ETS races!
