In our new series of Interviews, we are presenting you our young girls and boys attending at the Euro Touring Series. One of them is Jasmin Donath from Berlin, Germany. Patrick Beck from the ETS media team took some time to talk to Jasmin about RC racing and her life in the capital of Germany. Enjoy our first „ETS Young Talents” interview which we did on the free practice day in Apeldoorn, right before the race started. Jasmin achieved her best career result with third overall in the Orca 17.5 Stock class directly after we talked to her – great job Jasmin!
ETS – Hi Jasmin, great to see you at the start of the new season on the racetrack. How are you and what did you do in the long time between the last race in Daun and the race in Apeldoorn?
Jasmin – Hello to the ETS team! I’m great, I’m in a good mood and just happy that we can be here again to have fun together. Since our last ETS attempt in Daun, which I unfortunately had to end prematurely, I have gone with my parents, as often as possible, to Neumünster and have trained there a lot. I turned many laps over there 😊 I also started to practice with an FWD car (many THANKS to Tonisport) which is a lot of fun too. Then I attended the TOS race that took place there, and we had the chance to practice on the indoor track in Hann. Münden. Spontaneously we participated at the EOS in Göttingen. There I started for the first time without training even in the 4WD class. Somehow all this is fun! Outdoor, there was no chance for practice, but we started with a TOS race in Hann. Münden, and shortly after with the XRS in Braunschweig. And now we meet here in the Netherlands to do the first ETS run of the season.
ETS – Last season you made an incredible leap forward. In the final ranking you were 17th out of a total of 70 participants in the Orca 17.5 Stock class. How would you rate your last ETS season?
Jasmin – It is very difficult to assess myself. It was my first season (apart from the one race in 2020 in Trencin). We went on the 3 races relatively relaxed, without putting myself under pressure, at least we tried. From the overall 17th place, I just learned here from you. Sounds quite good, I think. I enjoyed all the races, even if they are a bit different than a normal race. You have more well-known drivers at the ETS. The competition is stronger, and the tension is higher. I am satisfied with the races and the results and hope to have a lot of fun in the coming seasons and to become even better. But I also know that this was not possible in such a short time without help: many THANKS to Manuel and my parents!
ETS – When did you start the RC hobby, and on which racetrack did you do your first, real laps?
Jasmin – It was a slow process. I went to the racetrack with my father from time to time and drove a bit, without any intentions. I really started driving myself in mid-2017 in our club: “1st Marzahn Racing Club” in the northeast of Berlin on the “green hell of Marzahn”.
ETS – Can you remember which was your first RC car was?
Jasmin – Yes for sure. My first own car was a Xpress XQ1-S.
ETS – You live in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Are there many clubs and racetracks in Berlin? Do you belong to a club, if so which one?
Jasmin – Strictly speaking, I live on the outskirts of Berlin, so in Hönow, Brandenburg. As the crow flies, it is 200m to Berlin. In Berlin directly, there are 3 clubs with their own asphalt racetracks, but we also count the club from Bernau, because this is not far away and is also a host of our Berlin race series. I am a member of the 1st MRC from the beginning, and my dad is also in it. Since ~2 years I am also a member of the Speedracer club in Bernau.
ETS – Your father Renè supports you at almost all the races. Is he also your mechanic or do you also work on the setup of your cars yourself?
Jasmin – He is doing almost everything on my cars. I’m slowly trying to do more and more myself, but still must ask a lot and learn to understand. It is not so easy to remember everything and understand and implement. But standard work (tires – battery – cleaning) I do by myself now. My new FWD car I have almost completely assembled alone. But I still need help when it comes down to find the perfect setup for the track we are racing on.
ETS – Do you train often, or do you try to do as many races as possible?
Jasmin – I often go for training. I have two tracks in the immediate vicinity. If I could now roughly estimate, I would think that we are determined 1x a week after school for training. Sometimes more and sometimes less. On weekends we often go to races, sometimes closer to Berlin sometimes further away. There I am dependent on my parents. But we participate in races as often as possible.
ETS – Do you have a favorite racetrack? If so, which one is it and why exactly?
Jasmin – There is actually no particular favorite track. But I find larger tracks, which are usually also faster to drive, very interesting. I would include the Hudy Arena, the Arena33 in Andernach, the Bernau Speedway and of course Apeldoorn here in the Netherlands. But it’s difficult to name a favorite now.
ETS – The races in the Euro Touring Series are special simply because of their size. Do you also compete in other, smaller races? Do you remember where you drove your first race?
Jasmin – So the ETS is the biggest series for us. I also race many TOS events in different areas, and the Berlin BTM series. My first real race took place at the end of 2017; in the Burning Wheels club, which is one of the four Berlin clubs mentioned.
ETS – What vehicles do you currently have in your fleet, and why did you choose these cars in particular?
Jasmin – Currently, I run the touring car and FWD chassis of the Awesomatix brand. We were allowed to test a lot in the winter season and were able to try out a lot. And now I have decided, after 4 years of driving Xray cars, to switch to this brand. Even if I can’t really explain it, I get along well with these cars and have a good ride. Why this is so different, I do not know.
ETS – What is it about driving an RC car that fascinates you? Is it the technology, the speed, or simply the adrenaline that you feel when you are up on the driver’s stand?
Jasmin – I just think everything is great and it’s just mega fun to drive and watch faster classes. But also trying to be or become faster than the person in front of you has its appeal. And I like it, like my parents do, to talk to people together and have fun about it too.
ETS – As you can easily see, the guys outnumber the girls in the ETS. Is it an additional incentive for you to beat the guys in the races, or do you not care at all who you must overtake on the track in order to drive at the front?
Jasmin – I don’t care who I’m racing against, whether it’s a woman or a man. At the moment of the race, it doesn’t matter, because it fades out. I’ve gotten used to the fact that I usually only have to race against guys / men. But it is also a lot of fun to race against or with girls like Elena or Nele. Of course, I’m happy when I end up further ahead.
ETS – What do you do when you’re not on the racetrack at ETS? What are your plans and career aspirations for the future?
Jasmin – Between the races and the weekends there is still school. And if possible and homework is not too much, we go to training to do some laps. I don’t really have a real career wish yet, but I’m very interested in animals in general and therefore veterinarian would fit well.
ETS – Do you have other hobbies besides RC car racing that you do in your spare time? Or does racing already take up more than enough of your time?
Jasmin – RC takes up a lot of time. You have to go there, you have to train and so on. Many hobbies as such rather not. Besides, I also like to read a book and or meet with friends just outside to chat.
ETS – When you talk to your friends about your RC car hobby, how do you explain to them what exactly you do when you go to Holland, Austria or Luxembourg to pursue this hobby? What do they think?
Jasmin – Most of the time I tell them that I race 1/10th scale cars on different tracks and races. Then I show them a few photos / videos of the race, so they can get a better picture of it. Almost all of them find it exciting and like to watch. I even have to tell my girlfriend exactly when I’m driving so she can follow it and if there’s a video stream, she can even watch. But no one is really interested, unfortunately.
ETS – Is there any kind of role model for you in RC car racing? Or drivers you particularly enjoy watching drive?
Jasmin – There are some top drivers that I like to watch because they are simply not without reason among the top people. 1: Jan Ratheisky – because he sometimes drives several classes and is still fast and still in a good mood (our bet is not forgotten!) 2: Marc Rheinard: he is simply the fastest of all and always relaxed. 3: Simon Lauter: also very fast. But always ready for a little chat. And his driving style is just clean and neat. But there are some other drivers who are very fast and I like to watch them. Among others because they ride in the same fast groups anyway.
ETS – What are your goals for ETS season #15 2022/23?
Jasmin
1: Having fun.
2: To be able to overtake one or the other.
3: To fight on the track and not only have to drive behind.
4: Maybe it works out with the entry into an A-final.
I don’t have any other wishes for placing. I just do my best and then we’ll see.
ETS – Jasmin, thank you so much for this great interview and your time. We are very happy to call you a part of the ETS family. We wish you only the best, and most of all good luck and success on the race track!
Jasmin – I have to thank you. It was a lot of fun talking to you. I feel very honored to be a part of the ETS family, furthermore I wish all the participants of the ETS a lot of fun and success. See you again on the track. Thank you very much.
Pictures: ETS/Bildwald and Jasmin Donath
