Chilly last outdoor weekend with hot action on the Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”
The outdoor season of the Euro Touring Series is in the books after four amazing events. But as the overall Season #15 2022/23 is not over (indoor races to come), we like to analyse the outdoor portion of our campaign in this recap article together with the results from Luxembourg. It was one of the colder outdoor events with temperatures between 4 degrees in the morning and 18 degrees in the afternoon, and luckily the rain was always circulating to different areas around the track, and we only saw some raindrops on Saturday morning. The LMCC Luxembourg was a perfect host for us, and we like to thank everybody who was involved in making this great weekend possible!
Matrix Modified
Krapp and Rheinard tied on points with Prümper and Völker still in striking distance
The Matrix Modified is our premier class at the ETS and almost every world class driver was in attendance during the season. It was very special to see (and the first time in the history of the ETS), that four different drivers took the wins in the first four races of the series. With Yannic Prümper (Yokomo), Christopher Krapp (Yokomo), Marc Rheinard (Awesomatix), and Lucas Urbain (Awesomatix) taking one win each, the championship is as thrilling as never before. Ronald Völker (Mugen Seiki) hasn`t won a race yes but is also in the overall mix for the championship with a 2nd and two 3rd positions to his favour.
Actual top 5 in the Matrix Modified Championship (points/wins)
1.Marc Rheinard (Awesomatix(Orca) 901 (1 win)
2.Christopher Krapp (Yokomo/Racing Performer) 901 (1 win)
3.Yannic Prümper (Yokomo/Dash) 900 (1 win)
4.Ronald Völker (Mugen Seiki/LRP) 899
5.Lucas Urbain (Awesomatix/Orca) 897 (1 win)
Yokomo
The team with the biggest improvement, two victories, and two drivers in the hunt for the overall championship
Especially for Yokomo and their BD11 car, the outdoor season was a huge success. Krapp and Prümper won the first two races of the season and both drivers scored multiple podium finishes with the latest touring car platform from the Japanese manufacturer. We are looking forward to seeing them racing on carpet with their car and they will try everything to win the first ETS title for Yokomo which is not coming from the hands of Ronald Völker. Krapp and Prümper are in a great form right now and after Krapp finished second at the 2022 IFMAR world championships in Gubbio, everybody is expecting even more from him and his team in the upcoming races now. Krapp is leading the championship (tied on points with Rheinard) and everything is prepared for a strong outcome of the season for the Yokomo team.
Championship chance for Yokomo: 75%
With Prümper (RD1 win) and Krapp (RD2 TQ and win), Yokomo has two horses in the race for the overall championship. Both drivers are normally performing stronger on Asphalt, but had good carpet results in the past as well. What will happen if they have to fight for the overall championship against each other? Nobody knows… But Yokomo is the hottest contender for the title in the Matrix Modified class going into the last two races of the campaign!
Awesomatix
Two victories for the team and Rheinard leading the championship ahead of carpet season
The Awesomatix team also saw two drivers taking race wins during RD3 and RD4. Marc Rheinard won the race in his hometown Andernach (Arena33), and Lucas Urbain achieved the same on his home track in Luxembourg (even if Lucas is living in France). After a first and second place in the last two races, Rheinard has brought himself back into the championship hunt after kind of a slow start into the season for the multiple IFMAR world champion.
Rheinard is a very good carpet racer and it wouldn`t surprise us to see him lift the overall championship trophy at the end of the season. It would be Rheinard`s second ETS title, after he only won it in the third season of the Euro Touring Series in 2009/10 – a very long time ago…! Now he is tied on points with Krapp (both 901), and Rheinard, as well as his teammates Urbain and Manzo will be well prepared for the start of the indoor season. They will fight for the highest possible finish of ETS Season #15.
Championship chance for Awesomatix: 60%
Rheinard is the hot iron for the title and he comes along with a lot of experience. His hunger for the ETS title must be very big after winning it for the last time in 2010 (!). In the last races he was clearly on an upward trend and has already one TQ and win to his favour (RD3). He performed very well at the last carpet races and Awesomatix has a serious shot for a very first ETS title in the Modified class.
Mugen Seiki
Wanted – Völker and Mugen Seiki aiming for first win of ETS Season #15
Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker is still the reigning champion of the Matrix Modified class. He won the title last season in a dominant way, and it was a perfect start for him and his current chassis sponsor Mugen Seiki. This season started good as well, with a TQ and 2nd overall in the Netherlands. After a third place at RD3 in Austria, Völker had his lowest finish with a fourth place in Germany before he stepped on the podium again with finishing third in Luxembourg.
Very constant top 4 results from Völker, just missing a win until now. But as Völker is one of the best carpet racers out there, he will be one to watch when the ETS will roll out the black carpet for the last two races of the season. Can Völker win his eight (!) ETS title in the Modified class? His team around the top drivers Robert Pietsch, Eric Dankel, and Remí Callens will be there to support the ETS record champion to the end of the season!
Championship chance for Mugen Seiki: 50%
Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker has not won a race this season, but he is still in the fight for the overall championship as he scored top 4 finishes in all four races of Season #15 so far. He was able to TQ at RD1, and only missed the podium once (RD3). As Völker is a real “master of carpet racing”, Mugen Seiki still has a chance to defend the title which Völker won in thelast season for the Japanese manufacturer. But they will need at minimum one TQ and win (better two wins) to make it happen. Let`s see what wil happen at the next race in Hann. Münden.
Xray
Xray wins IFMAR Touring Car World Championship in Italy and no ETS race in 2022
The Xray team was not in attendance in the Matrix Modified class with their lead drivers Alexander Hagberg and Bruno Coelho this season. Bruno celebrated a very impressive win at the 2022 IFMAR worlds in Gubbio with the Xray X4, but at the ETS the car didn`t make it onto the podium without them. However, they had some other fast drivers on the line at some of the races, but nobody was doing the whole ETS campaing. Because of that, the championship title is not in reach for Xray this season and Bruno Coelho will remain the only driver winning this title for the Slovakian manufacturer.
Marco Kaufmann, Jan Ratheisky, and Olivier Havranek were flying the flag for Xray, and they had some strong single race results at tracks like Aigen-Schlägl, Andernach, and Luxembourg. Let`s see what the indoor season will bring for Xray. A lot of drivers in the pits are missing the competition with Hagberg and Coelho and would really like to have them racing at the ETS again.
Schumacher
When we are talking about Schumacher there is one name in our mind: Michal Orlowski. He was once again the only top drover with the current Schumacher MI8 touring car at the ETS and he delivered a good result at his only appearance at Arena33 in Andernach. Not sure if we will see him at the indoor races but we hope so!
Axon
Another small team which was attending one race of the season in Austria (Aigen-Schlägl). And what a great show it was from Akio Sobue and Jayato ishioka putting both Axon touring cars into the A-Main. We have heard that Axon plans to attend some ETS races next season and we are looking forward to welcome them again in our ETS family!
Awesomatix Pro Stock
Lauter and Mächler battling it out as overall title is safe for Awesomatix
The Awesomatix Pro Stock class has evaluated into a fight between the two Awesomatix drivers Max Mächler and Simon Lauter. Coming into the season, Max had a perfect start as he won the race in Apeldoorn in a dominant way. Simon Lauter fought back at RD2 in Aigen-Schlägl before it was Mächler again with a win at Arena33, a track that was not one of his favourites at this time. Simon Lauter was right back to the point with his second win of the season in Luxembourg what means that only two drivers have taken race wins in the Pro Stock class this season so far. The decision for the title will come down to the line between these two drivers on carpet now and it is impossible to pick a favourite as both are in a great form.
Championship chance for Awesomatix: 100%
But no matter what will happen at RD5 and RD6, the title will go to Awesomatix for sure as no driver from any other team is able to jump into the battle in the two remaining rounds of ETS racing. Awesomatix has established themselves as the dominant force in this class, especially after Xray driver Alexandre Duchet is not racing at the ETS anymore since last December. He (together with Jan Ratheisky and Lukas Ellerbrock) was the hardest contender of the “Awesomatix gang” in the last years. Ellerbrock has just announced his departure from Xray, and it will be all about Ratheisky to fight for at least one Xray race win in Hann. Münden or Daun.
Actual top 5 in the Awesomatix Pro Stock Championship (points/wins)
1.Max Mächler (Awesomatix/Sunpadow) 906 (2 wins)
2.Simon Lauter (Awesomatix/LRP) 906 (2 wins)
3.Olivier Bultynck (Awesomatix/LRP) 895
4.Alex Kunkler (Awesomatix/Ruddog) 892
5.Frederik Mikkelsen (Awesomatix/LRP) 889
Hobbywing Frontwheel
Schulz leads by one point from Olsen as ETS rolls out the black carpet
In the Hobbywing Frontwheel class, we will see another fight for the title between reigning champion Stefan Schulz (Xray), and his main challenger Steven Olsen (Awesomatix). Both drivers had been responsible for a very interesting last season in the FWD class and after Schulz missed the first race of the current season in Apeldoorn, he was back in the groove in the last three races of which he was able to TQ and win at least two. Olsen had a great start with winning the first race in the Netherlands while finishing third in Austria and second in Luxembourg. Both drivers had their lowest points score at Rd3 in Andernach where Schulz took P5 while Olsen only finished in P7.
Looking forward to carpet racing now, both drivers are running strong cars to get the job done. The Xray X4F and the Awesomatix A800FX Evo are great FWD cars and Schulz, and Olsen should have everything they need to do what is necessary for the championship. Maybe there is a little advantage for Schulz as he has the experience of already winning a title. On the other side, Steven Olsen is hunting the title for so long now and that should be more than enough motivation form him too.
Actual top 5 in the Hobbywing Frontwheel Championship (points/wins)
1.Stefan Schulz (Xray) 903 (2 wins)
2.Steven Olsen (Awesomatix) 902 (1 win)
3.Kevin Sparbier (Mugen Seiki) 895
4.Max Weffers (Mugen Seiki) 889
5.Jacques Libar (Xray) 887
ToniSport 40+ Masters
Only Stankowitz can deny second consecutive Masters title for Mateo
The ToniSport 40+ Masters class is in control of Toni Mateo (Awesomatix A800MMX). He took two race wins this season (Aigen and Luxembourg), and a second place at the season opener in Apeldoorn behind local hero Elibert Sievers. Toni Mateo is always looking strong, and he is a real racer on track and never giving up. Mateo showed great racing against his challengers Sievers, Thalheimer, and Manuel Stankowitz who is sitting second on the rankings now.
Stankowitz (Awesomatix A800MMX) is the only driver who has a serious chance to steal the title from Mateo in the last two races of the season, but he will need the best possible results to do so and at minimum one more race win. Let`s see who will be the champion of the ToniSport 40+ Masters class at the end of ETS Season #15 2022/23.
Actual top 5 in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class (points/wins)
1.Toni Mateo (Awesomatix) 906 (2 wins)
2.Manuel Stankowitz (Awesomatix) 902 (1 win)
3.Mirco Thalheimer (Xray) 896
4.Ulrich Dinger (Awesomatix) 890
5.Flavio Paladin (Xray) 887
Orca 17.5 Stock
Reile still 4 points ahead of Donath as indoor season kicks off
Dominik Reile is leading the championship after the outdoor portion of ETS Season #15 2022/23. Reile showed two very strong races at the beginning of the season where he was able to TQ and win in Apeldoorn and Aigen-Schlägl. The campaign looked like a walk in the park for Reile and we expected him to dominate. But everything changed at Arena33 in Andernach, where he somehow was not the best possible Dominik Reile with only finishing seventh overall. But as imperfect weekends are part of racing, Reile seemed to be back to business after he secured the pole position in Luxembourg. In the end he was not able to convert the pole into victory and dropped back to fourth place.
Jasmin Donath was the racer taking maximum advantage of Reile`s weak phase. She took her first ever ETS race win at Arena33 and finished third on the podium in every other race of the campaign – a very strong performance. Together with Reile, she has the chance to win the title as well, but it will need her to take two wins on carpet. Nothing is impossible in RC racing, and we are looking to a thrilling final of the season on the black ETS carpet. Kevin Schmid is sitting in third position after he also won his first ETS race this season in Luxembourg. Two race wins for Schmid can also bring him into the fight for the trophy.
Actual top 5 in the Orca 17.5 Stock Championship (points/wins)
1.Dominik Reile (Awesomatix) 905 (2 wins)
2.Jasmin Donath (Awesomatix) 900 (1 win)
3.Kevin Schmid (Awesomatix) 898 (1 win)
4.Joshua Winkler (Awesomatix) 896
5.Daniel Pöhlmann (Awesomatix) 894
Scorpion Formula
Close battle to expect as Kölbel and Stiebler are tied on points with two races to go
In the Scorpion Formula class, Jan Ratheisky (Xray) took the win at the last two race in Andernach and Luxembourg. But as Ratheisky missed the first two races of the season he is not on top of the championship right now. Andreas Stiebler (Schumacher), René Kölbel (Xray), and Luka Jovicic (Libar Engineering) are on top right now and especially Kölbel and Stiebler will fight very hard to the end of the season to take the title of the Formula class.
As mentioned before, Ratheisky is only 15th now but that will change after the next race when he will have three results counting. He has the same chances (if not the best) to win the championship as he took maximum points away from his two races. Stiebler and Kölbel each having one win in the bag and the carpet portion of the season will be the decider for the overall championship in the Scorpion Formula class.
Actual top 5 in the Scorpion Formula Championship (points/wins)
1.Andreas Stiebler (Schumacher) 902 (1 win)
2.René Kölbel (Xray) 902 (1 win)
3.Luka Jovicic (Libar Engineering) 893
4.Herbert Weber (Xray) 892
5.Gergö Valent (Xray) 891
Next stop for the ETS is RD5 at the Trans World Hotel Auefeld in Hann. Münden, GER
The ETS circus will meet again from 25. – 27. November 2022 at the Trans World Hotel Auefeld in Hann. Münden. We are counting more than 260 entries right now and we can not wait to get the carpet season rollin.
