Awesomatix factory driver Simon Lauter is running the actual Version of the A800MMX touring car here in Apeldoorn. He is using some option parts from Awesomatix, and balast weights and a servohorn from MXLR to setup the car to his likings. To get the best out of his car in Apeldoorn, Simon is using longer arms on the active rear suspension of his car (AM14LS). This helps him to get more steering mid corner and at corner exit as well.
Xray`s Bruno Coelho took the first round of qualifying here in Apeldoorn on Friday evening under the floodlights at the AMCA racetrack. Coelho took the round by a gap of 0.6 seconds from Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker and Yokomo`s Yannic Prümper who finished third for the round some further four tenths behind Völker.
Our media team talked to round one TQ Bruno shortly after the race and he said:
It was the first round of qualifying for me at the ETS after a long time and it was a tough challenge. The track conditions had been complicated as it was relatively dark and the upcoming moisture produced some different traction on the asphalt. In the end it went good for me, and I could score a TQ run in the opening round here with our new X4 Touring Car platform which we are still about to learn. The pressure was high, and I am very happy with the result.
Bruno Coelho Xray/Hobbywing
Ronald Völker, who finished second for the round also had a quick chat with us after Q1 and told us:
I had a solid run and scored a good second place for the round. In the last few days here in Apeldoorn my pace was really good during the daytime in warmer conditions and the Xray guys have been strong during the morning and evening runs. As we expect Q2 tomorrow morning to be in similar conditions as Q1 was right now, we will make a setup change and try to improve our position. So far it is a very enjoyable competition here in Apeldoorn and I am looking forward for tomorrow!
Ronald Völker, Mugen Seiki/LRP
Yokomo`s Yannic Prümper posted the third fastest run and was in striking distance to the leaders during the whole five minutes – let’s see what he can do in the other rounds to keep the pressure on Völker and Coelho as high as possible. Marc Rheinard posted the fastest lap of the heat (14.100) but had to take P4 for the round 1.1 seconds behind TQ Coelho. Antoine Brunet (Xray) completed the top 5 in front of Christopher Krapp (Yokomo), Alexander Hagberg (Xray), Michele Manzo (Awesomatix), Tim Benson (Mugen Seiki) and Robert Pietsch (Mugen Seiki) who rounded up the top 10 on Friday evening!
Awesomatix driver Simon Lauter was able to score a very important TQ run in the first round of qualifying here in Apeldoorn. Lauter was able to win the run with a gap of 2.1 seconds ahead of top seed Tim Benson (Mugen Seiki) and Lukas Ellerbrock (Xray) who had a great run in the second fastest group.
Asked about his TQ run, Simon Lauter said:
The run was pretty good from start to finish. After I noticed and fixed a small problem on my car during preparation before the run, it felt even better on the track, and I felt very confident out there. Tomorrow I try to repeat the result to get the best possible position on the grid.
Simon Lauter Awesomatix/LRP
Martin Hofer (Awesomatix) also had a very good pace and was able to finish fourth for the round ahead of Max Mächler (Awesomatix) in fifth position. The dominator of the last races, Alexandre Duchet (Xray), lost around 4 seconds when he made a mistake in lap 12 of the race – he had to take P6 for the round. Frederik Mikkelsen (Awesomatix), Olivier Bultynck (Awesomatix), Enrico Jung (Yokomo) and Henrik Heitsch (ARC) completed the top 10 in the Xray ProStock class on Friday afternoon.
Top Seed Steven Olsen was able to carry over his good 3 lap pace into qualifying and was able to take Q1 with his Awesomatix FWD car. Stefan Schulz and Mischa Kroos followed him on second and third, and Manuel Stankowitz and Jacques Libar completed the top 5 in the first round of qualifying.
Dominik Reile brought home a strong TQ run as he topped the timing sheets in the Orca 17.5 stock class. He had to face a serious challenge from Daniel Pöhlmann who pushed really hard until the end of the run, but Reile got the job done and secured important points. Thomas Bemmerl was very fast in the beginning of the heat but after he lost 4 seconds of time in lap 8 after a mistake he was out of contention for the win in this round. Behind Reile and Pöhlmann it was Roman Borschel, Max Körner and Thomas Bemmerl completing the top 5 in Q1 of the Orca 17.5 Stock class.
Elibert Sievers won the first round of qualifying in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class. He outpaced Manuel Stankowitz by 0.7 seconds and looks to be a serious contender for the top drivers in this ETS class. Toni Mateo from Gran Canaria finished third for the round in front of top seed Thomas Oehler (4) and Flavio Paladin (5).
The first round of qualifying in the Scorpion Formula class saw a very intense fight between Jitse Miedema, Jan Ratheisky and David Ehrbar. Everybody was leading the race for some laps and in the end it was Jan Ratheisky on top of the board taking the round by 0.119 seconds from Ehrbar and another 0.9 seconds from Jitse Miedema. Bram Lagerwey and Herbert Weber completed the top 5.
The controlled practice here in Apeldoorn is in the books and all drivers are now re-seeded into their qualifying heats. The seeding practice was close between the top drivers in each class, and we are all looking forward to the first round of qualifying this afternoon under the floodlights on the AMCA track.
Matrix Modified
Coelho leads Xray 1-2 in seeding
Bruno Coelho and Alexander Hagberg came out of the seeding practice fastest for Xray and their new X4 touring car platform. Ronald Völker, Yannic Prümper and Antoine Brunet completed the top 5 in front of Marc Rheinard who will line up sixth on the grid for qualifying!
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Bruno Coelho (PT) 42.549 (Xray/Hobbywing) 2. Alexander Hagberg (SE) 43.094 (Xray/Hobbywing) 3. Ronald Völker (DE) 43.105 (Mugen Seiki/LRP) 4. Yannic Prümper (DE) 43.280 (Yokomo/Dash) 5. Antoine Brunet (FR) 43.293 (Xray/Hobbywing)
Tim Benson was the fastest in seeding in the ProStock class here in Apeldoorn. He surprisingly topped the board in front of Alex Kunkler and the winner of the last 3 ProStock races, Alexandre Duchet. Simon Lauter and Martin Hofer completed the top 5 and we are excited what will happen in qualifying.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Tim Benson (DE) 47.232 (Mugen Seiki) 2. Alex Kunkler (FR)47.264 (Awesomatix) 3. Alexandre Duchet (FR) 47.270 (Xray) 4. Simon Lauter (DE) 47.338 (Awesomatix) 5. Martin Hofer (DE) 47.376 (Awesomatix)
Steven Olsen from Denmark was the fastest driver in the two rounds of controlled practice of the Hobbywing Frontwheel class. He is the top seed for qualifying as he edged out his main championship contender Stefan Schulz (3) by 0.212 seconds. Between Olsen and Schulz, a very fast looking Jacques Libar finished seeding practice in a strong second position. Manuel Stankowitz and Henrik Heitsch completed the top 5 and they also seem to have the pace to fight for the TQ here in Apeldoorn.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Steven Olsen (DK) 59.565 2. Jacques Libar (LU) 59.602 3. Stefan Schulz (DE) 59.777 4. Manuel Stankowitz (DE) 59.951 5. Henrik Heitsch (DE) 59.982
At the end of seeding practice in the Orca 17.5 Stock class, Dominik Reile was the fastest driver and will start first into qualifying. Thomas Bemmerl (2), David Kuschnarew (3), Daniel Pöhlmann (4) and Roman Borschel (5) will start directly behind him, and they all will try their best to score some good points in the 4 rounds of qualifying on Friday evening and Saturday!
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
Thomas Oehler is the top seed in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class as he scored the fastest three consecutive laps here in the controlled practice at ETS RD3. But as his gap is only about two tenth of a second from Torsten Baggendorf (2), Elibert Sievers (3), Toni Mateo (4) and Caspar Morgen (5), Thomas Oehler will see a lot of cars in his rear-view mirror when we start into qualifying on Friday afternoon. The TQ in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class seems to be wide open and we are excited who can roll into pole position for the triple A-Mains.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
Dutch driver Jitse Miedema is looking very strong here in Apeldoorn. He will start from the first position into qualifying in front of Herbert Weber who is also showing excellent pace. Miedema`s fastest laps have been only 0.019 seconds faster compared to the laps from Weber and with the championship leaders Ratheisky and Ehrbar lining up directly behind them the 4 rounds of qualifying will produce very close racing for sure.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Jitse Miedema(NE) 54.368 (Infinity) 2. Herbert Weber (AT) 54.387 (Xray) 3. Jan Ratheisky (DE) 54.680 (Xray) 4. David Ehrbar (DE) 55.165 (Ehrbar Engineering) 5. Sören Sparbier (DE) 55.318 (Serpent)
We are looking forward to the start of Qualifying here at ETS RD3 where we expect some great action and close fights for the A-Main spots in all classes. On our website you will not miss anything as you can find the PullstartTV livestream in our “LIVE” section. To get quickly to the results of all classes simply navigate to the “RESULTS” area on our landing page.
Enjoy ETS RD3 together with us – no matter where you are!
Here is a little clip from Hanno van den Boogaard`s camera car on the beautiful track of the AMCA Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. His ETS Media Team colleague Patrick Beck took the radio and turned some careful laps during free practice with the camera equipped Tamiya TT-02S.
The 15 year old Maximilian Unterschütz is running his new Mugen Seiki MTC2 touring car for the first time here at ETS RD3 #14 2021/22 in Apeldoorn. Maximilian is competing in the 17.5 Stock class and he really likes the Handling of his new Mugen ride so far.
I am impressed, that in some details the MTC2 is just different from other cars. That‘s why I find the car so interesting!
Maximilian Unterschütz
Maximilian was very fast at the two opening rounds of the actual ETS season at Arena33, and he made his first A-Main there as well at the last race of the 2019/20 season which also took place in Andernach. He will try everyting to get another strong result here in Apeldoorn with his brand new Mugen Seiki car!
Maximilian Unterschütz uses these components in his Mugen Seiki MTC2 touring car:
Body Shell: Zoo Racing Wolverine 0,7 Speedo: ORCA ETS Motor: ORCA ETS 17.5T Battery: LRP 8100mah Radio: Futaba T7 Servo: MKS X6 HBL575 SL Tires: Matrix Handout Supporters: Tonisport and my Dad 🙂 THX Specials: Some option parts from T-Works, RC Maker and Axon
After the track being wet in the morning, the six rounds of free practice got cut down to five rounds which started at 11 o`clock here in Apeldoorn. All drivers took the chance to work on their setups and driving lines for the beautiful and challenging track of the AMCA club. The weather forecast for the next days is pretty good now with temperatures between 11 degrees in the morning and around 20 degrees during daytime and a mix between sun and cloud layers.
Matrix Modified
Coelho tops Thursday practice in the Netherlands
The Matrix Modified class saw the top drivers once again being extremely close over their 3 fastest consecutive laps. Compared to Arena33 in Andernach, the track here in Apeldoorn allows drivers to push a little harder while using the curbs to achieve the fastest times on the sheet. After five rounds of free practice on Thursday, it was Xray factory driver and reigning touring car world champion Bruno Coelho who found himself on top of the board in front of Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker and Coelho`s Xray teammate Alexander Hagberg. With Coelho`s advantage over Völker being 0.190 seconds over three laps, the pressure is on Völker and all the other guys to challenge Bruno Coelho in tomorrow’s seeding practice and especially in qualifying, when the pace over 5 minutes is even more important. Yannic Prümper (Yokomo) and Marc Rheinard (Awesomatix) made it into the top 5 and they will try to improve their pace tomorrow for sure to have a shot for the top spots on the grid as well. Tim Benson 6. (Mugen Seiki), Robert Pietsch 7. (Mugen Seiki), Antoine Brunet 8. (Xray), Christopher Krapp 9. (Yokomo) and Tim Wahl 10. (Awesomatix) completed the top ten in the Matrix Modified class during Thursday practice here in Apeldoorn.
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Bruno Coelho | 42.664 (Xray/Hobbywing) 2. Ronald Völker | 42.854 (Mugen Seiki/LRP) 3. Alexander Hagberg | 42.915 (Xray/Hobbywing) 4. Yannic Prümper | 43.000 (Yokomo/Dash) 5. Marc Rheinard | 43.011 (Awesomatix/Orca)
In the Xray ProStock class it looks like we will see another close fight between the Xray and Awesomatix top guns this weekend. The winner of the last 3 ETS ProStock races, Alexandre Duchet, was fastest once again but this time the others have been more than super close to Duchet in today`s free practice. Simon Lauter (Awesomatix) finished second for the day, just 0.030 seconds behind the French Xray driver Duchet. Jan Ratheisky (Xray) came in third, with his gap to Lauter and Duchet around 0.3 seconds. The Awesomatix duo of Alex Kunkler and Max Mächler completed the top 5 at the end of day 1 in Apeldoorn, and with the small gaps over the 3 fastest consecutive laps it is no rocket science to expect some rounds of very intense qualifying action at the MACA racetrack on Friday evening and Saturday! Olivier Bultynck 6. (Awesomatix), Lukas Ellerbrock 7. (Xray), Martin Hofer 8. (Awesomatix), Nicolai Lindegaard 9. (Schumacher) and Louis Kretschmer 10. (Awesomatix) completed the top 10 at the first day in the Xray ProStock class.
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Alexandre Duchet | 46.833 (Xray) 2. Simon Lauter | 46.863 (Awesomatix) 3. Jan Ratheisky | 47.150 (Xray) 4. Alex Kunkler | 47.245 (Awesomatix) 5. Max Mächler | 47.250 (Awesomatix)
Stefan Schulz continues his performance from ETS Rd2 so far here in Apldoorn. He showed the best pace over 3 consecutive laps in the Hobbywing Frontwheel class in front of his strongest rival and championship leader Steven Olsen. Mischa Kroos followed in third position and completed the top 5 together with Manuel Stankowitz (4) and Jacques Libar (5). With Schulz and Olsen fighting for the win in the last 2 ETS races at Arena33 in Germany, we expect them to be the main contenders here in the Netherlands as well after today’s free practice rounds. But as practice is “just practice”, we will see if anybody else can challenge Olsen and Schulz for the win during the weekend! Henrik Heitsch (6), Frederik Hovgaard (7), Caspar Morgen (8), Kevin Sparbier (9) and Torsten Baggendorf completed the top 10 of free practice in the Hobbywing Frontwheel class at the end of Thursday`s free practice sessions!
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Stefan Schulz | 59.252 2. Steven Olsen | 59.429 3. Mischa Kroos | 59.872 4. Manuel Stankowitz | 1:00.158 5. Jaques Libar | 1:00.248
In the Orca Stock 17.5 class the hunt for the actual championship leader Thomas Bemmerl is right underway. Current champion Daniel Pöhlman scored the fastest 3 consecutive laps of the day, just 0.097 seconds ahead of Roman Borschel. Dominik Reile is sitting in third place right now and is in striking distance to the leading duo. With Maximilian Unterschütz and the winner of the last 3 races, Thomas Bemmerl, there are two more top guns right behind them in the top 5. Round 2 runner up David Kuschnarew (6), Elena Fuchs (7), Niclas Storm (8), Felix Schneider (9) and Jasmin Donath (10) are completing the top 10 of the 17.5 Stock class here at the first day in Apeldoorn at ETS RD3 Season #14 2021/22. It will be exciting to see, who will be able to improve his pace to stay on top of the field when we head into round 1 of Qualifying on Friday evening!
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Daniel Pöhlmann | 51.830 2. Roman Borschel | 51.927 3. Dominik Reile | 51.986 4. Maximilian Unterschütz | 52.017 5. Thomas Bemmerl | 52.074
With Soren Boy Holst and Caspar Morgen we saw 2 different winners in the actual season of the Infinity 40+ Masters class. During today`s rounds of free practice Elibert Sievers was able to turn the fastest laps at the AMCA Apeldoorn racetrack. ETS RD2 race winner Caspar Morgen was closest to Sievers in second place, followed by Manuel Stankowitz in the third spot. Frank Fuchs, who was on the podium at Arena33 as well, finished fourth for the day in front of Thomas Oehler in fifth position. With the top 5 only separated by 0.342 seconds we can expect a hard fight for pole position in qualifying. Ingo Braun (6), Flavio Paladin (7), Toni Mateo (8), Torsten Baggendorf (9) and Ben Loojen (10) are rounding up the top 10 here at the first day in the Tonisport 40+ Masters class.
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Elibert Sievers | 51.929 2. Caspar Morgen | 52.059 3. Manuel Stankowitz | 52.247 4. Frank Fuchs | 52.267 5. Thomas Oehler | 52.271
David Ehrbar was the fastest driver in today`s five rounds of free practice in the Scorpion Formula class. Ehrbar and Ratheisky both scored his fastest consecutive laps in the third round of practice mid-day, while Dutch driver Jitse Miedema drove his fastest laps in the fourth round. Herbert Weber and Tomáš Sova completed the top 5 some tenths of a second behind the top 3 while Renè Kölbel (6), Sören Sparbier (7), Bram Lagerwey (8), Marek Sova (9) and Luka Jovicic (10) completed the top 10 for the day. Can Jitse Miedema challenge the experts of Formula racing, Ehrbar and Ratheisky, for the win here in Apeldoorn? We will find it out until Sunday evening.
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. David Ehrbar | 54.719 2. Jitse Miedema | 54.841 3. Jan Ratheisky | 55.105 4. Herbert Weber | 55.565 5. Tomáš Sova | 55.698
On Friday morning, drivers will have another two rounds of free practice followed by two important rounds of seeding practice for the definition of qualifying groups. Last on Friday afternoon will be the first round of qualifying where all drivers and teams had to show what they have in their pockets. We are looking forward to Friday here at ETS RD3 in Apeldoorn!
Follow us during the whole weekend and check out the LIVE section on our website. There you find the livestreaming from ETS RD3 Season #14 2021/22 at AMCA Apeldoorn / NED via pullstart.tv!
LIVE Event Page features everything from RD3 in Apeldoorn
Follow all the action from ETS RD3 Season #14 2021/22 in Apeldoorn on our LIVE page. The ETS crew brought the well aprooved Pullstart.TV camera system from Arena33 here to the AMCA track to bring you the best possible event coverage!
Just klick the LIVE button on the landing page of our website and you are LIVE with us in Apeldoorn – enjoy it!
We start ETS RD3 on Thursday, 16.09.2021 on the ground of the AMCA Apeldoorn.
We have to inform you, that external visitors are not allowed to watch the race live at the track. All participants can bring their mechanics or family members to the track as usual. But please do not invite other friends or family to watch you racing during the weekend.
The AMCA Apeldoorn has put a lot of effort in this event until now and it is just not possible to install any kind of access control in Apeldoorn. It just would not be possible to control the tests or vaccination passes for external visitors. We will race behind “closed doors” which is not what we normally want – but right now it is the only way to host an ETS event in the Netherlands.
We hope for your understanding and we see us trackside for ETS RD3 in Apeldoorn!
The AMCA Apeldoorn is the hosting club for ETS RD3 Season #14 2021/22. With the city of Apeldoorn being located 90km east bound from the Dutch capitol Amsterdam, it is a very approachable location for all racers. Until now, the ETS circus raced in Apeldoorn six times and all drivers are really looking forward for the seventh ETS race on this amazing track in the Netherlands.
Fast, flowing layout
When we look at the track, it is noticeable that it is a very natural one with grass all around and some nice-looking curbs. The Asphalt is super smooth and offers a great amount of traction which all drivers are highlighting when you ask them about the track. The driving direction in Apeldoorn is anti-clockwise.
The track also features some great spots for overtaking as the layout is fast and relatively open. Drivers can build up good pressure on the car in front of them as there are some corners which are easy to overshoot as the cars approach those corners with a lot of speed. Some of the corners at the AMCA Apeldoorn racetrack are slightly banked – always a fact making racing more enjoyable and interesting.
World class facility
The whole facility around the track is amazing as well. The AMCA Apeldoorn is caring about their ground with a lot of love to detail and perfection. There is nothing drivers can miss, as the location features a cafeteria, restrooms, a sheltered pit area, a huge driver stand and a well-organized technical inspection. A huge electronic board is installed trackside as well to show the positions of the drivers during the race.
Another highlight at the AMCA Apeldoorn is the tribune at the left end of the track where drivers and spectators can watch the races in a nice atmosphere. During the last races, the tribune was the place to be when it was time for the A-Mains as the view onto the track is just perfect to not miss anything on track!
Let`s go racing
We are looking forward to see you racing at this great track and we are sure that all of you will like the location when you will visit the AMCA Apeldoorn for the first time!
The third round of ETS Season #14 2021/22 is coming up this week when teams and racers will travel to the beautiful venue of the AMCA Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. This will be the seventh time for the ETS to race in Apeldoorn, at a very unique and outstanding track. When you want to learn more about the AMCA Apeldoorn, just read our Track Check which we publish here in the next days.
Scotty Ernst once again stopped by last minute restrictions
After we announced the return of Scotty Ernst last week, things have changed again one more time. With the Netherlands pointing out some stricter rules for US citizens when they enter the country, Scotty will not be able to fly over as he can not stay in quarantine for such a long time. The ETS crew had to adapt to this situation quickly, and luckily Phil Richter was able to get some time off from work to arrive in the Netherlands on Friday evening – thanks to him for jumping in the announcers role once again for ETS RD3!
200 Entries for ETS RD3
After the last 4 ETS races all took place in Germany (1 x Daun, 3 x Arena33), we are very happy to see 200 entries for the first race in a different country since a long time. This shows the huge interest for the ETS from drivers all around Europe. The ongoing support from all these drivers is vital for the future of the ETS and shows the importance of our racing series!
But now, let us take a closer look onto the different classes, the list of entries, and what to expect from drivers and teams at ETS RD3 Season #14 2021/22 in Apeldoorn, NED.
Matrix Modified
World Champs returning to the ETS
In the Matrix Modified class we will see the return of three IFMAR world champions to the ETS. Xray`s Bruno Coelho (reigning touring car world champion) and teammate Alexander Hagberg (former 1:12 scale world champion) can travel without crucial travel restrictions again. They will make the trip from Portugal to the third race of the season, which will be their first outing after they sadly had to cancel RD1 and RD2. With Marc Rheinard (Touring Car), Ronald Völker (Touring Car) and Robert Pietsch (1:8 Nitro) there are 3 other former World Champions in the mix making it a total of 5 IFMAR world champions in the Matrix Modified class. What an amazing turnout!
Can Mugen Seiki`s Völker stay on top of the game?
The last 4 ETS races saw the same winner – Ronald Völker. The German driver changed teams from Yokomo to Mugen Seiki in Oktober 2020 and continued winning races in a dominant and impressing way for his new main sponsor. He will be the man to beat in Apeldoorn and he will see strong support on and off track from his teammates Eric Dankel and Mugen designer Robert Pietsch. They looked strong at Arena33 where they both qualified for the A-Main 2 times in a row. The weekend in Apeldoorn will give a close-up on the form of Ronald and the growing Mugen Seiki Team on a different track.
Rheinard and Awesomatix aiming for victory
Awesomatix lead driver Marc Rheinard was very close to Völker (especially at the German nationals) and tried everything to collect his first win for his Awesomatix team after he switched to the Russian brand at the beginning of 2020. But in the end, he finished second on the podium behind Völker four times in a row at the ETS now. Not a bad result for sure, but we all know that the multiple world champion Rheinard still wants more! With Marc Rheinard`s teammate Lucas Urbain once again not being able to make the trip (job commitments), his other Awesomatix teammates Michele Manzo, Tim Wahl and Dominic Vogl will work together closeley with Marc at ETS RD3 to achieve the best possible result for the Awesomatix brand around their car designer Oleg Babich!
Xray loading their guns
With one of Völkers biggest rivals from the last years, Xray`s Bruno Coelho, being on the entry list for Apeldoorn, it will be very interesting to see if he can challenge Völker even harder as Awesomatix driver Marc Rheinard did in the last races. Coelho had to watch the last 2 races from home, and he told us about his return:
It’s great to be back in the game!! Unfortunately, due to the German Covid-19 rules I couldn’t fly to Germany to attend the first two rounds of ETS, so finally now I’m allowed to fly to the Netherlands. I’m looking forward to it and I am very excited to race again!
Bruno Coelho
Bruno Coelho will not be the only Xray driver trying to hunt down Völker. His Xray teammate Alexander Hagberg will also push hard after he had to pause for the same period of time as Bruno. Alex can be a contender for the win when everything goes in his direction, and he is always prepared in a perfect way. We also had a quick chat with him, and he said:
After regretfully missing out on the first two rounds of the ETS series this year, it feels great to finally be back at the 3rd round. I’ve got to say, that it was a bit painful to watch from home, seeing both my competitors and teammates race it out at Arena33. Not painful for the results (our team did really well), but the feeling of missing out. But now the focus is set on Apeldoorn, a really nice race track which I look forward to being back at! Both myself and Bruno are extremely motivated to get the best possible result there. I’m also looking forward to seeing all my friends and team mates again. I also very much look forward to the return of the legend Scotty Ernst, another person which I haven’t been able to see since the start of the pandemic.
Alexander Hagberg
Together with Coelho and Hagberg, Xray will line up in Apeldoorn with all their other top guns as Antoine Brunet, Oliver Havranek and Marco Kaufmann will be in attendance as well. They stepped into the role of the team leaders while Hagberg and Coelho had to stay at home, and they performed really well at Arena33. As Xray announced a completely new car platform some weeks ago, they will be the team to watch at RD3 in Apeldoorn.
Yokomo`s Krapp wants a podium
After finishing 4th for two times in a row at Arena33, Yokomo`s Christopher Krapp will try to grab a spot on the podium one more time in Apeldoorn. He had a great pace in all his last races, and he finished second overall at the last ETS race in Apeldoorn which was held in June 2019. He really seems to like the track in the Netherlands and together with his Yokomo team he will attack in full force. Krapp will arrive in Apeldoorn with his teammates Yannic Prümper and Loic Jasmin to get the best possible team result for the Japanese company. After his third place at Arena33, we can expect Yannic Prümper still on a high in Apeldoorn.
Xray ProStock
Xray – The dominant force in ProStock
With two wins on their score card, Xray is the team to beat in the ProStock class this season. Alexandre Duchet had two amazing races at Arena33 and is leading the championship, but also Jan Ratheisky and Lukas Ellerbrock are placed in the overall top 4 right now. With Xray unveiling their new X4 platform to the public pretty soon, the attention will be on the performance of the team drivers even more as everybody wants to know how the new car performs on track!
Awesomatix still in the hunt
At ETS RD2 in Andernach, Simon Lauter finished third on the podium and was the highest ranked driver for Awesomatix. A strong result for sure, but as we all know about the high ambitions of the Awesomatix team in the ProStock class, we can expect them to fight back with full force in the Netherlands. Their top stock drivers Mächler, Bultynck, Kunkler, Hofer and Kretschmer will all travel to the Netherlands and try everything to finally get a driver back on the highest step of the podium!
Best of the rest
As most of the cars in the ProStock A-Main are Xray and Awesomatix since a very long time, it is always interesting to find out who is “best of the rest” in the super strong Xray ProStock class. Enrico Jung showed great racing with two A-Main finishes for Yokomo, Tim Benson and Alex Kunkler made it into the A-Main (one time each) with the Mugen Seiki car and Nicolai Lindegaard qualified himself for the big show two times as well with his Schumacher ride. Let`s see who can mix up the Awesomatix and Xray dominated field of cars in Apeldoorn!
Hobbywing Frontwheel
Battle between Olsen and Schulz
In the Hobbywing Frontwheel class it looks like we will see a battle between Steven Olsen and Stefan Schulz for the overall championship title. Olsen is leading the championship by one point from Schulz and they looked to be the most consistent drivers during the first two races at Arena33. Behind them, Henrik Heitsch and Kevin Sparbier are ranked 3rd and 4th in the championship and with a TQ and a race win, they can hang out with Schulz and Olsen to fight for the title until the end of the season.
Stock 17.5
Who can break Bemmerl`s winning streak?
The 17.5 Stock class is searching for a driver to stop Thomas Bemmerl winning race after race. He is leading the Championship with a comfortable gap of 8 points right now in front of the still reigning champion Daniel Pöhlmann. Let`s see if guys like Maximilian Unterschütz, Roman Borschel, David Kuschnarew, Daniel Pöhlmann or anybody else can take the win away from top favorite Thomas Bemmerl in Apeldoorn. The track is wide and open and we expect some great racing from everybody in the 17.5 Stock class at ETS RD3.
Tonisport 40+ Masters
Morgen leading the championship
After a second place at RD1 and an impressive win at RD2, Caspar Morgen is the championship leader in the 40+ Masters class which is now presented by Tonisport. Because we saw a lot of position changes in the finals during the last two races, Caspar Morgen was able to built up a gap of 8 points between himself and his rivals. Mirco Thalheimer who is second overall (tied on points with Thomas Oehler) is not on the list of entries for Apeldoorn which will allow Thomas Oehler, Werner Schmitzer and 5th place ranked Ingo Braun to collect important points for the championship. With the field of drivers including a lot of other really fast guys making their first ETS appearance of the season, we maybe will see somebody else being on top of the podium on Sunday!
Scorpion Formula
Who can crash the Ratheisky and Ehrbar Show?
The Scorpion Formula class is in the hands of championship leader Jan Ratheisky and his second placed long-time rival David Ehrbar. They are racing each other since a long time now and they know each other very well. The respect they show each other on track is amazing and produced some great racing in the past. In the last two races, Ratheisky had that extra percent of pace on his side, and it was not easy for Ehrbar to challenge him seriously. Behind the leading duo we see Renè Kölbel and Herbert Weber in the Top 4 of the championship. They will try everything to get as close as possible to Ehrbar and Ratheisky in the Netherlands. With Dutch driver Jitse Miedema, we have another ETS race winner on the list of entries for RD3 and maybe Jitse can be a great challenger for Jan and David in front of his home crowd – we will find it out in Apeldoorn!
We are happy to welcome all of you for ETS RD3 Season #14 2021/22 in the Netherlands
