Will Awesomatix win their first Modified title in Season #18 and can they stay on top of Pro Stock?

Team Awesomatix is one of the most dominant forces at the ETS since many years. After winning the Pro Stock titles for several years in a row, they will be the team to beat in this class. In the Cayote Modified class, the team is still hunting a very first ETS championship title. Let`s hear what some of their team drivers had to say ahead of the new season!

Like always, I am looking forward for another season of the ETS. This year`s round one in Apeldoorn looks like a next level field of drivers as we are missing none of the world’s top drivers there. I aim for a podium position there and will use the days before the event to practice and test some things. The track in Apeldoorn is always nice to drive on and very good for racing – we all can expect a great show!
Marc Rheinard (GER)

Basically, it is explained quite simply: I am of course looking forward to the new season and I am excited to see what happens in Modified. The big topic will of course be the return of Bruno and Infinity and whether anyone can break Michal’s dominance. For me personally, Apeldoorn will most likely be a difficult race, just like last time. I think this is where I’m most behind in training compared to the rest of the field, so I need to find my rhythm there as quickly as possible so that I’m at least in a position for s spot in the A-Main.
Simon Lauter (GER)

I was among the few who attended the TOS in Apeldoorn during the first weekend of May, and it turned out to be valuable track time. I plan to go back once more for further testing and fine-tuning as Apeldoorn really is a great testing ground – and also probably my favourite track ever –  but already I feel confident that my package is heading in the right direction.
I am in the same frame of mind I was 2 years ago – just before the switch to the D36 Matrix – very much on top of things and with an answer for whatever the track conditions throw at me. Back then the change of tire was a bit of a reset for everyone and although a very much welcome change it took me a while to fully adjust to it and understand how to extract the most out of them.
We’ve recently released an update for our platform with the A800RR, nothing major, just some quality-of-life improvements but I am attending the race with super fresh equipment which is always a good morale boost. ORCA has been very active to provide me with a few valuable updates since the last ETS visit in Apeldoorn – new motor and firmware – and lots of progress have been made on that front.
Needless to say, I have a lot of trust in my package and with the level of competition this year, which is as high as I can remember, it will definitely be put to the test. My objective is to be in the fight for the win, and I’d be disappointed if I’m not in contention at some point during the event.
Lucas Urbain (FR)

Apeldoorn will be like always a blast! It’s one of the best tracks in the world which makes racing fun and intense. I suspect we will see close battles across all classes. During the TOS and the practice there, we saw very small margins between the drivers. The new Hobbywing Electronics worked awesome during the first outing and should level everything pretty well!
Max Mächler (GER)

I’m very excited for Apeldoorn, as it’s always a pleasure to drive in that beautiful track. It might not be the trickiest one, but it’s a great challenge to really nail the 5 minutes. It’s also great to have a record attendance for an outdoor ETS, so as usual the competition will be very strong with a lot of guys having a chance to win. Personally I feel ready for the fight, as I won there last year and had some great races in the last months. I am really looking forward to race outdoors again. We are going to debut our new A800RR at this race and I’m already looking forward to run the new car which got some improvements in various areas to extract even more performance.
Lukas Ellerbrock (GER)

I am really looking forward to the season opener in Apeldoorn. With a fully booked event the competition will be as always on world class level. The  races will be intense and I hope for the best possible result for the team and myself!
Eric Dankel (GER)

Really looking forward to starting the season at the awesome Apeldoorn track. New challenges with the new Hobbywing combo and the new Awesomatix A800RR. Also looks like it’s gonna be a super high-level field to battle with for the win. The Team is working hard behind the scenes and testing some things! We are going to be ready as a Team like always!
Olivier Bultynck (BEL)

Super happy and excited to be back! The last outdoor ETS I Raced myself was Apeldoorn in 2021, so it felt like the right moment to step back on the ETS driverstand. Overall I‘m a Huge fan of Apeldoorn. Fast Layout, Banked corners and high traction is just an awesome combiantion for Modified Racing! Additionallly to this I expect a super high Level of Racing, since we will see the strongest ETS Field since many many years.
Even I did Not Race this Track since over 4 years I super confident to get back into the mix. With the A800RR we will bring our newest horse to Apeldoorn. We could already see the potential of the A800R Platform last season. Together with the Team we developed an incredible base, from which I can benefit now as well. Beside the car, it will be the first time with my new Hobbywing power Package. Within the RC world it’s Not that unusual to change Sponsors over the years, but After more then 13 years with ORCA as one of my main Sponsors it Feels like a whole new chapter. Had some days of practice within the last weeks, which made me confident since I felt pretty good for First lap on. Beside my own view and maybe more important to me was the fact that I will join the Same Overall Package Like Simon.
Car wise we were able to Combine our force, Knowledge and Tracktime within the last years, which for sure gave us a tangible advantage. By using the Same powerpackage we want to extent this advantage.
So Overall i Really Looking forward to Next weekend, even it will be super busy since I will Contiue to do my „new role“ as a mechanic/support as well.
Tim Wahl (GER)

Can Schumacher`s Michal Orlowski defend his ETS title for a second time in a row to win a third consecutive championship?

The last season was a confirmation of Schumacher`s very successful work with the team around Michal Orlowski, Andy Murray, Mattia Collina, and everybody else who was involved in a very dominant season where Orlowski won ALL five races from pole pisition. We asked some of the Schumacher drivers ahead of the season opener in Apeldoorn about their feelings and their preperation for the new campaing!

I am overly excited to start another season of ETS and Apeldoorn is the perfect place for that. We have been working extremely hard with the whole team to bring the best package possible to Netherlands, as the field will be as strong as ever. The ETS overall championship will be just like a World championship, but in a proper format of multiple events at different locations, not just a single event.
Michal Orlowski (PL)

Our Schumacher team and I are as excited as ever to get going at the new ETS season with our Mi9, Icon2 Worlds and new for this season the FT9 Fwd chassis. After some extremely close competition in the previous few rounds particularly, I expect it to be highly competitive but probably even more exciting and enjoyable than ever. I hope our Schumacher team can raise up the ranks in the very competitive stock touring classes this season. We will certainly try our best.
Andy Murray (GB)

The last time I raced in Apeldoorn was two years ago, at the beginning of the MI9 project. It wasn’t a great race for me, with quite a few mistakes on my part, so the challenge this year is to do better. It’s always exciting to compete in such a high-level championship, and this season is even more motivating thanks to the presence of new teams and platforms raising the level of competition. As Team Schumacher, our clear goal is to put Michal in the best position to fight for his third consecutive ETS title.
Mattia Collina (IT)

Mugen Seiki aims for championship contention with new MTC-3 touring car platform!

Mugen Seiki saw a clear upwards trend at the end of last season when their new MTC-3 won two Pro Stock races and found his way back onto the modified podium. The team will hit Apeldoorn in (almost) full force and everybody is excited to see how they have used the break to prepare for the new season. While customers are still waiting for their MTC-3 car kits, the MTC-3 is showing that the wait should be worth it!

First of all, I would like to say that it is absolutely great to see so many participants at the ETS. The last few races have been well attended and that seems to be continuing now outdoors. It’s just fantastic to see the ETS going so well and I’m sure this will boost the whole RC scene.
I’m also very pleased that the MTC-3 kits will be arriving in Europe in the next few weeks. I know the car has come a long way, but I’m sure customers will be happy with it. It is still a big challenge for Mugen Seiki to keep up with the super-fast moving 1/10th scale electric market, which is completely different from the nitro racing scene that has been Mugen Seiki’s core competence in the past.
At the end of last season, our top stock driver Sören Sparbier achieved great results when he simply drove amazingly well. I hope he can keep this momentum going in 2025. Due to a family commitment, we won’t have him with us in Apeldoorn, but he will be back on track with us in Aigen. Sören’s results have already shown that our car is not only good in the Modified class and we hope that we can convince many stock drivers to buy the MTC-3.
Last but not least, I hope that we will have a great season with our top driver Ronald Völker. He has a good feeling with the MTC-3 and we will do our best to fight for victories at the sharp end of the competition!
Robert Pietsch (GER)

We have had great testing lately prior to the first ETS race of the new season in Apeldoorn. This track is one of my alltime favourites and so much fun to drive on. The event will see an incredible competition and with the high amount of entries its gonna be unforgettable!
Ronald Völker (GER)

I think next ETS in Apeldoorn will be one of the most exciting ETS race in history as the field of drivers and their level is extremely high. I expect very close racing to get in the top 10 and I’m sure that a mistake, even the smallest one, will cost a lot for anyone! I’m super motivated, same as the whole Mugen Seiki team, as the brand-new car MTC3 is showing great speed each time she hits the ground. Let’s see what will happen in Apeldoorn.
Remi Callens (FR)

Due to a very important family appointment I will sadly miss the season opener in Apeldoorn, However, I am sure that the team will do extremeley well there as our new MTC-3 is unbelievable. I will try to do all the remaining four races of the season and I hope to still have a shot to battle with the other Pro Stock top drivers for the title. It will not be easy but I think I am in a real good form now and will give my very best for a top result. I wish everybody a lot of fun and great races in Apeldoorn – I will watch the show from home!
Sören Sparbier (GER)

What I expect from the season opener in Apeldoorn is an overall amazing experience for myself and my family. It will be my first race in Europe which makes it special right from the start of the trip. I strongly feel this race will be a major test as a driver since the field of drivers would be at the absolute best. I feel like our team will be strong at ETS and we will gather immense information from our new Mugen MTC-3 platform. I’m super pumped to work, learn and spend time with Ronald and Robert again. Also, can’t wait to see my friends and meet new ones as well.
Jacob Cruz (USA)

I’m really looking forward to the new season starting in Apeldoorn. can’t wait to see my new teammates and friends again. unbelievable number of starters that are currently named. top riders from all over the world, mega to be able to compete with the best. I’m expecting a close race top 10 would be a mega result when you read who’s on the list! I’m very lucky to be part of team Mugen. I’ve only been here for a short time, but I’ve been welcomed warmly and with joy. there’s a good harmony in our team, and the team spirit and helpfulness are incredibly strong! We have a very strong basis with our new MTC3, thanks to Robert Pietsch, and have certainly not yet realised our full potential, but you can see that we are very strong! (see Sören and Völker).
Patrick Gollner (AT)

The ETS race in Apeldoorn will be my first time on asphalt, so it will be a new challenge for sure. My goal will of course be the A-Main but as I have no experience yet, it will be a weekend to learn and I will do my best. I have never been in Apeldoorn there before but all I have seen on pictures and videos looks super nice. The last ETS in Wiener Neustadt was the first time I raced modified and the weekend was a lot of fun, I got to know a lot of people and I am still very grateful that Ronald and Robert supported me so much. Let`s bring the heat!
Berkan Kilic (TR)

“A force awakens” as Infinity sends a team full of champions to compete in Apeldoorn

Infinity is back at the ETS with a ultra-competitive looking driver lineup. Nobody has officially seen their new car until now, but due to Bruno Coelho finishing second at the TITC in Bangkok, we can expect them to be right on the money with their package in Apeldoorn.

Beside Coelho, we will see guys like multiple IFMAR world champion Naoto Matsukura (1:12, TC, and Nitro TC), 2006 TC world champion Andy Moore, former Reedy Race winner Viktor Wilck, and 2012 world champion Jilles Groskamp competing in the modified class.

There is no other team out their able to present so many champions and we are happy to say: WELCOME BACK Inf1nity!

Since I have changed to Infinity, a huge part of my work has changed compared to before as I am more involved in developing parts, testing, doing reports, and working more behind the scenes instead of “only” being a driver. We have worked super hard with the whole team in the last months to develop our new car and it is super exciting to see how much work it is until a new car is fully ready. I enjoy it a lot. The TITC was amazing for us as our car was able to fight for the win even being in it`s early prototype stages without us having a big knowledge about it. For Apeldoorn I am looking forward to the competition and to fight with all the top drivers for the best possible result at the ETS. Our car is almost ready to hit the market, and we like to show it`s potential on track. I can`t wait to hit the track in Apeldoorn.
Bruno Coelho (PT)

I’m very excited to join the ETS and in general coming back to the electric races. I have been absent for too long time and with the new platform I’m very excited and confident I can do well . Of course the competition has been very super strong like never before. and therefor I’m excited to compete against the very best in electric touring car racing again. Guys like Bruno, Michal and Marc are at the top now and it will be difficult to beat them but my goal is to stay close to them and make it first back to the a-main. I’m very happy Infinity has a new touring car and with the input of Bruno and Francesco we are improving by the day. It’s great having them on board and I can learn a lot from them . The new platform is a pleasure to drive and with many improvements to come I can’t wait to hit the track every week to test new things again. It’s now less then a month to the ETS and I’m in full preparation mode to be fully prepared for the ETS
Jilles Groskamp (NLD)

I’m joining ETS for the first time in a while. And since we will be participating with a new car, we would like to compete at the top and promote it. I’m looking forward to participating in such a great race and meeting you all. See you soon!
Naoto Matsukura (JP)

I’m very much looking forward to participating in the ETS event in Apeldoorn. As we develop the new touring car from INF1NITY it’s a great place to showcase the performance and develop the car further. I expect the field of drivers to be as high as ever in a long time as I understand many drivers return to ETS for this event. I been to Apeldoorn track before and I know it can be challenging on many aspects, so I just try to prepare as much as possible back home to be ready for the event. I think we have good team attending and I hope for a good result in the event!
Viktor Wilck (SE)

I’m really looking forward to my first ETS race in quite some time — in fact, it’ll be my first race in Europe since before Covid! It’s exciting to join the Infinity team in showcasing our new platform at an ETS event, and I hope my experience can help us deliver a strong team performance.
Andy Moore (UK)

Pictures: RedRC, TITC, Bruno Coelho (all Facebook)

Yokomo and Axon will be present at the season opener of ETS Season #18 with some of their top drivers. Both teams are relativeley small now which does not mean they are not working super-gard for success. We quickly talked to Christopher Krapp (Yokomo) and Akio Sobue (Axon) to find out what they think about ETS Season #18.

As I will celebrate my wedding on the exact same weekend as the ETS in Apeldoorn, I have “the best reason” to not be there racing with you guys. We will fly to honeymoon straight afterwards with the whole family and it will be the best time of our live. However, I will also have the feeling of missing a race on one of my absoulte favourite race tracks. I will follow the action on RC Racing TV for sure 🙂
When looking onto last season, it was not the best campaign for sure. Even if I still finished P8 overall, it was not what we as a team had hoped for. We also lost some of our top drivers at the end of last year but we still have some fast guys racing for us such as FWD vice-champion Frederik Hovgaard, and young talent Olav Dahle. They both will represent Yokomo in Apeldoorn. The whole team is in a development process now and Yokomo is working hard to develop further updates for our current platform.
I am very happy that Yokomo is still a proud sponsor of the ETS and when I look onto the series in which I raced from the very early days it is great to see how positive everything is looking now with these crazy numbers of entries. The whole ETS crew is doind an amazing job and we at Yokomo are all very thankful to have this amazing stage to race on. See you soon at ETS Rd2 in Aigen!
Christopher Krapp (GER) Team Yokomo

I am really happy to come back to the amazing facilities of Apeldoorn . Last years race was fantastic when had some great battles on track during the finals. This year it will be even more difficult as almost every top touring car racer from around the world has signed up for the race – it will be epic! I will use the new TC10/4 car which is almost ready for production. We used the first prototypes already during the TITC but we made some changes and updates to further improve the car for Apeldoorn. Not sure when it will be ready for the public but we are on a very good way. I am looking forward to hit the track soon and will give my all to achieve a good result for all my sponsors – see you there!
Akio Sobue (JP) Team Axon

Team Xray will not only travel to the Netherlands to collect their trophy for winning last years constructors championship, they will also throw everythign into the ring to fight for top results in all racing classes for the new season. It will be interesting to see how the team will be kind of re-structured after the Coelho departure and it will be all about Hagberg, Ronnefalk, Izsay, and Ratheisky to fly the Xray flag in Apeldoorn. Great to see their full factory team competing at ETS RD1.

On the behalf of the entire XRAY team, I can honestly say that we are really excited to return to the great Apeldoorn facilities again for the ETS! This track and club is always well worth visiting, and as always, the level of competition will be sky high! We will be putting in the maximum amount of effort to do well at this event, but most importantly, to be present to support and help our customers who are also travelling to Apeldoorn to race.
We will be using our latest spec. X4’25 platform in the TC classes, our X1’25 in the F1 class, and our X4F’25 in the popular FWD class! With strong team drivers from all over Europe racing for us, we are expecting to be competitive in each category! See you in Apeldoorn!
Alexander Hagberg (SE)

Picture: RedRC

ETS Apeldoorn is around the corner and it will be a first time for me attending any of the outdoor rounds of the ETS series. It feels like the series is now more competitive than ever before and it will be a fun experience with great racing! Of course I lack track time on these tracks compared to my competitors but I will try to make the very best out of it like always.
A few days of practice the week before will definitely be important for me to get into the grips of the track and condition. Together with the team we will practice for a few days before the event and working together with Martin, Alex, Adam is always great. I’ll try to learn as quickly as possible to be fighting towards the top which is always the goal of course.
Really looling forward to start the new season and Apeldoorn is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go as everyone only have good things to say about the facility!
David Ronnefalk (SE)

I am very happy to drive again at the ETS in Apeldoorn after I had to skip the entire last season. Because of school vacation days I can also bring my Kids to drive 21.5 and F1 so it will be a lot of work for me .Normally I never have any expectations as every race is different by itself. Now, with that big number of drivers it will be a hard return for sure.
But with the return of Team Xray it should be a great challange for us. Frikandel, Burgers, and Coffee will do the rest of the driver setup. Biggest problem will be to get up to race pace quickly as we can’t go to the TOS or any outdoor race before. Anyway. We are happy to come back and this is what counts! See you there!
Jan Ratheisky (GER)

I’m looking forward to the start of the new ETS season in Apeldoorn. With almost every top driver on the entry list the competition will be for sure super high especially in modified I think it’s the best field in many years. I will be driving modified for the first time outdoor at the ETS, but as soon as the weather is getting better we will start testing for it together with Alex, David and Jan.
Adam Izsay (HU)