The first round of qualifying here in Germany is in the books. It was a sunny Friday at Arena33 and the forecasted rain luckily didn`t show up – a huge thank you goes out to the weather god😊. It was just the first out of four qualifiers, but it is always very important for racers to have a good start into an event. In qualifying, it gets more serious and intense after a lot of practice sessions where only three laps are counting. Here is what happened in the first round at ETS RD3 Season #15 2022/23 at Arena33 in Andernach!
Matrix Modified
Team Yokomo takes close Q1 with Prümper winning the heat ahead of teammate Krapp
Yokomo of Yannic Prümper
In the first round of Matrix Modified qualifying, we saw Team Yokomo on top for the first time this weekend. The race was very close between the top 4 cars on track, and in the end, it was Yannic Prümper who took the win ahead of Yokomo teammate Christopher Krapp, Lucas Urbain (Awesomatix), and Marc Rheinard (Awesomatix), all separated by only 0.573 of a second – what a thriller! Behind the top 4, it was Schumacher`s Michal Orlowski posting the fifth fastest time with Ronald Völker finishing sixth in the first round of Matrix Modified qualifying.
Asked about his TQ run, Yannic Prümper told us:
It was a great start into qualifying for me, and for Christopher (Krapp). Our cars are working good here on track, even if we are not the fastest in the opening laps of the heat. It seems that our setup is dealing well with the tires and because of that we have a good pace at the end of the run where some others seem to “drop” a little bit more then we do. Let`s see what happens tomorrow, we are ready to fight for another win!
Mächler back on top as he takes Q1 from Kunkler and Ratheisky
Awesomatix of Max Mächler
The first qualifier in the Awesomatix Pro Stock class was taken by Awesomatix driver Max Mächler, who drove the fastest lap of the race with his Awesomatix A800MMX too. But the race was wide open until the very last laps as Alex Kunkler (Awesomatix) and Jan Ratheisky (Xray) had been in striking distance to Mächler for the win. In the end, Mächler had a gap of 0.584 seconds as he crossed the line. Behind Mächler, Kunkler, and Ratheisky, Olivier Bultynck and Sören Sparbier completed the top 5. Can somebody challenge Mächler on Saturday? We will know when Simon Lauter will be back in the game. The reigning champion saved a set of tires and was not on the line in Q1.
The Hobbywing Frontwheel class saw Freddy Südhoff (Awesomatix) taking the win in heat number one of qualifying. Südhoff had a close fight with Stefan Schulz (Xray) and Sören Sparbier (Serpent) and took the overnight TQ by three tenths of a second from his contenders. Nicolas Delisé and Roman Borschel completed the top 5 on Friday evening. Three more qualifiers will follow on Saturday and we are excited who will be our TQ for the triple A-Mains at Arena33 in Andernach.
Fernandez resisted the pressure from Donath and takes very close first round of qualifying
Awesomatix of Alvaro Fernandez
Travelled to the ETS in Andernach all the way from Gran Canaria (Spain), Alvaro Fernandez showed that he is a strong driver as he took the first round of qualifying ahead of the (again) very strong driving Jasmin Donath. Jasmin Donath was on fire and finished only 0.012 seconds behind Alvaro Rodriguez – good points for Jasmin in Q1. Behind Fernandez and Donath, Joshua Winkler, Roman Borschel, and Dominik Reile completed the top 5 in the opening round of qualifying at Arena33.
The reigning ToniSport 40+ Masters champion Toni Mateo (Awesomatix) was right there in the opening round of Master`s qualifying. He had a strong run and took the win right in front of Mirco Thalheimer (Xray) and Patrick Beck (Mugen Seiki). Manuel Stankowitz and Werner Schmitzer completed the top 5, and we can look forward to some close fights for the top positions in this hard-fought class at the ETS. The tire game will start now, as the drivers only have 2 sets of race tires available for 4 rounds of qualifying and three A-Mains (same as in Orca 17.5 Stock). The second round of qualifying will also take part later this evening, but at RD2 is split, we will let you know what happened in our Q2 report on Saturday.
Ratheisky takes opening round of qualifying ahead of Stiebler and Weber
Jan Ratheisky (DE), Xray
The first round of Scorpion Formula qualifying saw Jan Ratheisky (Xray) on top of the board. He took the first round from Andreas Stiebler (Schumacher) by 0,5 seconds, with Herbert Weber crossing the line in third position some 3,8 seconds behind. René Kölbel and Gergö Valent completed the top 5 in the first round of Scorpion Formula qualifying at ETS RD3 in Andernach. Ratheisky is the top favourite for pole position now, but Andreas Stiebler showed that he can win ETS races at the last race in Aigen-Schlägl and maybe he can find something to put some additional pressure on Ratheisky!
On our website you will not miss anything as you can find our livestream options in the “LIVE” section. To get quickly to the results of all classes simply navigate to the “RESULTS” area on our landing page.
After two rounds of controlled practice at Arena33, qualifying is up next! We have seen all drivers pushing hard for three fast consecutive laps and now it is time to check what everybody will do over 5 minutes on track. Today we will see one complete round of qualifying for everybody, before the second round is split overnight to get completed on Saturday morning.
Matrix Modified
Urbain is top seed at ETS Germany
The seeding practice in the Matrix Modified class saw Lucas Urbain on top of the rankings with his Awesomatix A800MMX. He was fast during all prectice sessions and will head into qualifying from P1, right ahead of his Awesomatix teammate Marc Rheinard in second, and the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp in third place. Yannic Prümper (Yokomo) and Ronald Völker (Mugen Seiki) completed the top 5 right before the start of qualifying at Arena33 in Andernach, GER. The Matrix Modified class will be on fire and we are excited about the outcome at the end of Q4 on Saturday.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Lucas Urbain (FR) 54.902 (Awesomatix/Orca) 2. Marc Rheinard (DE) 55.004 (Awesomatix/Orca) 3. Christopher Krapp (DE) 55.296 (Yokomo/Racing Performer) 4. Yannic Prümper (DE) 55.370 (Yokomo/Racing Performer) 5. Ronald Völker (DE) 55.405 (Mugen Seiki/LRP)
My pace over three laps was good in all practice sessions. As we drove five-minute runs for the first time in seeding practice, my focus was more on the pace over the whole runtime. With this in mind, I was a little surprised to also post the fastest three consecutive laps now, but it feels great and I am very optimistic for qualifying. I will keep my head down and try to stay ahead of the field on track!
Lucas Urbain (FR), Awesomatix/Orca
Lucas Urbain (FR), Awesomatix/Orca
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Awesomatix ProStock
Ratheisky back on pace at ETS return
Jan Ratheisky (DE), Xray
The Awesomatix Pro Stock class saw Jan Ratheisky on top of the board at the end of seeding practice. The Xray driver was able to improve his three fastest consecutive laps in the last round of practice and is the top seed for qualifying now. Alex Kunkler (Awesomatix A800MMX), Enrico Jung (Yokomo), Simon Lauter (Awesomatix A800MMX), and Sören Sparbier completed the top five in which we saw cars from 4 (!) different manufacturers. Something we haven`t seen in a while in the Awesomatix Pro Stock class at the ETS.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
Sören Sparbier (Serpent) is leading the competition in the Hobbywing Frontwheel class ahead of his older brother Kevin Sparbier (Mugen Seiki). Only separated by 0.036 seconds, they will start first and second off the line for the upcoming first round of qualifying. It will be interesting to see how the brothers will deal with each other during the heat 😊. Right behind “the Sparbiers”, Roman Borschel (Awesomatix) had a great last seeding round putting himself into third place ahead of “fabulous” Fredy Südhoff (Awesomatix) and reigning ETS FWD champion Stefan Schulz (Xray). The FWD cars are looking nice as always on the track and the fight for the A-Main positions is expected to be intense and very close.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Sören Sparbier (DE) 1:09.544 (Serpent) 2. Kevin Sparbier (DE) 1:09.580 (Mugen Seiki) 3. Roman Borschel (DE) 1:09.911 (Awesomatix) 4. Freddy Südhoff (DE)1:09.929 (Awesomatix) 5. Stefan Schulz (DE) 1:09.985 (Xray)
After laying down some impressive runs in yesterday`s sessions of free practice, Alvaro Fernandez didn`t stop to dominate the Orca 17.5 Stock class. He was the fastest in the two rounds of controlled practice ahead of Daniel Pöhlmann who seems to be his hardest contender right now. Dominik Ruf was also doing well after missing out yesterday`s practice and is sitting in third place, right in front of reigning champion Dominik Reile and Joshua Winkler. It is hard to point out and kind of forecast for qualifying as we never know what will happen. But at the moment, Alvaro Fernandez seems to be very hard to beat for the rest of the top drivers in the Orca 17.5 Stock class.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
In the ToniSport 40+ Masters class, Mirco Thalheimer (Xray) was the fastest driver with his Xray in the two rounds of timed seeding practice on Friday. He outpaced second placed Manuel Stankowitz by 0.198 seconds and will start first into qualifying. Flavio Paladin (Xray) improved his pace from yesterday`s free practice and posted the third fastest time in the first seeding practice run. Toni Mateo (Awesomatix) and Patrick Beck (Mugen Seiki), who finished first and second in hotter temperatures in the last round of seeding, are rounding up the top 5 in the ToniSport Masters class. With four rounds of qualifying ahead of us, we expect some very close battles for the A-Main spots as a lot of drivers are running on a very similar pace.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
After not racing at the ETS for several months due to work and family commitments, Jan Ratheisky is back and topped finally topped the board at the end of seeding practice here in Andernach. Now, he will start first into qualifying and will fight for the overall TQ with second placed Andreas Stiebler (Schumacher) and René Kölbel (Xray) who is sitting in third position. Herbert Weber and Mark Valent completed the top 5 right before the start of qualifying.
The Top 5 after controlled practice (3 consecutive laps)
1. Jan Ratheisky (DE) 1:04.578 (Xray) 2. Andreas Stiebler (AT) 1:04.671 (Schumacher) 3. René Kölbel (AT) 1:04.850 (Xray) 4. Herbert Weber (AT) 1:05.357 (Xray) 5. Mark Valent (HU) 1:05.850 (Xray)
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 our ETS livestream as well as our 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 in the Andernach together with us – no matter where you are!
Awesomatix factory driver Lucas Urbain (FR) is rocking the actual version of the A800MMX here at Arena33. He looked very fast and comfortable on track during practice and will be in good shape to fight for a good result this weekend. His A800MMX is equipped with a set of Awesomatix aluminum screws, the single oiece Awesomatix topdeck and the horizontal body posts. It also features a carbon fiber bumper plate, brass battery mounts and brass motor mount weights. Under the ECS and Receiver you can find self-made brass weights for the perfect balance in the car. Lucas is using a Twister body shell (0,5mm version) from Xtreme on his A800MMX and the body shell is equipped with Manzo46 clip on body stiffeners to prevent the body shell from flapping around at high speeds!
Hanno van den Boogaard and Patrick Beck showing you the whole facility around Arena33 with a 3D camera. You can change the perspective with your mouse, with your device, or your finger on your touchscreen to see Arena33 in a different way. This was the first try with the new equipment and we will work on further improving the sound for the next time!
Take a short ride around the track with the ETS camera car. The car (Tamiya TT) needs a small service for the upcoming race as it was “slightly” off balance from left to right 🙂 But hey, the ETS is all about fun and the camera car will be back on track in Luxembourg at ETS RD4 again after a small service in the pits!
Now, enjoy the video with the camera at ETS RD3 Season #15 2022/23:
On Thursday, we saw six rounds of free practice for everybody at Arena33. Luckily, the forecasted rain was not hitting the track and we saw all rounds of free practice in dry conditions. The sun was covered by clouds most of the time and allowed the drivers to run very fast lap times on the asphalt of Arena33. Find out what happened during our day of free practice at ETS RD3 Season #15 2022/23 in Andernach!
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Matrix Modified
Strong first day in Andernach for Awesomatix as Rheinard tops free practice
The Awesomatix team had a very good start into the event with Marc Rheinard and Lucas Urbain topping the time sheets of the Matrix Modified class on Thursday evening. The Awesomatix duo was separated by only 0.161 seconds and both cars looked slightly better than others over the three fastest consecutive laps. Yokomo`s championship leader Christopher Krapp finished third for the day ahead of Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker and Yokomo`s Yannic Prümper who completed the top 5 at the first day of ETS RD3 in Andernach.
Marc Rheinard told us after the six rounds of free practice:
We tried many things and my lap times had been good all day. In the last heat I drove my fastest times, but the pace was not perfect over the whole runtime. I will discuss that with my team, and we will see if there is something we can do to get that sorted out. But overall, the pace was there and everything is set to go tomorrow.
Marc Rheinard, Awesomatix/Orca
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Marc Rheinard (DE) 53.739 (Awesomatix/Orca) 2. Lucas Urbain (FR) 53.900 (Awesomatix/Orca) 3. Christopher Krapp (DE) 54.125 (Yokomo/Racing Performer) 4. Ronald Völker (DE) 54.183 (Mugen Seiki/LRP) 5. Yannic Prümper (DE) 54.332 (Yokomo/Dash)
Awesomatix Team Manager Max Mächler on top of the board
In the Awesomatix Pro Stock class, Max Mächler had a very strong day of practice. He posted the three fastest consecutive laps on track and is leading the field after the first day at ETS RD3. His team driver Alex Kunkler was second fastest with his Awesomatix A800MMX in front of Yokomo driver Enrico Jung, Xray`s Jan Ratheisky, and Awesomatix driver and new European Champion Olivier Bultynck (Awesomatix). The field of drivers is very close and qualifying will be a very intense story when we start with RD1 on Friday afternoon.
We had a quick chat with Max Mächler after day one in Andernach:
Even if the Arena33 is not one of my favourite tracks, the first day was just amazing for me. Unexpected, my pace was not that bad, and my car felt good on track from the very first minute. I will keep it as it is and will do some standard maintenance work on it this evening. But no matter how good the car was, my focus will be on better driving tomorrow as there was still some room for improvement from my side 😊
Max Mächler, Awesomatix/Sunpadow
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Max Mächler (DE) 57.121 (Awesomatix/Sunpadow) 2. Alex Kunkler (FR) 57.311 (Awesomatix/Ruddog) 3. Enrico Jung (DE) 57.399 (Yokomo/GensAce) 4. Jan Ratheisky (DE) 57.400 (Xray/Nosram) 5. Olivier Bultynck (BE) 57.598 (Awesomatix/LRP)
Serpent racer Sören Sparbier was fastest in free practice of the Hobbywing Frontwheel class here on Thursday at ETS RD3. He had a very quick last practice session and posted the fastest three consecutive laps ahead of the Awesomatix duo of Freddy Südhoff and Steven Olsen. Reigning champion Stefan Schulz (Xray) and Kevin Sparbier (Mugen Seiki) completed the top 5 on Thursday evening.
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Sören Sparbier (DK) 1:09.311 (Serpent) 2. Freddy Südhoff (DE)1:09.730 (Awesomatix) 3. Steven Olsen (NL) 1:09.821 (Awesomatix) 4. Stefan Schulz (DE) 1:09.913 (Xray) 5. Kevin Sparbier (DE) 1:10.173 (Mugen Seiki)
Alvaro Fernandez from Gran Canaria tops Thursday practice
In the Orca 17.5 Stock class, it was Alvaro Fernandez posting the fastest laps of the day with his Awesomatix A800MMX. He was right on pace from the beginning at his first ever visit to Arena33 in Andernach and is one to watch for tomorrow`s start of seeding practice and qualifying at ETS RD3. Joshua Winkler, who made his first ETS A-Main in Austria some weeks ago, showed his driving skills and finished second for the day in front of Daniel Pöhlmann, Jasmin Donath, and championship leader Dominik Reile. We can expect a close fight for the top positions on the grid in qualifying, as we have even more fast drivers in the hunt tomorrow. Driving errors are very expensive on the Arena33 track, and tomorrow it will be all about laying down some clean 5-minute runs than just nailing three fast laps in a row.
Alvaro Fernandez talked to our media team on Thursday evening:
Today was just incredible for me. The track layout is very similar to the track we have on Gran Canaria. But the traction was so much higher. I like the technical layout of the track and after some setup changes my car felt good. There is still some room to improve it and we will try some small things on the setup tomorrow. For the qualifying, I think the most important thing will be to deliver some clean runs without any mistakes on track!
Alvaro Fernandez, Awesomatix
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
Fastest in the Masters`s class on Thursday – Manuel Stankowitz
The ToniSport 40+ Masters class saw an Awesomatix 1-2-3 with Manuel Stankowitz leading Torsten Baggendorf and Werner Schmitzer after day one. Stankowitz had an impressive run in the fourth practice heat and posted three very good hot laps which earned him the overnight top spot here in Andernach. ToniSport`s Patrick Beck was the fastest “non Awesomatix driver” on Thursday as he was turning fourth quickest practice laps with his Mugen Seiki MTC2 coming from the second fastest group. Mirco Thalheimer (Xray) completed the top 5 after free practice at Arena33 in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class. As in every class, consistency will be the key to success in qualifying on Friday and Saturday. Let`s find out who will be the best over 5 minutes to claim the very important pole position.
We talked to Manuel Stankowitz and asked him about his first day here at Arena33:
I am happy with my day as my car worked great. I am using the new Protoform P63 body shell which made my car more stable and easier to drive on the Arena33 track. But I think that consistency will be the most important thing when we head into qualifying tomorrow. I will keep my car as it is right now and hope for the best possible result this weekend!
Manuel Stankowitz, Awesomatix
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
Austria race winner Andreas Stiebler showed that he is still in good shape after winning the last ETS race in his home country Austria. He had a solid day of practice and finished Thursday practice in first place with his Schumacher car. However, his fellow countryman René Kölbel was just 0.271 seconds behind him to take second for the day. Xray driver Jan Ratheisky posted the third fastest time in front of Gergö Valent from Hungary and Herbert Weber who is from Austria as well. The Formula drivers need to drive very careful on the technical track with their cars and it is not an easy job to wheel those cars around the curbs perfectly. Especially when the wind is picking up, the cars are very sensitive and even more hard to drive. We are looking forward to the upcoming four rounds of qualifying to find out who will deal with these conditions in the best possible way.
Andreas Stiebler told us after free practice:
It is not easy to drive here at Arena33 with our Formula cars, especially when the wind is picking up the cars are somethimes hard to control. The setup from my last practice run felt great and I hope to be competitive with it tomorrow. I will try to avoid the curbs and make no mistakes as these are hurting a lot here!
Andreas Stiebler, Schumacher
The Top 5 after Thursday practice (over 3 consecutive laps)
1. Andreas Stiebler (AT) 1:04.414 (Schumacher) 2. René Kölbel (AT) 1:04.685 (Xray) 3. Jan Ratheisky (DE) 1:05.211 (Xray) 4. Gergö Valent (HU) 1:05.506 (Xray) 5. Herbert Weber (AT) 1:05.613 (Xray)
Tomorrow will be another very important day for all drivers as we will have one more rounds of free practice followed by two rounds of timed seeding practice. Last on Friday afternoon will be the first round of qualifying, a gritty moment when everyone must put their cards on the table for the first time. Stay tuned and follow us during the whole weekend. Check out the LIVE section on our website. There you will find our livestreaming options from ETS RD3 Season #15 2022/23 at Arena33l!
The third race of the current ETS season is leading us to the famous Arena33 in Andernach, GER. Most ETS racers already know the facilities from our ETS events in the past and the whole ETS crew is happy about the huge turnout in the middle of the German summer holidays. The track will be in a good shape as a lot of club racers and others used the days before the event for practice. The German nationals also took place at Arena33 two weeks ago, and now it is time for some serious ETS action on the smooth and beautiful track.
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Track walk video at Arena33
Since the 2022/23 Season, we are doing some track walk videos at the day prior to the event. This time, our media team takes you through the facility on the ground of the DJK Andernach and talks about the track and it`s specials – enjoy the video!
Technical layout and smooth surface
Asked about the characteristics of the track, most drivers say that they like the mixed layout. Especially the technical infield together with the long sweeper leading onto the main straight. The infield of Arena33 challenges drivers with a tight chicane and some rhythm breaking hairpins followed by some more wide and open corners where it is not easy to hit every apex perfectly. The track is good to drive for the hobbyists and professional drivers, but it is not easy to go fast at Arena33.
Overtaking – difficult but possible
Overtaking is, what every racer wants to do if he is not starting from pole position. When we look at the Arena33 track, it first looks like a track where it is not easy to overtake. But there are some spots on the track where drivers can attack the car in front of them with a good chance for a clean pass.
End of the main straight: When close enough there is a chance to overtake hard on braking before the left turn.
Entry of chicane: The same here, as drivers can try a pass at the inside (or outside) going into the chicane.
Hairpin after passing the Driver Stand: Risky to try it there, but an inside move seems possible.
Section after the long right turn: Here we have two options. Directly in the very slow corner after the long right turn, or in the following left turn before accelerating out into the long sweeper onto main straight.
The infield sections in between the track are covered with green Astro turf to make the track look like a natural racetrack, especially when looking on it all the way down from the huge driver’s rostrum. Overall, the improvements at Arena33 are huge and the track is not comparable with the old one anymore.
As the track has no bumps because of an almost new asphalt (new surface in 2020), it feels cosy to drive and provides a different feedback compared to other, more natural asphalt tracks. The drivers need a good rhythm to be fast on the Arena33 racetrack, that `s for sure. “Slow is fast” seems to be one of the key facts when driving on this track as it easily leads drivers to push and overshoot some corners. Losing time will be the result and it is extremely hard to get lost time back from the track.
May the weather god be an RC racer
After we had almost no rain and super-hot temperatures in the last weeks in central Europe, the weather radar is now showing some bigger fields of rain which can possibly arrive in Andernach on Thursday. Mother nature will be happy about the rain – the racing community not so much. Let`s hope for the best possible outcome for our weekend of racing in Andernach.
Let`s go racing
Now, everything is set to go, and we are looking forward to see all of you racing at Arena33. Enjoy the weekend of racing at the Euro Touring Series and have a great time with your friends, teammates, and our ETS family.
The fourth round of the actual ETS Season #15 2022/23 will take us to the amazing track of the LMCC Luxembourg from 22nd to 25th of September 2022. The racetrack in Luxembourg is one of the most spectacular tracks all around the world and should be on the “bucket list” of every 1:10 scale electric onroad racer. It doesn`t matter if you are a frequent ETS racer or not – this race in Luxembourg is a MUST GO for you!
The registration for ETS RD4 in Luxembourg will be open from on Tuesday, 16.08.2022 at 20:00 MESZ:
Here some of the most important facts about the track and ETS RD4 in Luxembourg including a race video from the 2015/16 season, where the ETS had it`s last outing at this amazing facility:
Event Date: 22.09. – 25.09.2022 Location: Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg” Track: Asphalt with 310m length Driving direction: Anti-clockwise Pit area: Covered pit area and additional tents Catering: LMCC kitchen will be open to provide snacks and drinks Entries: On MyRCM from Tuesday, 16.08.2022 at 20:00 MEZ
The third ETS race of Season #15 2022/2023 will take us back to a well-known place called Arena33 in Andernach, GER. A circuit where the Euro Touring Series raced a lot in the last 2 years with the reason for that being the Covid-19 pandemic all around Europe. Now we return to Arena33 in regular conditions, and we are really looking forward to hitting the track. In our Preview report we already talked about the upcoming race and what to expect from the teams and top drivers. But there is even more to watch during the upcoming weekend. Learn about our “5 things to watch” during ETS RD3 in Andernach, GER.
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1) Hoffmann`s Ice Cream
Whenever Hoffmann`s Ice wagon arrives at Arena33, there is a big group of racers walking there immediately. The ice cream tastes amazing and the staff is always smiling and in a very good mood. The Hoffmann family owns several ice mobiles, which are showing up wherever something great is happening in and around Andernach. Racers, if you haven`t tried Hoffmann`s ice cream until now, don`t miss the chance to try some scoops of ice cream during ETS RD3 at Arena33 in Andernach. We expect the ice wagon to be trackside frequently 🙂
Hoffmann`s Ice Wagon
2) Yokomo`s winning streak
Yokomo is a strong force in RC since “ever”, and they have won all possible titles in the world of electric RC car racing in the last 30 years. They had been very successful at the Euro Touring Series as well, winning many races and multiple championships in the past. Since the departure of their former ace Ronald Völker, they had to wait a little bit before they could add even more victories to the company’s profile. But all changed with the start of ETS Season #15 2022/23, when Yokomo released their current BD11 touring car. The team travelled to Apeldoorn in the Netherlands with only a few impressions from testing and practice. They had no really good idea for which positions they would been able to compete. The rest is history as Yannic Prümper won the race from second on the grid ahead of TQ Ronald Völker (Mugen Seiki), and his Yokomo teammate Christopher Krapp. At the second race of the season in Austria, it was Krapp who took an impressive win from pole position with the BD11 showing the potential of the car again. While Apeldoorn and Aigen-Schlägl have been two very fast, natural, power demanding, and open tracks, we are now looking forward to the performance of Yokomo`s top drivers at the flat, smooth, and technical Arena33 in Andernach. Watch out for Yokomo at ETS RD3 in Germany!
Team Yokomo in Apeldoorn
3) Rheinard vs. Völker
If we would have to point out two top favourites in the Matrix Modified class, we would write down the names of Marc Rheinard and Ronald Völker. They know each other for more than 20 years now and they had amazing battles on different tracks all around the world until today. Ronald was the man to beat at Arena33 where he won the last three ETS races in a row (one for Yokomo, two for Mugen Seiki). Nobody was able to create enough pressure on the record champion of the Euro Touring Series, while Marc Rheinard finished third and second with his Awesomatix A800MMX last season. At the German nationals last weekend, things looked slightly different. Marc Rheinard sealed the very important TQ spot and took the win in A1 and A2 to walk away with the national title in the Modified class. It was a race with different tire additive, but with the same tires (Matrix) as we are using at the ETS and Ronald finished second for Mugen Seiki with Yokomo`s Krapp in third place. It seems that Marc found some extra pace on his home track again and we can expect a real “battle of champions” at ETS RD3 in Andernach, Germany. But as we said many times before: There are more than enough world class drivers on the line and they all want to split the duo of Völker and Rheinard, or win the race by themselves – it is game on in the Matrix Modified class.
Ronald Völker and Marc Rheinard
4) Ratheisky family on the line
Jan Ratheisky is one of the most famous ETS racers. He is very well known for his outstanding results in the Formula and Pro Stock classes since he started to race at the Euro Touring Series in 2012. Since then, Jan won seven (!) titles in Formula, and three in the Pro Stock class – nobody has won more titles at the worlds most important electric onroad racing series. What an amazing achievement.
Ratheisky Family
This upcoming weekend we will see Jan racing again, but we will see his whole family competing on track too. It will be the first time for his wife, his daughter Emely, and his son Marlon at the ETS, and we wish them a lot of fun and enjoyment on the track. Svantje, Emely, and Marlon Ratheisky will compete in the Hobbywing Frontwheel class and we are very happy to have them in Andernach with us. Jan`s father, Kai Asmer, will race in the Scorpion Formula class making it a perfect family trip for the whole family. Three generations loving the same hobby – that is what makes RC so special for all of us!
Jan Ratheisky and his father Kai Asmer
5) Fabulous Freddy on a “one race return”
Another spectacular name on the list of entries is Freddy Südhoff – better known as the „fabolous Freddy in the green machine“ (words of Scotty Ernst). He will race for the first time since his retirement from RC racing 2 years ago. During his very succesful carreer (4th place at the IFMAR worlds 2018) he was running MOdified touring car most oft he time. But for his „one race comeback“ he has choosen to compete in the Hobbywing FWD class „just for fun“ with a loan FWD car as he is not a sponsored driver anymore. Nevertheless, everbody will watch Freddy Südhoff wheeling it at Arena33 and a lot of people will be very happy to see him in the paddock again. Let`s see how Freddy Südhoff will compete in an unknown class at the ETS without any practice.
“Fabolous” Freddy Südhoff
Watch the show
For everybody who will watch us from the distance – we are sorry that you will not be with us in Andernach. But you can enjoy all the racing action from home in our well-known ETS livestreams. You will find them in the LIVE section of our website during the event!
Now it is time for all racers to get the final preparations done on their cars and equipment. Wednesday will be “travel day” for most drivers, and we will all see us at Arena33 for the third round of ETS Season #15 2022/23 – see you there!
We are close to half time of ETS Season #15 2022/23 with RD3 taking place at Arena33 in Andernach, GER next weekend. Today we like to take a look on the upcoming race and the situation in the championships of our six ETS racing classes. As always, this predictions are only written from the perspective of our media team and we got surprised from time to time with a completely different outcome 😊.
The track at Arena33 is ready for all ETS racers and the crew from the local club DJK Andernach will do their very best to make it another great race in the fifteenth season of the Euro Touring Series. The turnout looks great with 190+ drivers having registered for the race so far!
Yokomo`s Prümper and Krapp shining at RD1 and RD2 – can they also fight for the win at Arena33?
Yokomo of Christopher Krapp
We have seen an incredible (and unexpected) strong performance from the Yokomo team at the first two races of the season. Yannic Prümper`s win at the season opener in the Netherlands was a superb result, and a perfect debut for the new BD11 touring car. And just as some people thought about this being a “one hit wonder” only, it was Prümper`s teammate Christopher Krapp who took the win at RD2 in Austria in a very impressive way. Things like that don`t happen by accident and the BD11 seems to be a very strong car.
Yannic Prümper & Christopher Krapp, Yokomo
Two wins out of two races, championship lead (Krapp), and four races to go – what else can Yokomo ask for right now! They are in a very good position to fight for the overall title until the end of the season. At last weekend`s German nationals at Arena33, Christopher Krapp was very fast and finished third on the podium behind Rheinard and Völker – two drivers which will challenge the Yokomo team as hard as possible at ETS RD3. Danish Yokomo driver Frederik Hovgaard will also make the trip to Germany to race in the Matrix Modified class with his BD11 alongside Yannic Prümper and Christopher Krapp.
Rheinard and Awesomatix optimistic after taking German nationals at same venue
Awesomatix of Marc Rheinard
After a bit of a “slow” start into the season for Awesomatix top driver Marc Rheinard, we can expect him to be in the mix for the win at ETS RD3 in his hometown Andernach. Last weekend, Marc was able to win the German with his Orca powered Awesomatix A800MMX in front of Ronald Völker (Mugen Seiki) and Christopher Krapp (Yokomo). He will do everything he can to (finally) win a race at the Euro Touring Series for Awesomatix. In the overall championship, Rheinard is sitting in third position right now. His gap to leader Christopher Krapp is at 7 points, and if Rheinard will have a chance to fight for the overall championship until the end of the season, he should at least TQ and win the upcoming event on his home soil.
Tim Wahl, Awesomatix
German ace Rheinard will see his French teammate Lucas Urbain and Michele Manzo from Switzerland competing in the Modified class as well, while setup expert and ace mechanic Tim Wahl will also be in Andernach to support the whole Awesomatix team – a combination which sounds very promising for Awesomatix and their A800MMX touring car. Will they come along with the “big trophy” after the race – let`s fins out at ETS RD3 in Andernach.
Mugen Seiki`s Völker aiming for a fourth consecutive Arena33 ETS race win
Mugen Seiki of Ronald Völker
Ronald Völker is sitting second in the overall championship rankings after finishing on P2 in the first two races of the season (while also scoring a TQ point in Apeldoorn). Völker, who still is the record champion of the ETS with 7 (!) titles in the Modified class, is always aiming for race wins and he will try to fight for the win at RD3 in Andernach with his LRP powered Mugen Seiki MTC2. The track of Arena33 looks to suit Völker`s driving style a lot, as he was able to win the last three ETS races in Andernach. Especially when switching teams from Yokomo to Mugen Seiki, Ronald showed some impressive performances at Arena 33. Two consecutive race wins at the start of last season helped him to win the overall title for Mugen Seiki in his first ETS campaign for the Japanese brand. Last weekend, Völker finished second on the podium at the German nationals behind Marc Rheinard (Awesomatix) and in front of championship leader Christopher Krapp who finished third.
Robert Pietsch, Mugen Seiki
Mugen Seiki designer Robert Pietsch will be on the side of Ronald Völker and Eric Dankel, and Rémi Callens at ETS RD3 in Andernach to help them getting the maximum performance out of their MTC2 cars. This time, Robert will not race himself, as he will focus on the best possible preparation for Ronald and the team for the IFMAR world championships which will take part in Gubbio (Italy) in September. Robert will come to Andernach after laying down an incredible performance at the 1:8 scale Nitro Onroad Euros in Spain. He finished second on the podium, just 2 seconds away from winning another european championship title in the class he raced the most during his career. Congratulations for the great result Robert!
Team Xray lining up with Kaufmann, Havranek, and Ratheisky
Xray of Marco Kaufmann
At the last race in Aigen-Schlägl (Austria), we saw Marco Kaufmann and Oliver Havranek doing very well with their Xray cars finishing 6th and 7th in the A-Main. Both have made their entries for RD3 again, and they will welcome their teammate and long-time Xray racer Jan Ratheisky who also signed up in the modified class beside racing F1, ProStock, and caring about his whole family (all are racing) as well. Jan`s presence and race craft will be a huge asset to the Xray team in Andernach. Patrick Gollner and Adam Izsay are in competition also, and we are excited how many X4 cars we will see lining up in the A-Main of the Matrix Modified class at the end of qualifying.
Schumacher sending Orlowski and Mi8 on another mission
Schumacher of Michal Orlowski
Schumacher Racing`s offroad star and excellent onroad racer Michal Orlowski will travel to Andernach after not being at the ETS since RD5 of the last season in Daun (February 2022). There, he was making the A-Main with the freshly released Schumacher Mi8 car, and now it is time to check the car`s performance on the flat and smooth surface of Arena33 in Andernach. Orlowski, who is the reigning European champion in 1:12 scale, is always good for a top result at the ETS and will see the full support of his father and Schumacher car designer Andy Murray during the whole weekend. Can Michal Orlowski accomplish another onroad mission with his Hobbywing powered Mi8?
Awesomatix Pro Stock
Lauter, Mächler, Kunkler & Co out for another dominant weekend?
Awesomatix of Max Mächler
The Awesomatix Pro Stock class was in the hands of the Awesomatix team during the last races. Max Mächler and Simon Lauter are leading the championship right now – separated by 1 point only. Olivier Bultynck, Alex Kunkler, Tim Benson, and Frederik Mikkelsen are completing the top 6 now for Awesomatix before we see the first “non Awesomatix driver” Lukas Ellerbrock (Xray) in seventh position of the ranking list. With Lauter and Mächler being in a great form so far, we also should also keep an eye on Alex Kunkler during ETS RD3 in Andernach. At last weekend`s German nationals “Kunki” showed a great pace and was able to create enormous pressure on race winner Simon Lauter. The list of fast Awesomatix drivers for ETS RD3 is very long, and we are very sure to see many of their A800MMX cars lining up on the grid in the A-Main.
Xray with “a new hope” as Ratheisky placed Pro Stock entry
Xray of Jan Ratheisky
When we are looking at the Awesomatix Pro Stock class, we can only see a few names that have proven themselves to fight against the forces of Awesomatix in the last two seasons. One of these names is Jan Ratheisky. The Xray driver is on the list for the race (his first ETS appearance of the season), and the three times Pro Stock champion is a driver which you can never ignore when it comes down to the top spots on the podium. He will fight for a top result with his Xray teammates Lukas Ellerbrock, David Ehrbar, and Adam Izsay, and it wouldn`t be a huge surprise to see Ratheisky in contention for the win at ETS Rd3 in Andernach. Let`s see what he can do and which kind of “fresh wind” he brings along for Xray at the ETS.
Yokomo, Mugen Seiki, Serpent & Co
Enrico Jung, who was fighting in the Awesomatix Pro Stock class for Yokomo on is own in the last races, will see Frederik Hovgaard racing alongside him in Andernach this time. It is never a disadvantage to share setups with teammates in the same racing class, and it will be exciting to see how Yokomo`s new BD11 will perform at Arena33. For Enrico Jung, the track in Andernach seems to be a good place as he qualified for the A-Main here at the first 2 races of the last season.
Frederik Hovgaard, Yokomo
The Mugen Seiki Team will see Kevin Sparbier, Nicolas Delisé, Maximilian Unterschütz, and Patrick Miekautsch wheeling the MTC2 aiming for some good results. Kevin Sparbier looked very fast at the last races from time to time during practice, but he never had the perfect qualifying runs to make it into the A-Main with his Mugen Seiki car.
Kevin Sparbier, Mugen Seiki
Sören Sparbier will be the “partner in crime” for Serpent once again. He had two very strong races with the new Medius X20-23 car this season. At RD1 in Apeldoorn, Sören qualified for the A-Main and just missed to repeat that again in Aigen-Schlägl with some bad luck while leading the B-Main.
Sören Sparbier, Serpent
Hobbywing Frontwheel
Schulz aiming for another victory to get into the fight for the title again
Reigning ETS Hobbywing Frontwheel champion Stefan Schulz (Xray) celebrated a dominant win at the last race in Austria. Steven Olsen finished third overall and is still leading the championship after two races. With Schulz not attending RD1 in the Netherlands, he is further down in the ranking list right now. But with another strong result at the upcoming race in Andernach, he can bring himself back into the fight for the overall championship.
Xray of Stefan Schulz
Schulz is looking very strong in the FWD class since a long time, but he will see a very strong field of drivers competing in Andernach. Beside championship leader Steven Olsen (Awesomatix A800MMX), we see many well-known FWD drivers on the list of entries. Guys like Sören Sparbier (Serpent) the Mugen gang around Kevin Sparbier, Nicolas Delisé and Max Weffers, and a huge group of Awesomatix A800FX Evo drivers around Freddy Südhoff will try to hunt Schulz and Olsen down.
Freddy Südhoff
Freddy Südhoff – yes you have read correctly! The former world class touring car driver, who retired from RC racing 2 years ago, will return to the ETS for a “one race comeback”. He will use a loaner Awesomatix car, and it will be interesting to see what he can do against all the strong FWD drivers around him In the end, all eyes will be on Steven Olsen who will try everything to score a good number of points to stay on top of the rankings at half time of ETS Season #15 2022/23 in the Hobbywing Frontwheel class.
Stock 17.5
Strong competition for Reile at Arena33 in Andernach
Awesomatix of Dominik Reile
Dominik Reile is on the sunny side of life right now. He captured two pole positions and overall wins at the races of the current season in the Orca 17.5 Stock class and is leading the championship with a comfortable gap of 8 points. We expect him to be in contention for another win in Andernach, but this time we see even more strong competitors on the list of entries Thomas Stenger can be one of those strong contenders. He is a very experienced touring car racer and was a German champion in 1:12 scale stock racing some years ago. Beside Stenger, Alvaro Fernandez from Gran Canaria can be another potential driver for a top 3 finish. He is one of the fastest Stock racers from Spain and will travel to Germany together with reigning 40+ Masters champion Toni Mateo. The well-known A-Main drivers Pöhlmann, Ruf, Donath, Koos, Schmid, Storm, Siebert, and Bergheim will also push hard to challenge Reile.
Daniel Pöhlmann, Awesomatix
Daniel Pöhlmann won the German nationals ahead of the strong driving youngsters Niclas Storm and Tristan Bergheim last weekend at Arena33, and they will try to repeat that “podium feeling” at the upcoming ETS race again. Another fact to highlight is, that Nele Knodel and Elena Fuchs will race alongside this season`s double podium finisher Jasmin Donath to strengthen the “girl power” in the Orca 17.5 Stock class.
ToniSport 40+ Masters
Toni Mateo with big chance to extend championship lead
Toni Mateo, Awesomatix
When we are looking onto the ToniSport 40+ Masters class, it is Toni Mateo from Gran Canaria leading the standings with his Awesomatix A800MMX ahead of Italian racer Flavio Paladin (Xray) and German Mugen Seiki driver Thomas Oehler. Toni Mateo seems to be able to score top 3 results in the 40+ Masters class constantly, and he is our top favourite for winning a second ETS title in a row. But anything can happen in racing – especially in the highly competitive 40+ Masters class where we have seen many different race winners and podium finishers during last season.
ToniSport 40+ Masters class
The list of entries is fully packed with a lot of quality, and we are happy to see Caspar Morgen, Nathan Parker, Joachim Altenhof and Frank Fuchs back on the line again after a short break. With Mateo, Paladin, Oehler, Stankowitz, Thalheimer, Schmitzer, Baggendorf, and Arts, the top 8 of the championship have made their entry for Arena33, while RD1 winner Elibert Sievers and Michael Uhlir not being able to attend the German ETS this season. ETS race reporter Patrick Beck will give his debut in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class beside writing all the race reports during the weekend. His friends from the Mugen team will care about his car and he will “only” drive it in his first ever 17.5 Stock class race. Everything is set for some great battles in this great ETS racing class at Arena33.
Scorpion Formula
Multiple champion Ratheisky returns to ETS Formula class
Jan Ratheisky, Xray
Jan Ratheisky (Xray) returns to ETS Formula racing in Andernach. Jan is a strong force (if not the strongest) in radio controlled F1 racing and has won everything possible in this class. He also took two race wins at Arena33 last season and will feel like in his “living room” when he will put down is Xray on track. But in Ratheisky`s abscense, other drivers have stepped up their game and became ETS race winners. René Kölbel (Xray) and Andreas Stiebler (Schumacher) are both running in a very strong form now and Ratheisky will need to show his best driving to fight with them for the win. Let`s see who will be the fastest Formula driver at ETS RD3 Season #15 2022/23 in Andernach, Germany.
Xray of René Kölbel
We are happy to welcome all of you for ETS RD3 Season #15 202/23 in Germany. You can follow us here on our website (ets.racing) and on the euroRCseries YouTube channel as well. Live Streaming will be available starting from Friday. As always, we will share our reports on Facebook too. Let`s go racing!
