Last weekend, the Japanese nationals took place at the Greenpark Speedway in Hanno City (JP). After qualifying, Axon`s Akio Sobue was the man on pole position with Ryosuke Yamamoto and Jin Sawada lining up second and third with their Infinity cars. The triple A-Mains went to plan for Sobue who took the overall victory with a win in A1 and A3. A great weekend for the Axon driver winning his third Japanese championship title in the modified touring car class. Ryoskue Yamamoto and Souta Goto joined Sobue on the podium.
In our series of “Young Guns” Interview we are presenting you our young drivers attending the Euro Touring Series. This time, we talked to Tristan Bergheim from Kiel, Germany. We took some time to talk ask him about RC racing and his life beside the racetrack. Enjoy another ETS “Young Guns” Interview.
ETS – Hello Tristan, great that you took the time for us. How are you doing after a great and, for you, successful ETS outdoor season?
Tristan – Hi ETS Team! The season went well in my opinion. So far, I am satisfied with the results. Due to the case that I often arrived at the events on Saturday morning I was not able to achieve more.
ETS – You finished 10th in the Orca 17.5 Stock class at the last race in Luxembourg. You have been showing a clear upward trend all season, after you qualified for the A-fMain in all four races. What do you think about the season so far?
Tristan – That’s right. So far I’ve been able to qualify for the A-Main all the time, but often only at the last moment due to a bump up. I would like to improve that and qualify directly and on an even better position on the grid. Starting from 10th or 11th place, it is a long way to the front.
ETS – Now back in time a bit… When did you start with the RC hobby and who inspired you?
Tristan – In 2015, at the age of 11, I did my first drive with a Fighter Buggy at a local Tamiya dealer. I got totally hooked on the cars and driving them. For the first Fighter Cup I got my first own buggy. After that I raced regularly in the Fighter Cup and later switched to touring cars in the Tamiya Euro Cup.
ETS – Can you still remember your first remote-controlled car?
Tristan – Yes, of course, it was a Tamiya TT01 Race Truck. We got it for Christmas in 2014. A great car which I had a lot of fun with.
ETS – You live in northern Germany, in Handewitt near Flensburg to be precise. Are there racetracks and clubs near you, or do you always have to travel a long way to go to practice, for example?
Tristan – That’s really a problem, the local club has a very outdated 1:8 outdoor track. In the winter they set up a track in a gym every weekend. However, since joining the ETS I have been going further and further to train. Without regular training I won’t improve otherwise.
ETS – Do you practice often, or do you rather try to do as many races as possible?
Tristan – In between races I try to practice regularly and try out setup changes to the car. Lately I’ve been concentrating on the ETS and TOS races and one car.
ETS – You are almost always at the races with your father. Is he your mechanic and you “only” the driver, or do you also do the work yourself?
Tristan – Of course, my father has been very supportive of my hobby from the very beginning. So, he is my mechanic and I am the driver. However, I also like to work on the car myself to understand everything exactly and to improve. Of course, it’s great to have a mechanic at the races. That way I can collect myself between the races and refocus.
ETS – In the last two years you have competed in almost all ETS races. Which is your favourite racetrack so far, and why?
Tristan – The track in Apeldoorn is my favourite. The layout of the track is unique, the whole layout is just very nice and suits me very well.
ETS – Do you prefer asphalt or carpet?
Tristan – I like carpet more. The driving is more demanding, and the tracks are varied.
ETS – If we are informed correctly, you are currently driving an Awesomatix A800MMX touring car. What makes this your car of choice?
Tristan – I tried other current models and got the best results with the Awesomatix. The car suits my driving style. In the 17.5 class many other drivers are using this model, so it is easy to compare and test. The support from experienced Awesomatix drivers is also very good in my environment.
ETS – What makes you get up early at the weekend to race RC cars?
Tristan – The racing event is a lot of fun for me, the atmosphere with the other drivers is great. There are more and more like-minded people my age. That makes it easy to get up early 😊
ETS – What was more special for you: your first ETS A-Main participation, or your best result so far with 7th place at the first race of this season in Apeldoorn?
Tristan – A-Main is always good to race! The 7th place in Apeldoorn, achieved with arrival on Friday evening, without me having to drive in for a long time, was already a great experience.
ETS – What is your life like besides the RC hobby? Are you still a student or have you already started working?
Tristan – I’m in my second year of training as a commercial vehicle mechatronics technician specialising in bodywork technology at a defence company.
ETS – Your father sells sailing and motorboats in Flensburg. That sounds very interesting. Do you sometimes help there, too, or do you prefer to disappear into your hobby room wrenching on RC cars 😊?
Tristan – Sometimes I help a bit at the fairs or take boats to fairs with the employees. We do the wrenching on the RC stuff together afterwards.
ETS – Is RC car racing your only passion or do you have other hobbies?
Tristan – Besides RC car racing, I also like to ride my motorbike, in the summer of course my motorboat, and I go kickboxing and to the gym twice a week.
ETS – When you talk to your friends about your RC car hobby, how do you explain to them what exactly you do? What do your friends say about it?
Tristan – The RC car hobby is not a big topic with many of my friends because it is a bit exotic. However, they do notice the amount of time I spend on it at weekends.
ETS – Do you have any special goals for the rest of the season, or do you just look from race to race?
Tristan – Of course I want to improve constantly and be able to drive top 5. Anything above that would be unrealistic this season.
ETS – Tristan, thank you very much for this interview and your time. We are very happy to call you part of the ETS family. We wish you all the best and most of all good luck and success on the track!
Tristan – Thank you guys for the opportunity to be interviewed, I am happy to be part of the ETS family.
After announcing his departure from long term sponsor Xray some weeks ago, Germano onroad ace and ETS Pro Stock frontrunner Lukas Ellerbrock signs a deal with Awesomatix. The team around Max Mächler announced Ellerbrock`s move today on their social media channels.
Read the official Awesomatix statement:
“We are very proud to announce the addition of Lukas Ellerbrock to the Factory Team. Lukas is one of the frontrunners in the hard fought European Stock Racing scene. We are looking forward to seeing him at the Euro Touring Series events as well as some other of the well known events.”
Lukas about joining the team:
“I am very excited to join Team Awesomatix. It is a great opportunity for me to drive a car which has shown its potential at various races. Of course I already know a lot of the team members and I am happy to work with them together in the future.”
Some days after we opened the entries for ETS RD6 and EOS RD3 in Daun, we have already reached 530 entries combining both events. And as we see more and more entries coming in, we are very happy and proud of your interest and support of our famous double-header in Daun. It will be (once again) the biggest RC Event in Europe and that is just amazing!
It is a huge compliment for all of us working behind the scenes of the EOS and ETS series and we like to say THANK YOU in advance for signing up for Daun. We will celebrate two amazing events together with you and it is very special for us after the last two years full of complications concerning event organization.
If you like to sign up for the ETS race, just click here:
We are looking forward to welcome you in the Sporthotel Grafenwald in Daun at the last weekend of January 2023 (ETS race) and at the first weekend of February 2023 (EOS race). Without you, this would not be possible – we are family!
The asian RC manufacturer and ETS supporting company T-Work`s has added a new compact hard case bag for shorty lipo batteries to their range of goods. The bag picks up three shorty packs and features two different foam pieces to adjust the battery compartments to super flat or standard size shorty lipos. The dimensions of the hard case bag are 14x14x8cm and the look of the hard case is a perfect fit to the existing range of T-Works bags. T-Work`s Part Number: TT-075-N-SB Compact Hard Case Short Battery Bag ( S ) 3 Batteries
Ufo Head Titanium Screws with 20mm and 22mm length
T-Work`s is selling Ufo head titanium screws since a long time, and with a great success. On request of many drivers and modern RC cars, they have now added two more lengths to their range of titanium screws. The material is from a very high quality and the screws are looking amazing in every RC vehicle out there. The screws will arrive at shops in europe very soon! T-Work`s part number: TSS-320UF T-Work`s M3 x 20mm 64 Titanium Hex Socket Ufo Head Screw (5) TSS-322UF T-Work`s M3 x 22mm 64 Titanium Hex Socket Ufo Head Screw (5)
Another addition to the T-Works lineup of screws is a new set of high grade 64 titanium screws for Muchmore Motors. Using titanium screws on a brushless motor makes sense, as titanium is non magnetic and the screws are not affecting the efficiency of the magnets on the rotor. The T-Works screw set includes three long screws for the motor case and three short screws for the timing endbell. The screw set will improve the performance and efficiency of your Muchmore brushless motor. The screws will arrive at shops in europe very soon! T-Work`s part number: TP-145-M
Mon-Tech released a new 190mm body shell for 1:10 scale touring cars and FWD chassis. The name of the body is RS6 and it is a true station wagon. As always, the italian manufacturer Mon-Tech is using high quality polycarbonate material and the body shell includes a sticker sheet, window masks, and screws for wing mounting. If you like to add a fresh look to your car, make the RS6 from Mon-Tech your choice.
NOTE: The RS6 is not allowed at the ETS until the end of Season #15. But you can use this great body shell at every other race you are attending with your FWD or touring car!
Today we like to inform you that the registration for ETS RD6 of Season #15 2022/23 will open on Tuesday, 18.10.2022 at 20:00 MEZ. We are looking forward to welcome you in Daun for an amazing season final. The event will start on Thursday 26th, and will end on Sunday 29th of January.
The ETS is really happy to once again host a race at this nice place in the “Eifel” area, close to the world-famous Nürburgring racetrack. The Sporthotel Grafenwald hosted the ETS many times in the past and we all enjoyed the racing action and the feeling of living in an RC Car village in Daun with all the bungalows and houses on the ground of the hotel.
Early booking conditions at Sporthotel Grafenwald
As the end of January is still far away, we like to let you know about the hotel`s early booking conditions which are valid until the 29.11.2022. Attached you can find the prices for the rooms, holiday houses and apartments. Just make sure that you book yours early to benefit from the discount.
Registration for Daun will open on 18th of October
If you don`t want to miss the season final of ETS Season #15, just make sure to book your accomodation on time. The entries on MyRCM will be open from Tuesday, 18.10.2022 at 20:00 MEZ.
NOTE: Please don`t make any payment of your entry fee in 2022. You can pay the entry fee for ETS RD6 in Daun starting from January 1st, 2023.
We are already looking forward to our event in Daun and we are sure that it will be the absolute highlight to bring another amazing season of the Euro Touring Series to an end. See you there!
Chilly last outdoor weekend with hot action on the Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”
The outdoor season of the Euro Touring Series is in the books after four amazing events. But as the overall Season #15 2022/23 is not over (indoor races to come), we like to analyse the outdoor portion of our campaign in this recap article together with the results from Luxembourg. It was one of the colder outdoor events with temperatures between 4 degrees in the morning and 18 degrees in the afternoon, and luckily the rain was always circulating to different areas around the track, and we only saw some raindrops on Saturday morning. The LMCC Luxembourg was a perfect host for us, and we like to thank everybody who was involved in making this great weekend possible!
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Matrix Modified
Krapp and Rheinard tied on points with Prümper and Völker still in striking distance
The Matrix Modified is our premier class at the ETS and almost every world class driver was in attendance during the season. It was very special to see (and the first time in the history of the ETS), that four different drivers took the wins in the first four races of the series. With Yannic Prümper (Yokomo), Christopher Krapp (Yokomo), Marc Rheinard (Awesomatix), and Lucas Urbain (Awesomatix) taking one win each, the championship is as thrilling as never before. Ronald Völker (Mugen Seiki) hasn`t won a race yes but is also in the overall mix for the championship with a 2nd and two 3rd positions to his favour.
Actual top 5 in the Matrix Modified Championship (points/wins)
The team with the biggest improvement, two victories, and two drivers in the hunt for the overall championship
Especially for Yokomo and their BD11 car, the outdoor season was a huge success. Krapp and Prümper won the first two races of the season and both drivers scored multiple podium finishes with the latest touring car platform from the Japanese manufacturer. We are looking forward to seeing them racing on carpet with their car and they will try everything to win the first ETS title for Yokomo which is not coming from the hands of Ronald Völker. Krapp and Prümper are in a great form right now and after Krapp finished second at the 2022 IFMAR world championships in Gubbio, everybody is expecting even more from him and his team in the upcoming races now. Krapp is leading the championship (tied on points with Rheinard) and everything is prepared for a strong outcome of the season for the Yokomo team.
Championship chance for Yokomo: 75%
With Prümper (RD1 win) and Krapp (RD2 TQ and win), Yokomo has two horses in the race for the overall championship. Both drivers are normally performing stronger on Asphalt, but had good carpet results in the past as well. What will happen if they have to fight for the overall championship against each other? Nobody knows… But Yokomo is the hottest contender for the title in the Matrix Modified class going into the last two races of the campaign!
Awesomatix
Two victories for the team and Rheinard leading the championship ahead of carpet season
The Awesomatix team also saw two drivers taking race wins during RD3 and RD4. Marc Rheinard won the race in his hometown Andernach (Arena33), and Lucas Urbain achieved the same on his home track in Luxembourg (even if Lucas is living in France). After a first and second place in the last two races, Rheinard has brought himself back into the championship hunt after kind of a slow start into the season for the multiple IFMAR world champion.
Rheinard is a very good carpet racer and it wouldn`t surprise us to see him lift the overall championship trophy at the end of the season. It would be Rheinard`s second ETS title, after he only won it in the third season of the Euro Touring Series in 2009/10 – a very long time ago…! Now he is tied on points with Krapp (both 901), and Rheinard, as well as his teammates Urbain and Manzo will be well prepared for the start of the indoor season. They will fight for the highest possible finish of ETS Season #15.
Championship chance for Awesomatix: 60%
Rheinard is the hot iron for the title and he comes along with a lot of experience. His hunger for the ETS title must be very big after winning it for the last time in 2010 (!). In the last races he was clearly on an upward trend and has already one TQ and win to his favour (RD3). He performed very well at the last carpet races and Awesomatix has a serious shot for a very first ETS title in the Modified class.
Mugen Seiki
Wanted – Völker and Mugen Seiki aiming for first win of ETS Season #15
Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker is still the reigning champion of the Matrix Modified class. He won the title last season in a dominant way, and it was a perfect start for him and his current chassis sponsor Mugen Seiki. This season started good as well, with a TQ and 2nd overall in the Netherlands. After a third place at RD3 in Austria, Völker had his lowest finish with a fourth place in Germany before he stepped on the podium again with finishing third in Luxembourg.
Very constant top 4 results from Völker, just missing a win until now. But as Völker is one of the best carpet racers out there, he will be one to watch when the ETS will roll out the black carpet for the last two races of the season. Can Völker win his eight (!) ETS title in the Modified class? His team around the top drivers Robert Pietsch, Eric Dankel, and Remí Callens will be there to support the ETS record champion to the end of the season!
Championship chance for Mugen Seiki: 50%
Mugen Seiki`s Ronald Völker has not won a race this season, but he is still in the fight for the overall championship as he scored top 4 finishes in all four races of Season #15 so far. He was able to TQ at RD1, and only missed the podium once (RD3). As Völker is a real “master of carpet racing”, Mugen Seiki still has a chance to defend the title which Völker won in thelast season for the Japanese manufacturer. But they will need at minimum one TQ and win (better two wins) to make it happen. Let`s see what wil happen at the next race in Hann. Münden.
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Xray
Xray wins IFMAR Touring Car World Championship in Italy and no ETS race in 2022
The Xray team was not in attendance in the Matrix Modified class with their lead drivers Alexander Hagberg and Bruno Coelho this season. Bruno celebrated a very impressive win at the 2022 IFMAR worlds in Gubbio with the Xray X4, but at the ETS the car didn`t make it onto the podium without them. However, they had some other fast drivers on the line at some of the races, but nobody was doing the whole ETS campaing. Because of that, the championship title is not in reach for Xray this season and Bruno Coelho will remain the only driver winning this title for the Slovakian manufacturer.
Marco Kaufmann, Jan Ratheisky, and Olivier Havranek were flying the flag for Xray, and they had some strong single race results at tracks like Aigen-Schlägl, Andernach, and Luxembourg. Let`s see what the indoor season will bring for Xray. A lot of drivers in the pits are missing the competition with Hagberg and Coelho and would really like to have them racing at the ETS again.
Schumacher
When we are talking about Schumacher there is one name in our mind: Michal Orlowski. He was once again the only top drover with the current Schumacher MI8 touring car at the ETS and he delivered a good result at his only appearance at Arena33 in Andernach. Not sure if we will see him at the indoor races but we hope so!
Axon
Another small team which was attending one race of the season in Austria (Aigen-Schlägl). And what a great show it was from Akio Sobue and Jayato ishioka putting both Axon touring cars into the A-Main. We have heard that Axon plans to attend some ETS races next season and we are looking forward to welcome them again in our ETS family!
Awesomatix Pro Stock
Lauter and Mächler battling it out as overall title is safe for Awesomatix
The Awesomatix Pro Stock class has evaluated into a fight between the two Awesomatix drivers Max Mächler and Simon Lauter. Coming into the season, Max had a perfect start as he won the race in Apeldoorn in a dominant way. Simon Lauter fought back at RD2 in Aigen-Schlägl before it was Mächler again with a win at Arena33, a track that was not one of his favourites at this time. Simon Lauter was right back to the point with his second win of the season in Luxembourg what means that only two drivers have taken race wins in the Pro Stock class this season so far. The decision for the title will come down to the line between these two drivers on carpet now and it is impossible to pick a favourite as both are in a great form.
Championship chance for Awesomatix: 100%
But no matter what will happen at RD5 and RD6, the title will go to Awesomatix for sure as no driver from any other team is able to jump into the battle in the two remaining rounds of ETS racing. Awesomatix has established themselves as the dominant force in this class, especially after Xray driver Alexandre Duchet is not racing at the ETS anymore since last December. He (together with Jan Ratheisky and Lukas Ellerbrock) was the hardest contender of the “Awesomatix gang” in the last years. Ellerbrock has just announced his departure from Xray, and it will be all about Ratheisky to fight for at least one Xray race win in Hann. Münden or Daun.
Actual top 5 in the Awesomatix Pro Stock Championship (points/wins)
Schulz leads by one point from Olsen as ETS rolls out the black carpet
In the Hobbywing Frontwheel class, we will see another fight for the title between reigning champion Stefan Schulz (Xray), and his main challenger Steven Olsen (Awesomatix). Both drivers had been responsible for a very interesting last season in the FWD class and after Schulz missed the first race of the current season in Apeldoorn, he was back in the groove in the last three races of which he was able to TQ and win at least two. Olsen had a great start with winning the first race in the Netherlands while finishing third in Austria and second in Luxembourg. Both drivers had their lowest points score at Rd3 in Andernach where Schulz took P5 while Olsen only finished in P7.
Looking forward to carpet racing now, both drivers are running strong cars to get the job done. The Xray X4F and the Awesomatix A800FX Evo are great FWD cars and Schulz, and Olsen should have everything they need to do what is necessary for the championship. Maybe there is a little advantage for Schulz as he has the experience of already winning a title. On the other side, Steven Olsen is hunting the title for so long now and that should be more than enough motivation form him too.
Actual top 5 in the Hobbywing Frontwheel Championship (points/wins)
Only Stankowitz can deny second consecutive Masters title for Mateo
The ToniSport 40+ Masters class is in control of Toni Mateo (Awesomatix A800MMX). He took two race wins this season (Aigen and Luxembourg), and a second place at the season opener in Apeldoorn behind local hero Elibert Sievers. Toni Mateo is always looking strong, and he is a real racer on track and never giving up. Mateo showed great racing against his challengers Sievers, Thalheimer, and Manuel Stankowitz who is sitting second on the rankings now.
Stankowitz (Awesomatix A800MMX) is the only driver who has a serious chance to steal the title from Mateo in the last two races of the season, but he will need the best possible results to do so and at minimum one more race win. Let`s see who will be the champion of the ToniSport 40+ Masters class at the end of ETS Season #15 2022/23.
Actual top 5 in the ToniSport 40+ Masters class (points/wins)
Reile still 4 points ahead of Donath as indoor season kicks off
Dominik Reile is leading the championship after the outdoor portion of ETS Season #15 2022/23. Reile showed two very strong races at the beginning of the season where he was able to TQ and win in Apeldoorn and Aigen-Schlägl. The campaign looked like a walk in the park for Reile and we expected him to dominate. But everything changed at Arena33 in Andernach, where he somehow was not the best possible Dominik Reile with only finishing seventh overall. But as imperfect weekends are part of racing, Reile seemed to be back to business after he secured the pole position in Luxembourg. In the end he was not able to convert the pole into victory and dropped back to fourth place.
Jasmin Donath was the racer taking maximum advantage of Reile`s weak phase. She took her first ever ETS race win at Arena33 and finished third on the podium in every other race of the campaign – a very strong performance. Together with Reile, she has the chance to win the title as well, but it will need her to take two wins on carpet. Nothing is impossible in RC racing, and we are looking to a thrilling final of the season on the black ETS carpet. Kevin Schmid is sitting in third position after he also won his first ETS race this season in Luxembourg. Two race wins for Schmid can also bring him into the fight for the trophy.
Actual top 5 in the Orca 17.5 Stock Championship (points/wins)
Close battle to expect as Kölbel and Stiebler are tied on points with two races to go
In the Scorpion Formula class, Jan Ratheisky (Xray) took the win at the last two race in Andernach and Luxembourg. But as Ratheisky missed the first two races of the season he is not on top of the championship right now. Andreas Stiebler (Schumacher), René Kölbel (Xray), and Luka Jovicic (Libar Engineering) are on top right now and especially Kölbel and Stiebler will fight very hard to the end of the season to take the title of the Formula class.
As mentioned before, Ratheisky is only 15th now but that will change after the next race when he will have three results counting. He has the same chances (if not the best) to win the championship as he took maximum points away from his two races. Stiebler and Kölbel each having one win in the bag and the carpet portion of the season will be the decider for the overall championship in the Scorpion Formula class.
Actual top 5 in the Scorpion Formula Championship (points/wins)
Next stop for the ETS is RD5 at the Trans World Hotel Auefeld in Hann. Münden, GER
The ETS circus will meet again from 25. – 27. November 2022 at the Trans World Hotel Auefeld in Hann. Münden. We are counting more than 260 entries right now and we can not wait to get the carpet season rollin.
A good start for Marc Rheinard into the carpet season as the German took the win at the Mon-Tech New York GP at the 360v2 RC raceway in New York (New Rochelle). On the technical high bite carpet racetrack, he qualified second on the grid behind super-fast US driver Sam Isaacs (Awesomatix), and right in front of Canadian top racer Keven Hebert (Xray). In the single A-Main final, Marc was able to capitalize from a small mistake of Isaac after one minute to get into the lead. After that, Keven Hebert was on Rheinard`s tail for the next 4 minutes but Marc was able to stand his ground and taking the win at the fourth annual New York GP. Keven Hebert (2nd) and Sam Isaacs (3rd) completed the podium.
Marc posted on his social media:
What a race… unfortunately Sam hit the curb and I could get by with Keven right behind me. Keven was on my tail for almost all 5min, but I could stay in front and took the win! Now it’s time for a few days of sightseeing in New York before heading back to Germany!
Marc Rheinard (DE) Awesomatix/Orca
Max Mächler and Thomas Bemmerl also made the trip to the US and raced at the New York GP. Max Mächler finished third overall in the Stock class, and fifth in Super Stock. Thomas Bemmerl finished 7th in Super Stock. Both were running their Awesomatix A800MMX cars.
Max Mächler posted on his facebook page:
A great weekend comming to an end. Thanks everyone here at 360v2 RC, New Rochelle, NY for the perfect orga. Always great to be around here with you guys! Well done Michael Hanulec, Donny Lia and Mike Goiricelaya. Now it‘s time for a few days in NewYork – the city that never sleeps!
Max Mächler (DE) Awesomatix/Hobbywing
Pictures: Marc Rheinard (Facebook) and Max Mächler(Facebook)
