Race reports 2020
Race report Final Round 4 SK-West & Race Car Series
October 3rd to October 4th, 2020
The 2020 final was originally planned to take place on one of the most beautiful tracks in Europe. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 virus once again thwarted our plans, and we had to relocate our final to the MCC Rhein Ahr. But Luxembourg is only postponed, not canceled. We'll definitely be back in 2021. Promise!
The MCC Rhein Ahr eV stepped in at short notice, and the team made a truly memorable finale possible. Thank you so much! You're the best, with the best food I know! Now, let's talk about the race weekend. The weather forecast was rather mixed, including the temperatures. Despite the somewhat gloomy forecast, 55 drivers still turned up for the final. Due to COVID-19, we had to tighten the restrictions a bit. A few days prior, infection rates had spiked dramatically. But enough of that, let's focus on the event itself. Many arrived as early as Friday morning. Friday was completely dry, allowing for plenty of practice. The first benchmarks were set there. Saturday was characterized by rain. But even on that day, the time was used to find a rain setup. The forecast for Sunday predicted rain in the morning, with dry conditions expected around midday. So, everyone who wanted to advance to the finals had to experience the wet conditions at least once. The first heat on Saturday was therefore on a damp track. Some drivers took advantage of this to at least set a lap time. Despite everything, we had three great days and evenings with a fantastic atmosphere in the paddock and lots of fun talking about petrol.
The "Truck Grand Prix" class was actually quite well represented that weekend, with six drivers registered. However, due to the aforementioned virus, three drivers had to cancel at short notice, leaving only three drivers at the starting line. This is a real shame for this unique class. The three remaining drivers, however, didn't let it dampen their spirits. After the three preliminary heats, the following order emerged:
Tobias Gagesch secured pole position with his truck, ahead of championship leader Thomas Dammer and local favorite Romano Wagner. This determined the starting grid for the final. As mentioned, all the finals were thankfully run in dry conditions. At the start, Tobias immediately tried to pull away, setting one fast lap after another. Thomas struggled to keep up. Romano, meanwhile, waited for an opportunity to capitalize on this. Unfortunately, Tobias suffered a technical failure on lap 56 and had to retire from the final. This cleared the way for Thomas Dammer, who then drove home to victory, followed by Romano Wagner in second place.
Let's move on to the next class, which unfortunately wasn't as well-attended as we had all hoped. The virus certainly played a role here as well. Three drivers battled for the top spot on the podium this weekend. After the heats, which were all held in the wet, our Guy proved to be a true little rain god. He managed to finish ahead of Günter and Derin.
The dry final was Günter's domain once again. I think he had also completed by far the most laps at Bad Breisig in recent years, unlike the others. Despite a tire blowout and the resulting unplanned pit stop, he managed to win the final with a remarkable eight-lap lead.
The second highlight of the weekend was definitely our Formula 1 drivers. Thirteen F1 cars were on the starting grid. This meant that qualifying for the final was required this time. Everyone had to go through the semi-finals, and for three, this meant an early exit. Thus, the preliminary heats had regained their true significance. Securing a good starting position in the semi-finals was crucial. This evoked interesting feelings in most of the drivers: nervousness, but also a positive thrill. Here is the ranking after the three preliminary heats. Holger Plähn and Silvio Böhmischen managed to make the best use of their abilities under the damp conditions.
Let's move on to the semi-finals. In the first semi-final, the track was still about 30% damp. This is evident in the lap times and total laps. Holger Stannek was the first driver who didn't qualify for the final. He unfortunately had to retire from the semi-final after about 3 minutes. In semi-final A, Norbert had technical problems. A shame. It was nice to see him there as a sponsor. Bernd seems to have made a mistake with his setup. He was able to finish, but he also didn't make it to the final. So, the finalists were:
In the final, technical problems struck four drivers. From lap 34 onwards, the trouble started, and by lap 67, only six remained in the race. Of these six, the top three battled for the top spot on the podium until the very last lap. Andreas van Hüth ultimately secured the victory with an eight-second lead. It was a fantastic race. Up until lap 67, it was even a four-way battle. Gogol also had a great chance of winning, but a broken strut on his shock absorber dashed his hopes. Here are the results.
And here is the overall ranking of the Formula Challenge
Finally, let's talk about our GT cars. Of the 33 drivers initially registered, 30 actually started the race. The GT Series includes the Challenge Cup, which contributes to the championship. After three races, there were still five drivers in contention for the trophy. Therefore, the wet qualifying heats were particularly important, as advancing directly to the semi-finals was crucial for the drivers. Wet conditions also favored a few specialists, for whom the track conditions proved a huge advantage. Markus Streicher and Marcel Schildwächter are two such drivers who excel at consistently driving laps in wet conditions, as evidenced by their qualifying results.
It's no shame that I repeat myself a bit, but with such a tight field of competitors, having to go through the quarterfinals is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Every final I saw this weekend was incredibly exciting. It's great to see that some of the competitors who have been there since the beginning are now becoming serious contenders. Thomas Ball, for example, managed to prevail in quarterfinal B and win the heat despite the strong field. Respect. Quarterfinal A also featured consistently very good drivers. Here, Michael Schwarz, Stephan Schroeder, and Torsten Förster secured their place in the semifinals. But for the rest, it wasn't over; on to final C!
The semi-finals were incredibly exciting. You had to give 110% for the entire 15 minutes to reach the A-final. Mistakes were punished immediately. Looking at the top 5 finishers in each final and then the 6th and 7th places, you can see just how close it all was. The field of 20 drivers then split into the A and B finals. The top 5 from each final advanced to the A final, while those finishing 6th through 10th went to the B final.
The C final was great. Unfortunately, five drivers were penalized by technical issues. A shame for them. The rest had a lot of fun over the 20 minutes, with many exciting battles. Places 1 to 5 were very close. Marcus Bader narrowly edged out Reiner Bosse. And places 3 to 5 were also very close, just shy of the podium. Congratulations to you all!
The B final was very similar. It's a shame we can't allow spectators at these finals right now. Absolutely fantastic. First to third place were within 1.5 seconds of each other at the end. And fourth and fifth were only a hair's breadth behind. A great race overall. Makes me excited for 2021.
The tension was palpable during the A final. The results list speaks volumes more than I could ever write. From first to eighth place, the competition was so close that any of the eight drivers could have won. In the end, it was Michael Donovan in his Porsche GT3R who took the victory, ahead of Marcus Oppenhorst (BMW GT3 ALMS) and Michael Mielke (STtwo). A fantastic final, just like the others.
The AM category was a mixed bag this time. Congratulations to Dennis (1st place), Tobias Keller (2nd place), and Heiko Kulik (3rd place) for their achievements. It was Heiko's first time competing, by the way. Well done!
Here is the overall ranking:
Conclusion of the final:
A truly fitting finale to the weekend, despite the sometimes less than ideal weather. At least all the finals took place indoors. Incredibly exciting in every class. Now it's time for a well-deserved winter break. We have one more event to go: our championship celebration. A wonderful evening to honor all the participants, whether they won a trophy or not. The participants in this fantastic series deserve to be celebrated, and so we'll be spending a great evening with you on November 28th, 2020.
Sporty greetings
The Race Car Series Team
Race report SK-West & Race Car Series
September 19, 2020 to September 20, 20200
Welcome to the Netherlands
This was the motto for round 3 of the Race Car Series this weekend. EVMC Velp provided us with a perfect racetrack and a fantastic weekend. Many thanks for that. The weather was also incredibly kind to us this weekend. Three wonderful sunny autumn days invited plenty of racing action.
Regarding the track: The track layout is really fun. The grip is absolutely fine, so you can look forward to some enjoyable driving. You should definitely pay attention to the curbs. There are two or three spots where the saying "stay away from the curbs" is definitely applicable. The most dangerous one is certainly at the beginning of the straight. The so-called "turtle" (the concrete mound resembles a turtle shell) can ruin your entire race just by breathing on it. But you quickly realize this, and otherwise the track is very forgiving.
Unfortunately, only two drivers were registered for the "Truck Grand Prix" this time. For this reason, we had to cancel this great class. However, we hope to see many more trucks at the final.
The Touring Car Trophy was well-attended this weekend with 10 drivers. It was also pleasing to see so many Dutch drivers competing for the coveted trophies. After the three qualifying heats, Rick van der Bol secured pole position ahead of Kevin Tolenaars and Marco Harleman. Fourth and fifth places went to the two German drivers, Günter Honert and Carsten Keller.
In the final, Günter Honert used his composure and experience to secure second place. Rick van der Bol unfortunately encountered technical problems and had to retire from the race after 41 laps. Vic Minunno was unable to start for a similar reason. Carsten Keller, still in the testing phase with his new MCD Duox, drove confidently to fourth place. Here is the final standings of the Touring Car Trophy...
The Formula Challenge was also very well attended with 9 starters, which was a pleasing result. Here too, the competition was very close. Gogol, who has consistently performed very well in recent races, managed to secure pole position in his RS5 after the qualifying heats, closely followed by one of our northern drivers, Holger Plähn. In this context, we'd like to say that we are incredibly proud to have several drivers from northern Germany who make the long journey to participate in our wonderful racing series. Thank you very much for that.
Bernd Cronert secured third place, closely followed by Patrick Reints. Robert, who usually finishes in the top half of the standings, had no luck in the heats and unfortunately couldn't complete a single one. This bad luck will unfortunately continue to plague him in the final...
In the final, Gogol left no doubt that he had been the fastest Formula driver all weekend. Following Lewis Hamilton's lead, he secured victory in race 3. Alexander Stanneck was a surprise, driving his new Formula car for the very first time that weekend. While his performance in the heats was acceptable, he proved in the final that he definitely has podium-winning qualities. Second place in his debut promises more in the next race. Third place went to the only Dutchman in the Formula field, Patrick Reints, who secured the final podium position. Just missing the podium and unfortunately also retiring before the end, Bernd Cronert secured fourth place, earning valuable points for the standings. Holger Plähn finished fifth. All the others behind him unfortunately encountered one problem or another and had to retire from the race early. Robert and Jörg experienced technical issues, while Silvio had a problem with his HK Zero. Antonino, unfortunately, was unable to start at all.
The Super Sports Car League was fully booked this weekend with 30 drivers. That was the maximum capacity in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, three drivers had to cancel at short notice, so 27 GT cars took to the starting grid. No one was able to pull away in the heats this weekend. The top eight were within a lap of each other after the heats. But the competition remained incredibly tight down to 23rd place. This alone promised a thrilling final on Sunday. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. Let's get back to the heats. After three heats, the two Michaels had taken first and second place. Michael Donovan and Michael Mielke secured pole position for the two semi-finals. Günter Honert and Dennis Thyssen joined them for the second-place positions in the semi-finals. Dennis, by the way, is a returning driver. Having only rejoined the series this year, he impressively demonstrated that he hasn't lost his touch. His father, Oliver, is also performing very well, and we are delighted that both of them are back in the field.
Reaching the quarterfinals in the GT Series is definitely nothing to be ashamed of, given the tight competition. There was plenty of excitement and fair battles on display. Alex, David, and Tobi qualified for the semifinals in the B quarterfinal, while Torsten, Oli, and Holger qualified in the A quarterfinal. The semifinals then split the field, with the top five advancing to the A final and the bottom five to the B final. Both finals were incredibly close, as you can see below. All three main finals featured stunning GT cars and top-notch drivers.
The main finals C, B, and A were underway. Unfortunately, due to a few technical issues, only four vehicles started in the C final. Thomas Ball then secured a confident first place. Holger Wenzel also drove well, finishing in second place. Davide inherited the podium position from Michael, who had previously retired.
The B-final was incredibly exciting. The top-class field battled fiercely for 20 minutes, with Tobias Bosse ultimately taking the win. Second place, as in the Formula race, went to Alexander Stanneck. Torsten Förster finished third, just ahead of Oliver Thyssen. Thyssen, in turn, didn't have much of a lead over Tobias Keller, who, with Dirk and Oli in tow, was chasing fourth place. As you can see, it was a very close and thrilling race.
This time the start was absolutely smooth and things got going right away. The speed differences were so small that the field didn't start to spread out until around the second third of the race. A few drivers started having problems with tire wear after 20 minutes. After 30 minutes, the podium was decided. And the winner is...
Michael Donovan finished ahead of Michael Mielke and Marcus Oppenhorst. The three fastest from the preliminary heats were able to repeat this performance in the final. Congratulations!
Our new guys and one of the long-distance travelers won the AM category. Congratulations to Dennis (1st place), Oliver Thyssen (3rd place), and Alexander Stanneck (2nd place).
Finally, regarding the engines: We checked four more engines on Saturday evening. All four engines showed no defects and complied with regulations. Mine was among them.
Here is the overall ranking:
The XR5 Rallycross class saw even better participation this weekend with 14 starters. Sven Rodewald was once again the fastest of the group, securing pole position ahead of Marc Kreisig.
At the start of the final, it looked like a similar podium finish was in store. However, rallycross technology sometimes has a mind of its own. This resulted in a completely different podium than expected. First place went to Necdet Yaman, second to Mirco Neikes-Schwarzer, and Marcel Tendler completed the podium. Congratulations to all!
It was a fantastic weekend with lots of new faces, which we were very happy about. A few degrees cooler would have been good not only for the cars but also for the drivers. But as they always say, "That's racing!"
We are looking forward to the next race on September 19th and 20th at the EVMC Velp.
Sporty greetings
The Race Car Series Team
Race report SK-West & Race Car Series
August 8, 2020 to August 9, 20200
Tropical Days at MCK Dormagen eV
For the second round of the Race Car Series, the weather gods were particularly kind to us, blessing us with two days of glorious sunshine. Unfortunately, this also meant temperatures that weren't exactly conducive to RC car racing. This became painfully clear to some during the event. I was no exception. Furthermore, the approximately 37-degree heat made wearing masks a real challenge. But we're not complaining. The track offered sensational grip conditions, and all 66 participants had a blast with their cars. However, the distinctive features of the track, which I affectionately nicknamed "Little Monaco," would unfortunately prove disastrous for some over the course of the weekend! The layout is fantastic and very flowing. However, there are very few run-off areas, and some sections are separated only by a concrete wall. In addition, the fast section features a very unpleasant bump and high curbs. As I said, it's a superb layout and a joy to drive. With a healthy dose of respect, it's manageable. But mistakes in "Little Monaco" are consistently punished with mechanical failures. Let's take a look at who was best able to implement this.
Unfortunately, only three drivers started in the "Truck Grand Prix" this time. That's a real shame for this very entertaining contact sport class (to quote Olly). But the three drivers who did start were incredibly competitive. Despite everything, it was very nice to watch the race for pole position. After the heats, the standings were as follows: Markus Schneider narrowly secured pole position ahead of Thomas Dammer and Oliver Schnell.
The final unfolded similarly to race 1 in Bad Breisig. Apparently, starting from second position proved to be Thomas's best starting point. He won the race by a full lap ahead of Markus Schneider. Unfortunately, Oliver had to withdraw from the final due to technical problems.
We had a real surprise at the Touring Car Trophy this weekend. The surprise is Jan Ratheisky. He's usually in the electric car scene, but due to a lack of races, he decided to try his hand at 1:5 scale. And what can we say? He absolutely dominated the entire Trophy field. Hats off to him! Jan clearly won the heats; even local hero Günter Honert couldn't match his speed. And to top it all off, Jan was driving the Trophy with a standard motor. You read that right. Even more respect for this achievement!
In the final, Jan continued his winning streak. A great start and a commanding performance from him. Günter Honert wasn't about to give him an easy ride and made it difficult for him right from the beginning. Unfortunately, the heat played a trick on Günter. The fuel, which should have lasted for 30 minutes, leaked out of the overflow hose lap after lap. It leaked so heavily that after about 10 minutes, the tank was empty, and he unfortunately had to retire. A real shame, it could have been a really exciting race. Jan also ran out of fuel about 2 1/2 minutes before the end. This meant he lost his lead, and Emmanuelle Vanhaesendonck took it, crossing the finish line first. Carsten Keller was also unable to start due to a mechanical issue. The podium was thus set:
The Formula Challenge this weekend was once again close in the heats. The top three, Robert, Silvio, and Gogol, were separated by the narrowest of margins. Things didn't look good for Jörg and Gogol after the first heat on Saturday. Jörg had a problem on the straight. Everyone knows that fast straights aren't the best place for problems. Unfortunately, the driver behind him noticed too late, and Gogol crashed into Jörg's Formula car at full speed. Two wrecked Formula cars were the result. It's worth noting that both cars were back on the starting grid on Sunday. Robert Franicevic took pole position, Silvio second, and Gogol third. They were closely followed by Axel, Jörg, and Holger. Antonino Frenna brought up the rear this weekend, as he was only able to drive on Sunday due to work commitments. Unfortunately, he couldn't make up the lost ground.
The exciting final was unfortunately interrupted after about 16 minutes due to a timing system failure. The drivers agreed that it was okay not to restart the race, and so, after the race time expired, Gogol was in the lead. However, Robert's nose was practically glued to Gogol's rear spoiler. Two seconds separated the two. Jörg and Axel crossed the finish line some distance behind. Gogol and Jörg's all-night repairs had thus paid off. Silvio unfortunately had to retire from the race early, and Holger and Antonino were unable to start. "Little Monaco" had thwarted their plans.
The GT Series was once again the strongest class this weekend. Not only did drivers from the far north come to us, but we also had three newcomers and one woman in our field. It was great that Sandra Anno and Curt traveled all the way from Belgium. The newcomers are Klaus Michel, Oliver & Daniel Thyssen. Welcome to the league of super sports cars! In the heats, local hero Michael Donovan clearly prevailed over Marcus Oppenhorst. Both are based in Dormagen and are virtually unbeatable on this challenging track. Here is the heat standings:
One could write something about every final in the Race Car Series, as all the finals were extremely exciting and no one could take it for granted. That would be going too far. Therefore, here are the rankings from the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
The main finals C, B, and A were underway. Each final was a highlight in its own right, and it was great fun to see that all the finals were fully booked except for the ones with no cars, guaranteeing pure racing action. Every race was sensational, with fair and hard-fought battles right up to the checkered flag. In the C final, Holger Wenzel delivered a remarkable performance, especially considering he hasn't been racing a 1:5 for very long.
The start of the B final was somewhat chaotic, which Daniel Stein was able to exploit for a long time, leading the race until almost the very end. However, he was then unable to defend against the faster Günter Honert. Up to that point, though, it was a remarkable race from Daniel.
The A final started similarly chaotically. It began with a wasp visiting the driver's stand; it had clearly fallen head over heels for Michael Donovan. As a result, he had to leave the stand in frustration after the fifth lap, as he simply couldn't stand it any longer. I then had the pleasure of flirting with it myself. But thankfully, this only lasted a few minutes before it moved on to the next target. Unfazed by all this, Marcus Oppi Oppenhorst was able to extend his lead. The only driver who could even remotely keep up was Michael Mielke. Thus, the podium positions were also decided here.
Our new guys and one of the long-distance travelers won the AM category. Congratulations to Dennis & Oliver Thyssen and to Michael Rieck for that.
Finally, regarding the engines: We inspected four engines on Saturday evening. All four engines showed no defects and complied with regulations.
Here is the overall ranking:
The XR5 Rallycross event was well-attended again this weekend with nine starters. Sven Rodewald, the winner of race 1 in Bad Breisig, was determined to repeat his triumph. After the three preliminary heats, he made this intention perfectly clear.
At the beginning of the final, it looked like the plan would work, but he too had the bad luck of running out of fuel shortly before the end. The heat had taken its toll. Thus, the winner of race 2 was now Marc Kreisig. Sven still managed to secure second place, with Marcel Tendler finishing behind him.
It was a fantastic weekend with lots of new faces, which we were very happy about. A few degrees cooler would have been good not only for the cars but also for the drivers. But as they always say, "That's racing!"
We are looking forward to the next race on September 19th and 20th at the EVMC Velp.
Sporty greetings
The Race Car Series Team
Race report SK-West & Race Car Series
July 4th to July 5th, 2020
A race weekend full of new features after the far too long winter break. Firstly, it was something special due to the existing COVID-19 regulations, and secondly, it had been a long time since there had been an SK race with so many participants. Including the guest classes Truck and Rallycross, 62 participants were on the starting grid for the Race Car Series. Despite the consistently good weather, the atmosphere was somewhat dampened by the mandatory face masks, but the good mood and the desire to race remained undiminished.
Due to the large number of participants (8 preliminary groups), the MCC Rhein Ahr started group training on Saturday afternoon. The first preliminary heat for all participants was then held that afternoon. On Sunday morning, slightly earlier than usual, the second and third heats took place.
In the Truck Grand Prix, local hero Romano Wagner secured pole position with his FG 2020.2 ahead of the NRW Cup 2019 champion Thomas Dammer.
In the final, however, Thomas Dammer had the upper hand after 30 minutes, and Markus Schneider relegated the veteran Romano Wagner to third place.
At the Touring Car Trophy this weekend, Michael Donovan was the man to beat, ahead of Maximilian Hornig and Günter Honert.
What seemed relatively clear after the heats turned into a thrilling 30-minute battle for first place in the final between Michael Donovan and Maximilian Hornig. The rest of the field couldn't match the speed of the two Mecatech drivers at any point. And so, after 30 minutes, the podium was decided.
In the Formula Challenge, however, the competition was much closer. The first six drivers all finished their heats with 21 laps. Their lap times were also relatively close, promising an exciting final. Electric Formula driver Guido Mamat also demonstrated that battery power can compete effectively against combustion engines. At the end of the heats, the German Touring Car Standard Champion was in the lead in the Formula class, closely followed by returning competitor Gogol.
Unfortunately, the final was plagued by several errors. Only two drivers saw the checkered flag after 30 minutes. They were probably faster than the drivers who made the mistakes. The winner after 30 minutes was Jörg Fehling.
The GT Series had 34 starters on the grid. This alone promised an exciting race. From positions 1 to 19, everything was incredibly close after the heats. Only Michael Mielke, with 23 laps, managed to narrowly surpass the top spot. But that was just a hair's breadth. From positions 9 to 27, the competition remained just as tight. Only five drivers were unable to maintain the pace this weekend due to bad luck or other factors. This demonstrates the exceptionally high level of competition in the GT Series. Here are the results of the heats.
The quarterfinals were just as exciting as the semifinals, making it impossible to single anyone out. Almost everyone had a chance to advance. And in the semifinals, any of the 10 participants in each final could have reached the A Final. The great thing is that everyone got a chance to compete in a final. It's worth mentioning that all the finals were played very fairly, and I got the feeling everyone had fun at the end of the day. Uwe Pauly (Mecatech) won the A Final, closely followed by Michael Mielke (S88R) and Stephan Schröder (Mecatech). In the B Final, the podium was Bernd Cronert (Mecatech) ahead of Daniel Stein (Mecatech) and Markus Streicher (RS5). Michael Rieck (Genius) crossed the finish line first in the C Final, ahead of Wolfgang Wimmelmann (RS5) and Hans Peter Schmitz (FG).
Here is the overall ranking.
However, since there are two classifications in the GT Series, there were 6 winners. In the PRO class, this was Uwe Pauly (Mecatech) ahead of Michael Mielke (S88R) and Stephan Schröder (Mecatech).
In the AM category, the winners were Dirk Krause (Mecatech) ahead of David Martin (Genius) and Tobias Keller (Mecatech).
Our new guest class (perhaps one day a permanent part of the series), the XR5 Rallycross, also deserves a mention. Eight participants took to the starting line, and the guys gave it their all to put on a great show with their vehicles. After the heats, Sven Rodewald secured pole position for the final, ahead of Marc Kreisig and Dario Nicolosi.
In the final, Sven and Marc clearly distanced themselves from the rest of the field and delivered a thrilling fight that ended in first place for Sven Rodewald. Marc Tendler secured a well-deserved third place.
The overall impression of this weekend, especially from those who came from further away, was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone enjoyed the drive and said they would love to come back again.
We look forward to the next race and will see you again on August 8th to 9th, 2020 at the white line at MCK Dormagen.
Sporty greetings
The Race Car Series Team
