What a great result ! What a long time to get it this year ! What a hard competition and high level !
Firstly, all my thanks to ETS organisers, Scotty Ernst, Üwe and Tony Reinard, Hudy Family for the huge facilities, and any people who make the ETS possible.
This year has been hard for us, especially for Patrick Gassauer who had so many time bad luck, it was time that the wheel turns ! So, I’m deeply pride and happy to announce Patrick finished FOUR, and made a TQ in qualification 1 !!
All seemed to start bad in Thursday evening, when Patrick told me he is a lot too low in corners… I felt that we will one more time miss a deserved A-finale. But Patrick never gives-up, and worked on his car, while I prepared his ball bearings and driveshafts for the qualifications on Friday.
This “Q1” was simply awesome, with a perfect TQ run for Patrick. Q2 wasn’t so good, as he didn’t used his second set of tires, but he managed a nice 8th time. Has his place in finale was assured, he choose to continue with same tire set in Q3 and Q4, where he placed great 5th and 4th time. So: 1st, 8th, 5th and 4th… what a consistent performance… 1 TQ, 3 time in top 5, and all runs in top 8, with the advantage to keep one fresh tire set for finales !!
For first finale run, I advised to Patrick to use old tires, because first run is always a bit chaotic with nervous drivers, and I was afraid to see Patrick on the grass after some laps, ruining his fresh tires advantage, so we decided to continue with old tires. What I expected arrived: Patrick finished 9th after a very nervous and hard run.
For second finale, we discovered that Jan Ratheisky was on same strategy and will use his fresh tire set in this run. We considered a bit to keep our fresh set for finale 3, but felt it’s a too big risk, as after finale 1 we still needed two good runs. So, Patrick started second finale with his fresh tire set and managed a great second place right behind Jan !
During the third finale, Patrick tried all he can to pass Tom Krägefski, but could only finish third.
With 3 different finale winners, Patrick finished overal fourth ! A fantastic result when we considers some facts:
- Patrick is the first driver who didn’t participated to Euro Championship on the same track some weeks ago.
- Hudy Arena is the Xray factory track, and Patrick is the only driver able to fight for the win with the 4 Xray cars in the top 5.
- Patrick is the only non-Xray driver able to place a TQ run
- Patrick is like Jan Ratheisky, one of the only two drivers able to place all of his 4 qualification runs in top 8.
- Patrick also placed a P10 run in Q4 modified (overal 28th)… simply crazy !
What a great performance !! Congratulations Patrick, you have been “unglaublich”
What about the other Team Magic drivers ?
- Steven Weiss (modified) was performing in practices, but unable to make one lap in qualification 1, due to a simply undriveable car, we deducted it’s a problem of tires. In qualification 2, he had an electronic problem making his car stop after 4 laps (sensor). In Q3 and Q4, things was correct, but still not like in practices. Steven was qualified in E-main, and decided to make tests during the finales by trying a complete different setup, to prepare the world championship in China end of August.
- Cyril N’Diaye (modified) also had some problems in qualification. Not so deep as Steven, but car felt unperfect during the qualification runs. With the second set of tires, things was a lot better and car was performing like in the practices. Unfortunately he decided to use his fresh tire set in third qualification, when almost all the other drivers do the same, loosing his advantage. So, Cyril entered the D-main in P3, and wins his final with a car performing just “too late”.
- Jacques Libar (ProStock) had some troubles and entered the D-main. He finished 36th; not so bad, but it could be better for him.
- Viktor Lytvynenko from Ukraine (Modified AND ProStock) finished 83 in Modified, and 58 in ProStock.
- Mathieu Picaudé (ProStock) finished 47th, really not bad on 138 drivers !
- Jeremy Clavey (ProStock) finished 59th, also a respectable result !
- Jordy Dubuis (modified) has absolutely no problems. The teenager enjoyed a lot the landscape and local beers, and also had many laugh in the pits.
With this post, I would also thanks a lot all the Team Magic drivers, official and privateers, who participated one or all round of the 2015-2016 ETS season. Many of them was also key-parts in the results we had this year. Thank you all !!
Lionel Troyon – team manager for Team Magic Europe