HRC Distribution / Team Magic Europe – Blog

Last week-end was the fifth round of Dutch Nationals, at the Hotwheels track at Deventer. During this event, Rob Janssen made his first race with the all-new Team Magic E4RS4, and get his first win with his new car, after obtaining the pole position.

What a great debuts for our new E4RS4 ! Good job !

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Even if the E4RS III Plus is going to be replaced by the all-new E4RS4, it is still able to win races again and again, like last week-end with Rob Janssen in Netherlands for the round 4 of Dutch Nationals.

With rain during the Sunday, Rob had to find a good strategy to win the race, with the help of his dutch teammates Richard and Ronald Arts. Finally, Rob won the race, Stefan Rommens from Belgium finished 5th, Ronald Arts 6th and Richard Arts 9th; all the four Team Magic cars in the A-main. Great job guys !

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The 6th and last round of ETS season will be a very special event for Team Magic.

This race will be the first official race with the all-new Team Magic E4RS4 2018 specs Touring Car, designed by Lionel Troyon and Jeremy Clavey, both present to the event to assist all Team Magic drivers and users.

Kevin Ting (general manager of Team Magic Taïwan) and Stefan Hartweg (owner of HRC Distribution / Team Magic Europe) will also be there to meet and support the drivers.

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Statement from Lionel Troyon – Team Magic Europe team manager:

Ettlingen will be a very special and great event for Team Magic.

• The E4RS4 will be released only a few days before the race, and this event will be the first official race for our new TC platform.
• My friend Jeremy Clavey, who made a great job by designing all the new parts of the E4RS4 like I asked him (and sometime better than I asked !) will be also there for the first official race with the car we designed together.
• Both Kevin Ting (TM Taiwan) and Stefan Hartweg (TM Europe) will assist the race during one day, to meet our drivers and enjoy the special ETS atmosphere.
• Team Magic is also very pleased to provide some stuff for the ETS tombola, like bags, tools and setting gauges.

Can’t wait that great event !!  See you soon at the track 🙂

Lionel Troyon – Team Magic team manager.

This week-end was the European Championship in Spain. Team Magic driver Thomas Vigneron, current modified French Champion participated this event and made incredible results during all the race, with his “old” Team Magic E4RS III Plus, as the E4RS4 will arrive around mid July.

Thomas Vigneron made very nice qualification runs, with a 5th overall place in Q1 and 7th in Q2. So, he qualified his Team Magic E4RS III Plus in A-main in modified category, at the 9th overall place.

Of course, I crossed all the fingers I can with the hope to obtain a 6th or 7th place, which was for sure something possible, but the simple fact to be in finale, for a small team like Team Magic – moreover with the “old” E4RS III Plus – is something incredible and fantastic ! (Look at the B-main to understand)

Hola! The last weekend took place the European championship Touring in Spain in Almussafes (close Valencia). The French team is composed of 5 Modified drivers, 8 in stock and 1 in F1.

Thursday is dedicated to the registration, the free practices and the controlled practices. The Tires imposed for every driver are the LRP G36 which are strong with correct performances. The imposed tire additive is the LRP asphalt. This chosen additive does not procure a lot of grip to the tires on this asphalt; but it is necessary to make with, especially as everybody is on the equal footing. The free practices allow me to discover the track and especially the very low conditions of grip. The balance of my Team Magic is good but springs and hydraulics are not adapted.

After some favourable adjustment, the controlled practices start in purpose to determinate a re-classification to dispatch the drivers of same level in qualification groups. Driving in used tires, I abandon the idea to perform on 2 laps and I decide to make these runs like qualification runs to the constancy of me and my car over 5 minutes. The two runs are OK, the car is quite easy and steer round, with a bit of understeering. Contrary to all expectations I am classified 13th and first French of the reseeding. I am rather confident for the next day and hope for an improvement of 2 tenth by lap with new tires, so 3 seconds over 5 minutes.

On Fridays there is a practice before the 6 qualifications, it allows me to modify the setup of my Team Magic and to determine the setup for the qualis, I realize the 8th time on 2 laps, still with my tires of Thursday. The car is on the limit between comfort and performance, ideal to begin the qualifications. We all have 5 sets of fresh tires for 6 qualis.

My Q1 is done without mistake with a small slowing down in the last 3 laps to insure my place. Ronald Volker who observed the run congratulates me. I say to myself that it was probably not so bad and after the run of the series of Ronald and Bruno Coelho I am still 5th at 25 hundredth of the 3rd, Loïc Jasmin. I am over the moon! I hope to redo just at least once a run like that.

After Q3 I am always 4th in the general ranking behind Ronald, Bruno and Marc Rheinard, a kid’s dream (I know some are going to laugh at me but I assume, lol). Q4, I still do not touch the setup and I come down to the 5th place, Q5 I start with used tires and contrary to all expectations I have some grip and traction in the point to make wheeling and to roll over in the back turn of the straight line where a bump destabilize the cars.

Before the start of Q6, the A-finale is not still safe for me; we are 6 drivers with 2 points of gap only. I decide to start in new tires (I wanted to keep an extra train for the finales) and to modify slightly my setup by removing the anti-dive in my front arms. The car is of course easier, not faster but I am more consistent on 5 minutes and I realize my Q6. The most constant and thus the fastest of my qualis, even if 9 drivers are faster at this moment.

I am a little worried during marshalling of the last series and in the wait of the overall ranking. I am finally relieved when I discover that I would participate the Modified A-Main the next day by starting from the 9th place. I am also very satisfied for Loïc who joins finale A after Q6 and also disappointed for Cyril who stays in B-Main.

On Saturday, day of the finales, it is raining! Fortunately the rain stops fast to leave place to the sun and to a practice with a dry track, but with not much grip. I take advantage of this practice to try a harder differential and more camber gain on front. As result: I would have had to make it earlier, I regret it.

Finale 1, no anxiety nor of stress, I cannot believe it. During the call of the pilots in front of me, I can’t believe to be called with them! At 2 minutes of the end, I am 6th with a small advance on the following ones. Unfortunately, at 4 minutes 30 everything stops, the pinion decided to leave my motor.

The finales 2 and 3 are alike, I end twice 8th and thus to the 10th place overall, with nevertheless a good rhythm in the laps in all finales.

I would keep in memory the Modified podium with the finalists, the fireworks in broad daylight, the very pleasant track layout. And also the speed radar on display with correct top speeds despite of the low grip: a small 117kmh for me and a 121kmh for Alexander Hagberg. The victory in stock of our Alexandre Duchet, the fight on the track between Julien Jost and Jan Ratheisky; and a travel back to Paris rather long but in Class C.

European Championship – Overall Result:
A – 1. Ronald Volker
A – 2. Marc Rheinard
A – 3. Bruno Coelho
A – 4. Alexander Hagberg
A – 5. Viljami Kutvonen
A – 6. Elliott Harper
A – 7. David Perez Perez
A – 8. Loïc Jasmin
A – 9. Viktor Wilck
A – 10. Thomas Vigneron – Team Magic E4RS III Plus

B – 11. Christopher Krapp
B – 12. Frederik Südhoff
B – 13. Cyril N`diaye
B – 14. Michal Orlowski
B – 15. Nicola Marrone
B – 16. Manuel Wagner
B – 17. Alessio Menicucci
B – 18. Alexandre Laurent
B – 19. Harley Eldridge
B – 20. Marc Fischer

C – 21. Javi Ferrando
C – 22. Olivier Bultynck
C – 23. Anna Wysgol
C – 24. Miko Teponoja
C – 25. Aaron Rose
C – 26. David Ehrbar
C – 27. Damian Giddins
C – 28. Jesus Casanova Aparisi
C – 29. Finn Olav Aasen
C – 30. Tommy Jensen Indrefl
C – 31. Henning Stavnhaugen

(Reportage de Thomas en Français ci-dessous, cliquez sur “Continue reading”.) Continue reading →

A round of the UISP championship was held this week-end @ the beautiful track of Reggio Emilia (Italy).

Matteo Berlincioni obtained a good second place in qualification in the 17.5 category, and maintained this nice position during the finales, behind Umberto Pernice, while Giancarlo De Caro complete the podium.

Overal Result:
1. Umberto Pernice
2. Matteo Berlincioni – Team Magic E4RS III Plus
3. Giancarlo De Caro
4. Luigi Laviola
5. Giovanni Calvi
6. Luca Bigi
7. Paolo Bettosti
8. Lorenzo Cavatorti
9. Vittoria Fenili
10. Ivan Caffarri

Right after the ETS round 5 in Slovakia, Patrick Gassauer made the trip to Geneva to join Marco Balmer and Lionel Troyon to participate the 3rd round of Swiss Championship.

This race was a test in special conditions for the E4RS4, as the Swiss Nationals requires Sweep Tires, and tire additive are banned at the Geneva’s track for ecological concerns; two key-elements totally unknown for Patrick.

During qualifications, Patrick made a second place in run 4, and a fourth place in run 2, while his young teammate Marco Balmer made two sixth place in round 1 and 2.

This resulted in place 3 on the grid for Patrick, behind Michele Manzo and Philipp Huber, and place 8 for Marco Balmer. So, the two Team Magic cars in A-finale.

During all the race, we made tests with springs and some other key-elements, both on the pre-serie E4RS4 version of Patrick and on the regular E4RS III Plus of Marco. So, for the finale, we switched to the very performing Team Magic TC Pro springs series, P2.7 front, and L2.8 rear, providing a better balance and overall grip.

So, Patrick has been able to fight in the 2 first positions at every final run, but simply had bad luck with overlapped drivers. In the first final, a car simply “landed” (yes, I have no other word !) on his E4RS4 while Patrick was chasing Michele Manzo after taking the lead for 2 laps and being passed by Michele some corners before the incident.

In finale 2, Patrick was second or third when an overlapped driver push his car resulting in a body-tuck… where Patrick lost a half lap before being marshaled.

And in finale 3, Patrick took the lead quickly in front of Michele and Philipp, and finaly won the race after a nice fight with Philipp Huber, followed by Walter Pollet-Villard and Michele Manzo.

Race was clearly more difficult for Marco Balmer, with a DNF in Finale 1, and some fights in other rounds. But it’s the Marco’s first year in Modified, after several years in ProStock, and the transition require time to be competitive. Marco made very nice runs and laps, and will for sure progress quickly. He obtained the best rookie trophy, good job !

Top 10:
1. Michele Manzo
2. Fabian Widmer
3. Philipp Huber
4. Patrick Gassauer – Team Magic E4RS4 pre-serie
5. Oliver Krähemann
6. Walter Pollet-Villard
7. Bastien DeMarco
8. Boris Siladi
9. Raffaele Tolotta
10. Marco Balmer – Team Magic E4RS III Plus