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| Race report by Reno Savoya |
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| I'm back from Montpellier! The weather was crazy cold all weekend long; the temperature was always close to 0°C with some wind, so it was a real challenge to stay warm, whether it be drivers, mechanics, engines or cars!! We saw many drivers just getting out of the pit breaking their cars on the big jump section on the right of the track. More than 200 drivers attended the race from everywhere in Europe and also from overseas, with guest attendance of Ryan Maifield to give a world-class level to what became one of the highest quoted events of the European season. The organizers put in a really strong effort to improve their capacity every year to make the event always better, on the track and in the pits! |
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| Many drivers from the international and French teams were racing with the new XB9, and they were all pleased with it's performance. I started the practices with the basic set-up that I established during the Warm-up race at the end of January. From there, I tried different things, but came back to the basic set-up I was using previously with only slight differences in shock position and sway bars. I tried the Active Diff in the front with 3000 and 90° ramp during practices. It gave me a real plus for traction, but it wasn't perfect for my driving style. I don't have a lot of experience with this diff, so I preferred to go back to the standard diff. I am waiting to get more knowledge and experience with the Active diff. Great potential though! You can find the set-up sheet of my car in the appropriate section of the Web site. |
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Everything started great on Saturday as I set the TQ time for Q1 with 7 laps @ 5.07. Unfortunately, I had a transponder problem due to the cold weather. The system lost most of its emissions and counted only a few lapsâ¦everything had to be done again! Thanks to the great set-up of my package RB BX and Sweep tires, I managed to get a clean TQ in round 2 and 3, getting the overall TQ. Martin Bayer tried different things during practice and qualification and ended up 15th, enough to get into the semi and look forward to a great result.
The semi went as planed as I made the most of my TQ spot and didnâ™t lose it. Martin was also in semi A and qualified for position 10 in the main. |
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| The main was one of the most intense Iâ™ve ever driven. I took the lead early and set a comfortable lead on the field which was battling together and which allowed me to increase the gap. The XB9 showed incredible speed all weekend long, and it was even more stable during the 1-hour main. I really felt I was in control of the race⦠right before I crashed twice in the same lap and lost all my advantage. |
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| The last 15 minutes were very intense with Robert Batlle and I battling for the top spot and Martin fighting with Jerome Sartel to get the last podium spot. Where I failed, Martin won, taking 3rd. A few mistakes by myself at the end of the race made me lose too much time to catch up, and I ended up only 6 seconds behind the leader after the 1-hour main. |
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| I'm really happy and satisfied from my weekend in Montpellier! I had a really good time with everyone, and the car seems really good in the pit and on the track. I feel I have a huge potential and a lot more to come in the next few months, so itâ™s very promising to already battle with the best drivers in Europe at the biggest events. |
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| Top 3: |
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1. Robert Batlle
2. Reno Savoya XRAY XB9
3. Martin Bayer XRAY XB9 |
| Sebastien Mutel, from Team XRAY France had to say: |
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I had my first laps with the brand new XB9 in Montpellier. Compared to the 808 I was used to, the XB9 seems a lot more stable, precise, and effective. The shock behaviour has been improved, and the car has way more traction. Itâ™s an awesome package to start off the 2012 season!
I started the first practice with a set-up that was really close to the one Reno updated after the Warm-up, and the car was really good from the first laps. Practice made me learn the Procircuit tires which I didn't know very well, as it was my first season with them.
I didnâ™t change anything on the car except shock oil in order to suit them to the changing temperature. I qualified 27th after Q1 and 40th after Q3, putting me in the 1/8A. I'm really happy for this performance as it was my first laps with the car.
In the 1/8, I changed the center diff from 5000 to 7000 in order to get more traction. Unfortunately, the car was a bit too difficult to drive and I crashed, preventing me from bumping up.
In summary, I had a great weekend where I discovered and learned a lot about the car. The XB9 has incredible potential, and Iâ™m looking forward to practice before the first round of the French Nationals at the end of March. |
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