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Starting Grid
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German Nationals Touring Car in Duisburg, 9.-11. August
Only one week after the Euros in Lostallo, which was pretty disapointing for most of the german drivers, the german nationals took place in Duisburg-Walsum.
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Friday, free practice:
On Friday most of the 110 drivers in the stock (17turns) and modified class arrived for free practice. Oscar Jansen was there with his girlfriend to support the Orion drivers, as well as Ralf Helbing to support the GM team. Also Reto König arrived on friday to support his LRP teammembers. Free practice was a bit chaotic with lots of interference and crashes, but most of the drivers had enough time to find a good setup for dry conditions.
Fastest cars on the track in modified during free practice, where from Benjamin Gröschel (Losi/LRP), Markus Mobers (Team Xray/GM), Marc Reinhard (Tamiya/Orion), Andy Krämer (HPI/LRP) and Karsten Lokau (Associated/Reedy).
In the stock class strongest looking cars where from Michael Spiering, Joel VoĂź and Dennis Kallinowski, all on XRAY T1 Evo 2 cars. Almost on the same speed where Jochen Janik and Bernhard Bopp from Team Corally.
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Podium of Modified Class
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Saturday, qualifying:
The first qualifier was dry from heat 1 â“ 6 in the stock class and Michael Spiering (XRAY) drove the fastest time, followed by Joel VoĂź (XRAY) and Jochen Janik (Corally).
In the first modified heat 7 with Fost and Helbing from GM it started to rain slowly, so the laptimes where very slow. It continued raining until heat 9. From heat 10-12 the track was almost dry again, so a protest at the end of the first series followed. It was decided to repeat the first modified heats at the end of the day.
The next three qualification rounds stayed dry, so at the end of the day, the ranking was as followed:
Stock:
1. Michael Spiering (XRAY)
2. Joel VoĂź (XRAY)
3. Jochen Janik (Corally)
4. Bernhard Bopp (Corally)
5. Jörg Dick (Associated)
6. Benjamin Lehmann (XRAY)
7. Arno PĂĽpke (XRAY)
8. Holger Mattheus (Associated)
9. Dieter Böckmann (XRAY)
10. Stefan ThĂĽner
Modified:
1. Andy Krämer (HPI/LRP)
2. Karsten Lokau (Associated/Reedy)
3. Dirk Stammler (Associated/LRP)
4. Benjamin Gröschel (Losi/LRP)
5. Markus Mobers (XRAY/GM)
6. Marc Reinhard (Tamiya/Orion)
7. Markus Fost (GM/GM)
8. Dirk Hopp (Associated)
9. Alexander Stocker (Associated/Reedy)
10. Ralf Helbing (GM/GM)
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Podium of Stock Class
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Sunday, qualifying and finals:
On sunday there where two more qualifiers in the morning. In the middle of the first round it started to rain again, so another protest followed. This time it was not decided to repeat the round again, so most of the drivers where not really satisfied with this decision.
The next and final round of qualifying was dry again. Michael Spiering showed the incredible speed of the new XRAY T1 EVO 2 with C-Hub suspension random and took the win in this round of the stock class with just missing 18 laps by 24 hundreds.
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Second in this round was Joel VoĂź followed by Bernhard Bopp.
In modified Markus Fost showed has class in heat 7, driving 18 laps in 6 seconds.
In heat 9 Markus Mobers showed his ambitions to win the title with his XRAY Evo2. He ran incredible lap times (16.24=track record) and drove 19 laps in 16 seconds, which made the crowed go crazy. In heat 10 it was Benjamin Gröschel who drove 19 laps, as well, with an overtime of 18 sesonds. In heat 12 Sascha Falter showed his ambitions with 19 laps and 18 seconds, as well.
So Mobers won this round of qualifying and set the fastest time of the hole weekend with his T1 Evo 2. Specially the new C-Hub suspension gave him incredible corner speed.
Due to the weather situation the qualifying positions in Germany are done by a point system, so the grids in both classes where as following:
Stock:
1. Michael Spiering (XRAY)
2. Joel VoĂź (XRAY)
3. Jochen Janik (Corally)
4. Bernhard Bopp (Corally)
5. Jörg Dick (Associated)
6. Benjamin Lehman (XRAY)
7. Arno PĂĽpke (XRAY)
8. Holger Mattheus (Associated)
9. Dieter Böckmann (XRAY)
10. Stefan ThĂĽner
Modified:
1. Andy Krämer (HPI/LRP)
2. Karsten Lokau (Associated/Reedy)
3. Markus Mobers (XRAY/GM)
4. Dirk Stammler (Associated/LRP)
5. Sascha Falter (Associated/Reedy)
6. Benjamin Gröschel (LOSI/LRP)
7. Markus Fost (GM/GM)
8. Marc Reinhard (Tamiya/Orion)
9. Dirk Hopp (Associated)
10. Ralf Helbing (GM/GM)
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The finals:
Just before the finals it started to rain very hardly and the track was full of watter. In Germany it is allowed to use a second chassis to run in the rain, so the guys, who had a rain car, had a bit of advantage.
The first final in stock was dominated by Joel VoĂź, who took home the win easy. Second place man was old man Arno PĂĽpke, also running XRAY. Third position felt to Holger Mattheus. Michael Spiering did not have a rain car and only finished 7. Bad luck for him, after dominating the whole meeting.
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In modified Sascha Falter had a brilliant rain car and won the final by 6 seconds. All other people where struggling badly and where spinning their cars a lot.
At the end Ralf Helbing finished second, followed by Fost, Mobers and Gröschel.
In the second final it was still a little bit wet. In stock Spiering took the lead by 2.5 seconds until he had hit the curb at the end of the straight. Joel VoĂź was leading now followed by Janik and Spiering. Spiering really put in some fast laps on the track and past Janik in the last lap, but 16 year old Joel VoĂź won and was the German stock champion already by winning the first two finals with his XRAY T1 Evo 2.
In modified Marc Reinhard drove fantastic and passed lots of people from eighth on the grid.
He won the final, followed by Krämer, Mobers, Gröschel and Falter.
So in modified there where still six people, that could win, which where Falter, Reinhard, Krämer, Helbing, Mobers and Fost.
The last stock finals was won by XRAY man Arno PĂĽpke, which gave him second position overall. So it was a double victory for XRAY.
Right before the last modified final it started to rain little. Mobers and Helbing decided to use rain tyres, because it looked like it would rain harder in the next minutes. All others decided to go out on dry tyres, which was the better decision. After the final started it stopped raining, so Mobers had to give away his lead in the beginning. It was Krämer leading now from Reinhard. Reinhard only needed to finish second for the win, so he took it easy in a clever way. Krämer won the final from Reinhard and Fost, so 15 year old Marc Reinhard won the title. Congratulations, also to Oscar Jansen.
Krämer finished second in front of Sascha Falter.
Overall positions of the German Nationals 2002:
Stock:
1. Joel VoĂź (XRAY T1 EVO2)
2. Arno PĂĽpke (XRAY T1 EVO2)
3. Holger Mattheus (Associated)
4. Jochen Janik (Corally)
5. Michael Spiering (XRAY T1 EVO2)
6. Bernhard Bopp (Corally)
7. Jörg Dick (Associated)
8. Stefan ThĂĽner
9. Dieter Böckmann (XRAY)
10. Benjamin Lehmann (XRAY)
Modified:
1. Marc Reinhard (Tamiya/Orion)
2. Andy Krämer (HPI/LRP)
3. Sascha Falter (Asso/Reedy)
4. Markus Fost (GM/GM)
5. Markus Mobers (XRAY T1 EVO2)
6. Ralf Helbing (GM/GM)
7. Benjamin Gröschel (LOSI/LRP)
8. Karsten Lokau (Asso/Reedy)
9. Dirk Stammler (Asso/LRP)
10. Dirk Hopp (Asso)
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Other results of the German Nationals 2002:
Modified Juniors:
1. Marc Rheinard (Tamiya)
2. Markus Fost (GM)
3. Rene PĂĽpke (XRAY)
Modified Seniors 40+:
1. Uwe Baldes (XRAY)
2. Axel Helwig
3. Jörg Tönnies
Stock Juniors:
1. Joel VoĂź (XRAY)
2. Benjamin Lehmann (XRAY)
3. Dennis Kalinowski (XRAY)
Stock Seniors 40+:
1. Karl-Heinz Wilke
2. Siegfried SchĂĽtte (XRAY)
3. Peter Hollfelder |
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