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Video – 2wd A-main Leg 3

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 10:59 AM PST

Cragg gets his first EOS win

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 10:58 AM PST

Neil Cragg finally got his first win of the Euro Offroad Series, the Team Associated driver taking the TQ and win at Round 2 in Daun, Germany. Winning the opening A-Main from reigning champion Michal Orlowski with that result reversed in A2, the pair would go into the final encounter battling for the overall win. Cragg would lead early from Orlowski but in the same spot where he gave up the lead in A2, Cragg together with Orlowski would roll delaying third placed Lee Martin and allowing Martin Bayer to go to the front. Coming under pressure from Martin before a mistake from the former Champion and then an all or nothing last lap from Orlowski, Bayer would hold on for the win denying Orlowski the overall win. Bayer’s second podium of the season, the Xray driver will leave Germany as the new championship points leader while team-mate and Round 1 winner Bruno Coelho leaves with a 10th place, a result he will be hoping is his season throw out.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete coverage here.

Cragg gets his first EOS win

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 10:57 AM PST

Neil Cragg finally got his first win of the Euro Offroad Series, the Team Associated driver taking the TQ and win at Round 2 in Daun, Germany. Winning the opening A-Main from reigning champion Michal Orlowski with that result reversed in A2, the pair would go into the final encounter battling for the overall win. Cragg would lead early from Orlowski but in the same spot where he gave up the lead in A2, Cragg together with Orlowski would roll delaying third placed Lee Martin and allowing Martin Bayer to go to the front. Coming under pressure from Martin before a mistake from the former Champion and then an all or nothing last lap from Orlowski, Bayer would hold on for the win denying Orlowski the overall win. Bayer’s second podium of the season, the Xray driver will leave Germany as the new championship points leader while team-mate and Round 1 winner Bruno Coelho leaves with a 10th place, a result he will be hoping is his season throw out.

‘I’m super happy, I have never been close to winning one before’, was how Cragg summed up his first EOS win, the British driver now in his third season of the EOS. He continued, ‘I have to thank Associated and CML for this (win). I was off the pace the last one but since then they have worked really hard so thanks a lot for that’. On A3 he said, ‘they were all over me at the start but I was still feeling comfortable. Michal crashed at the jump but within half a second I crashed too. Idiot. I knew Michal had to win because I had the faster time so I was hoping Lee and Martin would stay in front. A big thanks to Lee Roy and Bayer for helping with the win. I was a little lucky but you make your own luck’.

‘It was close but I made a mistake at the famous table top’, was Orlowski’s reaction after the race. The Polish driver continued, ‘I knew I had to win and did my best and almost got it. Neil deserved to win this weekend’. On his battle with Bayer for the lead, he said, ‘Bayer controlled the race well and I was hoping he would crash. I needed one more lap to pass him. Still, second is a better result than Warsaw’.

A very happy Bayer described his A3 win as ‘excellent’. The Czech driver said, ‘I was lucky they crashed but there was huge pressure to hold them behind me. I knew they both had nothing to lose. Lee needed to pass me to make the podium and so did Michal to get the win. They forced maximum and holding them behind was really difficult, I am extremely happy for this’. On hearing he now leads the championship standings, he said, ‘It sounds awesome, it’s just great. 2 races and 2 podiums, I’m really happy with this’.

Discovering his Yokomo had a broken hinge pin after A2, Lee Martin said with a new one fitted for A3 his car was ‘really good’. Getting caught up with Cragg when his fellow countryman rolled out of the lead, he said, ‘I was super unlucky when me and Neil got together which let Bayer into the lead. He drove a pretty good race and unless he made a mistake there was nowhere to pass’. Dropping behind Orlowski after a mistake on his last lap, Martin concluded, ‘It has been a very unlucky weekend so far’.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

Dash AI Series program card

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 09:10 AM PST

Dash have introduced a dedicated programming card for the AI Pro competition brushless speed controller. The box allows to easily fine-tune the speedo’ software settings without the need for an additional PC

Source: Dash [dash-rc.com]

T-Works MP9 TKI4/3 rear tension rod

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 09:02 AM PST

Coming from T-Works is a rear tension rod set for the Kyosho MP9 TKI4 and TKI3 buggies. The set includes a length adjustable tension rod/chassis brace and all needed hardware and the use allows to run a stiff chassis in longitudinal direction while increasing rear flex which can be beneficial in low grip and bumpy conditions.

Source: T-Works [rc-tworks.com]

Orlowski takes A2 from Cragg

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 08:43 AM PST

Michal Orlowski came out the winner of a somewhat chaotic A2 of 2WD at the Euro Offroad Series in Daun. Starting from second on the grid, the Schumacher driver would get tangled with Top Qualifier Neil Cragg on lap 2 after the Associated driver got his landing wrong off the table top following the wall. This would let Lee Martin through to the lead followed by championship leader Bruno Coelho but that battle lasted only a lap as Coelho hit the Yokomo driver at the corner table top allowing Orlowski into a lead he would quickly extend. Having dropped to 4th, Cragg would recover to finish 2nd with Martin Bayer completing the Top 3 as Martin & Coelho eventually finished 6th and 9th respectively.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete coverage here.

Video – 2wd A-main Leg 2

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 08:41 AM PST

Orlowski takes A2 from Cragg

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 08:37 AM PST

Michal Orlowski came out the winner of a somewhat chaotic A2 of 2WD at the Euro Offroad Series in Daun. Starting from second on the grid, the Schumacher driver would get tangled with Top Qualifier Neil Cragg on lap 2 after the Associated driver got his landing wrong off the table top following the wall. This would let Lee Martin through to the lead followed by championship leader Bruno Coelho but that battle lasted only a lap as Coelho hit the Yokomo driver at the corner table top allowing Orlowski into a lead he would quickly extend. Having dropped to 4th, Cragg would recover to finish 2nd with Martin Bayer completing the Top 3 as Martin & Coelho eventually finished 6th and 9th respectively.

‘It’s all down to the last one’, was Orlowski’s reaction on winning A2. Summing up the race he said, ‘Neil cased the table top and rolled over but I couldn’t react fast enough and we got stuck together. I got away 3rd and was thinking sometimes it’s the best place to be and yeah it happened’ – Martin and Coelho making contact. He continued, ‘Once in front I tried to make the gap on 2nd bigger. I was also trying to get a faster time than Neil but missed it by 2/10th because of the slow start’.

Cragg said, ‘I was a little lucky to get 2nd out of that, I had many crashes at the dreaded table top’. The former World Champion continued, ‘I was 4th or 5th at one stage so to get a 2nd I’ll take it but I’ll try to drive better the next one’. Looking to the deciding third A-Main encounter having failed to make the cut at the season opener in Poland, he said, ‘I am pleased how this weekend is going and I have the faster time than Michal so he has to win to beat me’.

Clearly frustrated by his incident with Coelho, Martin called A2 a ‘pretty silly race’. He continued, ‘In that race there was a lot of people forgetting to brake. The track here is so fast and intense some drivers forget to press the brake and seem to think it is ok to drive through you’.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

Video – 2wd A-main Leg 1

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 06:56 AM PST

Cragg wins A1

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 06:44 AM PST

Top Qualifier Neil Cragg has taken an easy win in the opening A-Main of 2WD at the Euro Offroad Series in Germany. The top 3 on the grid making an early break, the Team Associated driver would lead home Michal Orlowski and Lee Martin, Orlowski benefiting from a late mistake by Martin on the wall while the Yokomo driver was in second and closing down on Cragg. Behind, HB Racing’s David Ronnefalk would put in a great drive to work his way from 10th on the grid through to fourth. For championship leader Bruno Coelho the opening A-Main wouldn’t be the turning point he was looking for and despite having the fastest car on track he crossed the finish line 7th.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete coverage here.

Cragg wins A1

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 06:22 AM PST

Top Qualifier Neil Cragg has taken an easy win in the opening A-Main of 2WD at the Euro Offroad Series in Germany. The top 3 on the grid making an early break, the Team Associated driver would lead home Michal Orlowski and Lee Martin, Orlowski benefiting from a late mistake by Martin on the wall while the Yokomo driver was in second and closing down on Cragg. Behind, HB Racing’s David Ronnefalk would put in a great drive to work his way from 10th on the grid through to fourth. For championship leader Bruno Coelho the opening A-Main wouldn’t be the turning point he was looking for and despite having the fastest car on track he crossed the finish line 7th.

‘Exactly as I wanted it to be’, was how Cragg summed up his A1 win. He continued, ‘I got a gap on Michal and was as comfortable as you can be leading a race. Then the guys started to crash so I took my foot off. One more like that will do’. Asked about his mistake at the table top he said, ‘Oh I forgot about that. The dreaded table top jump. I just didn’t clear it right, I didn’t give it enough power’.

Commenting on his race Orlowski said, ‘Its not what I wanted, too many crashes again’. The Schumacher driver continued, ‘I have good speed in my car but need to cut out the mistakes’. Battling with Martin for most of the race the Pole concluded, ‘It was a good fight with Lee for 2nd and I got a bit lucky at the end’.

‘Pretty good’ was how Martin described his race. The Yokomo driver saying, ‘I had one pretty big mistake which is shame as I was just catching Neil as well’. In relation to his car, his fastest lap time almost identical to that of Orlowski, added ‘(the) car was lacking a little drive again so I need to rebuild my diff for the next one’.

View complete event results here.

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Chassis Focus – Michal Orlowski

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 05:23 AM PST

Chassis: Schumacher Cougar KC
Motor: LRP X22 6.5T
ESC: LRP Flow X
Batteries: LRP 3500mAh
Radio/Servo: Sanwa
Tires: Schumacher (handout)
Body: Aerox
Remarks – Polish ace Michal Orlowski recorded the fastest qualifying time with his Cougar KC. His buggy is equipped with an alloy steering system and carbon chassis, while together with Schumacher’s engineer Tristram Neal Michal is testing some new suspension parts and working on the chassis flex, but no further details have been disclosed.

Image Gallery

Cragg Top Qualifier at EOS Daun

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 04:29 AM PST

Neil Cragg is the 2WD Top Qualifier at Round 2 of the Euro Offroad Series in Germany. The Team Associated driver claimed his second EOS career TQ after topping 2 of the 4 qualifiers in Daun and with a little help from fellow British driver Lee Martin who took a surprise TQ from Michal Orlowski in the final round. With only Orlowski able to deny Cragg a pole start for this afternoon’s finals, Cragg looked to have everything under control but with a minute to go a mistake dropped him off the TQ pace with Martin and Orlowski taking up the battle. With his Q3 TQ time the fastest, Orlowski had the tie break advantage if he could top Q4 and he would push Martin hard for it however with both drivers crashing on their final laps Martin would hang on to take it by half a second. With Orlowski set to start 2nd, Martin’s TQ bumps the Yokomo driver up to 3rd. Championship leader Bruno Coelho would complete the Top 3 behind them, the improved result putting him 5th on the grid behind Xray team-mate Martin Bayer.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete coverage here.

Cragg Top Qualifier at EOS Daun

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 04:22 AM PST

Neil Cragg is the 2WD Top Qualifier at Round 2 of the Euro Offroad Series in Germany. The Team Associated driver claimed his second EOS career TQ after topping 2 of the 4 qualifiers in Daun and with a little help from fellow British driver Lee Martin who took a surprise TQ from Michal Orlowski in the final round. With only Orlowski able to deny Cragg a pole start for this afternoon’s finals, Cragg looked to have everything under control but with a minute to go a mistake dropped him off the TQ pace with Martin and Orlowski taking up the battle. With his Q3 TQ time the fastest, Orlowski had the tie break advantage if he could top Q4 and he would push Martin hard for it however with both drivers crashing on their final laps Martin would hang on to take it by half a second. With Orlowski set to start 2nd, Martin’s TQ bumps the Yokomo driver up to 3rd. Championship leader Bruno Coelho would complete the Top 3 behind them, the improved result putting him 5th on the grid behind Xray team-mate Martin Bayer.

His first TQ since the season finale of the EOS two years ago when the entire factory Associated team came to the Nurburgring for the debut of the B6 platform with Ryan Cavalieri going on to take the win, Cragg said, ‘I’m really happy with the TQ’. He continued that Q4 was ‘a really good run for 4-minutes until I had a bobble at the end of the straight and it unravelled from there’. Ending up 5th fastest, he continued, ‘the car is really good so we’ll see what we can do in the finals. We’ll just check the shocks for the finals and leave the set-up as it is because it’s running really well’.

Summing up his final qualifying attempt, Orlowski said, ‘It was OK. I was on new tyres so the car was a bit edgy and that led me to have a few bobbles’. The reigning champion continued, ‘I tried to catch Lee and it was pretty close in the end but now I have good tyres for the final and the car feels really good’. Asked about racing in the finals, the Pole said, ‘the start will be tricky because the table top after the wall is difficult’.

‘Back in the game’ was Martin’s reaction to his TQ run, the European Champion adding, ‘I could have done it last night too but I messed up’. Raising the rear roll centre and adding more rear toe-in, he said the car was better but he still has a problem with losing drive near the end of the heat. Having fitted all new slipper parts, he is now thinking maybe the diff gets too warm. Asked about the final he replied, ‘Well I bumped myself into a good position to actually do something’.

Having a tough final qualifier, Bayer said, ‘for the last one I tried something different with the set-up to try make the car quicker in the 180 degree corners but it was not good and I will go back’. He continued, ‘I will look for some luck in the final. The track is quite a mix so it could be interesting and the guy from the back could still win’.

Enduring a contrasting weekend so far to the season opener when he took the TQ and win in dominant style in Poland, Coelho said, ‘This track is very difficult. I only had one mistake, I rolled at the table top, but it cost me a few seconds’. Concluding qualifying with his first Top 3 run, he continued, ‘the start will for sure be a mess. Starting 5th on this track I could finish last or first. It’s so easy to make mistakes’.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

Orlowski takes Q3 at EOS

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 02:11 AM PST

Michal Orlowski has TQ’d the third round of 2WD qualifying at Round 2 of the Euro Offroad Series in Germany. The Schumacher driver ended Neil Cragg’s run of topping the time sheets at the new Daun venue as he topped the opening run of Day 2 from the Team Associated driver. With Orlowski fastest by 2.6-seconds, his TQ time the quickest so far, things were much closer behind him with Cragg only 6/100ths up on Martin Bayer who in turn was 3/10ths quicker than his Xray team-mate Bruno Coelho.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete coverage here.

Orlowski takes Q3 at EOS

Posted: 27 Jan 2018 01:46 AM PST

Michal Orlowski has TQ’d the third round of 2WD qualifying at Round 2 of the Euro Offroad Series in Germany. The Schumacher driver ended Neil Cragg’s run of topping the time sheets at the new Daun venue as he topped the opening run of Day 2 from the Team Associated driver. With Orlowski fastest by 2.6-seconds, his TQ time the quickest so far, things were much closer behind him with Cragg only 6/100ths up on Martin Bayer who in turn was 3/10ths quicker than his Xray team-mate Bruno Coelho.

‘It didn’t start very good, I was sleepy the first couple of laps’, was how Orlowski summed up his TQ run. Having raced at the Reedy Race of Champions in California last weekend the Polish teenager says he is struggling with jet lag. Starting the qualifier directly behind Cragg, once he woke up he said, ‘I just put my head down to catch up to Neil. Then he had a mistake and I had a good gap, so for the last couple of laps I drove carefully’. Suffering from crashes and traffic in the opening qualifier, while the second one was a better attempt he said a nap before the late evening qualifier meant he wasn’t fully on his game. In terms of his car he said, ‘the cars feels good, it’s the same set-up as we ran in practice’.

Having topped seeding and the opening 2 qualifiers making it a perfect first day, Cragg said, ‘I got a little tight in the middle of the heat and clipped a few things but 2nd is still a good result’. An early start to the day, the former World Champion continued, ‘It not too bad for this hour of the morning. The car is still good and we are still competitive. We’ll just rotate the tyres for the last one’. With the large track proving challenging to all drivers with mistakes common, Cragg felt in Q3 he was a lot better over the jump after the banked corner, a section that has been catching out a lot of drivers.

Despite still being sick, joking he is taking medication like eating sweets, Bayer was very happy with his run to P3. The Czech driver said, ‘the run was good. I had no mistakes. It was a very close ending with 3-cars on the same second. The finals will be very interesting’. Sitting third in the qualification ranking he added, ‘I have been in the Top 4 in all 3 runs so I am very happy with my consistency’.

For team-mate Coelho, the weekend has so far been a tough one for the Round 1 dominator. While P4 in Q3 would be his best run so far the Portuguese driver is struggling to produce a clean run. Agreeing the track is challenging he said, ‘It was going very good at the beginning but I had a mistake and lost 3-seconds. The car is good, I just need to try and make no mistakes’.

Posting another P5 time, Yokomo’s Lee Martin said his car is ‘still lacking corner speed’. Also suffering a ‘couple of mistakes’, he continued, ‘I have a 5, 5 & a 6 so it’s time to try something now’. Changing the car set-up each round he said, ‘we have been making baby steps with the changes but now it’s time to make a bigger step. It a progression of what we have been doing but just much bigger’. He also plans to run a new set of tyres joking its ‘wheelie time’. Behind Martin, team-mate Marc Rheinard would complete the Top 6.

View complete event results here.

View the event image gallery here.