published: 2010-07-05 01:06:36 (60171) Author: Oli_M |
1/8th European Championship Final Report |
| Full run down of the 45 minute Final |
 At 17:00 local time, the European Championship Final got under way under clear skies and yes, you guessed it soaring temperatures!A clean start for the final saw Robert Pietsch (DEU) lead the field away, with Lamberto Collari (ITA) jumping fellow countryman Dario Balestri off the grid into second place. Michael Salven (DEU) had to start from the pitlane after a cut on the starting grid, but aside from these two changes the first lap was completed in grid order |
 Balestri got back past Collari within the first minute of the race with Andrea Cristiani (ITA) moving up to fourth. Ilia van Gastel was the driver really on the move as by the 2 minute marker the lone Belgian on the track had moved up to fifth place.Positions now started to be traded as the first pitstops occurred at around three and a half minutes, but still it was Pietsch who remained out in front |
 The running order after the first 10 minutes was still Pietsch, Balestri and Collari, with Alberto Picco (ITA) also challenging for a possible podium position after starting sixth.Unfortunately, fourth place starter Andrea Pirani (ITA) dropped right tot he back of the field just before the ten minute marker after running with the top three for the early part of the race |
 As pitstop cycles continued, Pietsch was always able to just stay ahead of the field and as the race approached one third distance he held a healthy half lap lead from Balestri. Van Gastel built on his impressive start and was running as high as third when an accident took him out of the race.As we approached half distance thoughts started to turn to tyre strategies most expected all the drivers to make a single tyre change between twenty and twenty five minutes. Before the stops began, the running order was Pietsch, Balestri, Cristiani, Collari, with Cristiani and Collari having a great dice less than a second apart. Michele Romagnoli (ITA) had quietly worked his way up into fifth spot and Oliver Mack (DEU) was sitting in sixth |
 Pietsch maintained his half lap lead over Balestri as Cristiani and Collari battled hard for third and fourth places. As Cristiani and Collari both made mistakes whilst racing hard, the leading two cars gradually increased their lead and at two-thirds distance they were nearly two laps clear of Cristiani's Serpent running in third.Whilst it looked like Pietsch and Balestri were set to race each other for the win, Mack and Romagnoli were not far behind the Cristiani/Collari battle and had a good chance of making the podium. |
 Balestri had a final push at closing the gap to Pietsch, setting the fastest lap of the race in the final 10 minutes, but the German driver seemed in control of the race and was able to maintain his lead at around half a lap.The third place battle was effectively settled five minutes before the end as a mistake from Cristiani gave Collari some breathing room and allowing Mack into fourth place |
 It was just down to Pietsch then to reel off the remaining laps which he did without incident and after a hard 45 minutes of racing, crossed the line to become the 2010 1/8th Track European Champion.Balestri finished second, Collari third, Mack fourth, Cristiani fifth and disappointed he had missed his chance at a podium finish. Salven had worked his way up to sixth place, with Romagnoli seventh and Picco eighth and the last of the drivers to complete the full 45 minutes |
 The cars were taken away by the technical inspection team to make sure they all fitted the regulations, and with no penalties being necessary, the podium presentation took place. Robert and Dario demonstrated their dominance of the weekend's events as the only two drivers not to make a mistake or require unplanned pitstops.Lamberto's experience helped guide him to third place and his result along with Mack's meant NovaRossi engines swept the top four places. Robert Pietsch managed the incredible feat of leading every single lap of the final, despite massive pressure from Dario Balestri throughout |
 Thanks of course go to the host club and all the officials, the Italian federation as well as the EFRA personnel. The circuit had provided a fantastic event which ran smoothly and to a tight time schedule.With the event over, drivers and teams start looking towards their next event, and Robert Pietsch will no doubt be hoping to defend his title next year |
 We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the event this weekend, this marks the end of our written reports but we've still got lots of photos to add to the gallery as well as video highlights of that remarkable European Championship Final.Also don't forget we will be providing coverage of every single EFRA European Championship race throughout the summer continuing with the 1/8th Off Road Rallycross event next weekend. Check back to www.efra.ws for all the latest news, interviews and reports from the events |