published: 2010-07-19 14:46:05 (62694) Author: matm |
Well, that was the 2010 Large Scale F1 Euros! |
| The whole story from the Auto Bayer Arena in Slavkov, Czech Republic |
 A tense afternoon! though in mercifully cooler conditions at the fantastic Auto Bayer Arena in Slavkov, Czech Republic. However the track action showed no signs of cooling as the 2010 1:5 F1 European Championships went off in style.
With 32 drivers registered from across Europe, teams we're able to pit track-side, which made for a great set up and some exciting mid race dashes as teams battled the clock to make repairs and get back in the race! |
Back to Thursday and the opening ceremony kicked off proceedings with a bang, as the organizers treated teams and spectators to an exciting cannon display! |
 On Friday, five rounds of qualifying saw drivers in 4 groups seeded across A & B 1/4 and semi finals. This, along with the practice sessions gave teams some much needed time to master the demanding technical track.
As qualifying got underway, local star Martin Bayer quickly emerged as a potential favorite, topping his first two heats, with former European Champion, Croatian Dario Veseli in second and junior champion contender Ales Bayer in 3rd. |
 As the fifth round of qualifying came to a close the clouds drew in and gave way to thunder and rain and a much needed 'cool down' though the potential of a wet track gave teams more to think about.
With qualifying done, Dario fell to 5th overall with another former champion, Clark Wohlert (Pictured) - 2 seconds faster, and indeed the holder of the fastest lap all week at 25.119 seconds! Third place qualifier was Martin Lissau with young Ales Bayer 2nd and his brother Martin in TQ. |
 Well, as finals day got underway, 1/4 final A was topped by 2009 EC Hrvoje Stegmayer, whilst the B was won by German, Martin Mittelstadt. (Pictured) They and the two drivers behind them would 'bump-up' the the semis..
The group A semi-final looked to be the toughest, with Martin Bayer on pole, 2007 1:5 Touring Car World Champion, Martin Lissau 2nd on the grid, and the 2008 F1 Champion in 3rd! We spoke to the two Martins a few minutes before the race... |
 Group B semi-final saw tragedy strike young hopeful Ales Bayer, who qualified 2nd overall, but sadly went from pole to last position. It was a fairly minor mistake that sent him into the grass and whilst the track was mostly dry, the green areas had retained a great deal of moisture and contact with them made cars virtually undrivable for several laps.
After such a promising start Ales was not to make the final. This allowed 2nd on the grid, Clark Wohlert to take 1st place |
Group A semi-final unleashed 30 minutes of white knuckle racing, (as promised) between Martin Bayer and Martin Lissau, we spoke to them, along with third place man Dario Veseli after the race |
| Well after such an exciting A semi, the final really didn't disappoint! Take a look at the action as the drvers behind the top cars tell the story.
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 Don't forget to check back for the 1:5 Touring Car Euros next weekend! |