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DK: Steven takes 2nd place with Serpent 411

Posted on Posted in 1/10 electric onroad

DRCMU 2011-2012 3rd round

For me the 3rd round of DRCMU started on Friday about 1pm, when my father and I took the trip to Vamdrup, Denmark. We arrived around 4pm and I got the first look at the track. It was stationary and a bit technical.  It was the first stationary track this season and some of the other top Super Stock drivers had already tested several days on the technical track.

After my result from DHI-CUP 3 weeks earlier, I was hoping to do it better this weekend.

Friday afternoon and evening I used the time to get a feeling for the track and didn’t change my setup. I decided to wait until Saturday to test different setup changes.

Saturday morning I started early around 7 am and the car was really good from the start.

I tested some things but they didn’t improve the car. The only thing that made a big difference was chancing from a spool in the front to a geardiff, which made the car easier to drive, particular in the big sweeper in the middle of the track. This made it easier to place the car close to the curbs in  those parts of the track too.

How ever, by the end of the day I didn’t feel I was competitive enough, as the winners of the first two rounds of the season was about 4 sec. faster during a 5 minute heat.

 

On Sunday morning we got the tires that we were to use for the race, and from the testing Saturday I knew that new tires would pick up dirt from the carpet. I got two runs in before the first qualifying and the tire was ready for the race.

The grip in the track had changes a bit from Saturday evening and it looked like it would be some exciting and close qualifying heats.

I started as number four in the fastest heat.

At the DRCMU races we run round by round, so every point counts.

 

Q1
The car felt good on the opening laps, but after three or four laps I hit another car that had ran of at the end of the straight and my car was tweaked. I pushed the car as hard as I could for the rest of the heat but I wasn’t able to keep up with the fastest in the heat. I finished 4th in the heat and 6th overall in Q1. Not the best start of the race but if the car would be as good in Q2 and Q3 I was sure I could make in the A main.

Q2
This round started much better and I drove the beginning of the heat safe. After about four minutes I was in 2nd place in my heat and I opted to push the car a bit harder to be sure to keep the 2nd place and hopefully 2nd overall in round. I managed to finish 2nd overall and was now sure to make the A main.

Q3
I pushed the car as hard as possible and I finished 2nd in Q3, only 2 sec. after the TQ run and there by was to start 2nd on the grid in the A main.

The start order for the A mainwas:

  1. Mike Gosvig
  2. 2. Steven M. Olsen – Serpent S411
  3. Morten Iversen
  4. Palle Hornum
  5. Søren Jeppesen
  6. Frederik Hovgaard
  7. Rasmus Nørgaard
  8. 8. Mikael Skals – Serpent S411

 

A main 1
This final was not that exciting. We all got a clan start and Mike Gosvig started to pull away from me and Morten Iversen. Morten and I had a good fight for 2nd place, and I was able to hold Morten off through the hear and I was really happy this. I even felt I would be able to push the car harder and maybe be able to challenge Mike Gosvig for lead.

The result of the first main:

  1. Mike Gosvig                          27/5.10.66
  2. Steven M. Olsen – Serpent S411 26/5.02.68
  3. Morten Iversen                         26/5.04.04
  4. Rasmus Nørgaard                                 26/5.08.75
  5. Frederik Hovgaard                                 26/5.09.13
  6. Mikael Skals – Serpent S411 26/5.09.49
  7. Palle Hornum                                 25/5.03.49
  8. Søren Jeppesen                                 10/DNF.

 

A main 2
This one got a really scary start because the start tone came right after the referee had said 10 sec.

I was the only one who started and I had to brake not to hit the TQ driver.

Again Mike pulled away and I was irritated on myself for letting him do this. But at the same time Morten now started to put pressure on me. After three minutes I came on to the straight a little wide and Morten was able to overtake me on the inside. At this point it seemed like Morten had a little bit more speed than me. But luckily Morten made a mistake at the end of the straight the next lap and I could take back the 2nd place and keep it for the rest of the final.

The result of A main 2:

  1. Mike Gosvig                          26/5.00.73
  2. 2. Steven M. Olsen – Serpent S411            26/5.02.38
  3. Morten Iversen                         26/5.02.57
  4. Palle Hornum                                 26/5.04.07
  5. 5. Mikael Skals – Serpent S411              26/5.05.38
  6. Rasmus Nørgaard                                 26/5.05.57
  7. Frederik Hovgaard                                 26/5.09.21
  8. Søren Jeppesen                                 21/ DNF.

 

A main 3

We all had a clean start and I put pressure on Mike the first two laps but on the start of lap three one of the guys in the back of the heat made a mistake and came flying throw the air and almost hit my car. He took out all the cars behind me. After this I consolidated my 2nd place. Two drivers came up from behind, but never got close enough to put real pressure on me. So I was able keep them behind me through out the heat.

The result of main 3:

  1. Mike Gosvig                          27/5.09.77
  2. 2. Steven M. Olsen – Serpent S411            26/5.05.87
  3. Rasmus Nørgaard                                 26/5.06.01
  4. 4. Mikael Skals – Serpent S411              26/5.09.40
  5. Søren Jeppesen                                 25/5.01.92
  6. Palle Hornum                                 25/5.08.30
  7. Frederik Hovgaard                                 24/5.07.73
  8. Morten Iversen                         22/DNF.

 

These results gave my the overall 2nd place. A really good result for me which I’m very happy about and also my the first A main podium finish this season and my first with the Serpent S411.

A result that shows me how good and easy the Serpent S411 is to drive.

 

I would like to thanks Serpent for making a nice and fast car.

 

Regards

Steven M. Olsen