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Down Under - Monday Day 5 (10/09/2006)

By:: Michael Salven

And again...rain!

This morning we woke up from the rain rattling on the windows so we decided to stay two more minutes in bed (probably sounds familiar to you..) and head off to the track a little bit later. After arriving at the track it stopped raining so the race organisation started drying the track with leaf blowers. We hope this helps and there will be some racing today.

In the meantime...again some other interesting stuff from the 'Snake Pit' here in Brisbane.

Interview with Alistar Walker

Yesterday we had the opportunity to talk to Alistar Walker, secretary of the organization committee here in Brisbane. So enjoy reading the interview with him.

Interviewer: How are you doing today?
Alistar: Very well, thanks. We finished registration in two days which is good. It usually takes much longer. We only have Brunei guys still comming in (4), one guy from Sweden, one from France and two people from Indonesia comming. In total there are 132 people entered and 126 here at the moment.

Interviewer: What are your tasks at the Worlds?
Alistar: For the past two years we have been preparing everything by collecting all the information that drivers need like the driver information package, sponsorship packages and the web site. Here at the Worlds I am making the registration of all people (drivers, team managers, manufacturers) and basically we are looking after all people on the race. We are trying to make sure that they are having a good time and make it the best and most enjoyable World Championship ever. Support is what it’s all about. By the way if you have further suggestions, please let us know. We are having the 1:5 scale IFMAR Worlds next year so we are happy to get tips on what we can do better for this race.

Interviewer: Is everything going well?
Alistar: Yes, everything is going perfectly except the weather today. Well I do not want it to rain now. It can rain from next Sunday night on for 6 months but please not now.

Interviewer: What is the first thing you will do when the race is over?
Alistar: I will take my wife on holiday to Noosa (Australia). It is really nice over there, white beaches, nice hotels (Stay at the Sheraton if you can!), good restaurants and good shops … just great.

Interviewer: What do you wish to the racers?
Alistar: Good luck, have fun, good racing and enjoy Australia!

Racing again

Some racers used all possible ways to get better weather conditions...look at 'Kandi' (Gerhard Kandelhart) who decided to already behave as if the weather is fine and the sun is shining. And, guess what, it worked...at least for a while.

So it stayed dry for most of the afternoon and we saw some nice racing during the day. Unless the rain of yesterday and this morning the grip on the track is still ok and we saw lap times around 17.5 sec. as fastest. Right now the last heats are still running and we will give you a complete update on who is fast later in the afternooon.

Who am I ?!

For those of you who are wondering about the mysterious reporter writing the reports camouflaged as Michael Salven.....It's Melanie (Risse), Michael Salven's better half. So, nice to meet all of you which I do not know yet. I hope you enjoy my texts!

Interview with Fabio Domanin

As promised we are going to publish short interviews with our team Serpent racers every day. Please read below the interview with Fabio Domanin, the current 1:8 scale on road European Champion.

Interviewer: How are you doing today?
Fabio: Quite well in the first heat. I was just saving the car and looking how the car reacted after the rain yesterday and this morning. I was feeling good, just had a little bit under steering. It was enough to get the feeling of being quick.

Interviewer: How is racing until now?
Fabio: It was ok. We tried to get the car as good as possible. The track was changing every day. It was difficult to learn how the car reacts in the track because of the changed conditions.

Interviewer: How do you like the track?
Fabio: The layout is really nice but the curves are cambered to the other side so it is difficult to get used to these kinds of tracks. It is a little bit bumpy in some corners which make it difficult to follow a good line. But of course, this is the same for everybody so everybody has the same problem.

Interviewer: Who is your biggest competitor?
Fabio: The whole list. Almost everybody is a good competitor in such an event, almost everybody can be quick. You never know who!

Interviewer: Who is going to win this Worlds?
Fabio: I do not know. I hope someone from my team. It would be very good for our new car which was very well in the Euros.

Interviewer: What are you going to eat tonight?
Fabio:..just checking with Michael…. Oh maybe Chocolate muffin and Cappuccino?

Racing - end of the day

The last run of controlled practice has just been finished and lots of racers had problems with the cold wind and darkness during the run. Anyway for the spectators it was beautiful to see the small cars on the track with flood light on.

Lap times have been mid-17's with steadily growing grip on the track. As nearly all team Serpent drivers have found good set-ups by now the spirit has been good in the team. Everybody is confident and we are looking forward to the qualifications tomorrow.

Jilles Groskamp - winner of the Concours D' Elegance

Hot news just arrived the 'Snake Pits': Jilles Groskamp has won the Concours D'Elegance (best race body)!

Congratulations and now we just miss the other trophy :-) .....

Drying the track

Alistar Walker

Kandi searching for some sun

Addicted to the computer these days...

Fabio Domanin

Great view

the winning race body