PERFECT RACE FOR THE KTM X-BOW BATTLE IN ADRIA:THE NEW X-BOW “R” THRIUMPHS AT THE DTM!
What a performance of the KTM X-BOW Battle at the DTM on the Adria Raceway: No less than 30 (!) starters delivered thrilling and spectacular motorsport, which was not only enjoyed by the fans and team members of the racing series. The people in charge from DMSB and ITR, too, were more than taken by the quality of the sport as well as the fairness and the spectacle at the KTM X-BOW Battle as the organizer Georg Silbermayr reported: „Everyone in charge here at the DTM gave us a sensationally positive feedback. This makes me and actually everyone of us very proud, because it’s not a matter of course for a racing series that hasn’t existed a year ago!“ In the course of the talks it soon emerged that the guest appearance at the DTM on the Adria Raceway would not be the last – more could not be revealed by Georg Silbermayr: „For the next year we have an agreement with our long-standing partner, the Porsche Alpenpokal. Everything that’s beyond this we will arrange within the next two or three weeks, as well as the final rules for the year 2011, so that our drivers and teams can start planning their upcoming season.“ KTM-chairman Hubert Trunkenpolz and KTM-chief designer Gerald Kiska, who both were behind the wheel of their KTM X-BOW in Adria, were also thrilled, not only by the race in Italy, but by the entire season „Our initial thanks goes to all the starters – and there were more than 60 of them spread over the entire year – as well as to Georg Silbermayr, who made this incredible success, aided by his team, possible in the first year already. Thanks very much for that! We are already looking forward to the year 2011, during which we will vigorously support the KTM X-BOW BATTLE once again!“ There was also elation about the successful premiere of the KTM X-BOW „R“, which was driven by Reinhard Kofler to an impressive double victory on its first deployment. The 300 horsepower strong “R” will extend the KTM portfolio already as from spring 2011!
1st Race KTM X-BOW Battle Invitation Race, Adria Raceway, 30th October 2010:What a season’s finale, as 30 KTM X-BOW hit the racetrack on Saturday afternoon. Raphael Sperrer was ahead during qualifying, but during the race he did not manage to hold Reini Kofler at bay for too long. The Upper Austrian fairly moved out of the way for the KTM research and development driver, who in turn started immediately to break away from the leading field. Behind him there was an intense fight between Zawotec pilot Marko Klein and the „Battle newcomer“ Henk Thuis, who was extremely fast in his Class 3 X-BOW. A spin by Thuis decided the duel and Klein came third after the confident Reini Kofler and Raphael Sperrer Thuis lost a few places through his spin, but fought back to reach fifth place – he just did not manage to catch up with fourth-placed Jiri Heinik. „Michel Vaillant“ gave an impressive performance, sixth place and victory in Class 2 were his reward. But the victory was not easily reached: Guest starter Chris Rendlen, normally driving in the German racing series VLN, gave „Vaillant“ a very hard time over the entire racing distance and he only managed to keep the German behind him with some difficulty. The old hands Pavel Heinik and Klaus Angerhofer followed on places eight and nine, strong tenth and winner of Class 1 was Markus Lungstrass. There followed Gusti Eder and Gerhard Trenker as eleventh and twelfth respectively, before a bike specialist in thirteenth place had a worthy finish to his four wheel premiere: IDM-Superbike racer Stefan Nebel had swapped his KTM RC8R for a X-BOW (his own!) and acquitted himself properly during his debut: Fifth in the hardfought Class 2! Gerald Hierzer could also be satisfied: The Styrian, who only started for the second time conquered 14th place, even before designer Gerald Kiska. After his appearance on the Salzburgring he granted „his“ X-BOW racetrack exercise for the second time and even managed to prevail in front of KTMchairman Hubert Trunkenpolz, who was not happy at all about this and promised revenge for the race on Sunday. But also behind these there was brave driving and fighting. During the race there were more overtaking manoeuvres than during other racing series in an entire season. 27 drivers saw the chequered flag. The entire CCS-team from Jim Gebhardt was unlucky. He drove strongly at the start, but suddenly lost power, the clutch waved goodbye on Siegfried Käser’s car and also the X-BOW of Jürgen Pipp had problems – exceptional bad luck for them with these otherwise so reliable cars.
2nd Race KTM X-BOW Battle Invitation Race, Adria Raceway, 31st October 2010:The picture book weather of Friday and Saturday simply did not want to continue on the last day of October. And so it was rain and hefty winds characterizing the racing Sunday – and put a frown on many X-BOW driver’s face. 30 cars approaching the first bend, on a wet track, some already saw the “big crash” coming… Far from it! The brilliant performance of ALL pilots resulted in a completely collision-free start – even though the driving was very tough.. Reini Kofler was the only one who could think himself safe after only one lap: He used his entire experience, broke away again and drove his X-BOW „R“ prototype towards a clean start-finish victory. Behind him there was a sensational fight between Raphael Sperrer and Marko Klein, who over many laps caused waves of enthusiasm among the countless Italian fans. In the end it was Marko Klein, who managed to utilize a tiny slip by Sperrer to overtake. Keyword slip: There were some after all, especially when the rain increased and the track got more slippery. The “victims” were especially Jürgen Pipp and Pavel Heinik, who both acquainted themselves with the armco. Luckily both cars were only slightly damaged. A few other pilots went spinning as well, but thankfully without guard rail contact: Hubert Trunkenpolz and Klaus Angerhofer each twice, the Czech old hand Jiri Heinik had to be recovered from the gravel pit and even Battle organizer Georg Silbermayr spun off the track. And so it was that Markus Lungstrass lived up to his reputation as „rain god“ once more. Like on the Slovakiaring he walked on water and managed to get a great fourth place in the overall ranking, which also meant a superior class victory. Behind Henk Thuis, who gave a great debut at the „Battle“, Jim Gebhardt would have deserved the „Man of the Race“-trophy, had there been one. The fast man from Cham drove from the last fos at the start up to sixth place! Chris Rendlen gilded his guest start with a victory in Class 2. Gerald Kiska delivered a spectacular drive in the rain and came a good ninth, Gerald Hierzer was great in eleventh place. Also impressive Ingo Hartmann, who – similar to Markus Lungstrass – might be a real rain specialist and was second-placed Class 1 driver on the slippery course of the Adria Raceway. Where was Superbike-pro Stefan Nebel? He banked on a collision in the first bend and had started from the pit elane – it sadly did not work out (for him) and so he had to contend with 22nd place.
