Racing near by the beach – circuit Zandvoort is the perfect venue for the final round of the Reiter Young Stars Cup. And it will be an exciting weekend as there is no real favourite in driver and team standings and every part of the competition has still to be decided.
Open game for the universities – every team still has a chance to win the title
It is just a gap of 47,9 points who seperates the 8th placed CVUT Prague (RYS Team Hohenberg Event) from the leading FH Aachen (RYS Team WP). But this gap is not as big as it looks like. At Zandvoort the Universities still can collect points in four different categories like pit stops, fuel challenge, engineering and team manager. Additionally, all teams will get points for their marketing work after the final event. No position in the standings is secured before Zandvoort, every team still has a realistic chance to win the overall competition. Everyone has to fight 100% at the final races of the season!
The smallest gap by the way is between the first and second placed universities. Just 0,9 points separate the FH Aachen and the Universität des Saarlandes (RYS Team KTM).
Female drivers – duel for the Championship win
Caitlin Wood (RYS Team Kiska) and Laura Kraihamer (RYS Team KTM), these two girls will fight for the Championship win and a GT3 cockpit in the Blancpain Sprint Series 2017. While Caitlin Wood could catch four victories and Laura two, the Austrian driver collected more pointes in the exams. Both stepped onto the winners podium in every race.
50 Points will be given away at Zandvoort; 13 points separate the two female drivers after four events. “I have made great progress during the season”, says Caitlin Wood. “Especially the Hungaroring qualifying had been a big step forward and I hope to continue this way at Zandvoort.”
Laura Kraihamer looks forward to the final round extremely motivated: “Zandvoort seems to be an amazing track – as all the other tracks this season, I only know it from the simulator. I have prepared myself particularly intense for this round. The team from Uni Saarland and Reiter Engineering have done an amazing job so far and I am very optimistic that we will have a great car in Zandvoort. The championship win is still in reach and I hope that we can finally show full potential, without facing unfavourable circumstances.”
Male drivers – tough competition for Zandvoort
In the maths, five of the male Reiter Young Stars have a chance to win the Championship. Leader with 147 points in the books is Lennart Marioneck from RYS Team Holinger. He collected two race victories so far in Monza and Hungaroring. Mixed feelings for him by thinking about Zandvoort: “The track is very special and definitely not easy to drive. I have driven their twice and I like it. But you have to be careful, it is tight and less space for mistakes. The gravel beds are extremely deep. Once you´re in there, you get stuck.” Weather coould be a critical factor: „I prefer driving in the dry, but the KTM is a very stable car in wet conditions. But Zandvoort in the wet is a risk!”.
With a gap of 15 points, RYS Team Pankl driver Marko Helistekangas is second. He lost the lead in the first Hungaroring race, where he finished just in ninth place. He also has two victories in stock (Spa / Hungaroring) and took maximum points in the exams. Thomas Krebs (RYS Team WP) and Cedric Freiburghaus (RYS Team True Racing) are close together with 114 and 112 points in third and fourth. Still theoretical chances are active for Chris Vlok. The RYS Team InterNetX driver collected 100 points.