For the sixth round of the 2019 Drift Kings International Series, it was a return one of the most cherished circuits among the drivers – Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.
Featuring attack speeds of over 175km/h combined with challenging fast, yet technical corners at the prestigious circuit, it’s easy to see why the pilots always look forward to seeing Germany return to the calendar!
After a day of practice in the summer heat, it was Yves Meyer that proved to be the man to beat as he scooped up 91.30 points in qualifying.
It was certainly a challenge for the judges this time around as Sebastian Matuzewski couldn’t have got much closer with 91.17 points to take the second-place spot.
In third would be series leader Rick Van Goethem, once again providing an impressive score of 88.79.
Massimo Checchin would land the highest attack speed of 175.11 in his second run, after a clutch failure meant an emergency replacement was required back in the paddock as he fought against the clock to ensure his spot in the battles.
Pro2 qualifying saw Frenchman Mathieu Bareyt take the top spot with a score of 86.65 points, with an insanely close follow-up from Maxi Grimm in second, with 86.64! Alexandre Strano secured the third position.
Karolina Pilarczyk led the way in the Queen of Europe series, with Denise Ritzmann and Michaela Frantina Sacherova occupying the second and third spots respectively.
Sunday would be game day, and as the mercury topped 31 degrees Celsius, the grippy Oschersleben circuit provided the perfect surface for the drivers to battle it out for valuable Championship points as the drivers set their sights on the final round in Serres, Greece.
After eliminating their rival competitors, it would be Greek youngster Stavros Grillis that went head-to-head with series leader Rick Van Goethem in the small final.
Despite some stunning performances this year, Grillis was yet to reach the podium, and refusing to miss out on the opportunity once again, he beat pushed his Toyota AE86 to the limit to ensure his well-deserved third place spot on the podium.
For the Final, it would see the winner of last years visit to Oschersleben, Klemens Kauderer, line up against the on-form reigning Pro2 Champion, Sebastian Matuzewski, who was determined to prove he has what it takes in his first series in the Pro Championship.
After two incredible runs, there was no question from the judges who would be the worthy winner this time around. Sebastian Matuzewski’s fine form and consistency throughout the weekend paid off as the 2018 Pro2 Champion proved he’s here to cause an upset as he lands the top spot on the podium!
In the Pro2 series, Oliver Walton defeated Mario Kuprian in the small final to land the third spot on the podium. For the final battle, close friends from France, Mathieu Bareyt and Alexandre Strano went head-to-head and they certainly didn’t hold back!
After an exciting 6-4, 4-6 spectacle, they went to a one-more-time decider. Despite an initial 0-0 score, Mathieu Bareyt made no mistake in the final push to secure a 10-0 and secure the top spot on the podium!
In the Queen series, Michaela Sacherova and Karolina Pilarczyk went up against each other in the final, and despite an initial 7-3 advantage for Karolina in the opening battle, Michaela Frantina Sacherova fought back and secured an 8-2 in the second run to take the win!
With the official rankings now updated, it’s Rick Van Goethem that remains in the top spot of the Pro series with Marco Zakouril in second and Clemens Kauderer in third.
For the Pro2 series, Alexandre Strano takes the top spot with Maxi Grimm in second and Mario Kuprian in third.
In the Queen series, Karolina Pilarczyk remains in the top spot, with Denise Ritzmann in second and Michaela Sacherova in third.
Official event video:
Event results:
It’s now all to play for in the final round as the drivers prepare to land in Serres, Greece for the 2019 Grand Final. With double points on offer, this is undoubtedly going to be an incredible finale to the season!
Just one week later, the Touge series will be featured in the Greek mountains for the very first time as Nigrita hosts the final round of the 2019 Drift Kings: Touge series!
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