2012 Euros – Practice

Here at the 2012 nitro Euros, in Fehring Austria, the facility is amazing. Full concrete drivers stand, marble floor, with a platform. Two monitors in the stand, three in pit lane. More in the pits. A full on cantina for food, and in Europe, of course beer on tap. The main pit building is all stained wood, tables, lighting, outlets, concrete floor. Very nice.

I like coming to the races in Europe. They are so much more structured than the US version. When you arrive, the heats are already set up, with a time table and a schedule of the days events. Really, the weeks events. Of course you will be switching heat race number after the timed practice. Practice day was two rounds of open practice, in heats. One ten minute in the morning and a fifteen minute session in the afternoon. The next day will be two five minute timed sessions, using your best three laps to determine your heat. All ran like clock work. With strict in and out of pit lane, warm up area and tech.

While the facility is top notch, the track is…European. Not much prep on the dirt sections, the layout is fast and flowing and considerably less jumps than in the US. And they love their multi-surface. Dirt, brick pavers, a rubber corner, steel mesh bridge and carpet jumps. Traction was fair in the morning session, with the later rounds having a lot less dust in the main groove. The fast times so far are in the 36 second range, on the 14 corner course. Standing in the drivers stand, the track looks deeper than wide. And even though the stand is off to the side from center, it doesn’t seem too bad moving from one end to the other.

It’s kind of funny, the track music is all American. I guess you could call it pop. Actually, the station in the rent-a-ride is the same. But dinner last night was definitely not American. Sitting outside at a sidewalk cafe, in downtown Fehring, eating a traditional Austrian pasta meal, with some of Europe’s fastest RC drivers. Not a bad way to spend the evening.