LAUSITZ, Germany - Britain’s Paul Bonhomme topped the time sheets on Thursday in the first timed training session of the Red Bull Air Race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz while Germany’s Matthias Dolderer took a strong second place on a warm summer morning ahead of the weekend’s 2010 season finale. There is a second training session on Thursday afternoon and two on Friday before Saturday’s Qualifying and Sunday’s race.
Bonhomme, who holds a five-point lead in the championship over Austria’s Hannes Arch, stopped the clock in 1:14.99 on the track set up in the infield of the EuroSpeedway motorsport race circuit south of Berlin while Dolderer, the local hero, took a remarkable second in 1:15.84. Britain’s Nigel Lamb was third in 1:17.24 with American Michael Goulian fourth in 1:18.10. Arch was a distant sixth with a time of 1:18.75.
“I think it’s an interesting track,” said Bonhomme after posting the fastest time. “It’s pretty easy to fly the track the first time without frightening yourself. That’s always a good bonus the first time out there. But there are a lot of corners that are going to make or break your time.”
Pilots generally do not put too much value on the times in their first training run as many are exploring the track and working on certain segments during their five minute training sessions. But they do nevertheless pay close attention if someone is flying especially well -- like Dolderer on Thursday. By the final training session on Friday afternoon -- which determines the order for Qualifying -- they will be flying highly competitive times through the track.
Dolderer, who has struggled this season, is looking forward to racing in front of an expected crowd of 70,000 at home this weekend. His Edge 540 V3 is considered to be one of the fastest planes in the field and Dolderer is hoping to get the second podium of his career after getting third in the final race of the 2009 season in Barcelona.
“It went really well today,” said Dolderer, flashing a broad smile at his hangar set up in the pit lane. “I feel really comfortable here. It’s a lot of fun to fly on this track. I feel really relaxed and I’m just trying to enjoy myself here. It would be great to make it to the Super 8s and even better to get into the Final Four on Sunday.”
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