This is a race report from Rasmus Tobias Callesen, Team driver for Serpent. He ran his Serpent 411 to the TQ position, ultimately finishing 2nd in the hotly contested modified class. Check it out, and congrats!

Date: 17.3.2013
Race: DRCMU 6
Track: Søhushallen – DK-Odense
Condition: Carpet – mixed – 21 degr. C – medium/high grip
Class: Modified
Result: Pole and 2nd

Up to the race
The podium at the last race in Aalborg was good for me. In the championship I’m in the fourth position, but with this result I still have the opportunity to make the podium in the championship too. At least I have to finish better than the driver in third place in the last two races. I did some practice together with Patrick Hornum, who just switched to the Serpent Eryx. We did some back-to-back tests and discussed the potential of the car. It’s nice to have a sparring partner. We are both very equal in performance, only he has five-six years more of experience. We felt, we were both ready for the race in Odense.

Practice at the race
The carpet in Odense was the same as used at the latest DHI Cup in January, but the track layout was not the same. Therefore, some spots had a very high grip level and some spots had near to zero grip. It was very difficult to make setup in the start. I let my latest setup, which I drove at the test session, stay on my car. I tried different tire additive, but I went back to my starting point. I was satisfied, how the car was to drive, and I could see and feel, my car was the fastest on the track. However, many drivers – me included – had to deal with grip roll due to the strange grip level of the carpet. Nearly none could drive five minutes without any fault. I hate to glue the side wall of the tires, so I waited to Sunday and new fresh tires. In the afternoon I got the information, that Steen Graversen, who had won every race this season, was sick and could not come to the race in Odense. Now we were only three of the fastest top four drivers at the race. Maybe a podium now?

Qualification
Once again the qualifying started with two rounds of practice with the best three consecutive laps to be counted for seeding for the qualifying. In the first round the three fastest drivers were within 14 thousandth of a second. I was in second place. In the next round I had the fastest time and had to start the qualification with number one on my car. In the first round of qualification I stayed calm and had only one grip roll. I won it with five seconds ahead of number two. The second round I could drive without any faults and I again won the round – this time with two seconds ahead of the next driver. I had the pole!! In the third round I could drive without any pressure. I drove super lap times until I caught a curb after about 3 minutes. As I had secured the pole, I stopped and saved the tires for the finales. Patrick Hornum had to start right behind me. That meant a Serpent 1-2 on the grid.

Finales
In the first final I had a good start and could open a little gap. In the fifth lap I caught the straight a little wrong and in the end of the straight I got too wide. Result: no grip and the tail of my car got wobbling. When I had got control over my car again, Patrick had overtaken me on the inside. The rest of the heat we drove close, and I finished second eight tenth of a second behind him. In the second finale I once again had a good start but in the second lap I got a grip roll. Patrick slipped through and with me on his tale. This time I fought very hard to re-overtake him. After four minutes I hit a curb, got out on the straight in the wrong direction, came back – and hit a hole in the carpet got three meter under the carpet. Big laughter among the audience but I found it not to be funny. After about half a minute my car was back on the track and I could finish eighth out of ten cars. I could not win anymore, as Patrick had won the first two finales. The third finale I could pull away until I again had a grip roll. Patrick slipped through and I was just ahead of the third car of Morten Juul Iversen. I started to pull away from him and he got stuck in some traffic. Then Patrick made a fault and I was back in first place where I stayed until the end. Result: a second place for me, and a first, second, fourth and eighth finish for Serpent.

After the race
I should have won the race, but I am also happy with my second place. The track had a very strange on and off grip, and as written before nearly none could drive faultless. It was a little gamble, who got through and who didn’t. With my second place it is now up to me to climb the podium in the championship too. I’m now one point behind and I “only” have to beat the driver in third place at the next race. Then we will switch the position. The next and last race of the indoor season will be held in Tinglev and made by my home club Ti-Mo Tinglev Modelbilklub. I have not the best memories from our own races, but once it have to switch in my direction. I hope it will be my weekend in three weeks.

Serpent
Please attached find my setup sheet from the race. Please also find two pictures.

As mentioned above Serpent did a pole, 1, 2, 5 and 8 in the modified class – a great result. I have mentioned Patrick Hornum. Mikkel Lundtoft Jensen had chosen to switch to Serpent and he got his car Saturday noon, where he started to built his Eryx. In the late afternoon he had his first roll out and with some help he got his Eryx to react as he wanted. He ended up as fifth after two fourth places in the finales, and that was his best result ever in the modified class. Mike Hansen with an older Serpent S411 v1 had not a good weekend in Odense. Finishing fourth four times an eight place was not as hoped. He will be better next time. There were more Serpents in the Stock and
Superstock class too, but none of them could climb the podium.

At the Race we worked really good together with tips and no-how. I think some other drivers want to and will join the team soon. Anyway – we all look forward to the next race in Tinglev.

I want to thank Serpent and especially Ronald and Jirka for the sponsoring and Marc and David for the development of the S411 series.