Matsukura top seed for qualifying
Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura is the top seed for tomorrow’s qualifying at the Proline Cactus Classic after the Japanese driver set the fastest 3-consecutive laps in both 2WD & 4WD buggy practice today at the SRS Raceway track in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fastest in 2WD at the end of the first round of controlled practice with a time of 64.364, the World Championship finalist couldn’t better his pace during his second run but did still manage to top the CP2 times sharing an identical time with Team Associated Ryan Cavalieri who improved from being 6th fastest to ending the day as the 3rd seed. In 4WD Cavalieri had set the pace in CP1 but having changed to softer shock oil Matsukra was able to knock 8/10ths off his previous time to run a 62.278 and go fastest ensuring both his B-Max buggies start the opening qualifier from the No.1 spot.
Commenting on his form, Matsukura said he was happy with how his day had gone and feels he is in good shape for qualifying – each round set to take a minimum of 7-hours to run meaning just two outings per class per day. Able to improve his B-Max 4 for the second practice he said in 2WD he found the track a little loose hence his best time being 3/10ths slower than the previous round.
Improving his 2WD time by 6/10ths, Cavalieri said his Orion powered B4.2 was ‘on rails’ but in 4WD he lacked power. Having reduced the power profiles on his speedo for his opening run due to the hot sunny conditions at the time he said he could have used a little more power when running at night under the track’s flood lights. The World Champion said this led to him over driving a little but overall he said it was a decent day at the office. Team-mate & defending champion Ryan Maifield ended the day sixth fastest in both buggy categories but will be the number 1 truck in both Mod Truck & 2WD Short Course ahead of Cavalieri and Team Durango’s Ryan Lutz respectively. Lutz will be the top seed in 4WD Short Course after posting the fastest time in both practice rounds.
Finishing the day second fastest in 2WD and fourth in 4WD, Tebo said the track was a lot different second time round. Switching from running under the beating Arizona sun to driver under night skies, the factory Kyosho driver said it was hard to determine if his set-up was right but he thinks he has it ‘figured out for tomorrow’. Switching back to the foam inserts he ran in Thursday’s free practice he said these where much better than the choice in made for the opening controlled practice.
In 4WD, Joern Neumann is the top European at the end of practice with the 3rd fastest time ahead of Tebo, Dakotah Phend and Maifield. In 2WD the German struggled somewhat where he ended up 8th fastest behind Britian’s Lee Martin. Factory Tamiya driver Martin said his 4WD was ‘not the best’ with it going soft over the run despite the conditions being cooler.
Despite having a motor wire come unsoldered early on in his second 2WD practice, Phend is the top TLR driver with his 22 laying down the 4th fastest time just ahead of team-mate Dustin Evans who is very positive about his 5-minute pace for tomorrow. In 4WD Phend managed to post the fifth fastest time to be the only Team Losi Racing driver to book a spot in the top heat.
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