Evans tops second 2WD Buggy qualifier
TLR’s Dustin Evans completed a clean sweep of the feature buggy classes in the second round of qualifying at the JConcepts Clash in Flowood, Mississippi, by backing up his 4WD topping time with a TQ run in 2WD. Having retired from both classes in Q1 yesterday due to broken shock towers, Evans took the second of the four scheduled 2WD Buggy qualifiers from defending champion Ryan Maifield by 2.5-seconds with JR Mitch completing the Top 3 who all managed 14 lap runs.
Describing his run, which was 6-seconds faster than Maifield Q1 pace, as a ‘conservative, clean run’ Evans said the approach ‘worked out’. That approach may have been somewhat brought on by the fact that in the warm-up he broke his TLR22 2.0 and had to take a rear track rod off the buggy of his team manager Kevin Gahan. Running with an all blue shell this weekend, the 2011 US Champion said his JConcepts Barcodes shod chassis felt really good helped by the fact that the track is ‘getting better and better’. With conditions ‘quite a bit faster’ than Q1, Evans who finished runner-up here 12-months ago expects the track to be even faster in the reseeded 3rd qualifier but other than fitting a fresh set of tyres plans to stick with his current set-up.
Maifield said in terms of traffic his heat for 2WD Buggy is the worst he has ever encountered describing it as ‘a nightmare’. The Arizona ace said his Reedy powered C4.2 was good but ultimately it was his own mistake on his penultimate lap that cost him a shot at making it two TQ runs from two heats. The only driver to run a 21-second lap time in Q2, Maifield is looking forward to running in the reseeded heats saying it should be a lot better and make for the chance to run a full clean 5-minutes.
Having had a good Q1 run ruined yesterday by traffic, Mitch was pleased to ‘get one decent run under his belt’. Unable to drive from his regular position on the drivers stand for Q2, he said this forced him to drive a little more conservative than normal due to his perspective of the track being different but from his regular spot he feels there is about 5-seconds in the bag. Motoring up to a Trinity 8.5 turn for Q2, Mitch said he was happier with the power now and in terms of his TLR22 2.0 set-up he will leave it as is describing it as having a ‘good neutral feeling’.
Setting the fifth fastest time behind the TLR of Cody Hollis, last year’s podium finisher Max Flurer described his second qualifier as ‘OK’. The Associated driver said he had trouble keeping the front wheels of his B4.2 on the ground. A ‘pretty clean’ 5-minutes he said he hopes adding weight to the front of the buggy will improve things for his next outing. JConcepts’ Paul Wynn completed the Top 6.
Third fastest driver in Q1, Jason Ruona would pull up 3-minutes in to Q2. ‘Mr. JConcepts’ said his B4.2 didn’t feel right in the warm-up but he still started the run. With the buggy not running freely off power he decided to pull it and do a full rebuild of the transmission.
In the other 2WD classes Maifield TQ’d Short Course from Q1 pace setter Evans with Wynn third. In Mod Truck Hollis made it two from two again outpacing the similar 22T of Leon McIntosh.
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