Gibson takes first JConcepts 4WD Buggy qualifier

17-year-old Team Associated driver Nick Gibson was a surprise pace setter in the opening round of 4WD Buggy qualifying at the JConcepts Indoor National Series in Omaha, Nebraska, setting the pace from TLR’s JR Mitch with young talent Aydrin Horne completing the Top 3.  For the series main contenders it was a bad start to the day as World Champion Steven Harston broke, Ryan Maifield suffered a drive train failure and Dustin Evans had the ‘worst first lap of (his) life’ that cost him 9-seconds.

Driving the older Associated B44.1,  Gibson said going into the qualifier he was very nervous as he lined up alongside some of the best drivers in the world but once the 5-minute run started he was able to overcome that.  Having a few bobbles on the left side of the track in particular on the down hill section after the main straight he said his car was ‘really good’.  Planning to run the car as is for Q2, he said his main focus will be to ‘fix’ his driving and try get another strong run and lock himself into tomorrow’s A-Main.

Mitch, was pleased with his points haul for second but said his TLR22-4 was a little pushy over the run.  Using JConcepts Green compound Barcodes all round for the second of the three scheduled qualifiers, which he will again use in Q2, he will remove his front sway bar to try improve the car’s steering.

Only 11-years old, Horne was very happy to open his event with a run to the 3rd fastest time.  Running an Associated chassis, he said he was very happy with the feel of his set-up.  Describing the track as ‘really fun’, he sad he had a few bobbles but nothing that required marshaling and for his next qualifier he will run the car as is.

Driving a Kyosho, 19-year-old Mitchel Gardner set the fourth fastest time despite ending the run with a stripped diff.   Summing up the run as ‘not too bad’ other than one pretty big mistake, apart from fitting new gears to his diff, he will leave everything as is and just work on tidying up his driving.

Team Associated’s Chad Due completed the Top 5 ahead of Dustin Evans.  A former Open Class Champion at the Reedy International Off Road Race of Champions, Due said his B44.2 was ‘pretty good’ adding that he needs to work on his front tyres’ pin size. Running JConcepts Green Barcodes, he said it took a while for them to come in leading to a few small mistakes.

Evans said his TLR22-4 was ‘good’ but it was impossible to recover the 9-seconds lost on his opening lap. Crashing again later in the run he said the car is there but he just needs to cut out the mistakes.  In 2WD Short Course, which is one of the key classes this weekend along with 2WD and 4WD Buggy, the Colorado driver was second fastest behind Maifield but he said the Orion powered 22SCT was not very good.  Feeling very loose to drive, he said he’s not sure whether its because of his choice of tyres or down to the set-up he is running.

Maifield said his Reedy powered RC10 SCT starts off a little pushy but other than that felt ‘alright’. In 4WD Buggy, he said his B44.2 was ‘super good’ adding he was ‘impressed how good it was’.  With the drive train fixed he is confident for Q2.  Team-mate Harston, who posted the 3rd fastest time, reported his truck as being ‘OK’ but a couple of mistakes cost him time.  Describing his 4WD Buggy as a little pushy, before a slower driver pulled out in front of him resulting in his Reedy powered B44.2 breaking, for Q2 he hopes to cure the understeer by sanding down his Gold compound Barcodes tyres more.

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