Maifield pulls off 4 in a row at Cactus Classic

Ryan Maifield has pulled off a fourth consecutive 4WD Buggy title at the Pro-Line Cactus Classic, taking second in the deciding third A-Main behind Top Qualifier Joern Neumann securing him the overall win at SRS Raceway in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Finishing third in A3, having run ahead of Maifield for 5-laps, HB’s Ty Tessmann claimed the overall runner-up spot with newly crowned 2WD Buggy Champion Dakotah Phend completing the podium on the event’s final visit to the popular location which since 1993 has been home to America’s longest running offroad race.

Maifield, who took the final A-Main of 2WD to take the runners-up spot behind Phend, said after struggling in qualifying his Reedy powered B44.2 ‘today came to life and was a hell of a lot faster for some unknown reason’.  Having won A1, the Team Associated driver said he knew he only needed second to secure the win saying he ‘had a good race with Tessmann’, the only driver that could end his winning streak at his home event.  Having moved to second following the retirement of the No.2 Kyosho of Jared Tebo due to a broken slipper shaft, the US National Champion would half way into the race catch the piping allowing Maifield into second.  With Neumann off in the distance, Maifield said his focus was just to maintain the position, which he did crossing the finish line just shy of a second in front of Tessmann.  While Tessmann and Phend, who was fourth in A3, ended tied on points the Canadian got second thanks to his A2 victory.

In the last race of the 28th running of the Pro-Line Cactus Classic, 2WD Buggy, Maifield won leading from start to finish as Top Qualifier Phend sat out the race having claimed his first title at the event in A2.  Challenged by team-mate Ryan Cavalieri, two mistakes late in the race would see the former World champion lose touch with the leader.  Posting the fastest lap of the race outgoing champion Jared Tebo would get his best finish in A3 with third but he would miss out on the podium, the final step going to Cavalieri.

The last running of the Pro-Line Cactus Classic, one of the world’s most famous electric offroad races, at its popular current outdoor venue, next year the event is set to move indoors.  Commenting on the impending switch to indoor, racing outdoor so early in the season being one of the races unique selling points thanks to the beautiful Arizona weather, Maifield said he gets what HobbyTown SRS is trying to accomplish with its new venue but added it ‘would be cool if they could somehow try to keep the race outdoors’.  Maifield’s thoughts were echoed by the majority of drivers at the event.

4WD Buggy Overall Result
1. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 3 pts
2. Ty Tessmann – HB – 4
3. Dakotah Phend – TLR – 4
4. Joern Neumann – Durango – 5
5. Billy Fischer – Associated – 11
6. Ryan Lutz – Durango – 11
7. Carson Wernimont – Schumacher – 13
8. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 13
9. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 17
10.Daimon Borkowicz – Associated – 18
11.Kody Numedahl – Associated – 19

4WD Buggy A-Main Leg 3 Result
1.(1) Joern Neumann – Durango – 15/5:20.183
2.(4) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 14/5:01.847
3.(5) Ty Tessmann – HB – 14/5:02.818
4.(3) Dakotah Phend – TLR – 14/5:10.045
5.(7) Billy Fischer – Associated – 14/5:10.252
6.(8) Carson Wernimont – Schumacher – 14/5:13.509
7.(10)Ryan Lutz – Durango – 14/5:14.832
8.(9) Daimon Borkowicz – Associated – 14/5:23.411
9.(6) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 5/1:47.024
10.(2)Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 1/0:15.731
11.(11)Kody Numedahl – Associated – DNS

2WD Buggy A-Main Overall Result
1. Dakotah Phend – TLR – 2 pts
2. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 3
3. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 5
4. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 7
5. Ryan Lutz – Durango – 12
6. Ty Tessmann – HB – 12
7. Billy Fischer – Associated – 13
8. Joern Neumann – Durango – 13
9. Travis Amezcua – Durango – 13
10.Dustin Evans – TLR – 14
11.Spencer Rivkin – Associated – 17

2WD Buggy A-Main Leg 3 Result
1.(2) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 14/5:14.674
2.(3) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 14/5:18.824
3.(4) Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 14/5:21.694
4.(8) Ryan Lutz – Durango – 14/5:22.489
5.(7)Dustin Evans – TLR – 13/5:00.098
6.(10)Ty Tessmann – HB – 13/5:00.421
7.(11)Joern Neumann – Durango – 13/5:00.960
8.(5) Billy Fischer – Associated – 13/5:02.436
9.(6) Travis Amezcua – Durango – 13/5:08.916
10.(9)Spencer Rivkin – Associated – 13/5:12.876
11.(1)Dakotah Phend – TLR – DNS

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