Phend top 2WD seed at Cactus Classic
Having posted the fastest time in the opening controlled practice for 2WD Buggy, Dakotah Phend is the top seed for qualifying at the Pro-Line Cactus Classic. Running a time of 67.01 for his 3-consecutive fastest laps in the morning, the Team Losi Racing driver ran a 67.12 time in the night time run, to top the seeding time sheets from Billy Fischer and defending Champion Jared Tebo. With the Top 13 drivers from CP1 unable to improve their 3-lap pace second time of asking the biggest improvement came from Serpent’s Mike Truhe who ended the day 14th fastest having improved his morning time by 1/2 a second.
‘Really happy’ to top practice, Phend said there was ‘a lot more traction’ in the cooler night time conditions but his Orion powered TLR22 had no issues handling it. Running a fresh set of Pro-Line tyres, the US National Champion said they just got better & better as the run progressed and looking ahead to the morning’s opening qualifier he thinks he is in a strong position, his time 6/10ths fastest than that of No.2 seed Fischer.
Making changes to the diff on his Centro C4.2, Fischer said it was the wrong way to go. Describing the track conditions of CP2 as ‘more edgy’, the Team Novak driver will for Q1 revert back to the same diff set-up he ran in the first controlled practice. Despite topping the times in Mod Truck ahead of Tebo and Joern Neumann’s prototype Durango, Fischer is planning a significant change to his Centro T4.2. Having posted his No.1 seed time with a CT4.2 front end for the opening qualifier he will run the truck with a T4.1 front end to stiffen it up and make it ‘more stable’ to drive.
Behind Tebo in 2WD Buggy, Team Associated’s Tanner Denney is the fourth seed followed by Neumann, Ryan Maifield and up coming talent Spencer Rivkin. The top heat for qualifying is completed by TLR’s Dustin Evans and the Associated’s of Ryan Cavalieri and Kody Numedahl. Just missing out on the Top 10, Schumacher’s Carson Werinmont heads the line-up for the B heat.
Elsewhere Maifield is top seed for 2WD Short Course, the defending champion setting the practice pace over team-mate Cavalieri and Durango’s Travis Amezcua. In 4WD Short Course Neumann topped the times from Phend and Lutz.
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