Phend tops opening 2WD practice at Cactus

TLR’s Dakotah Phend has topped the times for the opening round of 2WD Buggy controlled practice at the Pro-Line Cactus Classic in Arizona. The 17-year-old posted the fastest 3-consecutive laps ahead of Team Novak’s Billy Fischer with reigning 2WD Champion Jared Tebo completing the top three, the Kyosho driver over 7/10ths of a second off the pace set by Phend.

Running his mid motored TLR22, US National Chamion Phend was pleased with his car saying it ‘was hard to drive’ and that the biggest thing was ‘remembering not to overdrive it’.  Running Pro-Line Scrubs on the front and Surburbs on the rear, he said he is happy to leave everything the same for the days second & final round of controlled practice.

Having switched to running Associated chassis in electric for 2014, Fischer was pleased to post the second fastest time, doing so in the closing stages of the 5-minute run.  Using new foam in his Pro-Line tyres, he said they were too stiff taking ‘too long come in’.  Planning to cut them from the tyres and reuse them in CP2, now that they have bedded in, he said the conditions here at SRS Raceway suit his driving with it being his smooth style rather than outright pace that sees him sitting second in the current ranking which will determine the heats for tomorrow’s qualifying.

Team Associated’s Tanner Denney claimed the fourth fastest time, the 18-year-old very happy with his B5M.  Running JConcept’s Dirtweb tyres all round, red compound in the rear and orange in the front, he said in addition to his 3-laps he was also very happy with his overall time for the 5-minute run.  Describing his mid motored buggy as ‘easy to drive’, he said he will try to get a little more steering for CP2.  Running a number of new optional parts on his new chassis, one of which allows him to adjust the spindle height, he will raise them for his next run to get the buggy to turn in better.

Tebo was content with his first practice run saying his RB6 felt ‘pretty safe’.  Describing the rear end as being ‘really hooked up’, he plans to make a little change for CP2 to try ‘free up the rear’.  Hoping a little less rear traction will allow him to push a little harder with time to be gained in the ‘short squirty areas’ of the track.

Setting the fifth fastest time European Champion Joern Neumann said his Durango was loose at the beginning before his tyres came in.  Running Pro-Line’s new Suburb VTR rear and new Transistor front, the German plans to adjust the rear toe-in on his DEX210 to try and get the tyres to come in quicker and improve his pace from the start of the run.

Completing the Top 6 was Ryan Maifield, the 2012 2WD Champion just outpacing his protege Spencer Rivkin.  The 15-year-old said his B5M was harder to drive than in yesterday’s open practice and he plans to switch to a set-up close to that which Maifield is running.  Running JConcept Dirtweb tyres, he said his big focus is ‘staying safe’ and ‘driving within his ability’.

Posting the 8th fastest time 4/10ths up on the Associated’s of Ryan Cavalieri and Kody Numedahl, Dustin Evans said his TLR22 was safe & easy to drive.  Looking to run a more aggressive front tyre for the second practice, he said to go fast the car needs to be edgy but that in turn makes it ‘hard to hang on to’ and its hard to get the balance right.

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