Wernimont, Wheeler & Rivkin complete A-Main grid
The grid that will decide the winner of the 16th running of the Dirt Nitro Challenge is complete with Carson Wernimont, Josh Wheeler and Spencer Rivkin bumping up from the B-Main to completed the 15 car grid. Initially it was former champion & pole sitter Mike Truhe who led the way before a bobble at the whoops, a section that would catch out every driver over the 30-minutes, would allow the Tekno RC of Joe Bornhorst to get by the Serpent. Leading till the first round of refuelling, unfortunately for Bornhorst he would suffer a flame out in during his stop. This promoted Adam Drake to the front but it would be short lived as he lost a wheel off his Mugen due to an issue with a wheel nut, rejoining the race out of contention with a new nut the issue would strike for a second time. With 20-minutes to go Truhe was back at the front but again he would give it away through an error with Wheeler going briefly to the front and then Team Associated’s Tanner Denney. All the time Wernimont, who having bumped up from the C-Main was working his way to the front and setting the fastest lap once he took over the lead he stayed there to the end followed by Wheeler’s Xray and 16-year-old Rivkin who will make his first A-Main start at the DNC. Truhe would miss the cut finishing fourth 2.7 seconds back on Rivkin.
Qualifying 27th after a combination of ‘poor driving’ and an engine cut in one of the three rounds, new Team Associated signing Wernimont was very happy with his B-Main performance. Changing a ‘bunch of stuff’ for the C-Main which made his RC8 Prototype ‘decent’, he said further changes for the B-Main made for a ‘big turn around’ in performance with the 18-year-old declaring he thinks ‘the car can now even run at the front in the A-Main’. Commenting on the track conditions, the Joey Christensen built track coming towards the end of being punished for 5-days by a record 800 plus entry, Wernimont said ‘a couple of areas are getting hairy’ and ‘you have got to choose your lines carefully’ but is he feeling pretty positive for the 45-minute encounter.
View the event image gallery here.
