Tebo carries form through to Buggy

Team Kyosho’s Jared Tebo has picked up where he left off in Truggy yesterday with a TQ run in the opening round of qualifying for the Buggy class at ‘The Dirt’ Nitro Challenge. The only driver to record ten laps, the US Champion also set the fastest lap but said he pushed a little too hard in the later part of the run resulting in a mistake that cost him 5 seconds on his penultimate lap.

Setting the second fastest time, defending champion Ryan Cavalieri said his run was clean and he was happy with second. Describing his buggy as pretty descent he said it was not quite 100% yet but plans to make some shock changes for Q2 to rectify that. ‘Satisfactory’ was how team-mate Ryan Maifield summed up his run to the fourth fastest time. The 2009 winner of this event, he said his buggy was uncomfortable to drive and considering that it was a pretty descent opening round. Running JConcepts Hybrid tyres he plans to try both a harder compound and insert for Q2 along with a softer shock set-up.

Ty Tessmann made it three different manufacturers at the top of the time sheets. The factory Hot Bodies driver crashed on the opening lap but after said the run was clean. Finding the D8 a little unstable to drive he will try a thicker sway bar next time out along with trying a different foam combination in the Proline Holeshot.

World Champion Cody King stopped the clocks in the fifth fastest time and declared himself happy with his first run, saying it was his first buggy run in a while due to being sick for two weeks prior to this week. Encouraged by his team-mates TQ run, he plans to go with a harder tyre and a stiffer shock set-up for the next qualifier.

Heading the Mugen challenge after the opening round of qualifying Taylor Peterson took his MBX6 around the Joey ‘The Dirt’ Christensen designed track in the sixth fastest time. The 21-year-old ran AKA soft compound Impacts tyres but felt they caused the buggy to be a little twitchy and plans to switch to a medium compound for Q2. Team-mate Dylan Rodriguez, who TQ’d the opening round of 1:8 Electric Buggy this morning ahead of Adam Drake, set the 9th fastest time.

Mike Truhe was the best of the Team Losi Racing squad taking his 8ight to the seventh fastest time just in front of team-mate Adam Drake. The last man to win the event since Team Associated drivers took over the reigns in 2008, Truhe said he went with the wrong tyre choice. Choosing a Kingpin tyre he said while the track looked to a have a groove, to drive it was very dusty and a Blockhead would have been a better choice to cut through the dust.

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