Maifield wins Truggy
Ryan Maifield is the 2011 ROAR Truggy Champion after taking his Associated RC8T to a convincing victory over outgoing champion & Top Qualifier Jared Tebo with Hot Bodies’ Jesse Robbers completing the podium at Thunder Alley in Southern California.
In a race that provided plenty of early excitement as Tebo, Maifield, Ryan Cavalieri and Cody King battled it out for the lead, Maifield took command of proceeding as the race reached the halfway point. With Tebo, Cavalieri and Maifield all taking turns at leading, a pass by the latter on Tebo at the 21 minute mark was the deciding moment of the race. Pulling a pass on the Kyosho which saw the two collide in the air, the 2007 Champion took to the front from where he was never headed again.
After the race Maifield said the main was all about tyres and sacrificing his early pace his choice of JConcepts Crossair yellow compound worked perfectly, a fact that was backed up by his ability to set the fastest lap of the race on lap 80 of 91. Enjoying his early battle with Tebo, Cavalieri and King, the Arizona ace said he lost his nerve a little when he had a crash of his own doing in the burm which caused him to get out of his rythm for a while.
Finishing second over 10-seconds adrift of the winner, Tebo said he did not have the right tyre for today’s dry conditions. Running AKA Grid Iron in the Semi, they were bald after the 25-minute encounter leaving him no option but to run City Block in 45-minute main. Struggling for the start he said he will go back to work with AKA to make a new Truggy tyre and together they’ll be back next year to regain the title.
Third placed Robbers said the track was really difficult to drive in the final. After a bad start that left him second to last he worked his way back through the field and in the end was involved in the most interesting battle of the closing stages of the race. Describing the conditions as ‘so hard’ he said he had to keep telling himself to back off and that worked as he found a way passed Cavalieri with three minutes to go to take the final step on the podium from last year’s runner up. Having led the race for seven laps Cavalieri said he just made a few mistakes and thats what cost him the race.
Ty Tessmann, the only driver to top Tebo in qualifying, struggled in the conditions which he said had a level of high traction he was just not used too. In the end the Canadian had to settle for fifth. The youngest driver in the final Dakota Phend completed the Top 6 with, the promising 14-year-old the highest place Losi. Team-mate Mike Truhe lost five laps early in the race as had to change a broken front shock on his 8ight and he was classified 11th.
Other drivers to hit trouble where Dylan Rodriguez and Billy Easton. The only Mugen in the final Rodriguez was enjoying a solid run until he lost throtlle due to an unknown electrical fault. Serpent driver Easton had a steering rod come undone on his Cobra T which he was able to fix leaving him to finish 10th on the same lap as Truhe.
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