Boots tops first day of 4WD
Putting together what race announcer Scotty Ernst described as the perfect lap, Team Durango’s Elliot Boots ends the first day of the 4WD Electric Buggy World Championships at the top of the time sheets. Making his electric Worlds debut, the 18-year-old produced the fastest lap of the day in the eighth and final round of practice to top 2007 Champion Jared Tebo and Durango team-mate Joern Neumann.
A well known 1:8 Nitro offroad racer, Boots changed from big bore to smaller shocks on his DEX410 which he said made for a more consistent and easier to drive buggy. Used to normally racing on astro turf back in the UK this is his first experience of racing 1:10 on dirt and he says he loves it. Having not competed at the Warm-up this is also his first time to the Vaasa track which he described as having a similar feeling to what is used to running on in 1:8. Admitting he never expected to top the time sheets Boots hopes he can carry his form through to qualifying tomorrow for which he has now set his targets higher.
Trying a different spring in P7, Tebo said he didn’t like how it made his Lazer ZX-5 FS2 feel. Reverting back to the set that put him top of the timing in P6 he said he used the last run of the day to fine tune his lines and leaving the track this evening the American ace was eager to get down to the more serious business of qualifying.
Unable to improve his time in the final two practice runs of the day Neumann said his driving let him down. The 2007 World Finalist said he is confident in his Speed Passion powered DEX410 for tomorrow and will work on improving his driving rather than the buggy.
The fastest Associated at the end of the first day of 4WD, Ryan Maifield appeared happy with were he is at. The Motocross styled American said his Reedy powered B44.1 felt consistent and fluent to drive and if the rain stays away all is looking good.
Breaking into the 23-second laps for the first time in the penultimate practice round when he posted his fastest lap, Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura said he was happy with his lines but wants to make some final set-up adjustment for the final practice run in the morning. Finding his B-Max4 II a little loose he also suffered from understeer but the Japanese driver is confident they will have the car right for the opening qualifier.
Another driver better known for 1:8 Nitro offroad to impress today was Finland’s own Joseph Quagraine. Unable to better his P6 time ‘The Driver’ who is running a Durango chassis still ends the day 6th fastest.
The star of the 2WD World Championships held earlier this week in which he made the A-Main, promising American talent Dakotah Phend was top Losi in practice. Recording the seventh quickest lap with the aging XXX-4, the 14-year-old said he has a lot of confidence with the buggy. Happy with his set-up he said there is one corner on the track he is still working on but he should have it sorted for qualifying. Ending the day two places behind Phend in ninth, team-mate Dustin Evans said his buggy was easy to drive and being more of a consistent driver than a one lap specialist he is encouraged by his pace in Vaasa.
Newly crowned 2WD World Champion Ryan Cavalieri said he spent the afternoon working on consistency. Setting his best lap time in P5, the two time former Champion felt he found his rhythm in the final run of the day when he was able to run some fast consecutive laps.
Warm-up race winner Lee Martin completed the Top 10. Admitting he would like to find a little more pace, the European Champion was happy with his consistency saying qualifying is very different to banging in a fast practice lap. Asked where he hopes to find the extra pace he wants the factory Tamiya team leader said there was a bit in both him and the TRF511.
While the rain held off for the day, shortly after the completion of last practice the heavens opened up over the track. Thankfully the organisers covered the track before the rain arrived with the impressive, and expensive, tarpaulin they had custom made just for the event. Hopefully the rain will clear over night and the final round of practice will get the track ready for the first of five rounds of qualifying, four of which make up the Saturday timetable.
Top 10 lap times after P8
1. Elliot Boots – Durango – 23.388
2. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 23.657
3. Joern Neumann – Durango – 23.660
4. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 23.665
5. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 23.669
6. Joseph Quagraine – Durango – 23.772
7. Dakotah Phend – Losi – 23.773
8. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 23.851
9. Dustin Evans – Losi – 23.875
10.Lee Martin – Tamiya – 24.011
Practice results can be found here (PDF) and full results can be found here.
View our event image gallery here.