Opening Qualifier goes to Maifield
Ryan Maifield has TQ’d the opening round of qualifying for the 4WD EP Buggy World Championship, the Associated driver running 13 laps in 5:18.743 to take Q1 by one second from Jared Tebo with Ryan Cavalieri third.
Despite a mistake on the opening and closing laps of the run, Maifield was relieved to notch up his first TQ run of these championships having failed to do so in 2WD when he ran a Top 3 pace in all five qualifiers. Happy with the handling of his B44.1, the American said they still don’t have the power settings of his LRP speedo right with the electrics running a little hot. Going from too slow, how it was in final practice, to too fast Maifield said they have got to find the right power balance and once they do he feels he has the package to get the job done today.
Taking second, 2007 Top Qualifier & Champion Tebo said the track had a lot more grip for the opening qualifier and the slipper in his Lazer ZX-5 FS2 was a little to loose for the conditions with it starting to slip near the end of the run. Describing his set-up as ‘awesome’ he will just fit new pads and tighten up his slipper for Q2.
A 2-time World champion of 4WD Buggy, Cavalieri said third was a pretty good start to qualifying. Crashing a few times he said he knows he has got the speed to TQ but just needs to tidy up his driving.
The fastest non American, European champion Lee Martin described his run to fourth as a ‘safe run’. The Tamiya Racing Factory driver said he is not the fastest out there and he just managed to drive a clean round. Not happy with the speed at which his TRF511 changes direction the Englishman will try different rollbars in Q2. Behind Martin, fast Japanese driver Kohta Akimoto took his Kyosho to fifth.
Sixth fastest Dustin Evans said he was really happy with where they are at with the car especially after having really struggled with the XXX-4 at the warm-up race. Having a big moment over the woops, the TLR driver described the run as ‘conservative’ saying he didn’t drive super hard. Aiming for another solid run in Q2 he will then look at pushing a little harder. Also making the Top 10 for Losi, 14-year-old team-mate Dakotah Phend claimed 9th.
Seventh fastest Hupo Honigl said it was an ‘OK start’. Putting in a safe run, the Austrian who has never made the A-Main at an EP Buggy Worlds was very happy with his LRP powered Durango and is confident better is to come. Making it three DEX410s in the Top 10 Joseph Quagraine was the again the fastest Finn setting the 8th fastest time with fellow countryman Ari Heinonen 10th. Unfortunately for Honigl’s factory team-mates Joern Neumann and Elliott Boots qualifying did not start well. German Champion Neumann failed to make the start after a binding problem with his radio while Boots, who set the fastest lap of Q1, suffered an electrical shut down half way through his run.
Elsewhere 2WD Top Qualifier Neil Cragg broke his Associated after 8 laps as did final practice front runner Steven Hartson who only got in 2 laps. Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura broke at the end of the opening lap popping a rear drive shaft on the B-Max 4 II.
Full results can be found here.
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