Tebo goes top in Finland

2007 World Champion Jared Tebo have gone to the top of timing sheets having just produced a new fastest lap on the final lap of his sixth 4-minute practice run.  The Kyosho driver hasn’t made any changes to his Orion powered Lazer ZX-5 FS2 today saying it feels really good.  Describing traction levels as being now decent Tebo said the track is very fast and this can make it difficult when running around other cars. Expecting condition to start to stay much the same as they are now for the final two runs of the day the US driver said he will use P7 to test a different spring but otherwise plans no changes to his set-up.

Also improving his time in P6 to move ahead of early pace setter Ryan Maifield, Team Durango’s Joern Neumann took his DEX410 to the second fastest lap time.  The German Champion, who is just .003 off Tebo, switched to the same set-up he ran at the Warm-up race which he said while it made the buggy more difficult to drive it produced much faster lap times.

Running a best lap of 23.680 compared to fastest lap of 23.665 set in P5, Maifield used the round to play with his lines.  Seeking his first World title, the factory Associated driver said he is still trying to learn to not crash on a track which is proving a challenge to run consistent laps.

Putting in a lap which he admitted was a ‘bit of surprise’ Joseph Quagraine is delighted with his early showing at these World Championship.  Better known for his 1:8 Offroad exploits where he races his own JQ Products creation, the Finn said he loves the track surface and the jumps.  Having made the Main at the Warm-up he has been working towards a set-up that makes his Durango easy to drive and focus on clean runs rather than outright pace.

Unable to better their P5 times American’s Ryan Cavalieri and Dustin Evans drop to fifth and sixth fastest respectively.

Two drivers to improve their pace were Naoto Matsukura and Elliot Boots.  Matsukura took his factory Yokomo to the seventh fastest time with a 24-second dead lap moving him ahead of British pairing Lee Martin and Neil Cragg who failed to better their P5 times.

Former European 1:8 Offroad Junior Champion Boots, who is running in Group 8 of 12, found almost a second in P6 to set the 10th fastest lap just ahead of senior Durango team-mate Hupo Honigl who having changed nothing on his DEX410 went slower dropping to 11th.

Top 10 lap times after P6
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 23.657
2. Joern Neumann – Durango – 23.660
3. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 23.665
4. Joseph Quagraine – Durango – 23.772
5. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 23.851
6. Dustin Evans – Losi – 23.875
7. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 24.000
8. Lee Martin – Tamiya – 24.011
9. Neil Cragg – Associated – 24.080
10.Elliot Boots – Durango – 24.164

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