Cav, Maifield & Neumann lift Cactus truck titles

All three truck titles at the 26th running of the Pro-Line Cactus Classic were sewn up in the second round of A-Mains after the winners of the opening A-Mains doubled up to secure the overall win. Starting from the TQ position Cavalieri claimed the first title of the event successfully defending his Mod Truck crown with ease winning ahead of Associated team-mate Ryan Maifield while Leg 1 runner-up Dustin Evans took third having briefly run in front of Maifield early in the 5-minute encounter.

The next title to be decided was 2WD Short Course and again it was the Top Qualifier and defending Champion that took the honours, but Maifield was forced to work hard for the win. One lap 2 the No.2 Kyosho of Tebo muscled his way passed the US National Champion and on the same lap as the trucks came off the straight Maifield rolled off the track, resuming back in fifth. Cheered on by his home crowd Maifield recovered back to second and shadowing Tebo finally found his way through on lap 7 when Tebo, who set the fastest lap of the race, got hooked up on a corner pipe.

Providing the most exciting action at Scottsdale R/C Speedway, the 4WD Short Course title will be leaving the USA with Joern Neumann, the first European to defeat the American’s elite offroad racers at the world famous Reedy Race, took a very close victory ahead of Dakotah Phend. 15-year-old Phend looked like he might convert his TQ starting position this time round but a mistake on lap seven let Leg 1 winner Neumann, who started fifth, to take to the front of the pack. Holding a comfortable lead mother nature came close to robbing the German ace the win as a gust of wind caught the DESC410 while in the air at the quad section sending it out of the track perimeters. All this and another moment for Neumann allowed Phend, who set the fastest lap, to close right in as the pair made a dash for the line, Neumann holding on to secure Durango’s first major US Short Course win by 1/10th of a second.

In the second of the Buggy Mains the result means it is still all to play for in Arizona. In 2WD Phend put in a stunning drive to take the win from fifth on the grid with his Pro-Line backed TLR22 taking the win ahead of Associated’s star Ryans, Cavalieri and Maifield. Once again Top Qualifier Tebo had a rough race. Holding the lead for three laps Leg 1 winner Cavalieri got by him on Lap 4 with things going downhill from there, the former World Champion eventually crossing the finish in 6th

In 4WD, Top Qualifier and defending Champion Maifield managed this time round to hold off his World Champion team-mate Cavalieri who had to deal with Joern Neumann. On lap nine Neumann split the Associated drivers but a mistake three laps from home let Cav back to second meaning the title will be going to one of the Ryans. Third in Leg 1, Tamiya’s Lee Martin was an early retirement in A2 after he clashed with Tebo in the air resulting in a hard landing that caused the TRF502 to shutdown.

View our event image gallery here.

Mod Truck A-Main Leg 2
1.(1) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 13/5:14.796
2.(2) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 13/5:17.596
2.(4) Dustin Evans – TLR – 13/5:20.893
3.(3) Dakotah Phend – TLR – 13/5:22.249
5.(6) Mike Truhe – TLR – 12/5:11.374
6.(9) Shaun Dunlap – Kyosho – 12/5:13.053
7.(7) Andy DiBrino – Kyosho – 12/5:13.658
8.(8) Kai Goff – Associated – 12/5:17.987
9.(5) Brian Kinwald – Associated – 12/5:18.584
10.(10)Brent Thielke – Associated – 12/5:23.778

2WD Short Course A-Main Leg 2
1.(1) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 13/5:25.523
2.(2) Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 12/5:02.316
3.(3) Brian Kinwald – Associated – 12/5:06.678
4.(4) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 12/5:07.156
5.(6) Kody Numedahl – Associated – 12/5:10.960
6.(8) Frank Root – Losi – 12/5:17.076
7.(7) Cody Turner – Losi – 12/5:21.533
8.(10)Andy DiBrino – Kyosho – 12/5:22.087
9.(5) Dustin Evans – Losi – 12/5:23.123
10.(9)Max Flurer – Associated – 11/5:00.727

4WD Short Course A-Main Leg 2
1.(5) Joern Neumann – Durango – 13/5:09.448
2.(1) Dakotah Phend – Losi – 13/5:09.555
3.(6) Carson Wernimont – Durango – 13/5:14.441
4.(9) Frank Root – Losi – 13/5:16.136
5.(3) Mike Truhe – Losi – 13/5:16.159
6.(2) Ryan Lutz – Durango – 13/5:20.143
7.(10)Max Flurer – Associated – 12/5:22.929
8.(7) Travis Amezcua – Durango – 13/5:28.683
9.(4) Hupo Honigl – Durango – 11/5:03.153
10.(8)Kody Numedahl – Associated – DNS

2WD Buggy A-Main Leg 2
1.(5) Dakotah Phend – TLR – 13/5:13.897
2.(4) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 13/5:14.217
3.(2) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 13/5:16.207
4.(3) Dustin Evans – TLR – 13/5:22.535
5.(9) Travis Amezcua – Durango – 13/5:26.761
6.(1) Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 12/5:04.655
7.(7) Brian Kinwald – Associated – 12/5:04.897
8.(8) Billy Fischer – TLR – 12/5:07.871
9.(10)Brent Thielke – Associated – 12/5:09.365
10.(6)Steven Hartson – Associated – 1/0:17.623

4WD Buggy A-Main Leg 2
1.(1) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 14/5:18.588
2.(2) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 14/5:21.235
3.(6) Joern Neumann – Durango – 13/5:23.638
4.(5) Travis Amezcua – Durango – 12/5:01.502
5.(9) Steven Hartson – Associated – 13/5:04.015
6.(4) Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 13/5:05.149
7.(8) Hupo Honigl – Durango – 13/5:10.259
8.(7) Billy Fischer – Associated – 13/5:20.034
9.(10)Chad Due – Associated – 10/4:00.921
10.(3)Lee Martin – Tamiya – 2/0:44.171