Maifield 2WD Buggy Top Qualifier in St.Louis

Ryan Maifield will start both buggy finals at the JConcepts Winter Indoor Nationals from pole position after the Associated star TQ’d the final round of 2WD Buggy Qualifying at SmacTrac in St. Louis, Missouri, this morning adding to the 4WD TQ he wrapped last night in the penultimate qualifier.  Mounting a serious challenge for the overall TQ until he hit traffic, literally, Tebo took second for the round which is the position he will start the single 10-minute Main.  Cody Turner completed the Top 3 for the fourth & final qualifier securing the 21-year-old 3rd on the grid ahead of defending Champion Steven Hartson who struggled with the wrong tyre choice in his last heat setting only the 15th fastest time.

Maifield’s first time to contest a round of the JConcepts Indoor National Series the Arizona driver was happy to take the overall TQ on a track which all the top drivers have admitted is going to be very hard to pass on.  Having resisted using additive for the majority of the event, Maifield used it in his last qualifier but said afterwards that he doesn’t think he will use it again in the finals as it feels like it needs to wear off before you can run fast laps and for the final he wants his buggy to be good from the start. Talking about the Main, Maifield said passing would be a ‘big task’ and the important thing for him starting out front is to just hold steady and not make an mistakes.

Tebo, who was on target for a TQ run in Q4 until the start of his penultimate lap saw him get caught up in a tangle between two slower cars, shared Maifield’s thoughts on this evening’s final saying passing was ‘not possible’.  Planning to leave his RB6 as is for the encounter he said his approach to the race had to be to pressure his big rival into making a mistake.

In Mod Truck, Tebo completed a clean sweep of qualifying taking Q4 ahead of Maifield but it is defending class champion Brent Thielke who will start second with Maifield lining up third.   2WD Short Course saw Turner TQ the final qualifier with his Kyosho Ultima SCR ahead of Steven Hartson, the result giving Turner the pole position on tie break with Losi driver JP Richards.

2WD Buggy Qualifying – Round 4
1. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 17/5:06.113
2. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 17/5:06.642
3. Cody Turner – Kyosho – 17/5:10.055
4. Brent Thielke – Associated – 17/5:11.480
5. JP Richards – TLR – 17/5:11.910
6. Josh Wheeler – Kyosho – 17/5:14.975
7. Mitchel Gardner – Associated – 17/5:15.002
8. Al Horne – Associated – 17/5:15.271
9. Daimon Borkowicz – Associated – 17/5:15.781
10.Michael Paige – Associated – 17/5:15.865

2WD Buggy A-Main Grid
1. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 0 pts
2. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 2
3. Cody Turner – Kyosho – 5
4. Steven Hartson – Associated – 5
5. JP Richards – TLR – 10
6. Brent Thielke – Associated – 10
7. Mitchel Gardner – Associated – 11
8. Cody Hollis – TLR – 12
9. Matt Gosch – Associated – 14
10.Al Horne – Associated – 18

View the event images gallery here.