Tebo bounces back in Q3

Jared Tebo bounced back to claim his second TQ run at the 2WD Electric Offroad World Championships in California, the Kyosho driver topping Q3 ahead of Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura and Team Associated’s Ryan Cavalieri.  Getting his qualifying off to the perfect start in the opening qualifyier, the American struggled with his set-up in Q2 but was back in business after changing to a heavier shock oil in the RB6 for his third run. Posting the fastest time of the event so far, with an 11 lap run in 5:20.954, Tebo is now the only driver who could potentially wrap up the overall TQ honours on Day 2 of the Worlds should he top this evening’s penultimate round of qualifying.

Cavalieri, who initially placed outside the Top 10 after the loop failed to register his buggy as he wheelied it across the line, said it was a good run once his tyres came in.  Running fresh tyres, Proline Scrubs on the front and the mandatory handout Suburb on the rear, he said they caused him to start out with understeer but by lap 4 all was good.  Planning to try and scrub in his tyres more ahead of his next run he said with this sorted he is ‘right there’ in terms of pace, adding that he is very happy with his consistency, being the only driver with a Top 4 finish from all rounds.

While Associated’s Maifeld was unable to back up his P2 in Q2, the team saw two of their other drivers step up to the mark.  Having shown promise in practice Kody Numedahl put in his first 11 lap run to take his Centro converted B4.2 to the 4th fastest time just ahead of Steven Hartson.  Numedahl said having gone too far with his set-up in Q2 he went back a step for Q3 and this resulted in him finding the extra front end grip he was looking for. Having retired in Q1, Hartson said he just drove aggressive this time round having been over cautious in Q2.  Happy to make the Top 5 he said he will just aim to repeat the run again in Q4 and avoid mistakes but added that the pace needed is hard to do.

Dustin Evans was best of the TLR drivers in Q3 as he rounded out the Top 6, a crash in the last lap costing him places.  The former US Champion said he is lacking pace on fresh tyres at the start of the run and if he sorts this he would be in good shape.  Team-mate Darren Bloomfield, who set the fastest lap for the round, finished 9th for the round after he crashed.

For Q2 pace setter Lee Martin a broken idler gear forced him to retire, the  Tamiya driver said he could feel it going from the start.  Better known for exploits in electric Touring Cars, with 3 World titles to his credit, TRF team-mate Marc Rheinard claimed his first Top 10 finish taking his Muchmore powered 201XM to the 8th fastest time just behind HB’s Ty Tessman.  Completing the Top 10 was A-Main Hobbies team driver Tyler Vik at the controls of a Kyosho RB6.

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