Tessman takes Q3
After a rocky start to 4WD qualifying, failing to make the Top 10 in the opening two rounds, Ty Tessman bounced back to TQ Q3 ahead of Team Associated’s Ryan pairing of Cavalieri and Maifield, the latter throwing away a TQ run the final lap of his run. For Q1 & 2 pace setter Joern Neumann a bad landing at the quad after the main straight resulted in a bent chassis for the Durango driver who would only be able for 11th for the round. The biggest news of the third qualifier however is that newly crowned 2WD World Champion Jared Tebo will not make the A-Main. Having finished all three rounds well down the order even if the Kyosho driver was to TQ today’s remaining two rounds he would not make the Top 10.
Tessmann said not crashing in Q3 was a big reason for his TQ but the US National Champion said set-up adjustments to his HB D4-13 also helped a lot. The changes saw a huge improvement in how easy it was to drive the buggy faster in particular the carousel corner after the start/finish line.
‘Getting there’ was how defending Champion Cavalieri described his run. Half a second off Tessman, the American said he is ‘very close’ now adding the he probably would have been closer had he not had to run so closely on track with Japan’s Naoto Matsukura. Having to keep an eye on the Yokomo driver as he ran very closely behind his B44.2, he said one advantage of this was that he found a number of sections he needs to find a bit more speed for racing. Based on this the 4-time World Champion will make some small tweaks for Q4.
Team-mate Maifield was understandable annoyed with himself for throwing away a TQ run. Pushing too hard through the corner after the carousel he caught the pipe which sent his B44.2 directly in to one of the track cones losing him over 2-seconds.
Driving Durango’s standard kit DEX410 Ryan Lutz claimed 4th position ahead of the Kyosho of David Ronnefalk. The Swede said the run was ‘pretty consistent’ with just one traction roll which luckily saw the prototype ZX5 land on its wheels. The 1:8 Nitro Offroad European Champion said they are now making progress having earlier lacked corner speed. Running the same car as Tebo, the teenager said due to their different driving style their set-ups they each run are very different. Behind Ronnefalk, Kody Numedahl completed the Top 6 followed by the similar B44.2 of Brian Strange. Once again Dakotah Phend was the only TLR in the Top 10 taking his 22-4 to the 8th fastest time ahead of Carson Wernimont and Tamiya’s Lee Martin.
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