Evans takes most convincing win of opening RROC encounter

Former champion Dustin Evans took the most convincing win of the opening round of races at the 20th running of the Reedy Race of Champions in which all three races were won by the TQ starting drivers.  Winner of the world famous race in 2011 on a tie break with current champion Ryan Cavalieri, the Team Losi Racing driver put in a faultless race winning by 5.6 seconds from another former champion Joern Neumann. What was more significant about the Colorado driver’s win was that he did it in the fastest race time something that could again prove vital come Sunday evening.  With a time some 5-seconds slower than that of Evans, Ryan Maifield took Heat 1 over Neil Cragg. Heat 3 went to Marc Rheinard in a three way battle of World Champions, the touring car ace holding off Cody King and Cavalieri who came through from the back twice.

In the opening heat few were betting against Maifield taking the win but on the opening lap the Team Associated driver’s timing was off and he got his landing wrong in the jump section right in front of the drivers stand.  This allowed the No.2 starting Schumacher of 2WD Open Class Champion Carson Wernimont to head the field but it was short lived as he would roll after the sweeper at the end of the straight dropping to the back to eventually finish 8th.  Back out front again Maifield would again hit trouble at the same section of track but such was his lead he was able to hold on to take the win.  After the race Maifield said the extra watering of the track ahead of the start of racing left the track with a ‘ton of grip’ and this resulted in him getting caught out with his timing of the jump section on the opening lap.  Commenting on his second incident he said he ‘pulled a wheelie like a redneck’ resulting his B4.2 tank slapping the jump adding he was lucky to have gotten away with that one.

The big battle of the race was for second, Cragg first facing pressure from young Tanner Denney before a hard charging Steven Hartson joined in.  Starting from 9th on the grid, the 4WD World Champion clearly had the fastest car of the three but going for a move on former World Champion Cragg he would roll over his Centro B4.2 allowing Denney back through along with US National Champion Dakotah Phend.  Hartson finally crossed the finish in 5th.

Having described his TLR22 at the end of practice yesterday as ‘awesome’, Evans proved just how good it was in Heat 2.  Quickly pulling clear of the  No.2 starting Kyosho of Christopher Svensson he was never challenged.  An impressive drive by Svensson saw the Swede hold onto second from Kody Numedahl for half the race until Neumann tagged the back of his RB6 and the two European’s tangled.  This allowed Team Associated designer Numedahl to second but he would make a mistake on the final lap which allowed European Champion Neumann through to second.  Evans said he took advantage of starting up front describing the run as ‘flawless’.

The third and final heat of Round 1 was probably the most entertaining race as Cavalieri showed his World class.  A mistake on the opening lap left the 4-time World Champion & 2-time Reedy Race winner last but with all eyes on him he made an impressive recovery.  Up front Rheinard put in a ‘slow but steady’ run as King hovered around looking to find a way passed until a mistake on lap 6.  All the time Cavalieri was coming through the field, already back up to third by lap 4.  With the time ticking away Cavalieri was all over King who in turn wasn’t far off Rheinard but on the penultimate lap as he went for the pass on the former 1:8 World Champion at the right side double the two cars glanced off one another causing the Associated B4.2 to land heavily on one front corner and spin out. In the end Rheinard held on to win by half a second with Cavalieri recovering to finish third a further 2.9 seconds behind King.  Cavalieri said it was the mistake on the opening lap that cost him the chance of the win but happy with his car he said third from such a starting position was a ‘decent start’.  Representing the veterans of r/c, Barry Baker put in an equally impressive drive in Heat 3.  Starting from 10th on the grid a ‘great start’ moved the Reedy backed driver up a number of places but he threw it all away again with a mistake that left him back were he started.  Posting a faster lap than that of eventual heat winner Rheinard, the Associated driver who is clearly enjoying his racing this weekend would work his way though the field to kick off the event with points for 4th place.

Round 1 2WD Buggy
Heat 1 Result
1.(1) Ryan Maifield – Team Associated – 15/5:05.884
2.(6) Neil Cragg – Team Associated – 15/5:10.422
3.(4) Tanner Denney – Team Associated – 15/5:10.638
4.(5) Dakotah Phend – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:11.074
5.(9) Steven Hartson – Team Associated – 15/5:12.543
6.(3) Ryan Lutz – Team Durango – 15/5:13.935
7.(7) Rick Hohwart – Team Associated – 15/5:15.818
8.(2) Carson Wernimont – Schumacher – 15/5:16.244
9.(10)Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 15/5:17.228
10.(8)Travis Amezcua – Team Durango – 15/5:17.821

Heat 2 Result
1.(1) Dustin Evans – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:00.649
2.(4) Jörn Neumann – Team Durango – 15/5:06.340
3.(3) Kody Numedahl – Team Associated – 15/5:07.111
4.(6) Ty Tessmann – Hot Bodies – 15/5:07.593
5.(2) Christoffer Svensson – Kyosho – 15/5:11.035
6.(5) Billy Fischer – Team Novak – 15/5:11.573
7.(10)Mike Truhe – Serpent – 15/5:15.756
8.(8) Brian Kinwald – Team Associated – 15/5:18.376
9.(9) Lee Martin – Team Yokomo – 15/5:18.728
10.(7)Joseph Quagraine – JQ Products – 15/5:19.728

Heat 3 Result
1.(1) Marc Rheinard – Tamiya – 15/5:06.765
2.(2) Cody King – Kyosho – 15/5:07.283
3.(8) Ryan Cavalieri – Team Associated – 15/5:09.682
4.(10)Barry Baker – Team Reedy – 15/5:17.279
5.(7) Cody Turner – Kyosho – 15/5:19.359
6.(6) Rob Gillespie – Team Associated – 15/5:20.030
7.(3) Josh Pain – Team Yokomo – 14/5:03.603
8.(4) Tyler Vik – Xray – 14/5:04.523
9.(9) Oliver Scholz – Team C – 14/5:06.389
10.(5)Brian Strange – Team Associated – 14/5:08.058

View the complete Reedy Race of Champions event heat listing here (PDF).

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