A3 to decide winners as Denney & Mitch take A2

The winners of the premiere classes at the JConcepts Winter Indoor Nationals in St.Louis will be decided in A3 as the second round of buggy Mains at SmacTrac produced different winners to the opening encounters.  Having struggled with tyre prep in 2WD Buggy in A1, Top Qualifier Tanner Denney was able to convert second time around despite a mistake that dropped him down the field. In 4WD Buggy JR Mitch, who took second in A1, capitalised on a first lap error by Top Qualifier Steven Hartson that delayed team-mate Denney to take the win. Hartson would finish 3rd in 2WD Buggy behind JP Richards while in 4WD the World Champion struggled home in 10th.

Describing the track as completely different, the organisers watering the track prior to the A-Mains,  Denney said he was able to make a good start from the pole. Pushing hard to try and extend his lead he said he became a ‘throttle jockey’, his erratic use of the throttle & brake resulting in a mistake at the triple which saw his B5 needing to be marshalled. This allowed the TLR22 of JP Richards to the front with Hartson right on his tail.  Showing great patience behind Richards, Hartson tried to set-up a pass but the pair tangled.  The factory Associated driver waited to let the 20-year-old resume position but as he did Denney’s all white buggy slipped through to the lead.  The 18-year-old admitted he was gifted the lead by the coming together but once in front and with a bit of a lead he said he just switched to cruise mode and focused on not making any mistakes. Hartson said his Reedy powered B5 was ‘extremely good’ and he had the speed to win but added when you don’t have anywhere to go its nearly impossible to make a pass without taking out the buggy in front.

In 4WD Hartson caught the pipping at the third corner after the start collecting Denney in the process allowing the entire field headed by Mitch to go passed.  Leading from the Xray of Josh Wheeler, Mitch would himself get caught up in the piping allowing the latter to lead before he too had problems with the piping.  Mitch said he was lucky to have been able to avoid Hartson at the start and despite some nervous moments he was happy to be able to bring home the win.  With a second in A1, the Team Losi Racing driver is right in contention going into A3.  Planning to just wash the tyres on his TLR22-4 he said he hopes they again blow off and water the track for the closing round of A-Mains as this really suited his set-up.  It was a good main for TLR with Cody Hollis managing to get 2nd just in front of Wheeler having started from 6th on the grid.

2WD Buggy A-Main Leg 2 Results
1.(1) Tanner Denney – Team Associated – 21/5:02.079
2.(2) JP Richards – Team Losi Racing – 21/5:02.946
3.(4) Steven Hartson – Team Associated – 21/5:03.406
4.(5) Brent Thielke – Team Associated – 21/5:07.815
5.(3) Taylor Larsen – Team Losi Racing – 21/5:07.989
6.(6) Cody Hollis – Team Losi Racing – 21/5:11.353
7.(10)Luke Richards – Kyosho – 21/5:16.408
8.(8) JR Mitch – Team Losi Racing – 20/5:01.613
9.(11)Daimon Borkowicz – Team Associated – 20/5:02.940
10.(7)Trevor Nault – Team Associated – 20/5:09.359
11.(9)Matt Gosch – Team Associated – 19/5:09.171

4WD Buggy A-Main Leg 2 Results
1.(3) JR Mitch – Team Losi Racing – 22/5:09.097
2.(6) Cody Hollis – Team Losi Racing – 22/5:10.543
3.(4) Josh Wheeler – Team Xray – 22/5:11.162
4.(2) Tanner Denney – Team Associated – 21/5:02.659
5.(5) Mitchel Gardner – Kyosho – 21/5:03.924
6.(7) Nick Gibson – Team Associated – 21/5:06.086
7.(11)Taylor Larsen – Team Losi Racing – 21/5:07.216
8.(8) JP Richards – Team Losi Racing – 21/5:13.746
9.(9) Brent Thielke – Team Associated – 21/5:14.261
10.(1)Steven Hartson – Team Associated – 20/5:04.928
11.(12)Matt Gosch – Team Associated – 19/5:07.993

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