TQ run for Tebo in 2WD Buggy Q1

Last year’s 2WD Buggy winner Jared Tebo got his quest to retain his Pro-Line Cactus Classic title off to the perfect start as he TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at SRS Raceway.  The Kyosho driver took the round ahead of TLR’s Dakotah Phend but only after the US National Champion crashed on his final lap.  Only four drivers managed 14-lap runs with Billy Fischer posting the third fastest time followed by Ryan Maifield.

Admitting he got a little lucky with Phend’s late error, Tebo was none the less happy to take the TQ for the first of the four scheduled qualifiers.  Describing his RB6 as being a little soft, the World Champion had changed to a harder spring for qualifying which improved the buggy but leaving the oil the same as controlled practice it was too soft.  Causing the buggy to get ‘a little squirmy’ when he pushed hard he said he was happy with his driving as he managed a ‘couple of good saves’ when it got out of shape.  Planning to stiffen up the buggy he said this could give him a better balance for Q2.

Phend said his TLR22 was really good and it was just that one mistake that cost him the TQ run.  Commenting on the error, the 17-year-old said he ‘turned the wheel a little too much’ through the high speed corner and wasn’t able to save it.  Posting the 5th fastest time, team-mate Dustin Evans said his buggy was too safe due to his choice of front tyre and for Q2 he plans to run a more aggressive front.

Posting the fastest lap of the round on his way to third, Fischer said his run included two mistakes, one of which require his Centro C4.2 to be marshalled.  Wanting to make a change to his set-up for the day’s second qualifier, he said he is ‘afraid to’ in case he ends up going in the wrong direction.

‘OK’ was how Maifield summed up his run.  Winner of 2WD here at his home race two years again before the track became a sugared surface, the Associated driver said there a few things different between their old and new buggy in terms of set-up and he hasn’t ‘picked it up yet’.  Needing more steering from his B5M, he said that is hard to get and keep the buggy somewhat easy to drive.

Schumacher’s Carson Wernimont took his Cougar KF to the sixth fastest time, the 17-year-old saying it is ‘super easy to drive’ allowing him to ‘safely put in laps’.   Sticking with the same set-up he came to during the two days of open practice ahead of the event he said all he has been doing with the buggy is making ride height tweaks.

On finding out he was seventh fastest, Team Durango’s Ryan Lutz described his DEX210’s Q1 performance as ‘excellent’.  Making one mistake, he was otherwise ‘pleased’ with the run adding that the only change he plans for Q2 is to the driver!  Team-mate Joern Neumann, who TQ’d the opening round of 4WD qualifying, didn’t have a good 2WD encounter as he struggled with his slipper, after the heat a bad nut was found to be the issue.

2WD Buggy Qualifying Round 1
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 14/5:19.077
2. Dakotah Phend – TLR – 14/5:19.683
3. Billy Fischer – Associated – 14/5:22.066
4. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 14/5:22.380
5. Dustin Evans – TLR – 13/5:01.379
6. Carson Wernimont – Schumacher – 13/5:04.513
7. Ryan Lutz – Durango – 13/5:04.569
8. Kody Numedahl – Associated – 13/5:04.875
9. Ty Tessmann – TLR – 13/5:05.266
10.Travis Amezcua – Durango – 13/5:05.526

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