Open practice complete, Tessmann claims early bragging rights
An extended World Championship open practice, due to the fact there was no Warm-up Race, is finally complete with Ty Tessmann the fastest man in Sicily at the end of four hot days of practice. Topping the final round of practice, it was the US National Champion’s time from the 2nd of the day’s three 10-minute runs that gives him the early bragging rights over European Champion David Ronnefalk and the defending World Champion Robert Batlle. The highest placed improvement for the final practice came from Ryan Maifield, the US driver ending up fourth ahead of former team-mate Yannick Aigoin.
Running a 1:51.058 compared with his previous 1:50.743, Tessmann said he ‘maybe drove a little too hard’ in the final open practice but having reverted back to the stiffer chassis plate on his D812 he said changes to the buggy felt better. Running Pro-Line’s Fugitive tyre, the 21-year-old said they felt good but for the first of tomorrow’s two controlled practice, the times from which will determine the seeding for qualifying, he will go to a harder compound of the tyre. Overall the Canadian, who also posted the fastest lap of the day being one of only three drivers to break into the 36-seconds around the Naxos World track, declared himself happy with his pace heading into Day 5 of the event when things move up a notch and the event officially gets underway.
One of the drivers to run a 36-second lap, Ronnefalk said for the final practice he decided to try a completely different set-up which threw up a few surprises. Making his Kyosho a lot better on some parts of the track, in particular the sweeper, he said it also made it more lazy through the chicane. With the improvement in areas significant, the Swede said they now plan to start controlled practice with a mixture of both set-ups.
Batlle said he suffered a lot with traffic in his final practice but added he ‘feel(s) good’ with practice going a lot better than it traditionally works out. Describing the set-up he has reached on his Novarossi powered Mugen as ‘quite good’ he was also upbeat about his tyre options saying he had the opportunity to test all the various scenarios in terms of his Procircuit’s tyre wear. Asked if he planned any changes for controlled practice, the Spaniard said with the car going so well he would mostly leave it and just use the run to focus on going for a complete 10-minute run time.
Ending practice with his best three laps of the track Maifield described his final run as ‘a little better’. The new Team Losi Racing signing said he know whats what he needs to do to go fast but could do with a little more help from the car. Rated as one of world’s best offroad racers but having a World title so far elude him, the US ace said ‘its hard to set-up a car for asphalt and also get it to jump jumps’.
Former European Champion Aigoin said his all new prototype Team Associated RC8 was good the first time he put it on the track but since then he has used every run to try something new so as to build up knowledge of the new car. Returning to the base set-up they came to for the car in pre-event testing for the final practice he said it was instantly competitive again. For tomorrow the Frenchman said it was going to be just a case of making very fine adjustments. Having run Pro-Line’s Surburb tyre he said he will run something else for the controlled practices as he needs to save his sets of Suburbs for qualifying.
Yannick’s twin brother Jerome also found a big improvement in the final practice to complete the overall Top 6 for the day. The Kyosho driver and reigning 3-time French National Champion said going up in the diff oils for the last run gave him a much quicker car. Still feeling he needs to find a little more from his Novarossi powered MP9 he said he is not yet sure what to change to find it.
Mugen’s Lee Martin would end up 7th, the British driver improving his time in the final practice. Going up in the front diff oil, the British ace said the change made his MBX7R less twitchy allowing him to drive a little harder. Saying he is ‘somewhere close now’ in terms of being in the mix for tomorrow he will just freshen up his car including fitting a new chassis plate and plastics with the first controlled practice set to be a system check of all the new parts.
Top Qualifier in Argentina, Kyosho’s Elliott Boots finally appeared towards the top of the time sheets as he set the 6th fastest time of the final round to end the day the day 8th overall. Behind Boots was fellow country and newly crowned British National champion Darren Bloomfield, the Agama driver’s opening run of the day proving his best. Flying the home nations flag, 13-year-old emerging Italian talent Davide Ongaro completed the Top 10.
Setting the fastest lap of the final practice round and the third driver to run a 36 second-lap, Dakotah Phend ended day 11th. The TLR driver said a change to heavier diffs made his Orion powered 8ight a lot more stable with him able to drive harder and still be comfortable with the car. The 17-year-old plans to make a shock change for the morning declaring himself confident for tomorrow.
View our event image gallery here.
