Tessmann gets his World title
Ty Tessmann is the new 1:8 Offroad World Champion. Having stamped his authority on the Sicilian event in early qualifying, the HB driver would take victory in the Main in rather convincing fashion. Starting from second on the grid the Canadian would take control of the race following problems for pole position starter Ryan Maifield to win by a comfortable margin of Team Associated’s Ryan Cavallieri and Mugen’s Carson Wernimont. Leading the race a steering servo failure would rob Maifield a true shot at obtaining the one title that has eluded the American offroad star. The only other driver to look like a potential treat to Tessmann, having denied the 21-year-old the win 2-years-ago in Argentina, outgoing champion Robert Batlle would also hit trouble when his Mugen ran out of fuel just metres before a scheduled pitstop.
Tessmann said while it ‘feels really good’ the true meaning of this win ‘hasn’t sunk in yet’. Running through his race, he said ‘the start didn’t go as good as (he) would of liked’ but telling himself ‘don’t panic’ he didn’t let it get him frustrated. ‘Surprised by how quick (he) caught back up’, he said after making some small set-up adjustments to his Pro-Line shod OS powered D812 it was better than in the Semi. With his rivals challenges faltering he still stuck to their game plan adding that ‘it felt like a very long time to keep the car going’. Securing HB’s second 1:8 Offroad World crown with company boss Tatsuro Watanabe on hand to witness his star driver get a title everyone felt after qualifying was his to lose, Tessmann acknowledged all the work of his sponsors, the car’s designer Torrance Deguzman and his parents over the past two years to come back and go one better than in 2012.
Running a prototype of Associated’s future RC8 platform, Ryan Cavalieri was very pleased with his best ever 1:8 Nitro result. A multiple 1:10 Electric World Champion he said he was not just happy to be on the podium but happy to finally finish the main. Getting off to a ‘clean start’ from 5th on the grid, the American said he struggled with the glare from the setting sun on the left side of the track leading him have an off at the double before the straight. Once the sun was low enough to cut out the glare he said he adapted his driving to how the car was running in the conditions adding he was very comfortable with his pace. Getting constant updates from his pit crew he said he was able to run a controlled finish to the race adding that ‘pretty quick’ work by his crew helped him to gain an advantage on those behind him.
Wernimont was delighted with finishing on the podium in what was his first Worlds Main. The 17-year-old said having almost given up in his Semi after suffering throttle issues when the return band failed he said his AKA shod MBX7R was ‘really good’ following input from Lee Martin. Having suffered cruel look in his Semi after suffering an engine cut while chasing down Tessmann for the win, Martin offered Wernimont ‘set-up advice’ for which the American was very grateful. After a good start which left him running in the Top 5, an early mistake dropped him back to last. Taking the approach he could only go up from there he said he got the head down focusing on staying mentally tough, an approach that would pay dividends. Providing the battle of the race as he fought with Kyle McBride he said they both did their best to give away third but in the end he was able to hold of the Australian.
McBride said the first half of the race went well but then his Kyosho started to get ‘gnarly’. Running a solid second to Tessmann, he ended up making a couple of mistakes that would cost him positions leaving to have to battle with Wernimont for the final podium position. Equalling his fourth place finish he claimed on his Worlds debut in Pattaya in 2010 he said he was still happy with the final result.
Getting into the Main as the last chance qualifier due to his Semi Final time, Team Xray’s Martin Bayer was ‘super happy’ to finish 5th. Like Cavalieri he had big issues with the low sun, saying the race was more a battle with himself and seeing the track than anything else. With second to seventh all finishing on the same lap, the Czech ace said he was delighted to be so close to his rivals.
Maifield took his misfortunate extremely well, saying that he was very happy with how his first big race had gone with his new Team Losi Racing squad. Setting the fastest lap of the race of which he held a good lead, he said he could ‘hold (his) head high’ having shown they had what it took to challenge for the victory. Crashing into the track barrier after the double prior to his retirement, he said maybe it was his fault his servo, a new one being fitted for the final, failed but ‘that is the World Championships’ and he would just have to ‘go for at the next one’.
Running out of fuel on his in-lap just before the timing loop, costing him a full lap, Batlle said he was happy that as the defending champions they were in the mix throughout the event. The only other driver along with Maifield to run a 36-second lap in the final, he said they had enough speed to repeat the Argentina result. Hitting an out of shape Tessmann late in the race, the new champion saying afterwards Batlle had nowhere to go, he would receive an unwarranted Stop & Go penalty adding it must be a personal thing as he got the same thing at this year’s European Championships.
Having run strongly in the Top 3 at the start of the race, Ryan Lutz would have a ‘very frustrating’ rear diff failure. The Team Durango driver said everything felt excellent and for the early part of the race he was very comfortable with his pace before the diff started to go. He would finally retire after 25-laps.
2010 World Champion Cody King was equally frustrated as he got pushed into the pit wall off the start line resulting in a broken arm on his Kyosho. Although he would rejoin the race after 17-minutes of repairs, he said it was unfortunate he did not get to carry the momentum he built up from starting out in the morning’s 1/4 Final after a tough qualifying. Breaking another arm in the pitlane putting him out with 6 minutes to go, he said with the 2016 World Championships in the US, he would focus on looking forward to that.
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