Cragg closes on Tebo in 1st Controlled Practice
Having set the pace over the four rounds of practice which opened proceedings at the 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Japan, Jared Tebo continued that form into controlled practice but Neil Cragg continues to reduce the American’s advantage. Having ended practice with a 6/10th advantage, Tebo was just 0.175 quicker in CP1 with both drivers running a fastest lap of 17.3 around the Yatabe Arena track. Behind the current and the former World Champions, Naoto Matsukura was third fastest with things closing up as just 6/10ths covered the Top 10 compared with the 1.6 seconds separation at the end of practice.
Having been switching back & fort between the two different Kyosho cars he has at his disposal, Tebo said his biggest problem is that both are really good, making it hard to decide on which one to use. A driver who is clearly on top of his game as the defending champion, the American seems to have found a rapport with the track layout and astro turf surface. Having ‘a good feeling about how (he is) driving’, he added that he is also ‘having fun driving the track’s layout’.
Asked where his improved pace is coming from, Cragg replied ‘I’m getting my shit together on the what ever you call them’, referring to the track’s washboard section. Describing his Associated B5M incarnation as being ‘pretty dialled’ since putting it down on the track this morning he said this has allowed him to just work on his driving. ‘Keeping it on its wheels’, the Brit said, ‘hopefully we can come out swinging in qualifying’. Team-mate Ryan Cavalieri, who ended free practice third fastest, would have his servo horn come off in CP1 leaving him to post only the 11th quickest time.
Behind home favourite Matsukura, Joern Neumann was very happy with small improvements made to his Serpent. Running an SRX4 SD, which has the front shafts removed in order to comply to 2WD rules, the German described it as now being ‘98% good’. The deducted percentage is due to looking for a little less traction roll. Having looked at his competitive tyres he plans to cut the rear tyres’ outer pins for the day’s closing CP2.
Setting the 5th fastest time, TLR’s Ryan Maifield said they changed something after practice and it made a significant enough difference for him to take some time to get into a rhythm. Also finding himself in a ‘hornet’s nest of traffic’, he said the last few laps were good. Aiming for a good 5-minute time in CP2, he said for it being their ‘first time with this car’ they have made ‘steady progresses’ over the day and he feels they should be ‘ok going into qualifying’.
European 4WD Champion Michal Orlowski would put in a strong CP1 performance to post the 6th fastest time. Surprised himself by his pace, the Schumacher team driver having ended practice 21st, the 14-year-old said a switch from a chamfered tyre insert to a full one for the controlled practice took away the KF2’s tendency to flip. Now very easy to drive, the car has however developed oversteer, something he believes adding rear grip with cure.
Kody Numedahl was next on the time sheets, the Team Associated designer saying he is just getting more comfortable with the track with each run. Responsible for penning the B5M, the Warm-up Race podium finisher has run his own example ‘pretty much the same the whole time’. ‘Happy with the car’, behind him with the 8th & 9th fastest times would be team-mates Spencer Rivkin and Aussie ace Kyle McBride.
16-year-old Rivkin said his pace was ‘pretty good’ but running in a lower heat is effecting his consistency as he keeps catching traffic. Looking to get more speed from his Reedy motor for the next one, he said he would like to be running with some of the ‘quick guys’ so as to see what that are doing around the track. Best of the Yokomo drivers in CP1 Marc Rheinard completed the Top 10.
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