Tebo the early benchmark at Yatabe

Jared Tebo continues to be the early benchmark at the 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Japan with the defending champion laying down the pace with three rounds of practice completed at the Yatabe Arena.  Both in terms of fastest lap time and 3-consecutive laps, the Kyosho driver is distinctly faster than his rivals with team-mate Naoto Matsukura closest on consistency almost a full second off.  A driver who didn’t attend the Warm-up Race and a novice on astro turf, TLR’s Dakotah Phend is third fastest followed by former champions Ryan Cavalieri and Neil Cragg.

‘All right so far’ was Tebo’s response to how practice has been going, the American adding ‘the turf’ has a more ‘normal feeling now’ compared with the opening two rounds.  Changing to a ‘completely different car’ for FP3, he said it felt good as proven by his fastest lap 2/10ths quicker than that of the second fastest lap time which was set by Phend.  Despite the speed, for the final free practice he will change back to his other car on which he will make a minor set-up change.  As one of the few drivers to like the washboard after racers got their first taste of the track this morning, he said both his cars were ‘really awesome’ over the five rubber strips.

Stiffening up his Kyosho after the first practice, Matsukura said while better he still has issues with the whoops section.  The multiple 1:12 World Champion, now also has the issue of his car now having too much rear traction which is creating understeer.  Declaring he ‘need(s) to work on the set-up’, he added that with his car ‘different to both of Tebo’s cars’, he said he needs to think of a solution for himself.

Describing the track as ‘fun to drive’, Phend said he was adjusting both his car and himself to the track.  Having prepared for the event by running on a rubber type surface track back in the US so as to prepare for the traction level and corner speeds, he said while this helped he said the astro turf is a little different. Stilling working on perfecting his lines he said the car is handling good and he can drive it as is but for the final free practice will try to make it easier to drive in case the traction keeps coming up.

Cavalieri declared his third practice as ‘by far his best run yet’ saying he was ‘now driving with a lot more consistency’.   Making ‘1 or 2 mistakes’ he said he was pretty much working on his driving with changes made after the 2nd run leaving his modified B5M feeling ‘pretty darn good’.  Commenting on the washboard, the 2011 Champion feels he has a ‘steady line’ for the section and is ‘getting through it pretty quick’.

Setting the fifth fastest time, Cragg said he ‘didn’t drive too good the last one. I drove too hard’.  Making an adjustment to his brake he said while it felt better it was not as fast and he will go back to the previous setting.  Other than this he said the car is good and his aim was just to try & stay clean adding ‘there are lots of crashes out there and clean runs win’.

Seventh fastest behind Japanese driver Yusuke Sugiura, Martin Bayer described his pace as ‘Ok’ but added he doesn’t feel really comfortable yet.  Having trouble with the 180 corners, the factory Xray driver is encouraged by his XB2 over the whoops, feeling it is one of the best through that section.  Having watched the fastest heat groupings, in which drivers are cutting corners more over the jumps, the Czech ace said there is a good chunk of time to be made from doing the same.

Currently 8th fastest, Ryan Maifield described things as being ‘not bad’ although he did lose valuable track time after breaking in P3.  Crashing in the blind spot at the tabletop, he said the marshal didn’t see his TLR so he ‘gassed it’ causing it to break.  This aside he said the car is getting better and the surface is also getting more consistent adding the track is ‘still going to be gnarly when racing gets started’.

With the Americans appearing to have no issues with adapting to what is seen as a track that should suit the Europeans, European Champion Lee Martin is only 15th fastest.  The Yokomo driver said he is ‘struggling a little’. Feeling he just hasn’t ‘clicked in yet’ he said they ‘still haven’t found the optimum set-up or the optimum driver’.

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