Numedahl opens Day 2 with thrilling win over Evans
Kody Numedahl opened Day 2 of the Reedy Race of Champions with a thrilling victory over overnight points leader Dustin Evans, the Associated driver snatching the win through the last corner to become the first triple winner at the 22nd running of the race that carries on the legacy of RC pioneer Mike Reedy. Having described his Round 4 performance yesterday as ‘A trademark Reedy Race blowout’, from pole Numedahl would get the holeshot only to throw it away when he caught the piping coming onto the straight for the first time. Dropping to fourth in the well loaded race, which in addition to Evans also had World Champion Spencer Rivkin and Steven Hartson, Numedahl would benefit from errors by long time leader Chad Due and Hartson to move to second behind Evans. Coming on the last lap Numedahl was on the rear wing of the TLR driver’s rear wing and looking to defend his position on the dash to the finish Evans took a tight line but with less traction on the inside Numedahl got the run to take a win that was well appreciated by the OCRC crowd. In the previous two encounters of the penultimate round of 2WD action reigning champion Ryan Maifield would take win No.2 while Jared Tebo finally registered his first win of the event.
‘That was crazy’ was Numedahl’s reaction to the race, the AE designer adding, ‘that was the closest race so far with so many drivers that close together’. His first front row start, the unassuming racer said, ‘I wanted to get the holeshot so went full throttle. It was a good start but then I got caught on the same pipe that cost a result in Round 4’. Commenting on today’s track conditions he said ‘most drivers don’t look as comfortable today cause the grip is up in a weird way with the cars snapping loose’. Starting his final 2WD encounter from 4th on the grid he hopes to be able to convert that into a result that allows him drop his P4 from the fourth round with him just 1-point of standings leader Evans.
Giving his reaction to the entertaining race, Evans said ‘the last lap I protected my lines but went too tight coming onto the straight and there was no grip’. Having spent a few weeks in California as part of his preparation for the race, the 2011 Champion said ‘I have been racing with Kody since I came out to California and there is no one I am more comfortable racing with. The former US Champion continued, ‘I am still happy with a 2nd and with Top 3 finishes in all my races with only one (2WD) round to go its all good’.
Commenting on his win over an impressive Rob Gillespie, Maifield said, ‘I made changes to my car to try calm it down a little and it was an improvement’. Starting from 7th on the grid, the TLR driver said having got through some ‘carnage’ at the start he drove a patient race. Following behind leader Gillespie, saying ‘Robbie was going really good’, he said with Dakotah Phend behind he didn’t want to risk a mistake that would let his team-mate passed. With Gillespie having a rollover entering the straight this let Maifield through for his second win.
Taking three laps to get to the front ahead of early leader Joseph Quagraine and JP Richards, Tebo said it was a ‘great start’ to Day 2. ‘I drove a little better’ said the Kyosho driver adding ‘my car was good yesterday I just drove bad’. Despite the ‘nervous’ driving the former World Champion goes into the final 2WD with a run of Top 3 finishes. Also in the same race was Ryan Cavalieri. Starting from last on the grid the 3-time Reedy Race Champion would tangle with Cody King on the first lap. Recovering from that to join the battle for second, the Associated driver then made a mistake at the second triple with four laps to go. Dropping to fourth he could only recover to 3rd after a late mistake by Serpent’s Billy Easton.
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