1/4 Finals Update – Rivkin books spot in Semi
Spencer Rivkin has booked his place in the Semis, the reigning US National Champion driver winning the first of the 1/4 Finals at RC Tracks of Las Vegas to bump into the same race as Top Qualifier Jared Tebo where he will be the sole Team Associated driver on the 12-car grid. Behind, Dylan Rodriguez would continue to recover from his disappointing qualifying to bump up for a second time today at what is very much a home race for the Las Vegas driver. Also progressing from race would be TLR’s Renaud Savoya, the Frenchman a podium finisher the last time the US played host to the 1:8 Offroad World Championships, and Mugen driver Cole Ogden. Having bumped up from the 1/8 Final one notable driver whose event would come to an end was 2014 Finalist Alex Zanchettin, the TLR driver finishing 8th. In the second 1/4 encounter, Kyle McBride went through easily for Team Associated winning comfortably from Mike Truhe with Tanner Stees and Joe Bornhorst taking the final to bump ups. Unfortunately Serpent’s Billy Easton couldn’t progress for a fourth time, finishing 7th.
Commenting on his race, Rivkin said, ‘I drove smart at the start just trying to get back into it having not driven for 2-days’ – qualifying having ended on Thursday and yesterday a day for lower finals. The reigning 2WD Offroad World Champion, he said, ‘It took a bit of time for find the right lines but at the end I was getting it good and my car is also getting better’. Looking to his Semi final and having a 1/2 an hour advantage of extra track time over the direct Semi Finalists the 17-year-old said, ‘track time is track time so its good to have it going into the Semi but the main thing is that I have been able to work on improving my driving in that (his 1/4) final’.
Matching his performance of the 2012 Worlds in Argentina, again making the Semi Final, Rodriguez said, ‘its a big turn around from qualifying’. The HB Racing driver continued, ‘I couldn’t find a tyre that suited me in qualifying but now I’m using M3 Fugitives. These have made the car consistent and much easier on the bumps as it’s not catching the bumps like before’. The 22-year-old added, ‘the track is really rough now but I have already got an hour of running in today so thats a big help going into the Semi’.
Summing up his win, McBride said, ‘I had a decent start from 6th on the grid. I ran a Fugitive tyres which due to the watering of the track was a little shaky at the start but after that it was a smooth run’. His first time on the track since qualifying, the Australian said, ‘the track is very different from qualifying and thats why we ran a completely different tyre. It’s a lot more drier out and for the Semi practice I might try something with that in mind’. Now down to the final 24 drivers, semi-finalists will get a 10-minute practice session before their final.
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