Rikvin from Tebo in opening JConcepts 2WD qualifier

Spencer Rivkin has TQ’d the opening 2WD Buggy qualifier at the finals of the JConcepts Indoor National Series.  The series’ first visit to North Carolina, Rivkin was quickest around the Speed RC track outpacing Tebo by half a second.  Having assumed the TQ pace after a spin by Rivkin four laps in, Brent Thielke was looking on target to take the first of the three qualifiers but a mistake on the penultimate lap would drop him to third with Damon Borkowicz and Alex Kosciuszek complete the Top 5.

‘I thought it was good’ was how Rivkin summed up the opening qualifier.  He continued, ‘I didn’t come out that fast and then spun out in front of Brent after which I put the head down’.  Describing his Reedy powered B6 as ‘fast’, it setting the fastest lap, the World Champion said, ‘maybe it was a little hard to drive’. Putting this down to his tyre choice, saying the track was pretty dusty for using a slick, the 18-year-old plans to change to from JConcepts new Octagon slick to the threaded Spacebar adding the switch was also to try and ‘get ahead of the game for the heads up racing tomorrow’.

Making a ‘minor camber change’ on his new RB6.6 since topping seeding practice yesterday, Tebo said the car was ‘a little harder to drive’.  Describing the change as having made it ‘loose under braking’, he said it was this that caused his early crash at the end of the straight.  Still happy with the overall feel of the car which he is still running on Pro-Line’s Electron front and Positron rear tyre he will ‘just go back’ with the camber setting for Q2.

‘Not much to say, I made a mistake’, was how Thielke summed up his first qualifying effort. Catching a corner which sent his B6 rolling down the step section, the Associated team manager continued, ‘the car is good, the tyres and motor are good but the driver made a mistake’.  With his team drivers giving him stick that his performance is down to the extra track time he is getting by also racing in 40+ 2WD Mod Buggy, which he TQ’d the first round of ahead of Jason Ruona, he is confident that he has the car for a good result and just needs to drive it.

Making a ‘last minute decision’ to change from slicks to a threaded tyre and also going to the same set-up as team-mate Kosciuszek, Borkowicz said his ‘car was really good’.  With a crash on his second last lap, the Team Associated/JConcepts supported Florida racer feels a bit more work to lower the rear thread of his Spacebar tyres should further improve the car.  Sixth in seeding practice he said starting higher on the grid for Q2 should also help produce a better run.

‘The car was good and I though I drove good but the lapped traffic was hurting’, was Kosciuszek view of the opening 2WD qualifier.  He continued, ‘in the first round everyone is nervous so Q2 should be better and I’m ready to go back at it again’.  Behind Kosciuszek, who is one of four drivers vying for the overall 2WD JConcepts Indoor National Series title, contender Max Flurer completed the Top 6 at the controls of his TLR.

View our event image gallery here.