New World Champion to be crowned as Naoto wins A2

A new 4WD World Champion is to be crowned in California after leg 2 of the A-Main saw reigning Champion Ryan Cavalieri retire with a broken car on lap 2 in an incident that also saw his Associated team-mate Ryan Maifield eliminated.  Starting from 8th on the grid, it was Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura who took the win 1.5 seconds ahead of Durango’s Ryan Lutz and Joern Neumann.  The win puts the 3-time 1:12 World Champion, who was 3rd in A1, in strong contention for the title as A1 winner Hartson could only manage 5th second time round.

Top Qualifier Neumann again looked to be handed the win when a challenging Cavalieri spun out just as the field came around to complete lap 2.  This resulted in A2 second place finisher Ty Tessmann collecting the wrong way facing B44.2 with the HB in turn being hit by Maifield, the Associateds coming off the worse with both cars breaking arms.  Leading for half the race a number of bobbles allowed Matsukura to catch up Neumann eventually moving to the front on lap six. Winning the opening Main, Steven Hartson could only manage 5th in between Tessmann and TLR’s Dakotah Phend.  The result means that going into the final race Matsukura, Hartson, Tessman, Lutz and Neumann have a shot at the title but the most pressure is on Neumann as even if he wins he needs to do so in a better time than Matsukura’s A2 winning time.

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