Matsukura TQs second 2WD Buggy Qualifier
Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura has TQ’d the second round of 2WD Buggy qualifying at the 27th Proline Cactus Classic in Arizona, the Japanese driver topping the timesheets with a 4.9-seconds advantage over Tamiya’s Lee Martin who in turn was almost 2-seconds faster than TLR’s Dustin Evans who claimed a third for the round. A student of English and Communications the 3-time 1:12 World Champion certainly prefers to focus his attentions on his driving rather than his studies when at races having little more to say after his TQ run than ‘perfect’.
Running his B-Max 2 MR in mid motor configuration, the same configuration he used when he gave the new buggy its debut international win when he won Round 2 of the Euro Offroad Series in Germany in January, the Japanese National champion looked considerably faster than his rivals on track as he set the fastest lap of the race which was 3/10ths faster than that of the second fastest lap of the round which was set by Q1 top qualifier Jared Tebo.
Having added a total of 56 grams to his Tamiya for Q2, Martin said his Speed Passion powered mid motor converted buggy was a lot more nimble to drive with the extra weight. Featuring a Vega gearbox and a Red Workshop Chassis kit, the chassis made from carbon fibre, the European Champion said along with lowering the ride height the extra weight made the buggy very easy to drive and he didn’t have to push hard to go fast. Changing to a softer insert in his Proline tyres, Suburbs on the rear and Scrubs on the front, he said this made it a little aggressive and he will revert to the tyre combo he used in Q1. Planning to rebuild his diff for tomorrow’s third qualifier he said he will use a thicker grease to help with traction.
Having broken in Q1, Evans said he ran a conservative second qualifier. With the high traction causing a lot more crashes than normal the lead Team Losi Racing driver said he knew if he kept his TLR22 on track he could get a decent result. Needing to be marshalled once he said getting third for the round was better than he expected. Planning to go for another safe run tomorrow which he hopes will lock him into the all important A-Main, the former US National Champion & Reedy Race winner said he will leave his buggy set-up as is for Q3.
Another driver who was out to put in a safe run was Ryan Cavalieri. Having suffered a number of mistakes in the opening qualifier on the left side of the track where the rear motored Associated B4.2 is at a disadvantage this weekend, he said he took it easy in that section to minimise mistakes and the end result was a solid run to take 4th for the round. A former 2-time winner of the Cactus in 2WD, his last being back in 2010, he said he had the pace to run faster so with one good run in on the board he will push a little harder in the morning. The B4 has ruled 2WD at this race for the last decade but the sugaring of the track this year, which as a positive has really helped the track stand up extremely well to the huge almost 500 entries, has put it at a disadvantage against its mid motored rivals.
Having changed his set-up to what he thought would adapt his Orion powered RB6 to the cooler conditions of the night time run second qualifier, Kyosho star Tebo said his buggy was not that good. Suffering a number of crashes at the double section after the main straight he eventually took 5th for the round. A double winner of the event and having the advantage of a mid motor car over his two biggest rivals Cavalieri and Ryan Maifield, who is going for a hat trick of Cactus buggy titles this year, he will be looking to put his buggy back on top of the time sheets in tomorrow’s remaining two qualifiers.
Team Durango’s Joern Neumann who was second fastest in Q1 completed the Top 6 ahead of Kyosho’s Cody Turner, who said following the number of crashes he had he was happy to take a 7th, with Travis Amezcua and Carson Wernimont making it three Durango’s in the Top 10 which was rounded out by TLR’s Dakotah Phend.
2WD Mod Buggy Qualifying Round 2
1. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo/Yokomo – 14/5:07.266
2. Lee Martin – Tamiya/Speed Passion – 14/5:12.227
3. Dustin Evans – TLR/Orion – 14/5:14.160
4. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 14/5:14.509
5. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 14/5:15.529
6. Joern Neumann – Durango/Speed Passion – 14/5:16.346
7. Cody Turner – Kyosho/Orion – 14/5:17.373
8. Travis Amezcua – Durango/Viper – 14/5:17.411
9. Carson Wernimont – Durango/Reedy – 14/5:18.572
10.Dakotah Phend – TLR/Orion – 14/5:18.696
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