Tessmann bounces back to defend Truggy at DNC

Defending Dirt Nitro Challenge Champion Ty Tessmann came back from a difficult qualifying at the 14th running of the world famous Arizona event to take victory in Truggy ahead of Kyosho’s Jared Tebo and another driver experiencing a below par qualifying Ryan Maifield, a change of radio transmitters since qualifying bringing both drivers right back into contention. For Top Qualifier Adam Drake a wrong set-up meant he could only manage fourth at the end of the 45-minute encounter.

The opening laps of the race saw a great battle between Drake and Tebo the pairing swapping the lead before 2011 Champion Tebo was able to establish himself as the leader. The Kyosho driver held that position until lap 34 when Tessmann, who started 7th, put his OS Speed powered HB out front. Tebo would retake the lead two laps later and head the field for the next nine laps until he made his final fuel stop during which Tessmann, who stopped 2-laps earlier, took over a lead he would hold to the end to win by 10-seconds.

Having struggled in qualifying with a lack of feeling in his truggy, something that would later be traced to a faulty transmitter, Tessmann said his Proline M3 Blockade D8T worked perfectly in the final. Describing the start as a ‘little hectic’, the US National Champion said once he got up to fourth he just waited his time as he knew his truggy was good enough for the win. Faster in some sections than Tebo who was in turn quicker in other areas of the Joey ‘The Dirt’ Christensen created track, the Canadian said it eventually came down to a few more mistakes from his rival. A massive confidence boost for Tessmann’s team, Ty said while he starts even further down the grid for tomorrow’s Buggy main he thinks its now game on for a repeat of his 2012 DNC double.

Tebo said his race started out ‘awesome’ with everything working perfectly but following his 3rd fuel stop of four made during the race his Orion engine went super rich on the top end. With a lack of power the 26-year-old said he had to drive on the throttle more to keep up the revs which meant his truggy was very loose leading to a number of mistake and any chance of the win.

Starting from 11th on the grid, Maifield said finishing third felt like a win after how bad qualifying had gone. Discovering his problems were radio related after he changed transmitter in the second buggy qualifier and was immediately on the pace, this year’s Truggy encounter was a reverse of the event 12-months ago when having TQ’d the Arizona ace finished last after retiring just 8-minutes into the race. Running green compound JConcepts Stackers on his LRP powered RC8T, Maifield said he knew he had a big task ahead of him for the race but everything worked really well, a fact that was endorsed by being able to record the fastest lap of the race. ‘Pumped’ by his performance he said starting tomorrow’s buggy A-Main from 2nd it ‘should be good’.

Having secured a popular overall TQ, Drake was understandably disappointed to only finish fourth. Showing great pace over the opening laps, last year’s podium finisher said he ran too light an oil in his 8ight T which as everything warmed up left him struggling. Trying to make up for the drop off in performance the legend of 1:8 Offroad said he started to overdrive leading to a series of errors. With chances of a win gone he said he just settled into a steady pace to get him to the end. TLR team-mate Billy Fischer enjoyed a strong race. Having won the B-Main to secure 13th on the grid, the 1:8 eBuggy winner would finish 5th 4-seconds in front of team-mate Mike Truhe who just managed to hold off Cody King.

Overall it was not a good race for the front starting drivers. Starting second behind Drake, Ryan Lutz was a non-finisher. 15-laps into the race the Team Durango driver suffered a rear link arm failure. Loosing almost 10-minute as his pit crew fixed the DNX408T, Lutz rejoined the race but a rear axle failure would put a permanent end to his race with 8-minutes to go. 3rd on the grid and last year’s runner-up, Ryan Cavalieri looked set to again make the podium but in the final 15-minutes of the race the Associated driver started to struggle with his set-up. Running too soft a rear end set-up on his Orion powered Associated he said it became hard to drive dropping him back from 3rd to 8th by the finish.

Truggy A-Main Result
1.(7) Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed – 73/45:16.583
2.(4) Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 73/45:26.714
3.(11)Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 72/45:14.494
4.(1) Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 72/45:21.156
5.(13)Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi – 72/45:31.183
6.(6) Mike Truhe – TLR/TOP – 72/45:35.309
7.(9) Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 72/45:35.819
8.(3) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 71/45:22.229
9.(8) Austin Blair – Kyosho/RB – 70/45:25.459
10.(14)Chris Wheeler – TLR/Bullitt – 69/45:23.681
11.(15)Taylor Peterson – Xray/Alpha – 69/45:33.459
12.(2)Ryan Lutz – Durango/Alpha – 44/37:46.539
13.(10)Jeremy Kortz – Agama/Werks – 36/25:01.652
14.(12)Martin Bayer – Xray/LRP – 29/18:53.341
15.(5)Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS – 21/13:21.165

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Fischer, Wheeler & Petersen complete Truggy grid

Billy Fischer, Chris Wheeler and Taylor Peterson will take up the final three spots on the grid for the Dirt Nitro Challenge Truggy final which takes place this evening at the Fear Farm in Phoenix, Arizona. Starting the 20-minute B-final from pole, Team Losi Racing’s Fischer put in a faultless race leading from start to finish winning by a comfortable 13-second margin over star of the day so far Wheeler. Having qualified in the D Final, Wheeler took his TLR 8ight T to second in that encounter bumping him up to the C Main. Finishing his second race of the day in 3rd this secured him the last spot on the grid of a B-Final loaded with top name international drivers. Storming his way to the front of the pack, by lap 5 Wheeler was in the all important Top 3 assuming 2nd just a few laps later which is where he would stay till the end to guarantee his fourth race start of the day.

World Championship Finalist Petersen was the last driver to book his place in the main event, the newly signed Xray driver benefiting from the misfortunes of team-mate Renaud Savoya. The French ace who ran a one stop fuel strategy looked to have his place under control after a rapidly recovering Dakotah Phend broke. With a large advantage over his closest challenger Savoya opted to do a splash & dash but a roll on his out lap causing his Orion engine to cut. Getting back to the pits his crew couldn’t get the engine to fire back up eventually a plug change being required to get him back on track but the damage was done and he would finish 10th and last of the remaining runners. Fellow European Elliot Boots came close to making the cut as he battled with Peterson but the Kyosho driver suffered a late mistake and would finish 2.3-seconds behind the 3rd placed American.

Final A-Main Truggy Grid
1. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi
2. Ryan Lutz – Durango/Alpha
3. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion
4. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion
5. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS
6. Mike Truhe – TLR/TOP
7. Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed
8. Austin Blair – Kyosho/RB
9. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds
10.Jeremy Kortz – Agama/Werks
11.Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP
12.Martin Bayer – Xray/LRP
13.Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi
14.Chris Wheeler – TLR/Bullitt
15.Taylor Peterson – Xray/Alpha

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Drake TQs final Buggy qualifier

Team Losi Racing’s Adam Drake claimed the 3rd & final round of Buggy qualifying at the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Truggy Top Qualifier just outpacing Kyosho’s Jared Tebo who already wrapped up the top spot on the grid for Sunday’s final in Q2. Drake’s 12 lap TQ for the round will see his 8ight 3.0 line up third on the grid behind Team Assocaited’s Ryan Maifield who was third fastest in Q3. Setting the fifth fastest time for the round just 16/100ths off his Kyosho team-mate Cody King, Elliot Boots will start his first ever 1:8 Buggy race in the US from fourth on the grid and as the Top European. Three time European Champion Renaud Savoya who recorded the the 7th fastest time for the round which saw another after midnight finish to the days action will line-up 5th for the 45-minute fifteen buggy Main. With 12 direct qualifiers defending champion Ty Tessmann just made the cut setting the 8th fastest time in Q3 which secured him 12th on the grid.

Buggy Qualifying Round 3
1. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 12/7:35.242
2. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 12/7:36.182
3. Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 11/7:01.582
4. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 11/7:02.959
5. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 11/7:02.975
6. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 11/7:04.127
7. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 11/7:05.363
8. Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed – 11/7:05.799
9. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS Speed – 11/7:06.376
10.Carson Wernimont – Durango/OS Speed – 11/7:07.509

Overall Buggy Qualifying Result
A-Main Grid (Top 3 in B Final to bump up)
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 0 pts
2. Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 5
3. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 5
4. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 7
5. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 7
6. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS – 9
7. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 11
8. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 11
9. Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi – 14
10.Drew Moller – Kyosho/Orion – 20
11.Josh Wheeler – Xray/OS Speed – 21
12.Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed – 23

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Tebo is Top Qualifier at Dirt Nitro Challenge

Jared Tebo is the Top Qualifier for the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Kyosho driver putting the honour beyond the reach of his rivals with one round to go after he backed up his Q1 run by again topping the time sheets at the famous Arizona event. Have just seen off his team-mate Elliot Boots by less than a second in Q1, birthday boy Tebo posted a much more convincing Q2 taking the round by over 6 seconds from Team Associated’s Ryan Maifield and A-Main Hobbies’ Dylan Rodriguez putting in yet another impressive performance this weekend to complete the Top 3.

Top Qualifier at the 2011 DNC which he went on to win, Tebo was very happy with his run which was almost 7 seconds faster than his time set in the opening heat. Leaving the set-up of his MP9 chassis the same and continuing with AKA Impact tyres, the 26-year-old did change to a different pipe and clutch on his Orion engine, the extra torque improving the buggy, in particular at the tricky centre double section. Asked what he planned for the final qualifier, which looks set to end sometime after 1 am local time, Tebo said he didn’t really have anything to test as the buggy feels really good but with Sunday’s final set to be a late affair he will use the track time to see how the cooler conditions effect the handling.

Having struggled yesterday in Truggy and had a below par performance in the opening buggy qualifier, Maifield bounced back in Q2 after he discovered a radio gear problem. With the problem rectified for his second heat, the Arizona driver was much happier with his RC8 adding that slowing his LRP engine down had also helped improve his performance. Suffering two crashes over the 7-minute run, Maifield said running early for the round he benefited from a faster track at the time of his run which was held in natural day light. In contrast his Associated team-mate Ryan Cavalieri ran in the last group for the round which was much colder and run under flood lights ending up only 11th fastest.

Rodriguez was happy at setting the third fastest time just missing out on making 12 laps which so far only Tebo, Maifield and Boots have achieved. Changing from X3 to M3 compound Proline Blockades for Q2, the Las Vegas driver said this was a good call as the softer compound was well suited to the conditions at the time of his run. Having relished in last night’s third Truggy Qualifier to TQ the round, Rodriquez plans to make a few tweaks to the set-up of his Kyosho chassis to suit what, going by last night, should make for a slightly faster track.

Team Xray’s Renaud Savoya said he couldn’t be happier with his second run, the French ace again opting for a safe drive which netted him the fourth fastest time guaranteeing the French ace a good starting position for Sunday’s blue ribbon final. Leaving the set and choice of Sweep tyre the same as Q1 he said his XB9 was again easy to drive. While the A-Main drivers will get a practice session on Sunday, Savoya said that Q3 offers the best opportunity to try tyres with a view to the final which in tradition DNC style will be run at night. The multiple European Champion said he will make a choice between Sweep’s Battlestar and Exagon pattern for the final qualifier.

Setting the fifth fastest time just ahead of the Kyoshos of Drew Moller, Cody King and Boots, Team Losi Racing’s Adam Drake said running in one of the later heats was a disadvantage so for the conditions he was happy with his run. The 1:8 Offroad legend who ran Proline M3 Blockades said for the final qualifier he is considering trying a different tyre and insert in anticipation of the track conditions which should have more grip as the cold causes moisture to naturally occur in the dirt.

The star of the opening buggy qualifier, Boots could only manage the 8th fastest time in Q2. With the track watered just before his group took to the track the British ace said his Kyosho which was unchanged from his P2 run earlier in the day was very loose. Confident it was due to the slightly heavier than normal watering of the track on that occasion he said he doesn’t plan on changing his MP9 set-up or tyres for the final heat. Unfortunately for Ty Tessmann, who was in the same heat as Boots, it was another difficult qualifier. Feeling increasingly under the weather the defending champion would only post the 15th fastest time.

Buggy Qualifying Round 2
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 12/7:30.477
2. Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 12/7:36.632
3. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS – 11/7:00.926
4. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 11/7:02.046
5. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 11/7:03.254
6. Drew Moller – Kyosho/Orion – 11/7:03.492
7. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 11/7:03.504
8. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 11/7:03.947
9. Josh Wheeler – Xray/OS Speed – 11/7:04.697
10.Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi – 11/7:05.560

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