Tessmann TQs opening Truggy qualifier at DNC

Ty Tessmann claimed the first TQ run of the 17th running of the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the multiple champion putting his HB top of the times in the first of the three rounds of Truggy Qualifying at the Fear Farm.  The four time champion, who held a three year reign over truggy at the Phoenix based event from 2012-2014, would finish 4-seconds clear of rivals.  In a close battle wth Ryan Maifield, a last lap error would drop the defending Buggy Champion back to third leaving Ryan Cavalieri to claim a P2.

Only 6th in yesterday’s single round of seeding practice having ‘drove seeding like a qualifier’, Tessmann said his opening qualifier ‘was good’.  Having made changes to his D8T from yesterday, the Canadian said it was better and for now he didn’t plan any further changes for Q2.  Describing this year’s Joey Christensen track layout as ‘super fast’, he added ‘some sections are so fast its hard to keep control of the truck’.  In terms of track conditions he said it was ‘a little rough but steady from yesterday’ and in terms of his tyre choose of Pro-line X3 Holeshots he was happy with them.

Running Team Associated’s all new RC8T3, Cavalieri described his opening run as ‘not too bad’.  Having some issues with the watering of the track before the heat he said ‘once he got through the water session at the beginning’ it was pretty good.  Commenting on the new truck he said it is ‘really good’ and while ‘(he) didn’t feel he was going good it was still a top 3 run’ adding it shows the potential of what they have got.  Running with Maifield on the track he said this led to a few bobbles that cost him some time but he ‘regrouped and finished off (the heat) good’.  Running soft AKA Grid Iron tyres he will switch to super soft compound for Q2 saying this should make it more consistent.

Posting the fastest lap, a 38.652, Maifield said ‘the truck is good and definitely the fastest’ but was slightly frustrated by a misunderstanding that lead him to a crash on the last lap.  With it announced that time had expired, the TLR driver came into the finish line section hard looking to get the best possible time leading to his truck crashing on the following drop down.  Unfortunately for the Arizona driver he was in fact still on the clock and needing to be marshalled he ended up with a 42-second final lap that dropped him to P3.  Maifield felt he also ‘lost a few tenths’ running with Cavalieri but looking to Q2 he feels with a clean run his truck, which was fitted with green compound JConcepts Reflex tyres, can TQ.

Last year’s Top Qualifier, Jared Tebo would post the fourth fastest time. The Kyosho driver & former champion said it was ‘a really clean run with just two bobbles’ but added he was ‘just not fast enough’.  ‘Need(ing) a little more speed’, he said he ‘need(s) to drop his fastest lap by half a second’ and the issue was ‘the same as always with truggy’ with him needing more steering and it ‘not fast enough in the 180 degree corners’.  Team-mate Cody King would take his Inferno ST-RR to the 6th fastest time saying it was ‘a clean run for the most part’.  Changing his truck set-up after yesterday’s seeding run, he wasn’t sure they went in the right direction and for Q2 he would probably change back.  Having run an old engine yesterday feeling it was lacking the power he wanted he fitted a brand new Reds Racing unit for Q1 which he said was better and to open with a Top 6 was a ‘good start to the weekend’.

Posting the 5th fastest time, Joe Bornhorst describing his run as ‘alright’ adding ‘after a rough start he would take a P5 for the first round’.  The rough start the Tekno driver was referring to was having to be marshalled on the 2nd lap as he struggled a little with the wet track.  He said ‘once the track dried and the top layer came off’it was a good clean run.  Running Pro-Line X3 Holeshots, he said he was thinking of gluing up a fresh set for Q2 but otherwise planned no changes to his car.  Team-mate Ryan Lutz, would take his Alpha Plus powered example of the NT48.3 to the seventh fastest time, described his opening performance as ‘slow’.  After issues in practice yesterday, which when asked about he referred to them as ‘undisclosable’, he said Q1 ‘was the first run (he) got to see what the truck was doing’.  Feeling he ran too hard a tyre compund he will change this for Q2 along with changing his ‘suspension a little bit’.

Eighth quickest, HB’s Tanner Stees reported his truck suffering from ‘a little push’.  The 17-year-old said otherwise his opening qualifier ‘wasn’t bad’ but for Q2 he will run a short rear link to loosen up the rear off the truck.  For team-mate & reigning truggy champion David Ronnefalk, the opening round resulted in a P15 for the first European DNC winner.  Descibing his performance as ‘not good’, the Swede said his truck was ‘slow’.  Feeling he ran the wrong compound of AKA’s Grid Iron tyre he said a Super Soft would have worked better than a Soft and looking to get ‘more power’ he will also change to a different Orion engine.  Behind Stees, new Mugen signing Mike Truhe would posted the 9th fastest time with Dakotah Phend completing the Top 10.

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Track Focus – Dirt Nitro Challenge (Fear Farm)

Track Name – Fear Farm
Organiser – Joey ‘The Dirt’ Christensen
Country – USA
Location – Phoenix, Arizona
Direction – Anti-clockwise
Surface – Dirt
Previous DNC hosted – 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015

The Fear Farm, so named after the themed haunted house that is located on the grounds of this large sports complex, plays host to its 5th Dirt Nitro Challenge with this being the 17th running of the Joey ‘The Dirt’ Christensen’s signature event.  Having based previous builds on a theme which in the past have included ‘Burm’ and ‘Triples’, Joey has themed this year’s track ‘Dub Step’, the key feature being two big step ups.  With Joey’s normal signature of being ‘big jumps’, this year he said he has gone for a more European style track and rather than move dirt to create big jumps he has more went with the natural elevations that exists from previous track builds.  Describing it as fast he has focused on more sweeping corners in combination with the elevation changes.  He is particularly proud of his two ‘flat lanes’ in the centre of the track which he said ‘is unusual for (him)’ but planning to use this as the starting grid, 10 cars on one lane and 5 on the other, he said this should make qualifying more important.  Describing the overall look of the layout as ‘not intimidating’, he said initial feedback from drivers was that it ‘looks easy’ to which he replied ‘ovals look easy too but its not easy to win in Nascar’.

Defending DNC Buggy Champion Ryan Maifield said the ‘layout is cool’.  The TLR driver said the surface is already super gnarly making the it ‘pretty technical’.  A super hot day in Phoenix yesterday, the Arizona native said the dirt which is old farming soil needs a lot of water to bind together and rain prior to the event is usual a big bonus but that didn’t happen and only having a water truck to wet the track yesterday in the hot temperature the single round of practice has already taken a toll on the surface.  He added that with the surface as it is it is good that the track is not as ‘crazy’ as previous years in terms of the layout.  He said the double after the finish line dropdown is one area he is finding a little tricky due to its position from the drivers stand but pointing to the double straight section he said ‘the flow of this centre section is rad’.

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