Lutz fastest in Q2 of eBuggy

Ryan Lutz has TQ’d the second round of eBuggy qualifying at the Dirt Nitro Challenge.  The Team Durango driver topped the times by just 0.032 of a second from the Mugen of former team-mate Carson Wernimont.  Describing the run as ‘clean’, Lutz, who was 5th fastest in Q1, said the biggest factor to his improved performance was his position on the drivers stand.  Driving all his runs per class from the extreme left side, in the opening eBuggy qualifier he was forced to stand fully to the right side which gave him a totally different perspective to driving the track. Having been the only one of the many top European competitors to break the Top 10 in 1:8 Nitro Truggy in Q1, in Q2 of eBuggy David Ronnefalk also became the best placed visitor taking his Kyosho to 3rd ahead of team-mates Jared Tebo and Cody King.  The Top 6 was completed by Xray’s Josh Wheeler with defending Champion Billy Fischer improving slightly on Q1 o take his Novak powered TLR to the 7th fastest time.  For Q1 pace setter Dakotah Phend a dislodged front left spring cup left him with a difficult buggy leaving him take 10th for the round behind Ty Tessmann (8th) and Austin Blair (9th).

View our event image gallery here.

Tebo narrowly takes Q2 of Truggy

Jared Tebo has TQ’d the second round of qualifying at the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Kyosho driver topping the time sheets at the Fear Farm in Phoenix, Arizona, by the narrowest of margins from Q1 pace setter Ty Tessmann.  Running in the second fastest heat, Tebo laid down a time of 10/7:22.247 with back to back champion Tessmann best of the runners in the top heat only able to get within .093 of the 2011 Champion.  Mugen’s Carson Wernimont completed the Top 3.

Clearly pleased with his run, Tebo said in terms of his set-up he was now at a better place now compared to Q1 when he was 4th.  Making a long list of set-up changes to his Orion powered ST-RR Evo, as well as switching from AKA Grid Iron tyres to Impact, he said this gave him the steering he was lacking in the opening round.  Taking half the run to get used to the significantly different set-up, he said he felt really comfortable with the truck and for the second half he was able to ‘push really hard’.  Planning to leave the set-up as is for the third & final qualifier he believes there is a lot more to come.  Due to the run taking place after dark he will go from a soft to super soft compound tyre for the cooler conditions.

Tessmann said changes he made to his OS Speed powered HB after Q1 gave him a better truck.  Running on a TQ pace the US National Champion said he lost the round, and the chance to tie up the overall TQ early, when he twice got out of his shape through the 9-pack rhythm section late in the run.  Planning to make no further set-up changes for Q3, the 21-year-old Canadian ace will also continue with his choice of Pro-Line’s M3 Holeshot tyres.

Experimenting with some aerodynamic aids on the front upper arms of his OS Speed powered MBX6TR, Wernimont said less watering of the track compared to Q1 suited his set-up.  Making ‘two or three mistakes’,  the 17-year-old described his truck as ‘really fast’ saying this allowed him to make back up most of the time lost.  Making no changes for Q3, he said the plan is to ‘just got try and TQ’ the round.

Changing shock position and adding toe-out to his Kyosho, Cody King took his Kyosho/Reds Racing combination to the fourth fastest time despite one moment in front of the drivers stand.  Playing safe on the tyre front he again ran Pro-Line M3 Holeshots but with a place in the all important top 12 secured for Q3 he will try the Blockade tyre which he said is what he would expect to use in the 45-minute Truggy Main.

Behind King, Drew Moller set the 5th fastest time.  The Mugen driver was initially laying down the TQ pace in the top heat but admitted nerves got the better of him leading to him getting out of shape a few times.   Having made no changes between Q1 & 2, the 17-year-old said as the truck is ‘good’ he will just leave it as is for the day’s closing qualifier.

Completing the Top 6 was TLR’s Dakotah Phend. Second fastest in Q1 behind Tessmann, the 17-year-old summed up Q2 as being ‘not as good’.  Describing his 8ight T 3.0 as ‘fine’ and handling the rougher track conditions well he said it was his driving that let things down.  With ‘too many bobbles’, he said he will run the truck as is for Q3 and just work on cleaning up his driving.

10th in Q1, Team Associated’s Ryan Maifield improved his Q1 time by 8-seconds to take 7th ahead of Mugen’s Barry Pettit.  The Top 10 was completed by yesterday’s practice pace setter Cole Ogden (9th) and Durango’s Ryan Lutz (10th).

View our event image gallery here.

Q2 Truggy Qualifying times (Top 10)

1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 10/7:22.247
2. Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed – 10/7:22.340
3. Carson Wernimont – Mugen/OS Speed – 10/7:24.899
4. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds Racing – 10/7:25.014
5. Drew Moller – Mugen/Novarossi – 10/7:25.297
6. Dakotah Phend – TLR/Orion – 10/7:25.538
7. Ryan Maifield – Team Associated/Novarossi – 10/7:25.603
8. Barry Pettit – Mugen/Novarossi – 10/7:26.082
9. Cole Ogden – TLR/Reds Racing – 10/7:30.201
10.Ryan Lutz – Durango/Alpha – 10/7:30.939