‘From Race Control’ – 4WD Registration Day

Today is officially the registration day for the 4WD Buggy World Championships with no on-track action, the first cars including the new TLR22-4 and HB D4-13 not set to hit the track till tomorrow’s practice rounds.  For most competitors today is a bit of a rest day and an opportunity to reflect on the 2WD Worlds which came to a later than planned conclusion last night.  While normally today would see the track team go about changing the track layout in accordance with IFMAR’s rule of different tracks for each event, following the rain issues during the 2WD event the track will not be changed after an unusually wise decision by IFMAR to allow it stay as is.

The A-Main Hobbies track team have done a superb job over the last three days and last night despite IFMAR’s no longer requiring a layout change track designer Kevin Jelick said he planned to still try to make changes.  Speaking to Kevin this morning however he said the surface has held together extremely well and so rather than take any risks they will leave it as is.   After watching last nights finals he said they will make just one modification to the track and take the edge off the down ramp on the table top at the end of the straight.  This he hopes will result in a few less crashes at the beginning of races.  Other than that he said his crew will just do general maintenance on the track.  As off 10:00 local time the pits are pretty much empty with Ty Tessman & Ryan Cavalieri the only big name drivers at the track.

View our event image gallery here.

Martin & Maifield complete Worlds Podium

With the title decided in Leg 2, Jared Tebo & Kyosho the new World Champions, the third A-Main was all about deciding who would join him on the 2WD podium in Chico.  With Tebo sitting out the 5-minute encounter, it was outgoing champion Ryan Cavalieri who led away field but the 4-times World Champion would end up not even making the podium.  A mistake on lap 5 by the American allowed Tamiya’s Lee Martin through to the front this time the British ace holding on till the end for the win to secure a well deserved 2nd overall.

With Cavalieri still looking comfortable to claim the final step on the podium, some consolation after losing his World title, on the last lap he made a second mistake allowing team-mate Ryan Maifield through to take second for the Leg and third overall.  Having crashed on the opening lap, dropping him to last, Maifield’s recovery was impressive with the Arizona ace clearly delighted at making the podium after a tough time in qualifying that saw him line up 6th on the grid.  For Cavalieri he would finish 4th overall ahead of team-mate Neil Cragg but with a 4WD World title to defend he has little time to rue over the result.

View the complete 2wd final overall results here (PDF).

View our event image gallery here.

Overall & Leg 3 Result

2WD Overall Result
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 2 pts
2. Lee Martin – Tamiya – 4
3. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 4
4. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 6
5. Neil Cragg – Associated – 7
6. Dustin Evans – TLR – 9
7. Darren Bloomfield – TLR – 12
8. David Ronnefalk – Kyosho – 13
9. Kody Numedahl – Associated – 14
10.Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 17

2WD A-Main Leg 3
1.(3) Lee Martin – Tamiya – 11/5:08.876
2.(6) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 11/5:13.275
3.(2) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 11/5:15.748
4.(4) Dustin Evans – TLR – 11/5:22.647
5.(7) Darren Bloomfield – TLR – 11/5:25.838
6.(9) Kody Numedahl – Associated – 11/5:29.231
7.(8) David Ronnefalk – Kyosho – 10/5:00.357
8.(5) Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 10/5:27.075
9.(10)Neil Cragg – Associated – 4/1:48.972
10.(1)Jared Tebo – Kyosho – DNS

Video – 2wd A-main Leg 2