Evans cruises to victory at Short Course Showdown finale

Factory Losi driver Dustin Evans finished out the perfect weekend when he cruised to victories in the two main classes at the Short Course Showdown Nationwide Tour finale held at the impressive Mikes Hobby Shop facility in Dallas, Texas.  Top Qualifier in both 2WD Modified and 4WD, the Colorado driver lead the 7-minute finals from start to finish in what he himself described as ‘two flawless runs’.  Behind the World class driver Team Associated’s Brian Kinwald was runner-up in 2WD while Josh Glancy made his 15th birthday extra special by finishing an impressive second in the 4WD.

The winner of 2WD at the third stop on the Scott Ernst promoted tour, Kinwald described his race as ‘OK’.  Pretty much as he expected the two time 2WD Buggy World Champion said he had hoped to have been able to hang with Evans a little longer but he made a small mistake.  Qualifying 4th on the grid in 4WD Kinwald failed to finish saying he just ‘self destructed’ but he did put on a show for the crowd when he got massive air over the table top admitting that at one point he thought his SC10 4×4 was going ‘out through the roof’.

Having only got his Losi TEN-SCTE 10-days prior to the event, Glancy was delighted with the result. Getting the jump on the No.2 truck of Quincy Hughes off the line, the 1:8 Off Road regular said he was really happy with his driving in the final and finishing second to a World Championship driver like Evans was as a good as a win for him.

Completing the podium in 4WD and also in 2WD Mod, local ace Hughes joked that he was being nice to Glancy at the start of the final because it was his birthday.  Despite the less than perfect start the Losi driver was very happy with third and even more pleased about making the podium in 2WD.  Admitting in qualifying that his driving was letting him down in 2WD he said the Main was the best he had driven the XXX-SCT all weekend.

Finishing fourth in 2WD, Kyosho driver Cody Hollis was disappointed with his final after he choose the wrong compound of tyres.  Running AKA Wishbone tyres, he switched from Super Soft compound to Soft for the longer run but after a strong opening to the race he said the tyres went away dropping him out of a podium finishing position.

Elsewhere one of the most exciting races of the day was the Traxxas Slash final in which Ron Simpson took a thrilling win over Justin Johnson by 1/10th second with Top Qualifier Marc McGurren coming in third. The 2WD Stock A-Main was also a close affair with Brent Burns getting the better of Top Qualifier Garrett Tokuno by 2/10ths of a second. In the 2WD Novice class Top Qualifier Kent Everett took the win.

Our first time to cover a Short Course event we can now see why there is so much excitement around what this class can do for our sport.  Ending the inaugural Short Course Showdown Nationwide Tour with a record entry, the concept Scotty Ernst has created brings the way rc events should be put on to an all new level.  The atmosphere created by the giveaways for both racers and the large number of spectators who came along to Mikes Hobby Shop to check out the event added a a really electric atmosphere and credit needs to go in particular to Traxxas and Losi who really go involved in pumping up the crowds.

Red RC would like to thank Horizon Hobby, Losi and Spektrum for making our coverage possible and to Mikes Hobby Shop owner Mike Darnell who was a fantastic host.

4WD Short Course A-main results
1. Dustin Evans – 24L 7:12.519
2. Josh Glancy – 23L 7:06.169
3. Quincy Hughes – 23L 7:17.241
4. Aaron Reynolds – 22L 7:08.648
5. Chris Allison – 22L 7:10.839
6. Clayton Easley – 22L 7:17.511
7. Hunter La Flower – 21L 7:07.125
8. Mike Dumas – 21L 7:10.009
9. Brian Kinwald – 14L 4:50.112
10.David Green – 8L 2:44.808

2WD Mod Short Course A-main results
1. Dustin Evans – 22L 7:00.271
2. Brian Kinwald – 22L 7:13.049
3. Quincy Hughes – 22L 7:18.411
4. Cody Hollis – 21L 7:09.732
5. Clayton Easley – 21L 7:14.386
6. Paul Wynn – 21L 7:15.589
7. Randy Pike – 21L 7:17.199
8. Mike Stoll – 20L 7:00.470
9. Trevor Nault – 20L 7:05.453
10.Gary O’Brien – 20L 7:10.418

2WD Stock Short Course A-main results
1. Brent Burns – 20L 7:20.542
2. Garrett Tokuno – 20L 7:20.779
3. Dave Duncan – 19L 7:01.762
4. Gary O’Brien – 19L 7:03.46
5. Jimmy Forrester – 19L 7:03.597
6. James Green – 18L 7:01.522
7. KevinMcCoy – 18L 7:03.477
8. Charlie Martin – 18L 7:04.546
9. Richard Trujillo – 4L 1:41.229
10.Bill Jeric – 3L 1:17.059

Stock Spec Slash Short Course A-main results
1. Ron Simpson – 18L 7:07.077
2. Justin Johnson  – 18L 7:07.191
3. Marc McGurren – 18L 7:10.584
4. Alan Dodson – 17L 7:05.288
5. Bill Darnell – 17L 7:17.119
6. Chris Adams – 17L 7:19.854
7. Andrew Doherty – 17L 7:20.592
8. Jeremiah Carter – 16L 7:05.479
9. Joel Merritt – 15L 7:19.447
10.Keith Moore – 12L 5:26.897

Novice Short Course A-main results
1. Kent Everett – 12L 5:09.566
2. Clinton Majors – 11L 5:22.421
3. David Walker – 11L 5:26.116
4. Paul Forgey – 10L 4:39.833
5. Richard Terry – 10L 5:03.939
6. Cole Copley – 10L 5:08.700
7. Gabriel Majors – 10L 5:17.477
8. Josh Prior – 9L 3:56.110
9. Dizodrick Darners – 9L 5:07.207
10.Joel Irvine – 1L 2:11.145

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Evans double Top Qualifier at Dallas Short Course Showdown

Dustin Evans will start the two main classes on the 2011 short Course Showdown Nationwide Tour race program from pole position after the factory Losi driver wrapped up TQ honours for both 2WD Modified and 4WD in the final round of qualifying at Mikes Hobby Shop in Dallas, Texas this morning.

The provisional overnight TQ holder, only Evans himself was able to better the pace doing so in 2WD driver when he knocked 2 seconds off his Q3 time.  In a messy final 4WD qualifier, local ace Quincy Hughes became the only driver to top Evans in a round as the US off road champion’s truck got caught up in others incidents along with getting stood on by a marshal!

Displaying the skills that make him one of the top off road racers in the World, Evans said while he is delighted to TQ both classes he is contesting he said he can not take anything for granted especially with just single 7-minute mains. The Top Qualifier at the second date on the tour at Trackside Hobbies in Milwaukee, Evans got beaten off the line by Brian Kinwald only for the former World Champion to tank the first jump causing the pair to tangle and drop to the back of the field. Although the 25-year-old recovered to take the win he said the fourth 4WD qualifier in which he was on a new TQ run time highlighted just how easy things can go wrong.

In 2WD Mod it is Kinwald that will start from the number 2 spot and the electric off road legend is looking forward to giving Evans a run for his money.  Admitting that he is not quite as quick as this year’s 2WD Buggy World finalist, the Associated driver thinks he can hang with him.  Having changed the set-up on his SC10 for the final qualifier, the winner of the Californian stop on the tour said it wasn’t the right way to go and he will revert back to his earlier set-up for this evenings final.  Starting 4th in 4WD after posting his quickest run of the weekend this morning Kinwald said finishing in that position is going to be his main challenge and any chance of a win is totally off the cards unless Evans truck ‘explodes’.

One driver hoping to mix it with the two big names of the sport is 18-year-old Cody Hollis who lines up 3rd on the grid in 2WD Mod.  The Kyosho driver says his aim is to finish on the podium but if he gets a chance he wont hold back on trying to mix it with Evans and Kinwald for the win.  Starting fourth local top shot Quincy Hughes said this is about as good as it gets for him.  Happy with his Tekin powered XXX-SCT he said its his driving that is letting him down in 2WD.  Starting second on 4WD Hughes is much more positive about his chances and says he is expecting a good race.

Competing only in 4WD, birthday boy Josh Glancy was another to produce his best time in the final qualifier and although it didn’t change his starting position he is delighted to start third.  Celebrating his 15th birthday today the Losi driver felt this morning was the best he has driven all weekend.  Asked what his game plan for the final is the impressive youngster who is a newcomer to Short Course says he wants to finish the race and have fun.

One driver that had a very productive morning was Clayton Easley.  Sitting 6th overnight in 2WD Mod he improved his time in Q4 to put himself fifth on the grid.  Adding 10 grams of weight to the rear of his X-Factory chassis along with a fresher set of rear tyres it was more ‘planted and he believes it is now good enough to run for a podium. Only 22nd in 4WD after the 3rd qualifier he produced a great run this morning to take his Durango to the eight fastest time, the final direct A-Main qualifying position with the final two starters having to bump up from the B-Main for which 14-year-old Hunter La Flower is pole.

In the other 2WD classes Garrett Tokuna, Kent Everett and Marc McGurren all held on to secure the TQ honours for Stock, Novice and Traxxas Slash respectively.

4WD Short Course, A-Main Grid
1. Dustin Evans – Losi – 17/5:10.858
2. Hughes Quincy – Losi – 17/5:16.988
3. Josh Glancy – Losi – 16/5:02.492
4. Brian Kinwald – Associated – 16/5:10.990
5. Chris Allison – Losi – 16/5:11.086
6. Aaron Reynolds – Losi – 16/5:12.410
7. Mike Dumas – Losi – 16/5:12.538
8. Clayton Easley – Durango – 16/5:12.973

2WD Modified SC, A-Main Grid
1. Dustin Evans – Losi – 16/5:10.303
2. Brian Kinwald – Associated – 15/5:00.776
3. Cody Hollis – Kyosho – 15/5:05.218
4. Quincy Hughes – Losi – 15/5:07.966
5. Clayton Easley – X-Factory – 15/5:13.961
6. Randy Pike – Losi – 15/5:17.526
7. Paul Wynn – Associated – 15/5:18.963
8. Trevor Nault – Kyosho – 15/5:19.497

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