New World Champion to be crowned as Naoto wins A2

A new 4WD World Champion is to be crowned in California after leg 2 of the A-Main saw reigning Champion Ryan Cavalieri retire with a broken car on lap 2 in an incident that also saw his Associated team-mate Ryan Maifield eliminated.  Starting from 8th on the grid, it was Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura who took the win 1.5 seconds ahead of Durango’s Ryan Lutz and Joern Neumann.  The win puts the 3-time 1:12 World Champion, who was 3rd in A1, in strong contention for the title as A1 winner Hartson could only manage 5th second time round.

Top Qualifier Neumann again looked to be handed the win when a challenging Cavalieri spun out just as the field came around to complete lap 2.  This resulted in A2 second place finisher Ty Tessmann collecting the wrong way facing B44.2 with the HB in turn being hit by Maifield, the Associateds coming off the worse with both cars breaking arms.  Leading for half the race a number of bobbles allowed Matsukura to catch up Neumann eventually moving to the front on lap six. Winning the opening Main, Steven Hartson could only manage 5th in between Tessmann and TLR’s Dakotah Phend.  The result means that going into the final race Matsukura, Hartson, Tessman, Lutz and Neumann have a shot at the title but the most pressure is on Neumann as even if he wins he needs to do so in a better time than Matsukura’s A2 winning time.

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A-Main Leg 2 Result

1.(8) Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 12/5:26.089
2.(7) Ryan Lutz – Durango – 12/5:27.645
3.(1) Joern Neumann – Durango – 11/5:00.287
4.(3) Ty Tessman – HB – 11/5:04.752
5.(6) Steven Hartson – Associated – 11/5:05.597
6.(10)Dakotah Phend – TLR – 11/5:06.321
7.(9)Travis Amezcua – Durango – 11/5:06.919
8.(5) Lee Martin – Tamiya – 1/1:47.418
9.(2) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 1/0:17.331
10.(4)Ryan Maifield – Associated – 1/0:18.043

Hartson wins action packed A1

Team Associated’s Steven Hartson was a surprise winner of the opening A-Main at the 4WD Electric Buggy World Championships this morning, the American finishing 1.9 second ahead Ty Tessman.  On the first lap things looked to have been handed to Top Qualifier Joern Neumann as a fast starting Maifield hit the No.2 starting Ryan Cavalieri delaying the pursuing field with Hartson coming out in 2nd spot.  With a comfortable lead Neumann’s reign at the front lasted just a lap as the German rolled his Durango next time round giving Hartson the lead from Ryan Lutz.   Taking control of the race while the rest of the drivers fell over one another, such was Hartson’s lead that the 21-year-old was able to get away with rolling his Reedy powered B44.2 onto its roof on the last lap.  Requiring it to be marshalled he was still able to hold on for a convincing win.  Having worked his way back up to second after a good battle with Lutz, who would break & retire in the final minute, further mistakes by Neumann would see him finish 4th just ahead of defending Champion Cavalieri who would post the fastest lap of the race.

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A-Main Leg 1 Result

1.(6) Steven Hartson – Associated – 11/5:00.626
2.(3) Ty Tessman – HB – 11/5:02.614
3.(8) Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 11/5:04.084
4.(1) Joern Neumann – Durango – 11/5:04.625
5.(2) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 11/5:04.966
6.(4) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 11/5:05.349
7.(5) Lee Martin – Tamiya – 11/5:07.938
8.(10)Dakotah Phend – TLR – 11/5:11.809
9.(7) Ryan Lutz – Durango – 9/4:10.499
10.(9)Travis Amezcua – Durango – 2/00:48.937

‘From Race Control’ – Day 3 of 4WD Buggy

Today is the concluding day of the 15th running of the IFMAR 1:10 Electric Buggy World Championships in Chico, California. 7 Days on from the event getting underway at the Silver Dollar R/C Raceway with 2WD, today is all about crowning the 4WD Champion which will not be the 2WD Champion as Jared Tebo has not made the A-Main after a torrid day of qualifying yesterday.  Drivers have just completed an early round of practice on what is a good overcast morning at the track.  For the title contenders the schedule will see a practice run of the A-Main at 09:10 local time with the first race proper set to start at 10:10 followed by leg 2 one hour later and leg 3, the closing race of event at 12:15.

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