Neumann claims first win at Reedy Race

Defending Reedy Race Champion Joern Neumann claimed his first win of this year’s event when he held off a late challenge from the ever spectacular Ryan Maifield in what was the most entertaining race so far of this the 19th running of the unique format event.  In the other two races that made up the third round, Ryan Cavalieri added to his perfect score with win no.3 of the day while his Associated team-mate Steven Hartson notched up his first win from 7th on the grid.

Starting from second on the grid, Neumann made a poor start to his race allowing Maifield and Atsushi Hara to get passed but mistakes from them both on the opening lap meant the German could complete Lap 1 in the lead.  The factory Durango star got a further break when at the end of the straight Maifield ran into the back of Tebo’s Kyosho spinning him out and leaving the Associated driver no option but to wait, resulting in both drivers dropping down the field.  Fired up by his two errors which he himself described as ‘epic failures’, the recovery drive from Maifield was impressive with the crowd getting right behind one of offroad’s most entertain drivers.  Hunting down Neumann at an impressive pace it looked like he was on for the win but on the penultimate lap a mistake, which required his B4.2 to be marshaled, was enough to allow Neumann to take the win by just under 3 seconds with Ty Tessmann completing the Top 3 ahead of HB team-mate Hara.

Asked if he was under pressure from Maifield or just controlling the race from the front Neumann replied ‘when Maifield is behind you you are always under pressure’. Happy to claim his first win and managing a 2nd & 3rd in the opening two rounds, he said the day is going better than expected considering its 2WD.

Annoyed with himself for hitting Tebo as it also messed up the Kyosho ace’s race, adding they are ‘still friends’ following the crash, Maifield said his buggy is working really well but unlike his team-mates he just can’t catch a break.

Commenting on his latest win Maifield’s team-mate Cavalieri said this one ‘was a little bit of work’. Initially Kyosho’s Kohta Akimoto lead the race from pole position shadowed by the World Champion who said he had to be very patient as the Japanese driver was doing a good job driving his lines.  Eventually Akimoto made a mistake allowing the 2010 Reedy Race Champion through but he then had to see off a challenge from Tamiya’s Lee Martin but that ended when the Brit had a moment of his own.  In the end Cavalieri took the win to extend his lead in the points standings with Dustin Evans coming through for second ahead of Martin.

Having started his opening three races from the back end of the grid, 2011 Reedy Race Champion Evans was happy with his Top 4 performances saying that the title is won on the results of the back row starts.

Round 3 2WD Buggy
Race 1
1.(6) Steven Hartson – Associated – 15/5:10.207
2.(2) Kody Numedahl – Associated – 15/5:11.751
3.(5) Mike Truhe – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:12.388
4.(9) Matt Castellano – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:12.656
5.(4) Paul Bradby – Associated – 15/5:19.691
6.(8) Josh Numan – Associated – 14/5:01.547
7.(3) Cody Tuner – Kyosho – 14/5:03.304
8.(1) Rene Trauner – Yokomo – 14/5:05.364
9.(10)Brent Thielke – Associated – 14/5:06.181

Race 2
1.(3) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 15/5:07.475
2.(8) Dustin Evans – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:10.274
3.(7) Lee Martin – Tamiya – 15/5:13.502
4.(1) Kohta Akimoto – Kyosho – 15/5:13.946
5.(5) Tanner Denney – Associated – 15/5:21.908
6.(2) Stefan Pfeihofer – Associated – 14/5:05.802
7.(4) Rick Hohwart – Associated – 14/5:05.878
8.(10)Neil Cragg – Associated – 14/5:06.643
9.(6) Ryan Lutz – Team Durango – 14/5:07.652
10.(9)Peter Pinisch – Associated – 14/5:08.647

Race 3
1.(1) Joern Neumann – Team Durango – 15/5:09.658
2.(2) Ryan Maifield – Associated – 15/5:12.595
3.(6) Ty Tessmann – HB/HPI Racing – 15/5:13.727
4.(3) Atsushi Hara – HB/HPI Racing – 15/5:15.148
5.(9) Travis Amezcua – Team Durango – 15/5:16.596
6.(4) Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 15/5:18.629
7.(8) Dakotah Phend – Team Losi Racing – 14/5:02.126
8.(7) Brian Kinwald – Associated – 14/5:03.760
9.(10)Hupo Honigl – Team Durango – 14/5:07.119
10.(5)Chad Due – Associated – 14/5:18.294

View the overall invitational standings after 3 rounds here (PDF).

View our event image gallery here.

Cavalieri doubles up in Round 2

Ryan Cavalieri has made it 2 wins from 2 races at the Reedy Race of Champions in California, the Associated driver again converting his second pole position start into a victory to put himself in an early lead of the standings.  In the other two races that made up the second round of 2WD Buggy at the famous event HB’s Atsushi Hara and Tamiya’s Lee Martin secured the wins.  The drive of the second round came in Race 2 from Ryan Maifield who starting 10th on the grid came through to finish second just a second behind Martin.  Afterwards the Team Associated ace said it was a ‘good result’ but he wished he had been able to get through the pack a little faster, his fastest lap almost 6/10th faster than that of European Champion Martin.

‘Step by step getting better’ was how Hara summed up his win from second on the grid behind former World Champion Neil Cragg.  Moving the wing forward on the mid motored Kyosho he is running this weekend, the Japanese ace said the RB6 had better traction but for his next race, his mos competitive group so far, he will need to find a little more steering if he is to run with the likes of Joern Neumann, Maifield and Jared Tebo.

Cragg who led the race for the opening few laps said he drove a better race than his opening run keeping his B4.2 on its wheels more the second time of asking.  Unfortunately the British driver hit trouble with his slipper clutch four laps in to the 5-minute race which made the jumps more difficult.  Feeling he had pace to take the win, he said once the slipper starting acting up he just tried to get what he could from the race declaring himself happy to come away with second ahead of Neumann.  Starting 8th on the grid it was another strong performance from Neumann who is on pole for his next race.

The third race saw a tone to tone win for Cavalieri although the World Champion did have a number of moments one of which allowed team-mate Steven Hartson to get right on his rear, literally.  TLR’s young star Dakotah Phend looked on target to take second but got it wrong putting his TLR 22 on its roof which dropped him back down the order, eventually crossing the finish line in 5th.  Team-mate Dustin Evans completed the Top 3 behind Hartson and ahead of Japan’s Kohta Akimoto.

Round 2 2WD Buggy
Race 1
1.(2) Atsushi Hara – HB/HPI Racing – 15/5:12.384
2.(1) Neil Cragg – Associated – 15/5:15.158
3.(8) Joern Neumann – Team Durango – 15/5:16.115
4.(7) Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 15/5:16.849
5.(3) Hupo Honigl – Team Durango – 14/5:04.441
6.(5) Kody Numedahl – Associated – 14/5:04.696
7.(6) Brent Thielke – Associated – 14/5:08.498
8.(9) Paul Bradby – Associated – 14/5:14.056
9.(4) Rick Hohwart – Associated – 14/5:21.646

Race 2
1.(4) Lee Martin – Tamiya – 15/5:10.515
2.(10)Ryan Maifield – Associated – 15/5:11.528
3.(3) Travis Amezcua – Team Durango – 15/5:13.511
4.(6) Josh Numan – Associated – 15/5:19.109
5.(2) Ty Tessmann – HB/HPI Racing – 15/5:19.530
6.(7) Cody Tuner – Kyosho – 15/5:01.113
7.(8) Chad Due – Associated – 15/5:03.420
8.(1) Peter Pinisch – Associated – 15/5:07.880
9.(9) Ryan Lutz – Team Durango – 14/5:08.676
10.(5)Stefan Pfeihofer – Associated – 14/5:12.430

Race 3
1.(1) Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 15/5:05.350
2.(2) Steven Hartson – Associated – 15/5:11.129
3.(7) Dustin Evans – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:13.313
4.(5) Kohta Akimoto – Kyosho – 15/5:15.996
5.(4) Dakotah Phend – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:16.746
6.(6) Matt Castellano – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:16.884
7.(8) Mike Truhe – Team Losi Racing – 15/5:20.107
8.(3) Brian Kinwald – Associated – 15/5:28.613
9.(10)Rene Trauner – Yokomo – 14/5:09.394
10.(9)Tanner Denney – Associated – 14/5:14.049

View the overall invitational standings after 2 rounds here (PDF).

View our event image gallery here.