Fischer, Wheeler & Petersen complete Truggy grid

Billy Fischer, Chris Wheeler and Taylor Peterson will take up the final three spots on the grid for the Dirt Nitro Challenge Truggy final which takes place this evening at the Fear Farm in Phoenix, Arizona. Starting the 20-minute B-final from pole, Team Losi Racing’s Fischer put in a faultless race leading from start to finish winning by a comfortable 13-second margin over star of the day so far Wheeler. Having qualified in the D Final, Wheeler took his TLR 8ight T to second in that encounter bumping him up to the C Main. Finishing his second race of the day in 3rd this secured him the last spot on the grid of a B-Final loaded with top name international drivers. Storming his way to the front of the pack, by lap 5 Wheeler was in the all important Top 3 assuming 2nd just a few laps later which is where he would stay till the end to guarantee his fourth race start of the day.

World Championship Finalist Petersen was the last driver to book his place in the main event, the newly signed Xray driver benefiting from the misfortunes of team-mate Renaud Savoya. The French ace who ran a one stop fuel strategy looked to have his place under control after a rapidly recovering Dakotah Phend broke. With a large advantage over his closest challenger Savoya opted to do a splash & dash but a roll on his out lap causing his Orion engine to cut. Getting back to the pits his crew couldn’t get the engine to fire back up eventually a plug change being required to get him back on track but the damage was done and he would finish 10th and last of the remaining runners. Fellow European Elliot Boots came close to making the cut as he battled with Peterson but the Kyosho driver suffered a late mistake and would finish 2.3-seconds behind the 3rd placed American.

Final A-Main Truggy Grid
1. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi
2. Ryan Lutz – Durango/Alpha
3. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion
4. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion
5. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS
6. Mike Truhe – TLR/TOP
7. Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed
8. Austin Blair – Kyosho/RB
9. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds
10.Jeremy Kortz – Agama/Werks
11.Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP
12.Martin Bayer – Xray/LRP
13.Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi
14.Chris Wheeler – TLR/Bullitt
15.Taylor Peterson – Xray/Alpha

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Drake TQs final Buggy qualifier

Team Losi Racing’s Adam Drake claimed the 3rd & final round of Buggy qualifying at the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Truggy Top Qualifier just outpacing Kyosho’s Jared Tebo who already wrapped up the top spot on the grid for Sunday’s final in Q2. Drake’s 12 lap TQ for the round will see his 8ight 3.0 line up third on the grid behind Team Assocaited’s Ryan Maifield who was third fastest in Q3. Setting the fifth fastest time for the round just 16/100ths off his Kyosho team-mate Cody King, Elliot Boots will start his first ever 1:8 Buggy race in the US from fourth on the grid and as the Top European. Three time European Champion Renaud Savoya who recorded the the 7th fastest time for the round which saw another after midnight finish to the days action will line-up 5th for the 45-minute fifteen buggy Main. With 12 direct qualifiers defending champion Ty Tessmann just made the cut setting the 8th fastest time in Q3 which secured him 12th on the grid.

Buggy Qualifying Round 3
1. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 12/7:35.242
2. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 12/7:36.182
3. Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 11/7:01.582
4. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 11/7:02.959
5. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 11/7:02.975
6. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 11/7:04.127
7. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 11/7:05.363
8. Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed – 11/7:05.799
9. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS Speed – 11/7:06.376
10.Carson Wernimont – Durango/OS Speed – 11/7:07.509

Overall Buggy Qualifying Result
A-Main Grid (Top 3 in B Final to bump up)
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 0 pts
2. Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 5
3. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 5
4. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 7
5. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 7
6. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS – 9
7. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 11
8. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 11
9. Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi – 14
10.Drew Moller – Kyosho/Orion – 20
11.Josh Wheeler – Xray/OS Speed – 21
12.Ty Tessmann – HB/OS Speed – 23

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Tebo is Top Qualifier at Dirt Nitro Challenge

Jared Tebo is the Top Qualifier for the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Kyosho driver putting the honour beyond the reach of his rivals with one round to go after he backed up his Q1 run by again topping the time sheets at the famous Arizona event. Have just seen off his team-mate Elliot Boots by less than a second in Q1, birthday boy Tebo posted a much more convincing Q2 taking the round by over 6 seconds from Team Associated’s Ryan Maifield and A-Main Hobbies’ Dylan Rodriguez putting in yet another impressive performance this weekend to complete the Top 3.

Top Qualifier at the 2011 DNC which he went on to win, Tebo was very happy with his run which was almost 7 seconds faster than his time set in the opening heat. Leaving the set-up of his MP9 chassis the same and continuing with AKA Impact tyres, the 26-year-old did change to a different pipe and clutch on his Orion engine, the extra torque improving the buggy, in particular at the tricky centre double section. Asked what he planned for the final qualifier, which looks set to end sometime after 1 am local time, Tebo said he didn’t really have anything to test as the buggy feels really good but with Sunday’s final set to be a late affair he will use the track time to see how the cooler conditions effect the handling.

Having struggled yesterday in Truggy and had a below par performance in the opening buggy qualifier, Maifield bounced back in Q2 after he discovered a radio gear problem. With the problem rectified for his second heat, the Arizona driver was much happier with his RC8 adding that slowing his LRP engine down had also helped improve his performance. Suffering two crashes over the 7-minute run, Maifield said running early for the round he benefited from a faster track at the time of his run which was held in natural day light. In contrast his Associated team-mate Ryan Cavalieri ran in the last group for the round which was much colder and run under flood lights ending up only 11th fastest.

Rodriguez was happy at setting the third fastest time just missing out on making 12 laps which so far only Tebo, Maifield and Boots have achieved. Changing from X3 to M3 compound Proline Blockades for Q2, the Las Vegas driver said this was a good call as the softer compound was well suited to the conditions at the time of his run. Having relished in last night’s third Truggy Qualifier to TQ the round, Rodriquez plans to make a few tweaks to the set-up of his Kyosho chassis to suit what, going by last night, should make for a slightly faster track.

Team Xray’s Renaud Savoya said he couldn’t be happier with his second run, the French ace again opting for a safe drive which netted him the fourth fastest time guaranteeing the French ace a good starting position for Sunday’s blue ribbon final. Leaving the set and choice of Sweep tyre the same as Q1 he said his XB9 was again easy to drive. While the A-Main drivers will get a practice session on Sunday, Savoya said that Q3 offers the best opportunity to try tyres with a view to the final which in tradition DNC style will be run at night. The multiple European Champion said he will make a choice between Sweep’s Battlestar and Exagon pattern for the final qualifier.

Setting the fifth fastest time just ahead of the Kyoshos of Drew Moller, Cody King and Boots, Team Losi Racing’s Adam Drake said running in one of the later heats was a disadvantage so for the conditions he was happy with his run. The 1:8 Offroad legend who ran Proline M3 Blockades said for the final qualifier he is considering trying a different tyre and insert in anticipation of the track conditions which should have more grip as the cold causes moisture to naturally occur in the dirt.

The star of the opening buggy qualifier, Boots could only manage the 8th fastest time in Q2. With the track watered just before his group took to the track the British ace said his Kyosho which was unchanged from his P2 run earlier in the day was very loose. Confident it was due to the slightly heavier than normal watering of the track on that occasion he said he doesn’t plan on changing his MP9 set-up or tyres for the final heat. Unfortunately for Ty Tessmann, who was in the same heat as Boots, it was another difficult qualifier. Feeling increasingly under the weather the defending champion would only post the 15th fastest time.

Buggy Qualifying Round 2
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 12/7:30.477
2. Ryan Maifield – Associated/LRP – 12/7:36.632
3. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS – 11/7:00.926
4. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 11/7:02.046
5. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 11/7:03.254
6. Drew Moller – Kyosho/Orion – 11/7:03.492
7. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds – 11/7:03.504
8. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 11/7:03.947
9. Josh Wheeler – Xray/OS Speed – 11/7:04.697
10.Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi – 11/7:05.560

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Tebo TQs first Buggy qualifier at DNC

2011 Dirt Nitro Challenge Champion Jared Tebo got his 26th birthday off to the perfect start as he headed a Kyosho 1-2 from Elliott Boots in the opening round of qualifying for the 14th running of the world famous Arizona event. Running earlier than Boots in the round Tebo had to watch an impressive run from US debutant Boots, the World Championship Top Qualifier just 8/100ths shy of the TQ at the end of the 7-minute run with the pair the only drivers to record 12 laps. Just missing out on joining them on 12-laps, Team Xray’s Renaud Savoya completed the Top 3.

Having had a frustrating day yesterday in Truggy Qualifying in which he ended up 4th, Tebo ran a near perfect opening buggy heat with his Orion powered MP9 looking very stable around the signature Joey Christensen track. Running soft compound AKA Impact tyres he said everything ‘felt good’ and ‘excited for the next one’ he doesn’t plan to make any changes other than mounting a second set of Impact tyres to have should conditions at the time of Q2, which is over 5 hours away, warrant fresh rubber.

Impressing a lot of onlookers with spectacular driving style, British National Champion Boots was happy to claim second having had not prior practice with his nitro buggy on any US style track on this his first time to visit the country. Running Proline’s Diamond Back tyre in X3 compound the teenager said he plans to run everything the same in Q2 and just focus on learning the track more and cutting out mistakes.

Three time European Champion & 2012 DNC Finalist Savoya said he went into the first qualifier looking to put in smooth run by taking no risks and that approach would pay off for the French ace. Running Sweep’s Square Armour tyre on his Orion powered XB9, Savoya said the soft compound made the buggy very easy to drive if at the cost of a little forward traction but the end result was a clean round which he hopes he can repeat in Q2 so as allowing him to try something different in Q3 with a view to preparing for Sunday’s main event.

Fourth fastest Billy Fischer was very happy with his run joking that ‘its been a long time since I said damn I messed up and only got fourth’. The Team Losi Racing driver said he had a few moments but luckily didnt need to be marshaled. Running the same set of Proline M3 Blockades he used to TQ the final round of 1:8 eBuggy last night he said they worked really well but for the next one he has no choice but to mount a fresh set which could make his 8ight 3.0 a little more edgy to drive. In terms of his buggy set he plans to run a thicker oil all round for this evening’s Q2.

Ryan Cavalieri was on a very competitive run until he first got hit as he passed a slower buggy and then on the last lap he had a moment right before the loop which cost him over 2-seconds. Fitted with soft AKA Impact tyres the factory Associated driver said his buggy was good but he just made a mistake which cost him a TQ run. Pleased with his pace he will leave everything as is in terms of set-up but with the huge amount of time between rounds they will give the buggy a full rebuild ahead of the next heat.

Completing the Top 6 was A-Main Hobbies team driver Dylan Rodriguez. Topping the final round of Truggy qualifying last night, the Las Vegas driver’s run didn’t start out too well as it took some time for the fresh set of Proline Blockade tyres on his Kyosho to break in but once they did it felt exactly how he wanted and was very consistent to drive. Finishing 8th at last years Dirt Nitro Challenge he said for now he doesn’t plan to make any adjustments for Q2 hoping instead to capitalize on his scrubbed in tyres.

For defending Champion Ty Tessmann it was a tough opening qualifier, the factory HB driver ending up only 17th fastest. The US National Champion based his set-up on his OS Speed powered D8 for Q1 on the conditions of the track this morning which was bumpy, but by the time his heat came round the surface had become very polished. With the buggy very loose the the Canadian said it resulted in him making a lot of mistakes but he is confident that a change of set-up and switch from Proline’s X3 Blockade to the X3 Diamond Back which Boots used to good effect, he will be competitive in Q2.

Buggy Qualifying Round 1
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 12/7:37.072
2. Elliot Boots – Kyosho/Novarossi – 12/7:37.152
3. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 11/7:00.989
4. Billy Fischer – TLR/Novarossi – 11/7:01.087
5. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 11/7:01.394
6. Dylan Rodriguez – Kyosho/OS – 11/7:03.268
7. Dakotah Phend – TLR/Orion – 11/7:05.420
8. Adam Drake – TLR/Novarossi – 11/7:06.955
9. Tyler Vik – HB/RB – 11/7:07.562
10.Martin Bayer – Xray/LRP – 11/7:07.623

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