Opening Qualifier goes to Maifield

Ryan Maifield has TQ’d the opening round of qualifying for the 4WD EP Buggy World Championship, the Associated driver running 13 laps in 5:18.743 to take Q1 by one second from Jared Tebo with Ryan Cavalieri third.

Despite a mistake on the opening and closing laps of the run, Maifield was relieved to notch up his first TQ run of these championships having failed to do so in 2WD when he ran a Top 3 pace in all five qualifiers.  Happy with the handling of his B44.1, the American said they still don’t have the power settings of his LRP speedo right with the electrics running a little hot. Going from too slow, how it was in final practice, to too fast Maifield said they have got to find the right power balance and once they do he feels he has the package to get the job done today.

Taking second, 2007 Top Qualifier & Champion Tebo said the track had a lot more grip for the opening qualifier and the slipper in his Lazer ZX-5 FS2 was a little to loose for the conditions with it starting to slip near the end of the run.  Describing his set-up as ‘awesome’ he will just fit new pads and tighten up his slipper for Q2.

A 2-time World champion of 4WD Buggy, Cavalieri said third was a pretty good start to qualifying.  Crashing a few times he said he knows he has got the speed to TQ but just needs to tidy up his driving.

The fastest non American, European champion Lee Martin described his run to fourth as a ‘safe run’.  The Tamiya Racing Factory driver said he is not the fastest out there and he just managed to drive a clean round.  Not happy with the speed at which his TRF511 changes direction the Englishman will try different rollbars in Q2.  Behind Martin, fast Japanese driver Kohta Akimoto took his Kyosho to fifth.

Sixth fastest Dustin Evans said he was really happy with where they are at with the car especially after having really struggled with the XXX-4 at the warm-up race.  Having a big moment over the woops, the TLR driver described the run as ‘conservative’ saying he didn’t drive super hard.  Aiming for another solid run in Q2 he will then look at pushing a little harder.  Also making the Top 10 for Losi, 14-year-old team-mate Dakotah Phend claimed 9th.

Seventh fastest Hupo Honigl said it was an ‘OK start’.  Putting in a safe run, the Austrian who has never made the A-Main at an EP Buggy Worlds was very happy with his LRP powered Durango and is confident better is to come.  Making it three DEX410s in the Top 10 Joseph Quagraine was the again the fastest Finn setting the 8th fastest time with fellow countryman Ari Heinonen 10th.  Unfortunately for Honigl’s factory team-mates Joern Neumann and Elliott Boots qualifying did not start well.  German Champion Neumann failed to make the start after a binding problem with his radio while Boots, who set the fastest lap of Q1, suffered an electrical shut down half way through his run.

Elsewhere 2WD Top Qualifier Neil Cragg broke his Associated after 8 laps as did final practice front runner Steven Hartson who only got in 2 laps.  Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura broke at the end of the opening lap popping a rear drive shaft on the B-Max 4 II.

Full results can be found here.

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Cavalieri fastest in final practice

A beautiful sunny morning greeted competitors on the second day of the 4WD Electric Buggy World Championship in Finland with Ryan Cavalieri setting the pace in the final practice.  The first full five minute run for competitors, the newly crowned 2WD World Champion ran 13 laps in 5:17.980 some 5 seconds clear of Kyosho’s Jared Tebo who was second fastest with Cavalieri’s AE team-mate Steven Hartson third.

With yesterday’s timing based on each driver’s fastest lap time from their 8 rounds of 4-minute practice, this morning’s final practice before qualifying was the first opportunity to see each drivers true pace.  Setting the fourth fastest time was Dustin Evans, the factory Losi ace being the only other driver  to make 13 laps.

One of the surprises yesterday Joseph Quagraine continued to show well as he took his Durango to the fifth fastest time just ahead of factory driver Joern Neumann.  Topping the time sheets yesterday, Durango’s Elliot Boots again set the pace this morning in terms of lap times, running a 23.928, but the Englishman managed to complete only 5 laps after a problem with a ball joint on his DEX410 ended his run.

Putting his B44.1 on its roof first time over the quad, Associated’s Ryan Maifield was only 7th but the American is expected to be in the hunt for the top spot when the times count for something.  The final practice was good for Team Kyosho as Tebo was joined in the Top 10 by Japanese team drivers Kohta Akimoto and Shin Adachi who set the 8th and 10th fastest times. Warm-up race winner Lee Martin posted the 9th fastest time with his Tamiya.

Full results can be found here.

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Video – 4wd Day 1 Roundup

Boots tops first day of 4WD

Putting together what race announcer Scotty Ernst described as the perfect lap, Team Durango’s Elliot Boots ends the first day of the 4WD Electric Buggy World Championships at the top of the time sheets.  Making his electric Worlds debut, the 18-year-old produced the fastest lap of the day in the eighth and final round of practice to top 2007 Champion Jared Tebo and Durango team-mate Joern Neumann.

A well known 1:8 Nitro offroad racer, Boots changed from big bore to smaller shocks on his DEX410 which he said made for a more consistent and easier to drive buggy. Used to normally racing on astro turf back in the UK this is his first experience of racing 1:10 on dirt and he says he loves it.  Having not competed at the Warm-up this is also his first time to the Vaasa track which he described as having a similar feeling to what is used to running on in 1:8.  Admitting he never expected to top the time sheets Boots hopes he can carry his form through to qualifying tomorrow for which he has now set his targets higher.

Trying a different spring in P7, Tebo said he didn’t like how it made his Lazer ZX-5 FS2 feel.  Reverting back to the set that put him top of the timing in P6 he said he used the last run of the day to fine tune his lines and leaving the track this evening the American ace was eager to get down to the more serious business of qualifying.

Unable to improve his time in the final two practice runs of the day Neumann said his driving let him down.  The 2007 World Finalist said he is confident in his Speed Passion powered DEX410 for tomorrow and will work on improving his driving rather than the buggy.

The fastest Associated at the end of the first day of 4WD, Ryan Maifield appeared happy with were he is at.  The Motocross styled American said his Reedy powered B44.1 felt consistent and fluent to drive and if the rain stays away all is looking good.

Breaking into the 23-second laps for the first time in the penultimate practice round when he posted his fastest lap, Team Yokomo’s Naoto Matsukura said he was happy with his lines but wants to make some final set-up adjustment for the final practice run in the morning.  Finding his B-Max4 II a little loose he also suffered from understeer but the Japanese driver is confident they will have the car right for the opening qualifier.

Another driver better known for 1:8 Nitro offroad to impress today was Finland’s own Joseph Quagraine.  Unable to better his P6 time ‘The Driver’ who is running a Durango chassis still ends the day 6th fastest.

The star of the 2WD World Championships held earlier this week in which he made the A-Main, promising American talent Dakotah Phend was top Losi in practice. Recording the seventh quickest lap with the aging XXX-4, the 14-year-old said he has a lot of confidence with the buggy. Happy with his set-up he said there is one corner on the track he is still working on but he should have it sorted for qualifying.  Ending the day two places behind Phend in ninth, team-mate Dustin Evans said his buggy was easy to drive and being more of a consistent driver than a one lap specialist he is encouraged by his pace in Vaasa.

Newly crowned 2WD World Champion Ryan Cavalieri said he spent the afternoon working on consistency.  Setting his best lap time in P5, the two time former Champion felt he found his rhythm in the final run of the day when he was able to run some fast consecutive laps.

Warm-up race winner Lee Martin completed the Top 10.  Admitting he would like to find a little more pace, the European Champion was happy with his consistency saying qualifying is very different to banging in a fast practice lap.  Asked where he hopes to find the extra pace he wants the factory Tamiya team leader said there was a bit in both him and the TRF511.

While the rain held off for the day, shortly after the completion of last practice the heavens opened up over the track.  Thankfully the organisers covered the track before the rain arrived with the impressive, and expensive, tarpaulin they had custom made just for the event.  Hopefully the rain will clear over night and the final round of practice will get the track ready for the first of five rounds of qualifying, four of which make up the Saturday timetable.

Top 10 lap times after P8
1. Elliot Boots – Durango – 23.388
2. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 23.657
3. Joern Neumann – Durango – 23.660
4. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 23.665
5. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 23.669
6. Joseph Quagraine – Durango – 23.772
7. Dakotah Phend – Losi – 23.773
8. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 23.851
9. Dustin Evans – Losi – 23.875
10.Lee Martin – Tamiya – 24.011

Practice results can be found here (PDF) and full results can be found here.

View our event image gallery here.

Tebo goes top in Finland

2007 World Champion Jared Tebo have gone to the top of timing sheets having just produced a new fastest lap on the final lap of his sixth 4-minute practice run.  The Kyosho driver hasn’t made any changes to his Orion powered Lazer ZX-5 FS2 today saying it feels really good.  Describing traction levels as being now decent Tebo said the track is very fast and this can make it difficult when running around other cars. Expecting condition to start to stay much the same as they are now for the final two runs of the day the US driver said he will use P7 to test a different spring but otherwise plans no changes to his set-up.

Also improving his time in P6 to move ahead of early pace setter Ryan Maifield, Team Durango’s Joern Neumann took his DEX410 to the second fastest lap time.  The German Champion, who is just .003 off Tebo, switched to the same set-up he ran at the Warm-up race which he said while it made the buggy more difficult to drive it produced much faster lap times.

Running a best lap of 23.680 compared to fastest lap of 23.665 set in P5, Maifield used the round to play with his lines.  Seeking his first World title, the factory Associated driver said he is still trying to learn to not crash on a track which is proving a challenge to run consistent laps.

Putting in a lap which he admitted was a ‘bit of surprise’ Joseph Quagraine is delighted with his early showing at these World Championship.  Better known for his 1:8 Offroad exploits where he races his own JQ Products creation, the Finn said he loves the track surface and the jumps.  Having made the Main at the Warm-up he has been working towards a set-up that makes his Durango easy to drive and focus on clean runs rather than outright pace.

Unable to better their P5 times American’s Ryan Cavalieri and Dustin Evans drop to fifth and sixth fastest respectively.

Two drivers to improve their pace were Naoto Matsukura and Elliot Boots.  Matsukura took his factory Yokomo to the seventh fastest time with a 24-second dead lap moving him ahead of British pairing Lee Martin and Neil Cragg who failed to better their P5 times.

Former European 1:8 Offroad Junior Champion Boots, who is running in Group 8 of 12, found almost a second in P6 to set the 10th fastest lap just ahead of senior Durango team-mate Hupo Honigl who having changed nothing on his DEX410 went slower dropping to 11th.

Top 10 lap times after P6
1. Jared Tebo – Kyosho – 23.657
2. Joern Neumann – Durango – 23.660
3. Ryan Maifield – Associated – 23.665
4. Joseph Quagraine – Durango – 23.772
5. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated – 23.851
6. Dustin Evans – Losi – 23.875
7. Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo – 24.000
8. Lee Martin – Tamiya – 24.011
9. Neil Cragg – Associated – 24.080
10.Elliot Boots – Durango – 24.164

View our event image gallery here.