2013 ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals – First Round Results

Ty Tessman kicked off his double title defense with a strong statement in the first round of Truck qualifying by capturing the first round TQ by nearly 2.5 seconds over the field. With the tough track layout favoring those who can drive punched without mistakes, which is Ty’s specialty, this first round could be an indication of a long three days in the Houston heat for everyone else.

Team Associated’s truggy ace, Ryan Maifield, was Ty’s closest competitor in round one. Maifield is also known for being able to drive with the trigger clamped to the handle of his transmitter and it’s no surprise to see him near the top of the charts in truck. With JConcepts founder Jason Ruona on hand, Maifield could have an advantage when it comes to tire choice on the tricky Gulf Coast Raceway surface.

Adam Drake, TLR’s consummate professional, tripped the timing loop just a half-second slower than Ryan Maifield to round out the top three. Though Adam is a two-time winner in the Buggy class (just one of two drivers to win twice), he’s never won the Truck class at this event. Could this be a good sign of what’s to come for him?

Truck – Round One
TQ. Ty Tessmann (Hot Bodies/O.S.) – 16/7:13.928
2. Ryan Maifield (Team Associated/Reedy)– 16/7:16.294
3. Adam Drake (TLR/Novarossi) – 16/7:16.810
4. Dakotah Phend (TLR/Team Orion) – 16/7:20.378
5. Ryan Lutz (Team Durango/Alpha) – 16/7:20.489
6. Dylan Rodriguez (Kyosho/O.S.) – 16/7:21.245
7. Billy Fischer (TLR/Novarossi) – 16/7:22.579
8. Billy Easton (Serpent/Novarossi) – 16/7:22.800
9. Ryan Cavalieri (Team Associated/Team Orion) – 16/7:23.202
10. Mike Truhe (TLR/TOP) – 16/7:23.458
11. Jeremy Kortz (Agama/Werks) – 16/7:23.733
12. Cody King (Kyosho/REDS) – 16/7:24.880
13. Austin Blair (Kyosho/O.S.) – 16/7:24.971
14. Carson Wernimont (Team Durango/O.S.) – 16/7:25.269
15. Steven Hartson (Team Associated/Reedy) – 16/7:25.521
16. Jared Tebo (Kyosho/Team Orion) – 16/7:25.650

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Dakotah Phend finished second behind Tessman in both classes year, and the young TLR phenom served notice that he’s going to fight for the title yet again in 2013. His blistering run in the first round of Buggy was nearly five seconds faster than anyone else when just the top ten drivers completed a 16-lap run.

Recovering from a tough first round in Truck, Kyosho’s former champion Jared Tebo was second best in buggy. After going winless so far in 2013’s nitro racing calendar it’s safe to say that Tebo is hungry to add to his list of national titles.

Just one second behind Tebo was Tessman. A third place finish for the round may seem out of character for the Canadian given his seemingly easy drive in Truck, but scoring three points for the round sets him up well to put in just one more good run and secure a solid starting spot for Sunday’s final as he goes for another sweep.

Buggy – Round One
TQ. Dakotah Phend (TLR/Team Orion) – 16/7:12.706
2. Jared Tebo (Kyosho/Team Orion) – 16/7:17.573
3. Ty Tessman (Hot Bodies/O.S.) – 16/7:18.635
4. Mike Truhe (TLR/TOP) – 7:21.334
5. Adam Drake (TLR/Novarossi) – 16/7:21.658
6. Ryan Cavalieri (Team Associated/Team Orion) – 16/7:23.045
7. Dylan Rodriguez (Kyosho/O.S.) – 16/7:23.227
8. Jeremy Kortz (Agama/Werks) – 16/7:24.499
9. Josh Wheeler (XRAY/O.S.) – 16/7:25.270
10 Carson Wernimont (Team Durango/O.S.) – 16/7:25.474
11. Austin Blair (Kyosho/O.S.) – 15/7:00.411
12. Mark Pavidis (TLR/O.S.) – 15/7:03.492
13. Matt Gosch (JQ/JQ) – 15/7:04.066
14. Billy Fischer (TLR/Novarossi) – 15/7:04.253
15. Taylor Petersen (XRAY/Alpha) – 15/7:04.687
16. Barry Pettit (Mugen Seiki/Alpha) – 15/7:05.273

Photos courtesy of LiveRC.com