RACE BLOG: 26th Annual Pro-Line Cactus Classic

0 March 22, 2012, 7:54 p.m.

March 22-25, 2012

By Eric Swanson

Live RC.com

Death, taxes, and the Cactus Classic. These are all things that we can say will happen for sure. Granted, the Cactus is a much better alternative to the former two certainties. My point is- as long as I can remember, the Cactus has drawn top electric drivers from all over the world to a parking lot behind a strip mall in Scottsdale, Arizona to race, get sun burnt, and have a good time.

This year marks the 26th annual running of the Pro-Line Cactus Classic...which is now -- more than ever -- a classic event. Another annual occurrence that just so happens to correspond with the running of the CC, is Ryan Maifield doing well. Maifield, who grew up in the area, has been racing at the Cactus since he was a young child -- and it shows. After two rounds of controlled practice, Maifield sits atop 2WD, 4WD, Truck, and SCT after the hot laps were calculated and the qualifiers were set. But, TQ'ing practice means nothing. It is the equivalent of being labeled a "paper champion" in the NFL -- the sheets look impressive, but the game has yet to be played. However, it would take a fool to bet against Maifield backing up his strong practice sessions come race time.

Practice Notepad:

"The Quad" is the feature of the track everyone is talking about. It started out being cool, then it was lame. Now most everyone wishes they could escape it somehow. So, essentially, The Quad is just like that "Pumped Up Kicks" song. Anyway, some drivers were so sick of trying to hit the quad (Hupo Honigll) that they just decided to bypass it and go for The Quint -- a much more elusive beast. Either way, this section is very challenging and is certainly separating the people that get paid to drive toy cars from those that pay to drive toy cars.

Ryan Maifield turned the fastest laps of the day, but they came at night when the track was cool. During the early afternoon session, Maifield's run was filled with crashes, donkey flips, rumbling, stumbling, fumbling, and a collision with a light pole. We'll find out tomorrow if Ryan's night session was the result of him being more dialed-in after more track time and/or setup changes, or if his car was just much better at night.

In what was -- perhaps -- the most dominant practice session we've ever witnessed, Dakota Phend turned seven 24-second laps in the early 2WD practice round. The most anyone else turned was one. In fact, only one other person turned a 24 that round. Dakota's TLR 22 didn't look nearly as good in the night session, though. Look for his team to make some changes to his car for R2 tomorrow night. But for R1 -- look out!

Billy Fischer is no longer running for Team Durango. As of right now, he is a privateer. Billy is running a TLR 2WD and truck, and an Associated 4WD. Billy said he would let us know what his next move is, so stay tuned for more info on where he ends up. He won't stay on the market for long, though - that's for sure.

One of the biggest story-lines thus far, in my opinion, is the myriad of different tires that are being used successfully. In the past, the Cactus was a pure Losi tire race. If you didn't have red Losi tires, you were out to lunch. In recent years, JConcepts have been a popular choice as well. This year, JConcepts, Pro-Line, and AKA all have tires that seemingly work great. However, traction on the racing surface does appear to be low for everyone. One top pro was overheard postulating that this was likely because of the various types of rubber that is being laid down on the groove in relation to the one or two primary compounds of the past.

Speaking of tires, each of three main tire manufacturers have unveiled new products this week. Pro-Line drivers are running a new truck tire as well as a new 2WD front tire, AKA has prototype hex 2WD wheels, and JConcepts has new truck tires.

Tomorrow starts the actual racing - no more of this practice nonsense.

The schedule from here on out is pretty standard - two rounds of qualifying Friday, two more on Saturday, mains on Sunday. Best two-of-four qual-points, triple-A-mains; all of that normal stuff that awesome races have.

The world-famous Scottsdale R/C Speedway (SRS) -- host facility for the 26th Annual Pro-Line Cactus Classic

Dudes waiting around to practice...

TQ'ing practice is important. It can decide whether or not you will place ridiculous expectations on yourself or close down the bar every night. A win-win situation for most at the Cactus.

One driver who has raised expectations and certainly won't be closing down any bars is Dakotah Phend. Hey Dakotah- Don't forget to do your homework!

Charlie's new friend.

Low riders are popular in Arizona.

New Stuff:

TLR's new "Hi-Performance" SCT body.

Avid's new "Big-Bore" springs. These things are dialed. Look for a full-review soon.

Pro-Line has released a new 2012 Bulldog for the Tamiya 4WD. (Turd Ferguson modeling)

Pro-Line's new front tire - used by Dakotah Phend to obliterate everyone in day-time practice.

New Pro-Line truck tires

Pro-Line also unveiled some trick new SCT wheels.

AKA's new 1:10 buggy hex wheels

Stay tuned all weekend for more from the Cactus! Don't forget, Bonus Lap members- we will have moving cameras for the A-mains!

Friday - Qualifying R1 and R2

It's tough to tell anything for sure after today's qualifying. Consistency has been hard to come by for most. "The Quad" has acted as a guillotine that mercilessly hammers down upon the rhythm of all drivers -- no matter the skill level. A quick look at the qual points will show you that many fast drivers had trouble in one or both of their runs today -- the exception being the hand full of elite pros, whom still tumble their way through the quad section on occasion, however, come out smelling like roses after making some sort of sixth-sense-assisted wheel inputs to save their otherwise doomed vehicles from being devoured by the front section like everyone else's. Long story longer, R3 and R4 will shake things up considerably compared to most races, so watch for that tomorrow.

The lone exception to all this "lack of consistency" talk is Ryan Maifield and his Pro-2. He appears to be picking up where he left off last year by zeroing the first two rounds to lock up a share of the overall TQ.

Many drivers have experienced receiver and ESC failures due to the extreme nature in which cars land in the quad section. Even when cars land nearly perfect, they are still landing with near the same force as if you threw the car 25 feet through the air onto the ground.

Lots more to be seen before we can crown anyone a shoe-in for Cactus Classic Champion just yet. Things are very much up in the air.

VIEW COMPLETE QUAL-POINTS LISTINGS

Kinwald trying out a different approach to the quad. I think he was trying to teach it not to mess with him.

Meanwhile, Charlie was teaching this cheeseburger not to mess with him.

The award for most travelled goes to Max Flurer. Dude is at every race we go to, it seems.

TLR's Dustin Evans snuck by Maifield and Cavalieri in the final seconds of R2 to take the zero for the round.

Arizona native Brent Thielke showed a great deal of confidence on the SRS circuit and had a solid day of qualifying. In tomorrow's qualifying, he will look to maintain his top-five starting spot for Sunday's A-mains.

Another person familiar with SRS is local driver Tanner Denney, whom missed most of practice due to his school schedule. It didn't matter though -- he is still in the top 10.

Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of qualifying! We stayed late to work on trying to improve out Internet connection at the track. We think we have found a solution so the feed should be much smoother tomorrow. Also- some moving cam should begin tomorrow as well. Of course, we will have all A-mains on moving camera as well.

Saturday - Qualifying R3 and R4

Like any race program, nerves get pushed to their last end and tempers flare when it comes time to put your last effort into improving your qualifying position. This tension, matched with a few extremely difficult sections of the race track made for, what I would say, a slightly higher than normal level of frustration amongst the field. Even drivers who TQ'ed showed their tempers at times as racing against the field while trying to conquer their own personal demons that have arisen from The Quad can be quite tough to manage - for anyone. One thing is for sure - seeing ten of the world's top drivers cycle through the front section during lap one of an A-main is going to be quite the treat. For the aforementioned driver, perhaps not. But all of you watching on LiveRC will see a great show!

Many drivers were scrambling to improve their tire and foam setups today. Many have switched from closed-cell type foam to either stock or two-stage. Most drivers have also settled with "bar"-type tires on buggies, and "taper pin" style tires on trucks. While all tire companies are well represented throughout the field, not everyone is running the types of tires they would lead you to believe. We'll just leave it at that...

I wish I had something more exciting to report about qualifying, but - there aren't many surprises in the qualifying order. The Big Three TQ'ed most of the main classes, with Dakotah Phend taking the top spot in Pro-4.

Where things get interesting is when you look down the grids in the mod classes; beyond The Big Three. It is important to note the lack of consistency most drivers had throughout qualifying. Even top runs had more bobbles than they usually do, so when we pack everyone together and run them frantically through the circuit in a head-to-head race, anything can happen. I know, I just made a really stupid and overused cliche, but it's true. Guys like Steven Hartson (6th 2WD) and Brian Kinwald (7th 2WD) may be in prime position to attack the the field. "On any given Sunday" - we shall see if the spirit of Al Pacino lives within any team managers tomorrow.

Racing begins tomorrow morning at 8AM local time. Since I don't know where each one of you readers are from, just Google the time zone for Phoenix, AZ to get a better idea what that time equates to at your particular location.

Reminder: the first round of A-mains will be run fairly early, so plan your viewing schedule accordingly!

See you tomorrow!

VIEW COMPLETE QUALIFYING RESULTS

Jared Tebo had a pretty crappy day one in 2WD. Day two he was dialed. He TQ'ed R3 and R4 to secure the overall.

Ryan Maifield TQ'ed 4WD buggy and Pro-2. Despite finishing second in three rounds of 2WD, he will start 4th on the grid tomorrow.

Cody Turner (foreground) and Tony Truman (background) take in a qualifying session. With approximately 300 hours a day to kill in between each driver's races, plenty of spectating was done.

Everyone seemed to decide that we could all use a little more time to stand in the scorching sun, so everyone randomly shows up and waits in line five races before the designated heat.

Truck TQ Ryan Cavalieri's T4.1. This is the first major electric race since the public release of the TLR 22T, which has translated into a nice little resurgence of the class. For me (being someone who despises short course trucks and their perpetual and involuntary flailing about) this couldn't be more welcomed.

Jared Tebo's Kyosho RB5 will lead the pack through The Quad on lap one Sunday.

Sunday - Mains

Another year of the Pro-Line Cactus Classic is complete! And just like always, fans were treated to some thrilling battles in the A-mains.

After the first round of A-mains it looked as if Ryan Cavalieri might walk away with every class he entered. Cavalieri slowly and methodically worked his way to the front of the 2WD, 4WD, and truck A1 mains and set himself up to be hard to beat the rest of the afternoon.

Things didn't quite work out that way.

in 2WD, it was young Dakotah Phend who made a stand and sent his TLR 22 to the front of the pack and sent the most prestigious class at the Cactus to a deciding A3 main.

Elsewhere, hometown hero Ryan Maifield did his best to remind everyone that this is his backyard, and that teammate Cavalieri wouldn't just waltz in and act like he owned the place.

In the end, Cavalieri was able to close the deal in modified truck, but wasn't as lucky in 2WD, 4WD, and Pro-2. Maifield easily dominated Pro-2, and also cleaned up shop in A3 of 2WD and 4WD to take home the top spot in three of the four classes he entered. The hometown crowd wasn't shy about showing their fandom of Maifield. Every year they erupt into applause as their local pro sticks it to everyone. I don't see that changing anytime soon, either. Ryan has been running here most of his life and as long as he is in his prime, it would be a wise bet to say that he will win or seriously contend in every single class he enters at SRS.

The one class The Big Three didn't enter, was Pro-4- which was TQ'ed by US Pro-4 National Champion Dakotah Phend. In the mains, however, Jorn Neumann quickly dismantled the field in A1 and A2 wrapping up victory before the class saw A3.

For complete class results, go to the Live Broadcast page for the Cactus Classic and click the results tab.

Photos from the trophy ceremony for all classes can be found in the PHOTO GALLERY.

Here are the results and photos from the modified classes:

Pro-2: (L-R) Kody Numedahl, Ryan Maifield, Jared Tebo

Pro-4: (L-R) Dakotah Phend, Jorn Neumann, Hupo Honigl

Modified Truck: (L-R) Dustin Evans, Ryan Cavalieri, Ryan Maifield

4WD Modified: (L-R) Jorn Neumann, Ryan Maifield, Ryan Cavalieri

2WD Modified: (L-R) Dakotah Phend, Ryan Maifield, Ryan Cavalieri

Charlie didn't win first, but he is still first in our hearts.

That will do it for our coverage here at the 26th Annual Pro-Line Cactus Classic! We want to thank the staff of Hobbytown/SRS for being such gracious hosts and helping us out with whatever we needed. This is the first year the new regime here at SRS has put on the event, and they did a wonderful job! Huge props go out to Adam, Ricky, Humpty, and the rest of the SRS crew!

Up next for LRC is the NEO race in England two weeks from now. That will be an All-Access Pass event with full broadcast-style presentation, so mark your calendars and don't miss it!

Most importantly, we would like to thank YOU (our viewers and readers) for tuning in to our coverage! On behalf of Brandon Rohde and Mike Houps, this is Eric Swanson signing off on the Cactus '12 Race Blog.

Later!

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