REEDY RACE: Maifield, Tebo, and Neumann win round eight, top points after Day Two [UPDATED]

0 Jan. 24, 2015, 4:13 p.m.

1/24/2015
By Aaron Waldron

LiveRC.com

The second round of 4WD was the time to shine for some of the lesser-known drivers as they got a chance to mix it up with the front runners - and make an attempt to steal as many points from the title favorites as possible. In particular, the European drivers - who have little experience racing on packed indoor clay like the surface at OCRC - seem to be closer to the pace of the American drivers when it comes to racing the faster, more nimble 4WD buggies. With this addition to the number of drivers capable of running up front, the last round of Day Two was one of the closest yet! The three drivers who won their heats in round eight just so happen to be the top three in points heading into the final day.

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Amezcua held off Wernimont to take the holeshot, while Cavalieri spun out at the end of the straightaway and exited the first turn in tenth. The first time through the center of the track, Wernimont ricocheted off the pipe in the left-hander and dropped back. Neumann passed Ronnefalk for second on the right side of the track in the second lap. Wernimont passed Salmela at the 1:15 mark in the left-hand turn before the step-downs as Cavalieri worked his way from the back of the pack to fourth in just four laps. At the 3:00 mark, Wernimont crashed over the triple and Cavalieri moved up to third. Thirty seconds later, Neumann out-braked Amezcua at the end of the straightaway to take the lead. Over the final 90 seconds, Amezcua kept Neumann honest and Wernimont hunted down Cavalieri, but the top four was set.

Hupo Honigl kept Phend, Haatanen, and Baker at bay in turn one, and Phend crashed over the triple which dropped him way back. From the inside of row three, Maifield was in third by the end of the first lap behind Honigl and Haatanen. At 1:20, Maifield ran into the back of Haatanen’s car over the left side double and crashed, but retained the third spot. At 2:10, Maifield out-braked Haatanen at the end of the straight to take the second spot. At 3:45, Honigl came up short on the first double on the left side of the track, and Maifield moved around to take the lead.

From his starting spot inside row one, Jared Tebo took the lead and scampered off to an easy win by over seven seconds. In the second corner, Mitch turned inside Rivkin for third and then got by Petri Strom on the left side of the track. Rivkin passed Strom on the second lap and the Finn soon fell into the clutches of Ty Tessmann. Strom and Tessmann collided over the triple on the third lap, giving Drew Moller the lead from fifth. At 2:35, Moller rolled over in the turn before the triple and dropped to fifth behind teammates Tessmann and Ronnefalk. At the 3:00 mark, Ronnefalk crashed in the same spot and dropped to sixth. With 15 seconds to go, Tessmann crashed before the triple and then again afterward, which let Moller catch up and pass, but Moller crashed on the final lap and Tessmann finished third.