RYAN MAIFIELD LEAVES ASSOCIATED - and we've got details!

0 June 27, 2014, 11:03 a.m.

6/27/2014
By Aaron Waldron

LiveRC.com

RC RACING BOMBSHELL

Those in the tight circle of professional RC racing have been buzzing about it for a while (though LiveRC has kept quiet out of respect for Ryan and the brands involved) but Team Associated made it official today by announcing Ryan Maifield's departure after eleven years with the brand. Ryan splashed into the limelight when he won the 2003 Cactus Classic in the debut of the original Team Associated B4 buggy, beating Brian Kinwald straight up at his home track of Scottsdale R/C Speedway. Since then, Maifield and Team Associated enjoyed one of the most successful partnerships in RC history. Here are some of the highlights:

14 Cactus Classic wins
9 ROAR National Championships
7 Hot Rod Shootout wins
3 The Dirt Nitro Challenge titles
4 Sidewinder Nitro Explosion wins
5 Alabama Manufacturer Shootout wins
2 Silver State Nitro Challenge victories
2 IFMAR Worlds TQs
2 Reedy Truck Race titles
7 CRCRC Midwest Winter Championship wins

A classy farewell on behalf of Team Associated for sure, as Maifield has certainly meant a lot to the company - both as a racer and representative, with his paint scheme featured on the box art for both the SC10.2 Factory Team and RC8T Championship Edition, two vehicles with which Ryan was particularly deadly. RC historians can't help but note Team Associated's past experience watching homegrown drivers leave for other deals, notably Jared Tebo in 2008 (after winning the 2007 IFMAR 4WD World Championship), Matt Francis in 1996 (after winning the 1995 IFMAR 2WD World Championship), and Brian Kinwald in 1994 (after winning the 1993 IFMAR 2WD World Championship).

Last weekend, Ryan nearly won his second ROAR 1/8-Scale Buggy National Championship in his farewell race!

SO WHAT'S NEXT FOR RYAN?

Despite rumors of Maifield heading to TLR, Ryan confirmed in a phone call immediately after AE broke the news on their Facebook page that his next deal with a chassis sponsor is not done. That doesn't mean that's not his next destination, but we won't know for certain until ink meets paper.

With his departure from Team Associated also comes a split from long-time electronics sponsor Reedy, and Ryan confirmed earlier this year that his deal with LRP stood only through the release of the upcoming Reedy ESC, so a complete departure seems imminent. Ryan signed a new deal with Novarossi to run the Italian engines for 2014, which we expect will not change, and the same can be said for JConcepts as Maifield has run for the tire and accessory manufacturer since its inception.

With only electronics left to sort out, LiveRC staffers are guessing that Team Orion's July 1 announcement will be Maifleld, with the brand having touted the signing of a new "superstar" for a few weeks now. Further, Team Orion's official press release stated the new signing would only be joining their "electric racing team," which would fit with Maifield's current deal with Novarossi. If Maifield does indeed move to TLR, both Novarossi and Team Orion power are popular among drivers who already race for the Horizon Hobby brand, so it would all make sense.