The official warm-up race for the 2015 IFMAR Electric Off-Road World Championships is being held in conjunction with the JMRCA Japanese Nationals at Yatabe Arena this weekend, giving drivers from around the world a chance to prepare their 2WD and 4WD buggies for the unique astroturf surface that has been laid on top of the carpet course at the famous facility. The warm-up race is a tradition that runs back many, many years - and while it’s sometimes the only chance that international participants will have to compete in conditions similar to the actual event, it’s not always truly indicative of how the drivers may fare when the stakes skyrocket and the race really matters.
Almost exactly two years ago, Silver Dollar RC Raceway hosted the warm-up race ahead of the 2013 Worlds on their gigantic outdoor track - and the events that happened that weekend caused quite a stir across the RC world.
Though the course had been immaculately prepared in anticipation for the event, the surface left the electric racers struggling for grip, especially in the 2WD portion. Reactions from the racers ranged from mild frustration to, well, inexcusable anger. After the first day, the Silver Dollar track crew decided to blanket the track in sugar like what had been done at the Cactus Classic a few months prior.
The move was met with mixed reviews, with some drivers in favor of the additional grip and others concerned about the increased tire and parts wear. The decision also impacted the actual Worlds itself, as leaving the track un-sugared for the major race would’ve made the Warm-Up race absolutely worthless.
The TQ honors in 2WD went to then-defending World Champion Ryan Cavalieri, armed with a Centro mid-motor conversion for the B4 after the Team Associated drivers struggled at Cactus with the original rear-motor platform. Cavalieri was followed closely by Ty Tessmann, driving a Kyosho RB6 in mid-motor form, and Cav’s fellow world champion teammate Neil Cragg in another Centro.
In 4WD, Tessmann earned the TQ with a Team Associated B44.1, as the HB D413 had not yet been released (and he had returned the B44.2 he borrowed earlier in the year to Team Associated). Behind the Canadian were then-Team Associated teammates Ryan Maifield, who had won the sugary-sweet Cactus Classic, and 2011 World Champ Ryan Cavalieri third.
The finals, though, were all Tessmann - he won A1 and A2 in both classes to clinch the Warm-Up sweep.
2WD Final Results
- Ty Tessmann – Kyosho
- Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Centro
- Neil Cragg – Associated/Centro
- Jörn Neumann – Durango
- Jared Tebo – Kyosho
- Dustin Evans – TLR
- Kohta Akimoto – Kyosho
- David Ronnefalk – Kyosho
- Cody Turner – Kyosho
- Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo
4WD Final Results
- Ty Tessmann – Associated
- Ryan Maifield – Associated
- Jared Tebo – Kyosho
- Lee Martin – Tamiya
- Ryan Cavalieri – Associated
- Neil Cragg – Associated
- David Ronnefalk – Kyosho
- Steven Hartson – Associated
- Naoto Matsukura – Yokomo
- Jörn Neumann – Durango
Just how valuable was the Warm-Up race to those who attended? The results were mixed.
Ty Tessmann failed to make the 2WD Final at the World Championships, but he did score the 4WD National Championship win in the highly-anticipated debut of the HB D413 prototype and a third-place finish in the same class at the Worlds.
Heading into the Worlds as the double defending champion, Cavalieri’s warm-up results were pretty close to how he’d perform at the real race - he was in the hunt, but couldn’t get close enough to contend for the win. He finished 4th in 2WD and fifth in 4WD.
The same could be said for Ryan Maifield, who finished third in 2WD despite qualifying sixth, but struggled to ninth overall in 4WD after qualifying fourth.
Lee Martin didn’t make the 2WD final at the Warm-Up, but finished on the podium at the Worlds.
Naoto Matsukura finished ninth in 4WD at the warm-up, but came within a half-lap of winning the Worlds title.
Team Losi Racing opted not to send a huge team to the 2013 Warm-Up Race, at least partially because they hadn’t yet finished development of their 22-4 buggy, and Dustin Evans finished sixth in 2WD. It’s difficult to say how much that affected how poorly the Worlds went for them, but they had only two drivers make the 2WD final and only one car in the 4WD final at the Worlds. Interestingly enough, TLR decided not to attend this weekend's race at Yatabe Arena altogether.
Jared Tebo and Steven Hartson, both of eventual world champions, didn’t exactly light the warm-up race on fire - Tebo finished fifth in 2WD and Hartson eighth in 4WD, But both drivers were at the top of their game when it really mattered.
Did the warm-up race really matter? Even if the warm-up winner wasn't a shoe-in for the world title, all six podium finishers at the Worlds - and the majority of the finalists - took advantage of the additional track time.
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