With this being an IFMAR Worlds year, there’s plenty of reason to keep an eye on Ryan Cavalieri - he’s one of just three drivers to earn both the 2WD and 4WD titles in the same year, and making history by sweeping the event for a second time would move him from a tie for fifth to third on the all-time wins list. Though the first few months of his 2017 season have been dominated by chatter about his absence from the Desert Classic and Silver State (full disclosure: he didn’t want to talk about it for this interview), he’s quietly put together a rather successful run: a record-extending fourth Reedy Race title, three-for-three in podium finishes at the Dirt Nitro Challenge and two more third-place finishes at the Psycho Nitro Blast. We chatted about how what’s already happened in 2017, and what’s to come, for this week’s Talk It Up Tuesday.
Aaron Waldron: First of all - what happened at the NEO Race?
Ryan Cavalieri: Practice went well and my seeding times were good. Qualifying was up and down for me but at the end I was happy with how I qualified in both classes. Going into the semis I was confident with my cars and my driving. The E-Buggy class was the first semi up and I had some electrical problems that kept me out of the finals. In the Nitro semi I got into the lead early in the race and started to pull away with a 3-second lead 8 minutes in. As I was coming off the straightaway my rear shock was flopping around. I drove around for two laps until my pit crew called me into the pits to replace a broken shock pin in the rear arm. I missed both mains and watched the finals on the side lines. It was an unfortunate weekend of racing but sometimes that's how it goes. At the end was good to see our car do well and all the hard work we put in as a team paid off when David Ongaro won the race.
AW: What did you think of the NEO track? Do you like that event?
RC: I really look forward to the Neo race each year. I see it as the indoor worlds with so many international drivers attending the race from all the teams. The track layouts are always unique and technical which makes it a lot of fun to race on and the whole event is well organized.
AW: Congratulations on a couple of third-place finishes at the Psycho Nitro Blast. Were you happy with how you finished?
RC: Thanks. I wasn’t totally satisfied with my performance in the mains, but I always shoot to be on the podium.
AW: How many times have you been to the Psycho Nitro Blast? What do you think of the haunted house theme? Do you think more races should have their own theme?
RC: This was my second trip back to PNB and now I’m looking forward to this event each year. The PNB crew puts on an awesome show for their racers and fans. The race is unique with 24 hour practice and late nights of racing - you feel like you fit in with the theme.
Photo: Tekno RC, via Facebook
AW: What did you think of the track, with its huge jumps and wall ride?
RC: The track was a lot of fun, with long 43-second laps. The layout was busy, with a huge 65-foot triple, some polished concrete and a wall ride. That's where all the action was the whole weekend.
AW: Earlier this year, you scored your fourth Reedy Race title - and no one else has more than two. Why do you think you’ve been so successful at that race? Is it your driving style? The chance to practice at the host track? Or just great luck?
RC: I always race the Reedy race with the same strategy: take each race one at a time and never look ahead. My driving style is consistent, which always helps for this race. Being able to have OCRC as my home track helps with feeling comfortable on and off the track. You always need to have luck on your side with such a highly-competitive field.
AW: You were on the podium in all three classes at The Dirt Nitro Challenge. Just how tough is that race?
RC: I put in a lot of preparation, as did the whole Team Associated crew for DNC. I believe the track suits our cars as well as my driving style.
AW: How have you enjoyed driving and racing the B64 after over a decade behind the wheel of the B44 platform?
RC: The new B64 is a great vehicle. It's got all the adjustments you need to tune the car for all the different surfaces we race on now. The B44 platform was very good to me and gave me the opportunity to win three world championships.
AW: You’ve had some success racing on carpet and astroturf off-road tracks. What do you think of the trend towards these artificial surfaces?
RC: It's always fun to race on different surfaces. The cars stay clean and require less maintenance. It’s already popular in Europe and becoming more popular in the US.
AW: As the defending ROAR national champion in modified touring car, will we see you hit the asphalt again in 2017? How much do you enjoy racing the occasional on-road event?
RC: I actually made my first TC start in 2017 this weekend at Tamiya in preparation for the upcoming Reedy Race. Since I’m a local it’s always fun to attend and take a break from off-road to test my on-road skills. I enjoy the racing and the technical side of setting up a touring car.
AW: Have you started thinking about the upcoming IFMAR World for the Electric Off-Road in China? What do you think the track will be like?
RC: I normally start thinking about the Worlds at the beginning of the year. I will try to practice on a similar track as what the Worlds would be like, but it's unusual not to hear anything about the surface this far into the year. I would prefer it to be outdoor and on dirt.
AW: What would you consider to be a successful 2017 season? Do you have specific goals for this year?
RC: I think winning 2-3 major races would make 2017 a successful year. I don’t set specific goals for myself, but I always put a lot of time and preparation into each and every race.
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