Last year, the Hobbytown USA HobbyPlex hosted 145 individual drivers - totaling 323 entries - for the ROAR 1/10-Scale Electric Off-Road Nationals. Titles were awarded for Modified 2WD Buggy, 4WD Buggy, Stadium Truck and Short Course; as well as Stock 2WD Buggy, Stadium Truck, Short Course, and 15-and-Under 2WD Buggy.
It was the second time the race was held at the HobbyPlex, which also welcomed the fastest off-road racers in the country to its outdoor facility in 2009. The 2016 event was the first time the ROAR Electric Off-Road Nats had been held in the Midwest in six years.
The large clay surface was carved into a fast, technical layout with lots of elevation change. The yellow pipes and blue-painted infield sections not only made the track look great, but provided welcome visibility from the tall drivers stand.
As the race was incredibly competitive - with the results used to determine the 2017 IFMAR Worlds team - the racers found ways to relax amid the pressure. Because most of the factory drivers pitted along team lines at either end of the expansive warehouse space, the pit area remained a foam ball war zone for most of the weekend.
Though LiveRC cameraman Bob Kendall and I remained relatively neutral, our perch above the carpet track became an enticing target. My pizza box shield didn’t do much.
Even though the race was indoors, the weather outside - and its effect on the temperature and humidity inside the track area - meant that tire choice was critical.
Dakotah Phend made short work of qualifying in the Stadium Truck class, setting the fastest time in each of the four rounds to lock up the front row of the grid. In fact, he was the only driver to turn 18 laps — and he did it in all four rounds.
Ryan Cavalieri turned in a similarly spectacular performance in the 2WD short course class. He was also the fastest driver in all four rounds, averaging almost five seconds faster than the next-closest driver.
Phend earned TQ in the 2WD class as well, but the road there wasn’t quite so smooth. He finished second in the first round, just over a second behind then-TLR teammate Ryan Maifield, and then turned the quickest time in round two. he struggled in the round three, though, while then-HB Racing driver Ty Tessmann became the third different driver to top the sheets. Phend returned to the helm in the fourth round, though, to secure the overall on points.
The 4WD class provided less of a challenge for Phend. He was the fastest driver in the first three rounds, including the only 19-lap runs of the weekend, to lock up the overall TQ.
After nine TQ runs in 12 chances put him in the best position for three national titles, Phend was all smiles.
In the Stadium Truck finals, a lack of pace early in the race from second qualifier Jared Tebo allowed Phend to get away and lead every lap of A1 and A2 to wrap up the title early. Spencer Rivkin worked past Tebo on lap two of A1 but couldn’t close within a few seconds of Phend, while Tebo settled for third. Tebo crashed on the third lap of A2 and dropped to fifth, which provided Phend’s then-TLR teammate Dustin Evans to the second spot, while Tebo eventually fought back to third. And with Phend sitting out A3, Evans bided his time until both Rivkin and Tebo crashed at the halfway mark to take the win and score second overall.
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