2024 Silver State Nitro Challenge JConcepts Team Report

The sand has settled from the 2024 Silver State Nitro Challenge and the JConcepts crew couldn’t be anymore proud of our team. This was the largest 1/8th scale off-road event in history and JConcepts was top of the charts in all 4 pro classes as well as a host of others. Living in a casino for a week and spending long hours racing with your competitors and buddies is hard work, but the team made the most of it and good times and smiles were had all around.

Wednesday was a full day of practice with one 8 minute session for each driver with each car. This was also used as seeding for qualifying so drivers had to make the most of what little time they were given to do what they could. The following drivers found success immediately on the track.

Seeding Practice:

Pro Buggy: 1st Ryan Maifield, 2nd Seth VanDalen, 4th Juan Carlos Canas
Pro Truggy: 4th Ryan Maifield, 5th Mason Fuller
Pro Ebuggy: 1st Seth VanDalen, 2nd Dakotah Phend, 3rd Joey Bourdon, 4th David Olsen, 5th Jonah Wilson
Pro Etruggy: 1st Mason Fuller, 3rd Joey Bourdon, 5th Ryan Maifield
Intermediate Buggy: 2nd Brenden Bartlett, 5th Jackson Wilson
Intermediate Truggy: 2nd Dylan Bartlett, 4th Reggie Tongue
Intermediate Ebuggy: 1st Jared Cozzocrea (JC Privateer), 2nd Paul Ciccarello, 3rd Daniel Sedler
Intermediate Etruggy: 1st Daniel Sedler, 5th Jackson Wilson
40+ Buggy: 1st Mike Truhe, 3rd Phillip Atondo, 4th Donny Vinkemulder
40+ Truggy: 1st Phillip Atondo, 4th Anthony Howarth, 5th Paul Ciccarello
40+ Ebuggy: 2nd Paul Ciccarello
40+ Etruggy: 2nd Paul Ciccarello, 4th Eric Deschenes
50+ Nitro Buggy: 1st Donny Vinkemulder, 2nd Barry Baker
50+ Ebuggy: 1st Barry Baker

Thursday would start the split days with Nitro Truggy and Ebuggy qualifying. Drivers would race in 3 full rounds of the two classes with the best 2/3 rounds counting towards their main event starting positions. The top 14 in each class would qualify directly into the main events. The team continued to build momentum and the names you would consistently see for the rest of the event started to pop up.

Thursday Qualifying:

Pro Ebuggy: 1st Mason Fuller, 2nd Ryan Maifield, 3rd Jared Wiggins, 4th Spencer Rivkin, 5th Jonah Wilson
Pro Nitro Truggy: 1st Ryan Maifield, 2nd Dakotah Phend, 3rd Mason Fuller, 4th Seth VanDalen, 5th Jared Wiggins
Intermediate Truggy: 2nd Dylan Bartlett, 4th Jackson Wilson
40+ Ebuggy: 4th Paul Ciccarello
40+ Truggy: 1st Phillip Atondo 4th Paul Ciccarello
50+ Ebuggy: 1st Barry Baker

Friday showcased Nitro Buggy and Etruggy qualifying using the same format as the previous day. There was one major consistency: JConcepts at the top!

Friday Qualifying:

Pro Buggy: 1st Ryan Maifield, 2nd Spencer Rivkin, 3rd Juan Carlos Canas, 4th Dakotah Phend, 5th Mason Fuller
Pro Etruggy: 1st Mason Fuller, 2nd Ryan Maifield
Intermediate Buggy: 3rd Dylan Bartlett
Intermediate Etruggy: 1st Daniel Sedler, 4th Dylan Bartlett
40+ Buggy: 2nd Phillip Atondo, 5th Mike Truhe
40+ Etruggy: 1st Paul Ciccarello
50+ Buggy: 1st Donny Vinkemulder, 3rd Barry Baker

Saturday and Sunday mains were split with the same classes separated each day. 2 drivers would bump up from each lower main throughout the day to make a 16 car field in each class. The pro class mains would be sprinkled in each day a little early to make sure everyone in the most common time zones could watch as well as those in attendance at the event.

Pro Ebuggy: Pro Ebuggy would be up first and there isn’t much to say other than it was the Mason Fuller show. Mason led from start to finish with a pace and consistency that no one else could match. Mason took advantage of Green Kosmos, an S15 Body, a Razor Wing and various other JConcepts accessories as part of the winning package! Following behind him was a fierce battle for the remaining podium spots. Jared Wiggins would hold on to 2nd for a long time before a small untimely bobble would drop him down to 5th. Ryan Maifield would hold on through the carnage for his first podium of the w2eekend in 2nd with Juan Carlos Canas in 3rd just .03 seconds behind!

1st Mason Fuller (JC), 2nd Ryan Maifield (JC), 3rd Juan Carlos Canas (JC)

Pro Truggy: For Pro Truggy it seemed Ryan Maifield decided he wanted a show of his own. Ryan checked out on the field with a comfortable gap from very early in the race. The initial battle would be between Phend and Fuller with Mason having the slight advantage first. Dakotah would get 2nd back through fuel stops and hold onto it until the end. The closing laps saw a battle between Spencer Rivkin and Mason Fuller with a last lap mistake from Rivkin giving Fuller the final spot on the podium. Ryan Maifield would take advantage of the tried and true Green Reflex truggy tires, the S15 truggy body, and the Razor wing as well as Radial bearings, and other JConcepts and RM2 accessories.

1st Ryan Maifield (JC), 2nd Dakotah Phend (JC), 3rd Mason Fuller (JC)

Intermediate Ebuggy: 1st Jimmy Fishback IV, 2nd Daniel Sedler (JC), 3rd Mason Templeman

Intermediate Truggy: 1st Jimmy Fishback IV, 2nd Dylan Bartlett (JC), 3rd Jackson Wilson (JC)

40+ Ebuggy: 1st Joseph Quagraine, 2nd Brent Thielke, 3rd Paul Ciccarello (JC)

40+ Truggy: 1st Richard Saxton, 2nd Reggie Tongue (JC), 3rd Paul Ciccarello (JC)

50+ Ebuggy: Barry Baker (JC), 2nd Mike Battaile, 3rd Roman Gastelum

Sportsman Truggy: 1st Ezra Atondo (JC Privateer), 2nd Jaden Okray, 3rd Brandon Hicks

Racers geared up again Sunday for another full day of main events this time featuring Nitro Buggy and Etruggy festivities.

Pro Etruggy: Pro Etruggy was a similar story to the previous day’s Ebuggy feature with Mason Fuller checking out with unmatched speed and consistency. Fuller would finish 10 seconds clear of Ryan Lutz who would have a spirited battle with Ryan Maifield for a majority of the race. Lutz would squeak by for the extra lap with Fuller solidifying his 2nd place finish and giving Ryan his 3rd podium with a 3rd. Mason used the new soon to be released Falcon truggy tire in green compound, the F2 truggy body and a Razor wing on his quest for the win.

1st Mason Fuller (JC), 2nd Ryan Lutz, 3rd Ryan Maifield (JC)

Pro Buggy: The final show of the weekend would be the Juan Carlos Canas show in Nitro Buggy to close out the pro classes at the 2024 Silver State Nitro Challenge. Maifield, Phend, and Canas would all battle for the lead until just before the halfway point when Juan Carlos would take over and finally begin to inch away from the field lap after lap. Dakotah would find himself battling with Spencer Rivkin for 2nd for a fair bit of the 2nd half of the race before Rivkin would have an unfortunate part breakage limiting his speed and consistency. Ryan Maifield would take advantage of all the battling and breakages to climb to 2nd at the finish. Dakotah Phend found himself 3rd after the grueling 45 minute affair. Juan Carlos had his nitro buggy equipped with Green Reflex, an S15 body, Razor Wing, and a host of other JConcepts accessories!

1st Juan Carlos Canas (JC), 2nd Ryan Maifield (JC), 3rd Dakotah Phend (JC)