The 2021 Southern Nationals

The 2021 Southern Nationals 

The JConcepts Team made the adventure out to West Monroe, Louisiana for the 2021 Southern Nationals! With 553 Entries the competition would be stiff but the team was prepared to put in the work necessary to come out on top. Bobby Moore and the RC Trackmasters had to hustle to get the layout done and they delivered a fun track! The venue of this event was all indoors including the pits, which makes for a great experience. 

The track layout started with the normal long front straightaway, turning into a jump, through a chicane, into the iconic Bobby Moore huge front double, into another smaller double, up an elevation change which featured another chicane, over a double, into a hair pin turn and into the shoot off before you re-enter the straightaway. The track held moisture in the beginning of the event due to the humidity inside of the building. By main day, the track started to develop some character and dry out a bit. For tires, much of the team started on Reflexes, then experimented with a few other treads. When it came time for the big show, most drivers ran Reflexes or Stalkers with the exception of  Phend who ran Rehabs in Nitro Buggy. For E-Buggy, the majority of our drivers went to Rehabs.  

Qualifying (Best 2 of 3): 

Pro E-Buggy: Ryan Maifield (1), Dakotah Phend (2), Mason Fuller (3), Spencer Rivkin (4), Tyler Jones (5) 

E-Truggy: Tyler Hooks (TQ), Patrick Rossiter Jr. (2), William Ables (3), David Olsen (4), 

Pro Nitro Buggy: Dakotah Phend (TQ), Ryan Maifield (2), Spencer Rivkin (5) 

40+ Nitro Buggy: Drew Spurgeon (TQ), Mark Morrow (2), 

40+ E-Buggy: Randy Lathrop (TQ), Kurt Wenger (4)

Pro Nitro Truggy: Ryan Maifield (TQ), Joe Bornhorst (3), Mason Fuller (5) 

Int. E-Buggy: William Ables (TQ), Smiley Henn (4) 

Int. Nitro Buggy: Gary Guffey Jr. (TQ) 

Final Results: 

E-Truggy: David Olsen (1), Tyler Hooks (2), Patrick Rossiter (3), William Ables (4)

Sportsman E-Buggy: Billy Dicorte (2), Joel Rodriguez (4) 

Intermediate E-Buggy: Kayla Espinel (1), William Ables (4) 

Pro E-Buggy: Mason Fuller (1), Ryan Maifield (2), Dakotah Phend (3), Spencer Rivkin (4), Joe Bornhorst (5)

Maifield and Phend started out in 1st and 2nd. They quickly tried to pull away after the first lap. Rivkin was on Fuller’s tail and squeezed himself through the inside line as they went through back hairpin turn. By lap three, Maifield lengthened his lead and Rivkin was now on Phend’s wing looking to make a pass into 2nd. Phend and Rivkin dropped back a bit and Fuller was able to capitalize moving into 2nd. Maifield still maintained his lead. Almost halfway through, Phend and Fuller were battling for 2nd place. The track was getting rough, all three of the top drivers were getting tangled up with the holes in the track but worked hard to help their cars recover. Because of this, the gap between the top 3 started to become smaller and smaller. Fuller started to surge in the last minute of the race catching up to Maifield. On the final lap Fuller was right on Maifield, they went side by side over the final jump. Maifield tried to hold the inside line, Fuller went for it trying to squeeze through the small space in that final turn and he took the win over the line!

 

40+ E-Buggy: Drew Spurgeon (1), Kurt Wenger (3)

Sportsman Nitro Buggy: Joel Rodriguez (1)

Intermediate Nitro Buggy: Robert Chapman (4) 

Intermediate Nitro Truggy: Gary Guffey Jr. (4) 

Pro Nitro Buggy: Dakotah Phend (1), Spencer Rivkin (2), Ryan Maifield (4)

 The gap between Phend, Maifield, and Rivkin wasn’t much as they started that first lap. The three of them pulled away from the rest of the pack. Maifield got out in front and tried to make a run for it. Phend bobbled over the hair pin turn as the track was getting rough over there. Maifield tried to lengthen his lead. Phend started to push hard and closed the gap on Maifield on the following lap as they went through the hair pin turn about 6.5 minutes in.  Phend looked for the inside line, Maifield was on the defense preventing him from getting by. Maifield pulled away from Phend and Rivkin. They all went in for pits at the same time and maintained positions.  13 minutes in Maifield rolled it over by the hairpin turn, Phend goes to get by and he rolls it over too. That section of the track truly had a ton of character.  They still kept the same one and two positions. But they were now too close for comfort. Maifield started to gain some  space once again, Rivkin moved up into 2nd place.  Rivkin went into the pits, Phend took over 2nd. Saxton had Spencer in and out in no time. Maifield went into pit lane on the next lap and so did Dakotah.  A few laps later Maifield bobbled right before the elevated chicane, Phend got closer, they touched, Maifield got the worst of it. Phend went by, Maifield got caught on the pipe.  Rivkin moved into 2nd. Phend put on cruise control, Rivkin and Cavalieri  were now battling it out for that 2nd place position with 2 minutes left. Rivkin was able to hold off Cavalieri until the end and secured 2nd overall!

40+ Nitro Buggy: Drew Spurgeon (2), Kurt Wenger (4) 

Pro Nitro Truggy: Mason Fuller (2), Spencer Rivkin (5) 

   The race got off to a clean start.  Maifield, the TQ, was out in front. Ogden and Bornhorst were behind him in 2nd and 3rd. Bornhorst looked for a way around. Maifield started to develop a pretty good lead. Jared Tebo took over 2nd, Ogden was now in 3rd, and Bornhorst in 4th. Those 3 were running close together. Maifield was checking out, Tebo in 2nd, and Bornhorst in 3rd now. Maifield came into the pits and he was in and out. Bornhorst also pitted at that time. Mason Fuller started to get up in the mix as he moved into the top 4 with Bornhorst and Cavalieri. 10.5 minutes in, Maifield came down the straightaway went to make the turn and his car just stopped. He was out with a heartbreaking break. Tebo took over the lead. Mason Fuller in 2nd and Cavalieri was in 3rd. Cavalieri was on Fuller’s bumper, looking for an opportunity to take the inside line. Fuller was playing hard defense trying to block him. They went nose and tail for several laps. Over the hairpin turn Fuller had a bobble, Cavalieri tapped him, unsure what happened, Cavalieri stuttered and they both kept going. It could still be anyone’s race. Cavalieri looked to go by Fuller on the back stretch he tried to go for it, they went side by side over the final jump, Fuller got inside on to the front straightaway. They went for another lap, and got into it on the final lap by accident, but they kept on going. Mason Fuller was able to secure 2nd!

Overall, the team had a good time at the 2021 Southern Nationals and we looked forward to returning for the 2022 race that will now take place in June. In the meantime, we will be switching gears back to 1:10th scale racing as we prepare for the JConcepts Fall INS, PDX Underground West Coast Carpet Champs, and the Adrenaline RC Invitational!

 

Check out more photos on the Facebook Album Here.

Winning Products:

ReHab Tires