2013 Spektrum Challenge – Report
The 2013 Spektrum Challenge was held this past weekend at Trackside Hobbies & Raceway in Milwaukee, WI, the home track to World Famous race announcer Scotty Ernst. The race attracted a lot of local talent to mix up with World-class drivers such as Ryan Cavalieri, Dustin Evans or Dakotah Phend making for an amazing 361 entries race. The race started on Wednesday with open practice, Friday and Saturday had two rounds of qualifying with Sunday being the final’s day. In 2WD Modified Buggy Team Associated’s Ryan Cavalieri went onto take the overall TQ for this class. Cavalieri then went on to win A-mains 1 and 2 to take home his first Championship of the weekend. TLR’s Dustin Evans started 2nd on the grid for the main events. Evans would finish 2nd overall by recording a 3rd place finish in A-main 2 and taking the win in A-main 3. Dustin’s TLR team mate Dakotah Phend started 3rd on the grid and would round out the podium in 3rd place overall by finishing 2nd in A-Main 1 and 2.
2WD Modified Buggy top 3 overall:
1. Ryan Cavalieri – Team Associated/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
2. Dustin Evans – TLR/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
3. Dakotah Phend – TLR/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
Team Orion factory driver Ryan Cavalieri also went onto take the overall TQ for the 4WD Modified Buggy class. Cavalieri finished 4th in A-main 1, but then rebounded to take the Wins in A-main 2 and 3 to take home his second Championship of the weekend. Dakotah Phend qualified 3rd overall and went on to put an impressive drive in A-main 1 to take the win and then would finish 2nd in A-main 3 to take 2nd overall. Dustin Evans started 2nd on the grid and would finish 3rd overall by recording a 3rd place finish in A-main 1 and finishing 2nd in A-main 2.
4WD Modified Buggy top 3 overall:
1. Ryan Cavalieri – Team Associated/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
2. Dakotah Phend – TLR/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
3. Dustin Evans – TLR/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
Ryan Cavalieri completed a perfect sweep in qualifying by also taking the overall TQ for the Modified Truck class. Cavalieri went onto win A-mains 1 and 2 in dominate style to record his third championship of the weekend and complete the sweep in all classes he raced. Team Orion factory driver Andy DiBrino showed good speed in qualifying to start 2nd overall and he would later finish 2nd in A-main 1 and 2 to take 2nd overall. Team Orion USA team manager Joe Pillars started 3rd on the grid. Pillars would finish 3rd in A-main 1 and 2nd in A-main 3 to take the final spot on the podium.
Modified Truck top 3 overall:
1. Ryan Cavalieri – Team Associated/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
2. Andy DiBrino – Kyosho/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
3. Joe Pillars – Kyosho/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
In 2WD Modified Short Course Dustin Evans would dominate qualifying to take the overall TQ spot. The main event was set for a single 7-minute race and Evans would go onto lead every lap and take the win by a considerable margin being the only driver to get by for the 25th lap. AE’s Chad Due would finish 2nd overall and Serpent’s Joe Bornhorst would round out the podium in 3rd.
2WD Modified Short Course top 3 overall:
1. Dustin Evans – TLR/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
2. Chad Due – Team Associated/LRP/Reedy/Reedy
3. Joe Bornhorst – Serpent/Tekin/Tekin/Turnigy
In 4×4 Modified Short Course Dakotah Phend would TQ every round of qualifying to take the TQ position. The main event was also set for a single 7-minute race. Phend would pick up right where he left off in qualifying to lay down fast and consistent laps during the A-main to take the win by almost a full lap. Tekno’s Randy Cathcart would finish 2nd and MIP’s Alec Walters would round out the podium in 3rd.
4×4 Modified Short Course Top 3 Overall:
1. Dakotah Phend – TLR/Team Orion/Team Orion/Team Orion
2. Randy Cathcart – Tekno/Tekin/Tekin/Track Power
3. Alec Walters – MIP/Novak/Trinity/Trinity
Thanks to Joe Pillars for sending the report.
