ROAR Nationals - SRS

Chassis: Team Associated T5M Team

Motor: Team Orion VST2 LW 6.5

ESC: Team Orion R10.1 Pro

Battery: Team Orion Carbon Pro 4500mAh shorty

Radio/Receiver: Airtronics M12/RX481

Servo: Airtronics 94671

Tires: Pro-Line Prime T, MC compound

Body: JConcepts Finnisher

Notes: Ryan Cavalieri’s stadium truck was built with the Factory Team aluminum steering set, Factory Team aluminum rear camber link mount, and Factory Team aluminum C and D plates. Brass weight under the battery.

Chassis: RC10T5M

Body: JConcepts Finnisher

Tires: Pro-Line Prime’s

Motor: Team Orion VST2 6.5

ESC: Team Orion R10.1 Pro

Batteries: Team Orion Shorty 4500amh 100c 2s

Radio/Receiver: Airtronics M12/Airtronics

Servo: Sanwa

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ROAR Nationals Sweep for Ryan Cavalieri and Team Associated

Event Name: ROAR Nationals

Event Location: Hobbytown/SRS - Phoenix,AZ

Event Date(s): August 7, 2015 to August 9, 2015

Utter domination; that’s the only way to describe the performance by Team Associated’s Ryan Cavalieri at the 2015 R.O.A.R. 1:10 Electric Off-Road Nationals. Taking the TQ in all four modified classes, the 4-time I.F.M.A.R. World Champion was locked in to the zone through Friday and Saturday’s qualifying.

Even though Cavalieri would start on pole for all four classes, it wasn’t just him that represented Team Associated in the finals. With 40 possible A-main positions, Team Associated vehicles occupied 19 of them; that’s almost half the field!

Slotting in to those positions with their B5M vehicles in 2WD Modified Buggy were Ryan Cavalieri (1), Spencer Rivkin (3), Steven Hartson (5), Tanner Denney (8) and Rob Gillespie Jr. (10).

With their B44.3s in the 4WD Modified A-main event were Ryan Cavalieri (1), Spencer Rivkin (3) and Rob Gillespie Jr. (8).

The brand new SC5M delivered the short course goods with Ryan Cavalieri (1), Spencer Rivkin (2), Kody Numedahl (6), Chad Due (9) and Brad Shearer (10) all making the 2WD Modified SCT main event.

Finally, in the 2WD Truck Modified class, the T5Ms of Ryan Cavalieri (1), Steven Hartson (4), Spencer Rivkin (5), Tommy Hinz (8), Tanner Denney (9) and Rob Gillespie Jr. (10) all represented Team Associated. That left just 21 positions for the remaining four manufactures to split.

With 12 A Mains scheduled in the four classes, Cavalieri only needed eight of them to sew up the four National Championships. Sweeping both A1 and A2 main events insured that Ryan Cavalieri would be crowned champion before any of the other finishing positions were settled. There were seven National Championships up for grabs and Team Associated won five of them as privateer Alan Wright won Racing Truck 17.5 with his T5M.

Stay tuned for more detailed information and setups from the winning cars along with more from the team as the week continues, and congratulations to Ryan on your THIRD sweep of the Nationals with Team Associated!
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2015 ROAR 1/10 Off-Road Electric Nationals

Cavalieri Crushes All!

WORDS & PHOTOS CARL HYNDMAN

**Cavalieri's consistency was at an all time high at the Nats. While others were able to match his lap times, it was Cav's unshakable, mistake-free driving that made him unbeatable. **

The ROAR Electric Off-Road Nationals has long been regarded as the most prestigious event for racers from across the United States and Canada. A Nats win is a cornerstone in a pro driver’s resume and commands respect from other drivers and the industry. SRS Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona played host and provided high-bite clay in an indoor venue that tested drivers, mechanics and vehicles alike. Unlike other big races, this National event only contests the core off-road classes: 2WD and 4WD buggies, 2WD stadium trucks, and 2WD short course trucks. Each class ran stock and modified divisions for a total of eight ROAR titles on the line. In the mod classes, one driver piled all four crowns on his head: Team Associated’s Ryan Cavalieri. In a master class of driving precision and strategy, Ryan not only swept the mod classes, he also TQ’d and won the A1 and A2 Mains of each class to secure his victories. Nats performances don’t get any more dominating than that.

THE TRACK: SRS RACEWA:, PHOENIX, ARIZONA

This track at SRS Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona has gained a reputation for some of the most unusual high-bite dirt/ clay anywhere. Sure there’s high-grip conditions, but this was on another level. Radical set-up changes were common including very low ride heights, use of low CG batteries were just some of the things necessary to keep the vehicles from flipping and rolling excessively. Experienced by drivers at the Cactus Classic, this fairly new facility is part of the Hobbytown USA franchise and spares no expense to improve and make the surface more consistent. But, keeping it consistent enough to please the critical pros who have come to expect terrain that rivals greens on the PGA Tour, is easier said than done. So to help with this task, they recently installed a misting system to keep the grip level from changing throughout the day.

What first appears to be a rather flat, basic track, is actually quite challenging and had many features that tested every part of vehicle’s set-up and driver’s skill set. Most notable is the six-pack of jumps in front of the driver’s stand. This section takes critical timing and rhythm and is either negotiated by jumping double-double-double, or for mod drivers, double, triple-single. Qualifiers are often defined by this area, with time-sucking carnage common. Contributing to this is the use of slick tires. With wet clay conditions, and a grip level through the roof, slicks are the tires of choice making for fast and twitchy driving. This clay grabs tires in every direction and creates an extra level of complexity drivers needed to overcome to be successful.

**The layout for the event was deceptively tricky with a do or die six-pack rhythm section in front of the driver’s stand. **

**RACE FORMAT **

The ROAR Nationals followed a standardized format that most racers are familiar with throughout the country. Each driver’s three fastest consecutive laps in controlled practice are used to seed qualifying rounds. In four rounds of Qualifying, drivers put in as many laps as they can within six minutes, and points are assigned based on finishing positions for each round. Each driver’s best two qualifying rounds are then tallied up and used to award starting positions in the Mains. A-Mains were run three times, while the lower Mains each ran a single 6-minute final race. No bump-ups, nothing weird.

**Right: Recently SRS Raceway installed a misting system to improve the consistency of the surface to make things better for the participants. **

**2015 ROAR EP Off-Road Nationals pits. Slightly lower attendance than regular, but still competitive.

Modified 2WD buggies gather and prepare to cross the line to start their own clock in qualifying. **

**Bottom Left: Mechanics, Team Managers and media crowd around the area below the driver’s stand. **

**MODIFIED 2WD BUGGY **

2WD Modified Buggy is considered the most prestigious of all the classes and tends to gather the most attention since it requires the highest level of driving skill and tuning knowledge for success. It also has a healthy diverse range of vehicles that push the development of technology through competition. Team Associated, TLR, Kyosho, Yokomo, and HB/HPI Racing all had buggies in the A-main. Team Associated had the most buggies in the field, but has been lacking a major event win for the RC10B5M platform since its debut. It was an embarrassing statistic and something they were eager to shake. Ryan Cavalieri smashed any doubts about the B5M’s capabilities in a display that is rewriting the record books. Start to finish, Cav’s win seemed almost predetermined. He was on a mission and while everyone made mistakes and scrambled, he seemed to be in cruise control as he handily won the A1 and A2 Mains to secure the 2WD title. Team Associated teammate Spencer Rivkin and Kyosho’s Jared Tebo claimed second and third after all the Mains were in. TLR’s Dakotah Phend qualified second but ended his day in sixth, probably from making mistakes as he tried to chase down Cavalieri in an all-or-nothing push.

**Right: Cavalieri looked smooth and consistent on his way to winning Team Associated’s first major event win for the RC10B5M since its debut. **

**MODIFIED 4WD BUGGY **

4WD Modified buggy is the class with the most speed and is close in prestige to 2WD buggy for the factory drivers and manufacturers. These missiles knifed through the SRS Raceway clay, and with the increase in durability among many of the newer vehicles and lighter overall weight due to drivers opting to set their buggies up with a single shorty LiPo, breakage is now reduced giving drivers more confidence and closer racing. Ryan Cavalieri TQ’d early in qualifying and followed it up in the Mains by putting on an impressive performance. He only showed one sign of being a mere moral in the A1 when he dropped back to fourth before regaining composure and retaking the lead from the front-runners. Behind him, Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin, TLR’s Dakotah Phend and HB/HPI Racing’s Ty Tessmann battled for the remaining podium spots. These three traded places over and over and ran bumper to bumper in tight, lighting-fast racing. Rivkin’s young, aggressive style backfired when he tried a pass in the air on the single jump after the straight. Seeing an opportunity, he launched his buggy toward the corner, but paid the price when he over-jumped and landed on the roof of the buggy he chased, not once, but twice in an exciting attempt to move up. He lost time and was even penalized by ROAR officials before finishing fourth overall. TLR’s Dakotah Phend finished second on the podium and HB/HPI Racing’s and 2014 Champion Ty Tessmann filled the third spot.

**HB/HPI Racing’s Ty Tessmann is always fast and drove his D413 to a respectable third place. **

**MODIFIED 2WD SHORT COURSE **

2WD Modified Short Course may not enjoy the participation it once had, but it still garners respect from the manufacturers and in turn creates tight, competitive racing among the factory drivers who try and win a National title for their sponsors. Cavalieri enjoys the class and with the new RC10SC5M added to his and the rest of the Team Associated drivers’ arsenal, there was plenty of excitement on the track. It seemed like an easy win for Cav’ as he secured the A1 and A2 victories. Spencer Rivkin backed up the performance with second overall. Kyosho’s Jared Tebo found his way to the second position, including a final placing of second behind Cav’ in the A2 Main, but Tebo had to fight to keep his truck from traction rolling and “bicycled” through some of the turns. It made for entertaining racing, but was a bit too much for Tebo and he wound up third overall.

**Cavalieir built his new RC10SC5M within a week of the event and wasted no time adding another National win to Team Associated’s long list of victories. **

**MODIFIED STADIUM TRUCK **

In the stadium truck class, it was another check-out and easy win for Ryan Cavalieri. He shot to the front in the A1 and A2 Mains and was never challenged, and even lapped a lot of the field with effortless style. Ryan sat out the A3 Main with the title sewn up, but the fight wasn’t over for the remaining spots on the podium. TLR’s Dakotah Phend and Kyosho’s Jared Tebo put on a show with close racing and exciting passes. Phend eventually came out on top to earn second overall. The stadium trucks were fun to watch and with many drivers once again taking a look at the class, things are looking good for big-wheel racers.

**CAVALIERI’S WINNING RC10B5M **

All of Cavalieri’s vehicles were immaculately prepared, but his RC10B5M drew extra attention for the fact that it was the first major win for the chassis since its debut. Here’s some of his major set-up details.

**Although fairly stock, Cavalieri’s RC10B5M had a few interesting set-up tweaks. He also has the new Kashima-coated shocks installed. Ryan ran AKA Slick (yes, that is their official name) tires in clay compound with the company’s newest black, closed-cell, molded inserts. He experimented early on with other inserts, but settled on these for the Mains. **

**The bottom is protected by Cav’s signature die-cut vinyl skin. It provides an extra slippery layer of protection. He also used “hard” front and rear arms. The chassis is the standard B5M part instead of the newer milled version used by the “Lite” version. **

**The buggy is equipped with Team Orion power that includes a Team Orion VST2 LW 7.5T motor and R10.1 Pro speed control. The Team Orion Carbon Pro 4500mAh shorty LiPo battery that is taped in, eliminating the need for battery strap and allowing more consistent chassis flex. Also, note the use of the new 3-gear tranny to help increase corner speed. **

**TLR’s Dakotah Phend showed great speed and often had blistering hot laps, but couldn’t find the consistency that he needed to beat Cavalieri. **

**Jared Tebo took third in Stadium Truck—as well as 2WD Buggy and Short-Course Truck. **

**NEW GEAR AT THE NATS **

The ROAR Nationals is a serious event for drivers and manufacturers, and it’s common to see new and innovative technology either being introduced or tested in prototype form. However, these items aren’t always for the general public, so information is often only speculative at best. Here’s a taste of some of the things at the event with as much info as we could get.

**Right: Ryan Cavalieri working on his new RC10SC5M short course truck. **

**ASSOCIATED SC5M DEBUT **

The AE camp were also running the new RC10SC5M with fast laps and great results. They new truck did so well that Ryan Cavalieri (TQ) and fellow teammate Spencer Rivkin went one-two in the modified short course division. Not bad considering both had limited time with the vehicle. In fact, Cavalieri built his truck less than a week before the Nats. Ryan ran AKA Typo tires ground down to slicks to take the Nats win.

**HB/HPI RACING 2WD BUGGY **

HB/HPI Racing brought a strong factory team to the event and the biggest news was the prototype 2WD buggy they were running. Okay you may be thinking that this isn’t exactly earth-shattering since we’ve reported on it numerous times at other events, but it’s clear that the company is poised to bring it to market very soon and elevating the buggy from prototype status to pre-production. Of course “soon” is open for interpretation and when I prodded deeper, I only got a “no official date set yet” from Canadian Ty Tessmann. On the track, the buggy looked good and has some visible features first introduced on the 4WD D413 buggy. It also looks like it has gone beyond the rough prototype stage and has many molded parts that reflect its near complete stage. Ty Tessmann, Drew Moller and Tanner Stees were driving the buggies and made sure my wandering eyes only went so far.

**Ty Tessmann has been running various prototype versions of the HB two-wheel for years, and it’s finally close to production, says HB. Notice the reinforced front shock tower that was first introduced on the 4WD D413 to help increase durability. **

**Drew Moller usually runs his own 2WD creation, but with a HB/HPI Racing 2WD buggy nearing production, he raced a factory HB car at the Nats. **

Kyosho Controversy

The Kyosho boys ran into a little controversy by running 3-gear, mid-motor transmissions in the 2WD stock class. Kyosho does not offer such a transmission, and Stock rules dictate prototype or custom parts to be illegal. A complaint was filed, but ROAR officials were satisfied when Kyosho Team Manager Joe Pillars explained that the “custom” 3-gear transmission was actually the stock rear-motor transmission flipped and equipped with available parts to work inside as a mid-motor conversion—and therefore legal for Stock competition.

**Right: Sharp eyes will notice the motor plate positioned on the opposite side of the buggy, indicating the use of a 3-gear transmission. **

**TEKIN TESTS NEW POWER SYSTEM **

Motors are always a hot topic in stock racing and Tekin had something very interesting in Team Manager Randy Pike’s pit. These are spy shots and no information was given other than there being “regular” and “RPM” versions. However, keen eyes will notice rather open venting in the stock, 17.5T motors.

**The new Tekin Gen3 stock 17.5T stock motors. **

**The Tekin Gen3 17.5T motors have large soldering tabs and a number of other classified features I’m not at liberty to discuss. **

**TEAM ASSOCIATED SPROUTS WINGS **

Ryan Cavalieri, Spencer Rivkin and Kody Numedahl were a few of the drivers running a front shock tower wing, while others including Steven Hartson opted to leave it off. According to Hartson, using a wing in a high-grip situation is often overkill and makes the car more twitchy, but he conceded that his testing was very limited. Spencer Rivkin and Kody Numedahl felt the wing helped settle the front end down and allowed the throttle to be applied more aggressively as the wing kept wheelies in check. Kody is confident that front wings will be used more and more in high-bite situations, and within a year they will be common tuning aid.

**Lexan wing detail on Ryan Cavalieri’s buggy in the pits. **

Looking for a Ride: Carson Wernimont

Less than a month before the Nats, Carson and Team Associated went their separate ways in a rather public spat that left many wondering what was in store for this young, talented driver. Wernimont was running Yokomo 2WD and 4WD buggies at the Nationals, but according to Yokomo’s Robert Ito, Carson was given buggies so he could compete in the race but there was no definitive sponsorship agreement. In the Stadium Truck class, he ran a TLR 22T 2.0 and placed fourth overall. With no contracts in place, you can expect more rumors and speculation until a firm deal with a new sponsor is announced. Keep an eye on rccaraction.com…

**Cavalieri relaxed and watched from the sidelines after winning the A1 and A2 Mains of all four Mod classes. **

**Ryan Cavalieri not only won four National titles, but TQ’d each class on his way to the Mains. **

**CLOSING TEXT **

So another ROAR Nationals is in the books, and although Ryan Cavalieri absolutely dominated the event, it was still impressive to see the speed and level of skill displayed by all. The attendance was a little light compared to past ROAR Nationals, but it still had the close, competitive racing that is associated with a race of this level. With the IFMAR Worlds only a few months away, can Cav capitalize on his momentum to win in Japan as well? After seeing his performance, his chances are looking pretty good. RC Car Action will be there!

EVENT SPONSORS : Viper, B-Fast, Team Associated, TLR, X-Factory, MIP, Schuur Speed, Savox, Pro-Line, Racers Edge, Futaba, Traxxas, RC Car Action, Xpert, HobbyWing, Reedy, Hobbico, Venom, Kyosho.

FINAL RESULTS