Cavalieri and Team Associated Showcase at CRCRC

Sunday, Jan 13, 2008 at 12:00am UTC

The Winter Midwest Championship, hosted by Columbus R/C Racing Club (CRCRC) has long been one of the largest events of the year for both electric and gas offroad racing. While racers are usually greeted with frigid temperatures and snow flurries, this year's event saw crisp January air with temperatures in the low teens at times.

The event is split into two separate weekends. First is the electric race that had over 300 entries in classes ranging from 2WD Stock to Outlaw Truck. Defending electric champion, Team Associated's Ryan Cavalieri, again attended the event along with current 4WD World Champion Jared Tebo. There were many new faces in the crowd and brushless equipment was extremely popular in all the classes.

In the electric classes it was Associated vehicles hording the TQ positions in Modified. Associated's own Ryan Cavalieri took the first grid position in both Truck and 4WD Modified, while Jesse Robbers piloted a B4 to the TQ position in 2WD Modified.

In the main events, Cavalieri showed everyone how to "Do Work". Winning 6 main events straight, Cavalieri captured the titles in 2WD, 4WD, and Truck Modified in the first two of the triple A-main events. This left the others to battle out for the remaining podium positions. This was the second year in a row Cavalieri took home the titles in all three modified classes.

In addition to the standard mix of classes, a LiPo Brushless Truck class competed. Competitors qualified for a 20-minute single main event with Associated's Chad Due taking the top qualifying honors. Additionally competing were Ronnie Gardner and Joe Pillars utilizing Associated T4s. Due and Gardner had a knock-down, drag-out battle for the entire main event with Gardner eventually coming out on top, with Due in second and Pillars in third.

As the lights dimmed on the Electric event, the smell of nitro began to fill the air and racers were already talking about the next week's event. Practice began on Tuesday and concluded on Thursday. As qualifying began on Friday, Associated drivers Ryan Maifield, Jason Ashton, Brent Thielke, Chad Due, and Rob Schaffer staked their claim on the A Main event. Maifield took the TQ position in the second round of qualifying. This, combined with a second place finish in round one, secured him the second place position on the grid for the start of the 45-minute main event. With five RC8s in the main event, Associated vehicles out-numbered any other vehicle in the A Main.

As the laps wore on, Maifield worked his way to first place with Ashton's RC8 in third and Due's RC8 in fourth. An unfortunate parts failure slowed Maifield with only 3 minutes remaining in the 45-minute main. Ryan kept his composure and nursed the car around for a second place overall finish.

With over 600 entries and almost non-stop racing, the Winter Midwest Championship is the premier event for racing during the winter in the Midwest. Thanks to the CRCRC crew and all the racers who attended the two events, making this the largest Winter Midwest Championship.


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