2001 Roar 1/10 electric off-road mod nationals

Radio Control Car Action, Dec 2001 by Buono, Derek

Losi and Trinity Francis and Kinwald -unbeatable

Every pro driver dreams of winning a national championship. This year's race was every bit as intense as previous national competitions; every driver had it in mind that the Worlds were just around the corner. The Florida weather tried like mad to spoil the event, but to the hardest-working track crew In the States, three inches of rain an hour was nothing. The intensity of the rain matched that of the race, as the nation's best drivers gathered at the Minnreg Club in St. Petersburg, FL, for the chance to win big.

QUALIFYING

Qualifying was tough. Not only was it a race against the clock, but it was also a race against the rain. If a full round of qualifying wasn't completed, it would have to be scratched. This happened during the last heat of qualifying. Lightning was dangerously close by, so the last round had to be bumped. Weather aside, Kinwald was on fire! He was at the top of the top-10 list in every class. Matt Francis put his Trinitypowered Losi on BK's heels in every class, and Brian Dunbar did the same with his Fantom-powered Losi. With qualifying so close, the Mains were sure to be exciting.

* Mod truck, Al. Kinwald maintained his lead with the first A-main holeshot of the Nats. Francis, Dunbar and Pavidis followed Kinwald across the timing loop for the first lap, separated only by tenths of a second. Matt and Brian tangled and allowed Pavidis to take the lead. Kinwald lost some mojo after the tangle and quickly fell behind by several positions. Billy Easton and Jason Ruona followed Francis and Pavidis. With less than a minute to go, the battle heated up as Pavidis was looking for the first win. A tangle in the last turn allowed Francis to take the win in dramatic fashion. Pavidis had to settle for second; Easton took third.

* 4WD Mod buggy, Al. These are the fastest cars on the track. Kinwald, Francis and Dunbar left the starting grid and crossed the grid in the same order. Kinwald held off Francis for as long as he could. Francis had to worry about Dunbar making his move. Francis was able to take advantage of a rare mistake by Kinwald and opened a slight lead over the pack. There were no lead changes during the final 2 minutes of the race, as Francis took the first leg with a 12/5:17.13. Kinwald and Dunbar rounded out the top three positions.

* 2WD Mod, A1. Kinwald must have been angry that he didn't win the first two races, as he left the line and never looked back. Francis kept the pressure on, but the two cruised to a 1-2 victory, Kinwald finishing with an 11/5:08.28 victory. Lloyd Dassonville was the beneficiary of an early pileup and snuck into third.

* Mod truck, A2. Kinwald got the holeshot again, but it wasn't long before Francis made a move and got by Kinwald. Easton and Kinwald bumped, and Easton got by Kinwald. Dunbar, in fourth, capitalized and eventually passed Kinwald. Francis didn't think twice about looking back as he cruised toward a national championship in two heats. Easton and Dunbar rounded out the top three spots, while Kinwald pulled his truck off the track early.

* 4WD Mod buggy, A2. Francis was looking for his second national title, as a win would again give him the victory. Two things were in his way: Kinwald and Dunbar! Kinwald led the pack around the field from the start of the race with Matt and Dunbar challenging him. Francis and Kinwald collided several times. As a gesture of clean driving, Francis would allow Kinwald to regain the lead. With less than a minute remaining, Francis put the pressure on Kinwald and made a move on the inside to take the lead with 30 seconds to go. Kinwald took the lead back on the last lap, but on the last turn entering the straightaway, Francis just clamped the trigger and crossed the line 0.06 second before Kinwald for the most exciting finish of the race. Matt Francis claimed his second National title with a 12/5:12.09. Kinwald, Dunbar and Robbers rounded out the top positions in the second Main.

* 2WD Mod, A2. Kinwald left the pack behind off the line with Francis; Dunbar and Pavidis were right behind. Francis caught a pipe early, and Dunbar flipped on his lid and dropped back through the field. Francis maintained second, and Pavidis claimed third. When Kinwald made a mistake, Francis took over the top position with 4 minutes to go. Only a few laps later, Francis caught a pipe of his own and allowed Kinwald to go by. Francis was able to keep the second position, but Pavidis made up some ground. Kinwald held on to the top spot for the National Championship with an 11/5:06.01. Francis and Pavidis followed Kinwald across the line in second and third places.

* Truck Mod, A3. The title was already in the bag for Francis, so he earned an observer's spot on the sidelines. The battle was for the second position, and Kinwald looked as if he would be the man in the third and final round. From the starting tone, Kinwald led the race. His only challenger was Brian Dunbar. Ryan Cavalieri swapped positions with Pavidis before Pavidis fell back, and Ryan ended up third. Kinwald took the win and wrapped up second overall with a 12/5:25.95.