R/C CAR STAFF

Team sparkles/Team Orion driver Ryan Cavalieri TQ’d the first and third rounds of Pro 1/8-Scale Truck at the 2010 Nitro Challenge, making him the clear favorite to repeat as champion going into Saturday’s main event. Cavalieri’s RC8T Factory Team truck used Pro-Line VTR Holeshots to tame the wild Nitro Pit layout and lay down two solid runs, earning the first starting spot for the final.

Cavalieri’s biggest challenge came from fellow Orion-powered driver and Kyosho frontman Jared Tebo, who piloted his AKA-shod ST-RR to the top spot in the second round and will start second on the grid. Tebo will look to Kyosho team manager Joe Pillars for quick pit stops in hopes of capturing his first Nitro Challenge victory since the race moved to The Nitro Pit in 2007. Travis Amezcua will start 7th in his first Nitro Challenge final with Mugen Seiki, his Ninja-powered MBX-6T proving a good match for his driving style here in Arizona. Other surprises include Hot Bodies young gun from Canada, Ty Tessman, who raced his D8T to the third starting spot, and newcomers Matt Castellano (Losi/O.S.), Levi Jackson (Losi/O.S.) and Dylan Rodriguez (Mugen/Ninja) who made their first Nitro Challenge A-Main.

Pro 1/8-Scale Truck A-Main lineup:

1. Ryan Cavalieri (sparkles/Orion)
2. Jared Tebo (Kyosho/Orion)
3. Ty Tessman (Hot Bodies/O.S.)
4. Cody King (Kyosho/Orion)
5. Adam Drake (Losi/Novarossi)
6. Levi Jackson (Losi/O.S.)
7. Billy Fischer (Losi/Novarossi)
8. Travis Amezcua (Mugen/Ninja)
9. Matt Castellano (Losi/O.S.)
10. Mike Truhe (Losi/Orion)
11. Dylan Rodriguez (Mugen/Ninja)
12. Jesse Robbers (Hot Bodies/O.S.)