Top Qualifier Coelho puts in fastest run in Q5

Having sewn up the overall TQ at the World Championships yesterday in the fourth round of qualifying, Bruno Coehlo would lay down the gauntlet in the final qualifier this morning in Japan posting the fastest time of the event to claim his 4th TQ of the five rounds.  With the 1:10 Offroad World Championship’s Rookie already decalred Top Qualifier, Q5 was all about determining the starting order behind the Xray driver.  The driver most expected to challenge Coelho for the win, Naoto Matsukura went into the concluding qualifier needing a second or better to put his Kyosho second on the grid but it wasn’t to be.  A number of mistakes would leave him only 12th for the round, meaning Michal Orlowski would hold onto his overnight second overall with him ending his qualifying with a P2 run.  Having sat 12th at the end of yesterday, Jared Tebo would complete the Top 3 in Q5, his best qualifying run securing the former champion a spot in the final. Starting 7th, the Kyosho driver is the best American starter with Ryan Maifield the only other US driver to make the A-Main in 9th.  Having been the best represented manufacturer in the 2WD A-Main, a noticeable absence from the grid will be defending 4WD champions Team Associated, their biggest hope Ryan Cavalieri having a bad final qualifier.

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