Trio of ROAR 1:8 titles for Phend

Xray’s Dakotah Phend has pulled of a trio of ROAR National Championship titles ending a successful week of racing at the 2026 World Championship host track Thornhill Racing Circuit by taking the 1:8 Nitro Buggy title.  Having won Nitro Truggy and eBuggy earlier in the week in Texas, getting to the big one Phend would secure the TQ ahead of Tekno pairing Seth VanDalen and Ryan Maifield, the defending 2024 double 1:8 offroad Champion.  In the 1-hour final, the first 30-minutes saw Phend lead comfortably but then a flameout during a fuel stop promoted Maifield into the lead.  On Phend’s return to the track, he chased down Maifield but mistakes prevented a pass, that was until the final 3-minutes.  Maifield got the triple wrong and ended up on his roof allowing Phend back into a lead he would not relinquish.  With Phend re-taking the title he last held in 2023, outgoing Champion Maifield took second 1.5-seconds back with the podium completed by VanDalen.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]