posted Apr 27th, 2014 - Earlier updates by the Sun Path Products NSL News after major events have usually included evaluations of the best US teams on the top of the leaderboard, where Arizona Airspeed has been holding the number one position since 2007.

There have been several attempts of other US teams to de-throne the Arizona Airspeed world champions of 2008 and 2012, which have all failed ever since. Team Fastrax discontinued their Airspeed challenge after the USPA Nationals 2007. The Golden Knights dropped their 4way pursuit and focused on 8way in 2009. Perris Fury was done after the USPA Nationals 2011, and Paraclete XP4 slowed down with serious efforts to catch Airspeed, as well.

It was at about the time when the previous challengers more or less withdrew from the pursuit when SDC Rhythm XP began to build and grow their team project. It was also the time when Carolina Turbo XP was ready to set their goals on aiming at the top of the US leaderbaord.

USPA Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4way Open/AAA Class	G,9,C,P	F,5,15	1,E,8	4,M,7	H,N,B,O,3	14,20,L	Q,K,12,17	11,16,19	10,A,18	2,22,D	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	38	28	22	26	33	23	25	20	19	21	255	25.5
2	Paraclete XP4	28	21	19	23	27	20	17	18	15	17	205	20.5
4	Carolina Turbo XP	26	19	19	22	24	18	19	17	16	17	197	19.7

The Sun Path Products NSL News has covered SDC Rhythm XP's progression in the pursuit of 4way excellence and Arizona Airspeed's top position with several stories and evaluations over the years. Carolina Turbo XP's team career has been the topic of many stories, as well.

However, the challenge of Arizona Airspeed's top position was only related to SDC Rhythm XP in the past two or three years, and it seems to be time to include Carolina Turbo XP in any discussions of the 4way future in the USA on the very top level.

The chart of the outdoor scoring progression and relationship between those three teams since 2011 show clearly that Turbo is on the right path, and the indoor numbers make it even more obvious that Airspeed and Rhythm have to get used to having company on the top of the leaderboard, as Turbo is moving closer year by year.

Paraclete XP Outdoor 2014		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	18,2,O	D,19,22	G,C,P,10	9,A,L,H	K,16,B,Q	7,4,21	11,15,F	M,3,E,8	6,1,17	20,12,J	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed (US)	20	20	28	46	33	24	23	20	19	21	254	25.4
4	SDC Rhythm XP (US)	21	18	24	34	28	20	20	22	16	17	220	22.0
5	Carolina Turbo XP (US)	18	15	20	30	27	18	19	20	18	16	201	20.1

Carolina Turbo XP has never failed yet to increase the team's scoring average from one competition to the next one, no matter what the competition draw was like.

Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP had to accept lower meet averages when they started with new lineups in 2013, while Turbo had an opportunity to catch up a lot with the same lineup last year. Airspeed and Rhythm then came back with the same lineups in 2014, and their meet averages still fell victims to the slow competition draw at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014.

On the Turbo side, the team launched the 2014 season with a new member, Nick Grillet, in the tail slot. It did not hurt the performance and scoring level, and Turbo once again decreased the distance to the other two US top teams, at the indoor and at the outdoor meet. The USPA Nationals 2014 will be the next time that all three teams meet each other, and it will be the time for the next evaluation of the US situation...