Off Road Racing Series

Firebird International Raceway Phoenix

2011-03-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

After an off season that went by in the blink of an eye for some and at a snail’s pace for others, it’s that time again: time for Lucas Oil Off Road! The 2011 season is upon us, and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is back at Firebird International Raceway in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, AZ, ready to kick off the season with more high-flying, ground-pounding, mud-slinging fury than ever before. Champions have returned in some classes and moved to new ranks in others , and all the classes are loaded with talent of both the older, more experienced and the younger, ready-to-impress varieties. Every driver must be chomping at the bit to grab the first win of the year, but first up is the all-important man vs. clock test of qualifying. As the drivers hit the track to see how they truly stacked up against one another for the first time this year, here’s how the day’s events unfolded.

Pro 2 Unlimited
Kicking the season off in grand style was a tremendous field of Pro 2 Unlimiteds. So large was the field of drivers that qualifying was actually split into two groups, and first to lay down a timesheet-topping lap in 2011 was Brian Deegan in the #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford. Deegan’s opening lap was a 45.540, which was quickly topped by Rob Naughton, who turned a 45.205 on lap two in his #54 Stronghold Motorsports/ReadyLift Ford. On lap three, Bryce Menzies took his turn at the top, taking the lead for his new Red Bull/Traxxas Team with a 44.681 in his #7 Ford. Menzies’ time held up for two laps, but it was ultimately Rob MacCachren who picked right up where he left off last season as he took the top time of the session on lap five. MacCachren’s lap of 43.876 in the #1 Rockstar/MasterCraft Safety Ford netted him the pole, with second going to Carl Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford, whose best lap was a 44.087. Menzies improved to a 44.266 to grab third, and Deegan improved as well, slotting in fourth with a 44.463. Rounding out the top five was Greg Adler in the #10 4 Wheel Parts/Magnaflow Ford; his best lap was a 44.616.

Pro 4 Unlimited
Next on track was a hugely impressive field of Pro 4 Unlimiteds. 15 of these beasts hit the track for today’s qualifying, with short course legend Johnny Greaves jumping out to the early lead in his #16 Monster Energy/Maxxis Toyota. Greaves turned a 43.078 on lap one, but his time was quickly surpassed by “The Wildman,” Adrian Cenni, whose #11 Atrium Payroll/King Shocks Chevrolet did a 42.935 on lap two. Cenni’s time at the top was then interrupted by reigning champion Rick Huseman and his #36 Monster Energy/E3 Spark Plugs Toyota, who ran a 42.469 on lap three. Huseman’s time held for three laps, until Cenni clawed his way past to re-take the lead by just one hundredth of a second with a lap of 42.459 on lap six. Huseman was too quick, however, and re-gained top honors with a 41.920 on the final lap to take the pole. Greaves also had a fine last lap, turning in a 42.072 to make it a one-two for Toyota, while Cenni’s earlier lap was good enough to get him third place. Ricky Johnson and Carl Renezeder had an equal best lap of 42.565, but it was Johnson who had the better second best lap (42.589 vs. 42.965). Johnson wound up fourth in his #48 Red Bull/KMC Wheels Ford, with Renezeder taking fifth in the #17 Lucas Oil/RC10.com Ford.

Pro Lite Unlimited
At season’s end 2010, Brian Deegan intimated that the Challenge Cup race would be his last as a Pro Lite Unlimited driver, but as the series returned to Firebird, it was Deegan who was back in his familiar #38 Lucas Oil/Metal Mulisha Ford, and as he did in the latter part of 2010, he was again dominating the field. Deegan took to the top of the time sheets from lap one and never relinquished the lead, reeling off laps of 46.805, 46.194, 46.075, and a pole-setting 45.938. Deegan’s times were not only impressive in that his personal best laps were re-setting the overall top time, but also because all four of those laps were quicker than the best of any other driver in the class! Kyle LeDuc made a return to the Pro Lite Unlimited ranks and came home second with a best lap of 46.809 in his #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford. Third went to Corey Sisler in his #19 BFGoodrich Tires Ford; Sisler’s best lap was a 47.398. In fourth it was class rookie Ryan Beat in the #51 Black Rhino/Fiberwerx Ford, who turned a personal best of 47.603. Rounding out the top five was Matt Loiodice, whose best lap was a 47.638 in the #20 Impact!/Competitive Metals Ford.

Super Lite
Super Lite was the next class out on track, and it was Patrick Clark who headed the charge for pole position in the early going. Clark grabbed the lead early with a 50.120 on lap one in his #25 BFGoodrich Tires/Method Race Wheels truck, and backed that up with a 49.639 on lap two. On lap three, however, the lead changed hands as RJ Anderson moved up to first in his #37 So Cal Super Trucks/Walker Evans Racing machine with a 48.763. Anderson then improved to 48.597 on lap six, and this time was good enough to seal up the pole position for him. Clark improved to a 48.985 on lap three, before his qualifying session was cut short by a rollover; however, his time was still good enough for second place. Third went to Brent Fouch in the #21 Forgiven Energy/BionicCigs.com entry, whose best lap was a 49.315. In fourth it was CJ Greaves and the #33 Torchmate/Maxxis machine, followed by the #16 General Tire/Speed Technologies truck of Dawson Kirchner in fifth. Greaves and Kirchner had best laps of 49.512 and 49.784, respectively.

Pro Buggy Unlimited
With the big truck classes having had their shot at the Firebird track already, it was now time for open-wheeled action with the Pro Buggy Unlimiteds. Justin Davis was fast out of the gates in his #85 Green Army/TCS Racer, setting the opening lap top time at 45.410. Davis’ time was good, but Rich Ronco went just a bit better on lap four, as a 45.329 moved his #99 Tatum Motorsports entry up to first position, where he stayed for the rest of the session. Ronco got the pole, ahead of Davis, who improved to 45.339 to take second, just one hundredth off the pole. Close behind in third was Challenge Cup winner Doug Fortin, whose best lap was a 45.457 in his #96 Fortin Racing, Inc./Fox Racing Shox Racer. Mike Porter took fourth in the #8 Redline Performance/Speed Energy AlumiCraft after setting his best lap at 45.651, and rounding out the top five was Jerry Whelchel, who turned a 45.701 in his #5 BFGoodrich Tires/ProAm Foddrill.

Please note that the numbering system has changed in this class for 2011. The drivers will no longer use a three digit number from 900-999, and instead will now be using numbers from 1-99.

Limited Buggy
Several young drivers have made their way into the Limited Buggy division following early stints in the kart ranks of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, and today saw two more of these young guns taking to the open wheel single seaters for the first time in Lucas Oil Off Road competition. One of these young drivers, Bradley Morris, proved that his skills had indeed carried over, as he grabbed the early lead with a 48.987 in his #304 Lucas Oil/BME Motorsports buggy. Morris’ time held up for three laps, but he was eventually overtaken by Curt Geer and his #385 Green Army/BDI Bowden Development Inc. Lothringer, who ran a 48.402 on lap four. Geer improved the top time again on the last lap, and took the pole with a 48.225. In second it was Bruce Fraley, who ran a 48.749 in his #312 Fox Racing Shox/KarTek Fraley, with third going to Morris, who improved to a personal best of 48.859. Fourth place went to Dave Mason in the #365 BFGoodrich Tires/King Shocks AlumiCraft, and fifth was Quentin Tucker in the #377 General Tire/McKenzies entry; Mason’s and Tucker’s best laps were 48.887 and 49.378, respectively.

UTV
The final qualifying session of the day was that of the UTVs. As was the case in 2010, both the Unlimited UTV and SR1 classes took to the track at the same time, with the only difference being the addition of a new motor and chassis package to the SR1 class. In 2010, only the 1000cc engine from the Yamaha R1 street bike could be paired with a Yamaha Rhino chassis to make an SR1, but in 2011, competitors may also choose to pair a 1000cc Kawasaki ZX-10 engine with a Kawasaki Teryx chassis and compete in SR1. SR1s will continue to run numbers 800-899, and Unlimited UTVs will still be numbers 600-699.
Doug Mittag grabbed the lead on lap one in his #848 Custom Off Road Design/K&N Filters Yamaha, setting an opening lap time of 49.263. Mittag improved his time to a 48.803 on lap two, before losing out on his top spot to Chad George, who turned a 48.751 in his #601 Monster Energy/King Shocks Kawasaki on lap three. On lap five, local Chandler driver Corry Weller moved her #810 Tilted Kilt/Lucas Oil Yamaha to the front with a 48.210, and topped that with a 47.923 on the final lap to take the pole. George also improved on the last lap, and came home second with a 48.493. Mittag’s last lap was his best, too, and he took third with a 48.775, while fourth went to Tyler Winbury and his #694 Deviate Films/Funco Kawasaki, with a lap of 49.169. The last spot in the top five went to Josh Stechnij, who ran a 49.538 in his #800 Lonestar Racing/iTi Performance Motorsports Yamaha.

Content Credits: Lucasoil Offroad

Renezeder welcomes the new Race Season

2011-03-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series season, seven-time national champion Carl Renezeder is excited about a new beginning. He and his crew spent a lot of time at the track during the off-season finding ways to shave seconds off their lap times. They’re hopeful that all the research and development will pay off, and they’re confident that new crew chief, Bill Smith of ProFab Motorsport, will lead the way.
“This has been one of the best off-seasons we’ve had in a long time,” commented Renezeder. “I feel like we’ve really done our research and found some things that will make us quicker on the track. And I’m thrilled that Bill Smith is back here at Team Renezeder, returning as crew chief, with his sharp engineering mind and experience.

I won my first championship with him in 2003, and I’m looking forward to winning more with him in the years to come.”
The team didn’t go through quite as many changes as the trucks did during the off-season. Brett Repella returns as Lead Mechanic on Renezeder’s Pro-4, while Brandon Chavez begins his sophomore season as the Pro-2 Lead Mechanic. Bob Mercer continues as Lead Mechanic on the second Pro-4, which will be driven this year by Kent Brascho, and Mike Karaba is the team’s machinist. New to the team in 2011 are mechanic, Jeremy Hubbell, and administrative assistant Francine Peralta. For help on the race weekends, Jason Witt, Doug Hyde and Jim Hogle have returned to the team.

“It feels like life has come full circle for me,” explained Smith. “I’m excited to be back on the team, and in just the few days I’ve been able to spend with the crew so far, I’ve felt very welcomed. I look forward to the upcoming season and plan to be here for a very long time. It feels like home.”
The season begins tomorrow, March 18, with practice at 10:30 a.m. and qualifying at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, the season’s first race will follow 2:00 p.m. opening ceremonies and will continue with round two on Sunday at the same time. Preparation is done, and now it’s time to find out if all that work is going to pay off.

Content credits: Team Renezeder, photos via Team Renezeder courtesy of Jeff Nemecek. Image hosting via Puro Off-Road

Jeremy McGrath Signs to race for Stronghold Motorsports

2010-09-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

One of motorcycle racing greatest stars has signed-on with the Stronghold Motorsports team to race in the last six events of the 16-race Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series (LOORRS) 2010 season. Jeremy McGrath, the legendary Supercross Champion will race both Pro 4 and Pro 2 trucks with an eye toward getting ready for the full 2011 season and a run for the championship with Stronghold.
“I really can’t tell you how pleased we are to have Jeremy come on board with Stronghold Motorsports, said managing partner Scott Bailey. “His addition to our team brings not only the prestige of his name and an incomparable racing record on two wheels, but the kind of driving talent behind the wheel that’s going to put us in contention for the win every time the green flag drops."

McGrath is not only a 7 time Super X Champion but the all time leading winner with 72 main event wins. His “flair in the air” when he was racing was considered the public’s first look at what has gone on to be called “freestyle” or “X”-style riding.
Two weeks ago McGrath was paid one of the highest honors in Motorsport: induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. McGrath was part of an all-star group of inductees which included motoring greats Joie Chitwood, Alan Kulwiki, Rich Vogler, Jerry Titus, and Dale Armstrong. Veteran announcer Ken Squire was also honored for his lifelong work behind the microphone. McGrath thus joined a legendary list of two-wheel racing champions which includes Jeff Ward, Bob Hannah, Jay Springsteen, Roger DeCoster, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Gary Nixon.
“The fact that Stronghold Motorsports is based in southern California, so near my home, makes this opportunity even more appealing to me,” said Jeremy McGrath. “They have all the components that can add up to a winning season: technical expertise, great backing from solid sponsors, and an attitude that makes winning part of the plan every time they go on the track. I’m as enthusiastic about this team effort as I ever have been about any that I’ve been a part of. This is family and top-notch professionalism all in one great package.”

The Stronghold Motorsports Team is a new entity with deep roots in racing. Only around since 2008, founder and team manager Scott Bailey’s passion for the sport was kindled in the 70’s and 80’s as a young boy watching Walker Evans attacking “Thompson’s Ridge” up through the ice plant along the Riverside Raceway esses. “He'd hit it with his Class 8 truck and seemed to fly over the rough, reverse slope, just hanging in the air over the race course. I knew right them that I wanted to do that, to race off road. I give credit to friends Troy Herbst, Mike Grabowski and Roy Dehban for opening many doors for us. Without their help we would not have had this opportunity.

McGrath will drive the team’s Chevrolet Pro 4 Truck at the upcoming LOORRS dual event at Speedworld Motorsports Park in Surprise, Arizona (September 25-26) and then will switch over to a new Pro 2 machine for the final four races in Las Vegas and at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix. “Those last two stops will be to shake our new Pro 2 Truck down and get it (and Jeremy) ready for a serious run at the Championship next year,” said Bailey.

“We love the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, the racing, the camaraderie, the recognition, and the wonderful fans who come out in the thousands to watch in person as well as the millions who see us on Speed and CBS. Working with the Lucas Oil people has been a great experience too, we’d use their products in our race vehicles even if they weren't the series sponsors,” Bailey concluded. “2010 was our ‘coming out’ year and, so far we’ve done pretty good, there’s still six races to go … and I wish the first one was tomorrow!”

The Stronghold team has already had quite an impact on the series, “We really are trying to be realistic with our first full year in the LOORRS Series, this is a highly professional group of mechanics, drivers, and support personnel that we’ve assembled. We work well together,” Bailey remarked. “We all really like and support each other right down the line. Our sponsors have seen that and I think that they like what they see.”

The full Stronghold Motorsports team for 2011 will consist of Bailey, his partner (and wife) Beverly Bailey, partner/driver Chuck Gossage, McGrath, and team drivers Rob Naughton, Marty Hart, Chuck Cheek and Brandon Bailey. They’ve had a very good “learning year” in 2010 and all expect a winning one in 2011.

“We’re excited with the prospect of Jeremy being a full-time competitor in our new off road short course series,” said Lucas Oil’s Executive VP Bob Patison. “He’s a great champion, a real favorite of the kind of family fans that we draw to our events, and he still wants very much to win races. You can’t ask for much better than that!”

You may find more info at Stronghold Motorsports

Crandon Sept. 2010 - Weather Cold – Racing Hot

2010-09-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

PRO4x4, the highlight race of the day brought out the big guns of TORC racing. After the last turn of the first lap the field settled into Steve Barlow 83, Johnny Greaves 22, Scott Douglas 7, Mark Jenkins 25, Mike Jenkins 47, Rick Huseman 36, Adrian Cenni 11, Kyle LeDuc 99, Kurt LeDuc 43, Ken Kincaid 44.
Then soon after the 2nd lap on it was Monster vs Red Bull with Greaves ahead of Barlow, Douglas then Huseman. Kyle dropped out of sight. For the remainder of the race Johnny never gave up the lead and in fact widened the gap from the rest of the field.
Cenni raced his first TORC race this season and worked his way from 5th place slowly all the way to a 3rd place podium finish. The big show was between Douglas and Huseman as they bumped into each other battling for second place. Eventually Barlow rolled in the last turn of the track leaving him helpless on his roof while moments later Douglas caught on fire and pulled off the track. Rescue workers attended to him quickly and put the fire out with no harm done to the driver.

Mark Jenkins rolled his truck also in the last turn over the outside wall.
Pro4x4 was by far the most exciting pro race of the day. Let’s see what Sunday will have to offer. Huseman set the fastest lap of the day 1:19.865 however wasn’t able to beat his old track record.

Currie Takes the TORC Series Win

2010-09-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

Casey Currie led every lap except the last one, but still came away with his third Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL PRO Light win of the season. In the final turn of the final lap, Andrew Caddell, currently battling Currie for the class championship, made contact with Currie less than 100 feet from the AMSOIL finish line. Currie rolled his Monster-sponsored Ford while Caddell passed him, but was able to regroup quickly enough to cross the line second ahead of third-place Ross Hoek.

Ricky Johnson (PRO 2WD) and Johnny Greaves (PRO 4WD) also ended their Saturdays on top of the Winner’s Circle podium.
“(Caddell and I) had some great side-by-side battles and in the last turn, I went to the inside because I thought he was going to try to bonsai me on the inside, because I had been running on the outside every turn,” Currie said after the race. “He wants to win as bad as I do. It’s all good between us, but you know, it’s racing. We’ve got a championship we hopefully wrap up tomorrow and game on!”

After talking to both drivers, TORC Series officials determined Caddell was overly aggressive and awarded the win to Currie, extending the California native’s points lead. “He’d been running the high side the whole time…I came in there and I knew it was really slick down there because I tried it before,” Caddell said. “He got a little sideways. We’re both going for a championship, you know. I hit him in the right rear tire and he went over.“Like (Currie) said, it’s hard racing and it is what it is.”

Marty Hart’s season continued to spiral downward Saturday as mechanical issues struck yet again, relegating him to a finish of 13th. After a run of five straight wins, Hart’s lead began to falter with a seventh-place finish at Bark River. His bad luck continued at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., with finishes of 10th and 12th, respectively.

After dominating PRO Lights for years, Jeff Kincaid made his mark in PRO 2 in June at the “Big House,” winning the Crandon Cup to kick off the season. It appeared he would repeat his domination at Crandon with a strong run Saturday after starting fifth, taking the holeshot, and leading most of the laps. Unfortunately for the Traxxas-sponsored Kincaid, mechanical issues forced him off the track late in the race, setting up a duel between the top two in points, Ricky Johnson and Rob MacCachren.

MacCachren inherited the lead when Kincaid went out, but it didn’t last long as the two were side-by-side off the Traxxas Launch Zone going into the final turn before the white flag at the line. In a remarkable display of skill, he made a clean crossover pass of Rob Mac taking the lead at the stripe. Johnson would hold that lead until the checkers with MacCachren finishing second and Jeremy McGrath wrapping up another podium finish.

“It’s funny,” Johnson said atop the podium. “Right before the race, I looked over at Rob and said, ‘What the hell have we been doing all year, fighting back and forth and now it comes down to this, our Super Bowl moment.’ To race with somebody like him and Jeff Kincaid and also Jeremy, he was right on my tail the whole time…it’s just awesome. It’s what we live for.”

Johnson dedicated his win to Jake Mullins, a local young man who passed away earlier this year and has been memorialized by Johnson with a decal on his truck.

NASCAR star and off road veteran Robby Gordon decided to forego a weekend of Sprint Cup Series racing in Atlanta for a chance to win the AMSOIL Cup on Sunday. Due to weather conditions cancelling practice and qualifying both Friday and Saturday morning, forced the versatile racer to the back of the pack. He was able to finish the day in sixth and is preparing for Sunday’s races.

PRO 4 started slow and clean with Steve Barlow taking the holeshot at the opening green, but Greaves quickly reeled him in for the lead. It was Greaves, Barlow, and Scott Douglas 1-2-3 going to the mandatory caution.

The excitement kicked off on the restart as the trucks were bunched up tight, leading to a close five-truck pack of Greaves, Barlow, Douglas, Huseman, and eventual third-place finisher Adrian Cenni. Barlow quickly fell back to fourth with Huseman and Douglas fighting for second.

The carnage began when Mark Jenkins rolled hard in the last turn, going over the retaining wall. Coming to the white flag lap, Barlow rolled in almost the exact same place while Douglas, just after taking the white flag, pulled his truck off the track and bailed quickly as his AMSOIL machine caught fire. Greaves was able to hold on for the win.

“My spotters were able to keep me informed to what was going on (behind me),” Greaves said during his post-race interview. “I was able to get a really good jump off the start and just held on to it.

“I can go to bed tonight with a little bit of a cushion against (Huseman) because I know he can sneak up and bite me anytime. Hopefully, me and Rick take this to the end.”

Taking home awards for fast laps were Caddell with the Traxxas Maxx Cash Award with a lap of 1:25.527 and earning Oakley Bomb Awards were Johnson with a fast time of 1:21.450 and Huseman with his lap of 1:19.865.

Saturday’s Sportsman winners were: Matt Gerald (1600 Light Buggy), Mitch Dorr (Super Stock), Mark Steinhardt (1600 Buggy), Ben Wandahsega (Limited 2), CJ Greaves (Super Buggy), Randy Pennings (Classix), Milan Mazanec (Formula 4x4), and Chris Bowser (Enduro).

Robby Gordon to Race TORC Series PRO 2 in Season Finale

2010-09-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

For the second time in two events, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star is going to race in the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL. Last week it was Kyle Busch making his off-road debut; this weekend, it’s proven short course driver Robby Gordon returning to the “Big House” to race in the PRO 2WD class.

Gordon, a three-time winner in NASCAR’s top series and a Cup Series team owner, raced in the World Championship race last year. After starting on the pole, he led several laps and was poised for the win, but a late-race incident took him out of contention. He finished with style, however, after getting hit near the AMSOIL Finish Line, crossing the stripe in reverse.

“I am looking forward to competing this weekend for the second year in a row at Crandon,” said Gordon, who nearly won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race this past weekend in Montreal. “In 2009, we qualified on the pole and finished sixth bouncing back and forth between Atlanta and Crandon.

“In 2010, I am excited to bring the Speed Factory and Polaris PRO 2 to compete for the entire race weekend activities. Crandon is place that I love to come to race as the track is wide and fast and provides plenty of opportunity for exciting racing.”

Credits: TORC Series - Read more here...

TORC Series PRO Lights Points Leader Casey Currie

2010-09-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL PRO Lights points leader Casey Currie recently sat down with TORCSeries.com to discuss his thoughts on the season, attending this year’s X-Games, and some new projects he’s working on.

TORCSeries.com: How’s the 2010 TORC Series season been for you so far?

Casey Currie: The 2010 season has been a learning experience for sure. We started out the year with a brand-new truck and then the brand-new V8 class…there’s been a lot of learning involved. Besides having a new motor package and having the new truck, that’s a learning curve by itself. We’ve made a lot of new changes with the new truck and it’s working now, but it’s definitely something we had to put our minds to and get dialed in.

The V8 package has been something new and great that’s come into the sport and I think that everyone’s that’s done it has a learning curve.
I think now that the season’s winding down, our truck’s getting faster and I think we’re going to be more of a front runner. We’ve been a front runner, but more towards the front. It’s all good.

We’ve had a solid season. We’ve been on the podium for every race except for one and we’ve definitely learned a lot and we’re ready to keep moving forward. We’re not giving up, we’re not slowing down, we’re making changes every day and always moving further forward.

TC: What was it like to win at Crandon?

CC: Oh, the win at Crandon was cool. You know, I had never even been on the podium there in the last couple years. To come out with the win was great because now I’m on the books as winning at Crandon. Hopefully, I can get more of those.

Credits: TORC Series - Read all here: Torc Series

Kyle Busch TORC Series Post-Practice Comments

2010-08-26T02:19:00.000-07:00

NASCAR Star Kyle Busch took to the track at Route 66 Raceway for the first time earlier today prior to Wednesday night's Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL. After his PRO 2WD session, he spoke to the assembled media.

You were exciting out there.

Kyle Busch: Thank you. I hope it’s more exciting being smooth than I was out of control. It’ll get better. Just with the short amount of time you get on the track kinda makes it tough, but it’s fun, man. It’s really cool. I’m having
a good time, that’s what I’m here for.

How do you adjust to the jumps?

KB: It’s fun. I enjoy going out there and going out to the sand dunes and messing around and jumping some stuff out there. Anytime you can put a big heavy vehicle up in the air like that, it’s always cool. For myself, running the Traxxas TORC Series PRO 2s, it’s fun. I’m getting some experience and kinda getting (my) feet wet at it.

What was the best advice you’ve been given so far?

KB: I would say the biggest piece of advice would be to always just try to keep it straight. Once you get out of control, you gotta figure out how to get it straightened back up. It gets pretty ugly in a hurry, so it’s always best to try to keep the throttle on sometimes, but, you know, for me, it’s getting used to everything and trying to keep going fast.

What was the process that led to you racing in the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL?

KB: I’ve always wanted to give this a try and see what it’s all about. Robby Gordon’s talked about it, Jimmie Johnson’s talked about it…but I’ve never had the opportunity to do it. I thought it would be cool to get out there and get my feet wet with it. It’s been fun. I’ve been to Crandon (Wis.) and got some experience there, just driving in the truck getting used to it and then here. I’m doing OK. There’s a lot of time for me to pick up, so hopefully I can get a little bit better. All in all, it’s pretty fun.

What experience that you have best prepared you for this?

KB: I think the sand dunes and racing dirt track stuff is probably the best preparation. Running in this stuff here, it’s always difficult to know what to expect over the next jump, you know, because you’ve got to set up right first. Then you’ve got to just keeping going through it.

Did the first time on the track give you some problems?

KB: My guys were telling me I needed to run high and kinda through the middle of the high lane and I did that and I was like ‘This ain’t right! This is wrong.’ So I went lower and ran the bottom and it was way better so I’ll be doing that for qualifying for sure, just trying to stay a little bit lower, keep the truck out of the heavy mud. It just gets so rough up there and so choppy that it’s like driving a boat through the ocean instead of driving one on the lake.

You ran within .1 seconds of PRO 2 points leader Rob MacCachren at Crandon. What did that do for your confidence?

KB: It was pretty good. I was actually faster than Rob (when he was driving) in his own truck, but he got in mine and went a tenth faster in my truck, so I was a little disappointed. It felt good over all, just to get the experience and to just kinda get going and feel it out for the first time. To be right there with Rob MacCachren out of the gate is really really cool. Today is going to be tough. It’s not going to be easy. (Ricky) Johnson’s always fast; another Johnson I’ve gotta put up with (laughs), but there you go. MacCachren, I know he’ll be good and a couple others. I’m just looking to have a good time and get some good exposure for Traxxas. To have them onboard of my (NASCAR) truck for Friday night’s race is pretty cool, too.

What’s been your biggest surprise with these trucks?

KB: I guess just how fluid they are. You can really get in trouble fast, but you can kinda recover pretty decent. I’m sure if I get too brave or too ballsy, it’ll be ugly fast. Still, right now where I’m at, I’m just trying to get out there and now work on lap times. Now that I’ve got a feel for the track, it’s about dissecting it and getting better.

What has it been like physically for you?

KB: Crandon was actually pretty simple. It was fun and it was fast, but it was easy. Not easy, but it was easier than this place for sure. Getting out there, you never have time to catch up, you know, your breath, your truck, anything, so you’re always on the go and trying to get ready for the next jump and setting up for the next corner.

Were you breathing hard when you got out of the truck?

KB: I was breathing a little bit, yeah. You kinda hold your breath sometimes when you go over the jumps. You’re wanting to make sure you’re hitting the jumps right and you’re not sure if you did or not. These trucks always seem to kind of pull out of it OK.

Renezeder redeems tough weekend with a runner-up finish

2010-08-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

One week ago today, Carl Renezeder and crew got set up at Glen Helen Raceway, full of optimism that the tough season they’ve had so far would finally turn around. The weekend hosted rounds nine and ten of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, and even with some positive highlights, the team loaded up in the very early hours of Monday morning with the burden of several disappointing results on their minds.
All three days – practice and qualifying on Friday and racing on Saturday and Sunday – had their stellar moments. Of the five times the Pro-2 took to the track, Renezeder was quick time in four sessions, including Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s race. He finished second
in Sunday’s race after an eighth place start and posted the second quickest time of the race while working through traffic. He was also second quick in his Pro-4 in all three sessions on Friday, and quick time of Sunday’s race, while working on the lead. He ultimately made the pass for the lead on lap 19 but never made it back to the start/finish line. That’s where the string of positives ends.
The Pro-4 seemed to take the brunt of the bad luck throughout the weekend. Renezeder hooked the cushion in turn three during practice on Friday and ended up on the roof. In Saturday’s race, he was t-boned in the air and rolled through the rhythm section. Then, coming through the final turn in Sunday’s race while leading on his way to take the white flag, he hooked the outside cushion again and finished the day on the roof.

Renezeder had his share of bad moments in the Pro-2 as well. Most were minor, but the worst was his eighth-place finish on Saturday due to a black flag on lap eight of 20 when contact with Greg Adler at the end of the “doubles” rhythm section resulted in Adler rolling in turn three.
“I felt really bad that he ended up with a wrecked truck,” explained a remorseful Renezeder. “I had already committed to doubling out of the rhythm section when he checked up for the last jump to take the inside line. I had nowhere to go. I was on the brakes when I landed, but it was too late. I told my spotter right away to tell his spotter I was sorry, but that obviously doesn’t fix his truck.”
It was a tough track to tame, and several drivers found themselves upside-down. Some wrecks were worse than others, and everyone in the short-course community has been relieved to hear that Robbie Pierce will make a full recovery after his huge wreck on Sunday night. Sometimes it’s the body that gets bruised pretty badly, but more often than not it’s the ego and confidence that take the biggest hits. If only they made, stitches, salves, pain relievers and bandages for those…

Content credits: Team Renezeder press release - attached image by Team Renezeder
Image credits: Jeff Nemecek

Short course off-road racing in southern California

2010-08-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

Short course off-road racing is back in southern California, and it’s back in a big way! An epic crowd was on hand at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA for Round 9 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, and everyone in attendance got to see some of thrilling racing. The wide track made passing surprisingly possible despite a track length of just 0.8 miles, and the compact layout gave the crowd, which was an emphatic sellout, a great view of all the goings on. The crowd was on its feet and cheering in unison all night long, and in case you missed anything, or just couldn’t make it here to see the races in person, here’s why everyone was so excited.

Pro 4 Unlimited
With the truly standing room only crowd at a fever pitch following opening ceremonies, it was now time for what was undoubtedly the race of the night: Pro 4 Unlimited. With the top two qualifiers, Rick Huseman and Carl Renezeder, starting on the back row after they broke pre-race protocol, the race seemed wide open for any of a number of drivers to take the win. Kyle LeDuc started his #99 Rockstar/Circle K Ford alongside Adrian Cenni in the #11 Atrium Payroll/BFGoodrich Tires Chevrolet on the front row, and it was LeDuc who led Cenni
across the stripe at the end of the first lap. These two were followed by Mike Johnson in the #31 K&N Filters/Ironclad Ford, Travis Coyne in the #5 Pro Comp/Team Associated Ford, and Bryce Menzies in the #7 Bully Dog/Fox Racing Shox Ford. Despite starting from the back row, Huseman was on a tear in the #36 Traxxas/Monster Energy Toyota,
moving up to fifth by the second lap, while Renezeder was less lucky, crashing onto his side in the rhythm section between turns two and three, which brought out a full course yellow.
Huseman had managed to move up to fourth before Renezeder’s crash, and after the restart, he quickly moved up to third, just behind LeDuc and Cenni, and ahead of Menzies and Johnson. The crowd was going nuts for the points leader and local driver Huseman (he lives just down the road in Riverside), whose flame-spitting Toyota was making such quick work of the rest of the field. The whole of the grandstands seemed to roar as Huseman took second from Cenni, and when LeDuc rolled in turn four while trying to hold off Huseman for the lead, the cheers grew even more intense as Huseman sped into the lead, followed by Cenni and LeDuc, who landed on his wheels without any serious damage. At the competition yellow, the top three remained unchanged, and they were followed by Johnson in fourth and LeDuc’s dad Curt in the #43 Makita/Skyjacker Ford in fifth. The senior LeDuc moved up to fourth on the restart lap, just ahead of a self-inflicted rollover in turn five by Johnson, which brought out another full course yellow.

On the restart lap, LeDuc held it wide open through the rhythm section, the first driver to visibly do so, and took over second from Cenni. Young LeDuc had really come alive, and the seemingly impervious Huseman was suddenly under pressure. Huseman bicycled in turn four, giving LeDuc just the chance he needed, and LeDuc seized the opportunity and re-took the lead. LeDuc seemed like a whole different driver, running much quicker and making himself much more difficult for Huseman. As the crowd willed the top two drivers around the track, Huseman took the fast lap of the race at a 44.425 and closed right down on LeDuc. Huseman drove inside out of turn four and got alongside LeDuc over the big tabletop jump, just nosing into the lead. LeDuc tried valiantly to re-take the lead in turn five, but with two laps to go, Huseman had the lead for good this time. The whole crowd was on its feet as LeDuc charged hard on the final lap, but it just wasn’t his day as Huseman took the win, his seventh out of nine races this season. LeDuc took an incredibly hard-fought second, followed by Cenni, Curt LeDuc, and Coyne.

Pro 2 Unlimited
The final race of the night was that of the Pro 2 Unlimiteds. Greg Adler would start his #10 4 Wheel Parts/BFGoodrich Tires Ford alongside the #7 Bully Dog/Super Clean Ford of Bryce Menzies on the front row, but it was Rob MacCachren who, as if shot from a cannon, stormed into the early lead in his #21 Rockstar/Fox Racing Shox Ford. At the end of lap one, it was MacCachren out front, followed by Adler, Menzies, Carl Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford, and Rodrigo Ampudia in the #36 Tecate/Papas & Beer Ford. Menzies dropped two spots to fifth on lap two, while Robert Naughton moved up two spots to fourth in his #54 ReadyLift/Stronghold Motorsports Ford. Further forward, Renezeder was on a tear after getting an early end to his Pro 4 Unlimited race, but a moment of over-zealous driving saw him come blazing through the rhythm section and hard into turn three, where he got into the side of Adler and rolled him over. This brought out a full course caution, and Renezeder was given the black flag and sent to the back of the pack. Racing resumed with MacCachren still out front, now followed by Naughton, Menzies, Ampudia, and Ricky Johnson in the #48 Red Bull/KMC Wheels Ford. Ampudia found a burst of speed just ahead of the competition yellow, picking off Menzies and Naughton in the space of two turns. After the restart, the usually infallible MacCachren made a rare mistake, nearly spinning in turn three. Ampudia was the best-placed driver to take advantage, but as the runners behind piled into the corner, someone hit Ampudia and spun him around and off track. MacCachren got lucky and was actually able to pull away from the mess and maintain his lead. He then got clear of the field as Naughton and Todd LeDuc got together and went off track just a turn and a straight later, leaving Menzies second, Johnson third, Jeff Geiser fourth in the #44 Canidae All Natural Pet Foods/Geiser Bros Design and Development Chevrolet, and Mike Johnson (no relation to Ricky) fifth in the #31 Method Race Wheels/Alpinestars Ford. Mike Johnson moved up to fourth after hounding Geiser for a few laps, and from here on in, the top five held their places. MacCachren went on to take the win, his fifth of the season, followed by Menzies, Ricky Johnson, Mike Johnson, and Geiser. Renezeder proved that he had the pace to run at the front, coming back to finish eighth, and taking fast lap with a 45.944.

Pro Lite Unlimited
A strengthening field of Pro Lite Unlimiteds was next out on track, and points contenders Marty Hart and Matt Loiodice started alongside one another on the front row. Hart used his pole starting position to full advantage, taking the early lead in his #15 ReadyLift/Maxxis Tires Ford, ahead of Brian Deegan in the #38 Metal Mulisha/Etnies Ford, Loiodice in the #20 MasterCraft Safety/KCHiLites Ford, Chris Brandt in the #82 BFGoodrich Tires/Lucas Oil Toyota, and Jimmy Stephensen in the #33 Racin’ Dirty/K&N Filters Nissan. Stephensen slowed in the early going with an unknown issue, promoting Stephan Papadakis to fifth in the #4 Magnaflow/AEM Nissan. Just as the drivers were starting to hit their stride, a crash by Aaron Daugherty brought out a well-deserved full course caution (both of Daugherty’s rear tires came off the wheels). Daugherty was ok, and once action resumed, Brandt got around Loiodice to get into third place. The top three were starting to pull away as the competition yellow came out, and at this point the running order was Hart, Deegan, Brandt, Loiodice, and Papadakis. The top five strung back out after the restart, with the only close battle being between Hart and Deegan for the lead. Deegan was pushing hard, and he badly mis-jumped the big jump into turn two, putting him up along the turn two k-rail before landing him back on the track. Deegan’s truck was surprisingly undamaged, and he charged hard to try and catch back up to Hart. In the closing laps of the race, Brandt put in the fast lap of the race at a 48.346 (just one thousandth of a second better than Deegan’s best lap) in an effort to close in on the top two, but paid the price as his truck broke with just a few laps to go. Loiodice inherited third, with Papadakis fourth and Jacob Person now fifth in the #92 Stand –Up-MRI of Arizona/VP Ford. Despite Deegan’s best efforts, he simply ran out of time to really put any serious pressure on Hart in the closing laps, and Hart went on to take his second win in a row

A tremendous fireworks display marked the end of racing for Round 9, and it was indeed a great night of action. If you couldn’t be here for it, be sure to come check it out as the LOORRS circus does it all over again in Round 10. Racing starts at 4:30pm here at Glen Helen, but get here early to avoid long lines and the potential of missing out on tickets- Saturday tickets sold out fast.

Credits: Scott Neth

Rob MacCachren: Schooling 'em all

2010-08-03T01:52:00.000-07:00

It takes a lot of confidence to wear a shirt with a picture of your truck and the words, “American Badass” emblazoned on it. Rob MacCachren has earned that confidence.

For nearly two decades he's been dominating in off-road racing, both desert and short course. Go back a little further and you'll find an 8-year-old MacCachren winning the 1973 Nevada State Motorcycle Championship. MacCachren has a history, and it's one he has every right to be proud of.

“I started racing in 1982 and short course racing in 1988,” he says. “I've had a lot of time behind the wheel and experience in different races, from Mickey Thompson to this type of short course racing. I guess
doing it for so many years and surrounding myself with the right people who can help me get to the winner's circle has ultimately paid off.”

That work has rewarded him with desert racing championships in the double digits. He won the 40th Baja 1000 overall with Carl Renezeder and Mark Post – the first time a Trophy Truck won the event overall. That's in addition to two previous class wins in desert's toughest race. He won a Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group championship in the stadiums and he has five short course championships. Add to all that the words, “so far.” He's currently leading Pro 2 Unlimited in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series driving his No. 21 Rockstar Energy Drink Ford.

He came into the series at the end of last year and immediately made his mark with a victory at Primm, not far from his home base of Las Vegas. In 2010, he'll continue to keep a busy schedule, running not only short course events but also SCORE, SNORE and maybe the Vegas to Reno race. It's the way he wants it; MacCachren is a professional off-road racing driver, and it's what he lives for.

“Racing is my life,” he says, without embellishment or exaggeration. “It's been a passion of mine. I had an opportunity when the [NASCAR] truck series started…there were four off-road team owners that built eight trucks. I did that for about six months, and I never really had the passion for it. I decided off road was what I enjoyed doing. I've been fortunate enough to do OK in it, making money and being able to live. If I had put all this work into a real business, I'm sure I'd have a little bigger house. But the passion and surrounding myself with great people…. It's where I've made my home and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.”

It's that kind of passion and desire that leads a guy to rebuild a VW engine in the middle of the night somewhere in the heart of the Baja peninsula when the SCORE overall championship is on the line. Needing only to finish to win the title, his buggy's four-cylinder Volkswagen engine let go about three-quarters of the way from Tijuana to La Paz. So he put it back together and ran it as a two-cylinder until that fix let go 70 miles later. Some spare parts, aluminum plates, silicone and JB Weld later, the team made it to La Paz…45 minutes after the time limit. No finish, no title.

“That's the one that hurt the most,” he says. “Missed winning the SCORE overall championship and missed the highest payday – it cost us $35,000.”

It didn't put a damper on his enthusiasm for the sport, and especially the side-by-side action of short course racing. “The fans, unlike desert racing, get to experience and witness how the win happened. In desert racing, nobody sees it. Typically, the only people who know how the win happened are the two drivers. It's you and driver of the other vehicle at the finish line telling the story.”

He's told a few stories in his time. While racing is often considered a young man's game, this 45-year-old father of two has no intention of retiring soon. As he mentions Renezeder and Ricky Johnson – with whom he exchanged a few cross words after a heated battle at Miller Motorsports Park – as two of his toughest competitors, he laughs. “It's funny, because we're all right around the same age. There are younger drivers coming up and I get a kick out of it because the old dogs are schooling all the rest.”

He may get a kick out of it, but it's clear his passion is for tough competition, whether it comes from younger or more experienced challengers. He wants to race against the best, whoever that may be. But those who throw down in Rob MacCachren's classroom better be prepared for some tough lessons.

Credits: Richard S. James

Short course off-road tire tech

2010-07-23T01:56:00.000-07:00

With the amount of time the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro 2 and Pro 4 Unlimited trucks spend in the air, sliding in corners or just generally spinning their wheels, it may seem like tires are an afterthought. After all, it only matters how the rubber meets the road when the rubber meets the road, and it doesn't seem to happen all that often with these racing trucks.

But it takes some oomph to get them shooting out of the corners and over the jumps, and the tires, just as in every form of racing, are the point of transfer from 900hp engine to the dirt. And because these trucks are sliding in the corners, spinning their wheels furiously as they fight for traction and eventually coming down to earth after launch over a tabletop, the tires must be able to withstand a fair amount of abuse.

Short course off-road races are short in duration as well – usually less than 30 minutes and somewhere around 20 miles – so the tires don't have to be long-lasting, just tough. And they are tough in different ways than their desert racing counterparts. Desert tires need tough, thick sidewalls to fend off sharp rocks and wayward tree branches. Short course tires don't, so they can be lighter.

The tires used on the Pro trucks are a different breed than any other tire, competition or otherwise. They are built uniquely for the sport and have characteristics not found in other off road tires – even if the competition tire is based on street-legal, Department of Transportation (DOT)-approved rubber or vice versa.

“A lot of technology that goes into an [original equipment] tire comes from what we learn here in racing – compounds, sidewall strength, durability, it all comes from race development,” explains Victor Angon, off-road motorsports coordinator for BFGoodrich Tires. “But the race tires, unlike your regular street tires, come in several different compounds. We run an inner liner, which is like an inner tube, that actually bolts onto the tire and makes it a little bit stronger and if they get a flat, they can continue to run.”

The different compounds are key – the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series may just run on dirt, but the dirt at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is different from the dirt at Speedworld Off Road Park is different from the dirt at Miller Motorsports Park is different from the dirt at Glen Helen…. And the dirt changes drastically with conditions. The tires for the Pro 2 and Pro 4 trucks are typically pretty soft. And usually Pro 4 can run a softer compound than the Pro 2 trucks because they're using all four wheels to get power to the ground and spinning the tires less.

Walking around the paddock, one might notice that although two tires may have the same manufacturer on the sidewall, they may look quite different. That's because the tires that a company brings to the track may be very different from what ends up on the truck for the races. Short course off-road tires have a minimum of tread; the teams can then groove them as they like.

“Our race tire is based on our regular production tire. The only changes we really make is in our tread compounds,” explains Rudy Consalacion, motorsports manager for Kumho Tires. “We remove some of the grooving in the molds so we get more of a blank canvas to work with, Depending on what the driver wants – if he wants more side bite or more forward bite, we can adjust the grooving to their desire or depending on track conditions – if it's dry, starting to blue groove, or if it's loamy or muddy.”

The tires are grooved different ways to achieve different objectives, says Dana Zamalloa, PR and Communications manager for General Tire.

“When you groove a tire, you're looking at a couple of different things. You have to meet the terrain – the races are in different locations with different dirt. In some races, you need a little bit more grip in cornering. Sometimes, we'll do a variety of things with the voids in the blocks. Our tire is a little harder, so they've been putting smaller grooves within the blocks, which makes the tires a little bit softer and more pliable. A harder tire can withstand more abuse, but there are places you want it to be softer. So putting multiple sipes in the blocks allows for the tire to be a little bit softer. When they start opening up the voids, it allows them to get a little bit more grip.”

Grooves around the circumference of the tire typically give the tire more side bite, useful for cornering. Grooves perpendicular to the direction of travel give more bite in acceleration and braking. Often, a team or driver may want to modify the tire in both ways.

“Sometimes, on the inside, we'll do more lateral [grooves] for forward bite and [circumferential grooves] on the outside of the tire for side bite, for when they're leaning on the outside edge,” says Angon. “It's a compromise. A lot of these guys like to throw the vehicle into the corner, then try to square up on it.”

With different available compounds and the ability to change the performance of the tires with hand grooving, the Pro 4 and Pro 2 competitors have a lot of options. The choices for the other classes – Pro Lite Unlimited and the buggies – are much more limited. Those classes must run on DOT-approved, street-legal rubber. And tire choice can be crucial.

“You want a versatile tire because the track conditions can change,” says Yokohama Tire's Paul Algarin. “It can be very soft and loamy or even muddy, so you want a deep tread. Mud terrains are always a favorite in that situation. But as the track wears in and later on in the race it starts to blue groove and get a hard surface, then you want more rubber on your tires. So finding that balance is the key. Softer compounds help when it gets to be a harder surface.”

The changing conditions in short course off road racing make tire choice a difficult decision, and the tire a driver wants at the beginning of the race and the tire he wants at the end are often two different things. It's a rare – and often victorious – thing when the tire that works at the green is working as well at the checker.

Round 7 LOORRS at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele

2010-06-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day played host to Round 7 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series here at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. Some of the usual winners were again victorious, but there were also several drivers who took their first trips to the podium’s top step. A great crowd was on hand to experience excitement, action, and history first hand, and this terrific facility has been everything this off-road traveling circus could ever ask for. In case you weren’t here to enjoy it in person, here’s how the action broke down.

Pro 4 Unlimited
This weekend has seen the return of one of the all-time great off-road drivers, Rob MacCachren, to the Pro 4 Unlimited ranks, this time with the newly-formed Stronghold Motorsports team. MacCachren’s #21 Rockstar/Stronghold Motorsports Chevrolet started outside of Travis Coyne’s #5 ProComp/Toyo Tires Ford on the front row, and it was Coyne ahead of MacCachren in the top two spots at the end of lap one. Behind these two came Curt LeDuc in the #43 Rockstar/Kal-Gard Ford, Kent Brascho in the #8 BFGoodrich Tires Chevrolet, and Josh Merrell in the #22 mavTV/Hart and Huntington Ford. Rick Huseman, who’d started well back and been slowed while avoiding an early spin out that happened ahead of him, moved up to fifth on lap two. Huseman soon moved up to fourth, then third in fairly quick order, while ahead, MacCachren had gotten around Coyne to take the lead. Huseman then got around Coyne for second, and was quickly up to MacCachren’s back bumper to challenge for the lead. With the competition yellow now out, it was MacCachren and Huseman nose-to-tail in first and second, followed by Coyne, LeDuc, and the #1 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford of Carl Renezeder.
Huseman quickly got around MacCachren on the restart, while Renezeder had an even better lap, getting from fifth to second and putting himself in with a real chance of grabbing the win. Further back, Adrian Cenni was now fourth in the #11 BFGoodrich Tires/Atrium Payroll Chevrolet, while Coyne had dropped to fifth. Coyne and Brascho then got around Cenni for fourth and fifth, and although Cenni was able to re-grab fifth briefly, he soon pulled off the track and out the race. Up front, Renezeder was doing everything he could to put pressure on Huseman, but Huseman eventually opened a small gap on Renezeder, and with one lap to go, Renezeder’s luck got a whole bunch worse. His truck caught fire briefly and continued to smoke as he crossed the start/finish line to begin the final lap, and he pulled off in turn one, climbing out of the truck as it sat, still smoking. Huseman was now in the clear, and his battered truck came home victorious for the fifth time in seven races this season, taking the fast lap as well with a 1:03.824. MacCachren had a good re-introduction to Pro 4 Unlimited action with a second place finish, followed by Coyne, whose luck seems to finally be turning around a little. Fourth went to Brascho, and rounding out the top five was the #31 K&N Filters/Alpinestars Ford of Mike Johnson.

Pro 2 Unlimited
The final race of the day was certainly one of the best. Todd LeDuc in the #8 Rockstar Energy/Airforce Ford and Rodrigo Ampudia in the #36 Papas & Beer/Lucas Oil Ford started on the front row of the Pro 2 Unlimited race, and it was LeDuc who led Ampudia at the end of lap one. In third was Ricky Johnson in the #48 Traxxas/Red Bull Ford, followed by Rob MacCachren in the #21 Rockstar/MasterCraft Safety Ford, and Rob Naughton in the #54 Stronghold Motorsports/Maxxis Tires Ford. As Johnson, MacCachren, and Naughton all hounded Ampudia for second place, LeDuc was able to edge out a little bit of an advantage, but Ampudia soon found a little breathing room from those behind, and quickly closed down on LeDuc again. Soon after, Johnson closed back in on Ampudia, then passed him and took over second place. Further back, Carl Renezeder was on a charge in his #17 Lucas Oil/Team Associated Ford after being caught out by a crowded turn one. Renezeder passed Naughton for fifth, then got by MacCachren for fourth, where he sat behind LeDuc, Johnson, and Ampudia at the competition yellow, with MacCachren still fifth. On the restart lap, however, Renezeder again got into a swarm of trucks, and this time it went even worse. Renezeder endo’d his truck in the big rollers after turn three, thus ending his run. After his fire in Pro 4 Unlimited and now his first big crash in recent memory, this just wasn’t Renezeder’s day.

Renezeder’s accident was cleared without the need for a yellow flag, and soon afterwards, Johnson finally found his way around LeDuc to take the lead. His lead was short-lived, however, as he pulled off the track coming into turn one, leaving the race with unknown issues. LeDuc re-assumed the lead, with Ampudia now hot on his heels. Naughton was up to third, with Bryce Menzies now fourth in the #7 Bully Dog/Super Clean Ford, and MacCachren fifth as his battle-beaten truck seemed to be slowing a little bit. Ampudia put solid pressure on LeDuc, and he eventually found his way by and into the lead. Further back, MacCachren was now out, putting Greg Adler into fifth in his #10 4 Wheel Parts/Magnaflow Ford. From here on out the top five held their positions, and at race’s end it was Ampudia who took his first career Pro 2 Unlimited win, finally getting the monkey off his back after countless near-misses. Second went to LeDuc, third to Naughton, fourth to Menzies, and fifth to Adler. The always-quick Adler grabbed the fast lap with a 1:06.561.

Pro Lite Unlimited
The always exciting Pro Lite Unlimiteds would be the penultimate race of the day, and it was Stephan Papadakis in the #4 Magnaflow Exhaust Nissan and Sean Geiser in the #16 ReadyLift/Slednecks Toyota who started on the front row. Neither driver, however, was able to hold the lead, as both Chris Brandt and Jimmy Stephensen slotted in first and second at the end of lap one, ahead of Papadakis, Geiser, and Marty Hart in the #15 Stronghold Motorsports/Maxxis Tires Ford. Lap two and three saw more shuffling, with Hart moving right up to second, Jacob Person into fourth in the #92 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/BFGoodrich Tires Ford, and Brian Deegan into fifth in the #38 Rockstar Energy/Etnies Ford. Person then got around Stephensen, and at the competition yellow, Brandt still led in the #82 mavTV/Lucas Oil Toyota, followed closely by Hart. Person sat in third, with Stephensen fourth and Deegan fifth. On the restart lap, Person rolled in turn one, while Deegan came to a stop on the outside of the turn. Both drivers were able to continue, but with Geiser also crashing out near turn three, a full-course yellow was brought out. Once action resumed, Brandt and Hart continued their battle for the lead, with Stephensen third, Adam Wik now fourth in the #11 Wik’s Racing Engines/King Off Road Racing Shocks Chevrolet, and Matt Loiodice now fifth in the #20 MasterCraft Safety/Competitive Metals Ford. Brandt and Hart were well clear up front, and although Hart was really putting the pressure on Brandt (he set the fast lap at a 1:11.469 on the penultimate lap), he couldn’t force Brandt into a mistake. Brandt came home the winner, followed by Hart, Stephensen in the #33 Yokohama Tires/Racin’ Dirty Nissan, Person, and Wik.

With the sun still hi in the sky at racing’s end, there was plenty of time for the team’s to savor their victories and ponder their misfortunes. Of course there will be a whole second day of action here in Tooele, so be sure to get to here and see it for yourself.