TEAM_CR17
July 13th, 2004, 13:24
The idea of three races in one weekend is not a new one this season. Every weekend of the first half of the 2004 season has been a three-race weekend. This weekend in Topeka marked the half way point of the 2004 Lucas Oil Championship Off Road Racing season. The 3/8 mile converted dirt oval made for a tight circuit as predicted. Each race at the hot and humid Topeka circuit left the trucks without fenders and with bumpers both caved in and collapsed.
All the Excitement began Friday night under the lights with the Pro Classes taking the track at 8pm. The conditions were treacherous as the track was wet from a thunderstorm from the night before. The two and half inches of rain left the nutrient rich Kansas clay track retaining enough water to destroy any chance of a multiple line racetrack developing.
The Pro-2 action had Carl starting at the back of the pack. At one point during the race Carl was able to widen to one line track and work his way though traffic into second place. Unfortunately the mud was so thick it clogged Carl’s 1-inch square metal safety screen to the point it blocked all of his vision and he had to stop to get it cleaned. He ended up working his way back into a fifth place finish. In the Pro-4 race Carl started on the back row again because of his second place position in points. He raced hard in the same conditions and brought the truck home in the second position, which put him in a tie for first place in the point race.
Saturday the track had the entire day of near 100-degree temperatures and sportsman racing to dry out. The Pro-2 event had Carl once again start in the back of the back, he swiftly worked his way into second position behind Evans and began to chase him down when the timing belt let go and ended Carl’s effort just one lap too early. The Pro-4 race, which began at 10:45pm, had Carl attacking the course hard and holding of the aggression of other drivers to take second place.
Sunday afternoon brought one final set of races for the hot Topeka weekend. After a long night fixing the bodywork and changing the Pro-2 power plant the Team Renezeder crew came out Sunday ready to race. The green flag dropped in the Pro-2 event and Carl aggressively worked his way into second place. As he began to chase down the leader Evans disaster struck. An oil fire started in the cab forcing Carl to unleash the fire retardant system and abandon the race. The luck continued in the Pro-4 race, the race began and ended for Team Renezeder within a lap. While trying to overtake traffic Carl landed sideways and broke a Heim joint on the rear suspension ending his race almost immediately.
The weekend left Team Renezeder still within striking distance in both classes. In the Pro-2 the Lucas Oil trucks sits in third position behind Evans and Taylor. In the Pro-4 race for the title Carl sits in third position with Greaves leading and Jason Baldwin in second.
Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2004 CORR Lucas Oil Pro and Sportsman Series will take place at the Bark River Off-Road Raceway in Bark River, Michigan on August 14-15. For more information, visit www.corracing.com (http://www.corracing.com) or www.offroad100.com. (http://www.offroad100.com.)
All the Excitement began Friday night under the lights with the Pro Classes taking the track at 8pm. The conditions were treacherous as the track was wet from a thunderstorm from the night before. The two and half inches of rain left the nutrient rich Kansas clay track retaining enough water to destroy any chance of a multiple line racetrack developing.
The Pro-2 action had Carl starting at the back of the pack. At one point during the race Carl was able to widen to one line track and work his way though traffic into second place. Unfortunately the mud was so thick it clogged Carl’s 1-inch square metal safety screen to the point it blocked all of his vision and he had to stop to get it cleaned. He ended up working his way back into a fifth place finish. In the Pro-4 race Carl started on the back row again because of his second place position in points. He raced hard in the same conditions and brought the truck home in the second position, which put him in a tie for first place in the point race.
Saturday the track had the entire day of near 100-degree temperatures and sportsman racing to dry out. The Pro-2 event had Carl once again start in the back of the back, he swiftly worked his way into second position behind Evans and began to chase him down when the timing belt let go and ended Carl’s effort just one lap too early. The Pro-4 race, which began at 10:45pm, had Carl attacking the course hard and holding of the aggression of other drivers to take second place.
Sunday afternoon brought one final set of races for the hot Topeka weekend. After a long night fixing the bodywork and changing the Pro-2 power plant the Team Renezeder crew came out Sunday ready to race. The green flag dropped in the Pro-2 event and Carl aggressively worked his way into second place. As he began to chase down the leader Evans disaster struck. An oil fire started in the cab forcing Carl to unleash the fire retardant system and abandon the race. The luck continued in the Pro-4 race, the race began and ended for Team Renezeder within a lap. While trying to overtake traffic Carl landed sideways and broke a Heim joint on the rear suspension ending his race almost immediately.
The weekend left Team Renezeder still within striking distance in both classes. In the Pro-2 the Lucas Oil trucks sits in third position behind Evans and Taylor. In the Pro-4 race for the title Carl sits in third position with Greaves leading and Jason Baldwin in second.
Rounds 9 and 10 of the 2004 CORR Lucas Oil Pro and Sportsman Series will take place at the Bark River Off-Road Raceway in Bark River, Michigan on August 14-15. For more information, visit www.corracing.com (http://www.corracing.com) or www.offroad100.com. (http://www.offroad100.com.)