Rob MacCachren Approaches 200 Wins; Carl Renezeder 100

I’ve got a small problem with off-road media currently, which actually could be the off-road community in general.  I guess that is a little weird since I am now considered off-road media by many.  I will always consider myself a driver first and an on-air personality second though. Maybe when I hang-up my Impact helmet for good, I will consider myself media. Until then, start to worry if I don’t consider myself a driver!

I have been racing for well over a decade now, and my family has for generations. While I have compiled a decent amount of wins and milestones, (which I would like to add that I have never cherry picked classes or races) – the victories have been tough to come by. They are for anyone at the top level of any sport, from ping pong to F1, and they should be. It makes it that more meaningful to cross the finish line in first, especially in a Trophy Truck, Pro-2, or Pro-4. These past few months, two absolute legends of the sport, Hall of Famer Rob MacCachren, and future Hall of Famer Carl Renezeder have approached some amazing milestones without so much as a hint about it from the off-road media or community. Carl is currently sitting at 99 career victories which is an amazing feat in itself, while Rob is sitting at an astounding 199 career victories.

In round 8 at Miller Motorsports Park, Rob MacCachren earned 199th career win.

This story has gone untouched in the press approaching this weekend’s Lucas Oil race at Glen Helen. It is possible both drivers will hit their magic numbers this weekend, and it’s possible they could both do it in the same night, with Rob racing in Pro-2 and Carl racing in Pro-4. It could make for one of the most amazing nights in the history of off-road racing and one that could make for some mainstream headlines for our niche motorsport. Yes, you read that right, as much as we have grown in the past 5 years, we are still considered niche by many.

Until we can put a driver on the Late Show or make Sports Center for something other than a catastrophic accident in the Mojave Desert, we will be considered a niche motorsport. With what is possibly one of the biggest nights in the history of our sport looming a few days away, this story has received virtually no publicity.  Blame it on who you will: Media, Sanctioning Bodies (Remember that Rob races in each of the 4 major series), Sponsors, Fans, we are all to blame.  This is a huge night for not just off-road racing, but motorsports in general.  It is not often when a driver gets 100 career victories, and it is even rarer when a driver reaches 200 victories, a number that matches what a driver properly named “The King” Richard Petty reached.

Last year in rounds 5&6 at Glen Helen, Carl Renezeder swept Pro2 (Rob Mac 2nd and 3rd) and took 1st and 2nd in Pro4.

Carl Renezeder seeing win No. 100 and Rob MacCachren seeing win No. 200 quite possibly on the same night… That will only happen once in our lifetimes.  Instead of celebrating, promoting, talking, bench racing, posting, tweeting, instagraming, and hyping what could be the most storied night in the history of off-road racing…. WE, as off-road media and an off-road community, would rather focus on the latest gossip, drama, and rumors than a story that could actually hit mainstream media for what I consider the world’s greatest form of motorsport.

Here is an open call to the off-road media and off-road community.  Lets open our eyes. Lets cover the positives in our amazing sport and not the negatives.  Lets push the sport to a new level.  Lets help two amazing drivers celebrate what could be a historical night!

About Jim Beaver:  Jim is a 3^rd generation race car driver currently racing the #15 Speed Energy/General Tire Ford F-150 Trophy Truck in The Best in the Desert Series.  He also hosts The Down & Dirty Show Fueled By Speed Energy, the largest weekly Action Motorsports Radio Show in the world with over 100,000 listeners and also appears frequently on Fox Sports Radio on Sirius/XM on Sundays as an Off-Road and Rally Expert for a national audience.  More info can be found on him at www.downanddirtyshow.com, on Facebook at /downanddirtyshow, and on Twitter and Instagram at @JimBeaver15.