Lucas Oil Challenge Cup Presented By Toyota
on CBS – January 7th at 1:00PM EST
ProLite VS. ProBuggy & PRO-2 VS. PRO-4
From Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ

January 7th at 1:00 PM EST. CBS Sports Spectacular will feature Lucas Oil Challenge Cup presented by Toyota showcasing the most chaotic racing action ever televised. Class on Class racing pairs ProLite VS ProBuggy and the culminating event of the Lucas Oil Off Road Series; PRO-2 VS. PRO-4 – the “Super Bowl” of Off Road Short Course Racing. This event puts up the richest payday in the sports history with $123,000 up for grabs.

ProLite VS. ProBuggy
A field of 26 vehicles made up of 13 Trucks and 13 Buggies racing for 19 laps on the same track for the same prize, sets the table for pure action oriented entertainment. #38 Brian Deegan coming off as the 2011 ProLite Champion and 2011 PRO-2 Champion is looking to cap off a marvelous season with a chance to win both Lucas Oil Challenge Cup Events. Can he pull off the impossible double-duty feat? Deegan barely edged out rival #82 Chris Brandt in the Championship who has been a serious factor all year. ProLite Truck drivers #19 Cory Sisler and #2 Casey Currie should be noted as a threat even though the Buggies have held the title for two years running. Be on the lookout for 2010 ProBuggy Champion, Cameron Steele, who parked his truck for the #17 Buggy, and then there is 2011 ProBuggy Champion #8 Mike Porter, the 2010 Challenge Cup Winner #96 Doug Fortin, and finally off road specialist #19 Justin “Bean” Smith who took the 2011 ProBuggy Rookie of the Year Title. All of these contenders will be driving their wheels off hoping to claim the $20,000 Winner’s Purse.

PRO-2 VS. PRO-4  The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series has crafted together an incredible formula of racing entertainment that can only be described as controlled chaos. With $30,000 going to the winner, 15 PRO-2 Trucks VS. 10 PRO-4 Trucks battle it out for all of off road racings richest purse. Kyle LeDuc, the 2010 Challenge Cup Champion will have his work cut out as he starts his #99 PRO-4 in 22nd position out of 25 trucks. #38 PRO-2 Brian Deegan, may be at an advantage as he his entered in both Challenge Cup Events. #54 Robert Naughton has a history as a smart & consistent driver always in the right place at the right time. It will be a challenge to pass the #99 Robby Woods as he can drive as fast as anyone out there and he starts on the front row. #17 Carl Renezeder, won the 2009 Challenge Cup, and has a history of winning the biggest cup races in his PRO-4. For this event he has opted to run his PRO-2 to prove he is equally as fast in both 2WD and 4WD. Last but not least look out for Adrian Cenni in his #11 PRO-4 who is known as the “Wildman” and one of the fastest drivers in short course off road racing.

This is true spectacle and we guarantee you have never witnessed anything like this before. Don’t miss the “Super Bowl” of off road racing and the world’s best short course drivers battle wheel-to-wheel for big money and the prestigious Lucas Oil Challenge Cup Title. Check local listings for more information and set your DVR’s now!

The Monster Energy Off-Road Team assembled talent from around the globe to Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix for Round 15 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) season. Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games Rally Car Gold medalist and international rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category.  Greaves and Doran joined their Monster Energy Teammates, including Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele, for final and best round of the season. When it was all said and done, the Monster Energy Off-Road Team walked away from the 2011 LOORS season with with a staggering 16 podiums, including 8 first place trophies!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

STOW, OH – MickeyThompson Performance Tires & Wheels congratulates Mike Porter, the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series season champion in the Pro Buggy Unlimited class. The final season competition, held at Firebird International Raceway, determined the 2011 champions in 10 out of 11 classes.

Porter, who races using Mickey Thompson Sportsman ST Radials size 215/70R15 (front – #6023) and 275/60R15 (rear – #6030), earned two wins, four second place podium finishes, and four third place podium finishes during the 2011 season.

“Mike has been a consistent front runner in the series this year,” said Aaron Smith with Mickey Thompson’s racetrack support team. “We have been very excited to see him at the podium many times throughout the season, and we are already looking forward to 2012.”

Congratulations also go out to Jacob Person and Drew Britt who competed in the Super Lite class and earned several podium finishes throughout the season on Mickey Thompson ATZ Plus tires 31X10.50X15 (#5150).

For more information about this exciting off-road racing series, please visit http://www.lucasoiloffroad.com/.

About Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels
Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels markets racing and high-performance tires and wheels for street, strip, truck, and off-road applications. The company was founded in 1963 by racing legend Mickey Thompson and is headquartered in Stow, Ohio, USA.  For more information, visit http:/www.mickeythompsontires.com/.

With the final round of LOORS in the books, the Monster Energy Off-Road Team put it all on the line for the Challenge Cup. Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games Rally Car Gold medalist and international rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category. Greaves and Doran joined their Monster Energy Teammates Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele, for the final and best day of racing of the season.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

The Monster Energy Off-Road Team assembled talent from around the globe to Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix for Round 15 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) season. Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games Rally Car Gold medalist and international rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category.  Greaves and Doran joined their Monster Energy Teammates, including Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele, for final and best round of the season. When it was all said and done, the Monster Energy Off-Road Team walked away from the 2011 LOORS season with a staggering 16 podiums, including 8 first place trophies!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA    DECEMBER  20, 2011  -  Chris Brandt #82 BFGoodrich / Toyota Pro Lite Unlimited Truck added two more podiums to the list of successful accomplishments in the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at the final race in Phoenix, Arizona at Firebird Raceway.  Finishing third in the 15^th race of the season on Saturday, Brandt secured the Second Place Championship for the 2011 season.  On Sunday, in a hard fought Challenge Cup battle including Pro Buggies, Brandt finished second taking home a $10,000 check.  “There is no doubt we tried everything to jump into that first place position, and although we didn’t get the checker flag first, we continued our streak of consistent podium finishes,” said Chris Brandt after the 14^th podium of the season.  “I would like to thank BFGoodrich, Toyota and all my family and friends that crew for me every weekend.  It works so well with the whole family being involved.  We know everyone’s going to get the job done and it’s in everyone’s heart to do it well.”

Chris Brandt started the final race of the season on the pole position and had to keep Brian Deegan two positions behind him to win the Championship.  “We had a hard battle with Casey Currie and then with Kyle Leduc.  I had to fight all the way through the event.  Unfortunately, through that, Brian Deegan got up front and was able to run up there.  We didn’t let him get away, but I just wasn’t able to get back to him,” said a disappointed Brandt who took a third place finish.

Standing on the podium for the 13^th time at this last race of the season did secure him a second place in the season points Championship battle.  “I started out leading the points from day one all the way up to the last race.  It was a hard fought battle between Brian Deegan and myself all year, he unfortunately came out on top.  We had less DNF’s, we only had one of those, but what can I say, if it wasn’t him it was me and if it wasn’t me it was him, we fought for the win at every race,” said Chris Brandt as he reflected on the year.  The Brandt Racing #82 team is looking forward to another very successful 2012 season.

The Challenge Cup Race on Sunday mixed Pro Lite Trucks and Pro Buggies, making Brandt one of the 27 drivers after the $20,000 first place purse.  Inverting the top 10 season points finishers put Brandt in the 5^th row at the back of the trucks, but ahead of the Pro Buggies.  By lap two, Brandt had already moved into a podium position.  After battling back and forth and having multiple caution flags, when the checker flag dropped after 20 laps, Brandt was the first Pro Lite Truck to cross the finish but was second to a Pro Buggy. “That was a heck of a race, it was all out, those buggies were crazy pushing up through the trucks like they did,” remembers Brandt.  The #82 National Concrete Cutting, BFGoodrich Toyota certainly helped put on an excellent show for the packed stadium in Arizona.

Chris Brandt has had an excellent 2011 season. Although the graphics on the truck have changed throughout this season, the talent behind the wheel and the desire to win has never faltered.  Chris Brandt was named the 2009 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing “Driver of the Year” and continues to prove his presence on the Pro Lite Track being coined as “Mr. Consistency” in 2011 with the 14 podiums during the season and a second place Season Championship.  Starting in ATV Racing, he moved into trucks with great success as the Great Plains Off-Road Racing Association Champion from 1994-1997 where he would win multiple classes during the same weekend, earning him the title “Ironman”.  With multiple championships in PACE and CORR “Rookie of the Year” in 1999, he came into the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series with a history of success and a winning nature behind the wheel.  Chris Brandt manages to race competitively while running one of the largest concrete cutting companies in the Midwest with his father and raising his young daughter, Macy. Chris Brandt and the entire Brandt #82 Racing Team is looking forward to continuing the excellence into the 2012 season.

Chris Brandt Website:  www.chrisbrandtracing.com

Chris Brandt Facebook Fan Page:  www.facebook.com/ChrisBrandtRacing

Chris Brandt at Firebird Raceway, Round 15 VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNxuUk-rrPY

December 10-11, 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Saturday December 10th Final Round #15

-Gear UP2Go’s Kyle Hart driving his Duncan Racing Yamaha YFZ

450R powered kart finished the LOORRS Modified Trophy Kart final round in style, scoring his 3^rd win in only his first season of competition. Hart started from the second row and battled with teammate Mitchell DeJong throughout the race. The duo put on a tremendous race as they battled for the top spot on the podium.

Hart’s Victory propelled him to 4^th in Overall in trophy kart championship final point standings and earned him the honor of “Rookie of the Year”
 

Sunday December 11th CHALLENGE Cup

The Hart camp still floating on air after Saturdays heroics was about to be overwhelmed again with Kyle’s performance in the year end Challenge Cup race.

*The Lucas Oil Challenge Cup inverts the year’s point’s finishers into a 16 lap free for all.

Hart starting from the 4^th row, battled his way to the runner up spot by the mid way caution. On the restart Hart bolted to the front and proceeded to check out on the field. Leaving no doubt who the dominate driver in the dominate truck was for the day.

For famed ATV company Duncan Racing International is was their 11th victory of the season for their Modified Trophy Kart program consisting of DR Engine, Fat Boy 4 Exhaust and Vortex X10 ECU’s.

An impressive showing since DR only entered the kart racing since in the spring of 2010.

• Carl Renezeder chalks up eighth career championship at LOORRS finale.

Fort Mill, SC – (December 20, 2011) With championships, pride and the largest pay day in short-course history on the line, the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season did not disappoint. Carl Renezeder led the Team GT contingency by winning the Pro-4 Unlimited championship, his eighth career championship title. Renezeder made his mark in the history annals logging in 14 podium finishes containing three wins, nine seconds and two thirds to finish out the 2011 LOORRS season. And for those keeping track, that’s 14 podium finishes out of 15 races. This is simply an amazing feat for the championship driver.

“Congratulations to Carl and all of Team Renezeder on an incredible season,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. “General Tire is pleased to have a fierce competitor like Carl on our team. His consistency and tenacity are second-to-none and that is verified with his eight career championships. We’re proud to have him as a member of Team GT.

“Overall Team GT had a remarkable season in LOORRS racing and we’re looking forward to an even better 2012.”

To stay up to date with Team GT and our products check out www.generaltire.com

More information on Lucas Oil Products can be found at www.LucasOil.com.

For more information on LOORRS visit www.lucasoiloffroad.com.

About General Tire

For more than 90 years General Tire has offered a complete quality line of ultra-high performance, passenger, light truck, off-road and commercial tires to meet all your needs. General Tire is a proud supporter of Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing, Chili Bowl, Pro-Pulling, Late- Model Dirt Series, Drag Boat Series, Boost Mobile FreestyleMx.com Tour, Spec Tire of Trophylite and Pro Truck. Team GT supports off-road and short course teams including BJ Baldwin, Carl Renezeder, Rick D. Johnson, Jerry Zaiden/Jason Campbell, Jason/Rich Voss, Scott Steinberger, Ed “Clyde” Stout, Marc Burnett, Kent Kroeker, Mikey Childress, Jim Riley, Carey Hart, Josh Merrell, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Jason Ellis, Robby Woods, Casey Currie, Ryan Hagy and

Jeff “Ox” Kargola.

General Tire is part of Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. (www.generaltire.com). CTA, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a company of Germany-based Continental AG. With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009 Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has close to 160,000 employees in 45 countries.

With 2012 just around the corner, the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) wrapped up its final races this past weekend at the Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ.  With the 2 biggest races of the year, for LOORRS, Saturday’s race would be round 15, the last point’s race of the year and the last chance for the LOORRS Championship hunt. Following this would be an all or nothing race to the checker, The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series CUP Race. Up and coming driver in Short Couse Justin “Bean” Smith would showcase his skills in the Pro-Buggy vs Pro-Lite race where top 3 finishers walk away with a combined purse of $35,000.

Last year was Justin “Bean” Smith’s first full year in short course racing. Running under Menzies Motorsports Team, Smith would win the Limited-Buggy Championship in his first year, as well as become the 2010 LOORRS Rookie of the Year and also take home the LOORRS CUP race win. Knowing he learned a lot his first year and wanting to move forward, Smith decided he needed to move up in class to further his carrier. After doing a few test sessions and numerous meetings about different options, he would work with good friends and team owners Steve & Bryce Menzies from Menzies Motorsports, to get him into the Pro-Buggy class for 2011. With this decision being made just a couple weeks before the start of the LOORRS season, Smith would only get a short amount of seat time before the first race. After talking with long time friend and mentor Cameron Steele, the 2010 Pro-Buggy Champion about the differences in racing the Pro-Buggy class compared to others. Justin realized what it would take to win races, as well as work towards a championship for the 2011 season.

Mid March would be the season opener for the 2011 Lucas Oil Series in Phoenix, AZ at Firebird Raceway and for the first time Smith would debut his new Metal Mulisha, Competitive Metals, BFGoodrich Tires Pro-Buggy. His first time hitting the track, he would set fastest lap in practice and would finish 2nd in Round 1 of the series opening weekend. As the year continued on, he consistently became faster as he got more experience in the car and around the other racers. Justin continued to stand upon the podium every weekend of racing in the first part of the year. After having some racing misfortunes that were out of the teams hands, he would end up with a few DNF’s and this would leave him sitting 4th in points going into the final weekend of racing for the year.

Feeling more confident than ever in the car, Smith geared up in attempt to add two more wins to his 7 podiums and 3 wins already for the 2011 LOORRS year. With many questions to be answered for the 2012 season, now was the most crucial time to finish on top of the podium.

As Round 15 started Justin knew he was a bit back in the points chase and needed every point possible to help him gain points positions.  Entering the weekend Mike Porter would be leading the point’s chase and this would make it impossible for Smith to catch him with just 1 point’s race left. Thursday was the first practice of the weekend where Smith would set fast lap by half of a second over 2nd quick. Knowing the car set up was good they would leave it for qualifying and go out to qualify 1st and receive the 1 point for top qualifier, where this would tie him with 3rd place in points, Steven Greinke. After the invert of the top 4 cars for starting positions on Saturdays race Justin would start round 15 in the 2^nd row, surrounded by the top 6 qualifiers. Smith knew he needed to finish ahead of Greinke and beat Jerry Welchel by a number of positions to get 2nd in points. As the green flag would drop battle begun not only for the race but also the points battle. Smith grabbed the lead within the first 5 laps of the race and would have Grieke right behind him.

He continued this lead to the halfway point of the race where he would receive another 1 point for leading at the mandatory caution that tightens the field up. As the green flag dropped for the last Pro-Buggy points race of 2011, Smith & Greinke would pull away from the field. With a number of cautions going on during the race, any gap Smith would put on the Greinke seemed to tighten up every time they came out of a caution. After 18 laps of clean battling Smith would come out on top to win the race over Greinke and Welchel, who would end up 5th. This tied Smith & Welchel in points, but Smith walked away taking the 2nd in points title for having the most race wins. With 4 this year in the point’s battle, it made it very clear that every race counts, right down to the last one.

Sunday’s Cup race came quick and this would be the largest pay out and largest car count race of the year. The Pro-Buggy vs. Pro-Lites Cup race race would be a combined purse of $35,000 and the pay out would be $20,000 to 1st, $10,000 to 2nd & $5,000 to 3rd. Pro-Lites started in front of the Pro-Buggy class where they would also invert the top 10 in points in each of the classes. Putting Smith in the 5th row of the Pro-Buggy class and the 11th row of the race, starting him in the 22nd position. With over 30 vehicles on the track and only 18 laps of green flag racing, Smith knew there wasn’t much time to work his way to the front. Wanting to further his career and get a start on next year he was hungrier than ever for the money. The trucks are able to bang and rub door to door while the buggies are 1000lbs lighter and had to be sure to stay clear of the trucks as they are at their mercy and were the weaker of the two.

Starting so far back, Justin knew that he would not be able to see the green flag drop and would have to rely on his mechanic and spotter Brian Martin to tell him when it was green to go. With Martin on the radio and Smith at the wheel the team would start working forward right away. Making a number of passes in the first few laps and on lap 5 Smith found himself getting pushed into the outside wall in turn 2 and would 50/50 grind the K-Rail. It was looking like his chances at $20,000 were slipping away. Smith managed to fight his way off the rail where he got passed by 6 to 7 cars and still did not know if his car was damaged. He would finish out the lap, felt the car out and could tell that everything still felt good. Wasting no time, he would charge as hard as ever in the fight, passing cars back and working his way forward. Smith knew that any wrong decision by him or another racer could take him out of contention so he made sure to not get impatient and take unnecessary chances while passing people.

Before they knew it, they were at the half way point of the race where officials would throw a caution lap out to regroup the field to keep the battles tight for the fans. Slowing down for the pace lap, they would notice that they had managed to work their way up into the 4th position overall. Knowing the race was only halfway over they had a bit of relief that they had made it this far and were the only buggy in the top 7 positions. With championship drivers Brian Deegan, Chris Brandt, Kyle Leduc and others around Smith, he knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy battle. The green flag would be waved once more and the battle would start back up just as fast as it fell. Smith continued to work his way forward and really watch the people that he was racing with. Keeping in mind that the trucks were use to rubbing against each other and pushing one another, Smith knew he didn’t have a chance if they were to do this on him. The race was nearing the end lap by lap and he would carefully watch his mirrors, listen to his spotter and many times open up his lines up as he felt he was being set up for a take out move. Just a lap and a half before the checkered flag, Smith would take the overall lead of the race. As the race neared the end, the battles became even fiercer and the fans would cheer louder and louder. Having the lead and knowing they had the fastest vehicle of the day, it was their time to hold the lead and fight to protect it. The Pro-Lites wouldn’t give up and kept trying to lean harder and harder on the buggy where Smith would not give in. At the checkered flag Smith would take the win followed by Pro-Lites of Chris Brandt in 2nd good friend Casey Currie in 3rd.

Smith quoted – ” Holy smokes!!! Is it over? I’ve battled to win a lot of short course and desert races, but man that was the craziest battle of my life. After I got on top of the wall in turn 2 in the beginning of the race I thought it was going to be over, we got really lucky this Alumi-Craft didn’t get damaged. After we got off the wall the car felt good and it was go time. I don’t think my spotter Brian’s finger ever came off the radio. It was nonstop chaos. I couldn’t be happier right now as this helps us get a huge start on next year and were now 3 for 3 CUP wins in Menzies Motorsports cars. A huge thanks to Metal Mulisha, Competitive Metals, BFGoodrich Tries and everyone that helped make this happen! ”

Justin “Bean” Smith would finish out the year in Pro-Buggy 2nd in Points, becoming Rookie of the Year, with 9 Podiums and 5 Wins, as well as become Rookie of the Year in class.

A huge thanks to all our sponsors and companies that build the best products out there. Thank you, Metal Mulisha, Competitive Metals, BFGoodrich Tires, FOX Racing Shox, JG Transworks, Kroyer Racing Engines, Mastercraft Saftey, IMPACT! Racing, Alumi-craft Race Cars, Racer X Motorsports, BTR Wheels, Prime Powdercoat, Osiris Shoes, Dailey Oil Pumps, Oakley and Menzies Motorsports.

Thanks to all the friends and families that have helped make this happen.

Steve, Bryce & Terri Menzies, Brian Martin, Cameron Steele, Randy

Smith, Brian Deegan, Toby Bost, Joe Giffen, Kevin Kroyer, Jeff Quinn,

Trevor Streetch, Greg Parker, John, Grindle & Geoffry Cooley, Todd

Tenbroek, Frank DeAngelo, Nate Hunt, Pat Dean, Kevin Miller, Pat

Dailey, Robbie Pierce, Kelli Willmore, Jamie Campbell, Mike Cohen,

Chris Faulkner, Matt Major and many others.

Follow Justin at -

www.facebook.com/JustinBeanSmith

www.twitter.com/JustinBeanSmith

Sponsors -

www.MetalMulisha.com

www.CompetitiveMetals.com

www.BFGoodrichTires.com

www.FOXRacingShox.com

www.AlumiCraft.info

www.KroyerRacingEngines.com

www.JGTranswerks.com

www.PatricksSigns.com

www.OsirisShoes.com

www.DaileyEngineering.com

www.PrimeFabrication.com

www.RacerXMS.com

Contact -

JustinBeanSmith@gmail.com

Photo credits -

Mad Media, HighRev & Ryan Divel

Alumi Craft racers put in a dominating performance at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, (LOORRS) season finale. Several championships still hung in the balance going into the final race at Phoenix, AZ’s Firebird raceway. If that wasn’t enough, the Challenge Cup race on Sunday would put multiple classes together on the track at the same time with nothing to lose, a recipe for non-stop action to say the least.

In the Unlimited Buggy class, Alumi Craft cars would finish first and second in the season long championship. Many people doubted whether Mike Porter would return to racing after suffering a devastating back injury that put him out of the car for months. He could have just spent his time building engines at his shop, Redline Performance, but instead he persevered, pushing himself to get back to his winning form. He started the season strong and maintained his lead earning himself the championship in 2011. Mike is a well-respected racer and even though they were caught up in their own battles, many of his fellow competitors were rooting for him to take the crown including second place finisher and fellow Alumi Craft racer Justin “Bean” Smith. Smith actually started the weekend in fourth place but had a chance, if all went well, to climb a few more spots. Justin took the bonus points for leading at the competition yellow and won the race which put him in a tie for second with Jerry Whelchel. The tie breaker came down to who had the most victories on the season. Justin’s four victories over Whelchel’s three would secure him the runner up spot.

Another racer who would distinguish himself with a runner-up spot in the championship was Alumi Craft Limited Buggy racer Dave Mason Jr. Although he did not win the championship, Dave was the most consistent Alumi Craft racer this year and was only outdone in the championship by one of the most experienced Limited Buggy racers on the planet, Curt Geer. No doubt Dave’s success will be a huge boost to him next season when both he and Geoffrey Cooley move up to race in the Unlimited Buggy class, each with brand new Alumi Craft cars to start the season.

With the points titles wrapped up, the racers would return to the track for one more race, the Champions Cup. The race was for bragging rights and cash, pure and simple. The Limited Buggy race was owned by Geoffrey Cooley in his Alumi Craft buggy.

He took the early lead after starting on row three and held it to the end. Even the competition yellow, which allows all the competitors to regroup before a single file restart, and a last lap charge from second place John Fitzgerald was not enough to overcome the hard charging Cooley who was determined to get his first career win.

In what can only be described as a David versus Goliath type of battle the Unlimited Buggies and the Prolite trucks would again be combined to race for a whopping $35,000 dollars in prize money with the winner taking $20,000 in cold hard cash. In the two previous years buggy racers would take the top spot which did not sit well with the Prolite drivers who are known for their aggressive driving that includes plenty of contact. Not only do the much lighter and open wheeled Buggy drivers need to pass the entire Prolite field to win, they need to avoid contact in order to survive. Alumi Craft racer Justin Smith and his spotter Brian Martin had a plan. They already had a mental list on how to get past all their rivals. In the spirit of the season let’s just call it the naughty and nice list. Nice means you can make a pass stick without contact. Naughty means expect to get roughed up. With Justin’s excellent car control and Brian’s constant updates on who was in front and who was coming from behind they would pick their way to the front.

Even with the game plan adversity struck early when Justin was forced up onto the K-rail in turn one on lap two. He rounded the corner with two wheels over the outside of the track. Fortunately his Alumi Craft took the abuse without skipping a beat. As the laps wound down the duo picked off more and more places marching to the front. With two laps to go they took the lead and held it to the checkered flag. Excluding the six spots Justin had to make up after he went for a slide on the K-rail, he passed twenty cars in nineteen laps on his way to victory.

“We agreed to help Steve Menzies and his driver Justin Smith when they approached us at the beginning of the season because we felt good things were going to happen”, said Alumi Craft owner John Cooley, “Actually, we do that for all our drivers. Buggy racing is hard, you have to be fearless and yet, there is no room for error. It takes dedication to be successful and that’s what we bring to the track. In the last five years we have been to every race and our results show it. Going back to the CORR series Alumi Craft has won the Unlimited Buggy championship four years in a row and we just picked up our second consecutive championship in the TORQ series this year as well.”

Alumi Craft’s unwavering customer support, race proven design and meticulous craftsmanship all add up to one thing, championship winning performance.

Photography By Brian Binkert
Bink Designs – www.binkdesigns.com

About Alumi Craft
Alumi Craft is the premier racecar chassis manufacturer in the off road industry. Crafting cars from lengths of 4130 Chromoly tubing is our specialty. We offer a variety of vehicles to accommodate the professional off road racer to the recreational driver. For the past three years, ALUMI CRAFT has claimed Three Pro Buggy championships and a Super Buggy Championship in Short Course. The drivers who aided ALUMI CRAFT in achieving the repeat are Rob MacCachren, Chuck Cheek, Cameron Steele and CJ Greaves.

For more information on Alumi Craft Race Cars check out www.alumicraft.info

About Bink Designs
Bink Designs is a premier graphic design company located in San Diego. Since 2003, we have been committed to providing cost-effective solutions to our clients’ high-end graphic needs. Whether you want to create, maintain, or revamp your corporate identity, Bink Designs will work with you to develop a strategy that matches your goals. Bink Designs offers a number of services, including: Identity, Print Design, Vinyl Graphics, Web Design, Photography and Apparel.

Monster Energy brought talent from around the globe to Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOOORRS) season finale.  Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games gold medalist and rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category.  Greaves and Doran joined the usual cast of Monster Energy LOORRS stars that includes Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele.

Saturday was the last race of the season and championships were on the line in all classes.  In the Pro Lite Unlimited class, Casey Currie and Cameron Steele took different paths in their quest for victory, with Currie’s truck powered by a factory sealed V8 engine and Steele’s sporting a high performance four cylinder.  Unfortunately the results were the same for the duo, as mechanical issues limited Steele to a seventh place finish and varying track conditions forced Currie, who was in second place for much of the race, back to fourth by the end.  When the dust settled Steele had finished third for the season and Currie finished fifth in points.

McGrath was coming off a win from the last LOORRS stop in Las Vegas and looking to repeat, but after running under the caution flag half way through the race he was shoved into Carl Renezeder on the first corner of the restart and forced to limp around the track for the remainder.  His injured Monster Energy 2WD truck could not make full use of the 800 horsepower and 35-inch tires and crossed the line in seventh place, putting him in fourth place for the season.  Neither Doran nor Greaves were running for season points in Pro4, so they had nothing to lose by going all out.  Greaves got mixed up in traffic early on and came away with damaged steering, but newcomer Liam Doran banged with Todd LeDuc lap after lap, hanging with the short course veteran right to the checkers to finish in fifth place.  “Short course has huge jumps, trucks sliding sideways, and lots of passing,” Doran commented.    “This is what every kid wants to watch.”

On Sunday the Lord (or at least LOORRS) made cup races, where buggies and trucks, 2WD and 4WD, ran on the track at the same time for five figure paychecks.  Cameron Steele chose to park his Pro Lite Unlimited truck for teammate Brandon Bailey’s Super Buggy, while Currie made suspension adjustments to best the competition.  Steele’s gamble did not pay off, but Currie finished third in a field of 27 drivers despite having zero visibility on the last lap after his hood folded back over the windshield.

The final race of the year pitted the Pro2 Unlimited trucks against the Pro4 Unlimiteds in the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup, with the faster 4WD trucks forced to start half a lap back.  Liam Doran  started dead last amongst the 25 truck field but weaved his way past half the competitors before his transmission called it quits.  Carnage came quickly and hardly a lap went by without a caution or black flag coming out.  Jeremy McGrath was in second place with two turns to go on the final lap when his Monster Energy truck was clipped from behind by Carl Renezeder and passed by two competitors in a controversial finish.  McGrath had some words with Carl and the officials had Jeremy’s back, DQ’ing Renezeder and awarding McGrath third place for a $7500 paycheck.  “The toughest part is having someone else dictate your race,” McGath commented.  “Third isn’t bad but next time things will go differently.”

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

[Show as slideshow]

Rob MacCachren came to Firebird International Raceway for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season finale looking to add a sixth win in the 15 round series.  He qualified third on Friday, putting him on the second row for Saturday’s last points race of the season. Rob Mac was out front in the ROCKSTAR Energy Drink / BFGoodrich Tires / MasterCraft Safety truck and set the fast lap for the race.  He was well on his way to yet another victory when Brian Deegan dove under MacCachren in Turn 3 late in the race and put Rob on his roof.  Deegan was black flagged for his actions and moved to the back of the pack, but the damage had been done and Rob limped around the track to finish mid-pack.  Rob Mac’s five victories in Pro2 Unlimited are more than any other competitor, but incidents like Saturday’s resulted in some uneven finishes this season that caused MacCachren to finish second in points.

MacCachren’s veteran crew worked past midnight on Saturday to prepare his truck for the $30,000 Lucas Oil Challenge Cup race on Sunday afternoon.  MacCachren started on the fifth row next to Brian Deegan in the cup race that pitted Pro2 Unlimited and Pro4 Unlimited trucks against each other for a 25 truck battle royal.  Rob has significant cup experience with three Borg Warner Cup titles to his credit, so he patiently stayed out of the fracas while trucks flipped and disintegrated around him.  Late in the race he was looking to strike when hard contact from Jeff Geiser put Rob Mac’s truck into limp mode.  He coaxed the injured steed around the track to finish out of the money in seventh place.

The off-season for Rob MacCachren is short as he prepares for the SCORE International season opener in Laughlin, Nevada on January 15^th, where he will drive the No. 20 ROCKSTAR Energy Drink / MasterCraft Safety / BFGoodrich Tires Jimco Trophy Truck.  Rob will also be back for the full 2012 LOORRS season, where he has a score to settle with some of his Pro2 Unlimited competitors.   For the latest Rob MacCachren updates follow him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/21RobMac.

Rob MacCachren is sponsored by:

ROCKSTAR Energy Drink • BFGoodrich Tires • MasterCraft Safety • TRAXXAS

Fox Racing Shox • KC HiLites • Motive Gear • ProAm Racing Products

Racin’ Dirty • K&N Filters • TCS Performance Products

Patton Racing Engines • Rancho Drivetrain Engineering

About Rob MacCachren:

Rob MacCachren possesses a rare combination of skills that ranks him among the elite of off-road racing, regardless of the venue.  His 25 year racing career includes an unmatched 189 race victories and 20 series championships in both short course and open desert racing.  Amongst those victories are 5 SCORE Baja 500 wins and 5 SCORE Baja 1000 victories in the desert, the crown jewel of which was MacCachren’s domination at the 1296 mile run down the Mexican peninsula at the 2007 SCORE Baja 1000.  Good things come in threes for MacCachren in short course racing, as the talented driver has won three consecutive series championships, three consecutive Borg Warner Cup races, three Governor’s Cups, and been named to the Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association Auto Racing All-America First Team three times in his career.

About ROCKSTAR Energy Drink:

“ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available in eighteen amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, Roasted Light Vanilla, Roasted Espresso, Energy Cola, Recovery Lemonade, Recovery Grape, Recovery Orange, Pink, and 2X.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Mexico, the Philippines and throughout the United Kingdom.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK supports the active Rockstar lifestyle. In Motocross, Music, Supercross, FMX, Off Road Racing, MotoGP, Road Racing, Rally Racing, Rallycross, Snowboard, Snowmobile, Ski, Surf, Skate, Wake, MMA, Boxing, Bull Riding, BMX, and BMX Racing.  Go to www.rockstar69.com or www.facebook.com/rockstar for athlete, music, and event updates. Check out videos, profiles, and product information.

Now that the 2011 regular season is over, there is only one day of racing left this year for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, presented by GEICO, and for many, it’s the day they look forward to most. That’s right, it’s the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup, the day when points aren’t on offer, but cash and bragging rights are. With lots of money up for grabs, as well as the two unique, once-a-year “class vs. class” races, it was no wonder that fans flocked in and filled the stands here at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, AZ. These races are the ones which, perhaps more than any other, all the drivers want to win, and everyone has their own strategy on how to pull off a victory. One thing is for sure, though: nobody shows anyone any mercy in these races, and the infields and hot pits are invariably filled with broken, mangled, and immobile trucks and buggies by race’s end. These races are the hardest ones to win, and anyone who comes out on top can say they’ve accomplished something truly special.

UTV
The first of today’s Lucas Oil Challenge Cup races was the UTV race, and while it seems like the two classes, SR1 UTV and Unlimited UTV, have been racing each other all season long, this is the first and only race of the year in which the two classes were actually competing against one another for the same prize: gift certificates for driving instruction at the Cory Kruseman’s Sprint Car and Midget Driving School, the same school which has helped improve the skills of none other than 2011 dual class champion Brian Deegan. With a slight difference in average lap times between the two classes, the slower Unlimited UTVs were given a head start of approximately ten seconds over the SR1s, and with RJ Anderson being the only driver who decided to represent the Unlimited UTVs today, he had the track all to himself in his bid to hold off the SR1s. In the early laps, Anderson ran what amounted to a time trial out front in his #637 Walker Evans Racing/South Point Las Vegas Polaris, while the SR1s gradually closed in by a little under one second per lap, with Ryan Beat leading the charge from behind in his #851 Hart and Huntington/Black Rhino Kawasaki. Behind Beat, it was Doug Mittag who was up to third by lap three in his #848 Monster Energy/Custom Off Road Design Kawasaki, with Dan Kelly fourth in the #824 OffRoadMagnet.com/Muzzys Kawasaki, and Code Rahders fifth in the #816 SuperChips/K&N Yamaha. As the field closed in on the halfway mark, Beat was now really being hounded by Mittag for second place, and Mittag managed to get a nose on Beat into turn three, taking the lead as the two headed towards the step-up jump and turn four. Just after making the pass, though, smoke began puffing, then billowing out the back of Mittag’s machine, and as the field crossed the start/finish for the Competition Yellow, things weren’t looking good for Mittag. His crew was hoping it might be a shock that had gotten too hot, but when fire could be seem coming from his engine bay while the field paraded under yellow, it became evident that Mittag’s day was done. Mittag got out, and ran to the side of the track to give a big thumbs up to Anderson and Beat as they paraded by for another lap under yellow, and when racing resumed, it was Anderson who really had a challenge at hand to try and hold off the faster SR1s. Anderson managed to do so for a lap, but on lap 11, Beat used his SR1′s superior top speed up the long straight from turn one to turn two to get past Anderson and into the lead. On the next lap, Rahders slid into Anderson as the two entered turn two, forcing Anderson way high and up towards the wall, and dropping him back to last place. Rahders moved into second place, and really began hounding Beat for the lead. On the penultimate lap, Rahders got inside of Beat and briefly held the lead at turn three, but Beat managed to hold him off, and after losing some ground with a near-spin coming out of turn two on the final lap, Rahders’ run at the win was over, as Beat went clear on his way to his second consecutive Challenge Cup win. Second went to Rahders, but he was then penalized one spot for his incident with Anderson, which dropped him to third, and gave second to Kelly. Fourth went to Bryan Osborn in the #854 Black Rhino/Rigid Industries LED Lighting Yamaha, and Anderson rounded out the top five.

Modified Kart
Next up were the Modified Karts, a class that never fails to deliver great, exciting racing, and today was no different. These drivers, as were all the top three finishers in each kart class, had Cory Kruseman’s Sprint Car and Midget Driving School gift certificates on the line, and with the potential to up their skills on the line, these drivers were extra hungry for the win today. Class champion Mitchell DeJong was strangely absent from the race today, but Cole Mamer led what was still a tremendous field after the first lap in his #535 Full Tilt Trophy Karts/Simpson kart. In second, it was Kyle Hart in the #523 GearUp2Go.com/Duncan Racing truck, with Jeff Hoffman third in the #547 BRT Signs/Cactus Asphalt machine, Scotty Steele fourth in the #548 Steele Racing/CMI entry, and Mitch Guthrie Jr. fifth in the #555 Walker Evans Racing/Losi machine. Steele moved up to third on lap three, and contact between Hart and Mamer meant that Steele would pick up another spot on the same lap, as Hart dropped back just briefly. Guthrie Jr. took over fourth on the next lap, while up front, the battle for the lead was really heating up. On lap six, Mamer and Steele flew past the start/finish line side-by-side in mid-air, with Mamer just managing to hold Steele at bay. By the Competition Yellow, the running order was Mamer, Steele, Hart, Guthrie Jr., and Hoffman in the top five, all of whom were lucky to avoid the errant wheel that rolled across the track in front of them as they exited turn five. The wheel had come off of Jerett Brooks’ kart, and had rolled clear from turn three to cause a brief moment of extra worry for all the parents sitting in the stands, but fortunately, no damage was done. On the restart lap, Hart was the only driver to use the low line in the either/or section, and he put it to perfect use, swinging wide as the two lines re-joined to keep those with more momentum from the high line at bay. Hart took the lead, and quickly began to open up a lead. Behind him, Bradley Morris was now up to fifth in his #504 K&N/Trophy Kart machine, and Morris moved up another spot to fourth on the next lap. Two laps later, Morris got by yet another driver, as he moved ahead of Guthrie Jr. and into third place. The running order was now Hart, Steele, Morris, Guthrie Jr., and Mamer with just two laps left, and on the penultimate lap, Mamer lost a wheel, which rolled down to and across turn one, and right into the path of Myles Cheek. Cheek managed to run over the tire squarely without incurring any significant damage, and continued on while hardly missing a beat. On the final lap, Steele and Morris touched coming into turn three, which caused Steele to flatten a tire, and sent him into a near-crash. Steele kept his ride upright but his race was over, and in the midst of the whole incident, Guthrie Jr. squeaked by both drivers and into second. Up front, Hart was well clear as he raced home to victory, followed by Guthrie Jr., Morris, Blake Lenk in the #521 Walker Evans Racing/Redline Performance kart, and Cheek in the #557 CMI/Pro Circuit machine.

Junior 1 Kart
It was another exciting race in Junior 1 Kart today, with Travis PeCoy taking the early lead in his #211 K&N/RC10.com machine, followed by Gavin Harlien in the #232 Racer Services/Full Tilt Trophy Karts truck, Preston Roben in the #210 Duggins Construction/Canidae kart, Cole Dexheimer in the #226 King Off Road Racing Shocks/Hoosier entry, and Broc Dickerson in the #223 Dickerson Motorsports/Hoosier kart. Harlien leapfrogged PeCoy on lap two to take the lead, with Dickerson jumping up two spots to third. Roben then passed Dickerson back on lap three, and did it the hard way, as he held his line outside of Dickerson all the way from turn one into turn three. Roben picked up another spot coming into turn one on lap five, while Dickerson pushed PeCoy wide to make the pass in the same corner. Roben was then nearly spun coming out of turn five, which dropped him back to fourth, and at the Competition Yellow, it was Harlien, Dickerson, PeCoy, Roben, and Darren Hardesty in the #231 Bilstein Shock Absorbers/Lucas Oil truck in the top five. These drivers held their positions on the restart lap, but by the end of lap eight, Roben had passed Dickerson for third, while Dexheimer and PeCoy were up to fourth and fifth. Wolfgang Ries then got by PeCoy for fifth on lap nine, and Dickerson moved up to second again on the lap after that. Dickerson seemed determined to get to the front, and went inside of Harlien into turn one to snag the lead on the penultimate lap. Dickerson then got a little breathing room as he began his last lap, as it seemed like Harlien and Roben were briefly locked together bumper-to-bumper down the front straight, which slowed the two for a moment. In the end, Dickerson backed up his championship with a win in the Challenge Cup, with second going to Harlien, third to Roben, fourth to Dexheimer, and fifth to Ries.

Junior 2 Kart
In the final kids race of the season, it was Shelby Anderson who took full advantage of her shot at a restart after the first start ended in front row starter Jeremy Davis getting spun out, as she took the early lead in her #405 Walker Evans Racing/Anderson’s Nu Power kart. Preston Roben, fresh off of his podium finish in the Junior 1 Kart race, ran second, followed by Weston Schuck, Maxwell Ries, and Paige Porter in the #462 Redline Performance/T-Bird Lounge & Restaurant truck. The top five held their positions through the first four laps, but on lap five, Roben got a great run out of turn one and into turn two to take the lead away from Anderson, while further back, newly-crowned champion Myles Cheek was up to fifth in the #457 CMI/Lucas Oil machine after Porter got a little out of shape in turn three. At the Competition Yellow, the top five was made up of Roben, Anderson, Schuck in the #404 Fiberwerx/Hoosier entry, Ries in the #474 McQueen Prototype Design/Intensetees machine, and Cheek. The top five remained unchanged after the restart lap, but on lap eight, Cheek got a little too aggressive in turn four, and after getting into the side of Ries and Schuck, ended up off the track on the inside for a moment, which dropped him back a few spots, and gave fifth to Brock Heger in the #411 Driscoll’s Surf N Skate/Signpros truck. Jeremy Davis then snagged that spot on the next lap in his #485 Green Army/Jamar entry, but after running wide at turn four on lap eleven, Heger got the spot back. On the final lap, there was some substantial beating and banging going on between Schuck, Ries, and Heger from turn four to turn five, which ended up costing Schuck two spots as he dropped to fifth. Up front, Roben moved two spots up the podium from where he finished in Junior 1 Kart, taking the win and the 60-lap instructional certificate that came with it. Second went to Anderson, third to Ries, fourth place was Heger, and rounding out the top five was Schuck.

Limited Buggy
Following Opening Ceremonies, which included another great rendition of The National Anthem by Kids Rock Free singer Ariana Nieto, as well as some special words from Michelle Wilson-Huseman, wife of recently-fallen Lucas Oil Off Road legend Rick Huseman (Michelle brought along she and Rick’s son “Little Ricky,” and also gave the drivers their instructions to “start your engines”), it was time for the first money race of the day. The top ten drivers in regular season points were inverted to make up the top ten starting positions, leaving points champion Curt Geer to start tenth, and tenth place points finisher Greg Crew to start from the inside front row. Geoffrey Cooley had a great start, and coming from row three, managed to get to the front in his #322 Competitive Metals/MasterCraft Safety AlumiCraft. With other drivers getting caught up in traffic on the first lap, Cooley had a sizeable lead from the get-go, with John Fitzgerald, Bradley Morris, Quentin Tucker, and Geer running behind him in the top five. Morris and Geer collected in turn one and dropped well back on lap two, moving Tucker to third, Kevin McCullough to fourth, and Lindsay Geiser to fifth in her #395 Canidae/MasterCraft Safety Geiser. On lap four, Zac Hunt drove inside Geiser at turn one, and moved ahead to take fifth spot in his #334 Speed Energy/Fat Performance AlumiCraft. Hunt then began to close on McCullough for fourth, and was right on him by lap seven. Up front, Fitzgerald was catching Cooley just ever-so-slightly, but at the Competition Yellow, the running order was still Cooley, Fitzgerald, Tucker, McCullough, and Hunt in the top five. This order remained the same after the restart and through lap ten, with Cooley opening a gap over Fitzgerald once again. On lap eleven, Morris used the lower line in the either/or section to get by Hunt for fifth, but after contacting McCullough coming out of turn one on lap thirteen, Morris slowed briefly, and Dave Mason shot by and into fifth place. Up front, Fitzgerald was giving it everything to try and hunt down Cooley, and on the last few laps, made up substantial ground in turn three, only to give most of it back between turns four and five. On the last lap, Fitzgerald had a good run on Cooley coming into turn four, but the young driver was not to be denied his first win in the class any longer, as Cooley shut the door on Fitzgerald and zipped home for the victory. After so many near-misses over the past two seasons, this must have been a really sweet victory for Cooley, especially with it being the biggest race of the year, a race that saw him take home $4,000 for the win- congratulations Geoffrey! Second place, as well as a check for $2,000, went to Fitzgerald, while the $1,000 third place prize went to Tucker. Mason finished fourth in his #365 B&R Buggie/RSC Equipment Rental AlumiCraft, and McCullough finished up the race in fifth place.

Super Lite
Next up was the Super Lite cup race, and the money on offer was even more substantial than in Limited Buggy, with $10,000 going to the winner, $6,000 to second place, and $4,000 to third. As was the case in Limited Buggy, the top ten points finishers were inverted to make up the top ten starting positions, and it was Austin Kimbrell, coming from the outside of row three, who took the early lead in his #88 Xtreme Machine & Fabrication/Ivy Trucking and Grading truck. Kyle Lucas ran second in the #11 Lucas Oil/Howard Packaging entry, with Jessie Johnson third in the #15 A.M. Ortega/MasterCraft Safety machine, Mike McCarthy fourth in the #77 General Tire/K&N truck, and Jason Ellis fifth in the #41 Dethrone Racing/MavTV entry. McCarthy landed badly off the first jump on lap two, and crashed hard into turn one. This led to a full-course caution, and on the restart lap, it was Lucas who moved ahead of Kimbrell to take the lead. RJ Anderson was also on the move, and picked up several spots as he slotted into third in his #37 Dethrone Racing/SoCal Super Trucks machine. Anderson moved up another spot early in the next lap, and when Lucas bicycled in turn three and dropped to fifth, Anderson was right there to take over at the head of the field. On lap eight, both Ron Duncombe and Chad George got around Lucas, with George then moving past Duncombe and into fifth place. At the Competition Yellow, it was Anderson out front, followed by Kimbrell, Patrick Clark in the #25 BFGoodrich Tires/Method Race Wheels truck, Johnson, and George in the #42 Kawasaki/Yokohama machine in the top five. While under yellow, McCarthy emerged from the hot pits to re-join the fray, which was nice to see after his earlier crash. The green flag then waved again, and on the restart lap, George touched Johnson side to side off the ski jump out of turn two, and with no way to stop his momentum, Johnson landed and crashed into the k-rail. The accident wasn’t actually too bad, but Johnson’s truck was too damaged to continue. Just a few corners later, George, Lucas, Clark, and Kimbrell came through turn five in a big clump, and George was pushed wide and into the outside k-rail. As was the case with Johnson, George’s truck was too damaged to continue, and the running order was now Anderson, Kimbrell, Clark, Lucas, and Brent Fouch in the #21 Forgiven Energy/General Tire entry. Lucas pulled into the hot pits and out of the race on the next lap, and with Anderson leaving the rest of the field for dead, the fight for second between Kimbrell and Clark was the best race on the track. Kimbrell held off Clark through the checkered flag, but he was moved down to third by the officials for rough driving. In the end, the big win went to Anderson, with Clark taking second, Kimbrell third, Fouch fourth, and Duncombe fifth in the #4 Maverik/Jack Link’s truck.

Pro Lite Unlimited vs. Pro Buggy Unlimited
The excitement in the stands really ramped up now, as the first of our two “class vs. class” races was up next. A total of $35,000 was on offer here ($20,000 to first, $10,000 to second, and $5,000 to third), and with the two classes running such similar lap times here, the Pro Buggy Unlimiteds would simply start at the tail end of the Pro Lite Unlimited field, without the trucks having the traditional half lap head start. Again, the top ten point finishers in each class were inverted to make up the top ten starting positions within each class, which meant that Jacob Person and Matt Cook started up front in their trucks, while open wheel champion Mike Porter started way back in twentieth.

Corey Sisler grabbed the early lead in his #19 AEM Performance Electronics/BFGoodrich Tires Ford, and was followed by Kyle LeDuc, Jimmy Stephensen, Chris Brandt, and Austin Kimbrell. Brandt and Brian Deegan moved up to third and fourth on lap two, with Stephensen dropping to fifth, while the first buggy, Justin “Bean” Smith in the #19 Competitive Metals/Metal Mulisha AlumiCraft, was already up to eighth. LeDuc got the lead away from Sisler on lap three, while Casey Currie also picked up a spot as he moved into fifth in his #2 Monster Energy/Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Nissan. Smith picked up two more spots on lap four, and now ran in sixth, while up front, LeDuc was opening up a gap on the field. The running order back to Smith went unchanged through the end of lap seven, but after working on him for several laps, Smith finally got by Currie and up to fifth. Teammates Deegan and Smith both got by Brandt on lap nine, with Smith then going inside of Deegan in turn three to move into third on lap ten. At the Competition Yellow, LeDuc still led in his #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford, followed by Sisler, Smith, Deegan in the #38 Lucas Oil/Rockstar Ford, Brandt in the #82 BFGoodrich Tires/KarTek Toyota, Currie, Steven Greinke (second buggy driver), Rodrigo Ampudia, Doug Fortin (buggy), and Cameron Steele (filling in for teammate Brandon Bailey in Bailey’s buggy). On the restart lap, Deegan got caught up in some contact, which damaged his truck enough to force him to the sidelines. Brandt and Currie moved into fourth and fifth, just before a rollover in turn four by Kimbrell forced a full-course caution. On the restart lap, Greinke moved up to fifth in his #23 SC Fuels/Concourse Racer, and on the following lap, Sisler got by LeDuc to re-take the lead in turn one. LeDuc was then hit and pushed wide in turn four, and by lap’s end, he had dropped back to fifth. LeDuc rolled at turn one on lap 18, which ended his day, and forced another full-course caution. As a green-white-checkers finish was called for, the running order in the top five was Sisler, Smith, Brandt, Greinke, Fortin in the #96 Fortin Racing, Inc./McGrath Fiberglass Products Racer. On the restart lap, Ampudia and Greinke collected in turn one, ending both of their races, while at the head of the field, it was a cruel twist of fate as Sisler, who had less than two laps between himself and his first win in short course, saw his hopes dashed as his motor exploded in spectacular fashion, with huge billowing clouds of smoke pouring at behind him as his truck drifted to the sidelines. Smith took the lead kept it from there, as he poured it on all the way to the $20,000 that awaited him at the finish line. Smith’s win was one of remarkably measured strategy and patience, made all the more impressive by the fact that could’ve been sidelined on lap two, when other drivers forced him so high in turn one that he ended up sliding the bottom of his car across the top of the outside k-rail. Fortunately for Smith, his car survived, and his win capped a very successful first season in the Pro Buggy Unlimited ranks, and also ensured that the “buggy dorks” maintain a perfect 3-0 record against the trucks in this annual race. Second went to Brandt, who was the first truck finisher, and the recipient of $10,000, with Currie coming across the line third with his hood flipped back so far that he must’ve been struggling desperately to see; Currie picked up $5,000. Fourth place was Fortin, fifth Rich Ronco in the #99 Yokohama/FK Rod Ends Tatum (buggy), sixth Garrett George in the #71 Beard Seats/King Off Road Racing Shocks Funco (buggy), seventh Cameron Steele in the #17 RSC Equipment Rental/Stronghold Motorsports AlumiCraft (buggy), eighth Matt Loiodice in the #20 Competitive Metals/Maxxis Ford, ninth Malcolm Pointon in the #78 K&N/Southwest Processors Foddrill (buggy), and tenth Gregg Reichman in the #80 JointVenturePros.com/Redline Fuel Management Foddrill (buggy); Reichman was the final finisher on the lead lap.

Pro 2 Unlimited vs. Pro 4 Unlimited
The final race of the year would be the Pro 2 Unlimited vs. Pro 4 Unlimited cup race, and unlike the trucks vs. buggies shootout, this race’s slower class, Pro 2 Unlimited, would be given a half lap head start. After inverting the top ten in points to make up the first ten starting slots in each class, it would be Robby Woods and Jeff Geiser leading the charge for the 2wds, with Adrian Cenni and Curt LeDuc heading up the 4wd attack. Oh yeah, and there was $30,000 on offer for the winner, $15,000 for second, $7,500 for third, and $1,000 to the top finisher in whichever class didn’t win the race, so don’t think that these boys weren’t foaming at the mouth to see the green flag drop.

Woods led the field from the get go in his #99 Lucas Slick Mist/SuperChips Chevrolet, with Jeff Geiser in the #44 Canidae/BulletProofDiesel.com Chevrolet, Carl Renezeder (who chose to run his 2wd this year) in the #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford, Rodrigo Ampudia in the #36 Tecate/Lucas Oil Ford, and Rob Naughton in the #54 ReadyLift/Maxxis Ford in tow. Jeremy McGrath moved up to fifth on lap two, then into fourth on lap three in his #2 Monster Energy/Toyo Tires Ford, with teammate Naughton just behind in fifth. The 4wds took a little longer to get into the top ten, but by lap five, Adrian Cenni was the first to do so, as his #11 Atrium Payroll/4 Wheel Parts truck ran ninth. Kyle LeDuc got by Cenni to become the leading Pro 4 Unlimited on the next lap, and by lap seven, he was up to fourth overall. With the Pro 4 Unlimiteds’ ability to use any line on the track, as well as accelerate so much quicker out of the corners, the 2wds seemed helpless to stop the 4wds’ onslaught, and it seemed inevitable that a 4wd would be the winner of this race for the third straight year.

A red flag of the race was thrown when Ampudia rolled hard in turn five and his truck caught fire. Ampudia was ok but his truck was damaged pretty badly, forcing him out of the race. When racing resumed, LeDuc and his #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford picked off the remaining two Pro 2 Unlimited drivers ahead of him, Geiser and then Woods, taking the lead into turn four. Suddenly, though, LeDuc lost a right rear wheel, and as quickly as the race seemed all wrapped up, the fight for the win was on again in earnest. The field ran several laps under yellow, allowing crews to clear both LeDuc’s and Evan Evans’ wrecks (Evans crashed in the same area where LeDuc lost his wheel; Evans was ok), then returned to green flag racing. After the restart lap, Woods still led, with Renezeder second, McGrath third, Cenni fourth, and Naughton fifth. Cenni picked off McGrath for third on lap 16, and on lap 17, Renezeder got by Woods to take the race lead. Behind this, Todd LeDuc was now making it two Pro 4 Unlimiteds in the top five, as he moved up to fourth in his #4 Rockstar/Makita Ford. On lap 18, Cenni spun Renezeder at turn four, and moved into the race lead as Renezeder dropped to fifth. LeDuc ran second now, and once again, victory seemed ensured for the 4wds. However, LeDuc then rolled in turn four on the next lap, and while the field bunched up under another full-course caution, officials gave Cenni the black flag for his incident with Renezeder. Cenni pulled into the hot pits and did not return, handing the lead now to Naughton, with Doug Fortin, driving Travis Coyne’s truck, left to try and defend the honors of the 4wds from clear back in fifth with just two laps left. As soon as the green flag dropped for the final time, Naughton was flying, and still headed the field at the white flag, with McGrath, Renezeder, Brian Deegan in the #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford, and Fortin in the #5 ProComp/Team Associated Ford, and Brian Deegan in the #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford behind him. On the final lap, Naughton soared off the ski jump after turn two, and with flames shooting from the top of the Rockstar arch, it was truly a magnificent spectacle. In the final corner, with Naughton still in the lead, Renezeder got into McGrath and spun him. Renezeder nearly stacked it up after catching his nose on the landing off the last roller out of the corner, and as his truck stuttered, Fortin swerved to avoid an accident, but ended up off the course on the inside and rolling over. The whole field stacked in behind all this, with Renezeder escaping to hold second. After the finish, though, Renezeder was moved to the back of the lead lap by officials for rough driving, which meant Deegan would take second and $15,000, while McGrath recovered well enough to take third and $7,500. Fourth went to Geiser, fifth to Nick Tyree in the #91 Competitive Metals/Method Race Wheels Ford, and sixth to Josh Merrell in the #22 Hart and Huntington/MavTV Ford; Merrell was the top Pro 4 Unlimited finisher, which earned him $1,000. Rob MacCachren took seventh in the #1 Rockstar/MasterCraft Safety Ford, with Curt LeDuc eighth in the #43 Rockstar/Makita Ford (4wd), Renezeder ninth, and Fortin tenth. Ahead of all these drivers, though, was Rob Naughton, who parked his truck in front of the main grandstands on the front straight, climbed atop it, fists in the air, pointing to his helmet in celebration of his terrific win. Naughton drove a calculated, intelligent race to get the win and its $30,000 bonus, and becomes the first Pro 2 Unlimited driver in the history of Lucas Oil Off Road to win the Pro 2 Unlimited vs. Pro 4 Unlimited Challenge Cup.

That wraps up the 2011 season of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Don’t rest on your laurels too much, though, as we certainly won’t be. The 2012 season isn’t far away, and will begin right back here at Firebird, with Rounds 1 and 2 on March 31 and April 1, 2012. Until then, have a safe and joyous holiday season, and to get your fix of flying trucks and slinging mud, make sure you catch all the Lucas Oil Off Road racing that will be on tv during the off season; our television schedule can be found atlucasoiloffroad.com. See you in 2012!

About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit www.LucasOilOffRoad.com.

Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8-Time National Champion: Carl Renezeder

(truck and team photos © HighRev Photography)

CHANDLER, AZ (December 12, 2011) – It’s only fitting that the guy who drives with the heart of a champion is not only the winningest driver in the short-course, off-road world, but now has the most national titles of any short-course driver in the history of the sport.  The 2011 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing season hosted Carl Renezeder’s phenomenal run to his eighth championship, where he finished on the podium 14 out of 15 races, with three wins, nine seconds, two thirds and one fourth.

“I’d have to go back and look at the stats, but in all my years of doing this, I don’t think we’ve ever has such consistent finishes in one class,” explained Renezeder.  “We’re incredibly proud of all the podium finishes, but even more so with the fact that we had no DNFs in Pro-4 – that’s a huge accomplishment.”

But even all those stats and the garland of champions’ roses around his neck couldn’t lift the spirits of Renezeder and his team when an amazing second-place finish in his Pro-2 truck in the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup was taken away by the officials.  Renezeder, having had a lot of success in his history of Cup races, decided to take a chance in Sunday’s race by choosing his Pro-2 over the quicker lap-times of his Pro-4.

“We had a mechanical failure in the Pro-2 on Saturday early in the race, and I never got a chance to run it hard,” explained Renezeder.  “I just felt like the truck had something left to prove this season.”

He was right.  The truck was flawless throughout the race, giving Renezeder the opportunity to drive his race and cross the finish line in second place after some epic on-track battles.  From a fourth row start, he led the race at one time, held off some hard-charging Pro-4s, worked his way back forward after being spun out mid-race, and then made a phenomenal save on the last lap when he was part of a three-truck collision to come across the line in second.  The collision was reviewed by officials for several minutes while the drivers found their way to victory lane, then the finishing order was announced and television interviews were conducted, with Renezeder being congratulated by CBS, Versus, SPEED and MavTV for his second-place finish.  But before they paraded the drivers up onto the podium, the officials announced a change to the finishing order, black-flagging Renezeder, thus moving him back to a ninth-place finish.

“I honestly don’t understand it,” commented a dejected Renezeder.  “I feel bad for the team – we didn’t deserve to have that taken away from us.”

It’s a tough way to finish out a great season and a great race.  But no one can take away how amazing the truck worked on Sunday and how well Renezeder drove it.  He always drives with calculating skill and finesse, but more importantly, he drives with an overwhelming will to win and the heart to back it up.  He is simply a champion.

Follow the Team on Facebook and Twitter:

Facebook.com/TeamRenezeder

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(photo courtesy of General Tire)

About Carl Renezeder

Birth date: April 16, 1964
Residence: Laguna Beach, CA
Home Town: Montebello, CA
Family: Wife: Kelley; 4 Children

97 Career Short Course Wins (21 in Lucas Oil Off Road Series, 65 in CORR, 10 in WSORR, 1 in RJORGP) (Pro-2 = 45 wins; Pro-4 = 52 wins)

8-time National Champion (LOORRS Pro-4 – 2011; LOORRS U4 – 2009; LOORRS U2 – 2009; CORR Pro-4 – 2003, 2007, 2008; CORR Pro-2 – 2005 & 2006) 

2011: LOORRS Pro-4 Champion with 3 Wins; 2 LOORRS Pro-2 Wins

2010: 2^nd in LOORRS Pro-2 Unlimited points with 3 wins; 3rd in LOORRS Pro-4 Unlimited points with 2 wins

2009: LOORRS Unlimited 4 Champion; LOORRS Unlimited 2 Champion; 8 Unlimited-4 wins including the inaugural Rockstar Energy Lucas Oil Challenge Cup; 3 Unlimited-2 wins; Dirtsports Magazine Short Course Driver of the Year

2008: CORR Pro-4 Champion; 4 CORR Pro-4 wins; 2 CORR Pro-2 wins; 2 WSORR Pro-4×4 wins; 2 WSORR Pro-2WD wins; 1 RJORGP GP4 win; Won Day 2 of SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

2007: CORR Pro-4 Champion; 8 CORR Pro-4 wins including the Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup; 3rd in CORR Pro-2 points; 7 CORR Pro-2 wins; 3 WSORR Pro4x4 wins including the FCP Chairman’s Cup; 3 WSORR Pro2WD wins; Won 40th Annual SCORE Baja 1000 with Riviera Racing

2006: CORR Pro-2 Champion; 6 CORR Pro-2 wins; 2nd in CORR Pro-4 points; 4 CORR Pro-4 wins; Won SCORE Laughlin Leap (159’), Won Day 1, 2nd overall at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge; 3rd in SCORE Las Vegas PRIMM 300; Dirtsports Magazine Driver of the Year

2005: CORR Pro-2 Champion; 9 CORR wins – 4 in Pro-2 and 5 in Pro-4, including the Nissan Nationals; 2nd in CORR Pro-4 points

2004: 8 CORR wins – 3 in Pro-2 and 5 in Pro-4, including the Governor’s Cup Championship; 2nd in CORR Pro-4 points; 3rd in CORR Pro-2 points

2003: CORR Pro-4 Champion; 8 CORR wins – 3 in Pro-2 and 5 in Pro-4, including the Borg Warner World Championship; 2nd in CORR Pro-2 points

1994-2002: 9 CORR wins (7 in Pro-2; 2 in Pro-4) and multiple podiums in CORR; Won SCORE Baja 1000 (Class 1 – 1994); 2 podium finishes in SCORE Baja 500

As the season comes full circle, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, presented by GEICO, is back at Firebird International Raceway for the final weekend of the 2011 season. Only one regular season round was left to determine the 2011 champions of ten out of our eleven classes, so the drivers in those points battles had it all to do today. All the other drivers had their own motivation as well, as any driver worth anything would want to bring home a win in the last race of the regular season, and there was no denying the tension in the air or the ferocity of competition here today. This is a great track, with a couple of unique features that we don’t see anywhere else, like the challenging step-up jump into turn four (for the adult classes only), and the multi-line “either/or” section, where drivers have two lines to choose from, between turns four and five. The stands were packed and the weather was great, as was the racing, so if you couldn’t be here, you really missed out.

UTV
First out onto the full-length track were the UTVs, and on the opening lap, a scary moment led to what must have been a heart-in-her-throat race for SR1 points leader Corry Weller. While battling for the lead with Doug Mittag, Weller tried to make the step-up jump, caught her rear tires on the lip of the landing, and came down hard, bending her chassis and pushing her right front a-arm back. This made steering very difficult, and sent her straight towards the outside barrier at turn four. With a point gap of 19 points over John Dempsey coming into today’s finale, there weren’t enough starters to make a big enough points gap to allow Dempsey to catch Weller, but she continued to limp her wounded ride along, just to be safe. Up front, Mittag was leading in his #848 Monster Energy/Gear One Kawasaki, with Robert Vanbeekum second (and the leading Unlimited UTV) in his #664 Monster Energy/Muzzys Kawasaki. Dan Kelly ran third in the #824 OffRoadMagnet.com/Maxxis Kawasaki, followed by Tyler Winbury in the #894 4130 Clothing/Black Rhino Yamaha, and Ryan Beat in the #851 Hart and Huntington/Black Rhino Kawasaki. On lap four, Kelly bicycled in turn three and dropped back to fifth, and on lap seven, Winbury lost a front wheel, ending his first run in the SR1 class. At the Competition Yellow, Mittag was still out front, with Beat now second, Vanbeekum third, Kelly fourth, and John Dempsey fifth in the #855 Custom Off Road Design/Dempsey Construction Kawasaki. On the restart lap, Beat went for it over the step-up, a move that ended even worse for him than it did for Weller, as he clipped his rear tires on the landing lip and went for an ugly tumble, ending his race. Mittag maintained his lead, despite running at a reduced pace with a broken shock, as Vanbeekum, Chad George, Kelly, and Code Rahders were all in hot pursuit. Rahders fell away on lap eleven, but up front, with his spotters telling him to drive his machine for everything it was worth, George had now gotten around Vanbeekum and moved into second in his #1 Monster Energy/Funco Kawasaki. George and Vanbeekum were now closing on Mittag for the overall lead, and just short of the white flag, both drivers moved by and into the top two spots. Unfortunately for Vanbeekum, a heating issue dropped him out on the final lap, but up front, George came home the big winner in Unlimited UTV, and was the first Unlimited UTV driver to win the UTV race overall this season! Second overall and first in SR1 was Mittag, with Kelly taking third overall, second in SR1. Dempsey finished third in SR1, fourth overall after driving the entire race without power steering, while Vanbeekum and RJ Anderson rounded out the Unlimited UTV podium. In the championship chases, Weller’s incident wasn’t enough to deny her the title, as she improved on her runner-up spot last year to take the SR1 UTV championship this year- congratulations Corry! Anderson had a tough day today, but came in with enough of a cushion that the title couldn’t go to anyone else. Anderson managed a pretty tough feat, as he knocked off perennial Unlimited UTV champion Chad George to take the Unlimited UTV title this year- way to go RJ!

As far as championships go, Weller and Anderson were the big winners in their respective classes. Behind Weller in SR1, it was teammates Mittag and Dempsey (separated by just one point) in second and third, Rahders in fourth, and Bryan Osborn in fifth. In Unlimited UTV, Vanbeekum finished second, George third, Winbury fourth, and Hans Waage fifth.

Limited Buggy
The final race before Opening Ceremonies was Limited Buggy, and there was a pretty close points gap, 18 points to be exact, between leader Curt Geer and second-placed Dave Mason as the two entered the final round. Quentin Tucker was also in the running at 43 points back, but would have to hope for major issues for Geer and Mason if he wanted a shot at the title. Tucker did everything he could from the drop of the green flag, grabbing the early lead in his #377 General Tire/McKenzies buggy, with John Fitzgerald, Kevin McCullough, Bradley Morris, and Geoffrey Cooley in tow. Morris used the low line at the either/or to get by McCullough for third on lap three, and on the next lap, Fitzgerald got the lead away from Tucker, while McCullough dropped back to sixth. Morris then moved inside of Tucker and made the pass stick at turn three to take over second on lap five, with Tucker then losing two more spots to Cooley and Geer before the Competition Yellow. Fitzgerald still led in his #314 BFGoodrich Tires/Wiks Racing Engines buggy at this point, and was followed by the #304 Lucas Oil/K&N AlumiCraft of Morris, Cooley in the #322 Competitive Metals/MasterCraft Safety AlumiCraft, Geer in the #385 Green Army/Bowden Development, Inc. Lothringer, and Tucker. Geer had a slower getaway on the restart, and was passed by both Tucker and McCullough as he dropped to sixth. Geer’s closest championship rival, Mason, was still mired back around seventh or eighth after starting at the back due to an engine change, so Geer was just trying to keep clear of any incidents as the laps wound down. Meanwhile, Cooley re-took third from Tucker after losing that spot on the restart lap, and Geer got back into the top five after getting around McCullough. On the penultimate lap, Geer then moved past Tucker to take over fourth, and from there on in, the top five drivers held their positions, with the big win going to Fitzgerald. Second place was Morris, Cooley finished third, with Geer taking fourth and Tucker fifth; Mason wound up seventh. Geer’s fourth place was easily enough to garner him the championship, and a solid season that included three wins, three second places, one third place, and three poles means that he is the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Limited Buggy Champion- congratulations Curt! Behind Geer, Mason was the championship runner-up, with Tucker taking third, Fitzgerald fourth, and Morris fifth.

Pro 4 Unlimited  Following a resounding edition of Opening Ceremonies, during which young Kids Rock Free singer Ariana Nieto absolutely knocked it out of the park as she sang the National Anthem, it was time for Pro 4 Unlimited. The crowd was stunned by the performance of the young lady, and the cheers only grew louder as the drivers were given the command to “start your engines.”

Adrian Cenni, making his return after missing the last two rounds, grabbed the top spot early in his #11 Atrium Payroll/Maxxis truck, and had his mirrors full of Kyle LeDuc in the #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford. Kyle’s brother Todd LeDuc ran third in the #4 Rockstar/Makita Ford, with Johnny Greaves fourth in the #12 Monster Energy/ReadyLift Toyota, and Carl Renezeder fifth in the #17 Lucas Oil/Team Associated Ford. The top two drivers quickly began to pull away from the pack, and after Todd LeDuc, Greaves, and Renezeder collected in turn one on lap five, that gap only grew bigger. Greaves then slowed dramatically a few corner later, and pulled off the track and out of the race. Meanwhile, Kyle LeDuc made a pass on Cenni to take the lead, with Josh Merrell, Renezeder, and Todd LeDuc now running in third, fourth, and fifth. In the battle for third, Renezeder chased down Merrell over the course of several laps, and finally got by on lap eight. At the Competition Yellow, it was Kyle LeDuc out front, followed by Cenni, Renezeder, Merrell in the #22 Hart and Huntington/MavTV Ford, and Todd LeDuc in the top five. On the restart lap, Renezeder muscled his way by Cenni and into second place, and was looking like he might have something for the leading LeDuc. However, LeDuc quickly opened up a good gap, seemingly at will, to maintain the lead. Cenni then looped it in turn two on lap 14, dropping him back to ninth, and the running order up front was now Kyle LeDuc, Renezeder, Merrell, Liam Doran (X Games Rally Gold Medalist) in the #3 Stronghold Engineering/Toyo Tires Chevrolet, and Todd LeDuc. In the closing laps, the battle to watch was between Doran and Todd LeDuc, as the two raced fiercely over fourth place, with Doran nearly jumping OVER LeDuc at one point. In the end, the position went to LeDuc, whose brother picked up the race win. Kyle LeDuc got his sixth win of the season, his fourth in the last five races, and looks like he has the momentum heading into tomorrow to defend his Challenge Cup crown. Second went to Renezeder, third to Merrell, fourth to Todd LeDuc, and fifth to Doran.

Points wise, Renezeder had it wrapped up already, as mentioned before, but second goes to Kyle LeDuc, third to Todd LeDuc, fourth to Kent Brascho, and fifth to Jerry Daugherty. Congratulations Carl on your eighth championship in short course off-road racing, the most of any driver in the history of the sport!

Pro Buggy Unlimited
Today’s Pro Buggy Unlimited race was a weird and wild one, with major carnage and some strange goings on making this one of the most unique season finales of all-time. Doug Fortin was the early leader in his #96 Fortin Racing, Inc./Fox Racing Shox Racer, with Garrett George (driving his dad Greg’s ’09 Pro Lite Unlimited vs. Pro Buggy Unlimited Challenge Cup-winning buggy) second in the #71 Beard Seats/King Off Road Racing Shocks Funco. Justin “Bean” Smith ran third in the #19 Competitive Metals/Metal Mulisha AlumiCraft, with Eddie Tafoya fourth in the #51 Specialty Fasteners/VP Racing Fuels Lothringer, and Steven Greinke fifth in the #23 SC Fuels/Concourse Racer. A flat tire dropped Tafoya back in the running order, and the same issue cost Fortin his lead, as he fell to second behind Smith. Meanwhile, points leader Mike Porter was now up to fifth in the #8 Redline Performance/Mickey Thompson AlumiCraft, and really looked to try and keep his nose clean to lock up the title. Up front, Greinke got by Fortin in turn two on lap seven, taking over second place and setting his sights on the leader Smith. Porter then moved up to fourth after passing George into turn four, but tipped onto his side while trying to pass Fortin for third on the following lap- not exactly what he was hoping for in a potentially champion-clinching race. The Competition Yellow then came out, and in the top five, it was Smith, Greinke, Fortin, George, and Wade Wyman in the #56 Gear One/Racer X Motorsports buggy. Fortin ducked into the hot pits for a tire change under the yellow, and on the restart lap, a drivetrain issue left George was parked in turn five. The top two drivers were still the same, but it was now Cameron Steele, filling in for Stronghold Motorsports teammate Brandon Bailey, who ran third in the #17 RSC Equipment Rental/Lucas Oil AlumiCraft, with Wyman fourth in Jerry Whelchel fifth in the #5 Select Glass/BFGoodrich Tires Foddrill. Steele pulled off on lap 13, which moved Wyman, Whelchel, and Rich Ronco into third, fourth, and fifth, and with only eight cars left running, this was becoming a real race of attrition. Up front, Smith and Greinke were racing hard for the lead, but it was Smith who held off a great charge by Greinke to get the win. Greinke finished second, with Wyman taking third, Ronco fourth in the #99 Yokohama/FK Rod Ends Tatum, and Whelchel fifth.

Despite his woes in this race, Porter had a good cushion over his championship rivals coming into today, and simply needed to start the race and not get disqualified in order to wrap up the title. Porter lost the battle in the race today, but he did win the war, as he picks up the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Pro Buggy Unlimited Championship- congratulations Mike! Second in points was Smith, who was tied with Whelchel but noses ahead by virtue of having one more win than Whelchel (four vs. three). Whelchel took third, Greinke fourth, and Fortin fifth.

Pro Lite Unlimited
Putting his front row starting position to good use, Rodrigo Ampudia grabbed the early lead of the Pro Lite Unlimited race in his #36 Papas & Beer/Lucas Oil Ford. Behind Ampudia, it was Brian Deegan in the #38 Metal Mulisha/Gibson Performance Exhaust Ford, Chris Brandt in the #82 BFGoodrich Tires/KarTek Toyota, Kyle LeDuc in the #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford, and Casey Currie in the #2 Monster Energy/Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Nissan. Deegan grabbed the lead coming out of turn three on lap two, with Currie also moving up one spot to fourth on the same lap. Brandt then got by Ampudia on lap three, and looked like he’d have a straight fight to try and chase down Deegan, and the championship, as the top two drivers in points now ran one-two. Brandt wasn’t counting on Currie, though, who moved up to third on the same lap, then passed Brandt on lap four to move into second. Brandt was desperate to get by Currie, as he needed to finish two spots ahead of Deegan to even have a chance at the championship, but Currie wasn’t going to give it to Brandt by any means. As Currie and Brandt fought over second place, Deegan was pulling away up front, until Ampudia lost a right rear wheel coming out of turn one, leaving him in a very vulnerable spot, which forced a full-course caution. This yellow flag also served as the Competition Yellow, and as the field circled behind the Toyota Tundra pace truck, it was Deegan, Currie, Brandt, LeDuc, and Austin Kimbrell in the #88 Toyo Tires/Kroyer Racing Engines Ford in the top five. On the restart lap, the top five drivers held their positions, but on the next lap, both Brandt and LeDuc got around Currie using the either/or section of the track, but Brandt’s new problem was LeDuc, who then took over second place on lap eleven. Brandt was again left struggling to get by second place, now LeDuc, while Deegan was clear up front, and it was Deegan who got the win, his series-leading tenth of the season, ahead of LeDuc, Brandt, Currie, and Kimbrell.

As far as the championship goes, Deegan has finally wrapped it up after spending nearly the entire season battling back against an extremely-consistent Brandt after a poor performance early in the year.

Congratulations Brian, what a season! Brandt was a very close second place, just nine points back, with Cameron Steele third, Ampudia fourth, and Currie fifth.

Super Lite
Pro Buggy Unlimited was a really strange race, and so was Super Lite, as drivers diced and swapped places nearly nonstop throughout the race. Ryan Hagy grabbed the early lead in his #0X General Tire/Valli Construction truck, ahead of Austin Kimbrell in the #88 Xtreme Machine and Fabrication/Method Race Wheels entry, Kyle Lucas in the #11 Lucas Oil/Howard Packaging machine, Chad George in the #42 Kawasaki/Bull Outdoor Products, Inc. truck, and Jessie Johnson in the #15 MasterCraft Safety/A.M. Ortega machine. These top five drivers, as well as Drew Britt in the #7 Source Refrigeration and HVAC, Inc./San Tan Ford truck, were all trading places in the top five throughout the opening laps, and by lap four, it was Lucas out front, with Hagy second, Britt third, George fourth, and Kimbrell fifth. Several wrecks were scattered around the track, and in the confusion, gaps opened up as some drivers went by the crash sights more quickly than others. A full-course caution was thrown to allow officials to straighten out the running order, and when racing resumed, it was RJ Anderson who moved up to fourth on the restart lap, and was making a great charge after starting in last in his #37 Walker Evans Racing/Dethrone Racing machine. Kimbrell got by Anderson on lap nine, while up front, the battle for the lead got a little scary on lap ten, as Lucas and Hagy touched side-to-side in mid-air as they sailed off the big ski jump after turn two. The two went wide at turn three, opening the door for George to get by on the inside and take the lead. Kimbrell also got by before the end of the next lap, and it was now George, Kimbrell, Hagy, Anderson, and Lucas in the top five. Kimbrell got underneath George to take the lead at turn three on lap 12, with Anderson also moving up a spot to third. Lucas then charged forward, and managed to get by Anderson for third and then George for second, but didn’t have enough to catch the leader. Up front, Kimbrell got the big win, his first of the season and his first in Super Lite- way to go Austin! Second went to Lucas, third to Anderson, fourth to George, and fifth to Bubba Gray in the #22 Bull Outdoor Products, Inc./General Tire truck.

In the points race, George locked up the title with his fourth place today, as his closest championship rival, Patrick Clark, had what appeared to be a broken axle on the parade lap, and was never really in the fight today. Congratulations on your championship Chad, well done! Anderson’s strong finish, combined with Clark’s woes, nearly allowed him to take second for the season, but he wound up a close third. Fourth went to Kimbrell, and fifth to Brent Fouch.

Pro 2 Unlimited
The final race of the day was Pro 2 Unlimited, and with the warm Arizona sun now low in the sky, the drivers lined up for a real barn burner of a race. Jeremy McGrath took the early lead in his #2 Monster Energy/ReadyLift Ford, ahead of Rob MacCachren in the #1 Rockstar/MasterCraft Safety Ford, Rob Naughton in the #54 ReadyLift/LAMB Energy Ford, Greg Adler in the #10 4 Wheel Parts/Airaid Ford, and Carl Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford. MacCachren picked off McGrath to take the lead on lap two, while Renezeder got by Adler to move into fourth on the same lap. On lap four, a rollover and brief fire onboard the Scott Martenson machine led to a full-course caution, and when racing finally resumed, McGrath, Adler, and Renezeder all fell victim to a stack-up in turn one, which moved Brian Deegan into third, Robby Woods to fourth, and Rodrigo Ampudia to fifth. Two laps later, Deegan got inside Naughton at turn three to move into second, and at the Competition Yellow, the running order was MacCachren, Deegan in the #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford, Naughton, Woods in the #99 Lucas Slick Mist/SuperChips Chevrolet, and Ampudia in the #36 Tecate/BFGoodrich Tires Ford. On the restart, Naughton and Ampudia collected in turn one, dropping both drivers well back, and moving Woods, Adler, and Jeff Geiser into third, fourth, and fifth. Woods then rolled in turn three, which brought Adler up to third, Geiser to fourth in the #44 Canidae/BulletProofDiesel.com Chevrolet, and Nick Tyree to fifth in the #91 Competitive Metals/VP Racing Fuels Ford. The field was again under a full-course yellow due to Woods’ wreck, and on the restart lap, things didn’t get much better, as Deegan rear-ended MacCachren coming into turn three, then drove through him and rolled him. Deegan was black flagged for his actions, and MacCachren’s battered truck was able to continue, albeit at a reduced pace. The field went through yet another restart from a full course yellow, and this time it was Tyree and Phil Bollman who caught each other out in turn one, which led to yellow once again. A green-white-checkers finish was then called for, with Adler now leading Geiser, Evan Evans, Deegan, and Myan Spaccarelli in the top five. Adler had had many shots at his first win, but no race seemed as unlikely as this one for it to happen, as his battle-weathered truck now raced away from the field in the closing laps, fiberglass flapping and dangling, to pick up the win, his first ever in the class. A more deserving winner could not be found; Greg, you’ve paid your dues, and you deserve this one- way to go! Second went to Geiser, who also had a career-best finish, with Deegan taking third, Evans fourth in the hand-controlled #5 Evans Premium Lager/General Tire Chevrolet (in his first race of the season in this series no less), and Naughton fifth.

In the title fight, Deegan had enough cushion coming into today’s race that he simply needed to start the race in order to take the championship, and a third place was more than enough to secure the championship in Pro 2 Unlimited- congratulations Brian! Second went to defending champion MacCachren, third to Renezeder, fourth to Jeremy McGrath, and fifth to Adler.

Modified Kart
The weekend’s racing kicked off with the little monsters of Modified Kart, and the championship finale could hardly have been scripted more dramatically. Brock Heger started up front in his #511 Driscoll’s Surf N Skate/Signpros kart, and led the field after lap one, with Kyle Hart second, Mitch Guthrie Jr. third, Jeff Hoffman fourth, and Scotty Steele fifth. On lap two, defending champion Mitchell DeJong moved into fifth in his #1 Traxxas/Red Bull machine, while further up the order, Hart moved into the lead in his #523 GearUp2Go.com/Duncan Racing truck on the next lap. Guthrie Jr. and DeJong each picked up a spot on lap three, and after Heger put his truck on its side in turn four on the next lap, the two championship contenders, Guthrie Jr. and DeJong, were running second and third. DeJong then passed Guthrie Jr. on lap six, just ahead of the Competition Yellow, at which time the running order was Hart, DeJong, Guthrie Jr. in the #555 Losi/Pro Armor machine, Hoffman in the #547 KarTek Off Road/BRT Signs kart, and Blake Lenk in the #521 DASA/Revolt Metal Works Inc. truck. The field ran several laps under yellow while track officials cleared some stalled or crashed karts, and after the green flag waved again, it was Bradley Morris in the #504 Lucas Oil/K&N kart who moved up into the top five. On the final lap, Morris got up to fourth by turn two, and as the field barreled into turn four and the entrance to the either or, he came into the corner too hot and took out the championship leader, Guthrie Jr., who had had the championship in his grasp with just two corners to go. Several drivers sped by before Guthrie Jr. could get going again, and as Guthrie Jr. fell back to tenth, it was defending champion DeJong who now had enough drivers between himself and Guthrie Jr. to pick up the points he needed to grab the title. Hart picked up the race win, with DeJong second, Hoffman third, Jerett Brooks fourth in the #527 Synergy Electric Racing/Maxima Racing Oils kart, and Lenk fifth. For his rough driving, Morris was dropped to the last position on the lead lap by officials. Guthrie Jr. finished tenth.

In the championship, DeJong grabbed the title by a scant four points over Guthrie Jr., and although Guthrie Jr. would’ve been a deserving champion, DeJong’s six wins, four second places, one third place, and five pole positions don’t make for too shabby of championship credentials, either, and he is now the first-ever back-to-back championship winner in Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series history- congratulations Mitchell! Guthrie Jr. finished the season in second, with Morris third, Hart fourth, and Brooks fifth.

Junior 1 Kart
After the drama of Modified Kart, the Junior 1 Kart race was much more relaxed, if racing could ever be called that. Starting from the front row, Preston Roben took the early lead in his #210 Duggins Construction/Hoosier kart, followed by Gavin Harlien in the #232 Full Tilt Trophy Karts/Simpson machine, Broc Dickerson in the #223 Dickerson Motorsports/Eibach Springs truck, Darren Hardesty in the #231 Bilstein Shock Absorbers/AlumiCraft entry, and Travis PeCoy in the #211 K&N/King Off Road Racing Shocks truck. Though all the drivers in the top five were trying both lines in the either/or section of the track, the differences in speed and momentum became great equalizers, and while the running order would shuffle as the drivers converged onto the front straight, the order ended up the same by the time the drivers came by the start/finish line. The order remained unchanged for four laps, but just before the competition yellow, championship leader Dickerson finally used the slower, shorter low line to good effect, and remained just ahead of Roben as they crossed the start/finish line. As the young drivers lined up behind the Sanderson Tomcar pace vehicle, it was now Dickerson, Roben, Hardesty, Harlien, and PeCoy in the top five. On the restart lap, Hardesty got around Roben using the split line section, but Roben managed to re-take the position on the next lap. PeCoy had gotten by Harlien for fourth, but Harlien took the spot back on the final lap, while up front, it was Dickerson who stamped his authority on the championship by taking the win, his sixth of the season. Dickerson also got the pole yesterday, as well as the halfway point today; indeed Dickerson had the field well and truly covered today- congratulations on your championship, Broc! Second place went to Roben, with Hardesty third, Harlien fourth, and PeCoy fifth. Eliott Watson, the only other driver who came into today with a shot at the title, finished seventh.

In the championship, Dickerson was the big winner by 59 points over Watson, with Roben third, Wolfgang Ries fourth, and PeCoy fifth.

Junior 2 Kart
In the final kid’s race of the day, it was Shelby Anderson who took the early lead of the Junior 2 Kart fray in her #405 Walker Evans Racing/Anderson’s Nu Power truck. Championship leader Myles Cheek ran second in the #457 CMI/Streight Edje Custom Painting kart, followed by Weston Schuck in the #404 Fiberwerx/Foddrill Motorsports machine, championship challenger Chad Graham in the #410 MavTV/Hart and Huntington entry, and Brock Heger in the #411 Driscoll’s Surf N Skate/Hoosier truck. Heger moved up to fourth on lap two, and after a couple more laps, moved ahead again to take over third, just ahead of the Competition Yellow. As the field was “re-racked and re-stacked” under yellow, the top five drivers were Anderson, Cheek, Heger, Schuck, and Graham, and as the field circled under yellow for a few laps while crews worked to clear broken and stalled vehicles, the lap count wound down enough that as the officials prepared to drop the green flag, a green-white-checkered finish was called for. Anderson got a solid getaway and held her lead on the restart, as did all the top five drivers, but on the final lap, Cheek made a great move as he dove inside Anderson at turn four to take the lead in the best-looking pass of the day thus far. Cheek held on from there to get the win, his sixth of the season. Anderson finished the race in second place, with Heger taking third, Schuck fourth, and Graham fifth. Graham came into today with a decent chance at snagging the title from championship leader Cheek, but with Cheek taking the win and another eight points over Graham today, added to his previous lead of 21 points, the was no doubt that Cheek was a deserving Junior 2 Kart Champion here in 2011- congratulations Myles! Cheek has also made his family the first-ever multi-generation championship-winning family in the history of Lucas Oil Off Road, joining his dad Chuck Cheek, 2009 Lucas Oil Off Road Pro Buggy Unlimited Champion, in the family’s championship-winning ways.

Championship-wise, Cheek picked up the title, with Graham taking second, Heger third, Roben fourth, and Paige Porter fifth.

With that, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ 2011 regular season has come to an end. Join us again for the final day of the 2011 Season, as money and other prizes, along with a whole lot of bragging rights, will all be on the line for the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup. Gates open to the public at 9:00am, with the first race getting underway at 11:30am. Included in tomorrow’s festivities will be the two once-a-year races, the thrilling Pro Lite Unlimited vs. Pro Buggy Unlimited race, and the highly-touted Pro 4 Unlimited vs. Pro 2 Unlimited. Trust me, these are two races you won’t want to miss!

About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit www.LucasOilOffRoad.com.

Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

One might assume that racers would try to preserve their vehicles for the big money on the line for Sunday’s Lucas Oil Challenge Cup races, but that was not the case on Saturday. Crews were burning the midnight oil getting their vehicles back together for the $100,000 that was on the line on Sunday. The first truck race was Super Lite, and with the normal car count (unlike the other cup races where classes were combined) they actually had a cleaner race than Saturday!

Austin Kimbrell started on the pole and jumped out to an early lead ahead of Kyle Lucas and RJ Anderson before Mike McCarthy ended up on his lid at Turn 1 on the second lap. They restarted the race and only one more lap went by before Kyle Lucas took the lead from Kimbrell, but he bicycled in Turn 3 and RJ Anderson capitalized in his Walker Evans Racing truck. Once he had a clean track RJ walked away from the rest of the chaos unfolding behind him on his way to a $10,000 pay day. Jesse Johnson rolled and was t-boned by Jason Ellis and Chad George got put into the fence when going three wide through the last turn on the truck. Despite getting bunched up no one had anything for RJ Anderson, and Austin Kimbrell battled with Patrick Clark but eventually had to settle for third.

The next race combined the Pro Lite and Pro Buggy classes. The trucks started in front of the buggies, and despite the disadvantage Cameron Steele showed his true colors running his buggy. The starting order inverted season standings for the top ten in each class and then put the remaining vehicles at the back of the pack. 27 vehicles took the track with Matt Cook and Jacob Pearson starting in the pressure cooker on the first row. Corey Sisler jumped out to an early lead ahead of Kyle LeDuc until the yellow came out when Austin Kimbrell rolled on the step up jump after Turn 3.

Kyle put some distance between the rest of the field and his Rockstar Energy Drink / Toyo Tires truck with Sisler, Brandt, Deegan, and Casey Currie following. It was looking like the trucks were going to walk away with all of the podium spots early on, but Justin “Bean” Smith was methodically working his way through the crowd. On Turns 4 and 5 in particular, Bean was able to carry speed in his Competitive Metals / Metal Mulisha AlumiCraft and pick off trucks like a short course assassin. Pro Lite Unlimiteds started dropping out at the race went on, first with Deegan, then LeDuc experience suspension failure after hard contact, and the engine in Sisler’s AEM Electronics truck going away with a huge James Bond-style smokescreen. This paved the way for Bean to take the $20,000 victory with Brandt in second and Casey Currie somehow finishing in third despite hood covering the entire windshield and blocking visibility out of his Monster Energy truck. On the podium Brandt had some words for Deegan, but the animosity on and off the track was not limited to just these two.

The grand finale of the season was the Pro2 Unlimited versus Pro4 Unlimited Lucas Oil Cup presented by Toyota. Robby Woods started on the pole next to Jeff Geiser. Carl Renezeder chose to drive his 2WD Lucas Oil / General Tires Ford, feeling that the starting position was a bigger advantage than 4WD. On Saturday, the Pro4 Unlimiteds ran about two seconds faster than the Pro2 Unlimiteds with lap times around 45 seconds. The Pro4s started half a lap back from the Pro2s, with Curt LeDuc starting next to rival Adrian Cenni.

Robby Woods jumped out to an early lead in the Lucas Slick Mist /Superchips Chevy and held it through the first half of the race ahead of Carl Renezeder. It took a few laps for the fastest Pro4s to catch the Pro2s, but the caution came out when Rodrigo Ampudia rolled the Papas and Beer Ford multiple times on Turn 4. While the tight right hand Turn 3 claimed most the victims on Saturday, Turn 5 was the killer on Sunday. It was the final turn on the track after the either / or section when the two lines converged before the main straight.

The caution bunched up the field, and Kyle LeDuc and Adrian Cenni were taking advantage of the situation and chewing through the Pro2s. Kyle seemed to pass a competitor in every corner in his Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Ford and set the fast lap for the race. Unfortunately right after taking the lead, Kyle lost a right rear wheel, ending his chances for victory and causing Evan Evans to roll in the same spot Ampudia has tossed his truck just a few laps prior. This put Robby Woods back up front until Todd LeDuc rolled Woods on Turn 3, causing him to get black flagged. That put Carl Renezeder and Adrian Cenni up front, but a questionable call saw Cenni black flagged for contact with Carl. Instead of going to the back of the field Cenni just drove off the track in disgust!

All of the drama opened the door for Robert “Fig” Naughton to take the lead late in the race in his Stronghold Motorsports Pro2. He was followed by Stronghold teammate Jeremy McGrath, Carl Renezeder, and Brian Deegan with one lap to go. On the final turn Carl got into the back of McGrath and unsettled his truck, but got by to finish second. McGrath was fuming and drove right up to Carl’s door while the officials scrambled to make a decision on the contact. Once the smoke had cleared Carl was pushed back to 9th and Deegan took second for $20,000 with McGrath in third for $10,000 and Naughton taking home the big $30,000 paycheck.

That wrapped up the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series with action and drama up to the very end. We don’t expect any of these guys to forgive or forget in the off season, so expect even more trash talking, banging, and wide open racing in 2012.

Words by Harry Wagner

Photos by Jason Zindroski at HighRev Photography

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Champions were decided at the final round of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. The first big race after the opening ceremonies was Pro4 Unlimited, where Carl Renezeder had already locked up the season title. With the championship already decided was the race boring as a result? Hell no!

Renezeder was still battling just as hard as ever and there was a roster full of special guests for the last race of the year. With the TORC season completed, Johnny Greaves came out from the Midwest for some Arizona sunshine. Adrian Cenni was also in the house, looking to repeat his magic from earlier this season where “The Wildman” swept Crandon on Labor Day weekend. Perhaps the most buzz of all centered around X Games Gold Metalist and rally driver Liam Doran. It didn’t take long after the green flag dropped for the parts to start flying. Greaves race was unfortunately cut short after hard contact from Josh Merrell took out Greaves’ power steering and a tire. No telling if Johnny’s son CJ Greaves gave Merrell the bird in response, as he famously did to Ricky Johnson earlier this season.

Meanwhile Kyle LeDuc was walking away from Adrian Cenni up front, who spun on Turn 2 to give second place to Carl Renezeder. Carl never really had anything for Kyle, but he was able to hold off Josh Merrell in third. Perhaps the best racing in Pro4 was the battle for fourth between Todd LeDuc and Liam Dorson, who were banging the entire race and had shed all of their body panels by the time the checkers came out.

Pro Lite Unlimited came down to the wire, with Chris Brandt and Brian Deegan seemingly trading the top spot on the podium all season long. Brian Deegan had a slim three point lead over Chris Brandt, and Brandt was starting on the first row. Brandt needed to lead at the caution to gain valuable points, but it was not meant to be. Wet track conditions made for sloppy racing early on, with Rodrigo Ampudia out front, followed by Deegan and Brandt.

Ampudia lost a wheel on Turn 1 to bring out the yellow flag, putting Deegan up front with Casey Currie charging hard. No one had anything for Deegan, but Currie, Brandt, and Kyle LeDuc were trading positions behind him as the laps progressed. At the flag it was Deegan, LeDuc, and Brandt on the podium, with Deegan taking the season championship in Pro Lite Unlimited.

Super Lite had a packed field, with 16 Mazda rotary-powered spec trucks on the short track at Firebird. Wunderkid Sheldon Creed was conspicuously missing; the rumor being that his father Scott parked Sheldon’s truck due to poor grades. Study up Sheldon! Brent Fouch started on the pole, but he rolled on Turn 3 of the first lap. He wasn’t alone. Jimmie Johnson’s little brother Jessie, Mike McCarthy, and radio host Jason Ellis all ended up on their lids during the race. Turn 3 was chewing up Super Lites like Cookie Monster eating snicker doodles. It seemed like a lap did not go by without a truck on its lid.

Out front, Ryan Hagy and Kyle Lucas (yes, that Lucas- like the series) were battling for first. After Hagy made a seemingly clean pass on Lucas in Turn 2, Lucas shoved Hagy off the track and put them both back in the pack as a result. Chad George benefited from the road rage, but it wasn’t long before Austin Kimbrell passed George for yet another new race leader. Kimbrell was able to hold on for his first win of the season, but Chad George won the Super Lite series championship with a four place finish. Kyle Lucas came back to finish in second on Saturday and RJ Anderson came in third in a race that at times resembled a demolition derby.

Next up were the “professionals”. I mean that is why they called it “Pro2” Unlimited, right? Even with grading and extensive track prep, the big boys still went wheels up nearly as much as the Super Lites had before them. In order for Deegan to secure his second championship of the season he just needed to start the race, but just showing up would not be Deegan’s style. Alder started on the pole with Jeremy McGrath and Rob MacCachren behind him, but over rotated in Turn 3 and left the door open for McGrath and Rob Mac. MacCachren pulled into the lead on the second lap and pulled on the competition for a comfortable lead.

Scott Martenson put his truck on its lid on the last turn and started a smoke show, bringing out the caution and bunching up the field. On the restart Robert Naughton got into the back of his teammate Jeremy McGrath hard and Carl Renezeder got caught up in the fray. Both McGrath and Renezeder were reduced to a snail’s pace for the remainder of the race like Ricky Bobby after his big crash. At least they did not rip off their clothes and try to put out an invisible fire. Robby Woods was running in third after the mandatory caution when he went wheels up in Turn 3, and shortly thereafter Myan Spaccarelli and Nick Tyree were banging in Turn 1 and both ended up on their lids. The MasterCraft Tundra recovery trucks were working overtime flipping trucks back on their tires.

When he had room to work Rob Mac was making time on the competition, and he set the fast lap in Pro2. Unfortunately the yellow flag was seemingly out on every lap, bunching up the field. MacCachren bicycled in Turn 3 and Brian Deegan helped Mac onto his roof. Deegan was black flagged for the move, but that was little consolation to MacCachren. Naughton was also black flagged for aggressive driving in what was the dirtiest Pro2 race of the season. Veteran racer and sentimental favorite Evan Evans tried to stay out of the fray, but Brian Deegan pushed past him on the last lap to get on the podium in third place. The Pro2 Unlimited finale was definitely a war of attrition, with Jeff Geiser rewarded for clean driving with his first ever podium appearance. Another first was for Greg Adler, who shed nearly every body panel from his truck on the way to his first ever Pro2 victory.

Teams will be burning the midnight oil to fix their trucks for tomorrow’s cup races, with $100,000 on the line. And after today’s antics you can bet there is plenty of bad blood to be settled on the track as well. As always, RDC will be there to bring you all the dirt!

Words by Harry Wagner

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Today marked the last qualifying session of the year for the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series. Positions were set for the end of the year battle known as the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup, where all classes will battle it out for the big payday with nothing to lose.

In the Pro 4 class always fast Kyle Leduc qualified first with the fastest lap time of the day with a time of 41.209, followed by Johnny Greaves and Adrian Cenni to round out the top 3. Rally star Liam Doran looked fast out on the track before casing a berm and flipping his truck ending his day. In Pro 2 Carl Renezeder took the top spot followed closely by Brian Deegan and Rob Mac. To win the points championship Rob Mac must finish in front of Deegan in tomorrows race, and with how fast Deegan has looked lately it won’t be an easy task.

Prolite had 13 trucks all rallying for the number one position, but it was Brian Deegan who came out on top. Chris Brandt who is number two in points qualified 4th so he will have some work to do to take the championship.

Pro 2
1 17 CARL RENEZEDER 42.940
2 38 BRIAN DEEGAN 43.253
3 1 ROB MACCACHREN 43.312
4 54 ROB NAUGHTON 43.418
5 2 JEREMY MCGRATH 43.525

Pro 4
1 99 KYLE LEDUC 41.209
2 12 JOHNNY GREAVES 41.353
3 11 ADRIAN CENNI 41.833
4 4 TODD LEDUC 41.998
5 17 CARL RENEZEDER 42.092

Prolite
1 38 BRIAN DEEGAN 44.714
2 99 KYLE LEDUC 44.907
3 36 RODRIGO AMPUDIA 45.211
4 82 CHRIS BRANDT 45.291
5 92 JACOB PERSON 45.380

Limited Buggy
1 304 BRADLEY MORRIS 48.835
2 314 JOHN FITZGERALD 49.236
3 389 KEVIN MCCULLOUGH 49.298
4 377 QUENTIN TUCKER 49.316
5 398 DILLON AYERS 49.345

Superlite
1 25 PATRICK CLARK 47.539
2 42 CHAD GEORGE 48.333
3 88 AUSTIN KIMBRELL 48.386
4 21 BRENT FOUCH 48.667
5 0X Ryan HAGY 48.796

Pro Buggy
1 19 JUSTIN SMITH 45.854
2 23 STEVEN GREINKE 46.072
3 96 DOUG FORTIN 46.168
4 71X GARRETT GEORGE 46.942
5 3 JOHN HOLMES 47.176

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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• Carl Renezeder looks to claim 2011 LOORRS championship.
• General Tire’s Grabber tire to be featured on all six Team GT entries during the event held December 10-11 at Firebird Raceway.

Fort Mill, SC – (December 8, 2011) The Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) wraps up their season at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, AZ, December 10 and 11 and members of General Tire’s Team GT are ready for their descent on the desert. Team GT is led by veteran driver Carl Renezeder who is poised to claim victory number 98 in addition to the 2011 championship in the Pro 4 Unlimited class, which will mark his eighth short-course off-road championship.

Renezeder will compete in both the Pro 4 and Pro 2 Unlimited classes with Team GT teammate Josh Merrell joining him in the Pro 4 Unlimited class. Four more drivers will carry the General Tire logo on their entries including up-and-comer Robby Woods in Pro 2 Unlimited. Casey Currie will compete in Pro Lite Unlimited and Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy and Jason Ellis will represent General Tire in the Super Lite’s.

“Team GT has a strong contingency of short-course off-road drivers,” said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. “Our guys have done an excellent job ‘unleashing the fury’ on-track all year and we’re looking forward to another great race at the upcoming LOORRS finale. It would be great for Team GT to cap off the year with a championship and a few more podiums.”

General Tire also has a complete line of Grabber tires for the passenger and light truck market, including the Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire; the Grabber HTS, which delivers the perfect synergy of comfort, durability and performance; the Grabber UHP, which sets a whole new standard in performance and ride quality for SUVs, light trucks and crossover vehicles; and Grabber AT2, designed for aggressive all-terrain traction in all weather conditions.

To catch all the latest action on Team GT and our products check outwww.generaltire.com

More information on Lucas Oil Products can be found at www.LucasOil.com.

For more information on LOORRS visit www.lucasoiloffroad.com.

If you cant be there to see all the action first-hand, you can get up-to-the-minute information on all the races atwww.twitter.com/teamgt or check out General Tire’s Facebook page to see pictures from the race.

Meet “The General” Brian Deegan, world famous freestyle motocross star, founder of the Metal Mulisha, and a championship contending racer for the Maxxis off-road team.  Deegan is having a year for the ages on and off the track, so we’ll let him tell you how things are going.

1. You’re having an amazing year racing: X-Games Gold in Rally-X, numerous Pro-2 and Pro-Lite wins, what would you say has been the highlight so far?

This has by far been my best year ever competing.  I’d say the highlight was winning the X-Games, beating the best rally drivers in the world in a sport that I only compete in once a year.  I’ve just started racing cars and to straight up beat the best guys has been a big accomplishment.  The Pro-2 and Pro-Lite program has been going great this year, lot’s of wins.  I feel like we’ve been focused and just wanting to win everything that I can.  The rally gold was a major accomplishment, and if I can win these championships this year, plus the whole Dave Mirra fight, beating up Dave Mirra, that was cool. It’s really going to be hard to top this year.

2. You’re racing in the Race of Champions this year.  How do you feel about racing against the best drivers in the world?

A Champion like Jeremy McGrath is no stranger to the podium. He has a long history of wins and at LOORRS Las Vegas he picked up another. Check out the action as Jeremy tears up Las Vegas Motor Speedway and brings home his first LOORRS first place trophy!

Make sure to bump up to 720p!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

Round 15 – Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series December 10, 2011

Lucas Oil Challenge Cup – December 11, 2011

Firebird Raceway – Chandler, Arizona

Corona, California (December 5, 2011) -  This weekend, December 10th& 11th, the superstars of short course off road racing will descend upon Firebird Raceway in Chandler Arizona to settle the season championship picture and battle for their share of the largest combined purse in short course off road racing; the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup.  As the most prestigious event in the sport, the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup combines classes, normally run separately throughout the season, racing head to head with over $100,000 on the line. But, before Sunday’s all out assault on Firebird Raceway’s purpose built, short course off road battleground, one crucial opportunity remains for teams to capture coveted season titles.

By the conclusion of Saturday’s Round 15, the series will have crowned their season champions. Carl Renezeder locked up the season title for 900 horsepowered Pro4 Unlimited trucks during the previous round at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but class runner up Kyle LeDuc, has escalated to the elite ranks of the class and both will be leaving it all on the track through the season finale.

Though the Pro4 championship has been mathematically sealed, supremacy in  the two wheel drive 900 horse powered truck category has been whittled down to a two man contest  between legendary off road champion, Rob MacCachren and MetalMulisha/XGames personality, Brian Deegan. Deegan has been impressive in this, his first season behind the wheel of the powerful Pro2 and currently holds the top spot. MacCachren has recovered from an uncharacteristically slow start,but with strong results through the season, he has inserted himself in to the title chase with the season coming down to the wire.

Deegan’s extraordinary year has also featured a season long rivalry with Chris Brandt for the 300 horse powered ProLite truck title.The two have been fixtures on the podium throughout the year as they have distanced themselves from the pack. Now, maintaining the slimmest of margins, Deegan must hold Brandt off in the final round if he is to succeed in capturing the first of his two possible 2011 championships.

Chad George leads the spec SuperLite truck class over Patrick Clark as RJ Anderson, in third, is also in the hunt as they enter Round 15. Other class titles up for grabs include ProBuggy with Mike Porter holding the advantage over Jerry Whelchel while Curt Greer leads Dave Mason in Limited Buggy.

When the dust settles from Saturday’s Round 15, Sunday’s season finale, the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup will put the exclamation point on the 2011 short course off road racing season.  The Pro2 class will line up against the Pro4 field in a 30 truck, 27,000 horse powered battle for Unlimited truck supremacy. As $30,000 will be presented to the overall winner, over $53,000 will be handed over to the top three podium finishers, while the top drivers name will be engraved on the perpetual Lucas Oil Challenge Cup trophy.

Headed into the off season, each competing class will have Sunday’s Challenge Cup as their last opportunity of the year to stake their claim on the checkered flag. This annual event will also feature the open wheel ProBuggys racing wheel to wheel against the aggressive ProLite trucks. Although different in weight, hosepower and appearance, theProBuggy and ProLite classes have traditionally had similar lap times at Firebird Raceway. The slightly quicker ProBuggy field willreceive a handicap on the track as they attempt to chase down the trucks for a total purse of $35,000.

Complete listing of
Lucas Oil Challenge Cup Races and Purses:

Pro 4 / Pro 2

1st – $30,000

2nd – $15,000

3rd – $7,500

Pro Lite / Pro Buggy

1st – $20,000

2nd – $10,000

 3rd – $5,000

Super Lite

1st – $10,000

2nd – $6,000

3rd – $4,000

Limited Buggy

 1st – $4,000

2nd – $2,000

3rd – $1,000

Many top professional drivers in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series have benefited by the instruction they have received from Cory Kruseman’s Driving School in Ventura, California. This year, the school will provide valuable instruction to the top three finishers in the following classes:

SR1 UTV / Unlimited UTV Cup Race

Modified Kart Cup Race

Jr. 2 Kart Cup Race

Jr. 1 Kart Cup Race

Below you will find a downloadable event guide which shows you parking procedures, credentials being used and how to use them, track map, entry & exit points, media information, Race-day & Broadcast schedules, contact information and FanZone high lights. Please find the event outline available for download here: http://lucasoiloffroadracing.com/eventguide.pdf We hope every one has a great time at the race track and under the lights this weekend.

Gates open to the public at 9:00 am.

See the website www.LucasOilOffRoad.com for ticket pricing and the full weekend schedule.

About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit www.LucasOilOffRoad.com

Related Links:

Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
Toyota  

Today, the Lucas Oil Off Racing Series released its 2012 schedule featuring a return to locations familiar to spectators and competitors while the expansion of the sport of short course off road racing continues with a Labor Day weekend event at the series’ newest facility in Reno, Nevada. This weekend event, September 1st & 2nd will introduce an entire new region to the sport on a brand new, purpose built track to be constructed within the natural terrain and hillsides on the expansive Reno property. With challenging drop-offs and picturesque setting providing dramatic viewing for spectators, the Reno, Nevada stop for Rounds 11&12 is destined to be a mainstay on off road racing fans Labor Day Weekend calendar.

After a two year absence from the schedule, the series will once again return to Southern California’s Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex for Rounds 2&3 on April 21st & 22nd. Currently undergoing a renovation that, when completed, will feature a brand new, mile long short course track and seating to accommodate approximately ten thousand spectators, this permanent, state of the art facility promises to attract capacity crowds as it is sure to become the new Mecca of short course off road racing culture.

“The strength of the series and the sport has given us the opportunity to compliment the well established venues on our schedule with this exciting new Labor Day weekend event in Reno,” declared Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Competition Director, Tony Vanillo. “While we continue to look for new locations and regions to showcase the excitement of short course off road racing, we are extremely pleased to be returning to Lake Elsinore at what promises to be an impressive facility.”

With each weekend event on the season schedule representing two unique, separate rounds of racing, 2012 will start and finish at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Kicking off the season with Rounds 1&2, the series will return to the facility with championships on the line as well as the winner take all, Lucas Oil Challenge Cup on October 27th and 28th.

Surprise, Arizona’s Speedworld Off Road Park will host Rounds 5&6 on May 19th and 20th with the series returning to Utah for Rounds 7& 8 on June 23rd and 24th at the stunning Miller Motorsports Park.  2011 will also feature two events to be held in the evening under the lights at both Las Vegas Motor Speedway and legendary Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California. Glen Helen will host Rounds 9&10 on August 4th and 5th while a new date for Las Vegas, September 22nd and 23rd was selected to take advantage of the mild, late summer temperatures.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series – 2012 Schedule

Round 1 – March 31 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ

Round 2 – April 1 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ

Round 3 – April 21 – Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park – Lake Elsinore, CA

Round 4 – April 22 – Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park – Lake Elsinore, CA

Round 5 – May 19  – Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, AZ

Round 6 – May 20  – Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, AZ

Round 7 – June 23 – Miller Motorsports Park – Tooele, UT

Round 8 – June 24 – Miller Motorsports Park – Tooele, UT

Round 9 – August 4 – Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, CA

Round 10 – August 5 – Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, CA

Round 11 – Sept. 1 – Reno, NV

Round 12 – Sept. 2 – Reno, NV

Round 13 – Sept. 22 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV

Round 14 – Sept. 23 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV

Round 15 – October 27 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ

Lucas Oil Challenge Cup – October 28 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ

Fort Mill, S.C. (Nov. 10, 2011) – Carl Renezeder hit an incredible 97 wins Sunday at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Round 14 in Pro 4, securing his spot as number one, leading points for Pro 4.

For the last two years, racing in the Lucas Oil Off Road Series Pro-4 Division has been a completely new endeavor for Newport Beach Businessman Josh Merrell. In fact racing off road short course or any kind of motorsport is almost completely foreign besides a little dabble in late model circle track racing. Overcoming the tremendous learning curve has been difficult to say the least. Feeling out the dynamics and dealing with the variables of off road racing is one thing but maintaining the equipment and making it last while smashing it up with 15 other trucks besides you is a whole other deal all together. It is the difference between success and failure.

Since the 2011 season started it truly appeared that Merrell was coming around. His talent as a driver was shining through and he only needed to stay clean and keep the truck together to make consistent top 5 finishes.

Since the beginning, Premiere Motorsports Group provided all the resources and assets one could muster including mentors like Scott Douglas and Bill Smith from Pro Fab Motorsports. The most recent equipment acquisition was a high caliber state-of-the-art Douglas Motorsports Pro-4 built by Pro Fab Motorsports in 2008. This new vehicle weighs 600 Lbs. less than the old PMG Pro-4 and as usual features a 900 HP ProPower Engine. Douglas Motorsports would support the Round 13&14 efforts with crew chief, mechanic and
Scott Douglas spotting for Merrell.

During Fridays practice, which was also the first time driving the new truck, Josh proved to be 2nd fastest in the field. The last time this particular vehicle raced at the Las Vegas Track, Scott Douglas dominated the Pro-4 field, winning on Saturday and nearly swept the weekend but faltered on Sunday’s final laps due to a blown tire.

For Qualifying, Merrell would score the 3rd fastest lap time with a 1:07.673 nearly matching Carl Renezeder’s pace and slightly behind pole setter Kyle LeDuc.

The Las Vegas forecast called for a winter storm  to move through the area, although the conditions were chilly, the weather seemed to hold out which felt like divine intervention. The opening ceremonies featured a special tribute to fallen hero and Pro-4 Champion Rick Huseman, with a moving video piece by Mad Media and the #36 Huseman Pro-4 leading the field around the track and no doubt warming the hearts of everyone in the packed grandstands.

With a 4 position inversion, Merrell would start from the front row on the outside of Todd LeDuc. As the green flag dropped, Josh powered ahead to the lead which soon turned into a near 20 truck cushion over 2nd place. By Lap 2, Carl Renezeder finally got by Todd LeDuc with Merrell still stretching the lead out. At this point the only thing that could hinder forward progress was a full course caution when Curt LeDuc flipped upside down in Turn 1.

After the truck was pulled off the track and the field collected for a restart, Josh would again pull ahead as the race leader. Renezeder, a viable contender in the 2011 Pro-4 Championship, used his driving precision to pour on the pressure and was all over the back of the #22 Hart and Huntington / MAV TV Truck. The mistake came when Josh’s foot slipped off the throttle in Turn 4 which would result in a complete roll over and landed back on the General Tires. Merrell immediately got back on the gas and the Grabbers found traction accelerating the truck forward and resuming the race in 4th position.

The Competition Caution soon came around less than 2 laps later. On the re-start Josh charged hard behind race leader Renezeder and the two LeDuc boys. As the laps trickled down Josh was able to drive around Todd on the white flag to assume the 3rd place position and would maintain to take his first podium finish also securing the fastest lap/speed of the race.

On the podium stage, Josh’s normally reserved demeanor came alive. “I am so stoked to finally be up here. I cannot thank everyone enough. We are so grateful to General Tire, Lucas Oil, MAV TV, Liquid Graphics, and LunarPages.com. A very big special appreciation goes out to my wife Kim, our family, Ryan & Erin Busnardo, Scot Demmer, Scott Douglas & his crew, and everyone at Hart and Huntington. Thanks for believing in us!”

Sunday’s Pro-4 Event would start out much the same but without Merrell’s hole shot to the front.
As the first race after opening ceremonies the track conditions were rather sloppy. A field of Ten Pro-4 trucks would roar around the Las Vegas Track. As the group chased each other on Lap 1 heading through the rather tricky chicane, Merrell was eating a face full of mud from the traffic ahead. As Josh pulled a tear-off, another glob of mud found its way right back on to his visor leaving no vision and was forced to quickly pull another tear-off. By the time Josh was able to see, the #22 Truck’s right front wheel had slightly climbed up the chicanes inside K-Rail putting Merrell up on two wheels and into a spinning nose stand to cart wheel, nearly toppling backwards as it came to rest right side up. There was no get up in go left in the truck this time and Josh was feeling it as well. The Lucas Oil Off Road Safety crew was on the scene in no time and made quick work to assess that he was in good health. No stranger to crashing, Josh mentioned later “This one was probably a 8 on my scale.”

“The team morale is upbeat and we are looking forward to closing out the season on a positive note,” claimed Premiere Motorsports Group Team Leader Ryan Busnardo. “I dont think we would still be here if we did not have a competitive performance to offer. I really believe this team is capable. We are developing the drivers and putting in the work. I am looking forward to the future and following my strategy to get us there.”

Check out this video recap of Round 13 from 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FbQ_PJmtKc&feature=channel_video_title
Hart and Huntington Off Road is now undergoing preparations for Round 15 and aiming for a great finish in the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup. Make sure to share the Facebook Events with your friends and tune into Lucas Oil Off Road Racing on TV

Sunday’s Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) short course racing brought cooler temperatures that resulted in smaller crowd sizes, which is regrettable since the racing was intense.  Following the opening ceremonies the Pro4 Unlimited trucks took the course with Curt LeDuc on the pole next to Greg Adler driving Travis Coyne’s Pro Comp truck.  LeDuc lead early in his Makita Tools / Truxxx Ford with Carl Renezeder in second and Kyle and Todd LeDuc behind them.  Kyle got past Carl and his father gave him the lead, but Carl squeezed past Curt as well.  There is no love lost between Renezeder and the LeDucs, and Kyle’s last-lap pass of Carl during Saturday’s race had not been forgotten.  Carl was outnumbered by three LeDucs and Curt remodeled Carl’s truck early in the race.  The Pro4 racing looked more like the Tour de France than a short course event with many of the racers bicycling through turns.  Some, like Mike Jenkins and Greg Adler, managed to recover, while others, including Josh Merrell and Curt LeDuc, were not so lucky and went onto their lids.  Merrell’s crash was the worst of the weekend, flipping multiple times.    All of the yellow flags meant that the mandatory caution never came out, but the front of the field was still bunched up.  On the last lap Carl got his revenge and made a hard pass on Kyle in Turn 2 for the lead.  Kyle’s truck stalled and some of the field squeezed by him, but he managed to work his way back, passing his brother Todd on the final turn of the race to take second place.

Concerns about weather bumped the Super Buggies so next up was Pro Lite Unlimited, with Rodrigo Ampudia behind the wheel of Andrew Caddell’s V8 RAM after Ampudia hashed his truck on Saturday.  Brian Deegan started on the first row and jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.  Deegan had multiple truck-length lead on the field for most of the race, while Kyle LeDuc, Corey Sisler, Chris Brandt, and RJ Anderson battled for the remaining spots on the podium.  Brandt took second to keep the Pro Lite Unlimited season title closely contested with one race remaining in Phoenix next month.  RJ Anderson rounded out the podium with his V8 Pro Lite, putting the same three drivers on the podium as the previous day.

Instead of running last as they typically do, the Pro2 Unlimited class ran next before the sun went down as concerns of foul weather mounted.  Carl Renezeder and Rob MacCachren started on the front row in their 800 horsepower trucks after the track crew graded the ruts in the corners and watered down the track.  The cool air helped the trucks run good, but the water stayed on top of the cold dirt to limit traction for the competitors.  Carnage resulted early as Jeremy McGrath got into Robby Woods in the first turn, ended Woods’ day.  Up front Rob Mac lead Robert “Fig” Naughton in his newly-sponsored white Losi truck and Carl Renezeder in his Lucas Oil Pro2.  Carl lost power half way through the race and ended up at the back of the pack with a lot of ground to make up after he got the truck relit.  Ahead of him Jeff Geiser lost a rear wheel and Greg Adler rolled his truck in Turn 2, while two Robs made a right (MacCachren and Naughton) ahead of Rodrigo Ampudia and Brian Deegan.  MacCachren led flag to flag as Jeremy McGrath did the previous day in Pro2 Unlimited.  A rare mistake on the last turn allowed Jeff Kinkaid to sneak past Deegan on the last corner to take fourth, but Deegan still leads MacCachren in season points.

Only one race remains for the season, with championships decided at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix on December 10^th.  Carl Renezeder only has to show up to secure the Pro4 Unlimited title over Kyle LeDuc, but Renezeder sits further back in third place in Pro2 Unlimited behind Deegan and MacCachren.  Deegan is in second to Chris Brandt in Pro Lite Unlimited by the narrowest of margins, and the SuperLite title fight between Chad George and Patrick Clark will also come down to the final race of the season.

Words by Harry Wagner

Photos by Vincent Knakal

[Show as slideshow]

Fans braved chilly conditions and the threat of rain as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, presented by GEICO, returned for Round 14 of the 2011 season here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and why not? With just two rounds left in this year’s championship, the title chases are coming right down to the wire, and that means that the action and the excitement are elevated just that little bit further. Tensions were high here in the high desert, and despite the cold weather, the rain stayed away and the spectators packed the stands, rewarded with the treat of yet another terrific day of racing. Did you miss it? Hopefully not, but if so, read on and find out what happened.

Pro 2 Unlimited
It’s no coincidence that Rob MacCachren has the #1 plate on his truck in Pro 2 Unlimited, and with drives like the one he put in today, he continues to do that #1 proud. MacCachren got the lead by turn one, besting none other than fellow front row start Carl Renezeder in the process, and quickly opened a comfortable cushion despite some very slippery, tricky conditions. Once he had a bit of a buffer over second-placed Rob Naughton, MacCachren settled in to a quick, consistent rhythm, and he hardly turned a wheel wrong as he led a stellar field wire to wire to get his fifth win of the season. Behind MacCachren, a couple of other drivers also drove races that were all but mistake-free, which helped them to podium finishes. Rob Naughton took second in the #54 Losi/ReadyLift Ford, and Rodrigo Ampudia recovered from a very rough day yesterday to get third place today in his #36 Lucas Oil/Tecate Ford. Fourth place went to Jeff Kincaid in the #4 Traxxas/Goodwin Competition Ford, who just edged out Brian Deegan by a nose at the line as Deegan tried to recover and straighten out from a near-spin in the final corner. Deegan lost the drag race to the line to Kincaid, and had to settle for fifth place in his #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford.

Points wise, there are now just two drivers left with a chance at the championship, and despite dropping an extra spot on the final lap today, Deegan still leads comfortably with 632 points. MacCachren has done a great job in battling back from a rough opening weekend, but must hope for some bad luck for Deegan if he wants to defend his title, as he sits a distant 34 points back with 598.

Pro 4 Unlimited
Kyle LeDuc scored the big win in Pro 4 Unlimited yesterday, stealing the top spot from Carl Renezeder on the final lap, and today, Renezeder was out to make sure that this didn’t happen twice this weekend. Curt LeDuc led for the first four laps, but after dropping three spots in less than a lap, a rollover wasn’t exactly the cap he was looking for in today’s race, despite the fact that his son Kyle was now running up front in the #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford. After the competition yellow, Renezeder managed to get inside of LeDuc and take the lead at turn three in his #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford, but a bicycle in turn five handed the lead right back just two laps later. Renezeder was determined to get the win, though, and on the penultimate lap, he drove it deep into turn eight to get alongside LeDuc. The two stayed side by side through turn two on the final lap, but a half spin caused LeDuc to stall there, and Renezeder walked away from there to take his 98th career off-road win. LeDuc recovered and managed to re-pass his brother Todd, who’d gotten by while Kyle was trying to get going after his stall, getting alongside in the final corner and edging his brother by a nose as the two jumped and collided door to door at the finish line. Todd LeDuc finished third in the #4 Rockstar/Makita Ford, with Greg Adler fourth in the #5 ProComp/Team Associated Ford, and Kent Brascho rounded out the top five in his #8 K&N/KMC Wheels Ford.

In the championship chase, Carl Renezeder becomes the first driver to wrap up a title this season, as his grand total of 674 points so far is mathematically enough to lock it up. Congratulations Carl on your eighth short course off-road championship, you are a deserving winner!

Pro Lite Unlimited
After taking the points lead yesterday, Brian Deegan’s recent dominance of Pro Lite Unlimited continued today, as Deegan again went right to the front from the outset in his #38 Lucas Oil/Gibson Performance Exhaust Ford. Chris Brandt, having lost the points lead yesterday, was still lurking close behind in the early going, with Corey Sisler running between them, and when Sisler’s machine came to a stop on lap four, it looked like a great battle for the win would break out between the top two points contenders. Unfortunately, Deegan was already well out in front by this time, and even though the competition yellow bunched the field back up and erased Deegan’s lead, “The General” again drove a flawless race, giving Brandt no daylight and no room to try and make a move. In the end, Brandt made some valiant dives into turn eight, but some mistakes in other parts of the track cost him dearly, as Deegan came home the winner, scoring more valuable points in the quest for his second points title in three years. Brandt is still seeking that elusive championship, and finished second today, with RJ Anderson third in the #37 Walker Evans Racing/Polaris Dodge, Cameron Steele fourth in the #16 Monster Energy/Yokohama Ford, and Casey Currie fifth in the #2 Monster Energy/Magnaflow Nissan.

In the points hunt, Deegan’s sweep of the weekend gave him the championship lead yesterday, and expanded that lead today. Deegan now has a six-point edge over Brandt in the championship, 659 to 653, with just one round left to go. These two are the only two drivers who are mathematically eligible for the title, and you can be sure that with so few points between them, nothing will be left on the table at Firebird in December.

Super Lite
In Super Lite, young Sheldon Creed again showed why he is certainly one of the stars of the future, grabbing the early lead in his #74 A.M. Ortega/Simpson truck. Creed lost the lead to Austin Kimbrell in the early going, and ran second for the middle of the race, waiting in the wings for a chance to re-take the lead. Creed’s chance came on the restart lap after the competition yellow, and he dove inside of Kimbrell in turn one to take the lead back. From there, Creed drove beautifully, and held his lines perfectly to keep Kimbrell at bay. Kimbrell tried hard to get the lead back, but it was to no avail, as Creed picked up the win in just his fourth race in this class- his fourth race ever in a pro class! On top of that, at just 14 years of age, Creed becomes the youngest-ever pro class winner in Lucas Oil Off Road history- congratulations Sheldon! Second went to Kimbrell in the #88 Kimbrell Racing/Xtreme Machine & Fabrication entry, with Chad George third in the #42 Yokohama/Lazer Star machine. Fourth place was Ryan Beat, who filled in terrifically for Jason Ellis in the #89 Dethrone Racing/MavTV truck, and fifth went to Patrick Clark in the #25 BFGoodrich Tires/Method Race Wheels machine.

In the title chase, George was the best finisher of those still mathematically eligible, and has padded his leading cushion by four points to take his lead to 12 over Clark, 626 to 614. RJ Anderson is also still in the running, but is now a real outside shot at 589.
With that, the weekend’s action has come to a close here in Las Vegas.

Join us again in just five weeks’ time, as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series returns for its final weekend of action for 2011. The final regular season race, Round 15, will take place December 10th at Firebird International Raceway in the southern Phoenix suburb of Chandler, and will be followed on December 11th by the big money race: The Lucas Oil Off Road Challenge Cup! Get your tickets now, you won’t want to miss this one!

About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit www.LucasOilOffRoad.com.

Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Cloudy skies and cool temperatures set the stage for a somber and emotional opening ceremony at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, as race fans and competitors alike paid their final respects to Rick and Jeff Huseman.  Chaplain Steve Hanson led a prayer for the Husemans, who were taken from us in a small plane crash just a few weeks ago.  Kevin Huseman led the Pro4 Unlimited field around the track as the pack stands saw the No. 36 Monster Toyota on the course for the final time.  After visiting Las Vegas three times in 2010, LOORRS made their only stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, following the automotive orgy that is the annual SEMA Show.  They raced on the 1.4-mile track featuring big table top jumps and sweeping 180-degree turns with multiple places to pass.  Ten trucks showed up to battle in Pro4 Unlimited, including Mark and Mike Jenkins.  With the TORC season complete and the SEMA Show in Vegas this week, the Jenkins brothers brought their TRAXXAS trucks out for some LOORRS racing.

Todd LeDuc and Josh Merrell started on the front row in the 4WD, 800 horsepower unlimited truck class.  Merrell jumped out for a quick lead in the Hart and Huntington truck, building a big lead while Todd, his brother Kyle, and Carl Renezeder battled for second through the mandatory caution.  Merrell slipped up after the field was bunched back up and much of the field got past him, putting Renezeder in the lead in the No. 17 Lucas Oil truck.   Then with only two turns left in the race Kyle LeDuc made an aggressive pass on the inside of Renezeder to take the checkered flag for his third race in a row.  Behind Renezeder, Josh Merrell came in third for his first Pro4 podium finish.

After the Pro Buggies ran, 19 Pro Lite Unlimited took the track for the most action-packed race of the day.  TORC Pro Lite champion Andrew Caddell was in the house with his V8 Pro Light, as was RJ Anderson to even up the field with the four cylinder trucks.  Caddell got spun after the first turn, pushing him way back in the pack right off the bat.  RJ Anderson was up front to represent the V8s though, until Brian Deegan managed to make a clean pass at the back of the track in his Metal Mulisha Rockstar truck.  Further back in the field the racing was less clean, with Kyle LeDuc rolling and Chad George shedding a tire.  Matt Loiodice was back first his first race since he shattered his leg at Miller Motorsports Park back in June, but he got mixed up with other trucks as well.   By the end, Deegan narrowed Brandt’s lead in the series points with only two races remaining.  The finishing order alternated four cylinders and V8s as Deegan cruised to victory ahead of RJ Anderson, Chris Brandt, Andrew Caddell, and Justin “Bean” Smith in his Pro Lite Unlimited debut.

Next up were the spec-class Super Lites, with 17 competitors hungry for the win in their Mazda-powered trucks.  14 year old Sheldon Creed started on the front row next to Kyle Lucas, and Lucas jumped out to an early lead before being overtaken by RJ Anderson, fresh off his podium finish in Pro Lite Unlimited.  The young, aggressive drivers in Super Lite often provide a lot of carnage, but even with the big car count there was less carnage than the preceding Pro Lite Unlimited race.  Anderson held his lead to beat out Chad George and Brent Fouch by a comfortable margin.

The sun was setting as the Pro2 Unlimited trucks took the track for the final race of the day.  Jeremy McGrath started next to Brian Deegan in a battle of the energy drinks, with Rockstar Energy’s Rob MacCachren on the second row next to Robby Woods in his specially-wrapped green and white graphics as a tribute to Rick Huseman.   Jeff Geiser’s roll on turn one brought out the red flag, then Robert “Fig” Naughton got into Rodrigo Ampudia after Ampudia bicycled the Papas and Beer Ford.  McGrath seemed comfortable up front while Deegan, MacCachren and Woods all battled for second.  Woods made a nice pass on Rob Mac to move into third, but gave it all back in the second half of the race when he blew through a turn.  MacCachren almost made a similar mistake on the last turn of the race as he bicycled his truck through the corner trying to pass McGrath for the win, almost giving away second place to Deegan.  McGrath led flag to flag to take home his first Pro2 Unlimited win of the season for the Stronghold Motorsports Monster Energy team.

Brian Deegan still has a comfortable lead in Pro2 Unlimited season points, while Carl Renezeder leads Pro4 Unlimited.   In Pro Lite Unlimited it is Chris Brandt up front and Funco’s Chad George is in first place in Super Lite.  Now teams work frantically through the night in order to prepare their trucks for Sunday’s racing as the season nears its end and championship points are more valuable than ever.

Story by Harry Wagner

Photos by Vincent Knakal

[Show as slideshow]

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, presented by GEICO, is back in action this weekend, with Rounds 13 and 14 here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With just three races left in the regular season, the drivers at the top end of the field are sharpening their focus as they try to pick up every possible point in their pursuit of their class championships. Today’s Round 13 saw some great racing on the longest track of the series, and the weather held up well as folks packed the stands under pleasant late fall sunshine. Read on to find out how the day’s events unfolded.

Pro 2 Unlimited
The Pro 2 Unlimited race was really a good one, and it was Jeremy “Showtime” McGrath who put his pole starting position to good use, grabbing the early lead in his #2 Monster Energy/ReadyLift Ford. McGrath has had several strong runs this season, but today’s was his best yet, as he ran quick, clean, and smooth, and never left any room for those behind to even put a nose near him. Brian Deegan, Rob MacCachren, and Robby Woods all made various bids to get to the front, but none ever really presented a real challenge to the leader McGrath, who led the race wire to wire and picked up his first career Lucas Oil Off Road victory. McGrath is immensely popular with the fans, and they cheered in unison as one of the all-time greats of the dirt finally stood atop the box here today. MacCachren finished the race second in his #1 Rockstar/MasterCraft Safety Ford after edging by Deegan on the penultimate lap; Deegan finished third in his #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford. Fourth went to Carl Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil/Team Associated Ford, charged up to fourth through a rough and tumble field. Rounding out the top five was Rob Naughton, who survived multiple mishaps to pick up a strong finish in his #54 ReadyLift/Losi Ford.

In the points chase, Deegan continues to lead the field handily, and despite dropping a couple of points to second-placed MacCachren, Deegan is still up by 43 over MacCachren, 590 to 547. Renezeder lies third with 539, while McGrath’s win jumps him up to fourth at 515. Greg Adler rounds out the top five, and has 511 points.

Pro 4 Unlimited
The Pro 4 Unlimited race was in some ways a very somber one, as the field was without its defending champion, the crowd favorite, Rick Huseman, who along with his brother Jeff and their friend Danny Hicks, lost his life in a plane crash just three weekends ago. In a touching tribute, Rick’s brother Kevin brought the famous #36 Monster Energy/E3 Spark Plugs/Traxxas Toyota out on track one final time, pacing the field before the start of the race. With its engine singing one final time, #36 headed off the track to make way for the race’s start, and it was Josh Merrell who led the field in the early going. Merrell did a great job to hold the lead for several laps, moving clear of the field in his #22 Hart and Huntington/MavTV Ford, but a rollover on lap seven ended his first place run. Fortunately, Merrell landed on his wheels and continued in fourth place. From there, Carl Renezeder inherited the lead in his #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford, and held off Kyle LeDuc and his #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford for all but a few corners.

Unfortunately for Renezeder, those few corners were the last few, as LeDuc drove deep into turn six, forced Renezeder way wide, and got the lead. Renezeder tried to battle back, but couldn’t quite get the lead back, and LeDuc went on to pick up the win. Renezeder took second, Merrell third (his first-ever podium), Todd LeDuc fourth in the #4 Rockstar/Makita Ford, and Mike Jenkins fifth in the #47 Traxxas/BFGoodrich Tires Ford.

With Huseman’s passing, Renezeder is now running pretty far out in front in the points chase. With a total of 624 points to date, Renezeder leads second-placed Kyle LeDuc, who has 557, by 67 points, and unless LeDuc is within 52 points of Renezeder by tomorrow’s end, Renezeder will lock up the 2011 championship. No other drivers are mathematically eligible for the title, but the battle for third place is pretty close. Todd LeDuc leads that battle with 503, with Kent Brascho fourth at 498, and Jerry Daugherty fifth with 488.

Pro Lite Unlimited
With a very close race between Chris Brandt and Brian Deegan in the championship chase, today’s race would be crucial, as every point would have big significance. Deegan ran in second for just a couple of laps, but by lap three, he drove deep into the final corner to grab the lead, a lead he would never relinquish. With all kinds of shuffling, bumping, and banging going on behind him, Deegan and his #38 Lucas Oil/Metal Mulisha Ford were once again untouchable, and for the eighth time this season, he came away with the win. Behind Deegan, young RJ Anderson had a great race in the #37 Walker Evans Racing/South Point Dodge, as he had what was easily the best finish of his career in this class, taking second place in a stacked field. Third went to Brandt in the #82 BFGoodrich Tires/KarTek Toyota, who almost certainly was hoping for a better finish as he continues to pursue that elusive title. Series newcomer Andrew Caddell had an impressive debut after taking fourth in his #43 Traxxas/AMSOil Dodge, and rounding out the top five was Justin “Bean” Smith, whose had his first run in this class in the #25 Jeff Carpenter Racing/Performance Utility Supply Ford.

Points-wise, things continue to swing in favor of Deegan, who has now taken the points lead by three points over Brandt, 608 to 605. These two are in a two-horse race for the title, as third place is Cameron Steele, way back at 522. Fourth is Jimmy Stephensen with 505, and just behind him is Rodrigo Ampudia, who lies fifth with 501.

Super Lite
Kyle Lucas made his Super Lite debut this weekend, and did a great job to lead the field for the first couple of laps. However, Lucas had a bad corner in turn one on the third lap, dropping three positions and handing the lead to Brent Fouch. Fouch’s lead was short-lived, though, as RJ Anderson moved into the lead before the competition yellow in his #37 Dethrone Racing/Goodyear truck. Racing in his third class of the day, Anderson did a great job to hold off another “third class of the day” driver, Chad George, as he went one better than he did in Pro Lite Unlimited to get the win here in Super Lite. George finished second in his #42 Kawasaki/Yokohama machine, with Fouch third in the #21 Forgiven Energy/General Tire entry, Patrick Clark fourth in the #25 BFGoodrich Tires/Method Race Wheels truck, and Sheldon Creed fifth in his #74 A.M. Ortega/BFGoodrich Tires machine.
As far as the championship goes, George has widened his lead to eight points over Clark, 580 to 572. Anderson’s big win brings him a little closer to the two drivers ahead of him, and he now sits 27 points out of first with 553. Fouch is fourth with 475, and Jessie Johnson is now fifth with 455.

That wraps up the day’s action from here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Join us again tomorrow for Round 14 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, with gates opening to the public at 9:00am. Racing kicks off at 11:00am with the Junior 2 Karts, and Opening Ceremonies will go off at 1:30pm. The championship chases are coming right down to the wire, and you won’t want to miss a minute of the action, so get here and get your front row seat for a great day of racing!

About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit www.LucasOilOffRoad.com.

Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, presented by GEICO, kicked off Round 13 with qualifying this afternoon. There were a lot of new things shaking up the drivers lineups, most notably the absence of defending Pro 4 Unlimited Champion Rick Huseman, who passed away along with his brother Jeff and their friend Danny Hicks less than three weeks ago. While we are all still reeling at this tragic loss, there have also been some bright moments this weekend, including the addition of eight new drivers to the Lucas Oil Off Road ranks, all of whom are racing this series for the first time this season. Seven of these eight are series rookies, racing the series for the first time ever, and we wish to say welcome to all of them, including our own lead television commentator, the one and only Mr. Ken Stout, who will be driving in Pro Buggy Unlimited this weekend. Also, there are four drivers, all of them highly notable (Justin “Bean” Smith, Chad George, Patrick Clark, and Kyle Lucas), who are moving up into new and faster ranks of vehicles this weekend. All except Lucas will continue to compete in their previous classes as well, and we wish these drivers success in their new endeavors. With all that in mind, here’s how qualifying shook out this afternoon.

Super Lite
The first class out on track for this afternoon’s qualifying session was Super Lite, and a big field of 17 trucks made their bid for pole position. At the head of the field, it was pretty much a two horse race for top honors, and the one point that goes with it, as RJ Anderson and Patrick Clark traded fastest lap with one another. Clark went fastest on the opening lap, turning a 1:17.568. Anderson then moved ahead with a 1:17.478 on lap two, but a 1:17.112 on lap three and a personal best of 1:16.984 on lap four meant Clark was back in front with just one lap to go. On the final lap, Anderson just managed to edge ahead again, taking pole position with a 1:16.853. Clark finished a close second, with Chad George third at 1:17.544, Brent Fouch fourth at 1:17.562, and Sheldon Creed fifth with a 1:18.454.

Pro 4 Unlimited
Next up was Pro 4 Unlimited, and following the recent tragic passing of reigning champion Rick Huseman, the field certainly felt a little empty this afternoon. Nonetheless, the drivers did the best thing they could in Huseman’s honor, as they suited up again and headed out on track. Kyle LeDuc picked up right where he left off after Round 12, and carried his two-race-win momentum into a dominating performance here this afternoon. LeDuc topped the field after an opening lap of 1:08.246 in his #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford, and improved his session-leading time to 1:06.833. No other driver was able to go quicker than LeDuc, who improved his time again on the final lap, taking the pole in a time of 1:06.805. Second place went to Carl Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire, with a best lap of 1:07.059. Josh Merrell had a great run to take third with a 1:07.673 in his #22 Hart and Huntington/MavTV Ford, while Kyle LeDuc’s brother Todd was just eight thousandths slower at 1:07.681 in his #4 Rockstar/Makita Ford. Rounding out the top five was Greg Adler in the #5 ProComp/Team Associated Ford; Adler’s best lap was a 1:08.243.

Pro Lite Unlimited
The biggest field this afternoon, surprising as it may seem, was Pro Lite Unlimited, which saw 18 trucks take to the track. Fastest on the opening lap was Austin Kimbrell in the #88 Kimbrell Racing Ford, who turned a 1:16.970. Kimbrell continued to lead after improving to a 1:16.586 on lap two, and that lap held up through the end of lap three. However, it was then Brian Deegan who moved into the session’s lead with a 1:16.452 on lap four in his #38 Lucas Oil/Metal Mulisha Ford. Deegan’s lap was good enough to score him the pole, as well as the one point that goes with it, moving him within just two points of championship leader Chris Brandt, who was unable to finish a single lap in this afternoon’s session. Lap four must have been the lucky lap for several drivers, because as Deegan moved into the session lead, both Kyle LeDuc and RJ Anderson also moved past Kimbrell on the same lap, taking over second and third for the remainder of the session. LeDuc ended up second with a 1:16.504 in his #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford, while Anderson was third with a 1:16.547 in his #37 Walker Evans Racing/Goodyear truck. Kimbrell’s earlier time was good enough for fourth, and meant that the top four drivers were covered by just 0.136 seconds this afternoon! Rounding out the top five was the #43 Traxxas/AMSOil truck of Andrew Caddell; Caddell’s best lap was a 1:17.198.

Pro Buggy Unlimited
Reaching the halfway mark in this afternoon’s run of qualifying sessions, it was now time for Pro Buggy Unlimited. Jerry Whelchel came out firing, grabbing the early lead with a 1:14.270 in his #5 Select Glass/BFGoodrich Tires Foddrill, but on the next lap, it was Justin “Bean” Smith who turned the fastest lap of the session, a 1:13.454 in his #19 Metal Mulisha/Competitive Metals AlumiCraft. Smith took the pole, with Cody Freeman also eventually going quicker than Whelchel, and his 1:14.189 in the #2 Race Fuel Energy Drink/Freeman’s Carpet Service Racer was good enough for second place. Third went to Whelchel, fourth to John Holmes in the #3 Prolong Super Lubricants/DWT Racer (1:14.830), and fifth to Steven Greinke in the #23 SC Fuels/Concourse Racer (1:14.988).

Pro 2 Unlimited
Next up was Pro 2 Unlimited, and after the first lap, it was Rodrigo Ampudia who was on top in the #36 Papas & Beer/Lucas Oil Ford after turning a 1:10.791. On lap two, however, Robby Woods took over the top spot with a 1:10.766 in his #99 Lucas Slick Mist/General Tire Chevrolet. Woods then cemented his position with a 1:10.395 on the final lap, as he took his first career pole position- way to go Robby! Second place went to Ampudia, while third went to Greg Adler in the #10 4 Wheel Parts/Magnaflow Ford, whose best lap was a 1:10.838. Rob MacCachren finished fourth with a 1:11.037 in his #1 Rockstar/MasterCraft Safety Ford, and Brian Deegan rounded out the top five with a 1:11.538 in his #38 Rockstar/Makita Ford.

Limited Buggy
In Limited Buggy, the championship chase is closer than in any other class, which means that every point on offer is a big deal for the championship contenders, and that the one point for pole position this afternoon was one that many drivers were after. Bradley Morris was the session leader after lap one in his #304 K&N/Lucas Oil AlumiCraft. Morris’ time of 1:18.040 held up for nearly the entire session, but on the final lap, three other drivers managed to go quicker, and it was Quentin Tucker in the #377 General Tire/Sara Lee buggy who was fastest of all. Tucker’s 1:17.418 garnered him the pole (the first of his Lucas Oil Off Road career- congratulations Quentin!), and moved him up by one point in the standings, leaving him just two points behind championship leader Curt Geer, and one point behind second placed Dave Mason. That’s right, the top three drivers are now just two points apart! Geer finished second with a 1:17.746 in his #385 Green Army/Bowden Development, Inc. Lothringer, with John Fitzgerald (also in the championship hunt, just 23 points behind Geer) third at a 1:17.880 in his #314 Aero Motorsports/Simpson buggy. Morris’ time held up for fourth, and Geoffrey Cooley took fifth with a 1:18.225 in his #322 Competitive Metals/USA Wheel AlumiCraft; Mason finished sixth.

UTV
The final qualifying session of the afternoon was that of the UTVs, and today, it was all about Ryan Beat in the #851 Hart and Huntington/Black Rhino Kawasaki. Beat moved his SR1 to the top of the time sheets from the outset, turning a series of laps of 1:16.145, 1:15.712, and 1:14.269 on laps one, two, and four to eventually take the SR1 and overall poles; nobody was able to top him today. Second in SR1 and overall was Doug Mittag, whose #848 Monster Energy/Oakley Kawasaki did a 1:15.210 on lap four. Chad George topped the Unlimited UTVs and took third overall in his #1 Monster Energy/Funco Kawasaki after a best lap of 1:15.894, while Robert Vanbeekum finished second in Unlimited UTV, fourth overall with a 1:16.533 in the #664 Monster Energy/Muzzys Kawasaki. Rounding out the SR1 podium was Code Rahders, who was also fifth overall after a 1:17.199 in his #816 SuperChips/Black Rhino Yamaha. RJ Anderson filled out the Unlimited UTV top three in his #637 Walker Evans Racing/Holz Racing Products Polaris; his best lap of 1:17.492 gave him seventh overall.

Lucas officials seemed to have timed this afternoon’s qualifying proceedings to near perfections, as only moments after the UTVs cleared the track, the skies opened up with a heavy downpour of rain. Rain continued on into the evening, but the forecast for tomorrow looks good, as it is expected to be sunny and cool with a light breeze. Bring a sweater and head on out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway; gates open to the public at 9:00am, with racing kicking off at 11:30am, and Opening Ceremonies happening at 2:00pm. There are just three rounds left in the 2011 season, so the action will be frantic as our championship chases wind down- don’t miss out!

About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit www.LucasOilOffRoad.com.

Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series