Robby Gordon took the overall win today at the 2012 BITD Parker 425, winning over Troy Herbst and Ryan Arciero by 4 minutes. Gordon’s overall time was 14 minutes faster then Jesse Jones time last year, which was attributed to a fast first lap on a smooth course. As time went on the course got more chewed up and vehicles starting falling to what Parker does best, cause DNF’s. TSCO Racing and the Weyrich brothers put up a good showing with Mark finishing 3rd overall and 2nd in Trick Truck, while brother Gary battled from starting 70th to finish 15th overall. Coming in second place in Class 1500 was Ray Griffith, after qualifying 4th on Thursday he kept a fast pace to put him in the same spot overall.

Of the top 20 overall vehicles, only 6 of them qualified in the top 20. While qualifying towards the top is typically an advantage, in a race like Parker where attrition takes it toll, just finishing the race is a battle.

Unofficial Overall Leaders
Place Name # Time Starting Position
1 ROBBY GORDON 1537 7:18.50 3
2 TROY HERBST 49 7:23.01 18
3 MARK WEYHRICH 9 7:26.12 16
4 RAY GRIFFITH 1553 7:34.12 4
5 JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ f18 7:36.35 19
6 MIKE CHILDRESS 1565 7:37.51 12
7 JIMMY NUCKLES 48 7:45.21 11
8 ADAM HOUSEHOLDER 24 7:46.28 22
9 OLLIGES/SWIFT 28 7:49.08 29
10 BJ BALDWIN 1 7:50.13 2
11 JUSTIN DAVIS 1513 7:50.53 41
12 RICHARD BOYLE 1563 7:50.59 36
13 JON WALKER 1589 7:58.49 50
14 SHELBY REID 1568 8:01.35 31
15 GARY WEYHRICH 98 8:03.14 70
16 TRAVIS CHASE 1595 8:04.08 28
17 RICKY BRABEC 1582 8:07.53 59
18 BRAD ETTER 1560 8:12.38 51
19 TODD JERGENSEN 1551 8:14.28 32
20 GARRICK FREITAS 1572 8:16.19 27

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Rob MacCachren put a hurting on the field of 88 Trick Trucks and Class 1500 cars taking the top spot in qualifying, putting 4 seconds on BJ Baldwin and another 9 seconds on Robby Gordon. Rob Mac used smart lane choices to start first for Saturday’s grueling 425 mile course that Parker is known for. While qualifying at the top is definitely an advantage over the field, this race is about attrition so you can’t count any team out until the results come out.

Stay tuned on RDC as on race day we’ll have our usual live coverage with radio coverage and live video, along with stories and photos after the race. Good luck to all the racers!

Also be sure to check out a quick video by Scott Smith at Paradigm Productions from todays qualifying!

Parker Qualifying Video

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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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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Justin Lofton started first off the line at the BITD Henderson 250 and never looked back, extending his lead after each lap, and eventually taking the overall win with a time of 3 hours, 51 minutes, and 55 seconds. The next closed competitor was Garrick Freitas who finished 13 minutes after Lofton, giving Jimco the 1-2 overall. Adam Householder took the win in Trick Truck, fighting his way through the field after starting 18th. After a rollover in time trials for the #75 truck of Camburg Racing, causing them to start 36th, Jerry Whelchel picked off the competition to finish 3rd in class and 8th overall.

After some controversy with Steve Strobel blowing a turn before the finish due to no power steering, the team was given a time penalty which gave BJ Baldwin the Trick Truck championship despite finishing physically behind Strobel. Steve Appleton took home the overall points championship along with the Class 1500 championship.

At roughly race mile 8 of lap 1 TT #82 suffered a rollover due to a mechanical problem, which then caused the truck to catch fire and ultimately burning to the ground. Both BITD officials and BLM were able to eventually put the fire out, and luckily both driver and co-driver were able to get out of the truck with only slight injuries.

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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After 44 years outsiders might think that the annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is a well-oiled machine, perhaps even a little boring. That would be the wrong conclusion though, and only minutes after the race started that point was hammered home when a semi truck blocked the course and the first fourteen Trophy Trucks off the line came to a screeching halt. This is Baja and anything can happen- which is the appeal that brought over 200 drivers to take on not only each other but the brutal and chaotic landscape as well. Sal Fish had a few more gray hairs as the situation unfolded and the decision was made to move the TT start to past the semi truck 4.5 miles into the course instead of restart the entire field. Class 1s and the rest of the field started at the traditional starting line on Main Street, giving them some clean air but limiting the chance one of the 26 Class 1 cars would take the overall win. Playing King Solomon, Sal said that finishing positions would be determined based on highest average MPH.

There were bets in the RDC forums about how long Jesse James would maintain his starting position and he surprised a plenty of people by staying out front over 150 miles before he had a flat. Despite rolling near the finish line James still managed a top ten finish- something the WCC star has accomplished at every SCORE race this season. Tavo Vildosola, starting behind James, has issues early on that unfortunately took the reigning Baja 1000 champ out of contention before he even reached the summit. He was not alone. Matt Stevens’ truck erupted into flames at the start line and BJ Baldwin’s truck lost an engine early in the race. While some were bummed about the loop format instead of the traditional run down the peninsula to Cabo, the course was far from easy. The figure eight track started and ended in Ensenada and headed down to San Felipe in a combination of the Baja 500 and San Felipe 250 terrain for a total just under 700 miles. Bryce Menzies took the lead as the sun went down, but the front runner changed many times throughout the night.

Bryce battled with Andy McMillin and Nick Vanderway up front before he got word that Rob MacCachren had issues, and then Menzies set a more conservative pace before handing the No. 70 truck off to Ricky Johnson at RM 540. This approach allowed Menzies to finish third overall, cinching SCORE season championship. Andy Mac wasn’t racing for points, as he posted on RDC prior to the race “Most don’t remember who won a championship 5 years ago. Everyone remembers who wins the Baja 1000 overall.” Andy started tenth and drove the first 200 miles before handing the truck over to his father Scott through the rough sections in San Felipe. Andy got back in at RM 511 to take the truck to the finish line for the win. It was the team’s second win in three years and Andy’s third overall, putting him in the company of Robby Gordon and Ivan Stewart.

After nearly fifteen hours of racing, Nick Vanderway and the No. 8 Got Milk team were only three minutes behind McMillin on corrected time. Vanderway was running the huge 42” BFGs on 20” Trailready rims and the peanut gallery predicted scattered drivetrain parts, but Nick, his brother Larry, and off-road legend Curt LeDuc kept the truck together to finish second ahead of a lot of big budget teams. Even at a conservative pace Bryce Menzies finished third; only a minute behind Vanderway in his very first Baja 1000. Racking up a TORC Pro 2WD championship and a SCORE Trophy Truck title this year, it is fair to say that this kid has a bright future in all forms of off-road racing.

Wind throughout the night kept the dust down, but visibility was still an issue as fog moved in. Drivers could just not get a break! Of the 29 Trophy Truck starters there were 21 finishers, but none of them ran a flawless race. The harsh terrain of Baja has little patience for quitters. Gary Weyhrich had finished in the top five all season and was running fast, but when we saw him in BFG Pit 2 in the middle of the night the entire rear end was apart and being repaired. Weyhrich soldiered on and eventually finished 16th overall, just in front of Adam Householder. Householder started way back in the field and was leading on corrected time after 250 miles, but a broken driveshaft and some brake issues cost them time.

In Class 1, Justin Davis started way back in the field but the wunderkid managed to pass all other Class 1 cars to finish sixth overall and first in class to take home the Class 1 championship at only eighteen years of age. On the bikes, JCR Racing was able to hold off the THR Kawasaki onslaught to keep the title for Honda for the fifth year in a row. Despite the brutal course, the finish rate was actually rather high at 55%. Regardless of whether they finished or not, every member of every team came home with a story to tell. Be sure to log in to the RDC forums to hear each of their stories firsthand.

Photos by Jason Zindroski

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The heat in Arizona never let up this weekend and the same can be said for all the racers. The crowd today was a bit smaller then yesterday but the ones that were there you knew were diehard fans. The racers put on a great show today with some great battling, carnage and excitement.

In the Pro 4 race Todd Leduc took the hole shot leading all the way till after the yellow flag before he bicycled it in turn 2, letting his brother get past him, who he was battling for a few laps before that. Kyle would eventually go on to take the win for the second time this weekend, giving him a good amount of points to try and make a rush for the championship by the end of the year. Honorable mention goes out to Doug Fortin who filling in for Kent Brashco finished fourth in class.

Prolite was once again the Brian Deegan show, as he battled his way to the front after making an impressive pass on Jimmy Stephenson in turn 5 towards the end of the race. Deegan has been on a tear lately and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Second place went to Corey Sisler, who had some comments on the podium with Rodrigo Ampudia (who got third) about getting hit from behind.

Carnage was the name of the game in the Pro 2 race as after the first lap trucks were missing fiberglass after the start. On lap 4 Robbie Pierce came off the table top before the mogul section a bit sideways putting him off track, and cut back into the course causing him to collide with Myan Spaccarelli damaging both trucks to the point of DNF. Carl Renzender and Jeremy McGrath were also in the pile up, with Carl only making it a few more laps before his damage caused him to pull off. Mcgrath was able to finish the race but had to settle for last place. Rob MacCachren and Rodrigo Ampudia battled in front of the crowd with Ampudia holding off the veteran until mechanical problems caused him to slow down, giving Rob Mac the win. Robert Naughton took second place in front of his home crowd, and Brian Deegan took third place with his fourth podium in four races.

Limited Buggy
1. Quintin Tucker
2. John Fitzgerald
3. Dave Mason

Pro 2
1. Rob MacCachren
2. Robert Naugton
3. Brian Deegan

Pro 4
1. Kyle Leduc
2. Carl Renzeder
3. Todd Leduc

Prolite
1. Brian Deegan
2. Corey Sisler
3. Rodrigo Ampudia

Pro Buggy
1. Jerry Whelchel
2. Doug Fortin
3. Mike Porter

Superlite
1. Chad George
2. Sheldon Creed
3. Drew Britt

UTV
1. John Dempsey
2. Dan Kelly
3. RJ Anderson

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Brian Deegan took the momentum from Glen Helen and brought it straight to Arizona, winning not only Prolite but also in Pro 2. Starting off on the pole Deegan never made a mistake and led the entire race. Rob MacCachren would try and find a line around Deegan but was never able to make the pass. Jeremy McGrath battled his way through the field to take the last spot on the podium.

In Pro 4 Kyle Leduc took the top spot after getting around Cenni and never looking back. Cenni had to drop out with mechanical problems after having some contact with Carl Renezeder after the mogul section. After the contact smoke starting coming from Cenni’s truck and after a few lap was forced to pull over. Huseman had second place lined up but spun out after the whoops letting Carl get by so he had to settle for third place.

Prolite was once again the Deegan show as after battling with Cory Sissler, who ended up blowing his motor, took the top spot and kept it the rest of the race. Rodrigo Ampudia pushed his truck hard to try and get around him but just needed a few more laps. Chris Brandt rounded out the the top 3 in Prolite, getting some much needed points to stretch his point lead.

Limited Buggy
1. Brian Freeman
2. Dave Mason
3. Bradley Morris

Pro 2
1. Brian Deegan
2. Rob Mac
3. Jeremy McGrath

Pro 4
1. Kyle Leduc
2. Carl Renezeder
3. Rick Huseman

Pro Buggy
1. Justin Bean Smith
2. Mike Porter
3. Doug Fortin

Prolite
1. Brian Deegan
2. Rodrigo Ampudia
3. Chris Brandt

Superlite
1. RJ Anderson
2. Chad George
3. Pat Clark

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Kyle Leduc laid down fast lap of the day in his Pro 4 with a lap time of 54.223, over a second faster over Renezeder who would be next fastest in Pro 4, as well as grabbing the pole in Pro 2 with a time of 56.501. In the Prolite class, Chris Brandt edged Brian Deegan, and in Pro Buggy Justin Davis took the top spot just barely beating Justin “Bean” Smith.

The desert heat was in full force today and and the forecast isn’t letting up for tomorrows racing. Lucas Oil changed the normal schedule around with Modified Karts starting off at 8:30am, and the last race of the day, Pro 2, starting at 2:30pm, so make sure you listen to the broadcast live here on RDC tomorrow.

Pro 2
1 17 CARL RENEZEDER 56.501
2 99 ROBBY WOODS 57.008
3 1 ROB MACCACHREN 57.038
4 38 BRIAN DEEGAN 57.252
5 36 RODRIGO AMPUDIA 57.467

Limited Buggy
1 304 BRADLEY MORRIS 1:02.669
2 365 DAVE MASON 1:02.713
3 312 BRUCE FRALEY 1:02.941
4 385 CURT GEER 1:03.091
5 314 JOHN FITZGERALD 1:03.228

Pro 4
1 99 KYLE LEDUC 54.223
2 17 CARL RENEZEDER 55.192
3 11 ADRIAN CENNI 55.328
4 5 TRAVIS COYNE 56.764
5 43 CURT LEDUC 56.860

Pro Buggy
1 85 JUSTIN DAVIS 57.939
2 19 JUSTIN SMITH 58.057
3 23 STEVEN GREINKE 58.157
4 5 JERRY WHELCHEL 58.377
5 2 CODY FREEMAN 58.560

Prolite
1 82 CHRIS BRANDT 58.348
2 38 BRIAN DEEGAN 58.620
3 36 RODRIGO AMPUDIA 58.852
4 19 COREY SISLER 59.213
5 2 CASEY CURRIE 59.788

Superlite
1 25 PATRICK CLARK 1:01.403
2 42 CHAD GEORGE 1:01.946
3 37 RJ ANDERSON 1:02.007
4 21 BRENT FOUCH 1:02.072
5 7 DREW BRITT 1:02.485

UTV
1 816 CODE RAHDERS 1:01.020
2 664 ROBERT VANBEEKUM 1:01.394
3 810 CORRY WELLER 1:01.488
4 855 JOHN DEMPSEY 1:01.950
5 694 TYLER WINBURY 1:02.645

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The 2011 BITD Vegas 2 Reno race is still underway as racers from across the country battle the desert to cross the finish line within the 24 hour time limit.  Nebraska isn’t just known for college football anymore, as Nebraska native Steve Strobel unofficially put his #94 Trick Truck across the line taking the overall win.  11 minutes back was General Tire/Monster Energy’s BJ Baldwin who fought hard all day but couldn’t put enough time on Strobel towards the end to put him ahead.  In the Class 1500 Garrick Freitas claimed the number one spot putting his Jimco race car ahead of the second fastest Steve “Video Camera Punter” Appleton by about two minutes.

The story of the day was Kyle Conlon who set  a blistering pace for more then half the race taking advantage of the clean air in front of him, but somewhere near RM525 he seemed to have some mechanical problem that took him out of contention.  Another big story in the Trick Truck class was that of Camburg Racing, who with Jerry Whelchel at the wheel was in the position to get first place in the Trick Truck class on time, but around 10 miles from the finish they got a flat which wrapped itself around the axle causing them to have more downtime then they would of liked.  The win would of given Camburg their first win in the Trick Truck class, but the strong showing and 6th overall position showed that their Trophy Truck is something to be taken serious.

A few of the top teams had to pull out early such as Mikey Childress at RM 118 with a blown torque converter, and Rick Johnson and Harley Letner a few miles before that both with blown motors.  Both Roger Norman and the Milk-In-It team both had rollerovers which took them out of the race.  Greg Nunley rolled at RM 232 and briefly blocked the course but was able to get turned over and finish in 6th place in class.

- Also showing just how much of a stud driver he is, Larry Roeseler drove the #19 Terrible Herbst truck in reverse for at least 10 miles to Pit 9 hanging out the driver side window steering the truck and waving to fans.

- Dan McMillin made his debut in the Trick Truck class pairing up with his pops Mark McMillin, proving that he can hang with the big boys in both Class 1 and Trophy Trucks.  Trick Trucks, Unlimited Trucks, whatever they are called.

- Chuck Hovey drove the race solo in his single seat Jimco.  When asked at tech if he was sharing driving duties he said “no one drives my baby but me.”   We agree, seeing someone drive his single seat car just wouldn’t be right.

- Qualifying position didn’t seem to be an important factor as people thought, as many teams who qualified out of the top 25 finished high up in the rankings such as Olliges/Swift in the Team Ford Trick Truck who started 37th and finished 5th overall, Mark/Dan McMillin; 27th/10th, Freitas; 26th/3rd, Chad Ragland 65th/11th, and Canidae 34th/8th.

For updates on all other classes make sure you check out the live coverage and also the “Official” V2R thread on the forums.

Live Coverage

RDC Forum – Official Thread

Header Photo by Klaus Rasch

Gallery Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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It was a hot day out in Las Vegas where Kyle Conlon set the pace today taking the pole with a time of 4:15:627, beating Ray Griffith by a mere hundreds of a second. Jimco Racing will have two class 1500′s off the start to give them an advantage off the start for an overall. Rounding out the top five was Gus Vildosola Jr. (in Jesse Jones’ truck), Chuck Hovey, and Mikey Childress. With clean air Kyle Conlon will be hard to beat if he continues on the same pace he has been for the past few races.

Here are you top 20 from qualifying

1. Kyle Conlon
2. Ray Griffith
3. Gus Vildosola, Jr.
4. Chuck Hovey
5. Mikey Childress
6. Richard Boyle
7. BJ Baldwin
8. Steve Strobel
9. Greg Nunley
10. Mark Hutchins
11. Tim Herbst
12. Steve Sourapas
13. Adam Householder
14. Jason Voss
15. TJ Flores
16. Todd Tuls
17. Steve Croll
18. Roger Norman
19. Ryan Poelman
20. Try Herbst

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Yesterday the racers put on a great show for the fans, and while there wasn’t as many in attendance today, those that were here gave witness to some of the best racing of the season. In the Pro 2 class Deegan, Woods, Adler, MacCachren, Ampudia, and Renezender all put on one hell of a show. Rob MacCachren (who I can finally spell right without having to look it up) looked as though he would pull ahead, nosed in on the rhythm section giving up his lead. The Top 5 all showed wear and tear as fiberglass was a’plenty on the course, but it was Brian Deegan who came away with his first Pro 2 win of his career.

Justin “Bean” Smith showed everyone why he is one of the young guns in the sport with a bright future ahead of him. Any teams or companies looking to get someone in a Pro 2 or Pro 4 take notice. Pro 4 had some great battles as well but it was a repeat of Round 9 with Rick Huseman grabbing the top spot.

We could go on and on about all the exciting things that happened today at Glen Helen, but we think the most memorable is Cameron Steele getting his first win in the Pro-Lite class. An emotional PAB dedicated the win to Ox saying while he was happy to get his first win, it is still tough to celebrate without Ox being there to celebrate with him. The past few rounds Cameron has come very close to winning only to have someone spin him out, not catching a break, but tonight he showed that those leads were not a fluke.

UTV
1 851 RYAN BEAT
2 816 CODE RAHDERS
3 810 CORRY WELLER

Modified Kart
1 504 BRADLEY MORRIS
2 1 MITCHELL DEJONG
3 527 JERETT BROOKS

Limited Buggy
1 304 BRADLEY MORRIS
2 385 CURT GEER
3 334 ZACHARY HUNT

Pro 2
1 38 BRIAN DEEGAN
2 99 ROBBY WOODS
3 36 RODRIGO AMPUDIA

Pro 4
1 36 RICK HUSEMAN
2 99 KYLE LEDUC
3 17 CARL RENEZEDER

Pro Buggy
1 19 JUSTIN SMITH
2 2 CODY FREEMAN
3 8 MIKE PORTER

Pro-Lite
1 16 CAMERON STEELE
2 19 COREY SISLER
3 55 Matt Cook

Superlite
1 42 CHAD GEORGE
2 25 PATRICK CLARK
3 16 DAWSON KIRCHNER

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Lucas Oil put on another great event tonight giving the fans not only a cool place to watch racing in the hot summer months, but also giving them an action packed night of racing. The crowds packed the stands and the racers gave them what they want, door to door action with great battles in all the classes. The usual suspects were on top in the three pro truck classes with Rick Huseman, Rob MacCachren, and Brian Deegan all taking the checkered flags. The night ended later then everyone expected, though everyone stayed in the stands till the very end regardless. In my opinion they shouldn’t put times on their schedule of events, just a start time for opening ceremonies and then another line saying “When people stop rolling and jumping the start is when we’ll finish.”

The night had a few good rollovers, most notable in the Superlite class where it seems like every lap someone went over. Maybe in the Superlite class you get additional points for rollovers. Justin “Bean” Smith did his best Jerry Whelchel impression when he ended up on top of a rolled over Jerry whelchel in the Pro Buggy class. Wasn’t his fault, when you race open wheel cars contact is bound to happen. It will be interesting to see how they both end up in points as that class is very tight and they both finished mid pack. The Pro 2 race had some great battles with many lead changes and a great overall show. And finally Casey Currie gets the style points of the night as he finished his race in reverse, similar to Armin Schwartz in the SCORE Laughlin race, only Casey didn’t almost take everyone out.

Limited Buggy
1 385 CURT GEER
2 377 QUENTIN TUCKER
3 365 DAVE MASON

Pro 2
1 1 ROB MACCACHREN
2 99 ROBBY WOODS
3 38 BRIAN DEEGAN

Pro 4
1 36 RICK HUSEMAN
2 17 CARL RENEZEDER
3 11 ADRIAN CENNI

Pro Buggy
1 2 CODY FREEMAN
2 8 MIKE PORTER
3 96 DOUG FORTIN

Prolite
1 38 BRIAN DEEGAN
2 19 COREY SISLER
3 82 CHRIS BRANDT

Superlite
1 16 DAWSON KIRCHNER
2 25 PATRICK CLARK
3 42 CHAD GEORGE

Photos by HighRev Photography

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Robert “Fig Newton” Naughton put on a clinic this weekend in the Pro 2 Unlimited class winning both Round 7 and 8 of the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series. Sunday marked another great day of racing with great battles and epic crashes throughout the day. In the Pro 2 class Naughton showed us why he won a Prolite championship in the past dominating both days and putting his Stronghold Motorsports truck on the top spot both days. Brian Deegan and Robby Woods would round out the top 3.

One of the most exciting races of the day was the Pro 4 Unlimited which had Josh Merrell leading the race before Renezeder finally got around him. Merrell was still holding strong until he crashed hard in turn 5 putting him into the catch fence and ending his day. In a separate incident Curt Leduc decided to take a secret line jumping the k-rail after trying to avoid Cenni who spun out in front of him due to a flat rear tire. Renezeder would take the win giving him the points lead over Rick Huseman who had a case of bad luck this weekend. Kyle Leduc would take second after winning Round 7.

Usual suspects Chris Brandt and Brian Deegan took first and second respectively in the Pro-lite class, with Corey Sisler taking 3rd place after crashing hard yesterday on the mogul section. Cameron Steele looked to take a podium finish after getting taken out by Deegan yesterday but got caught up in turn 5 with a few laps to go and had to settle for 6th.

Limited Buggy
1.  John Fitzgerald
2. Bruce Fraley
3. Curt Geer
4. Dave Mason
5. Zachary Hunt
6. Kevin McCullough
7. Lindsay Geiser
8. Bradley Morris
9. Greg Crew
10. Quentin Tucker
11. Geoffrey Cooley
12. Kenny Freeman

Kart Jr 1
1. Elliot Watson
2. Broc Dickerson
3. Darren Hardesty
4. Philip Winbury
5. Preston Roben
6. Christopher Polvoorde
7. Travis Pecoy
8. Corey Geiser
9. Cole Dexheimer
10. Jack Yeiser
11. Wolfgang Ries
12. Dylan Winbury
13. Tyler Stephensen
14. Blaze Nunly
15. Rayce Geiser
16. Dean Duro
17. Barrett Nunley
18. Gavin Harlien

Kart Jr 2
1. Preston Roben
2. Brock Heger
3. Myles Cheek
4. Chad Graham
5. Maxwell Ries
6. Weston Schuck
7. Carlye Lenk
8. Hailie Deegan
9. Isabella Naughton
10. Isavella Busnardo
11. Paige Porter
12. Parker Steele
13. Alyssa Fortin
14. Parker Porter
15. Shelby Anderson

Modified Kart
1. Kyle Hart
2. Sheldon Creed
3. Scotty Steele
4. Bradley Morris
5. Mitch Guthrie
6. Cole Mamer
7. Sterling Cling
8. Chad Graham
9. Anthony Busnardo
10. Brock Heger
11. Jerett Brooks
12. Jeff Hoffman
13. Mitchell Dejong
14. Blake Lenk
15. Brooke Kawell

Pro 2
1. Rob Naughton
2. Brian Deegan
3. Robby Woods
4. Jeff Geiser
5. Greg Adler
6. Jeremy McGrath
7. Greg Nunley
8. Phil Bollman
9. Rob MacCachren
10. Jeremy McGrath
11. Carl Renezeder
12. Robbie Pierce
13. Rodrigo Ampudia

Pro 4
1. Carl Renezeder
2. Kyle Leduc
3. Kent Brascho
4. Jerry Daugherty
5. Travis Coyne
6. Curt Leduc
7. Adrian Cenni
8. Todd Leduc
9. Josh Merrell
10. Rick Huseman

Pro Buggy
1. Cody Freeman
2. Justin Smith
3. Mike Porter
4. Doug Fortin
5. John Holmes
6. Steven Greinke
7. Brandon Bailey
8. Jerry Welchel
9. Bobby Pecoy
10. Gregg Reichman

Prolite
1. Chris Brandt
2. Brian Deegan
3. Corey Sisler
4. Matt Cook
5. Stephan Papadakis
6. Cameron Steele
7. Rodrigo Ampudia
8. Casey Currie
9. Jacob Person
10. Jimmy Stephensen
11. Kyle Leduc
12. Austin Kimbrell
13. RJ Anderson

Superlite
1. Wyatt Kirchner
2. RJ Anderson
3. Dawson Kirchner
4. Patrick Clark
5. Chad George
6. Austin Kimbrell
7. Ryan Hagy
8. Luke Johnson
9. Brent Fouch
10. Mike McCarthy
11. Jessie Johnson
12. Jason Ellis
13. Garrett Poleman
14. Jacob Person
15. Ron Duncombe

UTV
1. Doug Mittag
2. Corry Weller
3. Robert Vanbeekum
4. John Dempsey
5. Tyler Winbury
6. RJ Anderson
7. Bryan Osbord
8. Chad George
9. Code Rahders
10. Dan Kelly
11. Ryan Beat

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Lucas Oil Offroad is back in Utah with Rounds 7 & 8 at the prestigious Miller Motosports Park. The sun was out all day with temps hovering around the mid 80′s all day. The newly built track has had compliments and complaints from racers, mainly people talking about how tight the track is and that passing is going to be tough to do cleanly. Lucas Oil made a few improvements after feedback from racers, and after each tweak the teams seem to like the course more and more. Dust may also be an issue when it comes race time as the dirt dries out quickly in the head, and with too much watering the racers say it becomes like a sheet of ice. Don’t be surprised if you see some mid race watering like we did in Primm a few years ago.

Top qualifier of the day was Rick Huseman in his Monster Energy Pro 4 with a fast lap of 42.449. Other top qualifiers were Rob Mac, Kyle Leduc (prolite), Patrick Clark, Jerry Whelchel, and Curt Geer.

Qualifying Results from LOORRS Miller Motorsports Park
Pro 2
1. Rob MacCachren (44.113)
2. Carl Renezeder (44.367)
3. Rodrigo Ampudia (44.906)
4. Rob Naughton (45.016)
5. Robby Woods (45.141)
6. Brian Deegan (45.191)
7. Jeremy McGrath (45.253)
8. Greg Adler (45.375)
9. Jeff Geiser (46.009)
10. Jeremy Stenberg (46.303)
11. Robbie Pierce (46.313)
12. Greg Nunley (47.963)
13. Phil Bollman (48.742)

Pro 4
1. Rick Huseman (42.449)
2. Kyle Leduc (42.621)
3. Carl Renezeder (42.748)
4. Adrian Cenni (43.054)
5. Curt Leduc (43.846)
6. Todd Leduc (43.888)
7. Josh Merrell (44.752)
8. Kent Brascho (45.462)
9. Travis Coyne (45.644)
10. Jerry Daugherty (47.442)
11. Aaron Daugherty (00.000)

Pro-Lite
1. Kyle Leduc (46.505)
2. Chris Brandt (46.681)
3. Brian Deegan (46.684)
4. Cameron Steele (46.698)
5. Austin Kimbrell (46.988)
6. Corey Sisler (47.126)
7. Rodrigo Ampudia (47.157)
8. Jacob Peterson (47.338)
9. Matt Loiodice (47.416)
10. Stephan Papadakis (47.896)
11. Casey Currie (47.979)
12. Jimmy Stephensen (48.372)
13. RJ Anderson (50.082)
14. Matt Cook (50.493)

Super Lite
1. Patrick Clark (48.439)
2. Chad George (49.035)
3. Dawson Kirchner (49.045)
4. RJ Anderson (49.067)
5. Jessie Johnson (49.130)
6. Austin Kimbrell (49.450)
7. Luke Johnson (49.758)
8. Brent Fouch (49.798)
9. Wyatt Kirchner (50.650)
10. Ron Duncombe (51.330)
11. Jacob Peterson (51.491)
12. Jason Ellis (52.480)
13. Mike McCarthy (54.100)
14. Ryan Poleman (54.670)
15. Ryan Hagy (55.003)

Pro Buggy Unlimited
1. Jerry Welchel (46.445)
2. Justin Smith (47.146)
3. Doug Fortin (47.409)
4. Bobby Pecoy (47.654)
5. Steven Greinke (47.810)
6. Mike Porter (47.916)
7. Brandon Bailey (48.229)
8. John Holmes (48.871)
9. Cody Freeman (49.038)
10. Gregg Reichman (51.898)

Limited Buggy
1. Curt Geer (49.597)
2. Bruce Fraley (49.961)
3. Quentin Tucker (50.634)
4. Bradley Morris (50.886)
5. Kevin McCullough (50.933)
6. Geoffrey Cooley (51.002)
7. Lindsay Geiser (51.050)
8. John Fitzgerald (51.062)
9. Zachary Hunt (51.070)
10. Dave Mason (51.075)
11. Kenny Freeman (52.226)
12. Greg Crew (54.026)

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Photos by HighRev Photography.

Round 5 of the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series took place today at Glen Helen Raceway. Emotions ran high as Jeff “Ox” Kargola was honored in a special ceremony to remember his life and how many people he touched along the way. A sky plane wrote the phrase “We Love U Ox”, while Chappy Steve Hanson and Cameron Steele each said a few words about Jeff. General Tire’s Dana Zamallao presented Cam with a special edition Oakley watch that was for Ox after winning his first race in the Superlite class. After the ceremony Cameron did one lap in Jeff’s truck, followed by Doves being released into the air.

In racing action Carl Renezeder was back to his winning ways taking first in both the Pro 4 and Pro 2 class. In the Pro 2 race he had a great battle all race long with Rob MacCachren, but held his ground and was able to stay ahead of the fellow veteran. Rodrigo Ampudia and Robert Naughton were battling hard for third place when they had contact on the final table top before the finish, and Brian Deegan was able to sneak by for a podium finish. Robby Gordon only made it two laps before he had to pull off with some type of mechanical problems, that or he wanted to watch the NASCAR Allstar race on TV. The big question of the day was where Pistol Pete was in his Pro 2, wait, this just in, no one asked. ( j o k e )

To go along with his third place finish in Pro 2, Metal Mulisha’s Brian Deegan also won the prolite race with a slick inside pass on Chris Brandt on the final lap. It was a Rockstar Energy sandwich as Kyle Leduc finished third in class. The question on the podium between racers was “So who wants to put a V8 in their truck?” Questionable for tomorrows race is Casey Currie as his truck was seen leaving Glen Helen on a trailer. Are they taking it back to the shop to fix something or will he run his 4 cylinder truck tomorrow?

In Pro 4 Rick Huseman was looking like he would walk away with another win, but after the mandatory yellow let the field catch back up to him, Carl Renezeder was able to get around him and finish on top. At the podium a fan of Rick Huseman had him autograph a tattoo of a Monster Energy truck on his forearm. The tattoo was well done so you know it wasn’t done in a prison or someones basement, but it begs a few questions. What if Monster Energy goes out of business? If the guy decides he likes another energy drink better does he get someone to turn the Monster Energy logo into a rose? And finally, wouldn’t it be ironic if he was drunk on Redbull and Vodka when he got that tattoo?

Photos and bad jokes by HighRev Photography.

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Kyle Conlon led his Jimco buggy to the top spot in today’s BITD Silver State 300 race. Racing 300 miles through some of the most scenic areas in Nevada, Conlon took the class 1500 win, as well as the overall win. Adam Householder recorded his first win in Trophy Truck by beating out BJ Baldwin by less then a minute on corrected time. As the sun and temperature dropped in East Nevada so did the race vehicles, each putting their hearts and souls into finishing but unfortunately sometimes mechanical problems put that on hold.

Honorable mention goes out to Shannon Campbell who was 23rd overall racing in his Ultra 4 “rock crawlin rig”. Across the dry lake bed Shannon said he got her up to 124 mph, faster then some trophy truck and class 1500 cars. Starting that far in the back, and having to stop at EVERY pit to fuel up, it makes you wonder where he would end up in the standings if he entered class 1. Say what you want about rock crawlers in desert racing, but Shannon is always fun to watch, has talent, and him and his family have a great passion for all things dirt.

Up next for BITD is the famous Vegas 2 Reno race in August. Stay tuned!

(All spelling and grammar mistakes are due to silt of the brain)

Top 20 Unofficial Results
1. Kyle Conlon
2. Pat Dean
3. Adam “1450 kid” Householder
4. BJ Baldwin
5. Rick Johnson
6. Mikey Childress
7. Steve “Good Apple” Appleton
8. Corey Keysar
9. Steve “Did he get a new truck?” Strobel
10. Jesse Jones
11. Garrick Freitas
12. Steve “Corona” Sourapas
13. Chris Kemp
14. Bobby Baldwin Chad Ragland
15. Greg Nunley
16. Mark Weyhrich
17. Sean Mecham
18. Vince Galewick
19. Nick Campbell
20. TJ Flores

Photos by HighRev Photography

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The BITD Silver State 300 qualifying runs were today with Chuck Hovey grabbing the top spot in his single seat car. First Trophy Truck goes to BJ Baldwin who always thinks he does horrible in qualifying but is always near the top. Josh Daniels had the top spot but due to a faulty transponder he was assessed a penalty which dropped him down to third. From talking to people who went on the prerun the course is very fast with not a whole lot of passing areas, so it will be interesting to see how the field handles it. We will have live video from the finish on Saturday, as well as photos and a highlight video so stay tuned!

1. Chuck Hovey
2. BJ Baldwin
3. Josh Daniels
4. Rob Mac
5. Jason Voss
6. TJ Flores
7. Justin Lofton
8. Kyle Conlon
9. Ray Ray Griffith
10. Pat Dean
11. Sam Berri
12. Jesse Jones
13. Steve Strobel
14. Mikey Childress
15. Garrick Freitas

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LOORRS FRIDAY TOP 5 QUALIFYING RESULTS

UTV
1. Austin Kimbrell 1:05.719
2. Robert Vanbeekum
3. Chad George
4. Tyler Winbury
5. RJ Anderson

UNLIMTED BUGGY
1. Chuck Cheek 58.250
2. Mike Halliday 58.601
3. RIch Ronco 58.749
4. Cody Freeman 58.946
5. Larry Job 59.032

UNLIMITED 4
1. Carl Renezeder 54.096
2. Adrian Cenni 54.208
3. Tim Herbst 55.014
4. Kyle Leduc 55.034
5. Alan Pflueger 55.103

UNLIMITED LITE
1. Rob Naughton 1:00.241
2. Brian Deegan 1:00.512
3. Chris Brandt 1:01.285
4. Heath Carpenter 1:01.637
5. Todd Cuffaro 1:02.288

UNLIMITED 2
1. Todd Leduc 56.392
2. Bryce Menzies 56.824
3. Carl Renezeder 56.978
4. Jeff Ward 57.132
5. Rodrigo Ampudia 57.237

SUPERLITE
1. Chad George 1:03.802
2. Ricky James 1:04.726
3. Chad Leising 1:04.899
4. John Harrah 1:05.472
5. Joey Granatelli 1:05.513

LIMITED BUGGY
1. John Fitzgerald 1:05.666
2. Bryan Freeman 1:05.673
3. Curt Geer 1:05.748
4. Sean Geiser 1:06.036
5. Bruce Fraley 1:06.043

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14th SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300

Sept. 12 – Primm, Nev. – 276 Miles (4 laps, 69-mile course)

Round 4 of five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series

Total Starters: 109 Total Finishers: 67 (61.5%)

OFFICIAL FINISHERS

(After complete data tracking review)

TOP OVERALL FINISHERS

(After complete data tracking review)

1. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500 (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 4 hours, 49 minutes, 18 seconds (57.24 miles per hour)

2. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 4:50:20 (57.24 mph)

3. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Jimco-BMW (Class 1), 5:00:08 (55.175 mph)

4. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy (Class 1), 5:10:49 (53.28 mph)

5. Pat Dean/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy (Class 1), 5:18:02 (52.07 mph)

6. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:26:21 (50.74 mph)

7. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Adam Ashcraft, Vista, Calif./Vincent Farley, Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:27:54 (50.50 mph)

8. Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif./Blake Kirkpatrick, Hacienda Heights, Calif./, Lothringer-VW (Class 10), 5:30:09 (50.16 mph)

9. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:30:10 (50.16 mph)

10. Corey Keysar, Colorado Springs, Colo., Jimco-Honda (Class 10), 5:30:20 (50.13 mph)

11. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:30:43 (50.07 mph)

12. Marc Ewing, Glncoe, Ill., Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:31.12 (50.00 mph)

13. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Rick Geiser, Phoenix, Ariz., GMC Sierra (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:47:26 (47.66 mph)

14. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram 1500 (SCORE Trophy-Trucks), 5:47:50 (47.61 mph)

15. Scott Gailey/Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., GET-VW (Class 10), 5:50:08 (47.30 mph)

16. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley (Class 1/ 2-1600), 5:52:42 (46.95 mph)

17. Bekki Wik/Adam Wik, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Honda (Class 10), 5:54:12 (46.75)

18. Shawn Croll, Corona, Calif., Porter-Ford (Class 1), 5:54:57 (46.65 mph)

19. Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./L.J. Kennedy, Orange, Calif., Jimco (SCORE Lite), 5:55:23 (46.60 mph)

20. Jose Lynch/Jason DeFalco, Tustin, Calif., AlumiCraft-VW (Class 10), 6:00:54 (45.88 mph)

21. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif./Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico, Romo (Class 1/2-1600), 6:04:10 (45.47 mph)

22. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif.), Duvel (SCORE Lite), 6:06:20 (45.20 mph)

23. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif./Tom Ridings, Los Alamitos, Calif. Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 6:10:40 (44.68 mph)

24. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Moulton (SCORE Lite), 6:11:40 (44.56 mph)

25. Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Justin Munyon, San Clemente, Calif., Penhall (Class 1/2-1600), 6:13:14 (44.37 mph)

CLASS-BY-CLASS FINISHERS

Pro Cars & Trucks

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks)–1. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 4:49:18 (57.24 miles per hour); 2. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 4:50:20; 3. Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 5:26:21; 4. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif., Ford F-150, 5:27:54; 5. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Brian Ewalt, Bonita, Calif., Ford F-150, 5:30:10; 6. Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 5:30:43; 7. Marc Ewing, Glencoe, Ill., Chevy Silverado, 5:31:12; 8. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Rick Gieser, Phoenix, Ariz., GMC Sierra, 5:47:26; 9. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram 1500 5:47:50; 10. Ed Stout, Stanton, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 6:27:03; 11. Steve Sourapas, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., Ford F-150, 6:28:56; 12. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 6:41:57; 13. Rusty Stevens, Pampa, Texas, Ford F-150 6:45:02. (23 Starters, 13 Finishers)

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters)–1. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Jimco-BMW, 5:00:08 (55.18 mph); 2. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy 5:10:49; 3. Pat Dean/Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy 5:18:02; 4. Shawn Croll, Corona, Calif., Porter-Ford, 5:54:57; 5. Brian Parkhouse, Bell Gardens, Calif./Tom Ridings, Los Alamitos, Calif. Jimco-Chevy, 6:10:40; 6. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 6:25:18; 7. Jerry Penhall, Costa Mesa, Calif./Dan Martin, Monrovia, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 6:37:55. (14 Starters, 7 Finishers)

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc)—1. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley, 5:52:42 (46.95 mph); 2. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif./Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico, Romo, 6:04:10; 3. Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Justin Munyon, San Clemente, Calif., Penhall, 6:13:14; 4. Brian Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, Kreger, 6:15:19; 5. Arturo Velazco/Abel Velazco/Stevie Cruz, Banning, Calif, Porter, 6:22:28; 6. Eric Duran/Hiram Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth, 6:22:49; 7. Daniel McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco, 6:25:54; 8. Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif., Jimco, 6:28:13; 9. Mario Gastelum, El Centro, Calif., Curry, 6:36:44; 10. Steve Dodd, Long Beach, Calif./Steve Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Kreger, 6:39:25; 11. Samuel Araiza, La Paz, Mexico/Federico Montes, Ensenada, Mexico, Fraley, 6:41:03; 12. Hiram Duran/Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth, 6:52:17. (16 Starters, 12 Finishers)

CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4, 2 laps, 138 miles)—1. Darren Skilton, Orange, Calif., Jeep Wrangler, 3:30:44 (39.29 mph); 2. Daniel Wright, Rio Vista, Calif./Daniel Field, Fruitland, Idaho, Ford Bronco, 4:53:42; 3. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco, 6:37.50. (5 Starters, 3 Finishers)

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 3 laps, 207 miles)– 1. Carlos Albanez, El Centro, Calif., 6:00:32(34.45 mph). (3 Starters,1 Finisher)

CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 3 laps, 207 miles)–1. Alonso Angulo, Ensenada, Mexico/Mario Reynoso, Tijuana, Mexico, 5:22:58 (38.46 mph). (2 Starters, 1 Finisher)

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 3 laps, 207 miles)–(5 Starters,0 Finishers)

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 3 laps, 207 miles)—1. Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 4:41:40 (44.09 mph); 2. Igor Galvan, Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico/Oscar Solaiza, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 4:50:27; 3. Aaron Celiceo, San Diego/Adrian Celiceo, San Ysidro, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 5:36:01. (5 Starters, 3 Finishers)

CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 3 laps, 207 miles)–1. Norman Turley, Long Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger 5:35:22 (37.03 mph). (4 Starters, 1 Finisher)

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 3 laps, 207 miles)—1. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Chevy Silverado, 4:47:33 (43.19 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc)– 1 Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif./Blake Kirkpatrick, Hacienda Heights, Calif./, Lothringer-VW, 5:30:09 (50.16 mph); 2. Corey Keysar, Colorado Springs, Colo., Jimco-Honda, 5:30:20; 3. Scott Gailey/Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., GET-VW, 5:50:08; 4. Bekki Wik/Adam Wik, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Honda, 5:54:12; 5. Jose Lynch/Jason DeFalco, Tustin, Calif., AlumiCraft-VW, 6:00:54; 6. Lonny Hart, Desert Hills, Ariz./Scott Martenson, Peoria, Ariz., Tatum-Honda 6:21:23; 7. Jesus Gonzalez/Jesus Acosta, Ensenada, Mexico, Dunrite-Honda, 6:29:42; 8. Javier Robles/Javier Robles Jr., Gpe Victoria, Mexico, Jimco-Honda, 6:34:25. (11 Starters, 8 Finishers)

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc)–1. Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./L.J. Kennedy, Orange, Calif., Jimco, 5:55:23 (47.60 mph); 2. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 6:06:20; 3. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Moulton, 6:11:40; 4. Bill Hernquist, San Diego/Rick Ellison, Dinuba, Calif., Jimco, 6:17:50; 5. John Padgett/Ryan Nikata, Canada, Kreger, 6:36:15; 6. Jerry Longo, Alta Loma, Calif./Chuck Sacks, Canyon Lake, Calif., 6:42:13; 7. John Langley, Santa Monica, Calif./Mike Urbano, Long Beach, Calif., Penhall 6:46:48. (9 Starters, 7 Finishers)

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 2 laps, 138 miles)—1. Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Dodge Ram 2500, 3:54:15 (35.35 mph); 2. Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570, 4:29:56. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)

STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini-sized trucks, 2 laps, 138 miles)—1. Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 4:02:22 (34.16 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

PROTRUCK (Limited Production Trucks, 3 laps, 207 miles)—1. Rob Reinertson, Woodside, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:46:05 (43.41 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

CLASS 17 (Class 3, Modified Jeeps, 2 laps, 138 miles)—1. Mike Shaffer, Dayton, Nev., Jeep Cherokee, 3:36:46 (38.20 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

SPORTSMAN

OVERALL SPT CAR (2 laps, 138 miles)— Peter Lang/Brian Jellison, Santa Rosa, Calif., Homebuilt-Chevy, 3:46:07 (36.62 mph). (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)

OVERALL SPT TRUCK(2 laps, 138 miles)— 1. Joe Aguayo, San Jacinto, Calif./Abraham Cueva, Pala, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:11:07 (32.97 mph). (4 Starters, 3 Finishers)

In order to win you need to have a plan and a flawless day. Sounds simple but not everybody was able to stick to such a simple formula. Brian Collins (Trophy Truck #12) however did exactly that. He had no flats and never got tempted to steer away from his race plan. “… I put a plan together, being patient, and I told Billy (my co-driver) that’s what we were going to do and he monitored my speed all the time down the real rough sections so we didn’t have a flat or hurt our shocks and we just had a great day. It’s nice when you put a plan together and it works.” said Brian after his win at the finish line. “I told people I was going to go slow off the start and no one ever believes you. I just drove my own race today and everyone came to me. That’s a lucky day of racing and I wish every one of them were that way.”

At around RM 167 it looked like a battle between Brian Collins and BJ Baldwin (TT#1) for the win. BJ Baldwin was first on course followed shortly by Brian. But yet another equipment failure haunted last years SCORE Trophy Truck champions chance for a win. At around RM 190 a ring and pinion failure forced TT#1 to be parked until repairs could get completed. A sixth place was the consequence but it helped to elevate BJ in the points standings a bit.

Robby Gordon (TT#77) was as usual, the most spectacular vehicle to watch on the course. He had a flat tire early in the race and lost lots of time to change it out. His jack system failed and a simple 2 minute tire change turned into a 20 minute delay as he had to limp on the flat tire for a while while finding local volunteers alongside the course to help change the tire. However he made up time to eventually finish 2nd in his class and overall with just 12 minutes 31 seconds after the winner. However after the race there was heated talks between Robby Gordon and his competitors over some alleged course cutting. Robby admitted that he dropped off a 10ft cliff instead of driving around it. Andy Grider, a motor cycle rider, is his co-driver and perhaps Andy pointed out some of the faster bike lines.

An appeal is pending the 2nd place finish of Robby Gordon and SCORE will make a final decision by the end of the week.

Also notable Adam Householder finished 11th overall and 5th in class. Adam is new to the class and now possibly 3rd in SCORE TT points.

Ronny Wilson took the win in class 1. The Wilson brothers are always good for a win so this one did not come as a surprise.

The Herbst brothers are back in desert racing after a year of absence. Troy Herbst navigated a new Trophy Truck to a 7th place finish in class while Tim drove the old shark class 1 car finishing 2nd. Whatever was once the familiar Herbst red is now black with bright green Monster Energy decals.

The All German Motorsports team of Armin Schwarz and Marten Christensen had a flawless day but were unable to defend their 2009 win in San Felipe. Third place had to do this time around.

SCORE decided to remove tracking devices from the list of requirements and without such technology and safety equipment in place it opens the doors for heated debates after the event. SCORE has checkpoints in place that racers need to pass through and get registered. However anything in between seems to be fair game if the enforcement is non existent. We witnessed one car take a parallel line to the race course that was much smoother and faster. Short of calling it cheating we have to assume it was a navigational mistake.

When talking about cheating the question is who do you cheat? The promoter? The competitor? The fans? We feel that you cheat yourself foremost. A simple last place finish after driving every single mile and not breaking the rules does feel a lot better then a shortcut. Cheaters. Try it sometime.

We hope that some form of electronic inch by inch tracking will come back to SCORE asap.

Besides all the fun there are also reports of injuries of spectators that were standing too close to the course. There is also an unconfirmed rumor of a spectator fatality floating around the net. We wish a full and quick recovery to all those that left San Felipe with injuries.

Top 20 Overall Finishers

1. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram 1500, 3:47:49 (61.21mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 3:59:20 (58.26mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

3. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:05:43 (56.75mph) (Class 1)

4. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 4:07:57 56.24mph (SCORE Trophy-Truck

5. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithuilt-Ford, 4:13:17 (55.05mph) (Class 1)

6. Chet Huffman, Northridge, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Portola Hills, Calif., Chevy C1500, 4:17:05 (54.24mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

7. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Jimco-BMW, 4:19:42 (53.70mph) (Class 1)

8. Julio Herrera/Carlos Olmos, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, 4:23:05 (53.00mph) (Class 1)

9. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 4:25:16 (52.57mph) (Class 1)

10. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:34:01 (50.89mph) (Class 1)

11. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:34:40 (50.77mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

12. Paul Keller, El Cajon, Calif./Charles Rudolph, San Diego, Jimco-Chevy, 4:42:14 (49.41mph) (Class 1)

13. Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif./Ben Monroy, Torrance, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:48:35 (48.32mph) (Class 1)

14. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Tommy Kirkmeyer, Adelanto, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 4:48:45 (48.29mph) (Class 1)

15. Jose Canchola Jr./Francisco Gonzalez, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 4:51:48 (47.79mph) (Class 7)

16. Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif./Blake Kirkpatrick, Hacienda Heights, Calif./Joel Liska, Banning, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 4:54:43 (47.31mph) (Class 10)

17. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 4:54:48 (47.30mph) (SCORE Lite)

18. Josh Rigsby/Steve Ewers, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Penhall-Chevy, 4:58:15 (46.75mph) (Class 1)

19. Dave Crinklaw, Reedley, Calif./Mike Thurlow, Kingsburg, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:59:05 (46.62mph) (Class 8 )

20. Kevin Carr/Noe Valdez, San Diego, 5:11:18 (44.79mph) (Class 5)

Next on SCORE’s schedule is the Baja 500 June 5th-7th in Ensenada Mexico.

Race Results Link

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