|
||||
|
Desert Racing
Desert Racing's Official Blog
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Schedule ~ Thunder on the Beach 150 April 13th & 14th
April 2, 2012
Kyle LeDuc and
Toyo Tires® Sweep Pro 4 Unlimited Class at Firebird
CHANDLER, ARIZONA –Kyle LeDuc and Toyo
Tires® swept the Pro 4 Unlimited class this weekend during the Lucas
Oil® Off Road Racing Series 2012 season-opener at Firebird
International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Driving his #99 Monster
Energy / Toyo Tires Ford F-150, LeDuc’s domination began when he was the
fastest qualifier on Friday. He then won both Saturday and Sunday’s big
races in a field of 12 competitors. His 900+ horsepower truck relied on
Toyo® Open Country M/T®-R tires to help deliver the early
season wins.
“Toyos don't just win races, they
eliminate any competitor,” said LeDuc. “Team Monster Energy Drink Toyo
Tires is in a league of our own and will continue to deliver more than ever
expected.”
Scoring a win in the Pro Lite
Unlimited class during Saturday’s Round 1 was Austin Kimbrell, driving his #88
Toyo Tires / Kimbrell Electric Ford Ranger. Kimbrell, a resident of
Phoenix, Arizona, fought his way to the front of the huge 26-truck field while
riding on street legal Open Country M/T tires. During Sunday’s
Round 2, Kimbrell led the field until being spun out by another
competitor. He fought his way back into a solid fourth place finish for a
great start to the season.
“My Toyo tires were hooking up,
running clean all weekend,” said Kimbrell. “I can’t complain with a first
and a fourth!”
In Sunday’s Pro 2 Unlimited class
race, Rodrigo Ampudia scored a third place finish with his #36 Papas and Beer /
Lucas Oil / Toyo Tires Ford Raptor. Ampudia, a resident of San Diego,
California, is one of the newest to compete on Toyo Tires. Also racing in
the Pro 2 Unlimited class for Team Toyo are Jeremy McGrath and Jeremy “Twitch”
Stenberg
“This was a great opening weekend for
Team Toyo and it sets the pace for the rest of the season" said Stan Chen,
manager of events and motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. "We
congratulate Kyle LeDuc on his sweep, Austin Kimbrell on his win, and Rodrigo
Ampudia on capturing a spot on the podium. We look forward to many more
victories in 2012.”
Watch the post-race commentaries by
Kyle LeDuc and Austin Kimbrell on YouTube™ at http://bit.ly/Hg872p.
The 16-race Lucas Oil Off Road Racing
Series will be broadcast on CBS Sports, NBC Sports Network, SPEED Channel and
MavTV.
About Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.
Toyo Tires manufactures and
distributes a complete line of premium replacement tires for nearly every make
and model including high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and
SUVs as well as tires for commercial trucks.
Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy takes 3rd
in the “Ox” Brand SuperLite at
Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Season Opener
Phoenix, AZ – April 3, 2012. Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy, takes his off-road racing career serious and makes it on the box with a 3rd place finish, Saturday at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Season Opener. Hagy known for his style in Freestyle MX and director of Metal Mulisha clothing has racked up two off-road racing podiums this season with a 3rd place finish at LOORRS and a 2nd place finish at the BITD Mint 400 Las Vegas race in class 7200.
“This was an amazing weekend for racing and I was excited to get my first podium at the season opener,” said Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy. “I debuted as the driver of the Ox brand race team in 2011 and was committed to racing this truck in 2012. During the off season I focused on learning the truck, getting seat time and racing regional races. I am confident that my performance this weekend shows I am committed to a career in off-road racing and I have what it takes to podium and win races!”
The “Ox” brand SuperLite is a race team that has been started to honor the memory of Off-Road/Freestyle MX/Baja MX racer Jeff “Ox” Kargola. Kargola was establishing a promising racing career in the LOORRS series until his tragic accident in Baja April 29, 2011. In the spirit of Kargola’s passion for racing, the “Ox” brand truck will race in his memory with close friend Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy in the driver’s seat. The “Ox” truck will be a sister truck to Kargola’s SuperLite race truck. The design of the truck is inspired by Kargola’s new 2011 design.
Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy’s off-road sponsors include Ox Brand, General Tire, Metal Mulisha, Vali Motorsports, 4 Wheel Parts, Impact Helmets and Method Wheels. Ox Brand will be title for the 2012 season. If you interested in supporting the Jeff “Ox” Kargola Memorial fund, t-shirts are being sold at www.metalmulisha.com/oxwith all proceeds going to help support the San Felipe Hospital in Mexico.
About Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy
Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy, driver of record for the Ox brand SuperLite. Hagy began his off-road racing career in 2011. His 2012 accomplishments include: LOORRS round 1 season opener 3rd Place and 2nd Place in BITD Mint 400 race class 7200. Traditionally known as a Freestyle MX rider for Metal Mulisha, Hagy began riding at age 11 and turned pro at the age of 17. Hagy’s FMX sponsors include Metal Mulisha, Rockstar Energy, Osiris Shoes, and AlpineStars. Not only is he living life on the edge with his career of choice but he has taken his passion for his sport to a more corporate level and is the director of Metal Mulisha clothing brand.
Follow Ryan “Fluffer” Hagy at twitter.com/MMhagy
About Ox Brand RaceTeam
Jeff “Ox” Kargola touched so many people’s lives with his vivacious smile and inspirational attitude towards life. His mission on this earth was not complete and his supporters are committed to keep his “Ox” brand as a symbol of living life to the fullest and continuing to inspire in his memory. “Ox” is not just a logo, it’s a symbol of no regrets, passion, and taking advantage of what life has to offer.
After a terrific opening day
of racing for the 2012 season of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series,
presented by GEICO, the drivers and teams were back to do it all again
here in Round 2 at Firebird International Raceway in the Phoenix suburb
of Chandler, AZ. With no racing to worry about tomorrow, drivers were
throwing caution to the wind, and were driving spectacularly all
afternoon. Fans packed the stands to capacity once again, and were kept
on their feet in unison throughout the day, as race after race of
excitement, surprises, and emotion were laid down one after another.
More than once, the crowd was heard cheering as one as a driver pulled
off an unbelievable move, and this was an afternoon that many people
will look back on as one of the best in recent series memory. Hopefully
you didn't miss it, but in case you did, read up on what so many people
are already talking about.
Junior 2 Kart
Once again kicking off the
show today was Junior 2 Kart, and front row starters Broc Dickerson and
Travis PeCoy ran one-two after the first lap. Eliott Watson ran in
third, followed by Shelby Anderson in fourth and Jeremy Davis in fifth.
On lap two, the leaders came up on a couple of drivers who'd gotten
caught up in an incident at the exit of turn three on the opening lap,
and as the leaders caught the lappers just coming into the either/or
section, first-placed Dickerson made a late choice to run the low line.
He'd started up the high line, and as he tried to jump the burm and go
down to the low line, he scrubbed a lot of speed, and dropped four spots
to fifth. The course then went full course yellow for an incident, and
after several laps of re-sorting the running order (the young drivers
had continued to make passes and run at race pace for nearly an entire
lap when they were supposed to be under yellow), order was restored and
racing resumed. The top five was now made up of PeCoy, Watson, Anderson,
Davis, and Dickerson, but with Davis getting squirrelly coming out of
turn one, he dropped back two spots to sixth. Darren Hardesty Jr. moved
past both Davis and Dickerson to take over fourth in his #456 Bilstein
Shock Absorbers/RC10.com kart, with the top five then holding position
for the next three laps. On the penultimate lap, Anderson got down the
inside of Watson at turn one, moving up to second in her #405 Walker
Evans Racing/Anderson's Nu Power machine, and on the final lap, Hardesty
Jr. pulled the same move at the exit of the same corner, moving up to
third in the process. At the head of the field, PeCoy got the big win in
his #411 Hoosier/Simpson machine, with Anderson taking second and
Hardesty Jr. third. At the stripe, it was too close to call between
Watson in the #403 Kar Tek Off Road/Driscoll's Surf N Skate truck and
Dickerson in the #423 Dickerson Motorsports/Racer X Motorsports entry
for fourth, with the nod eventually going to Watson, who beat out
Dickerson by just eight thousandths of a second!
Junior 1 Kart
Next up was Junior 1 Kart,
and defending points champion Broc Dickerson took the lead of the race
after the first lap in his #223 Dickerson Motorsports/Lucas Oil truck.
Conner McMullen ran second in the #288 Monster Energy/RC10.com kart,
followed by Travis PeCoy in the #211 Signpros/CMI machine, Parker
Darland in the #241 Extreme Dreamz/Alexander Ford/Lincoln entry, and
Bear Nunley in the #215 Nunley Racing truck. On lap three, Darren
Hardesty Jr. had a great turn one, going past Nunley on the outside,
then by Darland on the inside, moving from sixth to fourth place in his
#231 Bilstein Shock Absorbers/Lucas Oil kart. Up front, McMullen used
the low line at the either/or section to make big ground on the leader
Dickerson on both laps two and three, moving right up to Dickerson's
back bumper. Dickerson managed to keep McMullen at bay, though, and at
the Competition Yellow, the two ran one-two, followed by Hardesty Jr.,
PeCoy, and Darland. This order stayed the same on the restart lap, but
on lap eight, McMullen got by Dickerson in turn one to take over at the
front. At the white flag, the running order was McMullen, Dickerson,
Hardesty Jr., Darland, and PeCoy, with Nunley getting by PeCoy going
into turn one on the final lap to take over fifth place. Up front, the
top three were nose-to-tail, and in a last-ditch effort to get the win,
Hardesty Jr. took the low line in the either/or section. He came out in
front, but didn't have enough momentum, as McMullen and Dickerson raced
past to finish one-two. Hardesty Jr. finished third, followed by 241 in
fourth and Nunley in fifth.
Modified Kart
It was another thrilling
performance by the drivers of Modified Kart today, and yesterday's
winner Myles Cheek got the action kicked off by leading the first lap in
his #557 ThyssenKrupp/CMI kart. Marty Hart ran second in the #523
ReadyLift Off Road Suspension/Duncan Racing truck, followed by Cole
Mamer in the #535 Mamer Motorsports/Simpson machine, Blake Lenk in the
#521 Team Associated/Missing Lenk Motorsports entry, and Sheldon Creed
in the #574 Trophy Kart truck. On lap four, the track went full course
yellow for a pile up along the high line of the either/or section.
Everyone involved was ok, but tow trucks were needed to clear a few of
the karts, so the field circled under yellow for three laps. When the
field finally got restarted, Mamer got by Hart on the inside through
turn two, moving up to second place in the process. Two corners later,
Hart made a late choice to run the low line at the either/or, and ended
up rolling as he tried to dive down to that line. This moved Lenk to
third, Creed to fourth, and Jeff Hoffman to fifth in his #547 Hoffman
Racing/Foddrill Motorsports truck. The field stayed in order for several
laps, but with the white flag just coming out, Bradley Morris moved by
Hoffman for fifth with just a lap to go. Morris also got by Creed on the
final lap, while up front, Graham got the big win, his first in this
class- congratulations Chad! Second went to Cheek, third to Lenk, fourth
to Morris in the #504 K&N/Lucas Oil truck, and fifth to Creed.
Limited Buggy
The final race before
Opening Ceremonies was Limited Buggy. Bradley Morris, who suffered an
odd suspension failure yesterday, took the early lead here this
afternoon, and was chased by Jordan Poole, Tatum Ronco, Dillon Ayers,
and Kevin McCullough in the top five. On lap two, John Fitzgerald got by
both McCullough and Ayers to take over fourth in his #314 BFGoodrich
Tires/Kar Tek Off Road buggy, while Ronco dropped back two spots to
fifth. McCullough then moved back into the top five on the following lap
in his #389 Gear One/General Tire buggy, and on that same lap, Ayers
got by Poole to take over second spot in his #398 Gear One/Signpros
Lothringer. The running order was now Morris, Ayers, Poole, Fitzgerald,
and McCullough in the top five, with Fitzgerald then moving up to third
when Poole went wide at turn two on lap six. Poole then pulled off the
track on the next lap, and by the Competition Yellow, it was now Morris
in the #304 Lucas Oil/BME Motorsports AlumiCraft, Ayers, Fitzgerald,
McCullough, and Jeff Richards in the #315 ABC Muffler/VP Racing Fuels
buggy in the top five. On the restart lap, Richards moved up to fourth,
with Lindsay Geiser taking over fifth in her #395 Geiser Bros Design and
Development/Canidae Geiser. Two laps later, Richards went wide at turn
one, dropping down a spot to fifth, then giving up another spot to Tatum
Ronco in the next corner, before slowing substantially, and eventually
pulling out of the race. From there on in, the running order up front
stayed the same, with Morris getting the big win over Ayers, Fitzgerald,
Geiser, and Ronco in the #303 No Fear/FK Rod Ends Tatum.
Pro 4 Unlimited
After Opening Ceremonies,
racing resumed with the fastest vehicles on the track, the Pro 4
Unlimiteds. Starting from the front row after a two-row inversion of
this morning's qualifying results, Adrian Cenni got out front early in
his #11 Team Realtree Outdoor Energy/4 Wheel Parts Ford. Kyle LeDuc ran
second in the #99 Monster Energy/Toyo Tires Ford, with Todd LeDuc third
in his #7 Rockstar/Makita Ford, Carl Renezeder fourth in the #1 General
Tire/Lucas Oil Nissan, and Curt LeDuc fifth in the #43 Zipfizz Healthy
Energy/Truxxx Ford. On lap two, Curt LeDuc got a little wild coming into
turn three, which allowed Josh Merrell to get by on the inside in his
#22 MavTV/Hart and Huntington Ford and move up to fifth. Up front, Kyle
LeDuc was really dogging Cenni for the lead, but when he tried to make a
pass going into turn one on lap five, he got crossed up, landed on his
door, and slid wide into the outside fence. Cenni got by unscathed, and
amazingly, LeDuc put himself down on four wheels, spun around and got
going again, still in second place! Within three laps, LeDuc was again
challenging for the lead, and after forcing Cenni wide at turn one on
lap eight, he moved into first place. Behind all this, reigning champion
Renezeder was having issues, with what looked like a loss of front
wheel drive. He fell back through the field, and at the Competition
Yellow, the running order up front was Kyle LeDuc, Cenni, Todd LeDuc,
Travis Coyne in the #5 ProComp/Team Associated Ford, and Merrell.
On the restart lap, Coyne
nearly went off the track at the landing of the ski jump, dropping him
down to last place. This moved Merrell up to fourth, and Curt LeDuc to
fifth. Up front, Kyle LeDuc was simply pounding down the laps, and no
other drivers seemed to have an answer for his pace. Despite having to
get through lapped traffic in the closing laps, LeDuc kept a good gap to
those behind, and took the win comfortably to get the clean sweep of
the weekend. Cenni finished second again today, and with Todd LeDuc
taking third, today's podium was a repeat of yesterday's. Merrell
finished fourth, and Curt LeDuc rounded out the top five.
Pro Lite Unlimited
After many drivers came
through their first trial by fire in stacked field racing, the rookies
and veterans alike had a much cleaner, quicker race today. Matt Cook
took the early lead in his #55 Supercross.com/Loctite Toyota, followed
by Chad George in the #42 Discount Tire/Traxxas Ford, RJ Anderson in the
#37 Monster Energy/Polaris Dodge, Chris Brandt in the #82 BFGoodrich
Tires/National Concrete Cutting Toyota, and Austin Kimbrell in the #88
Toyo Tires/Xtreme Machine & Fabrication Ford. Anderson got by George
for second on lap three, with George then spinning and dropping well
back two laps later. Anderson then moved up again, taking the lead from
Cook, and quickly opening up a little gap to those behind. Further back,
Kimbrell bobbled in turn two, and with nowhere to go, Brandt got into
his side and spun him around. Then came the Competition Yellow, and the
running order up front was Anderson, Cook, Brandt, Sheldon Creed, and
Currie.
After the Mandatory Pit,
from which Creed did not return in his earlier position, Brandt got by
Cook to move up to second. Kimbrell also moved up again, taking over
fourth position, while Cook slowed and eventually stopped; his race was
over. This moved Kyle Lucas up to fifth in his #25 Speedco Truck Lube
& Tires/Performance Utility Supply Ford, but a rollover then dropped
Lucas down to the last spot on the lead lap. Jimmy Stephensen moved up
to fifth in his #33 No Fear Energy/Losi Nissan, only to be passed by
George for that spot on the next lap. Up front, the top three were
simply in a class of their own, in three very equally-matched trucks
racing right at the limit. Brandt was getting a great drive out of turn
four, riding his truck up the side of the steep burm that divided the
high and low lines, and picking up great momentum into turn five, but it
wasn't enough to pass Anderson. The young gun picked up his first-ever
win in Pro Lite Unlimited as a crowd on the tips of its toes watched on
in delight- congratulations RJ! Brandt and Currie were both less than
two truck lengths behind in second and third, with Kimbrell taking
fourth and George fifth.
Pro Buggy Unlimited
Jerry Whelchel and Cameron
Steele started together on the front row in Pro Buggy Unlimited, and
they ran one-two after lap one, followed by Doug Fortin Jr., Jeff
Cooley, and Larry Job. The top five held their positions through the
first four laps, before Steele got by Whelchel on the inside at turn
three to take the lead on lap five. Whelchel got the position back using
the low line in the either/or section, and on the next lap, Steele
caught an edge in turn four and rolled over. As Fortin Jr. and Cooley
swerved to avoid hitting Steele's rolled car, Fortin Jr. just got by,
while Cooley got briefly high-centered on the burm between the high and
low lines. Fortin Jr. didn't get away without incident, though, as he
incurred a right rear flat, sending him into the hot pits. After a full
course caution to clear Steele's car, racing resumed with Whelchel, Job,
Steven Greinke, Cooley, and John Holmes in the top five. After several
laps, another full course caution came out after a rollover by Patrick
Pendley, but on the restart, the running order up front was still the
same. On the restart lap, Rich Ronco moved up to fifth in the #99
Yokohama/King Off Road Racing Shocks Tatum, and with one lap to go, it
was Whelchel in the #5 ProAm/General Tire Foddrill, Cooley in the #22
Competitive Metals/Impact AlumiCraft, Greinke in the #23 SC
Fuels/Concourse Racer, Job in the #7 Supercross.com/Toyo Tires
AlumiCraft, and Ronco in the top five. On the final lap, Ronco spun in
turn three, handing fifth to Mitchell DeJong. At the finish line, it was
perennial hot shoe Whelchel who got the win, followed by Greinke (who
got around Cooley on the last lap), Cooley, Job, and DeJong in the #24
Traxxas/Red Bull AlumiCraft.
Pro 2 Unlimited
Today's Pro 2 Unlimited race
was one of the best in recent memory, a race that kept fans on their
toes right down to the checkered flag. Rodrigo Ampudia had the early
lead in his #36 Lucas Oil/Toyo Tires Ford, followed by Marty Hart, Brian
Deegan, Greg Adler, and Rob MacCachren. On lap two, Hart had a great
run down the low line at the either/or, and simply blew by Ampudia
despite the very slick early conditions, taking the lead in the process.
A full course caution then came out after Justin Davis' truck was
forced to stop between turns three and four, and when racing resumed,
Jeff Geiser moved up to fourth on the restart lap in his #44 Tap It
Brewing Co./Mickey Thompson Chevrolet. Adler and MacCachren then both
got around Geiser to take over fourth and fifth, with MacCachren passing
Adler for his fourth spot not long afterwards. Up front, Hart was
starting to pull away a bit, while behind him, MacCachren was just
starting to make some ground on the three frontrunners. Just as he did,
though, his truck slowed suddenly, dropping him to fifth just before the
Competition Yellow. The running order was now Hart in the #15 ReadyLift
Off Road Suspension/GearUp2Go.com Ford, Ampudia, Deegan in the #38
Rockstar/Makita Ford, Adler in the #10 4 Wheel Parts/Magnaflow
Performance Exhaust Ford, and MacCachren in the #21 Rockstar/Makita
Ford, but when the drivers returned from the Mandatory Pit, MacCachren
took up position at the tail of the field. Why he did so is unclear, but
it was probably for the better, as his injured truck was unable to run
with the frontrunners.
On the restart lap, Deegan
and Adler got great drives out of turn one to move past Ampudia, while
Geiser was once again running in fifth. Up front, Hart had seemed
invincible in the first half, but was now being pressured big time by
Deegan and Adler, with Deegan making the first move for the lead. Deegan
got inside in turn three and made a nice pass, but then bicycled in the
next corner, allowing Adler to get by inside and take the lead. In the
confusion, Deegan managed to stay ahead of Hart, with Ampudia also
getting by for third. Geiser then passed Hart as well, getting an inside
run through turn one to move into fourth. Up front, Adler was driving
exceptionally, and doing a stellar job to hold off a very hungry Deegan.
On each of the last two laps, Deegan tried to make a run using the low
line at the either/or, swinging out wide to try and hold off Adler where
the lines re-joined. Adler was far from intimidated, though, as he
literally leapt past Deegan in mid-air off the final jump to re-take the
lead on both occasions. It could've all ended in tears very easily, but
to the delight of the packed crowd, Adler kept his lead and got a
tremendous win, followed very closely by Deegan in second. Ampudia
picked up third place, with Geiser fourth and Hart fifth.
Super Lite
Closing out this weekend's
events was the Super Lite race, and it was young Cody Rahders who had
the early lead in his #16 Superchips/General Tire truck, followed by
Ryan Hagy in the #0X General Tire/Metal Mulisha machine, Sheldon Creed
in the #74 Racer X Motorsports/Fox Racing Shox entry, Drew Britt in the
#7 Quick Lane/Source Refrigeration & HVAC truck, and Brent Fouch in
the #21 Fouch Racing/P.C.I. Race Radios truck. Hagy got the lead on lap
two with a good run through turn three, but then slowed coming out of
turn five, and pulled off the track, eventually returning many laps
later. Creed took the lead, with Britt then moving up to second by using
the low line at the either/or on lap four. From there, the top five
held their positions through the Competition Yellow, and at that point,
their running order was Creed, Britt, Rahders, Trenton Briley in the #17
Kal Gard Lubricants/Black Rhino machine, and Fouch. On the restart lap,
Rahders spun out in turn four, which moved Fouch up to fourth, and
Wyatt Kirchner to fifth in the #26 General Tire/Safety Kleen entry. At
the head of the field, the top three were now well clear and running
very close to each other. On the last lap, Britt was trying everything
to get some kind of a run on Creed for the lead, but whereas yesterday
Creed looked a little vulnerable out front, today he seemed anything
but. Both he and Britt looked much quicker and more confident, really
throwing their trucks into the corners as they battled right to the end,
with Creed coming out the winner to take a clean sweep of the weekend.
Britt finished second, Briley third, Fouch fourth, and Garrett Poelman
fifth in the #62 Supercross.com/Loctite truck.
With that, the first weekend
of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series' 2012 season has come to a
close. Don't worry, though: we've got seven more weekends, a full 13
more rounds of racing yet to come, and along the way, we'll pass through
six more unique venues, all of which promise to bring you some of the
best racing action on the planet. Next up on the calendar are Rounds 3
and 4, coming to you from the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park. With this
year's new, more compact season schedule, we've got our races closer
together than ever, so there's only three weeks between now and So Cal,
so get ready to join us again soon, April 21st and 22nd, when the series
returns to Lake Elsinore, CA for the first time since 2009. We've got a
totally re-invented facility which drivers and fans alike should love,
so 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.
Puts ROCKSTAR Energy Drink
and Makita Tools
On the Podium in LOORRS Season Opener
The
first race with a new truck is never an easy task, even with the
considerable talents of Rob MacCachren behind the wheel. MacCachren has
already racked up wins in the desert this season at Laughlin, San
Felipe, and the Mint 400, but the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
(LOORRS) short course season is just heating up. Speaking of heat, it
was an issue in qualifying where temperatures at Firebird International
Raceway in Phoenix were in the 90s, revealing a cooling issue with
MacCachren’s brand new Pro2 Unlimited truck. This limited Rob Mac’s
practice time on the several high speed sections, spectacular jumps, and
unique dual split line of Firebird's track.
Fueled
by ROCKSTAR Energy Drink and armed with a full complement of tools from
Makita Power Tools, MacCachren’s talented crew resolved the cooling
issue and performed some fine tuning of the suspension before Saturday’s
opening round of LOORRS racing. MacCachren strapped into his
MasterCraft Safety 3G seat and started on the inside of the third row
for Saturday's race. The action started hot and heavy as soon as the
green flag dropped and didn't stop until the checkers came out. After a
generous dousing from the water truck prior to the race, other Pro2
Unlimiteds with lesser rubber weren’t able to match the traction of
MacCachren’s BFGoodrich Tires and the field nearly piled up on the first
lap. By the middle of the race MacCachren had patiently worked his way
up to third place and was battling for second with Robby Woods in some
of the best action of the weekend. With only two laps left to go
MacCachren dove under Robby Woods at the hairpin at Turn 3 and never
looked back. While he ran out of time to reel in the leader, MacCachren
put ROCKSTAR Energy Drink and new sponsor Makita Power Tools on the
podium in his first race of the season.
On
Sunday Rob set the fast time in qualifying, hitting speeds in excess of
90 mph on the tight track. The inversion put the ROCKSTAR Energy Drink
/ Makita Tools / BFGoodrich Tires Pro2 Unlimited on the third row for
Round 2 of racing, and during the first half of the race MacCachren made
every effort to keep from getting tangled up with the 13 other trucks
on the track. LOORRS has instituted a new rule for the 2012 season
where all competitors pull into the hot pits for two minutes at the
midpoint of the race. When this occurred on Sunday, the new car blues
struck MacCachren’s team in the form of an electrical gremlin that
severely limited power.
At
this point a decision had to be made, and in an instant. The ROCKSTAR
Energy Drink / Makita Tools / BFGoodrich Tires team decided to continue
the race, albeit at a greatly reduced speed, in order to avoid a DNF and
earn valuable season points. Being a consummate professional Rob
pulled to the side of the course to let the field pass him by. What
seemed like a cruel April Fool’s Day joke had snatched away Rob Mac’s
chance of another podium finish, but the perennial champion was not
deterred. “Our qualifying time definitely raised some eyebrows and I
think that we are just scratching the surface on the true potential of
this truck that Dave Farruggia and Jim Blackmore have designed.” The
next LOORRS race for MacCachren will be at the all new track at Lake
Elsinore in Southern California on April 21st and 22nd.
Meanwhlie Rob continues his quest for the SCORE International Trophy
Truck championship when he gets behind the wheel of the No. 20
MasterCraft Racing Trophy Truck at the Baja 500 on June 1-3. He will
also compete in the TRAXXAS TORC Series and continue to share driving
duties with Steve Sourapas in Best In The Desert.
Rob MacCachren is sponsored by:
ROCKSTAR Energy Drink • Makita Power Tools • BFGoodrich Tires
TRAXXAS • MasterCraft Safety • Fox Racing Shox
KC HiLites • Impact by MasterCraft Safety • Motive Gear
ProAm Racing Products • Racin’ Dirty • K&N Filters
Patton Racing Engines • Rancho Drivetrain Engineering
TRAXXAS • MasterCraft Safety • Fox Racing Shox
KC HiLites • Impact by MasterCraft Safety • Motive Gear
ProAm Racing Products • Racin’ Dirty • K&N Filters
Patton Racing Engines • Rancho Drivetrain Engineering
Performance Products and Machining
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 192 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 twenty one amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Recovery Lemonade, Recovery Grape, Recovery Orange, Energy Cola, PerfectBerry, 2X, Xdurance, Coconut Water, Rockstar Relax, Rockstar Iced, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available in twenty one amazing flavors: Original, Sugar Free, Zero Carb, Recovery Lemonade, Recovery Grape, Recovery Orange, Energy Cola, PerfectBerry, 2X, Xdurance, Coconut Water, Rockstar Relax, Rockstar Iced, Tropical Punched, Punched Citrus, Juiced Mango Orange Passion Fruit, Juiced Guava, Juiced Pomegranate, Roasted Mocha, Roasted Latte, and Roasted Light Vanilla.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK is available at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Australia, Baltics, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Poland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout the United Kingdom.
ROCKSTAR
ENERGY DRINK supports the active Rockstar lifestyle in Surf, Skate,
Snow, MX, BMX, Off-Road, MotoGP, Rally, Wake, MMA, Bull Riding, Bands,
DJs, and Live Music.
About Makita Power Tools:
Makita
is a worldwide manufacturer of industrial quality power tools and
offers a wide range of industrial accessories. Makita utilizes
leading-edge technology and innovation to engineer tools that are more
compact with less weight yet deliver industrial strength power and
results. Makita’s extensive line of cordless lithium-ion tools includes
18V LXT Lithium-Ion, 18V Compact Lithium-Ion, and 12V max Lithium-Ion.
Other best-in-class products include rotary and demolition hammers and
saws equipped with Anti-Vibration Technology™ (AVT), 4-Cycle outdoor
power equipment, Super Joint System (SJS) grinders, miter saws
engineered with Deep and Exact Cutting Technology (DXT), and more.
Makita U.S.A., Inc. is located in La Mirada, California, and operates an
extensive distribution network located throughout the U.S. For more
information, please call 800/4-MAKITA or visit
makita.com. Follow Makita at
facebook.com/makitatoolspage,
twitter.com/makitatools, and
youtube.com/makitapowertools. Makita is Best in Class Engineering.
Kyle LeDuc and Toyo Tires® Sweep Pro 4 Unlimited Class at Firebird Raceway
April 2, 2012
Kyle LeDuc and Toyo Tires® Sweep Pro 4 Unlimited Class at Firebird Raceway
CHANDLER, ARIZONA –Kyle LeDuc and Toyo Tires® swept the Pro 4 Unlimited class this weekend during the Lucas Oil® Off Road Racing Series 2012 season-opener at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Driving his #99 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Ford F-150, LeDuc’s domination began when he was the fastest qualifier on Friday. He then won both Saturday and Sunday’s big races in a field of 12 competitors. His 900+ horsepower truck relied on Toyo® Open Country M/T®-R tires to help deliver the early season wins.
“Toyos don't just win races, they eliminate any competitor,” said LeDuc. “Team Monster Energy Drink Toyo Tires is in a league of our own and will continue to deliver more than ever expected.”
Scoring a win in the Pro Lite Unlimited class during Saturday’s Round 1 was Austin Kimbrell, driving his #88 Toyo Tires / Kimbrell Electric Ford Ranger. Kimbrell, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, fought his way to the front of the huge 26-truck field while riding on street legal Open Country M/T tires. During Sunday’s Round 2, Kimbrell led the field until being spun out by another competitor. He fought his way back into a solid fourth place finish for a great start to the season.
“My Toyo tires were hooking up, running clean all weekend,” said Kimbrell. “I can’t complain with a first and a fourth!”
In Sunday’s Pro 2 Unlimited class race, Rodrigo Ampudia scored a third place finish with his #36 Papas and Beer / Lucas Oil / Toyo Tires Ford Raptor. Ampudia, a resident of San Diego, California, is one of the newest to compete on Toyo Tires. Also racing in the Pro 2 Unlimited class for Team Toyo are Jeremy McGrath and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg.
“This was a great opening weekend for Team Toyo and it sets the pace for the rest of the season" said Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. "We congratulate Kyle LeDuc on his sweep, Austin Kimbrell on his win, and Rodrigo Ampudia on capturing a spot on the podium. We look forward to many more victories in 2012.”
Watch the post-race commentaries by Kyle LeDuc and Austin Kimbrell on YouTube™ at http://bit.ly/Hg872p.
The 16-race Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will be broadcast on CBS Sports, NBC Sports Network, SPEED Channel and MavTV. Log on to www.lucasoiloffroad.com for both race and programming schedules.
About Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.
Toyo Tires manufactures and distributes a complete line of premium replacement tires for nearly every make and model including high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as tires for commercial trucks. For more information log onto www.toyotires.com
Kyle LeDuc and Toyo Tires® Sweep Pro 4 Unlimited Class at Firebird Raceway
CHANDLER, ARIZONA –Kyle LeDuc and Toyo Tires® swept the Pro 4 Unlimited class this weekend during the Lucas Oil® Off Road Racing Series 2012 season-opener at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Driving his #99 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Ford F-150, LeDuc’s domination began when he was the fastest qualifier on Friday. He then won both Saturday and Sunday’s big races in a field of 12 competitors. His 900+ horsepower truck relied on Toyo® Open Country M/T®-R tires to help deliver the early season wins.
“Toyos don't just win races, they eliminate any competitor,” said LeDuc. “Team Monster Energy Drink Toyo Tires is in a league of our own and will continue to deliver more than ever expected.”
Scoring a win in the Pro Lite Unlimited class during Saturday’s Round 1 was Austin Kimbrell, driving his #88 Toyo Tires / Kimbrell Electric Ford Ranger. Kimbrell, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, fought his way to the front of the huge 26-truck field while riding on street legal Open Country M/T tires. During Sunday’s Round 2, Kimbrell led the field until being spun out by another competitor. He fought his way back into a solid fourth place finish for a great start to the season.
“My Toyo tires were hooking up, running clean all weekend,” said Kimbrell. “I can’t complain with a first and a fourth!”
In Sunday’s Pro 2 Unlimited class race, Rodrigo Ampudia scored a third place finish with his #36 Papas and Beer / Lucas Oil / Toyo Tires Ford Raptor. Ampudia, a resident of San Diego, California, is one of the newest to compete on Toyo Tires. Also racing in the Pro 2 Unlimited class for Team Toyo are Jeremy McGrath and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg.
“This was a great opening weekend for Team Toyo and it sets the pace for the rest of the season" said Stan Chen, manager of events and motorsports, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. "We congratulate Kyle LeDuc on his sweep, Austin Kimbrell on his win, and Rodrigo Ampudia on capturing a spot on the podium. We look forward to many more victories in 2012.”
Watch the post-race commentaries by Kyle LeDuc and Austin Kimbrell on YouTube™ at http://bit.ly/Hg872p.
The 16-race Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will be broadcast on CBS Sports, NBC Sports Network, SPEED Channel and MavTV. Log on to www.lucasoiloffroad.com for both race and programming schedules.
About Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.
Toyo Tires manufactures and distributes a complete line of premium replacement tires for nearly every make and model including high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as tires for commercial trucks. For more information log onto www.toyotires.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)