LOORRS Speedworld Sept.2010 Pics & Results
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Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series – Round 11: New Winners, Points Shakers
Under the brilliant sun of the beautiful Arizona desert, the Speedworld Off Road Park is currently playing host to Rounds 11 and 12 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports. With a great crowd braving rather warm temperatures, and drivers facing some even hotter points battles, the stage was set for another great day at the races. No fewer than three drivers took their first class wins in Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series competition here in Round 11, with two of those drivers making those wins the first of their Lucas Oil careers. Points races were almost universally tightened up, and in case you missed it, here’s what happened here in Surprise, AZ.
Modified Kart
After a one weekend move in the racing lineup, the Modified Karts were back as the opening act here in Round 11, and it was Jerett Brooks in the #527 Synergy Electric Racing/RC10.com kart who started alongside Sheldon Creed in the #522 A.M. Ortega/Fox Racing Shox machine on the front row. Creed got a good jump at the drop of the green flag, slotting into first and leading the field across the stripe on lap one. In second it was Brooks, followed by Bryan Osborn in the #588 Osborn Racing/iShock Hydrodynamics truck, Trenton Briley in the #507 Pole Position Raceway/Simpson machine, and JR Guthrie in the #555 Guthrie Racing/Gatorwraps.com kart. As Creed and Brooks began to pull away up front, several drivers traded places in the next five positions, with Guthrie, Osborne, and Zac Hunt slotting in third through fifth after four laps. The top five finally settled into place a bit more consistently, with the running order still Creed, Brooks, Guthrie, Osborne, and Hunt in the #534 Creative Fabrication and Design/King Shocks truck at the competition yellow. On the restart lap, Brooks got a good run into turn two to take the lead, dropping Creed to second. Creed was then caught up by Guthrie and Hunt, and these three went three-wide down the front straight. Guthrie and Hunt soon made their way around Creed, who’s truck was now obviously slowing. Creed eventually stopped on track, and at the white flag, it was now Brooks, Guthrie, Hunt, Briley, and Mitchell DeJong in the #524, who’d charged hard to make it back into the top five after a first lap collision. The top five held their spots on the final lap, with Brooks taking his first win of the season, as well as his first win in the top tier of short course off-road karting- congratulations! Brooks also had the fast lap with a 42.506.
Junior 2 Kart
The Honda-powered machines of Junior 2 Kart were second out on track, with Eddie Tafoya Jr. starting his #451 Specialty Fasteners/Lothringer machine alongside the #474 ProAm/Hoosier truck of Maxwell Ries on the front row. Both Tafoya Jr. and Ries were unable to take full advantage of their great starting positions, and it was Paige Porter, Jerett Brooks, and Chad Graham who all got by in turn one to fill out the top three spots at the end of lap one, with Tafoya Jr. and Ries now fourth and fifth. The top five drivers were all in a big clump, but the group soon shrunk slightly as Tafoya Jr. came to a stop on track, which moved Isabella Naughton up to fifth in the #454 ReadyLift/Stronghold Motorsports kart. Sheldon Creed then caught Naughton and passed her to take over fifth spot, while Brooks made a move on Porter to take the lead just ahead of the competition yellow. On the restart lap, Brooks and Porter were able to avoid some chaos behind them to pull out a slight advantage, but those behind were quickly back on the pace and knocking on the two frontrunners’ back bumpers. With Brooks and Porter still first and second, Creed muscled his way past Mamer to take over third and join the hunt for the lead, and with one lap to go, Graham was also in that chase in his #410 Hart and Huntington/Grenade truck. On the final lap, Graham caught the outside k rail between turns one and two, causing him to roll and drop well back. Ries and Micaela Cheek were the beneficiaries, moving up to fourth and fifth places. Up front, Brooks took his second win of the day in his #402 Synergy Electric Racing/Fox Racing Shox machine, followed by Porter in the #462 Redline Performance/Advantage Boats kart, Creed in the #422 The Fab School/Patrick’s High Performance Graphix truck, Ries, and Cheek in the #457 CMI/Jamminproducts.com kart. Fast lap went to Creed with a 47.491 on lap three.
Junior 1 Kart
Closing out the kart action were the youngest drivers of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, the boys and girls of Junior 1 Kart. The Subaru-powered machines had the #212 Brock Heger Racing/ Sunoco Race Fuels machine of Brock Heger and the #235 Mamer Racing/Cousin’s Hay truck of Cole Mamer on the front row for the start, and it was Mamer who led Heger, Isabella Naughton, Jack Yeiser, and Corey Geiser at the end of lap one. Yeiser then stopped on track, and although he was able to get going again later on, his misfortune allowed Geiser to fourth and Eliott Watson to fifth in the #203 AlumiCraft/iTi Performance Motorsports kart. The top five settled into a consistent running order for a few laps, with Mamer and Heger pulling away up front as the competition yellow approached. Once the mandatory yellow did come out, it was still Mamer, Heger, Naughton, Watson, and Geiser in the top five. Watson stopped on track under yellow, and although he was able to get re-fired, he was too late to re-join the pack in his previous fourth place as the green flag dropped again. This allowed Geiser into fourth and Riley Herbst to fifth in the #219 Ball Park/Terrible Herbst truck. These two then battled over fourth spot, with Geiser eventually rolling coming out of turn two and handing the position to Herbst, and fifth to Carlye Lenk in the #221 Missing Lenk Motorsports/McKenzie’s kart. After this, the top five drivers held their positions through the end of the race, with Mamer driving a very mature race to take the win. Heger finished runner-up, followed by Naughton in the #254 Stronghold Motorsports/Lamb Energy machine. Herbst and Lenk finished fourth and fifth, and both barely held off a hard-charging Preston Roben to finish in the top five, with these three coming across the line in a near-photo finish. Heger had the fast lap at 50.860, the only driver to crack the 51 second barrier in this class.
UTV
First out onto the full-length track was the two-class UTV race. Once again the two-wheel-drive SR1s would go head to head with the four-wheel-drive Unlimited UTVs, and Speedworld is a track where the speed of the SR1s has seemed to put them at a slight advantage. With no inversion of the qualifying results, Corry Weller would start her #801 Tilted Kilt/Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Yamaha alongside the #844 Ivy Trucking and Grading/Kronik Energy Yamaha of Tyler Herzog. Herzog out-pulled Weller to take the lead into turn one, and led the field across the stripe at the end of lap one. Weller ran in second, followed by Code Rahders in the #816 Frostyburger/Makita Yamaha, Doug Mittag in the #848 North County Yamaha/Custom Off Road Designs Yamaha, and Robert Vanbeekum in the #664 Xtreme Machine and Fabrication/Muzzys Kawasaki. Rahders was pressuring Weller hard, and soon got around her to take over second place. Vanbeekum then slowed to a stop coming into turn four, which put Chad George up to the lead in Unlimited UTV and fifth overall in the #642 Monster Energy/Funco Kawasaki. Further forward, Rahders and Weller were still battling, and Weller found her way around Rahders to re-take second spot before the competition yellow. As the field bunched up under yellow, it was still Herzog up front, followed by Weller, Rahders, Mittag, and George. Mittag moved up to third on the restart lap, and was looking to make a move on Weller to take over second just a few moments later. However, just as Mittag pulled alongside Weller coming down the back straight, something went awry and forced him to slow to a stop, heartbreaking to say the least. With the pressure somewhat off Weller, she tried to make a run on Herzog with about a lap and a half to go, but Herzog’s command of the race was not to be denied, as he held tough to take a wire-to-wire win over Weller and Rahders. George took the Unlimited UTV win and fourth overall, followed by John Dempsey in the #655 Custom Off Road Designs/Racer X Motorsports Kawasaki, Gary Thompson in the #802 Thompson Roofing Yamaha, Dan Kelly in the #824 Yamaha, and Mark Turner in the #600, who rounded out the Unlimited UTV podium. Herzog’s best lap was his last lap of the day at a 1:01.763, fastest of both classes, while George had the top time in Unlimited UTV, a 1:03.609.
Limited Buggy
The first of the two open-wheel buggy classes on track was Limited Buggy, and after a six-position inversion of the qualifying order, it was Jeff Knupp in the #354 Volkspower/General Tire machine alongside Quentin Tucker in the #377 Logher Roadsiding/Fox Racing Shox buggy for the start. Tucker was quickest at the drop of the green flag, leading John Fitzgerald, Knupp, Bruce Fraley, and Kenny Freeman past the stripe at the end of lap one. Fraley moved his #312 ProAm/BFGoodrich Tires Fraley up to third soon afterwards, while Justin Smith picked up fifth in the #319 Menzies Motorsports/Bully Dog Fraley. Up front, Tucker and Fitzgerald were moving clear of the field, with Fitzgerald pulling up tight to Tucker’s back bumper. Tucker still lead at the competition yellow, however, with Fitzgerald second, Fraley third, Knupp fourth, and Smith fifth. On the restart lap, Smith and Curt Geer moved up to fourth and fifth places, with Fraley taking over second on the following lap. The top three drivers (Tucker, Fraley, and Fitzgerald) were now very close, with Smith using the fast lap of the race (a 1:01.801) to sneak up from fourth to join the fray. Tucker then rolled onto his side in turn four, dropping him well back, and promoting Kyle Lucas to fifth in the #325 Lucas Oil/mavTV machine. On the final lap, Smith put his buggy up on two wheels and nearly lost it in turn four, but managed a fine recovery and did so without even losing a position! Up front, Fraley, who’d inherited the lead following Tucker’s roll, went on to take the win, followed by Fitzgerald, Smith, Geer in the #392 BDI Bowden Lothringer, and Lucas.
Pro 4 Unlimited
After a thoughtful invocation, a round of special awards presentations, and a rousing rendition of the National Anthem during Opening Ceremonies, it was time to return to racing action, and what better way to do that than with the beasts of Pro 4 Unlimited? Travis Coyne and Mike Johnson started on the front row, and after a big collision in which Kyle LeDuc rear-ended Coyne coming into turn four, a huge pileup ensued and a full restart was called for. The boys settled down and had a clean second start, with Johnson putting his #31 K&N Filters/Ironclad Ford up front at the end of lap one, followed by Coyne in the #5 ProComp/Team Associated Ford, Carl Renezeder, LeDuc, and Adrian Cenni in the #11 Atrium Payroll/King Shocks Chevrolet. Contact between Johnson and Coyne on the back straight then dropped Coyne to fourth, with Cenni also making his way by Coyne soon afterwards. LeDuc then nearly went over the outside edge of turn four, bringing him within reach of Cenni, who got by him out of the next turn. With the top three drivers (Johnson, Renezeder, and Cenni) now pulling away up front, it was points leader Rick Huseman making his usual run through the field further back. Huseman was up to fourth in his #36 Monster Energy/Oakley Toyota after passing LeDuc, who’s overheating issue was forcing him to slow a bit, and was closing in on the top three before a big spin in turn six dropped him to sixth. Up front, Renezeder had done the best in the battle amongst the top three, taking the lead in his #1 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford and holding it as the competition yellow came out. At this point, Johnson ran second, Cenni third, LeDuc fourth, and Coyne fifth. Huseman was on the move again after the restart, again moving up to fourth, but again, just before an incident. This time, Huseman spun in turn four and high centered himself on the inside burm, dropping him to dead last. Up front, Renezeder was now pulling away, and a classic inside-outside move by Cenni moved him past Johnson and up to second. LeDuc also got by Johnson, out-jumping him off the first jump on the final lap to take over third in the #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford, while up front, Renezeder set the fast lap of the race at a 54.562 as he reeled in Huseman to put him a lap down! Renezeder went on to take the win, the 90th of his career, finishing ahead of Cenni, LeDuc, Johnson, and Coyne.
Pro Lite Unlimited
One of the closest points battles of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is going on in the Pro Lite Unlimited category, and as there would almost certainly have to be, there was a big shake up in the points here in Round 11. Adam Wik started his #11 Wik’s Racing Engines/LAT Racing Oil Chevrolet next to Marty Hart’s #15 Stronghold Motorsports/Maxxis Tires Ford on the front row, and as if shot from a cannon, Hart leapt out to a substantial early lead at the end of lap one. Wik was next in line, with Jimmy Stephensen third in the #33 Ironclad Energy/JS Pest Control Nissan, Chris Brandt fourth in the #82 mavTV/Lucas Oil Toyota, and Matt Loiodice fifth in the #20 MasterCraft Safety/Jimco Ford. Brandt found his way around Stephensen to take over third, while an incident for Wik dropped him to sixth. Jacob Person was now fifth in the #92 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/Geiser Bros Ford, but soon slowed and dropped out of the race. Up front, Hart was blitzing the field, leading by nearly the entire front straightaway, but today wasn’t to be the points leader’s day. Just before the competition yellow, smoke began streaming out of Hart’s audibly injured motor, and although he was able to lead the field to the competition yellow, it was a foregone conclusion that his lead wasn’t going to last. At this point, Brandt ran second, with Stephensen third, Loiodice fourth, and Wik rounding out the top five, and as the green flag waved, the whole field stormed by Hart’s stricken truck. A new battle for the lead ensued, and after pressuring Brandt hard for several laps, Stephensen braked really late into turn four and was able to take over the top spot. Brandt isn’t an easy customer, though, and with his top points rival more or less out of the running, he had to make the best of his chance to score maximum points, and he soon battled back against Stephensen to re-take the lead. Further back, Wik pulled into the hot pits with a right front flat, allowing Leroy Loerwald up to fourth in the #8 K&N Filters/Fiberwerx Ford, and Stephan Papadakis to fifth in the #4 Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Nissan. Brandt and Stephensen battled well all the way to the end of the race, but in the end, it was Brandt who held on to take the win, with Stephensen taking second and dedicating the finish to his late father, who passed away four years ago today. Third went to Loiodice, fourth, to Loerwald, and Papadakis rounded out the top five. Stephensen might not have gotten the win, but the fast lap was his at a 59.658.
Pro 2 Unlimited
After the Pro 4 Unlimiteds seemed to steal the show during both nights at Glen Helen, it was time for the other big boys, the Pro 2 Unlimiteds, to step back into the spotlight here in Surprise, and this stacked field gave us nothing less than the best race of the day, no questions asked. The #31 Method Race Wheels/Swaghouse.com Ford of Mike Johnson and the #7 Super Clean/Blanco Basura Ford of Bryce Menzies started from the front row, with Menzies leading Johnson, Greg Adler, Rob MacCachren, and Carl Renezeder at the end of lap one. For no apparent reason, Johnson seemed to be an easy target for those following, as Adler, MacCachren, and Renezeder all passed him in quick succession to pick up second through fourth places. A full course caution was then brought out to allow track workers to clear Kevin Probst’s stranded truck from the mogul section, and after the restart, Renezeder moved up again, driving deep down the inside of turn three to pick off points leader MacCachren. At the competition yellow, Menzies was still up front, followed by Adler in the #10 4 Wheel Parts/BFGoodrich Tires Ford, Renezeder in the #17 General Tires/RC10.com Ford, MacCachren in the #21 MasterCraft Safety/Rockstar Ford, and Johnson. The top five drivers held their positions for several laps after the restart, but it was finally Renezeder who again picked up a position, this time slipping past Adler to take over second place. The top four drivers were all running extremely quick in a blistering train of sorts, with something eventually bound to come undone, and when it did, it did in a big way. Multiple contacts amongst the top four in turns four and five dropped Menzies from the lead to fourth, with Renezeder now first, MacCachren second, and Adler third. The top four then split into two separate battles for first and third places. A mid-air bump between Renezeder and MacCachren on the back straight elicited a big cheer from the crowd, and a pass on Adler by Menzies was big too. On the final lap, both pairs were battling as hard as they could, and Adler bicycled up in turn four and rode along Menzies’ door through the turn before rolling over at the exit. Up front, MacCachren almost seemed to out-drive himself, and could not get by Renezeder, who picked up his second win of the day, and certainly seems to have shaken off his rough summer of Rounds 7-10. MacCachren did set the fast lap on the last lap with a 56.498, and his second place finish helped increased his already sizeable points lead, with Menzies taking third, Johnson fourth, and Todd LeDuc fifth in the #8 Rockstar/Makita Ford.
Pro Buggy Unlimited
Another very close points battle is being had right now in the Pro Buggy Unlimited, with the top three drivers (Larry Job, Doug Fortin, and Cameron Steele) being separated by just thirteen points coming into this weekend. Steven Greinke started alongside Steele on the front row, and it was Steele who took the lead from the outset. After the first lap it was Steele up front in the #916 Menzies Motorsports/Metal Mulisha AlumiCraft, with Jerry Whelchel in the #901 ProAm/Fat Performance Foddrill, Greinke in the #923 SC Fuels/Crane Rental Service Inc. Racer, Job in the #907 Rusty/Bully Dog AlumiCraft, and Chuck Cheek in the #957 Maxxis Tires/Lucas Oil AlumiCraft all in tow. Contact between Greinke and Job in turn four then helped them to swap positions, and another incident for Greinke dropped him two more spots to sixth and moved Fortin to fifth in the #996 Fortin Racing, Inc./Custom Decals Racer. Fortin then moved to fourth, while up front, Job was closing on the battle between Steele and Whelchel. At the competition yellow, Steele still led, with Whelchel second, Job third, Fortin fourth, and Cheek fifth. Cheek pulled off to the hot pits under yellow with what appeared to be a flat tire, and was able to re-join, albeit at the back of the pack, promoting Greinke to fifth. After the restart, Fortin closed in on Job and tried to get by in turn five, but contact caused him to spin and drive up onto the burm on the inside of the turn, dropping him to tenth. Cody Freeman was now fourth and Greinke fifth following Fortin’s misfortune, while up front, the battle for the lead continued to rage between Steele, Whelchel, and Job. Whelchel narrowly grabbed fast lap from Steele with a 58.518, but Steele held tough to the end, leading from start to finish and finally picked up a long-overdue first career Pro Buggy win, his first win in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Whelchel took second, the self-proclaimed meatball in the Menzies Motorsports sandwich, with Steele’s teammate Job finishing third. Fourth went to Freeman in the #994 FCS Flooring/Goodyear Tires Racer, and Greinke rounded out the top five.
Super Lite
The final race of the day was Super Lite, and those on hand were witness to the appearance of perhaps the biggest driving star yet to grace the starting line of a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event: television star, rally driver, and 2010 X Games double gold medalist Tanner Foust. Brandon Ward and Patrick Clark started on the front row, with Ward leading Jacob Person, Foust, CJ Greaves, and Jeremy “Twitch†Stenberg at the end of lap one. Greaves’ #33 Monster Energy/Traxxas truck and Stenberg’s #88 Metal Mulisha/Maxxis Tires machine both got around Foust in the early going, while up front, Person was using his #29 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/Fox Racing Shox truck to really put the pressure on the leader Ward, but started to overdrive the truck and briefly fell back within reach of Greaves. Meanwhile, Foust wasn’t finding this an easy field of drivers to beat, as young Dawson Kirchner showed great determination and was able to get around Foust after several laps of trying in his #16 Speed Technologies/General Tire machine. Further forward, Person had re-gained his composure by setting fast lap at a 1:00.397, and was again hounding Ward for first place. A mistake by Ward coming out of turn five allowed Person to finally take the lead, just ahead of the competition yellow. At this point, Person and Ward ran one and two, with Greaves third, Stenberg fourth, and Foust back up to fifth in the #69 Rockstar Energy/Lucas Oil machine after Kirchner had pulled into the hot pits with a substantial issue while the course was under yellow. On the restart lap, Ward re-took the lead from Person, and following some contact and jamming up in turn five, and a rollover by Person in turn six, it was now Ward, Stenberg, Chad George, Foust, and RJ Anderson in the #37 Walker Evans Racing machine in the top five. Foust briefly ducked into the hot pits, and Anderson had an on-track incident, both of which pushed Jeff “Ox†Kargola up to fourth and Clark up to fifth in the #25 MoTec/Exotic Engines truck. George moved his #42 Bull Outdoor Products Inc/Beard Seats truck up to second in the late going, but didn’t have enough to catch Ward, who took his first career Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series win in the #92 KMC Wheels/K&N Filters machine and celebrated with a great series of donuts for the cheering crowd. George finished second, with Stenberg third, Kargola fourth in the #2 General Tire/Lost truck, and Clark rounding out the top five.
That’s all from the Round 11 action here in Surprise. Be sure to get yourself to the grandstands as we do it all again on Sunday for Round 12 here at Speedworld, and if you can’t be here, follow the action via live streaming broadcast at race-dezert.com. For all the latest news, stay tuned to lucasoiloffroad.com
Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit LucasOilOffRoadRacing.com
Under the brilliant sun of the beautiful Arizona desert, the Speedworld Off Road Park is currently playing host to Rounds 11 and 12 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports. With a great crowd braving rather warm temperatures, and drivers facing some even hotter points battles, the stage was set for another great day at the races. No fewer than three drivers took their first class wins in Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series competition here in Round 11, with two of those drivers making those wins the first of their Lucas Oil careers. Points races were almost universally tightened up, and in case you missed it, here’s what happened here in Surprise, AZ.
Modified Kart
After a one weekend move in the racing lineup, the Modified Karts were back as the opening act here in Round 11, and it was Jerett Brooks in the #527 Synergy Electric Racing/RC10.com kart who started alongside Sheldon Creed in the #522 A.M. Ortega/Fox Racing Shox machine on the front row. Creed got a good jump at the drop of the green flag, slotting into first and leading the field across the stripe on lap one. In second it was Brooks, followed by Bryan Osborn in the #588 Osborn Racing/iShock Hydrodynamics truck, Trenton Briley in the #507 Pole Position Raceway/Simpson machine, and JR Guthrie in the #555 Guthrie Racing/Gatorwraps.com kart. As Creed and Brooks began to pull away up front, several drivers traded places in the next five positions, with Guthrie, Osborne, and Zac Hunt slotting in third through fifth after four laps. The top five finally settled into place a bit more consistently, with the running order still Creed, Brooks, Guthrie, Osborne, and Hunt in the #534 Creative Fabrication and Design/King Shocks truck at the competition yellow. On the restart lap, Brooks got a good run into turn two to take the lead, dropping Creed to second. Creed was then caught up by Guthrie and Hunt, and these three went three-wide down the front straight. Guthrie and Hunt soon made their way around Creed, who’s truck was now obviously slowing. Creed eventually stopped on track, and at the white flag, it was now Brooks, Guthrie, Hunt, Briley, and Mitchell DeJong in the #524, who’d charged hard to make it back into the top five after a first lap collision. The top five held their spots on the final lap, with Brooks taking his first win of the season, as well as his first win in the top tier of short course off-road karting- congratulations! Brooks also had the fast lap with a 42.506.
Junior 2 Kart
The Honda-powered machines of Junior 2 Kart were second out on track, with Eddie Tafoya Jr. starting his #451 Specialty Fasteners/Lothringer machine alongside the #474 ProAm/Hoosier truck of Maxwell Ries on the front row. Both Tafoya Jr. and Ries were unable to take full advantage of their great starting positions, and it was Paige Porter, Jerett Brooks, and Chad Graham who all got by in turn one to fill out the top three spots at the end of lap one, with Tafoya Jr. and Ries now fourth and fifth. The top five drivers were all in a big clump, but the group soon shrunk slightly as Tafoya Jr. came to a stop on track, which moved Isabella Naughton up to fifth in the #454 ReadyLift/Stronghold Motorsports kart. Sheldon Creed then caught Naughton and passed her to take over fifth spot, while Brooks made a move on Porter to take the lead just ahead of the competition yellow. On the restart lap, Brooks and Porter were able to avoid some chaos behind them to pull out a slight advantage, but those behind were quickly back on the pace and knocking on the two frontrunners’ back bumpers. With Brooks and Porter still first and second, Creed muscled his way past Mamer to take over third and join the hunt for the lead, and with one lap to go, Graham was also in that chase in his #410 Hart and Huntington/Grenade truck. On the final lap, Graham caught the outside k rail between turns one and two, causing him to roll and drop well back. Ries and Micaela Cheek were the beneficiaries, moving up to fourth and fifth places. Up front, Brooks took his second win of the day in his #402 Synergy Electric Racing/Fox Racing Shox machine, followed by Porter in the #462 Redline Performance/Advantage Boats kart, Creed in the #422 The Fab School/Patrick’s High Performance Graphix truck, Ries, and Cheek in the #457 CMI/Jamminproducts.com kart. Fast lap went to Creed with a 47.491 on lap three.
Junior 1 Kart
Closing out the kart action were the youngest drivers of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, the boys and girls of Junior 1 Kart. The Subaru-powered machines had the #212 Brock Heger Racing/ Sunoco Race Fuels machine of Brock Heger and the #235 Mamer Racing/Cousin’s Hay truck of Cole Mamer on the front row for the start, and it was Mamer who led Heger, Isabella Naughton, Jack Yeiser, and Corey Geiser at the end of lap one. Yeiser then stopped on track, and although he was able to get going again later on, his misfortune allowed Geiser to fourth and Eliott Watson to fifth in the #203 AlumiCraft/iTi Performance Motorsports kart. The top five settled into a consistent running order for a few laps, with Mamer and Heger pulling away up front as the competition yellow approached. Once the mandatory yellow did come out, it was still Mamer, Heger, Naughton, Watson, and Geiser in the top five. Watson stopped on track under yellow, and although he was able to get re-fired, he was too late to re-join the pack in his previous fourth place as the green flag dropped again. This allowed Geiser into fourth and Riley Herbst to fifth in the #219 Ball Park/Terrible Herbst truck. These two then battled over fourth spot, with Geiser eventually rolling coming out of turn two and handing the position to Herbst, and fifth to Carlye Lenk in the #221 Missing Lenk Motorsports/McKenzie’s kart. After this, the top five drivers held their positions through the end of the race, with Mamer driving a very mature race to take the win. Heger finished runner-up, followed by Naughton in the #254 Stronghold Motorsports/Lamb Energy machine. Herbst and Lenk finished fourth and fifth, and both barely held off a hard-charging Preston Roben to finish in the top five, with these three coming across the line in a near-photo finish. Heger had the fast lap at 50.860, the only driver to crack the 51 second barrier in this class.
UTV
First out onto the full-length track was the two-class UTV race. Once again the two-wheel-drive SR1s would go head to head with the four-wheel-drive Unlimited UTVs, and Speedworld is a track where the speed of the SR1s has seemed to put them at a slight advantage. With no inversion of the qualifying results, Corry Weller would start her #801 Tilted Kilt/Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Yamaha alongside the #844 Ivy Trucking and Grading/Kronik Energy Yamaha of Tyler Herzog. Herzog out-pulled Weller to take the lead into turn one, and led the field across the stripe at the end of lap one. Weller ran in second, followed by Code Rahders in the #816 Frostyburger/Makita Yamaha, Doug Mittag in the #848 North County Yamaha/Custom Off Road Designs Yamaha, and Robert Vanbeekum in the #664 Xtreme Machine and Fabrication/Muzzys Kawasaki. Rahders was pressuring Weller hard, and soon got around her to take over second place. Vanbeekum then slowed to a stop coming into turn four, which put Chad George up to the lead in Unlimited UTV and fifth overall in the #642 Monster Energy/Funco Kawasaki. Further forward, Rahders and Weller were still battling, and Weller found her way around Rahders to re-take second spot before the competition yellow. As the field bunched up under yellow, it was still Herzog up front, followed by Weller, Rahders, Mittag, and George. Mittag moved up to third on the restart lap, and was looking to make a move on Weller to take over second just a few moments later. However, just as Mittag pulled alongside Weller coming down the back straight, something went awry and forced him to slow to a stop, heartbreaking to say the least. With the pressure somewhat off Weller, she tried to make a run on Herzog with about a lap and a half to go, but Herzog’s command of the race was not to be denied, as he held tough to take a wire-to-wire win over Weller and Rahders. George took the Unlimited UTV win and fourth overall, followed by John Dempsey in the #655 Custom Off Road Designs/Racer X Motorsports Kawasaki, Gary Thompson in the #802 Thompson Roofing Yamaha, Dan Kelly in the #824 Yamaha, and Mark Turner in the #600, who rounded out the Unlimited UTV podium. Herzog’s best lap was his last lap of the day at a 1:01.763, fastest of both classes, while George had the top time in Unlimited UTV, a 1:03.609.
Limited Buggy
The first of the two open-wheel buggy classes on track was Limited Buggy, and after a six-position inversion of the qualifying order, it was Jeff Knupp in the #354 Volkspower/General Tire machine alongside Quentin Tucker in the #377 Logher Roadsiding/Fox Racing Shox buggy for the start. Tucker was quickest at the drop of the green flag, leading John Fitzgerald, Knupp, Bruce Fraley, and Kenny Freeman past the stripe at the end of lap one. Fraley moved his #312 ProAm/BFGoodrich Tires Fraley up to third soon afterwards, while Justin Smith picked up fifth in the #319 Menzies Motorsports/Bully Dog Fraley. Up front, Tucker and Fitzgerald were moving clear of the field, with Fitzgerald pulling up tight to Tucker’s back bumper. Tucker still lead at the competition yellow, however, with Fitzgerald second, Fraley third, Knupp fourth, and Smith fifth. On the restart lap, Smith and Curt Geer moved up to fourth and fifth places, with Fraley taking over second on the following lap. The top three drivers (Tucker, Fraley, and Fitzgerald) were now very close, with Smith using the fast lap of the race (a 1:01.801) to sneak up from fourth to join the fray. Tucker then rolled onto his side in turn four, dropping him well back, and promoting Kyle Lucas to fifth in the #325 Lucas Oil/mavTV machine. On the final lap, Smith put his buggy up on two wheels and nearly lost it in turn four, but managed a fine recovery and did so without even losing a position! Up front, Fraley, who’d inherited the lead following Tucker’s roll, went on to take the win, followed by Fitzgerald, Smith, Geer in the #392 BDI Bowden Lothringer, and Lucas.
Pro 4 Unlimited
After a thoughtful invocation, a round of special awards presentations, and a rousing rendition of the National Anthem during Opening Ceremonies, it was time to return to racing action, and what better way to do that than with the beasts of Pro 4 Unlimited? Travis Coyne and Mike Johnson started on the front row, and after a big collision in which Kyle LeDuc rear-ended Coyne coming into turn four, a huge pileup ensued and a full restart was called for. The boys settled down and had a clean second start, with Johnson putting his #31 K&N Filters/Ironclad Ford up front at the end of lap one, followed by Coyne in the #5 ProComp/Team Associated Ford, Carl Renezeder, LeDuc, and Adrian Cenni in the #11 Atrium Payroll/King Shocks Chevrolet. Contact between Johnson and Coyne on the back straight then dropped Coyne to fourth, with Cenni also making his way by Coyne soon afterwards. LeDuc then nearly went over the outside edge of turn four, bringing him within reach of Cenni, who got by him out of the next turn. With the top three drivers (Johnson, Renezeder, and Cenni) now pulling away up front, it was points leader Rick Huseman making his usual run through the field further back. Huseman was up to fourth in his #36 Monster Energy/Oakley Toyota after passing LeDuc, who’s overheating issue was forcing him to slow a bit, and was closing in on the top three before a big spin in turn six dropped him to sixth. Up front, Renezeder had done the best in the battle amongst the top three, taking the lead in his #1 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford and holding it as the competition yellow came out. At this point, Johnson ran second, Cenni third, LeDuc fourth, and Coyne fifth. Huseman was on the move again after the restart, again moving up to fourth, but again, just before an incident. This time, Huseman spun in turn four and high centered himself on the inside burm, dropping him to dead last. Up front, Renezeder was now pulling away, and a classic inside-outside move by Cenni moved him past Johnson and up to second. LeDuc also got by Johnson, out-jumping him off the first jump on the final lap to take over third in the #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford, while up front, Renezeder set the fast lap of the race at a 54.562 as he reeled in Huseman to put him a lap down! Renezeder went on to take the win, the 90th of his career, finishing ahead of Cenni, LeDuc, Johnson, and Coyne.
Pro Lite Unlimited
One of the closest points battles of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is going on in the Pro Lite Unlimited category, and as there would almost certainly have to be, there was a big shake up in the points here in Round 11. Adam Wik started his #11 Wik’s Racing Engines/LAT Racing Oil Chevrolet next to Marty Hart’s #15 Stronghold Motorsports/Maxxis Tires Ford on the front row, and as if shot from a cannon, Hart leapt out to a substantial early lead at the end of lap one. Wik was next in line, with Jimmy Stephensen third in the #33 Ironclad Energy/JS Pest Control Nissan, Chris Brandt fourth in the #82 mavTV/Lucas Oil Toyota, and Matt Loiodice fifth in the #20 MasterCraft Safety/Jimco Ford. Brandt found his way around Stephensen to take over third, while an incident for Wik dropped him to sixth. Jacob Person was now fifth in the #92 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/Geiser Bros Ford, but soon slowed and dropped out of the race. Up front, Hart was blitzing the field, leading by nearly the entire front straightaway, but today wasn’t to be the points leader’s day. Just before the competition yellow, smoke began streaming out of Hart’s audibly injured motor, and although he was able to lead the field to the competition yellow, it was a foregone conclusion that his lead wasn’t going to last. At this point, Brandt ran second, with Stephensen third, Loiodice fourth, and Wik rounding out the top five, and as the green flag waved, the whole field stormed by Hart’s stricken truck. A new battle for the lead ensued, and after pressuring Brandt hard for several laps, Stephensen braked really late into turn four and was able to take over the top spot. Brandt isn’t an easy customer, though, and with his top points rival more or less out of the running, he had to make the best of his chance to score maximum points, and he soon battled back against Stephensen to re-take the lead. Further back, Wik pulled into the hot pits with a right front flat, allowing Leroy Loerwald up to fourth in the #8 K&N Filters/Fiberwerx Ford, and Stephan Papadakis to fifth in the #4 Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Nissan. Brandt and Stephensen battled well all the way to the end of the race, but in the end, it was Brandt who held on to take the win, with Stephensen taking second and dedicating the finish to his late father, who passed away four years ago today. Third went to Loiodice, fourth, to Loerwald, and Papadakis rounded out the top five. Stephensen might not have gotten the win, but the fast lap was his at a 59.658.
Pro 2 Unlimited
After the Pro 4 Unlimiteds seemed to steal the show during both nights at Glen Helen, it was time for the other big boys, the Pro 2 Unlimiteds, to step back into the spotlight here in Surprise, and this stacked field gave us nothing less than the best race of the day, no questions asked. The #31 Method Race Wheels/Swaghouse.com Ford of Mike Johnson and the #7 Super Clean/Blanco Basura Ford of Bryce Menzies started from the front row, with Menzies leading Johnson, Greg Adler, Rob MacCachren, and Carl Renezeder at the end of lap one. For no apparent reason, Johnson seemed to be an easy target for those following, as Adler, MacCachren, and Renezeder all passed him in quick succession to pick up second through fourth places. A full course caution was then brought out to allow track workers to clear Kevin Probst’s stranded truck from the mogul section, and after the restart, Renezeder moved up again, driving deep down the inside of turn three to pick off points leader MacCachren. At the competition yellow, Menzies was still up front, followed by Adler in the #10 4 Wheel Parts/BFGoodrich Tires Ford, Renezeder in the #17 General Tires/RC10.com Ford, MacCachren in the #21 MasterCraft Safety/Rockstar Ford, and Johnson. The top five drivers held their positions for several laps after the restart, but it was finally Renezeder who again picked up a position, this time slipping past Adler to take over second place. The top four drivers were all running extremely quick in a blistering train of sorts, with something eventually bound to come undone, and when it did, it did in a big way. Multiple contacts amongst the top four in turns four and five dropped Menzies from the lead to fourth, with Renezeder now first, MacCachren second, and Adler third. The top four then split into two separate battles for first and third places. A mid-air bump between Renezeder and MacCachren on the back straight elicited a big cheer from the crowd, and a pass on Adler by Menzies was big too. On the final lap, both pairs were battling as hard as they could, and Adler bicycled up in turn four and rode along Menzies’ door through the turn before rolling over at the exit. Up front, MacCachren almost seemed to out-drive himself, and could not get by Renezeder, who picked up his second win of the day, and certainly seems to have shaken off his rough summer of Rounds 7-10. MacCachren did set the fast lap on the last lap with a 56.498, and his second place finish helped increased his already sizeable points lead, with Menzies taking third, Johnson fourth, and Todd LeDuc fifth in the #8 Rockstar/Makita Ford.
Pro Buggy Unlimited
Another very close points battle is being had right now in the Pro Buggy Unlimited, with the top three drivers (Larry Job, Doug Fortin, and Cameron Steele) being separated by just thirteen points coming into this weekend. Steven Greinke started alongside Steele on the front row, and it was Steele who took the lead from the outset. After the first lap it was Steele up front in the #916 Menzies Motorsports/Metal Mulisha AlumiCraft, with Jerry Whelchel in the #901 ProAm/Fat Performance Foddrill, Greinke in the #923 SC Fuels/Crane Rental Service Inc. Racer, Job in the #907 Rusty/Bully Dog AlumiCraft, and Chuck Cheek in the #957 Maxxis Tires/Lucas Oil AlumiCraft all in tow. Contact between Greinke and Job in turn four then helped them to swap positions, and another incident for Greinke dropped him two more spots to sixth and moved Fortin to fifth in the #996 Fortin Racing, Inc./Custom Decals Racer. Fortin then moved to fourth, while up front, Job was closing on the battle between Steele and Whelchel. At the competition yellow, Steele still led, with Whelchel second, Job third, Fortin fourth, and Cheek fifth. Cheek pulled off to the hot pits under yellow with what appeared to be a flat tire, and was able to re-join, albeit at the back of the pack, promoting Greinke to fifth. After the restart, Fortin closed in on Job and tried to get by in turn five, but contact caused him to spin and drive up onto the burm on the inside of the turn, dropping him to tenth. Cody Freeman was now fourth and Greinke fifth following Fortin’s misfortune, while up front, the battle for the lead continued to rage between Steele, Whelchel, and Job. Whelchel narrowly grabbed fast lap from Steele with a 58.518, but Steele held tough to the end, leading from start to finish and finally picked up a long-overdue first career Pro Buggy win, his first win in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Whelchel took second, the self-proclaimed meatball in the Menzies Motorsports sandwich, with Steele’s teammate Job finishing third. Fourth went to Freeman in the #994 FCS Flooring/Goodyear Tires Racer, and Greinke rounded out the top five.
Super Lite
The final race of the day was Super Lite, and those on hand were witness to the appearance of perhaps the biggest driving star yet to grace the starting line of a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event: television star, rally driver, and 2010 X Games double gold medalist Tanner Foust. Brandon Ward and Patrick Clark started on the front row, with Ward leading Jacob Person, Foust, CJ Greaves, and Jeremy “Twitch†Stenberg at the end of lap one. Greaves’ #33 Monster Energy/Traxxas truck and Stenberg’s #88 Metal Mulisha/Maxxis Tires machine both got around Foust in the early going, while up front, Person was using his #29 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/Fox Racing Shox truck to really put the pressure on the leader Ward, but started to overdrive the truck and briefly fell back within reach of Greaves. Meanwhile, Foust wasn’t finding this an easy field of drivers to beat, as young Dawson Kirchner showed great determination and was able to get around Foust after several laps of trying in his #16 Speed Technologies/General Tire machine. Further forward, Person had re-gained his composure by setting fast lap at a 1:00.397, and was again hounding Ward for first place. A mistake by Ward coming out of turn five allowed Person to finally take the lead, just ahead of the competition yellow. At this point, Person and Ward ran one and two, with Greaves third, Stenberg fourth, and Foust back up to fifth in the #69 Rockstar Energy/Lucas Oil machine after Kirchner had pulled into the hot pits with a substantial issue while the course was under yellow. On the restart lap, Ward re-took the lead from Person, and following some contact and jamming up in turn five, and a rollover by Person in turn six, it was now Ward, Stenberg, Chad George, Foust, and RJ Anderson in the #37 Walker Evans Racing machine in the top five. Foust briefly ducked into the hot pits, and Anderson had an on-track incident, both of which pushed Jeff “Ox†Kargola up to fourth and Clark up to fifth in the #25 MoTec/Exotic Engines truck. George moved his #42 Bull Outdoor Products Inc/Beard Seats truck up to second in the late going, but didn’t have enough to catch Ward, who took his first career Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series win in the #92 KMC Wheels/K&N Filters machine and celebrated with a great series of donuts for the cheering crowd. George finished second, with Stenberg third, Kargola fourth in the #2 General Tire/Lost truck, and Clark rounding out the top five.
That’s all from the Round 11 action here in Surprise. Be sure to get yourself to the grandstands as we do it all again on Sunday for Round 12 here at Speedworld, and if you can’t be here, follow the action via live streaming broadcast at race-dezert.com. For all the latest news, stay tuned to lucasoiloffroad.com
Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit LucasOilOffRoadRacing.com
Weller Racing On the LOORRS Podium Once Again in Surprise, AZ
Corry Weller
Chandler, AZ (9/29/2010) For the second time this year, the Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series returned to Weller Racing’s hometown track for another two rounds of action at Speedworld Offroad Park in Surprise, AZ this past weekend.
For Corry Weller, Weller Racing/Tilted Kilt/MagnaFlow Pro SR1 racer, racing in front of her home crowd meant a lot to her, especially after coming off of an unlucky previous two rounds at Glen Helen, CA. Seeking some much needed redemption and determined to make a statement, Weller put down the fastest qualifying time overall on Saturday, after missing practice on Friday due to mechanical issues. This would put her on pole position for Saturday’s main event, and it was exactly where she wanted to be.
“Starting out front in this class, especially when it’s muddy, is definitely a big advantage. Not only do you have a clear line of sight without roost, you also don’t get caught up in the carnage that usually happens in the first couple of turns.” noted Weller. “Since they rarely invert our class, being the fastest in qualifying is crucial.”
Saturday’s SR1 UTV race was an epic, three-way battle between three Weller Racing drivers; Tyler Herzog, Corry Weller, and Cody Rahders. With a heavily watered track, drivers in all classes fought to find traction and the fastest way through every corner. Herzog took the lead early and would keep it for the entire race, despite Weller dogging his every move and looking for a clean pass. Weller just wasn’t able to put a move on Herzog, and would cross the finish line in 2nd place, with Rahders in a very close third, making it an “all Weller Racing” podium for Round 11.
Sunday morning’s qualifier saw Weller taking the fastest lap overall for the second time, as well as securing the fastest lap in both UTV classes for the entire weekend. Once again starting on the pole, Weller would have the starting position she was seeking for a second chance at the top spot on the podium, as the green flag dropped and both classes shot forward. With only a couple of laps underway, however, Weller’s radiator fan and power steering relay failed, causing her motor to heat up quickly in the 108 degree weather, and forcing her to make the difficult decision to pull off at the mandatory caution in order to save her motor.
Weller Racing’s Herzog and Rahders wound up finishing in first and second for Sunday’s main after some exciting racing, putting Weller Racing up on the podium once again, and increasing Herzog’s points lead in the championship to an even greater margin.
“Overall, despite a lot of things that could have gone better for us, it was a successful weekend for Weller Racing.” states Jason Weller. “We were fortunate enough to be welcomed once again into the MagnaFlow pits, we met and talked with a ton of fans, we were a part of some great racing, and we were on the podium for two more rounds. You can’t ask for much more in a weekend!”
Weller Racing would like to recognize and thank the Tilted Kilt, MagnaFlow, Walker Evans, LoneStar Racing, Maxxis Tires, Simpson Racing, K&N, Twisted Stitch, Unisteer, Parker Pumper, and Highway Hotties for their support for the 2010 season. We hope to see everyone once again at the next two rounds in Las Vegas, NV on November 6th and 7th.
About Weller Racing, LLC:
Weller Racing has been at the forefront of development, testing and building some of the fastest performance motors in the UTV industry since 2006. Based out of Chandler, AZ, Weller Racing provides custom UTV and ATV products for a world wide client base, and is an established name in the world of short course off-road racing. Duners, recreational riders and racers alike have counted on Weller Racing to provide them with countless hours of fun, and repeated trips to the podium. For more information, visit their website at Weller Racing, or call 480-507-4771.
Corry Weller
Chandler, AZ (9/29/2010) For the second time this year, the Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series returned to Weller Racing’s hometown track for another two rounds of action at Speedworld Offroad Park in Surprise, AZ this past weekend.
For Corry Weller, Weller Racing/Tilted Kilt/MagnaFlow Pro SR1 racer, racing in front of her home crowd meant a lot to her, especially after coming off of an unlucky previous two rounds at Glen Helen, CA. Seeking some much needed redemption and determined to make a statement, Weller put down the fastest qualifying time overall on Saturday, after missing practice on Friday due to mechanical issues. This would put her on pole position for Saturday’s main event, and it was exactly where she wanted to be.
“Starting out front in this class, especially when it’s muddy, is definitely a big advantage. Not only do you have a clear line of sight without roost, you also don’t get caught up in the carnage that usually happens in the first couple of turns.” noted Weller. “Since they rarely invert our class, being the fastest in qualifying is crucial.”
Saturday’s SR1 UTV race was an epic, three-way battle between three Weller Racing drivers; Tyler Herzog, Corry Weller, and Cody Rahders. With a heavily watered track, drivers in all classes fought to find traction and the fastest way through every corner. Herzog took the lead early and would keep it for the entire race, despite Weller dogging his every move and looking for a clean pass. Weller just wasn’t able to put a move on Herzog, and would cross the finish line in 2nd place, with Rahders in a very close third, making it an “all Weller Racing” podium for Round 11.
Sunday morning’s qualifier saw Weller taking the fastest lap overall for the second time, as well as securing the fastest lap in both UTV classes for the entire weekend. Once again starting on the pole, Weller would have the starting position she was seeking for a second chance at the top spot on the podium, as the green flag dropped and both classes shot forward. With only a couple of laps underway, however, Weller’s radiator fan and power steering relay failed, causing her motor to heat up quickly in the 108 degree weather, and forcing her to make the difficult decision to pull off at the mandatory caution in order to save her motor.
Weller Racing’s Herzog and Rahders wound up finishing in first and second for Sunday’s main after some exciting racing, putting Weller Racing up on the podium once again, and increasing Herzog’s points lead in the championship to an even greater margin.
“Overall, despite a lot of things that could have gone better for us, it was a successful weekend for Weller Racing.” states Jason Weller. “We were fortunate enough to be welcomed once again into the MagnaFlow pits, we met and talked with a ton of fans, we were a part of some great racing, and we were on the podium for two more rounds. You can’t ask for much more in a weekend!”
Weller Racing would like to recognize and thank the Tilted Kilt, MagnaFlow, Walker Evans, LoneStar Racing, Maxxis Tires, Simpson Racing, K&N, Twisted Stitch, Unisteer, Parker Pumper, and Highway Hotties for their support for the 2010 season. We hope to see everyone once again at the next two rounds in Las Vegas, NV on November 6th and 7th.
About Weller Racing, LLC:
Weller Racing has been at the forefront of development, testing and building some of the fastest performance motors in the UTV industry since 2006. Based out of Chandler, AZ, Weller Racing provides custom UTV and ATV products for a world wide client base, and is an established name in the world of short course off-road racing. Duners, recreational riders and racers alike have counted on Weller Racing to provide them with countless hours of fun, and repeated trips to the podium. For more information, visit their website at Weller Racing, or call 480-507-4771.
Thanks for the plugs & support Corry and Weller Racing.
Mr. D...thank you for all of the support you and the Underground bring to the UTV community. Whether it play or race, you do a fantastic job, thanks.
Mr. D...thank you for all of the support you and the Underground bring to the UTV community. Whether it play or race, you do a fantastic job, thanks.
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series – Redemption and Resurgence in Round 12
Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series
With Saturday’s Round 11 now in the books, drivers of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports had nothing to lose as they returned to competition for Round 12 here at the Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, AZ. Throwing caution to the wind, the drivers put on a spectacular series of races under the southwest sun, which shone bright and warm over the large crowd. Those on hand witnessed many memorable moments, and in case you missed it, read up to clue yourself in on what your friends who were in attendance will undoubtedly be smiling about.
Modified Kart
Getting things started under the Arizona sun for Round 12 were the young stars-in-training of Modified Kart. After a three-row inversion of this morning’s qualifying results, it was points leader Mitchell DeJong in the #524 Fast-Aid/Speed Technologies kart who started next to Bryan Osborn in the #588 iShock Hydrodynamics/Cross Mobile Detailing truck on the front row. DeJong led Osborne across the line at the end of lap one, with Sheldon Creed in the #522 Patrick’s High Performance Graphix/Fox Racing Shox machine, JR Guthrie in the #555 Gatorwraps.com/Walker Evans Racing kart, and Trenton Briley in the #507 Kal Gard/Canidae All Natural Pet Foods truck all in tow. Briley got by Guthrie for fourth on lap two, but stopped in the mogul section on lap three, race over. Further forward, Creed moved up to second, and he and DeJong were pulling clear of the rest of the field. DeJong then nearly threw it away in turn one, handing the lead the Creed, while Guthrie got by Osborn to take over third position. At the competition yellow, it was Creed leading the field, with DeJong second, Guthrie third, Osborn fourth, and Bradley Morris fifth in the #504 K&N Filters/Kicker machine. A good jump and fast lap of the race (41.604) by Creed gave him a small gap over the rest of the field on the restart, while Morris moved up to fourth on the same lap. Morris then spun in turn one, an incident which also caught out Osborn, dropping both drivers out of the top five, and moving Zac Hunt’s #534 Creative Fabrication and Design/King Shocks kart and Jerett Brooks’ #527 Synergy Electric Racing/RC10.com machine up to fourth and fifth places. While Creed was gradually pulling away out front, Brooks spun himself out while trying to pushing Hunt’s back bumper on the final lap, dropping Brooks to sixth and moving Morris to fifth. Creed was clear of all the chaos, and took a convincing win over DeJong, Guthrie, Hunt, and Morris.
Junior 2 Kart
Second on track were the boys and girls of Junior 2 Kart, and it was Shelby Anderson in the #405 Walker Evans Racing machine and Sheldon Creed in the #422 The Fab School/A.M. Ortega kart starting on the front row. A big pile-up in turn two on the opening lap caused Chad Graham and Micaela Cheek to get hooked together, as well as impede the progress of Maxwell Ries, all of which helped Creed to open a substantial early lead. At the end of lap one, Creed was followed by Isabella Naughton in the #454 ReadyLift/Stronghold Motorsports truck, Ries in the #474 ProAm/P.C.I. Race Radios machine, Jerett Brooks in the Synergy Electric Racing/Fox Racing Shox kart, and Hailie Deegan in the #438 Metal Mulisha/Fiberwerx truck. Graham and Cheek, now unhooked and running fast, were quickly catching the frontrunners, and by lap three, Cheek was up to fifth, before losing the spot to Graham on the next lap. Naughton also lost a spot, dropping to third behind Ries, while up front, Creed continued to grow his lead, which he held through the competition yellow. At this point, Ries was running best of the rest behind Creed, with Naughton, Brooks, and Graham behind him. Brooks and Graham hooked together on the restart, dropping them to the last two spots, and moving Cheek and Deegan up to fourth and fifth. Paige Porter then found her way into the top five in her #462 Redline Performance/Advantage Boats machine, recovering well after dropping well back in the running order in the early going. From here on in, the top five drivers held their positions, with Creed taking his second win in as many races, followed by Ries in second. Third went to Naughton, fourth to Cheek, fifth to Porter, and with Deegan sixth, girls took an unprecedented third through sixth places! Creed set fast lap for the second consecutive race as well, taking it with a 47.812 here.
Junior 1 Kart
The final race on the shorter “kids course†this weekend was that of the Junior 1 Karts. Jack Yeiser started his #244 Hoosier/Kartek truck alongside Brock Heger in the #212 Streight Edje Custom Paint/UPR.com kart on the front row, and it was Yeiser who opened a good cushion over the rest of the field on the opening lap. Heger ran in second at this point, with Preston Roben third in the #210 DCI Duggins Construction/Ultra Custom Boats truck, Cole Mamer fourth in the #235 Xtreme TK Forums/4X4 Unlimited Motorsports machine, and Riley Herbst fifth in the #219 Ball Park/Victory Race Cars kart. As Yeiser slowly expanded his lead up front, the rest of the top five drivers held their positions though the competition yellow. On the restart lap, Heger found some extra speed and made a move on Yeiser to take the lead, and he made it work. Mamer made a move of his own to get past Roben to take over third place, but Mamer then lost some pace and started dropping backwards through the field, which moved Herbst to third, Roben to fourth, and Corey Geiser to fifth in the #245 Canidae All Natural Pet Foods/MasterCraft Safety truck. Up front Heger and Yeiser were clear of the field and battling very closely, and it was Heger who just held off Yeiser to take the win. Yeiser finished second, and did claim the fast lap with a 50.008. Herbst barely edged Roben for third, while Geiser rounded out the top five.
UTV
The increasingly exciting UTVs were first out onto the full-size track, with the SR1s (numbers 800-899) and the Unlimited UTVs (numbers 600-699) once again racing head to head. Corry Weller was the pole-sitter for the second race in a row in her in #801 Magnaflow Performance Exhaust/Tilted Kilt Yamaha, and she started next to Doug Mittag in the #848 Custom Off Road Designs/Racer X Motorsports Yamaha on the front row. Weller led Mittag, Code Rahders, Robert Vanbeekum, and Tyler Herzog at the end of lap one, but after Weller went wide in turn four on lap two, Mittag was right there to take over the lead. Chad George was up to fifth briefly in the #642 Funco/Monster Energy Kawasaki, but stopped on the track soon afterwards. Up at the front, Rahders out-jumped his #816 Frostyburger/Makita Yamaha past Weller into the moguls, moving up to second behind Mittag. Rahders was now pressuring Mittag big time for the lead, and with Mittag’s right rear tire going down, he became something of a sitting duck for the rest of the field behind him. Rahders and Weller soon got by Mittag, with Herzog’s #844 Ivy Trucking and Grading/Kronik Energy Yamaha and Vanbeekum’s #664 Xtreme Machine and Fabrication/Muzzys Kawasaki following suit before the halfway point. At the competition yellow, it was Rahders, Weller, Herzog, Vanbeekum, and Mittag in the top five, and while Mittag surprisingly did not pull into the hot pits to change his flattening tire, Weller did, leaving the race for good with an unknown issue. After the restart, Herzog was now challenging Rahders for the lead, with Vanbeekum third, Austin Kimbrell fourth in the #607 Monster Energy/UTVUnderground.com Kawasaki, and Ryan Beat fifth in the #851 Yamaha. Vanbeekum broke a front axle coming into the moguls and rolled in turn four, but landed on his wheels and continued in eighth to the cheers of the crowd. Further forward, Herzog took the lead from Rahders, while Garrett George’s (Chad George’s cousin, filling in for Tyler Winbury) #694 King Shocks/Maxxis Tires Kawasaki and John Dempsey’s #655 Custom Off Road Designs/Fine Line T Shirts Kawasaki were trading places in fourth and fifth. With one lap to go it was Herzog, Rahders, Kimbrell, Dempsey, and Garrett George in the top five. Kimbrell was slowing as he came across the stripe to start his final lap, and in a cruel twist, wasn’t able to finish the last lap. Up front, Rahders was giving it everything to get by Herzog, but Herzog, as he did yesterday, had too strong of a hold on the lead to have it taken away, and he held on to take a clean sweep of the weekend. Second went to Rahders, with Dempsey third, first of the Unlimited UTVs, Garrett George fourth, Mark Turner fifth in the #841 Goodyear Tires Yamaha, and Vanbeekum sixth, rounding out the Unlimited UTV podium. Rahders and Kimbrell each got something of a consolation prize, as they took fast lap in their respective classes. Kimbrell’s 1:03.882 was tops in Unlimited UTV, while Rahders’ 1:01.850 was fastest in SR1 and overall.
Limited Buggy
The final race before Opening Ceremonies was Limited Buggy, and with Bruce Fraley having picked up his first win of the season in Round 11, it seemed like it could be time for another driver to find his way back to the top step of the podium in Round 12. Curt Geer and Jeff Knupp started on the front row, and it was Geer in the #392 BDI Bowden Development Inc./Lakeshore Homes and Stables Lothringer who led Knupp’s #354 Behrent’s Performance Warehouse/General Tire buggy, John Fitzgerald’s #314 Lucas Oil/Hart and Huntington buggy, Kevin McCullough’s #389 Gear One/Jimenez Racing Engines machine, and Justin “Bean†Smith’s #319 Bully Dog/Ringers Gloves Fraley at the end of lap one. Smith and Kyle Lucas moved up to fourth and fifth on lap two, while Fitzgerald jumped into second on lap three. Smith then spun in turn five, which dropped him to tenth, and a spin by McCullough caught out Lucas’ #325 mavTV/Lucas Oil buggy as well McCullough, leaving the top five as Geer, Fitzgerald, Knupp, Bruce Fraley in the #312 MSD Ignition/BFGoodrich Tires Fraley, and Quentin Tucker in the #377 Locher Roadsiding/Fox Racing Shox buggy. Geer and Fitzgerald were clear of the field and battling cleanly up front, with Fraley diving down the inside of Knupp to take over third in turn six. Tucker pulled alongside Knupp in the same turn, and was soon past him and into fourth before the competition yellow came out at the end of the following lap. Under yellow, the running order was Geer, Fitzgerald, Fraley, Tucker, and Knupp, and on the restart lap, it was the always quick Smith who jumped up to fifth. Fraley then had something go wrong as he ripped through the moguls, and he ducked into the hot pits to have it fixed.. This allowed Tucker to take over third, Smith to move up to fourth, and Knupp to get up to fifth. From here until the final lap, the top five drivers held their positions, with Geer taking his first win since Round 2 of 2009; hard to believe for such a talented driver! Fitzgerald finished second, with Smith taking third after barely edging by Tucker on the final lap. Tucker finished fourth, and Knupp rounded out the top five. After his misfortune that dropped him back in the running order, Fraley re-focused well and set the fast lap at a 1:02.247 in the late going.
Pro 4 Unlimited
A unique edition of Opening Ceremonies was held at the midway point of the racing schedule, and it included the presentation of a specially-built Toyota Tundra desert racing chase truck to Motocross and FMX superstar Jeff “Ox†Kargola from builders West Coast Customs, courtesy of General Tire. Kargola is currently chasing a motorcycle championship in the SCORE desert racing series, and the new ride should prove to be a great help to he and his team’s efforts in November’s Baja 1000.
After Kargola and the crowd were witness to the unveiling, it was time to get back to racing, Pro 4 Unlimited style. Bryce Menzies’ #7 Super Clean/Bully Dog Ford and Mike Johnson’s Ironclad/K&N Filters Ford started on the front row, and it was Johnson in who led Kyle LeDuc, Rick Huseman, Adrian Cenni, and Carl Renezeder at the end of lap one. Huseman moved up to second after just bumping LeDuc’s nose in turn six, but LeDuc got the spot right back on the next lap. With the top three drivers all running very close and Renezeder just hanging off the back of the train in fourth, it was LeDuc who took over the lead on lap five in his #99 Rockstar/Toyo Tires Ford. Huseman and Johnson then got into each other in turn three, and Huseman was able to out-jump Johnson into the moguls to take over second in his #36 Traxxas/Oakley Toyota. Huseman was right on LeDuc’s back bumper now, and with the competition yellow waving, they ran one-two, ahead of Johnson, Renezeder in the #1 General Tire/Lucas Oil Ford, and Cenni in the #11 Atrium Payroll/King Shocks Chevrolet in the top five.
The top five drivers held their positions on the restart lap, as well as the next two laps, and as LeDuc and Huseman edged away up front, a huge plume of smoke coming from the back of Cenni’s truck signaled the end of the race for the bright orange machine. This brought out a full course yellow, and put Travis Coyne up to fifth in the #5 ProComp/RC10.com Ford. LeDuc got a great restart, and with the white flag waving, he looked to have the race all locked up. However, a full course yellow was again called after Josh Merrell got hooked together with LeDuc’s dad Curt coming into the mogul section, causing the officials to issue the order for a green-white-checkers finish. The running order was now Kyle LeDuc, Huseman, Renezeder, Johnson, and Coyne, and as the drivers cruised around under yellow, it’s almost as if they got together on the radio and agreed to take back the spotlight that the Pro 2 Unlimiteds had stolen in Round 11, because the last two laps of this race were as eventful as they could get.
Green waved again, and Huseman had a much better restart than he’d had earlier on, and he was now much closer to LeDuc with less than two laps remaining. As the field steamrolled towards the white flag, LeDuc got up on two wheels and bicycled towards the exit of turn six, nearly going over the outside burm and dropping him down to fourth. Huseman stormed into the lead, and as the drivers battling behind threw themselves into turn four with everything they had, Johnson rolled and Renezeder spun out, the combination of which let LeDuc squeak through before forcing the other drivers to stack up in the corner. With drivers going every which way behind him, Huseman was well clear of the chaos to take his eighth win of the season, with LeDuc salvaging a second place finish. Coyne wound up third, Eric Barron fourth in the #3 LAT Racing Oil/Fiberwerx Chevrolet, and Josh Merrell fifth in the #22 Hart and Huntington/Grenade Ford. Huseman scored fast lap of the race with a 54.587.
Pro Lite Unlimited
If the Pro 4 Unlimiteds had put on the best show of the day, the drivers in Pro Lite Unlimited gave them a run for their money. Jimmy Stephensen’s #33 Yokohama Tires/Racin’ Dirty Nissan started next to Marty Hart’s #15 ReadyLift/Kolpin Ford on the front row, and after a tangle-up between Adam Wik and Stephan Papadakis between turns one and two forced a full restart of the race, it was Hart who took command at the front of the field on the second start of the race. In second it was Matt Loiodice in the #20 Competitive Metals/KCHiLites Ford, followed by Stephensen, Chris Brandt in the #82 Lucas Oil/BFGoodrich Tires Toyota, and Corey Sisler in the #19 Forgiven Energy/CBR Ford. On lap three, Stephensen was slow out of turn five, which allowed Brandt to get by and up to third. A full-course yellow was then called for Sean Geiser’s rollover in turn six, and although the crowd was cheering loudly as Geiser’s battered truck re-joined the fray, he was only able to do so at about half speed. On the restart, Sisler and Brian Deegan were able to get by Stephensen, with Deegan then moving up to fourth in his #38 Rockstar/Etnies Ford. Loiodice then half spun while battling with Brandt in turn five, and the two were slowed by the incident, allowing Deegan to pass them both and move up to second, just ahead of the competition yellow.
The running order was now Hart, Deegan, Brandt, Loiodice, and Sisler, and on the restart, Sisler pushed Loiodice wide out of turn one and into the outside k rail, which broke something on Loiodice’s right front corner and sent him into the hot pits. Loiodice was able to re-join the race later, albeit with a very injured race truck. Sisler, meanwhile, pulled off the track coming into the moguls with an unknown issue, race over. Up front, it was still Hart, Deegan, and Brandt, with Stephensen now fourth and Leroy Loerwald fifth in the #8 Raceline Wheels/Pancho’s Tacos Ford. Loerwald was having to fend off the advances of Adam Wik and his #11 Wik’s Racing Engines/Kumho Tires Chevrolet, and Wik soon got the better of Loerwald to take over fifth spot. Further forward, Deegan was now challenging Hart for the lead, and as Hart struggled against a loss of power steering, Deegan and Brandt were able to get by Hart on the final lap. Deegan, who’d fought multiple issues all weekend, was an elated winner as he climbed to the top step of the podium for the first time since Round 2. Brandt finished runner up and did grab the fast lap with a 58.956, the only driver under 59 seconds. Third went to Hart, with Stephensen fourth and Wik rounding out the top five.
Pro 2 Unlimited
With two exciting truck races having just gone back to back, it was up to the boys of Pro 2 Unlimited to make it three in a row, and they didn’t disappoint. Todd LeDuc started his #8 Makita/Circle K Ford next to Greg Adler’s #10 4 Wheel Parts/Magnaflow Ford on the front row, but it was Rob MacCachren in the #21 Rockstar Energy/BFGoodrich Tires Ford who pulled an absolutely beautiful inside pass on Adler in turn five to take the lead on the opening lap. In second it was Adler, with LeDuc third, Carl Renezeder fourth in the #17 Lucas Oil/Team Associated Ford, and Robert Naughton fifth in the #54 ReadyLift Suspension Inc./ProAm Ford. LeDuc then slowed and pulled off the track, though he was able to continue at a reduced pace soon afterwards. This moved Bryce Menzies up to fifth, but he was quickly passed by the #99 Lucas Slick Mist/SuperChips Chevrolet of Robby Woods. A big cloud of smoke from the back of Naughton’s machine meant the end of his race, and with the competition yellow now waving, it was MacCachren, Adler, Renezeder, Woods, and Menzies in the top five. As he’d done on the opening lap, MacCachren again pulled a gap on the field on the restart lap. Adler then slid wide in turn five, allowing Renezeder and Woods to get by for second and third. Menzies soon caught and passed Adler as well, while up front, Renezeder was now reeling in MacCachren. Adler then dropped out of the running, and with a flash of big flames from the underside of his truck forcing Woods to the sidelines, the race was red flagged to make sure Woods was ok. Woods quickly jumped from his truck, and with the fire soon neutralized, the racers lined up again for the restart. MacCachren made yet another quick getaway on the restart to give himself some breathing room, but a massive rollover by Jeff Geiser between turns four and five forced another full course yellow. Geiser was quick to get out under his own power, but the truck was too thrashed to continue. With green now waving again with just two laps to go, MacCachren was off like a rocket once again, continuing his streak of terrific restarts, setting fast lap at a 55.811 (just 0.05 seconds quicker than Renezeder’s best of a 55.816), and again leaving those behind in his dust. MacCachren took the win, his seventh of the year, leading the race wire to wire. Renezeder finished second, swapping Saturday’s podium spots with MacCachren, with Menzies taking third in the #7 Super Clean/O’Neill Ford, Rodrigo Ampudia fourth in the #36 Papas & Beer/Fox Racing Shox Ford, and Jeff Ward fifth in the #3X Speed Technologies/Method Race Wheels Chevrolet.
Pro Buggy Unlimited
The piercing engines and fierce drivers of Pro Buggy Unlimited were up next, with Bobby PeCoy in the #973 downloadactionvideo.com/Maxxis Tires AlumiCraft and Rich Ronco in the #999 Livorsi Marine, Inc./King Shocks Tatum staring from the front row. PeCoy showed great speed on the first lap as he opened a small gap on those chasing behind. In second it was Doug Fortin in the #996 Fox Racing Shox/BFGoodrich Tires Racer, with Jerry Whelchel third in the #901 ProAm/Madrid Motorsports Custom Graphics Foddrill, Mike Porter fourth in the #900 Rockstar/Makita AlumiCraft, and Ronco fifth. Larry Job then bumped by Ronco to take over fifth, while further forward, Fortin was quickly closing on PeCoy for the lead. PeCoy responded, however, upping the pace to maintain the lead, though it was now Whelchel who was reeling in both PeCoy and Fortin. The top five were gradually closing up, and at the competition yellow, their running order was still PeCoy, Fortin, Whelchel, Porter, and Job. Job moved his #907 Bully Dog/Blanco Basura AlumiCraft past Porter to take over fourth on the restart lap, with Job’s teammate Cameron Steele following suit soon afterwards. Some laps later, Fortin was again closing on PeCoy, and with a big run through the moguls and some deep braking into turn five, Fortin was able to squeak by PeCoy as PeCoy was forced a little wide. Fortin assumed the lead just ahead of the white flag, and held on to take the win, his fourth of the season. PeCoy finished second, and did manage fast lap with a 58.013. Third went Whelchel, with Job finishing fourth and Steele rounding out the top five in his #916 Menzies Motorsports/Super Clean AlumiCraft.
Super Lite
The final race of the weekend here at Speedworld was Super Lite, and with an ever-increasing talent level, this class is fast becoming a real treat for the fans. Jeremy “Twitch†Stenberg and Jeff “Ox†Kargola made it an all-Metal Mulisha front row at the start, with Kargola taking the early lead in his #2 General Tire/Lost machine. Stenberg ran second in the #88 Rockstar/Maxxis Tires truck, with RJ Anderson third in the #37 Walker Evans Racing/MoTec ride, Brandon Ward fourth in the #92 Troy Lee Designs/KMC Wheels machine, and Tanner Foust fifth in the #69 Rockstar/Lucas Oil truck. Stenberg then muscled Kargola wide in turn four to take the lead, with Ward also moving up to take over third position. As Stenberg began to open a small gap on the those behind, a very tight train wasforming from second through eighth places, which couldn’t last for long. Kargola and Chad George got hooked together briefly, moving Ward to second, Foust to fourth, and Pat Clark to fifth in the #25 Exotic Engines/VP Racing Fuels ride. Anderson then got by Ward for second as Ward bobbled in turn five, while further back, Jacob Person was up to fifth in the #29 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/Geiser Bros Design and Development truck. Foust then broke his right rear suspension, ending his day, and it was now Stenberg, Anderson, Ward, Person, and CJ Greaves in the #33 Traxxas/Simpson truck in the top five. Person got into Ward in turn five on the restart lap, moving Greaves, George in the #42 Yokohama Tires/King Off Road Racing Shocks machine, and Clark up to third through fifth places. Clark then got by George to take over fourth spot, and with the white flag waving, it was Stenberg, Anderson, Greaves, Clark, and George in the top five. Heading for the white flag, Anderson seemed to miss a shift, allowing Greaves to breeze by before Anderson was able to recover, and putting Greaves up to second place. Just ahead, Stenberg went on to take the win, with Greaves finishing second, and Anderson rounding out the podium in his Super Lite debut weekend. Clark also had an impressive debut weekend, finishing fourth, ahead of usual frontrunner George, who took fifth. Fast lap of the day went to yesterday’s winner Ward, who’s 1:00.751 was nearly seven tenths of a second better than the best lap of any other driver in the class, the largest fast lap margin in any class for the entire weekend.
The sun was now setting, both physically and metaphorically, on the weekend’s festivities here in the Arizona desert, with an impressive fireworks display capping a great weekend of racing. The fans who braved the heat went home with stories they’re sure to be telling for weeks to come, and you can do the same by coming to a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event to see it in person. Up next, we’ll head back to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, with racing on Saturday and Sunday, November 6-7, so get yourself there. Until then, stay tuned to lucasoiloffroad.com for all the latest info in the world of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit LucasOilOffRoadRacing.com
Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series
With Saturday’s Round 11 now in the books, drivers of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports had nothing to lose as they returned to competition for Round 12 here at the Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, AZ. Throwing caution to the wind, the drivers put on a spectacular series of races under the southwest sun, which shone bright and warm over the large crowd. Those on hand witnessed many memorable moments, and in case you missed it, read up to clue yourself in on what your friends who were in attendance will undoubtedly be smiling about.
Modified Kart
Getting things started under the Arizona sun for Round 12 were the young stars-in-training of Modified Kart. After a three-row inversion of this morning’s qualifying results, it was points leader Mitchell DeJong in the #524 Fast-Aid/Speed Technologies kart who started next to Bryan Osborn in the #588 iShock Hydrodynamics/Cross Mobile Detailing truck on the front row. DeJong led Osborne across the line at the end of lap one, with Sheldon Creed in the #522 Patrick’s High Performance Graphix/Fox Racing Shox machine, JR Guthrie in the #555 Gatorwraps.com/Walker Evans Racing kart, and Trenton Briley in the #507 Kal Gard/Canidae All Natural Pet Foods truck all in tow. Briley got by Guthrie for fourth on lap two, but stopped in the mogul section on lap three, race over. Further forward, Creed moved up to second, and he and DeJong were pulling clear of the rest of the field. DeJong then nearly threw it away in turn one, handing the lead the Creed, while Guthrie got by Osborn to take over third position. At the competition yellow, it was Creed leading the field, with DeJong second, Guthrie third, Osborn fourth, and Bradley Morris fifth in the #504 K&N Filters/Kicker machine. A good jump and fast lap of the race (41.604) by Creed gave him a small gap over the rest of the field on the restart, while Morris moved up to fourth on the same lap. Morris then spun in turn one, an incident which also caught out Osborn, dropping both drivers out of the top five, and moving Zac Hunt’s #534 Creative Fabrication and Design/King Shocks kart and Jerett Brooks’ #527 Synergy Electric Racing/RC10.com machine up to fourth and fifth places. While Creed was gradually pulling away out front, Brooks spun himself out while trying to pushing Hunt’s back bumper on the final lap, dropping Brooks to sixth and moving Morris to fifth. Creed was clear of all the chaos, and took a convincing win over DeJong, Guthrie, Hunt, and Morris.
Junior 2 Kart
Second on track were the boys and girls of Junior 2 Kart, and it was Shelby Anderson in the #405 Walker Evans Racing machine and Sheldon Creed in the #422 The Fab School/A.M. Ortega kart starting on the front row. A big pile-up in turn two on the opening lap caused Chad Graham and Micaela Cheek to get hooked together, as well as impede the progress of Maxwell Ries, all of which helped Creed to open a substantial early lead. At the end of lap one, Creed was followed by Isabella Naughton in the #454 ReadyLift/Stronghold Motorsports truck, Ries in the #474 ProAm/P.C.I. Race Radios machine, Jerett Brooks in the Synergy Electric Racing/Fox Racing Shox kart, and Hailie Deegan in the #438 Metal Mulisha/Fiberwerx truck. Graham and Cheek, now unhooked and running fast, were quickly catching the frontrunners, and by lap three, Cheek was up to fifth, before losing the spot to Graham on the next lap. Naughton also lost a spot, dropping to third behind Ries, while up front, Creed continued to grow his lead, which he held through the competition yellow. At this point, Ries was running best of the rest behind Creed, with Naughton, Brooks, and Graham behind him. Brooks and Graham hooked together on the restart, dropping them to the last two spots, and moving Cheek and Deegan up to fourth and fifth. Paige Porter then found her way into the top five in her #462 Redline Performance/Advantage Boats machine, recovering well after dropping well back in the running order in the early going. From here on in, the top five drivers held their positions, with Creed taking his second win in as many races, followed by Ries in second. Third went to Naughton, fourth to Cheek, fifth to Porter, and with Deegan sixth, girls took an unprecedented third through sixth places! Creed set fast lap for the second consecutive race as well, taking it with a 47.812 here.
Junior 1 Kart
The final race on the shorter “kids course†this weekend was that of the Junior 1 Karts. Jack Yeiser started his #244 Hoosier/Kartek truck alongside Brock Heger in the #212 Streight Edje Custom Paint/UPR.com kart on the front row, and it was Yeiser who opened a good cushion over the rest of the field on the opening lap. Heger ran in second at this point, with Preston Roben third in the #210 DCI Duggins Construction/Ultra Custom Boats truck, Cole Mamer fourth in the #235 Xtreme TK Forums/4X4 Unlimited Motorsports machine, and Riley Herbst fifth in the #219 Ball Park/Victory Race Cars kart. As Yeiser slowly expanded his lead up front, the rest of the top five drivers held their positions though the competition yellow. On the restart lap, Heger found some extra speed and made a move on Yeiser to take the lead, and he made it work. Mamer made a move of his own to get past Roben to take over third place, but Mamer then lost some pace and started dropping backwards through the field, which moved Herbst to third, Roben to fourth, and Corey Geiser to fifth in the #245 Canidae All Natural Pet Foods/MasterCraft Safety truck. Up front Heger and Yeiser were clear of the field and battling very closely, and it was Heger who just held off Yeiser to take the win. Yeiser finished second, and did claim the fast lap with a 50.008. Herbst barely edged Roben for third, while Geiser rounded out the top five.
UTV
The increasingly exciting UTVs were first out onto the full-size track, with the SR1s (numbers 800-899) and the Unlimited UTVs (numbers 600-699) once again racing head to head. Corry Weller was the pole-sitter for the second race in a row in her in #801 Magnaflow Performance Exhaust/Tilted Kilt Yamaha, and she started next to Doug Mittag in the #848 Custom Off Road Designs/Racer X Motorsports Yamaha on the front row. Weller led Mittag, Code Rahders, Robert Vanbeekum, and Tyler Herzog at the end of lap one, but after Weller went wide in turn four on lap two, Mittag was right there to take over the lead. Chad George was up to fifth briefly in the #642 Funco/Monster Energy Kawasaki, but stopped on the track soon afterwards. Up at the front, Rahders out-jumped his #816 Frostyburger/Makita Yamaha past Weller into the moguls, moving up to second behind Mittag. Rahders was now pressuring Mittag big time for the lead, and with Mittag’s right rear tire going down, he became something of a sitting duck for the rest of the field behind him. Rahders and Weller soon got by Mittag, with Herzog’s #844 Ivy Trucking and Grading/Kronik Energy Yamaha and Vanbeekum’s #664 Xtreme Machine and Fabrication/Muzzys Kawasaki following suit before the halfway point. At the competition yellow, it was Rahders, Weller, Herzog, Vanbeekum, and Mittag in the top five, and while Mittag surprisingly did not pull into the hot pits to change his flattening tire, Weller did, leaving the race for good with an unknown issue. After the restart, Herzog was now challenging Rahders for the lead, with Vanbeekum third, Austin Kimbrell fourth in the #607 Monster Energy/UTVUnderground.com Kawasaki, and Ryan Beat fifth in the #851 Yamaha. Vanbeekum broke a front axle coming into the moguls and rolled in turn four, but landed on his wheels and continued in eighth to the cheers of the crowd. Further forward, Herzog took the lead from Rahders, while Garrett George’s (Chad George’s cousin, filling in for Tyler Winbury) #694 King Shocks/Maxxis Tires Kawasaki and John Dempsey’s #655 Custom Off Road Designs/Fine Line T Shirts Kawasaki were trading places in fourth and fifth. With one lap to go it was Herzog, Rahders, Kimbrell, Dempsey, and Garrett George in the top five. Kimbrell was slowing as he came across the stripe to start his final lap, and in a cruel twist, wasn’t able to finish the last lap. Up front, Rahders was giving it everything to get by Herzog, but Herzog, as he did yesterday, had too strong of a hold on the lead to have it taken away, and he held on to take a clean sweep of the weekend. Second went to Rahders, with Dempsey third, first of the Unlimited UTVs, Garrett George fourth, Mark Turner fifth in the #841 Goodyear Tires Yamaha, and Vanbeekum sixth, rounding out the Unlimited UTV podium. Rahders and Kimbrell each got something of a consolation prize, as they took fast lap in their respective classes. Kimbrell’s 1:03.882 was tops in Unlimited UTV, while Rahders’ 1:01.850 was fastest in SR1 and overall.
Limited Buggy
The final race before Opening Ceremonies was Limited Buggy, and with Bruce Fraley having picked up his first win of the season in Round 11, it seemed like it could be time for another driver to find his way back to the top step of the podium in Round 12. Curt Geer and Jeff Knupp started on the front row, and it was Geer in the #392 BDI Bowden Development Inc./Lakeshore Homes and Stables Lothringer who led Knupp’s #354 Behrent’s Performance Warehouse/General Tire buggy, John Fitzgerald’s #314 Lucas Oil/Hart and Huntington buggy, Kevin McCullough’s #389 Gear One/Jimenez Racing Engines machine, and Justin “Bean†Smith’s #319 Bully Dog/Ringers Gloves Fraley at the end of lap one. Smith and Kyle Lucas moved up to fourth and fifth on lap two, while Fitzgerald jumped into second on lap three. Smith then spun in turn five, which dropped him to tenth, and a spin by McCullough caught out Lucas’ #325 mavTV/Lucas Oil buggy as well McCullough, leaving the top five as Geer, Fitzgerald, Knupp, Bruce Fraley in the #312 MSD Ignition/BFGoodrich Tires Fraley, and Quentin Tucker in the #377 Locher Roadsiding/Fox Racing Shox buggy. Geer and Fitzgerald were clear of the field and battling cleanly up front, with Fraley diving down the inside of Knupp to take over third in turn six. Tucker pulled alongside Knupp in the same turn, and was soon past him and into fourth before the competition yellow came out at the end of the following lap. Under yellow, the running order was Geer, Fitzgerald, Fraley, Tucker, and Knupp, and on the restart lap, it was the always quick Smith who jumped up to fifth. Fraley then had something go wrong as he ripped through the moguls, and he ducked into the hot pits to have it fixed.. This allowed Tucker to take over third, Smith to move up to fourth, and Knupp to get up to fifth. From here until the final lap, the top five drivers held their positions, with Geer taking his first win since Round 2 of 2009; hard to believe for such a talented driver! Fitzgerald finished second, with Smith taking third after barely edging by Tucker on the final lap. Tucker finished fourth, and Knupp rounded out the top five. After his misfortune that dropped him back in the running order, Fraley re-focused well and set the fast lap at a 1:02.247 in the late going.
Pro 4 Unlimited
A unique edition of Opening Ceremonies was held at the midway point of the racing schedule, and it included the presentation of a specially-built Toyota Tundra desert racing chase truck to Motocross and FMX superstar Jeff “Ox†Kargola from builders West Coast Customs, courtesy of General Tire. Kargola is currently chasing a motorcycle championship in the SCORE desert racing series, and the new ride should prove to be a great help to he and his team’s efforts in November’s Baja 1000.
After Kargola and the crowd were witness to the unveiling, it was time to get back to racing, Pro 4 Unlimited style. Bryce Menzies’ #7 Super Clean/Bully Dog Ford and Mike Johnson’s Ironclad/K&N Filters Ford started on the front row, and it was Johnson in who led Kyle LeDuc, Rick Huseman, Adrian Cenni, and Carl Renezeder at the end of lap one. Huseman moved up to second after just bumping LeDuc’s nose in turn six, but LeDuc got the spot right back on the next lap. With the top three drivers all running very close and Renezeder just hanging off the back of the train in fourth, it was LeDuc who took over the lead on lap five in his #99 Rockstar/Toyo Tires Ford. Huseman and Johnson then got into each other in turn three, and Huseman was able to out-jump Johnson into the moguls to take over second in his #36 Traxxas/Oakley Toyota. Huseman was right on LeDuc’s back bumper now, and with the competition yellow waving, they ran one-two, ahead of Johnson, Renezeder in the #1 General Tire/Lucas Oil Ford, and Cenni in the #11 Atrium Payroll/King Shocks Chevrolet in the top five.
The top five drivers held their positions on the restart lap, as well as the next two laps, and as LeDuc and Huseman edged away up front, a huge plume of smoke coming from the back of Cenni’s truck signaled the end of the race for the bright orange machine. This brought out a full course yellow, and put Travis Coyne up to fifth in the #5 ProComp/RC10.com Ford. LeDuc got a great restart, and with the white flag waving, he looked to have the race all locked up. However, a full course yellow was again called after Josh Merrell got hooked together with LeDuc’s dad Curt coming into the mogul section, causing the officials to issue the order for a green-white-checkers finish. The running order was now Kyle LeDuc, Huseman, Renezeder, Johnson, and Coyne, and as the drivers cruised around under yellow, it’s almost as if they got together on the radio and agreed to take back the spotlight that the Pro 2 Unlimiteds had stolen in Round 11, because the last two laps of this race were as eventful as they could get.
Green waved again, and Huseman had a much better restart than he’d had earlier on, and he was now much closer to LeDuc with less than two laps remaining. As the field steamrolled towards the white flag, LeDuc got up on two wheels and bicycled towards the exit of turn six, nearly going over the outside burm and dropping him down to fourth. Huseman stormed into the lead, and as the drivers battling behind threw themselves into turn four with everything they had, Johnson rolled and Renezeder spun out, the combination of which let LeDuc squeak through before forcing the other drivers to stack up in the corner. With drivers going every which way behind him, Huseman was well clear of the chaos to take his eighth win of the season, with LeDuc salvaging a second place finish. Coyne wound up third, Eric Barron fourth in the #3 LAT Racing Oil/Fiberwerx Chevrolet, and Josh Merrell fifth in the #22 Hart and Huntington/Grenade Ford. Huseman scored fast lap of the race with a 54.587.
Pro Lite Unlimited
If the Pro 4 Unlimiteds had put on the best show of the day, the drivers in Pro Lite Unlimited gave them a run for their money. Jimmy Stephensen’s #33 Yokohama Tires/Racin’ Dirty Nissan started next to Marty Hart’s #15 ReadyLift/Kolpin Ford on the front row, and after a tangle-up between Adam Wik and Stephan Papadakis between turns one and two forced a full restart of the race, it was Hart who took command at the front of the field on the second start of the race. In second it was Matt Loiodice in the #20 Competitive Metals/KCHiLites Ford, followed by Stephensen, Chris Brandt in the #82 Lucas Oil/BFGoodrich Tires Toyota, and Corey Sisler in the #19 Forgiven Energy/CBR Ford. On lap three, Stephensen was slow out of turn five, which allowed Brandt to get by and up to third. A full-course yellow was then called for Sean Geiser’s rollover in turn six, and although the crowd was cheering loudly as Geiser’s battered truck re-joined the fray, he was only able to do so at about half speed. On the restart, Sisler and Brian Deegan were able to get by Stephensen, with Deegan then moving up to fourth in his #38 Rockstar/Etnies Ford. Loiodice then half spun while battling with Brandt in turn five, and the two were slowed by the incident, allowing Deegan to pass them both and move up to second, just ahead of the competition yellow.
The running order was now Hart, Deegan, Brandt, Loiodice, and Sisler, and on the restart, Sisler pushed Loiodice wide out of turn one and into the outside k rail, which broke something on Loiodice’s right front corner and sent him into the hot pits. Loiodice was able to re-join the race later, albeit with a very injured race truck. Sisler, meanwhile, pulled off the track coming into the moguls with an unknown issue, race over. Up front, it was still Hart, Deegan, and Brandt, with Stephensen now fourth and Leroy Loerwald fifth in the #8 Raceline Wheels/Pancho’s Tacos Ford. Loerwald was having to fend off the advances of Adam Wik and his #11 Wik’s Racing Engines/Kumho Tires Chevrolet, and Wik soon got the better of Loerwald to take over fifth spot. Further forward, Deegan was now challenging Hart for the lead, and as Hart struggled against a loss of power steering, Deegan and Brandt were able to get by Hart on the final lap. Deegan, who’d fought multiple issues all weekend, was an elated winner as he climbed to the top step of the podium for the first time since Round 2. Brandt finished runner up and did grab the fast lap with a 58.956, the only driver under 59 seconds. Third went to Hart, with Stephensen fourth and Wik rounding out the top five.
Pro 2 Unlimited
With two exciting truck races having just gone back to back, it was up to the boys of Pro 2 Unlimited to make it three in a row, and they didn’t disappoint. Todd LeDuc started his #8 Makita/Circle K Ford next to Greg Adler’s #10 4 Wheel Parts/Magnaflow Ford on the front row, but it was Rob MacCachren in the #21 Rockstar Energy/BFGoodrich Tires Ford who pulled an absolutely beautiful inside pass on Adler in turn five to take the lead on the opening lap. In second it was Adler, with LeDuc third, Carl Renezeder fourth in the #17 Lucas Oil/Team Associated Ford, and Robert Naughton fifth in the #54 ReadyLift Suspension Inc./ProAm Ford. LeDuc then slowed and pulled off the track, though he was able to continue at a reduced pace soon afterwards. This moved Bryce Menzies up to fifth, but he was quickly passed by the #99 Lucas Slick Mist/SuperChips Chevrolet of Robby Woods. A big cloud of smoke from the back of Naughton’s machine meant the end of his race, and with the competition yellow now waving, it was MacCachren, Adler, Renezeder, Woods, and Menzies in the top five. As he’d done on the opening lap, MacCachren again pulled a gap on the field on the restart lap. Adler then slid wide in turn five, allowing Renezeder and Woods to get by for second and third. Menzies soon caught and passed Adler as well, while up front, Renezeder was now reeling in MacCachren. Adler then dropped out of the running, and with a flash of big flames from the underside of his truck forcing Woods to the sidelines, the race was red flagged to make sure Woods was ok. Woods quickly jumped from his truck, and with the fire soon neutralized, the racers lined up again for the restart. MacCachren made yet another quick getaway on the restart to give himself some breathing room, but a massive rollover by Jeff Geiser between turns four and five forced another full course yellow. Geiser was quick to get out under his own power, but the truck was too thrashed to continue. With green now waving again with just two laps to go, MacCachren was off like a rocket once again, continuing his streak of terrific restarts, setting fast lap at a 55.811 (just 0.05 seconds quicker than Renezeder’s best of a 55.816), and again leaving those behind in his dust. MacCachren took the win, his seventh of the year, leading the race wire to wire. Renezeder finished second, swapping Saturday’s podium spots with MacCachren, with Menzies taking third in the #7 Super Clean/O’Neill Ford, Rodrigo Ampudia fourth in the #36 Papas & Beer/Fox Racing Shox Ford, and Jeff Ward fifth in the #3X Speed Technologies/Method Race Wheels Chevrolet.
Pro Buggy Unlimited
The piercing engines and fierce drivers of Pro Buggy Unlimited were up next, with Bobby PeCoy in the #973 downloadactionvideo.com/Maxxis Tires AlumiCraft and Rich Ronco in the #999 Livorsi Marine, Inc./King Shocks Tatum staring from the front row. PeCoy showed great speed on the first lap as he opened a small gap on those chasing behind. In second it was Doug Fortin in the #996 Fox Racing Shox/BFGoodrich Tires Racer, with Jerry Whelchel third in the #901 ProAm/Madrid Motorsports Custom Graphics Foddrill, Mike Porter fourth in the #900 Rockstar/Makita AlumiCraft, and Ronco fifth. Larry Job then bumped by Ronco to take over fifth, while further forward, Fortin was quickly closing on PeCoy for the lead. PeCoy responded, however, upping the pace to maintain the lead, though it was now Whelchel who was reeling in both PeCoy and Fortin. The top five were gradually closing up, and at the competition yellow, their running order was still PeCoy, Fortin, Whelchel, Porter, and Job. Job moved his #907 Bully Dog/Blanco Basura AlumiCraft past Porter to take over fourth on the restart lap, with Job’s teammate Cameron Steele following suit soon afterwards. Some laps later, Fortin was again closing on PeCoy, and with a big run through the moguls and some deep braking into turn five, Fortin was able to squeak by PeCoy as PeCoy was forced a little wide. Fortin assumed the lead just ahead of the white flag, and held on to take the win, his fourth of the season. PeCoy finished second, and did manage fast lap with a 58.013. Third went Whelchel, with Job finishing fourth and Steele rounding out the top five in his #916 Menzies Motorsports/Super Clean AlumiCraft.
Super Lite
The final race of the weekend here at Speedworld was Super Lite, and with an ever-increasing talent level, this class is fast becoming a real treat for the fans. Jeremy “Twitch†Stenberg and Jeff “Ox†Kargola made it an all-Metal Mulisha front row at the start, with Kargola taking the early lead in his #2 General Tire/Lost machine. Stenberg ran second in the #88 Rockstar/Maxxis Tires truck, with RJ Anderson third in the #37 Walker Evans Racing/MoTec ride, Brandon Ward fourth in the #92 Troy Lee Designs/KMC Wheels machine, and Tanner Foust fifth in the #69 Rockstar/Lucas Oil truck. Stenberg then muscled Kargola wide in turn four to take the lead, with Ward also moving up to take over third position. As Stenberg began to open a small gap on the those behind, a very tight train wasforming from second through eighth places, which couldn’t last for long. Kargola and Chad George got hooked together briefly, moving Ward to second, Foust to fourth, and Pat Clark to fifth in the #25 Exotic Engines/VP Racing Fuels ride. Anderson then got by Ward for second as Ward bobbled in turn five, while further back, Jacob Person was up to fifth in the #29 Stand-Up-MRI of Arizona/Geiser Bros Design and Development truck. Foust then broke his right rear suspension, ending his day, and it was now Stenberg, Anderson, Ward, Person, and CJ Greaves in the #33 Traxxas/Simpson truck in the top five. Person got into Ward in turn five on the restart lap, moving Greaves, George in the #42 Yokohama Tires/King Off Road Racing Shocks machine, and Clark up to third through fifth places. Clark then got by George to take over fourth spot, and with the white flag waving, it was Stenberg, Anderson, Greaves, Clark, and George in the top five. Heading for the white flag, Anderson seemed to miss a shift, allowing Greaves to breeze by before Anderson was able to recover, and putting Greaves up to second place. Just ahead, Stenberg went on to take the win, with Greaves finishing second, and Anderson rounding out the podium in his Super Lite debut weekend. Clark also had an impressive debut weekend, finishing fourth, ahead of usual frontrunner George, who took fifth. Fast lap of the day went to yesterday’s winner Ward, who’s 1:00.751 was nearly seven tenths of a second better than the best lap of any other driver in the class, the largest fast lap margin in any class for the entire weekend.
The sun was now setting, both physically and metaphorically, on the weekend’s festivities here in the Arizona desert, with an impressive fireworks display capping a great weekend of racing. The fans who braved the heat went home with stories they’re sure to be telling for weeks to come, and you can do the same by coming to a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event to see it in person. Up next, we’ll head back to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, with racing on Saturday and Sunday, November 6-7, so get yourself there. Until then, stay tuned to lucasoiloffroad.com for all the latest info in the world of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
Written by Scott Neth for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
About the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit LucasOilOffRoadRacing.com
LSR LOORRS Race Report
Well, it was yet another tough weekend for the LSR SR1 Team. I am sad to report that we had a really nasty crash in practice on Friday after only putting down 2 full laps. In those short 2 laps, Greg put down one of the fastest lap times of the weekend, and the fastest in the SR1 class for that round of practice. Greg was kind of nervous going into the weekend as he has been battling a cold for the days leading up to the race. But after lap 2 in practice, he was all smiles, and ready to make a strong run for a successful weekend.
But all those hopes were thrown out the window when the car jumped into the woop section on lap number 3. Greg was pushing it hard, and the car landed in the worst spot possible. There were some deep grooves cut through the length of the woop section. Deep enough than when the car landed partially in that groove, and partially in the face of the woops, the rear part of the chassis cased the face of a woop as the car landed, and shot the back of the car up skyward, causing the nose to catch as it was traveling forward. Next thing you know the car is flipping end over end, flying 10 to 15 feet in the air doing a couple spins before it hit and flipped some more. This went on for about 100 yards as the car slowed to a stop as Greg held on for what has been called the worst UTV crash ever, and easily the worst crash of the entire LOORRS weekend. After looking at the bottom of the chassis, there is a steel plate that joins the main 2 rails together towards the rear end, and it is bent upwards about 2 to 3 inches, and had to have taken the initial impact sending the car into what was ultimately its demise.
Greg exclaimed, “It started off mild. I remember seeing the ground approaching as the car nosed into the next bump, and feeling the first impact. I was relieved because I thought it was over, as to me it felt like the car had stopped, but then the next impact came, and the next, and I remember thinking, well, this has surpassed the flip in Utah, then things were kind of silent and smooth, then the car just kept bouncing as I felt like a rag doll getting tossed around, feeling the sting of the belts across my lap, then still going I could smell and see coolant spraying out, thinking the brand new radiator was destroyed, and finally coming to a stop sideways, on the driver side door area. I looked down at my hands, and realized I folded over the steering wheel like a taco, and thinking to myself, wow, what the heck just happened?â€
After track crews got the car back over onto its wheels, Greg climbed from the car by himself, and was escorted to the EMT crew to be checked out. After everything checked out ok, they took him back to the pits, and we all got to see the aftermath of this tremendous crash. Thankfully Greg was ok, besides a bruised left foot, and some raspberries from the seat belts across his lap. No sore neck, no sore back, no sore arms or hands. It was amazing that something so violent hardly left a trace on the driver. It’s amazing how the proper safety equipment and seating can really save a drivers life in an incident like this.
After taking a few moments to look over the car, we realized our weekenwas over at this point. Amazingly, not many parts were damaged, as the chassis took 99% of the abuse. The driver compartment held up with zero issues, but the front and rear ends of the car weren’t as fortunate. When we originally designed this chassis, safety was a priority, and we can see that it did its job very well. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.
Since Weller Racing’s pit was near the main entrance for all of the spectators, they agreed that we could park the car near their trailer so at least the fans could see some of the carnage and at least get some exposure for our sponsors. The car had a crowd around it for most of the weekend, as Weller was probably wishing he didn’t agree to it, as they were bombarded with questions from spectators. So the weekend wasn’t a complete loss. Sadly, we probably got more exposure with the car looking like a squashed VW bug!
So after another weekend of not getting any points, the chase for the championship is going to be hard to reach. But we will continue to keep fighting. And hopefully the car will be back together for Vegas in early November. Thanks for all of your continued support and best wishes!
Well, it was yet another tough weekend for the LSR SR1 Team. I am sad to report that we had a really nasty crash in practice on Friday after only putting down 2 full laps. In those short 2 laps, Greg put down one of the fastest lap times of the weekend, and the fastest in the SR1 class for that round of practice. Greg was kind of nervous going into the weekend as he has been battling a cold for the days leading up to the race. But after lap 2 in practice, he was all smiles, and ready to make a strong run for a successful weekend.
But all those hopes were thrown out the window when the car jumped into the woop section on lap number 3. Greg was pushing it hard, and the car landed in the worst spot possible. There were some deep grooves cut through the length of the woop section. Deep enough than when the car landed partially in that groove, and partially in the face of the woops, the rear part of the chassis cased the face of a woop as the car landed, and shot the back of the car up skyward, causing the nose to catch as it was traveling forward. Next thing you know the car is flipping end over end, flying 10 to 15 feet in the air doing a couple spins before it hit and flipped some more. This went on for about 100 yards as the car slowed to a stop as Greg held on for what has been called the worst UTV crash ever, and easily the worst crash of the entire LOORRS weekend. After looking at the bottom of the chassis, there is a steel plate that joins the main 2 rails together towards the rear end, and it is bent upwards about 2 to 3 inches, and had to have taken the initial impact sending the car into what was ultimately its demise.
Greg exclaimed, “It started off mild. I remember seeing the ground approaching as the car nosed into the next bump, and feeling the first impact. I was relieved because I thought it was over, as to me it felt like the car had stopped, but then the next impact came, and the next, and I remember thinking, well, this has surpassed the flip in Utah, then things were kind of silent and smooth, then the car just kept bouncing as I felt like a rag doll getting tossed around, feeling the sting of the belts across my lap, then still going I could smell and see coolant spraying out, thinking the brand new radiator was destroyed, and finally coming to a stop sideways, on the driver side door area. I looked down at my hands, and realized I folded over the steering wheel like a taco, and thinking to myself, wow, what the heck just happened?â€
After track crews got the car back over onto its wheels, Greg climbed from the car by himself, and was escorted to the EMT crew to be checked out. After everything checked out ok, they took him back to the pits, and we all got to see the aftermath of this tremendous crash. Thankfully Greg was ok, besides a bruised left foot, and some raspberries from the seat belts across his lap. No sore neck, no sore back, no sore arms or hands. It was amazing that something so violent hardly left a trace on the driver. It’s amazing how the proper safety equipment and seating can really save a drivers life in an incident like this.
After taking a few moments to look over the car, we realized our weekenwas over at this point. Amazingly, not many parts were damaged, as the chassis took 99% of the abuse. The driver compartment held up with zero issues, but the front and rear ends of the car weren’t as fortunate. When we originally designed this chassis, safety was a priority, and we can see that it did its job very well. I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking.
Since Weller Racing’s pit was near the main entrance for all of the spectators, they agreed that we could park the car near their trailer so at least the fans could see some of the carnage and at least get some exposure for our sponsors. The car had a crowd around it for most of the weekend, as Weller was probably wishing he didn’t agree to it, as they were bombarded with questions from spectators. So the weekend wasn’t a complete loss. Sadly, we probably got more exposure with the car looking like a squashed VW bug!
So after another weekend of not getting any points, the chase for the championship is going to be hard to reach. But we will continue to keep fighting. And hopefully the car will be back together for Vegas in early November. Thanks for all of your continued support and best wishes!
IVY RACING’S TYLER HERZOG SWEEPS WEEKEND AT Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Round 11 and 12
For the first time this year the Ivy Grading and Trucking, Xtreme Machine and Fabrication, Walker Evans Racing, Muzzys SR1 844 Rhino driven by Tyler Herzog was able to sweep the weekend sitting on the top of the podium both Saturday & Sunday.
On Saturday, Tyler qualified second quick and with no inversion that is where he started. Given the command go go go by his spotter Tyler got a great start and the hole shot. With the advantage of clear race track Tyler lead at the mandatory caution and earned that valuable bonus point. After another great start by his spotter he was able to take the checked flag earning the win and also setting the fastest lap of the day for both UTV classes 1.01.763 followed by Corey Weller and Code Rahders.
On Sunday Tyler started 4th, it was a lot tougher to get by the field. Tyler was sitting third after the mandatory caution behind Rahders and Weller. Weller pulled off the track and Tyler set his sights on Cody Rahders . Tyler got by Cody and was able to for the second time of the weekend stand on the top of the Podium.
Tyler stated “after XMF installed my new Wicked power steering unit the car was much easier to control. With the help of my XMF suspension, Walker Evans shocks, wheels and my Good Year tires getting traction, I could blast my car through the rhythm section and turn the car any where I wanted it to go. The Weller SR1 kit took all the abuse I could dish out. Before I hit the track I had a Kronic energy drink and never looked back. Thanks to all the people and companies that make my racing possible especially my car owner Brian and Susie “
Big thanks to Ivy Grading and Trucking, Xtreme Machine and Fabrication, Walker Evans, Muzzys, Six Gear, Kronic, Weller Racing, Goodyear tires, Wicked without the help of these great companies we would not be able to compete at this level. Big thanks to my spotter and crew.
If you are interested in getting involved in a championship contending team Ivy racing can help promote your business and products. Please contact Brain at [email protected]
For the first time this year the Ivy Grading and Trucking, Xtreme Machine and Fabrication, Walker Evans Racing, Muzzys SR1 844 Rhino driven by Tyler Herzog was able to sweep the weekend sitting on the top of the podium both Saturday & Sunday.
On Saturday, Tyler qualified second quick and with no inversion that is where he started. Given the command go go go by his spotter Tyler got a great start and the hole shot. With the advantage of clear race track Tyler lead at the mandatory caution and earned that valuable bonus point. After another great start by his spotter he was able to take the checked flag earning the win and also setting the fastest lap of the day for both UTV classes 1.01.763 followed by Corey Weller and Code Rahders.
On Sunday Tyler started 4th, it was a lot tougher to get by the field. Tyler was sitting third after the mandatory caution behind Rahders and Weller. Weller pulled off the track and Tyler set his sights on Cody Rahders . Tyler got by Cody and was able to for the second time of the weekend stand on the top of the Podium.
Tyler stated “after XMF installed my new Wicked power steering unit the car was much easier to control. With the help of my XMF suspension, Walker Evans shocks, wheels and my Good Year tires getting traction, I could blast my car through the rhythm section and turn the car any where I wanted it to go. The Weller SR1 kit took all the abuse I could dish out. Before I hit the track I had a Kronic energy drink and never looked back. Thanks to all the people and companies that make my racing possible especially my car owner Brian and Susie “
Big thanks to Ivy Grading and Trucking, Xtreme Machine and Fabrication, Walker Evans, Muzzys, Six Gear, Kronic, Weller Racing, Goodyear tires, Wicked without the help of these great companies we would not be able to compete at this level. Big thanks to my spotter and crew.
If you are interested in getting involved in a championship contending team Ivy racing can help promote your business and products. Please contact Brain at [email protected]
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