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| Brian Deegan took the No. 1 spot on the podium this past weekend at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Round 3 of the Pro Lite and Pro 2 Unlimited 2012 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. |
Metal Mulisha founder and 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) Driver of the Year “The General” Brian Deegan took his familiar No. 1 spot on the podium this past weekend at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Round 3 of the Pro Lite and Pro 2 Unlimited 2012 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
Deegan got off to a great start in Saturday’s Pro Lite race in his #38 Rockstar Energy Ford truck, moving up to the first place slot on lap 13, and holding on through the finish to take his first win of the season.
In Saturday’s Pro 2 Round, Deegan moved up to fourth before moving into third after a restart, and got up to second after three more laps. Deegan came from behind in turn three and ultimately took first place.
Sunday’s Pro 2 race presented a few challenges for The 2011 Rookie of the Year. After running in the top three, Deegan experienced mechanical difficulties and ultimately finished fifth. After leading the pack in Pro Lites Deegan’s truck was knocked out by another driver and Deegan finished the race to salvage points.
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| RallyCross contingency programs have been posted online. Photo: Rupert Berrington |
RallyCross 2012 Contingency Programs Posted By Auto Manufacturers
With one month before the first SCCA RallyCross National Challenge event, auto manufacturers have finalized their season-long contingency programs for participants.
Volkswagen of America, which also serves as the Official Pace Vehicle of SCCA, has upped its prizes from a season ago in the National Challenge and will pay $300 for a win, $200 for a second-place finish and $100 for third. Any driver who scores a National Championship behind the wheel of a Volkswagen will take home $1,250, with a $750 prize for a runner-up and $500 for third.
Honda Performance Development is matching its 2011 program, providing $150 for eligible winners, with $100 and $50 payments to podium finishers. At the National Championship event, those prizes increase to $500, $300 and $100 for finishing in the top-three.
After offering contingency only for the National Championship a season ago, Mazda North American Operations has expanded the program to reward drivers all season long with $200 for a win and $100 for second place. At the National Championship event, drivers can earn $750, $500 and $250 for placing in the top-three of their class.
Subaru of America has posted contingency prize money for the three All-Wheel Drive classes in 2012. Payouts will be offered to top-three finishers with $300 awarded for a win, $200 for a runner-up and $100 for third. Subaru will give all eligible National Champions in those classes a $1,250 prize at the end of the season, with $750 going to the second place finisher and $500 going to those finishing third.
The 2012 RallyCross National Challenge opens May 19–20, 2012, in the SoPac Division at Glen Helen Raceway and culminates with the 2012 SCCA RallyCross National Championship at Tulsa Raceway Park, October 5–7, 2012, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Registration information and full program details are available at www.scca.com/rally.
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| The Fourth Annual Nitto Tire NMCA/NMRA All Star Nationals concluded April 15, 2012, at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia. |
NMCA/NMRA All Star Nationals Wraps Up in Georgia
The Fourth Annual Nitto Tire NMCA/NMRA All Star Nationals concluded April 15, 2012, at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia. This was the second race of the 2012 Flowmaster Drag Racing Series, featuring NHRA Unleashed presented by Aerospace Components.
2010 Kooks Custom Headers world champion Chris Rini and his Camaro won his second consecutive event, beating Clint Hairston.
In Mickey Thompson Super Street 10.5W action, defending class champ Mike Murillo, who qualified his turbocharged Mustang, with a 6.49, claimed his first win of the year by beating Eric LaFerriere in a close 6.70 to 6.73 affair.
During the off-season, Michigan’s Kevin Parent drove his Nova to a top qualifying position after a 7.26 189 mph run and then beat former champ Jeff Colletta 7.33 to Colletta’s tire-spinning 10.51.
In Aeromotive Xtreme Street, Bob Kurgan driving his ’86 Mustang, qualified at the head of the pack with a 7.76 at 181 mph shot, and went on to defeat No. 9 qualifier Jason Brock and his Baton Rouge-based ’03 Mustang.
Jason Lee, defending Stainless Works, Drag Radial 275 champion took his second win of the year and his first NHRA “Wally” of the season home after beating a slowing Dan Kroll, 7.96 to 10.83. Lee also qualified on top of the field by running a 7.49 at a shade of 189 mph.
In Comp Cams Pro Stock, former class champion Don Baskin got back to the winner’s podium after defeating No. 1 qualifier Robbie Blankenship, who redlit away what could have been a winning 8.47 to Baskin’s slower 8.48.
Brandon Alsept qualified on top of a large B&B Race Cars Mean Street field and defeated Bradenton winner Jeremy Gillam in the final with a 9.91 charge to Gillam’s 9.97.
In Tremec True Street action, Jack Young edged Beth Henderson to take the win after compiling a three-lap average of 11.24 to Henderson’s 11.64. In the nostalgia classes, defending champion Doug Duell, driving his totally rebuilt ’64 Plymouth wagon, beat last year’s champ and No. 1 qualifier Kurt Neighbor, to earn his first Indy Cylinder Head Nostalgia Super Stock win of the season.
In the Eaton Posi Nostalgia Muscle Car, Bryan Parker grabbed the win over Jacob Weigl after Weigl was forced to run under his index to offset a Parker Holeshot. In the index classes, John Norris ousted William Smith after running three over his 11.58 index, in Hawk Performance Open Comp, while Smith was a bit slower running five over his 10.10 index. In the Lakewood EFI Rumble, Tim Rickey beat David Rickey after running dead-on his 13-second index. In bracket action, Mark Hancock defeated Hank Wilhelm in Super Pro, while David Hearn, who lost in Open Comp in the first round, beat Darryl Buckner in Pro.
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| Yokohama's Cameron Steele won his first Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series event of the year, taking first in the Pro Buggy class at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Lake Elsinore, California, April 21–22. |
Yokohama Tire Corp.’s Cameron Steele Wins Pro Buggy Class at Lucas Oil Race
Yokohama Tire Corp.-sponsored Cameron Steele won his first Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series event of the year, taking first in the Pro Buggy class at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Lake Elsinore, California, April 21–22. Steele claimed victory riding on off-the-shelf Geolandar A/T-S+ tires.
The next Lucas Oil race in the eight-event series, which combines the Midwest tradition of short course off-road racing with a West Coast influence, is May 19–20 at Speedworld Off-Road Park in Surprise, Arizona.
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| Geoffrey Cooley placed fifth and third in last weekend's Rounds 3 and 4 in the Pro-Buggy Class of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. |
Cooley Back on the Box at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Geoffrey Cooley piloted the #22 Alumi Craft/Competitive Metals Pro Buggy to a fifth-place finish on last Saturday's Round 3 in the Pro-Buggy Class of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and then drove to the podium finishing third for Sunday's Round 4.
Cooley was poised to grab the top qualifying time after being the fastest car on the track during Friday's practice sessions. But he never got a chance to make the qualifying run after getting caught up in an incident that left heavy damage to the right front side of his race car. The Team Competitive crew loaded up the race car and drove it back to the Alumi Craft race shop for repairs.
Cooley had to start at the rear of the field on Saturday morning due to not getting a qualifying time. He worked his way from the back to finish in the fifth position and was even faster on Sunday for Round 4. He qualified up front starting fourth and drove to the podium finishing third. It was Cooley's second podium finish in four races and he hasn't finished outside the top-five yet this season.
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| Last Sunday, Rob MacCachren took his first short-course victory of the new season in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Pro2 Unlimited class. |
Rob MacCachren Brings Home the Win for ROCKSTAR Energy Drink/Makita Power Tools
Despite a canceled practice last Saturday, Rob MacCachren and his ROCKSTAR Energy Drink/Makita Power Tools/BFGoodrich Tires truck managed a sixth-place finish among 18 competitors in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Pro2 Unlimited class, keeping the truck clean for Sunday’s race.
On Sunday, MacCachren qualified second, which put the No. 21 ROCKSTAR Energy/Makita Power Tools/BFGoodrich Tires truck on the second row after the two-row inversion. The starting position kept MacCachren toward the front of the pack and out of the carnage that brought the track under the yellow flag on multiple occasions. Late in the race, MacCachren battled with Marty Hart for two laps before finally securing the lead for good to take his first short-course victory of the new season. On Sunday, MacCachren also set the fast lap for the entire weekend, hitting speeds over 80 mph and showing the true potential of his new truck that Dave Farruggia and Jim Blackmore constructed in the off-season. The 800-hp creation is fitted with suspension from Fox Racing Shox, a host of Impact and MasterCraft Safety products and tires from BFGoodrich on ProAm forged beadlock rims.
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| Marty Hart leading Round 4 at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park. |
Team ReadyLIFT Racing's Marty Hart Doubles Up on Podium Appearances at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Marty Hart increased his lead in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) this past weekend with the pair of second-place finishes. Last Saturday afternoon, Hart and his ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension/Maxxis Tire/GearUp2Go.com Pro 2 took the lead and checked out away from the rest of the field. As the laps wound down Hart had such a large lead that he decided to lay up a bit and not beat up his truck. That decision to be conservative was enough for Brian Deegan to close the gap. On the second to last corner of the last lap, Deegan pulled ahead of Hart in the rhythm section and took the checkered flag.
In Sunday's Round 4, Hart battled with Rodrigo Ampudia, Rob MacCachren and Carl Renezeder for several laps. After two laps it was Hart who pulled out front. The race was pretty much a repeat of the day before but with a few different challengers. MacCachren and Renezeder replaced Deegan who was chomping on Hart's back bumper only the day before. The pair battled themselves and tried unsuccessfully to get Hart to make a mistake.
With the laps winding down, the hot-rod motor that had kept his truck in the lead for all four races of the season so far started to go soft, which translated into an increased push exiting the corners. For two laps Hart and MacCachren battled door-to-door, swapping the lead several times on each lap. In the same corner that Deegan took the lead from Hart just the day before, MacCachren took it away from Hart on the final lap. The souring motor in Hart's truck just couldn't retake the lead and once again Hart settled for a second-place finish.
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| Rick Long is the BIGFOOT driver to deliver back-to-back-to-back title runs. |
BIGFOOT'S Rick Long Captures Third Consecutive Monster Nats Title
For the third time in three years, Team BIGFOOT driver Rick Long has captured the E3 Spark Plugs Monster Nationals indoor racing championship, marking the first time in series history a BIGFOOT driver has delivered back-to-back-to-back title runs. This marks Long's fourth career championship and the 32nd for the BIGFOOT team since the first championship racing series was formed in 1988.
Piloting his E3 Spark Plugs BIGFOOT #15, Long rarely yielded in his quest for victory, even to teammate Darron Schnell in the Vi-Cor/Celmanax BIGFOOT #11. Schnell, in his rookie year of Monster Nationals indoor competition, finished the season in second place in side-by-side racing. Long's points total of 1150 was followed by Schnell's 875 and veteran Bobby Holman, in the Lucas Oil Stabilizer, rounding out the top three with 800 points.
Speculation about Long's retirement from full-time driving has run rampant in the past several weeks, although by all accounts, Long's final event behind the wheel of BIGFOOT #15 may be at the Toughest Monster Truck Tour invitational in Erie, Pennsylvania, April 27–28, 2012.
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| Mike Porter and Drew Britt each earned a place at the podium during last weekend’s LOORS competition. |
Mike Porter and Drew Britt Earn a Place at the Podium on Mickey Thompson Tires in LOORS Racing Action at Lake Elsinore
The 2012 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) season continued at Lake Elsinore, California, this past weekend with both Mike Porter and Drew Britt earning a place at the podium during the weekend’s competition.
Porter, the 2011 Pro Buggy Unlimited Champion who scored a third-place podium finish in the season opener, took first place in the Pro Buggy Unlimited class last Sunday in Round 4 on Mickey Thompson Sportsman ST Radial’s size 215/70R15 (front) and 275/60R15 (rear). Britt, who secured a second-place podium finish at the season opener, celebrated a second-place finish on Sunday in the Super Lite class on Mickey Thompson ATZ Plus tires, size 31X10.50R15.