Carl Renezeder wins Rockstar Energy Lucas Oil Challenge Cup

Latest race news from Team Associated:The Rockstar Energy Lucas Oil Challenge Cup
Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex
Dec. 18-19, 2009

The inaugural 2009 season of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series has already come to a close. It was a great season and intensely contested with each driver battling it out on the track as they go for the gold. It has been a great year for both short-course drivers and fans alike.

As an added bonus Lucas Oil put together The Rockstar Energy Lucas Oil Challenge Cup, a one-day event taking place at the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex with a total cash purse of $181,000. Not only was this the largest purse in short-course off-road racing history, The Rockstar Energy Lucas Oil Challenge Cup also turned out to be the most intense and gnarliest race of the year!

Originally scheduled for the previous week, heavy Southern California rain storms had pushed the race back a week. Practice and qualifying took place on Friday the 18th, setting the grid for the big money brawl the next day. After being under water for the previous week, the track had a few days to dry out and offered a ton of traction which was great for the competition.

Being that this race was unique and not a part of the points championship, there were a few format changes made to make the show even more exciting. The Super Lites and the Limited Buggies ran as before in their own races but to really throw a curve at everyone, Unlimited Lites and Unlimited Buggies were not only to run together but against each other as well! Both the trucks and buggies run the same engine packages, and they both have different chassis advantages. The buggies turn slightly quicker lap times, as they are lighter with more suspension travel and an independent rear end. The buggies are also open wheel cars and considered more fragile compared to the trucks in the Unlimited Lites class. Needless to say, no one knew what to expect…

With everyone was holding their breath as the flag dropped, the Unlimited Lites vs. Unlimited Buggies 26-car field took off to very clean race. The trucks started in front of the buggies in an effort to offset the inherent buggy’s advantage. Rob ‘Fig’ Naughton was leading for what seemed like a very long time and after winning the Super Lites race it was looking like it was going to be his day. But the buggy advantage proved to be too great even for the ‘Fig’ as Greg George found a way past him to take the win. Rob came in second place and with his Super Lites win took home more cash than anyone else.

In another format change unique to the Cup race the Unlimited-2 and Unlimited-4 trucks were run together, making for a 28-truck field. This was by far the most intense race of the whole year. Although the 2WD and 4WD trucks ran together, they ran separate class races. Topping off a great ending to an awesome year was Carl Renezeder winning the Unlimited-4 class for his team. Rob MacCachren came in second overall taking the win in the Unlimited-2 class, both drivers getting a check for $30,000 for their trouble!

The 2009 LOORRS season is in the books and has come to an end. It has been a lot of fun for us at Team Associated and we’re looking forward to the 2010 season! The 2010 season kicks off once again at the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex March 6-7, for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Until then we are going to enjoy the off-season, and stay tuned to www.lucasoiloffroad.com for the latest in LOORRS news.

For more information, visit http://www.lucasoiloffroad.com/