Saturday Round 11
Fans filled the grandstands at the Chula Vista International Raceway today for another eventful round of Championship Off Road Racing. Battles ensued and the excitement was high as a rookie took the win in Pro 4, and points leaders fought to hold their positions.
RACE RECAP, CHULA VISTA ROUND 11 & 12
Round eleven in Pro 2 showed similarities to the last time Championship Off Road Racing visited Chula Vista in July, with a fight to the finish between Pro 2 Champion #1 Jerry Whelchel and #17 Carl Renezeder. At the start, #10 Greg Adler pulled the hole shot, but could not hold on to the lead when Whelchel laid on the heat. Going into the race with high expectations after having the fastest qualifying time in Pro 2, Rodrigo Ampudia was black flagged for passing under the caution on lap seven. Working his way up the field from his staring position in seventh, Renezeder got around Adler in lap 12 to take second position behind leader Whelchel. The two battled it out the remainder of the race, keeping the tension high as they shared first and second positions. In the end Whelchel was victorious holding onto his first position. Renezeder took second and Johnny Greaves rounded out the podium in third.
The Pro Lite race got off to a rough start with a wreck by #5 Shannon Cambell. The race was restarted and #4 Jeff Kincaid leaped into the front of the group to take away the race. The #15 of Marty Hart pushed to catch Kincaid but wasnt able to get into striking distance until it was too late. Kincaid took a clean win, with Hart in second and #9 Chad Hord close behind in third. Elsewhere on the track, Jeff Huseman was in second through the mandatory caution lap, but then pulled off the track with mechanical issues in lap 12. Brian Deegan #54 ran in fifth, until he was black flagged for rough driving.
Pro Lite driver Chad Hord took his first run at racing in the Pro 4 class, driving on behalf of points leader #7 Scott Douglas, who sustained a bad injury to his left leg during practice on Friday. With the agreement of the other Pro 4 drivers Hord started the race at the back of the pack and was forced to pit for a one lap penalty.
Scott Douglas commented, I was really tuned up this week. I just got my confidence way up, I felt invincibleI found out I wasnt. We have a great driver in Chad. I hope to have the leg ready to go for Primm. I took the worst tumble of my life; I just have a bruised ego.
Starting in fifth position in Pro 4, #99 Kyle LeDuc worked his way up to take the lead on lap two, out-dueling his father Curt LeDuc #43. The current Pro 4 Champion #1 Carl Renezeder and Veteran Pro 4 Champion, #4 Johnny Greaves fought to catch the rookie, LeDuc with no success. LeDuc took his 19th CORR win. Mirroring the Pro 2 race, Renezeder again found himself in second with Greaves in third.
This is a huge win for our team, said LeDuc. Weve had two wins in Pro 4 this year. I dont feel like a rookie; were driving right to the front.
#993 Greg George was the winner of the Pro Buggy event after starting in tenth position. #921 Rob MacCachren started the race in 24th position after problems in qualifying, but that didnt stop him from working his way up the field. Sitting in seventh by the mandatory caution lap, MacCachren continued to battle his way into third where he fought #901 Larry Foddrill to overtake second position. Foddrill ended up finishing third. #307 Bryan Freeman was the winner in the Single Buggy event.
Sunday Round 12
The racing action heated up in round 12 of Championship Off Road Racing as Kyle LeDuc swept the weekend, and the points race tightened in Pro 4 putting Carl Renezeder and Rick Huseman in a tie for the championship.
At the start of the Pro 2 race in turn two, Alan Pflueger who started on the pole got tangled and then got into Greg Adler, taking both drivers to the back of the pack. Pfluegers race ended quickly there after due to a broken rear. Up to the competition caution Carl Renezeder led followed by Johnny Greaves, Jerry Whelchel, Jeremy McGrath, and Rob MacCachren close on his tail. Before the track went green Whelchel pulled out of line with a broken right tie arm. At the re-start McGrath and MacCachren got around Greaves then heated things up with a nose-to-nose battle, which MacCachren came out victoriously from. Behind them Cenni got up onto Greaves who was having mechanical problems. Greaves pulled of the track and ended his race. Still leading the pack Renezeder was followed closely by MacCachren, McGrath, Scott Taylor, and Todd LeDuc. Further down the line Steve Sourapass got into Robbie Woods, causing a full course caution and a black flag for Sourapass. In lap 15, Taylor and McGrath had contact, and McGrath fell back. In the final lap, a green/white/checkered finish, MacCachren got around Renezeder for the win. In the race for third, LeDuc got into Taylor at the bottom of Devils Leap coming into turn five. Taylor fought back and more contact was made between the two drivers. The skirmish allowed Ricky Johnson to capitalize on the situation, get around the two and take third behind Renezeder. Taylor finished in fourth and LeDuc fell to 13th position. Rookie Mark Jenkins came in behind Taylor for his best finish of the season.
Competitors Travis Coyne and Josh Baldwin started the Pro 4 race in the front side by side. Coyne took the hole shot and the two battled until Baldwin pulled off with a broken front differential. Greaves chased Coyne but got loose in turn one of lap three and Rick Huseman moved into second. One lap later Huseman took the lead from Coyne. Starting from 8th position, round 11 winner Kyle LeDuc worked his way up the pack to second by the competition caution. Behind LeDuc were Coyne, and Greaves. At lap nine, Greaves jumped his way into third off of Devils Leap, while Carl Renezeder picked off trucks as he fought to catch the leaders. Huseman, LeDuc, Greaves and Renezeder pulled away from the pack for the rest of the race all fighting for position. On lap 12, LeDuc took the lead away on the straightaway. Huseman slowly slipped back to finish in fourth. LeDuc raced to hold on with Greaves closing in on him in the last lap. LeDuc held his position to take the win and sweep in the Pro 4 class for the weekend. Greaves took second and Renezeder rounded out the podium in third.
In the Pro Lite class, Casey Currie pulled the hole shot and led the race, but lost his position right before the competition caution. Marty Hart got around Currie just in time to claim the six points for the competition caution leader. Sitting in third Jeff Kincaid got sideway in turn four before Devils leap, rolling and ending his race after loosing a tire in his recovery. Rodrigo Ampudia, moved into third putting more pressure on Currie who was fighting to take back the lead from Hart. In the end, Hart held on to claim a 0.558 lead and victory over Casey Currie. Ampudia took third behind Currie.
Number 921, Rob MacCachren fought hard for the lead in the Pro Buggy race but was unable to catch the leader, #933 Greg George. Narrowing the gap to a mere 0.247 seconds, MacCachren could not reel in George who ended up finishing 1.028 seconds ahead. Larry Foddrill #901 would once again finish in third like round 11.
Championship Off Road Racing brings high action, four-wheel motorsports including two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive trucks to the closed course off road arena. The 2008 Championship Off Road Racing race season includes eight events at tracks located in Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA and Las Vegas, NV.
