Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Team LeDuc Racing Takes on Speedworld Motorsports Park

Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Team LeDuc Racing Takes on Speedworld Motorsports Park

After a start to the 2010 season that saw a huge influx of talent into the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS), racing’s most exciting series made its way to Surprise, Arizona for Rounds 3 and 4 of the 16-race season.  The hard-working crew at Speedworld Motorsports Park had plenty of “surprises” in store for competitors and fans alike; as the mile long course was revised with a huge tabletop and wide open sections that allowed speeds in excess of 70 mph.  Additional seating was added to accommodate the capacity crowd from nearby Phoenix, but Speedworld’s signature “moguls” remained, much to the delight of both the racers and the spectators.

While the course and facilities may have changed, the results were much the same as they have been in the past.  Kyle LeDuc set the fast time to qualify first for Saturday’s Pro 4 Unlimited race, with his father Curt qualifying sixth.   An inverted start put Kyle’s Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Ford on the outside of the fourth row in the eighth position.  After the green flag dropped, Kyle methodically worked his No. 99 Ford up to the front of the pack. Johnny Greaves had a strong lead at the mandatory caution, but a flat tire forced him give up ground, leaving Kyle to battle with Rick Huseman and Carl Renezeder for the victory.  Destiny saw the LeDuc’s dynamic duo finishing in the same positions as they had at the opening LOORS race in Las Vegas a month prior.   Huseman managed to narrowly edge out Kyle for the win, while father Curt finished in fourth place.  “I guess we shouldn’t complain about being second and fourth,” Curt LeDuc commented after the race, “but we sure would like to give Rockstar Energy Drink, Makita Tools, and Toyo Tires a win after all the support they have continually given us.”

Meanwhile in the Pro 2 Unlimited field, Kyle’s older brother Todd qualified ninth for Round 3 of racing in his Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Ford.  Todd managed to work his way up to fourth place, passing a full field of talented drivers along the way.   Unfortunately an accident involving Bryce Menzies and Michael Johnson caused Todd to spin in an effort to avoid the carnage, costing valuable track position.  Johnson was black flagged for the maneuver, but Todd was never able to recover in the crowded 22-truck field, and in fact his luck got even worse when he suffered a flat tire later in the race.   Todd kept a cool head in the face of adversity and was able to nurse his No. 8 Ford around the track to earn valuable season points, eventually finishing in 17th place in Round 3.

Sunday’s Round 4 action just brought more challenges for Todd LeDuc in Pro 2 Unlimited, as his 800 horsepower Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Ford kept tossing power steering belts.  “There was a problem with the pulley alignment on the harmonic balancer, and we just didn’t have enough time to address it properly.” Todd explained after the race.  This required Todd to start in the back of the large Pro 2 Unlimited field, but he refused to give up.  Instead, he systematically worked his Pro 2 truck up to the middle of the pack in Round 4 before Scott Martenson forced the No. 8 Ford off the track at turn three.  Todd battled to overcome these issues, but after losing another power steering belt he was unable to complete Sunday’s race.

In Pro 4 Unlimited action, Round 4 saw Curt LeDuc qualifying 7th and son Kyle qualifying 5th.  An inverted start put Kyle on the outside of the first row next to “The Wild Man” Adrian Cenni.  Kyle soon distanced himself from Cenni and the rest of the field, enjoying a comfortable lead until the mandatory restart half way through the race.  That is when Kyle’s luck changed for the worse, and a sinister rut caused Kyle’s Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools truck to barrel roll as he was heading into turn three.  After Kyle got back on all four Toyo Tires, he was able to limp the truck around and finish 15 of the 16 laps; earning valuable season points towards the championship title.  Family patriarch Curt remained consistent, drawing upon his decades of race experience.  He finished in fourth place for the second day in a row in his No. 43 Ford truck.

When the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on May 22nd and 23rd for the next two rounds of short course racing, look for the Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Team LeDuc Racing to continue marching steadily towards their ultimate goal as series champions in the Pro 2 Unlimited and Pro 4 Unlimited classes.  In the meantime, check your local listings for CBS Sports, Speed Channel, and Versus to see the excitement of LOORS racing from Speedworld Motorsports Park from the comfort of home.   Last weekend’s event was just the first of three Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series weekends filmed for national broadcast on CBS Sports.

Rockstar Energy Drink / Makita Tools Team LeDuc Racing is Sponsored by:

Rockstar Energy • Makita Tools • Toyo Tires • KC HiLites • KMC Wheels • King Shocks • MSD Ignition • K&N Filters • MasterCraft Safety • Simpson • Leatt Brace • Ford Trucks • Beco Radiators • Kalgard