Lake Elsinore, CA – Kyle LeDuc led the Rigid Industries Torture Team to Back to Back victories under the lights at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series rounds 3 and 4 in Lake Elsinore, Ca. His two Pro-4 victories make it three wins in only four rounds this year establishing him as the pro-4 driver to beat in 2014. Ricky Johnson had high hopes of continuing his own impressive podium streak after finishing third in round one and winning round two but a mechanical issue in round three dropped him to an eighth place finish. In round four, he was back up to speed, finishing on the podium once more in 2nd place behind Kyle.
Round three’s Pro-4 main event was temporarily halted when Eric Barron suffered a horrible crash while battling Kyle LeDuc for the lead. He went wide on the front straight, clipped the berm and rolled violently off the table-top jump in front of the grand stands.
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Round 4
After coming to a rest, his truck was engulfed in flames. The Lucas Oil safety crew was on scene in a matter of seconds to come to his aid.
The safety crew’s quick response was helped by the superior vision provided by their Rigid Industries LED lighting. The racing surface is bathed in light during the nighttime event but the infield is covered in dark shadows. There are many obstacles including various pieces of equipment just out of sight from the fans. The safety crew must quickly navigate through it all when called upon. Their Rigid Industries LED lighting allows them to see clearly in the dark shadows so they may respond to incidents as fast as possible.
“LOORRS is a well-rounded program for us. In addition to our multi-team presence, we are proud to be the safety lighting sponsor for the series,” says Taylor Anderson of Rigid Industries, “Safety on the track is of the utmost importance at these races. We are proud to be involved with LOORRS and to support some of the top racers in short course.” Barron was banged up but at the track the following day racing round 4; it could have been much worse if the safety crew was delayed.
Round three’s Pro-2 event was a struggle for the Torture Team. The highest finish was a 5th place by Jeremy McGrath. He led a Rigid Industries freight train of RJ Anderson in 6th, Rodrigo Ampudia 7th and Marty Hart in 8th. Myan Spaccarelli was out early and Bryce Menzies had to duck into the hot pits dropping him back to 10th; the last truck to finish on the lead lap.
Bryce Menzies does not stay down for long however, he got things sorted out in round 4 taking his second victory of the season. RJ Anderson finished 6th place again followed by McGrath in 7th. It was RJ’s third 6th place finish in a row. His solid consistency just outside the top five is a good sign for his team as they compete in their first full season of Pro-2 with RJ behind the wheel.
Rigid Industries Torture Team driver Casey Currie took his unique Jeep JK Prolite truck to a third place podium finish in round 3 after battling with teammate RJ Anderson for most of the race.
RJ developed a problem that sidelined him with only one lap to go. The heart breaker only gave RJ even more resolve; he was on a mission in round 4. In the lead pack for the entire race, he took the checkered flag in third but was penalized for rough driving in the final corner of the last lap. What appeared to be an aggressive but clean pass instead cost him a podium; Torture Team member Ryan Beat finished 4th. After a tough opening weekend in rounds 1 and 2, newcomer Brandon Arthur finished both days; his best a 6th place in round 4.
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series next heads to Wild West Motorsports Park in Sparks, NV. May 30 –31 for a second straight race under the lights. The Rigid Industries Torture Team will be ready to do battle and the LOORRS safety crew will be prepared to handle whatever comes their way in rounds 5 and 6 of the hotly contested series.
Photography By: Bink Designs