Reno, NV – Brandon Arthur, The Stinger, was back in form at rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Wild West Motorsports Park in Sparks, Nevada. Arthur was fresh off a victory in round 11 at Estero Beach in Baja Mexico. He followed that up the next day with a second place in round 12. Arthur has put together a strong run of five straight podium finishes. Round 13 would make it six.
“We were fast in practice on Friday and then qualified first in our group,” said Brandon, “The inversion drawn was a zero, so we started on the front row. My Toyo Tires were really hooked up so I got a good start. I was in second behind Sheldon Creed who was driving Brad DeBerti’s truck while he recovers from the crash he suffered in Baja. We were locked in a three-way battle with Creed out front, we were second and RJ Anderson was third. We all ran flat-out the whole race. I could not get around Creed and RJ could not overtake us. We finished in the same order.”
In addition to the healthy points earned, running clean and out front had other benefits. After round 13, the Competitive Metals, Pro Traffic Services, Rigid Industries LED Lighting, Toyo Tires, HRT Motorsports, Method Race Wheels, Magnaflow, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, F&L Racing Fuel, Impact, FOX Shocks, Heatshield Products, Maxima Racing Oils, FiberwerX, Summers Brothers, Wirefab, ECP Powder Coating, Bink Designs and Redline Performance Pro Lite was nearly pristine. The crew would have an easy prep job for round 14.
“On Sunday, we qualified 2nd in our group; just missing the fastest time by .01 of a second,” said The Stinger, “They pulled a two for the inversion so it put us on the outside of row one. We were in third place after the start. Unlike round 13, we were going back and forth; swapping positions with Anderson, Brooks and Beat. They got past me but I got back around them both.”
An errant rock got kicked up into the front brake caliper. It cracked causing it to fade. Brandon had to get off the gas earlier in the corners to get slowed down. It allowed Beat and Anderson to late-brake him and make the pass.
Brandon continued, “A caution flag late in the race meant it would be a green/white then checkers finish. I’m not sure who it was, but we got spun out in turn one and ended up finishing 13th. Our Competitive Metals truck was fast all weekend. We just missed the set-up by a little bit on Sunday; time to regroup and get ready for Vegas!”
The next race will be Sept. 18 and 19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV. Brandon’s podium streak has made him a top contender in the points chase. As the rounds wind down, every lap becomes crucial. If you want to stay up on the latest developments go to: http://brandonarthurracing.com/ for the news about Brandon’s racing accomplishments in the Lucas Oil Series and other select off-road events.
Photography By: Bink Designs