LAKE FOREST, CA – Not only did Carl Renezeder win three Lucas Oil Off Road Races this weekend, he came within 0.203 seconds of making a clean sweep of the Pro-2 and Pro-4 divisions, finishing second to Kyle LeDuc on Sunday in one of the best battles of the season.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a weekend like this,” commented a relieved Renezeder after the final race of the weekend. “It just felt so good to be able to attack and battle this weekend. I’ll remember these races for a long time.”
You’d have to go back to the first half of the 2009 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series season to find three wins in one weekend for Renezeder. He did it on the inaugural weekend in Primm, Nevada, and then again in rounds five and six in Lake Elsinore, California, but neither of them had a second-place finish to round out the weekend like this last one did.
Renezeder entered the weekend leading the Pro-2 points and second in the Pro-4 points, and the results of the weekend should have extended his lead and closed the gap in the divisions, respectively. Official points will be posted by the series later in the week (www.lucasoiloffroad.com).
The Pro-4 race on Saturday didn’t look promising on the opening lap when contact from the pole-sitter sent him into the outside retaining wall. Renezeder found himself in last place instead of second, with just twenty laps to get back to the front. In hindsight, it was probably the best thing to happen all weekend. He had no choice but to test the limits of the truck – go on the offensive rather than try to defend a podium position. He attacked the course and the truck responded. He also managed to pass the entire field before the checkered flag flew.
The Pro-2 race followed an hour later and Renezeder led from wire to wire, but not without some serious battles with the 2010 champion, Rob MacCachren. He got around Renezeder one time in the closing laps, but a red flag situation on the track reverted the field back to the previously scored lap. Renezeder restarted in the lead and never looked back.
Sunday’s Pro-4 race was a battle of epic proportions between Renezeder and LeDuc from start to finish, and after twenty laps of dueling, the two drag-raced out of the final corner and LeDuc beat him to the line by a nose. While Renezeder would have loved to be on the winning end of that, he will remember the battle for a lifetime.
The Pro-2 race closed out the weekend of racing and Renezeder started outside front row next to Brian Deegan. He got a great start and led the field by the time they completed lap one. Greg Adler put up a great fight for several of the closing laps, but it was Renezeder that took the checkers for the 95th time in his short course career.
The spectacular Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah is next on the schedule for the LOORRS series the weekend of June 24-26, where Renezeder will attempt to better his results yet again.
Photo: HighRev Photography