Fort Mill, SC – June 18, 2013 – Team GT veteran, Carl Renezeder, has himself a six-pack…of wins that is. To date, in the 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season, Renezeder has managed to take home all six of the Pro-4 winner trophies. In fact, he has an eight race Pro-4 winning streak that dates back to the Challenge Cup in 2012. This weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, Renezeder looks to extend that streak to 10 and add to his list of 111 career wins.
While Renezeder makes winning look easy, the competition in LOORRS is anything but. To win a LOORRS race a driver needs tenacity, finesse, assertiveness and a good set of General Tire Red Letter Grabbers. The combination of changing track conditions, truck set-up and the other 15+ drivers around you, make for some dicey situations but Renezeder has the right combination figured out and we sat down with him this week to find out how he makes the on-track magic happen. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: You are on quite the hot streak right now. What’s the difference between this year and last year at this time?
A: If I knew for sure, we wouldn’t have had the year we did last year! After so many years of doing this, I’m finally understanding that it’s rare for everything to come together just right to be on a hot streak like the one we’re on now. Case in point: we’re doing well in Pro-2, but nowhere near as well as we are in Pro-4. We work hard to put all the pieces together for both trucks, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished so far this year, but we’re definitely not satisfied. There’s always room for improvement.
Q: You make winning look so easy. Describe to people how hard it is and just how tough the competition is out there.
A: It’s almost impossible to describe to someone what it’s like to be accurate and competitive in our racing environment. We’re asked to run side-by-side over shock-pounding, unforgiving terrain, while flying over 200 feet through the air, through rutted up turns, on a surface that’s constantly changing – it’s intense. Add twenty different personalities, each fueled by their own desire to win and 900 horsepower, and it’s a recipe for chaos. But there’s no other type of racing I’d choose to do – I’m honored to be able to drive these trucks.
Q: What’s it going to take to continue your winning streak and win another championship?
A: We’ve got to continue to improve both trucks, and we can’t afford any DNF’s. We’re in the middle of two intense points battles, and we’re gonna fight hard all the way through the final round to try to secure two more championships.
Q: How do you celebrate a win?
A: That’s definitely changed over the years. I’d say this season more than any other we’ve learned to truly appreciate what it means to stand on the top of that box. It’s less of a celebration and more of a few moments of gratitude – for each other on the team, for our family, friends and fans that support us, and for the companies that believe in us enough to give us the opportunity to do it, like General Tire. That combination of things makes all the effort worthwhile.
Q: What are some of the challenges at Miller Motorsports Park?
A: We’ve had some pretty bad luck the past couple seasons, particularly in our Pro-2, at Miller Motorsports Park. It’s a tight track, which means narrow racing lines, but it’s always been racy, and this year we’re looking forward to being competitive in all four of our races.
Q: How would you describe the racing at Miller to a new fan that’s coming to the event for the first time?
A: Miller Motorsports Park is one of the nicest facilities we’ve ever raced at, and I think the fans there know what a spectacular venue they have. It’s an incredibly family-friendly atmosphere, and the amenities are second-to-none. The new fans will be blown away by the stuff we put these trucks through – how high and far we fly, how close the racing action is – and how they can come back to the pit area after the race and meet the teams and drivers and watch them work. The whole day is a great family experience.