RockCrawler.com

Category: Events/Competitions

  • Yokohama to Sponsor 2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series

    Tiremaker returns to short-course racing for the first time since 1994

    FULLERTON, CA (Feb. 4, 2010) – Yokohama Tire Corporation is expanding its off-road activities, becoming an associate sponsor of the eight-weekend 2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Series. The one-year sponsorship agreement includes track signage and a space in the vendor/pit area.

    “Partnering with Lucas Oil and its successful off-road racing series is another positive step for our expanding motorsports program and benefits Yokohama in a variety of ways,” said Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate strategy and planning. “The series has a lot of exciting classes and receives a lot of TV coverage which will help us to promote our Geolandar® tire line.”

    Lucas Oil Off-Road combines the Midwest tradition of short-course off-road racing with a West Coast influence and features seven classes: Unlimited 4, Unlimited 2, Unlimited Lite, Super Lite, Unlimited Buggy, Limited Buggy and Kart. The season is eight weekends and features two races per day each weekend. There is a 15-race points championship battle and the final day is the Challenge Cup Shootout. The season kicks off March 6-7 at the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex, Lake Elsinore, California.

    “We are proud that Yokohama has chosen the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series as the venue to renew their presence in short-course off-road racing. We value the commitment they are making to the series and our race teams,” stated Bob Patison, Lucas Oil Products executive vice president.

    The last time Yokohama was involved with short-course racing was with the Mickey Thompson Stadium Series from 1989-1994. In Lucas Off-Road, Yokohama-sponsored racers will compete in the Unlimited Lite, Unlimited Buggy and Limited Buggy classes, where the drivers will use off-the-shelf Geolandar® tires.

    2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Schedule

    • March 6-7, Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex, Lake Elsinore, California
    • April 17-18, Speedworld Off-Road Park, Surprise, Arizona
    • May 22-23, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
    • June 26-27, Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
    • August 7-8, Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex, Lake Elsinore, California
    • September 25-26, Speedworld Off-Road Park, Surprise, Arizona
    • November 6-7, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
    • December 11-12, Firebird Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona

    Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series details: http://www.lucasoiloffroad.com

    Celebrating its 40th anniversary in the United States, Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the dB Super E-spec™ – the world’s first tire to use orange oil to reduce petroleum – as well as tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

    Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tire Safety” section at www.yokohamatire.com.

  • 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers Has over $57,000 of Winnings on the Table

    JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, FEBRUARY 3, 2009: The winner of the 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers will be awarded $10,000 from King of the Hammers in addition to $5,000 from BFGoodrich at the awards ceremony that will commence the 4th running of the King of the Hammers.

    BFGoodrich is not only adding to the cash prize, but is also giving the new King the offer of an eight tire contract for their 2010 racing efforts. Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems will be adding a 2×2 CNC Prototyping System to the New Kings garage. It includes a Thermal Dynamics Plasma Cutter, Hand Torch Holder, Routing Package, Torchmate CAD software, BobCad 3D Software, and is valued over $7,250. If that wasn’t enough, there is an additional $33,700 dollars available to pick up in contingency.

    A company puts up a contingency on a race stating a requirement, for example, must have stickers or their specific product on the race vehicle. They then state an award ranging from thousands of dollars to gift certificates or products depending on the drivers finishing place. Some great companies stepped up to help the drivers with contingency opportunities this year. In the shock world, FOA Shocks put $5,000 up, King Shocks put $4,000 up and Sway-A-Way, Radflo Suspension Technology, and Bilstein Shocks are also participating. Traxxas put out a fun prize of Summit radio controlled monster trucks for the winning driver and crew. The prizes aren’t all for first place, there is contingency money scattered across the board with one of the bigger one a $2,500 cash prize from Longfield Super Axles for the first person to not qualify into the 2011 King of the Hammers.

    The 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier is going to be a strategic race for positioning in Friday’s race, but there is also over $1000 of contingency money at stake for first place. Coming out of the Last Chance Qualifier in 1st place puts you 5th position, with the only better starting position being 8th to start in 3rd position, why not go for first and grab some contingency money. There should be an even stronger battle for first now.

    $5,000 will be awarded to the winner of the Pit Bull Tires UTV King of the Hammers race. This is the largest purse in the history of all UTV racing. In addition, there is another $2500 out in contingency prizes that can be awarded.

    The awards ceremony will be a great event where all of the mentioned cash and prizes will be handed out to the very well deserving 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers drivers.

    Please see the specific listings of requirements and awards at www.kingofthehammers.com in the recent news column at the bottom of the home page.

  • 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers DownTown HammerTown

    JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, FEBRUARY 1, 2010: DownTown HammerTown has been laid out and is amazing! The chalk is on the ground and now we are waiting for the tents to be erected and the semi’s to arrive. It is truly a city on the lakebed!

    There are over 80 vendors that will line the rows and fill the big 100×120 circus tent. They range from vendors just showing their products, to massive outfits that have parts on sell for you to take advantage of. You will just about be able to buy anything from nuts and bolts, t-shirts and hats, to some large bolt on items that you can purchase and walk out to install. The best part of the Vendor show is you don’t have to wait to use your newest gadget! You can use it that day!

    The tent that you won’t miss is the King of the Hammers general store. There you will find all the 2010 merchandise and programs. These programs will make you successful during the week at the 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers. It has the schedule of events, the drivers and numbers, the course maps and some great articles about the history of the King of the Hammers.

    There are a number of manufactures that have stepped up to help out with any needs that may arise over the week. There will be multiple shock support rigs here including King, Fox and Bilstein. Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems has offered their services to cut anything that you need right on the lakebed. ReadyWelder will have a welder that drivers can use to tack up a recent break. 4 Wheel Parts will have their semi out with a large assortment of items, but they will also be able to special order you products that will be delivered to the lake bed the next morning. Butch’s Speed shop and PCI Radios will be on site to take care of your last minute racing needs. So don’t worry if something happens while you’re out there, our team of support vendors are there to lend a hand.

    Traxxas is building an RC track that will be utilized for the Pro Driver race on Tuesday night and for anyone that brings their RC cars to play with during the week. RC4WD will also have a rock pile inside the main tent to test their cars.

    Tinaz Tacos and Funnel Cake will be out here the whole week to keep our tummies happy. Don’t worry, Tinaz Tacos serves other dinner items for all of you wanting to eat there all week. And if a hot cooked meal is not what you are looking for, there will be ice, snacks and dry package goods available at New Image 4×4.

    We encourage you to stop by the Land Use Emporium where all the land use groups have bound together and united. It is important that as 4 wheelers we all work together to participate with these groups. Some will be doing raffles and others will just be handing out valuable information.

    DownTown HammerTown will be where all the action is. The Start Finish line is right here. Nightly parties will happen out of the Griffin Pirate4x4 Lounge with the campfire just walking distance away. Cars will fill the aisles for Contingency and Tech and stay in town for the Raceline Wheels Show and Shine. And the Pirate4x4 TV Live! show will be running Live all week.

    Bring your shopping list and increase your line of credit because I guarantee you there will be something here that you want!

    To see all of the vendors and the map layouts go to: http://www.kingofthehammers.com/partners.php

    • 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers
    • 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier
    • Pit Bull Tires UTV King of the Hammers
    • Official Tire: BFGoodrich
    • Official Wheel: RaceLine
    • Official Light: Vision X
    • Official Shock: FOA
    • Official Suspension System: GenRight
    • Official Toyota Rock Crawling Parts Supplier: Trail Gear
    • Official Steering: PSC Motorsports
    • Official Oil: Royal Purple
    • Official RC Car: Traxxas

  • 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier Order and Course

    JOHNSON VALLEY, CA, JANUARY 29, 2010: The 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers has 21 additional spots available for the 42 competitors of the 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier on Tuesday February 9th and Wednesday February 10th.

    The 2010 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier order has been determined by random draw. Larry Gipson will be first off the line Tuesday morning to test his talents and attempt at qualifying. “I am used to all the pressure and know what needs to be done,” said Gipson. “I need to drive as hard as I can and be as smart as can be. I just need to finish it to get into the race on Friday.”

    By Wednesday afternoon the 42nd and final driver will be Tim Emick, who some argue will have the best opportunity after watching the 41 drivers before him complete the course. “I think this is the first time I am happy to go last,” said Tim Emick, whose brother Dustin Emick will be co-driving. “Only time will tell if we are really lucky though, it all depends on what the tracks are like after the 41 people before me.”

    The Last Chance Qualifier has a lot of names that are familiar with King of the Hammers. Ian McGlynn, Cottin Rodd and Larry Gipson all raced in the 2009 Griffin King of the Hammers main race last year and are still trying to qualify for this years race. There is also a group of seven that competed in last years LCQ who are trying their luck again including Brandon Johnson, Troy Bailey, James Andrus, Brandon Davis, Loren Healey, Jose Ponce and Josh Patt.

    There are 33 names on the 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier list that have never competed in the event before. Trophy Truck driver Curt Leduc and NHRA Pro Sportsman Drag Racer Les Figueroa are included among them. Les comments, “This is a huge challenge not knowing what to expect, it’s the most homework I have ever done for a race, it’s a lot different than going really fast, and trying to stay straight! Luckily, we will be going in the first day and if we do well that will give us an extra day to prepare for Friday’s race and be successful.”

    There is quite a bit of strategy that will go into the qualifying process. Drivers will not only want to be in the qualifying group, but will be conscious of what position within the 21 they end up. As part of the Main Race starting draw, the LCQ starting positions were determined as well. For example, the Last Chance Qualifier that finishes in the 8th place, will take the 3rd position on the Main Race starting grid. Whereas, the driver that gets a better time in the LCQ and finishes 4th has a Main Race starting position of 94th! David Smiley who will race on day two said, “we will watch for times and try to position us the best as possible, although we know there are still a lot of drivers behind us that could throw it off. We will watch on Tuesday and change and firm up our strategy depending on what we see during Day 1 Qualifying.”

    The course this year is a grueling 6 miles. It starts by zig zagging up and around Means Butte and then increases speed through some fast desert to the Back Door obstacle that was the center of attention last year. Once the driver clears Back Door, they have a stretch of fast yet large whoops to handle and then go down Trap Door. As Back Door is a vertical climb, Trap Door is a vertical fall. Competitors will finish off the course with a very fast and fun desert section that has some serious potential for overdriving. As a spectator, it is good that there are two days of qualifying so you can move to different locations to see all the action. See the entire course rolled out at http://vimeo.com/9059027.

    Every spot in the Griffin King of the Hammers has been earned, but those that qualify through this final process could be called Knights of Armor. They are attempting to race two of the most challenging races back to back with only a day in between.

    A section by section presentation of the 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier can be watched at: http://vimeo.com/9059027

    2010 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier Starting Positions

    1 Larry Gipson

    2 Clay Eagan

    3 Michael Feagins

    4 Carl Nielson

    5 Jonathon Terhune

    6 John Goodby

    7 Robert Foster

    8 Willie Gray Roberson II

    9 Jack Childers

    10 Ian McGlynn

    11 Brian Tilton

    12 Mark Weel

    13 Ritchie Keller

    14 Brandon Johnson

    15 Chad Burchik

    16 Bill Kreisel

    17 Michael Colville

    18 Troy Bailey

    19 Matt Burkett/Curt Leduc

    20 Cottin Rodd

    21 Les Figueroa

    22 Jason Feuilly

    23 Josh Patt

    24 Shawn Fisher

    25 Matt Enochs

    26 Chad Wheeler

    27 Andy Gladen

    28 Brandon Davis

    29 Aaron Beckstead

    30 Gary Ferravonti

    31 James Andrus

    32 Jason Conover

    33 Rob Klinger

    34 David Smiley

    35 Scott Morris

    36 Damian Layer

    37 Joel Withers

    38 Joey Weber

    39 John Bennett

    40 Loren Healy

    41 Chris Garrison

    42 AJ Condon

    43 Matt Peterson

    44 Jose Ponce

    45 Tim Emick

    2010 Griffin King of the Hammers Starting Grid for LCQ Finishers

    3 LCQ 8

    5 LCQ 1

    9 LCQ 10

    10 LCQ 2

    14 LCQ 18

    18 LCQ 16

    19 LCQ 9

    25 LCQ 14

    26 LCQ 19

    34 LCQ 11

    53 LCQ 5

    58 LCQ 3

    60 LCQ 6

    64 LCQ 21

    75 LCQ 20

    77 LCQ 17

    82 LCQ 13

    83 LCQ 15

    84 LCQ 7

    94 LCQ 4

    99 LCQ 12

    • 2010 Griffin King of the Hammers
    • 4 Wheel Parts Last Chance Qualifier
    • Pit Bull Tires UTV King of the Hammers
    • Official Tire: BFGoodrich
    • Official Wheel: RaceLine
    • Official Light: Vision X
    • Official Shock: FOA
    • Official Suspension System: GenRight
    • Official Toyota Rock Crawling Parts Supplier: Trail Gear
    • Official Steering: PSC Motorsports
    • Official Oil: Royal Purple
    • Official RC Car: Traxxas

  • Joe Bacal Survives First-Corner Hit to Win Laughlin Desert Challenge

    Bacal and Lexus Take a Beating but Never Falter in Fast-Paced Race

    LAUGHLIN, Nevada, January 18, 2009 – In a heart-stopping beginning to his second year in off-road racing, Joe Bacal put his Lexus LX 570 ahead of his closest class rival as they raced flat out to the first corner at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge 2010 season opener on Saturday, only to feel the full force of competition slam into him as he headed for the apex.  Rival competitor Justin Matney left a major wound in Bacal’s Lexus as he pushed his way through, but the adrenaline-fired Bacal re-passed Matney shortly after and was never headed again en route to another Stock Full-class victory this past weekend.

    This is not to say Bacal never looked back.  “This is one of the most difficult races I’ve done,” said Bacal.  “The longer races like Baja require a more conservative approach to make sure you finish.  But this was a sprint race and pretty much flat out—I didn’t even have time to wipe my visor.  It was crazy but the Lexus is a rocket ship.”

    And like Bacal, apparently hard to break.  Despite considerable damage sustained in the crash, Bacal, co-driver Bob Ditner and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Lexus continued unabated after the first-corner dust-up—important because the other competitors weren’t letting up.  After their Saturday triumph, Bacal and Ditner duplicated the feat on Sunday in the second and final round of the Laughlin event.

    The two-race format gives competitors a chance to race on Saturday and repair/refresh their vehicles for the second round on Sunday.  The event is the first on the 2010 SCORE calendar and Bacal’s back-to-back victories give him a large lead in the Stock Full class championship after just one race weekend.  “It’s the best possible way to begin the new season,” noted Bacal.  “I have to thank Bob (Ditner) and my team for such a great start.”

    Significantly, Bacal and his BF Goodrich-shod Lexus also extended their perfect finishing record.  This was their fourth event since the JTGrey team began its off-road racing campaign with a surprise win at the Baja 500 last year.  The LX 570 has been severely thrashed on the tough desert courses but has finished every time, remarkably with zero flat tires in over 1500 miles of hard desert racing.  Bacal has driven every mile.

    Joe Bacal and his JTGrey team race next at the Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, March 12-14.

    # # #

    For more information and updates on Joe Bacal, visit www.controlamidchaos.com.

    Bacal and the JTGrey Racing team acknowledge the following companies for their outstanding products, services and support:

    • Cancer Treatment Centers of America (primary sponsor)
    • Lexus (LX 570, original parts)
    • BF Goodrich (tires)
    • Toyota Racing Development (wheels, performance parts)
    • King Shocks (suspension components)
    • KC HiLiTES (lighting)
    • Head First Design (graphics and marketing support)
    • ARB and Old Man Emu (off road accessories)
    • Débaufré Swiss Watches
    • Sparco (seats, safety equipment)
    • Mechanix Wear
    • Geiser Brothers Racing (vehicle build and prep)
    • Powertank (CO2)
    • Tomo Therapy (Joe’s radiation treatment)

    About JTGrey:

    JTGrey Performance Driving, LLC was created in 2007 by Joe and Teresa Bacal to provide expert high-performance driving services (on and off-road) to the auto industry and related companies such as parts suppliers, print advertising and marketing agencies and the commercial and feature film industries, among  others.  The company is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

    JTGrey Racing was created by Joe and Teresa Bacal in 2008 to support Joe’s off-road racing efforts and is also based in Phoenix.

  • Yokohama Tire Corporation’s 2010 Motorsports Program Looks Like a Winner

    Tiremaker seeks to continue ’09 success with teams in off-road and ALMS, plus expanded “eco-racing’ with orange oil-infused tires in the GT3 Challenge and new GTC series

    FULLERTON, CA (Jan. 18, 2010) – In 2009, Yokohama Tire Corporation had many major motorsports successes, including repeat championships in off-road racing’s SCORE and SNORE series, and a season-long, strong run in ALMS. However, Yokohama’s most newsworthy motorsports accomplishment was to shatter the eco-racing barrier by introducing the orange oil -infused ADVAN® ENV-R1™, the first true environmentally-friendly tire used in a racing series.

    All that and more will continue in 2010 as Yokohama’s motorsports program shifts into high gear, according to Mark Chung, director, corporate strategy and planning.

    “From the historic introduction of our orange oil compound ENV-R1 race tires in the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama series to the repeat off-road desert series championships for Heidi Steele in SCORE and her husband Cameron Steele in SNORE, 2009 was a banner year,” Chung said. “And we expect even greater success in 2010. For example, we’ll be introducing an even more eco-friendly tire for the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama at Sebring in March, one that will further reduce the petroleum use in the tire. The orange oil technology in the ENV-R1 reduced petroleum inputs by 15 percent and increased recyclability while performing at the same level as previous compounds. All the Porsche GT3 racers raved about it. The new tire will be even better.”

    All told, Yokohama will participate in six race series during 2010, ranging from sports cars to off-road trucks. Series include:

    Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama

    This is the second year Yokohama is sponsoring the seven-race series. A new and improved version of the ENV-R tire will be the series’ spec tire and will be on a fleet of Porsche 911 GT3 race cars at leading U.S. tracks such as Sebring, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta.

    Once again, there will be a field of up to 35 cars vying for championships in two divisions: Platinum (for 2010 GT3 Porsches only) and Gold (2005½ – 2009 GT3 Porsches).

    The series begins at the 12 Hours of Sebring, March 18-20. For details, visit http://www.imsachallenge.com/ .

    2010 Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama Schedule

    • March 18-20: 58th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida
    • May 21-23: Monterey Sports Car Championships, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
    • June 26-27: New Jersey Race, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey
    • July 9-11: Utah Grand Prix, Miller Motorsports Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
    • August 6-7: Mid Ohio Sports Car Challenge, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
    • August 20-27: Road Race Showcase, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
    • September 29-October 2: 13th Annual Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia

    American Le Mans Series (ALMS)

    The big news this season is that Yokohama and RSR are partnering to field a Jaguar XKR GT2 entry, which will run on ADVAN A005® racing slicks. The No. 33 machine will be piloted by Trans-Am racing legend Paul Gentilozzi and sports car veteran Marc Goossens. They’ll be battling against the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Viper and Ford. Plans are for more Jaguar XKR GT cars to be added to the lineup during the season, as the team is in the process of building additional cars around the strong and rigid Jaguar XKR production vehicle that underpins the XKR GT racer.

    The nine-race series begins with the 12 hours of Sebring, March 18-20, and travels to many top courses, including Sebring and Road Atlanta, where Yokohama is the “Official Tire.” For details, visit the ALMS web site at http://www.americanlemans.com/ .

    ALMS GT Challenge (GTC) Class

    Yokohama’s orange oil-infused race tires will be campaigned in this new class within ALMS. The GTC class provides another rung on the ladder series within ALMS. A field of approximately 10 cars will compete at all ALMS events, including the endurance races such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. More details are at http://www.imsaracing.net/ .

    2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Schedule

    • March 18-20: 58th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida
    • April 16-17: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, California
    • May 20-23: American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
    • July 9-11: Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix, Miller Motorsports Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
    • July 23-24: American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Connecticut
    • August 5-7: Mid Ohio Sports Car Challenge, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio
    • August 20-22: Road Race Showcase, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
    • August 27-29: Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport, Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
    • September 29-October 2: 13th Annual Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia

    SCORE International Off Road Racing

    Yokohama-sponsored Heidi Steele, the three-time titlist and defending Class 6 SCORE (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) champion is back, along with her husband, Trophy Truck class veteran Cameron Steele, a two-time SCORE Person of the Year and TV commentator. Other Yokohama-sponsored drivers competing this season include Justin “Bean” Smith, Brent Parkhouse, Josh Daniel, Adam Ashcraft and Rick St. John.

    In 2008, Heidi etched her name in off-road history by being the first woman to win two major truck championships in one season – the Best in the Desert and SCORE. She also was named Dirt Sports magazine’s 2008 Driver of the Year, becoming the first female to win the coveted award. Heidi’s Ford Ranger runs on off-the-shelf Geolandar M/T+® tires.

    Cameron’s ride is the No. 16 800-horsepower Geiser Brothers Chevrolet truck, mounted with 37-inch Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S® R tires specially engineered for extreme off-road conditions. At press time, the Steeles were at the first race of the season, the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. The next race is the San Felipe 250 in Baja Mexico, March 12-14. For details, go to http://www.score-international.com/ .

    2010 SCORE Desert Championship Series Schedule

    • January 15-17: 16th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, Laughlin, Nevada
    • March 12-14: 24th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
    • June 4-6: 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 500, Ensenada, Baja, Mexico
    • September 10-12: 15th SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300, Primm, Nevada
    • November 17-21: 43rd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Ensenada to La Paz – Peninsula Run

    SNORE

    Two-time Unlimited Truck Class defending series champion Cameron Steele will pilot the 800-horsepower Geiser Brothers Chevrolet truck fitted with specially-engineered 37-inch Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S® R tires at every SNORE (Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts) event during the six-race 2010 season. Also returning is Steele’s Desert Assassins teammate Justin “Bean” Smith (riding on Yokohama Super Diggers). Smith won the Class 12 season title last year.

    First race is the Battle at Primm, February 19-21. Details can be found at http://www.snoreracing.net/ .

    2010 Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts (SNORE) Schedule

    • February 19-21: Battle at Primm, Primm Nevada
    • March 25-28:General Tire Mint 400, Las Vegas, Nevada
    • May 7-9: Dusty Times 250, Caliente, Nevada
    • July 30-Aug 1: KC HiLiTES Midnight Special, Ridgecrest, California
    • October 29-31: SNORE 250, Primm, Nevada
    • December 10-12: Rage at the River, Laughlin, Nevada

    Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series

    Yokohama is expanding its off-road activities by being an associate sponsor of the Lucas Oil Series. The eight-race series combines the Midwest tradition of short course off-road racing with a West Coast influence and features seven classes. The season kicks off March 6-7 at the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex in Lake Elsinore, California. For more information, visit http://www.lucasoiloffroad.com .

    2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Schedule

    • March 6-7: Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex, Lake Elsinore, California
    • April 10-11: Speedworld Off-Road Park, Surprise, Arizona
    • May 22-23: Primm Valley Motorsports Complex, Primm, Nevada
    • June 26-27: Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
    • August 7-8: Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex, Lake Elsinore, California
    • September 18-19: Speedworld Off-Road Park, Surprise, Arizona
    • October 23-24: Primm Valley Motorsports Complex, Primm, Nevada
    • December 11-12: Firebird Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona

    Celebrating its 40th anniversary in the United States, Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the dB Super E-spec™ – the world’s first tire to use orange oil to reduce petroleum – as well as tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

    Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tire Safety” section at www.yokohamatire.com.