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Category: Events/Competitions

PATRICK CLARK BATTLES SHORT COURSES BEST FOR ANOTHER SHOT AT A PODIUM

Patrick Clark and his team made their way back to Lake Elsinore, CA for the second time this season. Rounds 5&6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series took place May 30th-31st at the Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park, right where opening rounds took place earlier in the year. Since the start of the season, Clark has been a contender and is one driver that has now proved he has what it takes to be a threat to those who are the consistently on the podium. Clark may not have got on the podium for the weekend, but it wasn’t for his lack of effort and driving skills.

The Pro 2 Unlimited is always the premier class that closes out the show. With rounds 5&6 taking place during the day the sun always plays a factor on the course and how quick it is going to dry out and by the time the Pro 2’s took to the course, it was plagued by the hot temperatures. With sun glaring down on the drivers they took to the green flag and the all for one race was making its way around the course. With Clarks 5th place qualifying position he had a good chance to make his way towards the front.

At the start of the race Clark would fall back to 6th all while clipping on the heels of Woods who was attempting to not let Clark sneak ahead. Clark and Woods would show the crowd a great battle and as Clark put the pressure on woods on lap two it would be Clark that was able to complete the pass making his way to 5th place early on in the race. Up ahead with the leaders there was no change in position the leaders clicked down the laps.

After a full course caution to clear the track of hazardous debris the race would resume on lap 10 with the leaders still staying in the same position. Woods didn’t back down as he was giving Clark a little taste of pressure. A minor error caused Clark to go wide in turn one allowing for Woods, Deegan and Creed to make up valuable time on him. It would be in turn three where the pressure really piled on as Clark and Woods would go door to door through the turn and almost coming to a complete stop as traffic piled up behind them. Clark would be the first on the gas to pull away from what could have been a bad turn out and he continued to hold down his 5th place all the way to the checkered flag.

“Its so hard to predict what is going to happen during the race and I’m just glad that we got out of that one with the finish that we did.” Stated Clark.

Round 6 didn’t go as planned for Clark as he attempted to avoid a collision on lap one when two trucks piled up in front of him and as he tried to take the clean line, a competitor that was involved in the pile up pulled out in front of Clark and struck the front right of his truck causing damage to the tire. Clark made his way all the up to 7th position before the tire gave way on the final lap. Clark would end the weekend with a 12th place finish.

Patrick Clark Racing will now head back to the shop and prepare for the next rounds that will take place at Miller Motorsports Park just outside of Salt Lake City, UT. Three weeks of turn around time isn’t a lot for a team and it will be long days as these guys prepare at another attempt at a win in Rounds 7&8 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

Patrick Clark Racing would like to thank all their sponsors that make racing possible. Budweiser, PMG Companies, Nevada Beverage Company, Collins Motorsports, Method Race Wheels, Dynamic Motorsports, King Shocks, Stoney Automotive Engineering, Howe and More.

June 11, 2015
King Shocks Takes the Overall Win in the 47th SCORE Baja 500

June 10, 2015 – Garden Grove, CA – King Shocks takes the overall win in the 47th SCORE Baja 500 with Apdaly Lopez. The win earns King Shocks its third straight overall victory in the SCORE International Off-Road Racing Series. The SCORE season kicked off with Tavo Vildosola taking the overall win at the San Felipe 250. The Baja Sur 500 saw Apdaly’s RPM Racing and King Shocks teammate Lalo Laguna as the fastest overall driver on the 500-mile course. At the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500, it was Apdaly’s turn to outrun the field in a 500-mile Baja torture test. You might have seen the young Lopez taking a gold medal at the X-games behind the wheel of his Formula Off-Road Stadium Super Truck in 2014. His X-games gold medal performance made him the youngest driver in X Games history to win a gold medal in a car or truck. He also became the first Mexican National to earn an X Games gold medal. Now he has a prestigious Baja 500 victory to add to his credentials.

Lopez overcame brake issues at mile 100 that cost him ten minutes of down time in the early going. Once that was sorted out, he made up the lost time and continued on to victory. “Winning this Baja 500 wasn’t just luck, it was preparation and hard work,” Said Lopez, “My King Shocks helped me to push the #5 to the limit. The truck was working perfect on the most demanding trails in Baja. In the whoops, my King shocks gave me excellent control, stability and speed. They allowed me to run mistake free and cut significant time after we had to fix some brake issues. Hands down, King Shocks are the best shocks in the desert.”

With numerous SCORE and BITD wins and Championships in several classes to their credit, the bright orange trucks and cars of RPM are making a huge impact on the sport of off-road racing. The Bristol, Tennessee based team has developed many talented new drivers in the sport including both Apdaly Lopez and Lalo Laguna.

With so many different vehicles competing under the RPM banner, they rely on the precise adjustability, race winning performance and personalized technical support provided by King Shocks. You can get the same damping technology on your vehicle. Regardless if you are competing or just having fun, whatever your application; King Shocks has the shock you need with the same performance and reliability that Apdaly Lopez and the RPM racing team enjoy.

The benefit of running King Shocks was clearly established at the SCORE Baja 500. “King Shocks congratulates Apdaly Lopez on his magnificent Baja 500 victory,” said Ramses Perez, director of marketing, King Shock Technology Inc. “With the 47th SCORE Baja 500 triumph and three consecutive overall victories in the SCORE series in 2015, I am pleased to say King Shocks is the shock choice of Off-Road champions.”

About King Shocks
King Shocks makes world-class desert racing shocks for trucks, buggies and UTV’s. King manufactures and hand assembles all of their shocks in Southern California. King Shocks has been the industry leader for over a decade and continues to leave the competition in the dust by providing the level of quality, performance and customer service that champions demand.

June 10, 2015
BFGoodrich presents: Race-Dezert’s Off-Road Destinations: Pre-Running Baja with Bryce Menzies

Pre-Run the 2015 Baja 500 with 3x Champion Bryce Menzies

Jump in with 3x Baja 500 champion Bryce Menzies in his BFGoodrich KO2 equipped trophy truck pre-runner and go explore the untouched beauty of Baja the only way you can, off-road. Meet Bryce’s co-driver Pete Mortenson who plays a critical part in his success as well as BFG teammate Jesse Jones. Tackle some of the toughest terrain in Baja including fast rally roads, rocky trails, parched dry lake beds, and rock beaches all while exploring the stunning beauty and culture of Baja, CA.
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June 7, 2015
BFGoodrich® Tires Looks To Continue Torrid Desert Race Run at SCORE Baja 500

Tire maker has claimed seven consecutive overall SCORE desert race titles

Ensenada, Mexico, June 4, 2015 – After sweeping the SCORE International Desert Racing series last year and helping put champion racers back on the podium, BFGoodrich^® Tires is poised to continue its string of seven consecutive overall SCORE desert race wins at the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 in Ensenada, Mexico, starting Saturday, June 6.

The outstanding run of successes last year included overall wins at the SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000, and coincided with the introduction of the latest in desert race tire technology with the BFGoodrich Tires Baja T/A^® KR2. The tire has been adopted by race teams in various classes and now has amassed 11 overall desert race wins.

Storylines for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500:

· Not only has BFGoodrich taken the overall wins in the last seven SCORE Desert races, it has also collected 16 of the last 17 major North American desert races, including the Best In The Desert series.

· In 2015, BFGoodrich has been the tire of choice for every overall winner for these major races – BITD MINT, BITD Parker, BITD Silver State, Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur, and Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250.

· In the Baja peninsula, BFGoodrich Tires dominates, collecting a total of 83 overall victories.
· Last year, BFGoodrich Tires claimed its 30^th overall SCORE Baja 500 win. Over the past three years, BFGoodrich has been on 23 of the top 30 overall finishers and claimed 23 class titles at this race.

· The BFGoodrich Tires Baja T/A® KR2 race tire has 11 overall desert race wins.
· Taking into account the last two years of races in Baja, BFGoodrich Tires has claimed 74 percent of the overall top finishers (52 of 70) and an astounding 64 class wins. “The Baja peninsula has been an important proving ground for our company,” said Peter Calhoun, BFGoodrich Tires motorsports manager. “Our success here in racing has also translated into us creating the best all-terrain tires for the driving public. We have our teams of the podium again this year.”

Menzies Looks To Make History
BFGoodrich Performance Team member Bryce Menzies captured last year’s SCORE Baja 500 after missing an opportunity to claim three in a row in 2013. Nonetheless, Menzies, who will drive the No. 77 Red Bull Ford F-150, has claimed the overall win in three of the last four years in this race and looks to join an elite group of just five racers who have four overall SCORE Baja 500 wins.
Other racers in this year’s field looking to join that group include Troy Herbst and fellow BFGoodrich Performance Team member Rob MacCachren.

Vildosola Leads Collection of BFGoodrich Tires Racer In SCORE World Desert Championship Points Race
After another dominating performance at the season opening Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250, Gus Vildosola Jr leads the overall SCORE World Desert Championship points followed closely by Eduardo Laguna, overall winner at the Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur race.Just two races into the five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship, the top five overall points leaders choose BFGoodrich Tires to affix to their race trucks. Following Vildosola and Laguna, stands Lopez Apdaly, last year’s overall champion Steven Eugenio and Rob MacCachren.

BFGoodrich Tires Show Well at the SCORE Baja 500
Last year, BFGoodrich Tires not only took the overall win, but its race tires ran on nine of the top 10 overall finishers and 17 of the top 20, while adding seven class wins at the SCORE Baja 500. In Class 1, four of the top five class finishers, including class 1 winner Cody Parkhouse, who finished 10th overall, ran on BFGoodrich Tires.

It was BFGoodrich Tires 30th overall SCORE Baja 500 win. Over the past three years, BFGoodrich has been on 23 of the top 30 overall finishers and claimed 23 class titles.

KR2 Stands Out Once Again
Since being run as a developmental tire in 2013, the BFGoodrich Baja T/A® popularity among desert racers. It has been run on the vehicles that won 7 of nine desert races in 2014 and all four desert races in 2015 — BITD MINT, BITD Parker, BITD Silver State, SCORE Baja Sur and San Felipe.

The KR2 tire, originally designed for the Trophy Truck class, has become so renowned that it now has been developed, with subtle adjustments, for several classes. Racers in Class 1, Class 7 and Class 10, as well as the UTV class, new this year, will be running KR2 tires and joining those in the Trophy Truck and Trophy Truck spec classes.

This tire development has gone even beyond desert racing. The core structure of the KR2 has also been used on the
winning entry of Randy Slawson at this year’s King of The Hammers race in California. The BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2-S was specially designed to handle the speeds and rock crawling demands of that unique race.

But if desert sand and rock wasn’t enough to prove its mettle, the BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2 tire was also used as the race tire for the Red Bull Frozen Rush competition over the past two years. This event features trophy trucks racing up snow covered ski slopes, using the specially prepared tire renamed BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A FR2 for the event.

• The historic desert tires–The BFGoodrich® like many off road tires, used the Baja peninsula as a proving ground for its toughness and performance. Radial All-Terrain T/A® Launched nearly 40 years ago, this tire claimed its first victory in 1977 at the Baja 500. Several years later on the next iteration of the tire it claimed it’s first of many overall Baja 1000 wins in 1986 in an entry driven by Mark McMillin and Ralph Paxton. That started a run that witnessed the BFGoodrich Tires company claiming 20 consecutive overall Baja 1000 titles.From there the BFGoodrich Baja TA KR tire became the tire of choice for more race teams in Baja than any other tire. Starting in the early 1990s, the KR tire helped evolving, faster and heavier Trophy Trucks to victory. The BFGoodrich Baja KR and KRT tire has taken home more overall Baja 1000 wins than any other tire combined. And with the new iteration of that tire, the KR2, the success story continues.

2014 Was The Year of BFG; 2015 Sizing up to be the same
BFGoodrich Tires saw considerable success last year and continues to do so this season. With overall victories in races supported by both major desert racing bodies – SCORE International and Best In the Desert, BFGoodrich Tires is leading the way for success in the desert. Overall BFGoodrich Race wins in the last two years.

2014

BITD Parker 425 Jason Voss

SCORE San Felipe 250 Gus Vildosola Jr

BITD Mint 400 Andy McMillin

SCORE Imperial Valley 250 Andy McMillin

BITD Silver State 300 Jason Voss

SCORE Baja 500 Bryce Menzies

BITD Vegas To Reno Jason Voss

SCORE Desert Challenge Steven Eugenio

BITD Henderson 250 Jason Voss

SCORE Baja 1000 Rob MacCachren/Andy McMillin/Jason Voss

2015

BITD Parker 425 Gary Weyhrich

SCORE San Felipe 250 Gus Vildosola Jr

BITD Mint 400 Justin Lofton

SCORE Baja Sur Eduardo Laguna

BITD Silver State 300 Jason Voss

In addition to supplying tires to a number of Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 competitors, BFGoodrich Tires will continue to lend unparalleled pit and communications support to teams through its fleet of off-road motorsports vehicles, and will provide accommodations and supplies at the media center. This immense undertaking involves nearly 100 off-road enthusiasts and volunteers who donate their time in order to help make the race an overwhelming success.Follow along with this year’s SCORE Baja 500 with race stories, images and videos as well as images at www.bfgoodrichracing.com.

About BFGoodrich
Using motorsports as a proving ground for more than 40 years, BFGoodrich® sports car, drag, desert, dirt, short course and extreme rock crawling. BFGoodrich Tires combines technological expertise with vast motorsports experience, delivering a high-performance tire for every type of vehicle. Visit BFGoodrich Motorsports site at
http://www.bfgoodrichracing.com/or BFGoodrich Tires on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BFGoodrichTires or on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BFGoodrichTires.

June 5, 2015
Dirt Riot Heads to the Big House at Crandon International Raceway this Weekend

Dirt Riot Endurance 4×4 Racing both Saturday and Sunday as part of Super Challenge Off-Road Race

BLACKFOOT, ID JUNE 3, 2015: A $10,000 Pro Class purse guarantee and $5,000 UTV purse guarantee is waiting for this weekends Dirt Riot racers at the Crandon International Raceway as part of the 2015 Londerville Steel Super Challenge Off-Road Race. In the races second year, Branik Motorsports has sweetened the pot again by $5,000 and will have the rotating Branik Cup on display for the winner of the 4400 Pro 4×4 class to display for the year. Racing will be all day on Saturday and Sunday with Dirt Riot featured on the short course track each afternoon. Other classes of racers include Sportsman short course racing 1600 Light Buggy, Classix & Stock Truck, 1600 Buggy & Super Buggy, Short Course Karts, Limited 4 & Formula 4×4, Super Stock Truck and Super Truck. All the Dirt Riot classes will stand and then in the late afternoon the Mud Drags will kick off. (more…)

June 4, 2015
RJ Anderson Sweeps LOORRS Lake Elsinore in Pro Lite

Earns First Pro 2 Podium Of The Season

Riverside, CA 6/2/15 – After a wet and frustrating weekend at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports park RJ Anderson and the whole team were ready to get back to Lake Elsinore for the second time this season and get some results! Rounds 5 and 6 of the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series were lucky to avoid all the rainfall of the past few weeks but drivers and machines would have the challenge of hot days to contend with as temperatures climbed into the 90s.

Saturdays Pro-Lite race saw RJ starting on the front row and he quickly jumped out into the lead. RJ would field a couple of challenges from Brandon Arthur and Brad Deberti but he avoided the carnage behind him to take the win in spectacular fashion leading from the green flag to the checkers. This was the first win of the season for the #37 Loanmart/South Point Pro-Lite but it wouldn’t be the last.

The Pro 2 main event rolled around to close out the day and spirits were high. The flag dropped and after the first lap of racing RJ came through in third position. He held onto the 3rd spot for most of the race, fending off some of the best drivers in the world, but with only two laps to go the #37 Pro 2 suffered an axle failure forcing RJ to pull off the track. Accepting that sometimes short course off road racing is a war of attrition, the team returned to the pits to prep for Round 6.

Sundays racing got started with slightly better weather conditions but just as much action out on the track. In the Pro-Lite main event RJ Anderson jumped out to an early lead and proceeded to put on a clinic, maintaining that lead for every lap of the race to complete a sweep of the weekend’s Pro-Lite racing. RJ really showed maturity and mental strength in pulling off this win as he stayed focused and lightning fast throughout the many full course cautions.

After fixing the broken axle from Round 5, RJ and the team felt confident they they would be able to show the same speed again on Sunday. The morning of the race someone noticed a leak that turned out to be a serious engine problem and the whole team sprang into action. With RJ starting on the pole the stakes were high and the crew pushed hard, pulling of a complete engine swap in little more than two hours time to get RJ to the line.

Once on the track RJ did not disappoint jumping out and holding his first place position for the entire first lap ahead of Brian Deegan and Bryce Menzies. RJ held off the horde of drivers behind him until lap 9 when Deegan managed to get by moving him into second. RJ battled hard with Rob MacCachren and was able to hold him off despite the loss of rear brakes. On the final lap RJ was caught by a hard-charging Menzies in a drag race to the finish line. Getting edged out in a photo finish, Anderson would have to settle for third.

The whole team is thrilled with the results of the weekend as RJ showed he still has the speed to dominate in an increasingly competitive Pro-Lite class as well as run up front in both Pro 2 races. RJ would like to thank all of the friends, family and teammates who came out to support the RJ37 team this weekend. He would also like to express his gratitude toward the gracious sponsors that make this all happen. The Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series rolls into Tooele, UT over Father’s Day weekend June 20-21 and the team will be there ready to back up their results!

RJ also recently competed in Round 6 of the World Off Road Championship Series driving his Polaris/Walker Evans Racing RZR. He took to the track in the cold and wet conditions and ran a clean and fast race to earn himself the top spot on the podium and inch closer to first place in the point standings. RJ will compete in WORCS again July 31-Aug 2nd in Straddeline, WA. Be sure to keep up with RJ on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all of this year’s racing exploits!

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June 3, 2015