E3 Spark Plugs News

Rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series presented by GEICO and sponsored in part by E3 Spark Plugs proved a beautiful but bittersweet time for racers and fans. We celebrated as one favorite competitor locked down the season’s first championship title and said a formal good-bye to two others.

Saturday’s round was the first since the death of 2010 Pro 4 Champion Rick Huseman, his brother Jeff and friend Dan Hicks, all killed in a plane crash near Barstow, CA last month. Tributes to the Huseman brothers could be seen everywhere. Pro 2 competitor Robby Woods’ truck featured a special green paint scheme with Rick Huseman’s name and number. Junior 2 Kart racer Shelby Anderson had her kart painted with the livery that Huseman ran and invited other racers to pen a special message on it. In fact, most ever vehicle and driver suit bore some sort of tribute to the Huseman brothers. Most touching, however, was the final lap of Rick Huseman’s No. 36 Toyota driven by brother Kevin Huseman. The number is now permanently retired from Pro 4.

After the opening ceremonies, racers were ready to put on a show worthy of their friends’ memory. And they did just that – especially in the Pro 4. Carl Renezeder; the three LeDucs, dad Curt and brothers Kyle and Todd; and Greg Adler spent much of the race neck-and-neck with each other – each leading the field at one point or another. The race proved quite the barnburner with two full-course cautions to clear Josh Merrell’s and Curt LeDuc’s trucks from the tracks.

When the mud stopped flying, it was Renezeder out front for his 98th off-road victory with enough series points to clinch this season’s Pro 4 championship title. Rounding out the top five were the brothers LeDuc, Kyle and Todd taking second and third place respectively, Adler finishing fourth and Kent Brascho finishing fifth.

E3 Spark Plugs racing fans and staff congratulate Renezeder and all the other winners. For full results visit the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series website.

Over the weekend things got HOT at the E3 Spark Plugs Duel in the Desert for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, AZ. In other corners of the world, people often say it’s “Africa Hot” but, under the searing heat for the LOORRS Rounds 11 and 12, it was “Arizona Hot”. As temperatures soared to triple digits, the action on track was getting even hotter as drivers in all classes were battling for precious points with only four races remaining in the 2011 series.

Located just to the northwest of downtown Phoenix, Speedworld has always been known for its fast but punishing layout. A tough course that typically takes a toll on both man and machine. This year’s event was no exception. After posting back-to-back wins in the last two rounds at Glen Helen, Rick Huseman had his Monster Energy/E3 Spark Plugs Toyota truck race ready for Round 11 and grabbed an early lead in Saturday’s event. But, the star of the day (and the big winner for weekend in Pro 4 Unlimited) was Kyle Leduc in the popular #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford truck. Leduc would finish four seconds ahead of Carl Renezeder with Huseman in third.

As the sun rose over the Arizona desert, Sunday morning brought new opportunities for the E3 Spark Plugs Toyota race team to claim a victory in the E3 sponsored event. This day it would be Kyle’s brother Todd Leduc who would start on the pole for Pro 4 main event with Huseman starting inside on the second row. Huseman quickly grabbed second place on the opening lap of Round 12 but began to slow on lap four as suspension gremlins damaged the driveshaft on the E3 Spark Plugs Toyota truck. Up front it was battle of the brothers as Kyle began to pressure Todd before a late-race yellow flag caused an inevitable restart.

When the green flag waved, it looked like bumper cars on dirt as Todd Leduc was pin-balled from first to fourth. Brother Kyle slipped by for the lead with Renezeder running in third place behind Adrian Cenni. The multi-time off road champion wasted little time and moved his famous #17 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford truck into second place. Renezeder would lean on Leduc for the lead but to no avail. Leduc got to the checkers first for his fourth win of the 2011 LOORRS season and his first sweep of the Pro 4 class at Speedworld Off Road Park. Huseman would limp home to a disappointing eighth place finish.

E3 racing fans can watch all the action from last weekend’s clash in the desert on Oct. 15th on CBS. The LOORRS teams have a few weeks off before the series heads to Sin City for Rounds 13 and 14 at the Las Vegas Speedway on Nov. 5-6. See you there!

 

If ever there was an epic short course race, it happened Sunday at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA. Round 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs had fans either on the edge of their seats, or out of their seats altogether – standing and cheering as Carl Renezeder and Kyle LeDuc battled it out in one of the most contentious races we’ve seen all season.

The Round 6 Pro 4 Unlimited started with Adrian Cenni in front, followed by LeDuc, Renezeder, Todd LeDuc and Rick Huseman following. Huseman spun out on lap two and Cenni exited the race by the end of lap three when his truck suddenly slowed. At the competition yellow, it was Kyle LeDuc, Renezeder, Huseman, Todd LeDuc, and Curt LeDuc in the top five and the leading three soon began to separate themselves from the rest of the pack and start a heated battle for the finish line. Of the three, it seemed Renezeder (who won both the Pro 4 and the Pro 2 in Round 5 the day before) and LeDuc who wanted that checkered flag most. The two ran neck-and-neck for the remainder of the race, each man making mistakes that momentarily him the lead, but catching up quickly. Finally, it was LeDuc who won by just a half-truck length ahead of Renezeder. Huseman, Todd LeDuc and Kent Brascho rounded out the top five.

“This was a great race because nobody was on the sidelines,” LeDuc said from the podium. “We were all up here battling, giving it everything.”

The Pro 2 Unlimited provided fireworks of its own. Renezeder again started on the front row alongside Brian Deegan, followed by Rodrigo Ampudia, Robby Woods and Greg Adler. By lap three, however, Adler had forced his way up the track to second place and, like a man possessed, was hot on Renezeder’s heels. Just after the restart, a nasty pileup claimed several would-be contenders and soon, the race was between Renezeder, Adler and Rob MacCachren who was making up time lost to an early spinout. Adler and MacCachren traded places a few times, but a broken driveshaft slowed MacCachren as he approached the finish line. Renezeder made it back-to-back Pro 2 wins with Adler finishing second and MacCachren third. Deegan had rebounded nicely from an earlier collision with Woods to take fourth place. Fifth went to Geiser.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates all of the weekend’s winners. Next stop for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: Miller Motorsports Park in the Salt Lake City, UT suburb of Tooele for Rounds 7 and 8 raced on an all-new track June 25 and 26. See you there!

 

Round 5 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs got underway Saturday at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California. Fans were loving the sunny springtime weather and the excitement got kicked up a notch with the presence of off-road legend and NASCAR star Robby Gordon competing in the weekend’s Pro 2 Unlimited field.

Before the engines revved, racers, staff and fans paid tribute to the late Jeff “Ox” Kargola, who passed away April 29 after sustaining a head injury on the second day of the Desert Assassins’ Rip to the Tip motocross event in Baja, CA. Kargola was among the rising stars of the series and is deeply missed.

In Saturday’s Pro 4, Rick Huseman was a marked man, having won the first four races. Sure enough, he bolted out front, followed closely by Adrian Cenni and all three LeDucs – Kyle, Todd and Curt. But, that didn’t last. Cenni ended up in the hot pits on lap six with an unknown issue. Todd LeDuc suffered a shredded left rear tire compliments of a determined Carl Renezeder.

When the green flag dropped after a competition yellow, Renezeder charged past Huseman. The on-track upset didn’t set well with Huseman, who over-jumped the tabletop into turn two of lap 14, planting his front bumper and nearly sidelining himself. The result was a broken shock that kept him from catching up with Renezeder, who gradually increased his lead all the way to the checkered flag. Huseman managed second place followed by Kent Brascho, Josh Merrell and Todd LeDuc.

The Pro 2 Unlimited provided some serious fireworks – literally. The race began with Renezeder and Robby Gordon starting side by side. Renezeder quickly took the lead with Gordon charging hard behind in the first lap, but pulled off the track and out of the race before completing the second lap. The race continued with two red flags for fires onboard Robby Woods’ and John Gaston’s machines. Robbie Pierce’s rollover in turn three brought full course caution. Flat tires for Brian Deegan and Rob Naughton, plus a scary-looking crash that involved Rodrigo Ampudia over-jumping into turn five and landing on Naughton’s side added to the suspense. When the dust and smoke cleared, it was Renezeder who held on for a clean sweep of the two big truck classes. Rob McCachren took second followed by Deegan, Ampudia and Naughton.

E3  Spark Plugs racing fans, be sure to check our next blog for Pro 4 and Pro 2 highlights from Round 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

The 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports got off to a fiery start at Firebird International Raceway in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, AZ. this weekend. The first of the two-night event provided plenty of fireworks, including E3 Spark Plugs-sponsored Rick Huseman‘s hard-won defense of his Pro 4 Unlimited title.

The Dirt Sports magazine’s 2010 “Driver of the Year” started the race in the fourth position behind Carl Renezeder, Johnny Greaves and Adrian Cenni. Drivers traded leads several times, with Greaves spinning out in turn three, Cenni pulling off the track with a mechanical issue soon after, and Huseman (in the #36 Monster Energy / E3 Spark plugs Toyota) darting past Renezeder past the start/finish line and into turn one.

After the restart, Kyle LeDuc had a spectacular rollover out of turn five, bringing out a full-course yellow. Racing resumed with Huseman, Renezeder, Todd LeDuc, Curt LeDuc and Steve Barlow leading until Renezeder and Todd LeDuc hit going into turn four, with LeDuc colliding with Barlow, forcing him into the wall and ending his day on the track. LeDuc then developed a right rear flat with just a few laps to go. Still, he managed to pass most of the field before pulling into the hot pits. By this time, Travis Coyne had worked his way up the track in front of Curt LeDuc. When the smoke cleared, it was Huseman taking the victory, with Renezeder, Coyne, Curt LeDuc, Aaron Daugherty following.

Huseman joined the E3 Spark Plugs racing team under an associate sponsorship just last month.

“You can’t win out here if you’re not using the best,” Huseman said at the time of the sponsorship announcement. “E3 represents new technology, increased power and superior performance, that’s what we look for when selecting products for our race trucks.”

Next up for the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is Surprise, AZ’s Speedworld Off Road Park April 16-17. Huseman helps open the Traxxas TORC Series April 30 at Cycle Ranch in San Antonio, TX.

Round 14 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series presented by GEICO Powersports and sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs offered up plenty of action from crushing rolls to dizzying spinouts to a bit of a fire show in the Pro 4 Unlimited. As dust and smoke flew, fans cheered as Adrian Cenni landed his first win since Round 10. But Rick Huseman’s fans cheered just as loud. His third-place finish in the #36 Traxxas/Monster Energy Toyota scored him more than enough points to secure his first Lucas Oil Off-Road championship.

The Pro 4 Unlimited revved up with Jerry Daugherty in the #23 Magnaflow/Racin’ Dirty Chevrolet and Kyle LeDuc in the #99 Rockstar/Makita Ford in front. By the end of lap one, Daugherty still held the lead, but soon gave it up when he rolled into the hot pits with an unknown issue. Next, Mike Johnson provided a bit of a fire show when his truck caught flames. A stuntman by trade, Johnson made a quick escape and drivers stopped while emergency crews cleared the track. By then, it was Huseman in the lead, followed by Carl Renezeder, Cenni, John Harrah and Kyle LeDuc. Harrah and Leduc battled it out trying to get ahead, with Harrah spilling Leduc nearing turn three, shredding LeDuc’s left rear tire. Harrah got a bit of comeuppance when he rolled his own truck just two turns later. Trouble hit Huseman when he split his rear driveshaft, forcing him to finish the race with only front wheel drive and significantly less speed.

In the day’s most gut-wrenching turn of events, defending champ Renezeder passed the white flag, only to see his truck slow down and begin puffing out smoke and steam in turn eight of the final lap with the finish line in sight – a cruel twist for the reigning champion. The race finished with Cenni crossing the finish line first, followed by Travis Coyne, Huseman, Harrah and Josh Merrell, who struggled nearly the entire race with only rear wheel drive.

E3 Spark Plugs congratulates Cenni, Huseman and all the other winners of the day. Visit the Lucas Oil Off-Road website for full results of the day’s races and to purchase your tickets for Round 15 December 11 and the season-ending Lucas Oil Challenge Cup December 12 at Firebird Raceway in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, AZ. Meanwhile, get your truck in racing shape with E3 truck spark plugs – the best high performance spark plugs on the market.

Round 13 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs was a thrill-a-minute for fans, racers and one very special kid. In the midst of all the hard-fought competition on the tracks, 15-year-old Baydon Yundt enjoyed the experience of a lifetime thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of kids with life-threatening medical conditions. Yundt’s wish was to meet X-Games champ and Metal Mulisha founder Brian Deegan. Not only did he get to meet Deegan, who raced in the Pro Lite Unlimited, but Deegan agreed to give Yount a ride-along on Friday. And it was Yundt who waved the green flag in both of the weekend’s Pro Lite Unlimited Races while his family enjoyed the view from the Lucas Oil VIP area and went back home to Monkton, Ontario, Canada with a bountiful booty of Metal Mulisha gear. E3 Spark Plugs gives props to Deegan and best wishes to Yundt and his family.

The full day of races proved a great one for racing. Blue skies, sunshine and a light breeze made it a comfortable one for all and the racers were on top of their game. The Pro 4 Unlimited provided particularly exciting, opening with a Jumbo Tron video production of “Deegan vs. Deegan.” The race began with Kyle LeDuc, Mike Johnson, defending points champion Carl Renezeder and Adrian Cenni leading, respectively. But that lineup got significantly shuffled by lap three with Johnson hitting the leading edge of the outside K rail and dropping to last place in turn one and Renezeder falling to last with a half spin in turn four. Cenni rolled his truck in turn four, prompting a full course yellow, but quickly re-fired his truck and got back onto the tracks. Shortly after, LeDuc’s rear suspension broke as he landed off a jump out of turn one, sidelining him for the rest of the day. When the smoke and dust cleared, it was Rick Huseman who crossed the finish line first, bumping him up to a total of 631 points and a 77-point lead for the season championship.

The Pro Lite Unlimited provided some on-track fireworks as well with a panel-crushing train of contact involving Marty Hart, Matt Loiodice, Jimmy Stephensen, Corey Sisler and Chris Brandt followed by a rollover in turn four by Loiodice. The last lap of the race was a battle between hart and Brian Deegan, but it was Deegan who was ahead at turn six when racers were forced in line while track officials cleared Aaron Daugherty’s rollover. The race ended under yellow with Deegan taking the win. Hart finished second, but closed the margin to points leader Brandt from 17 points to nine points with Deegan 30 points out and Loiodice 10 behind.

Visit LucasOilOffRoad.com for full results and check the E3 Spark Plugs blog for a recap of Round 14 coming soon.

For the second night in a row, the grandstands at the San Bernardino track were sold-out for the big dogs in the Pro 4 Unlimited Class as E3 Performance Spark Plugs racing fans packed the Glen Helen Raceway for Round 10 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing series. Eric Barron was starting on the front row in the LAT Racing Oil/KMC Wheels Chevrolet truck next to the #22 Hart & Huntington/Grenade Ford of Josh Merrell. Barron would take the early lead ahead of Saturday night’s runner up, Kyle LeDuc. As trucks bounced off each other through the rough rhythm section, Merrell would bring out a full-course yellow on lap three as his Hart & Huntington Ford ended up on its roof.

After the restart, the #99 truck of LeDuc would reclaim the point as a determined Carl Renezeder in #1 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford began to work his way toward the front of the pack. The Traxxas/Monster Energy Toyota of series points leader Rick Huseman had moved into third behind LeDuc and Renezeder before the #31 truck of Mike Johnson spun the Monster Energy Toyota in turn four. Johnson’s aggressive driving would earn him a black flag sending the K&N Filters Ford truck to the rear of the field alongside a disappointed Huseman. After the restart, Renezeder in the #1 Lucas Oil Ford truck was quick to continue his battle with Kyle LeDuc for the lead.

On the penultimate lap of a second night of spectacular racing, Carl Renezeder would roll his #1 Lucas Oil/General Tires truck leaving local favorite Kyle LeDuc in the Makita/Toyo Tires Ford to take the win. Second place would go to a hard-charging Rick Huseman, who had worked his way through the pack after stopping to change a flat tire when Merrell rolled his truck on lap three. A well-deserved third place went to Kent Brascho in the B.F. Goodrich/Lucas Oil Chevrolet ahead of Mike Johnson’s K&N Filters Ford truck. Rounding out the top five was early race leader Eric Barron in the #3 LAT Racing Oil Chevrolet.

An unlucky Renezeder in the #1 Lucas Oil Ford recorded the fastest lap of the race and was the only driver to break the 45-second barrier on the extremely rough Glen Helen short course. The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing teams have a few weeks off to regroup before heading to Speed World Off Road Park in Surprise, Arizona, for Rounds 11 and 12 on September 25-26. Only five championship rounds remain before Pro 4 Unlimited drivers compete for the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Challenge Cup scheduled for December 12 at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, AZ. If you are looking for championship performance, insist on E3 Truck Spark Plugs for your truck.

As the final group of trucks pulled out of the pits for the Lucas Oil Off Road Truck Championship at Glen Helen Raceway, a sold-out crowd were on their feet for the start of the very popular Pro 2 Unlimited class. Round 10 saw the MasterCraft/Rockstar Ford of Robbie Pierce starting on the front row alongside the E3 Spark Plugs Racing truck of multi-time champion Kevin Probst. This was the best starting position of the season for the #9 Chevrolet of Probst who has been plagued with gremlins and mechanical woes throughout 2010.

Robbie Pierce would grab an early lead but lots of lap-one action and a very rough track would leave the MasterCraft/Rockstar Ford on its roof in the track’s rhythm section bringing out a red flag. Emergency workers attended to Pierce who was visibly shaken after his spectacular flip and was taken to a local hospital for precaution. The Canidae Chevrolet of Jeff Geiser grabbed the lead on the restart but points leader Rob MacCachren wasted no time in working past Geiser. When the mandatory competition yellow flew, it was MacCachren, Ricky Johnson, Bryce Menzies, Carl Renezeder, and Geiser in first through fifth.

The #7 Bully Dog Ford truck of Menzies got by Johnson on the restart when the former AMA motocross champion pulled his Traxxas/Red Bull Ford off track with a mechanical failure. Johnson’s retirement would be the sign of things to come as trucks were crashing and breaking all the way around the rough San Bernardino track. In fact, Menzies would pull off just before the white flag leaving only six trucks to finish the full 20-lap race distance. Renezeder took second behind MacCrachren, with Greg Adler in third and Rogero Ampudia in fourth.

The E3 Spark Plugs racing team has a few weeks off to regroup before heading to the Speed World Off Road Park in Surprise, Arizona, for Rounds 11 and 12 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing series on September 25-26. There are only five championship rounds remaining before drivers compete for the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Challenge Cup scheduled for December 12 at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, AZ. If you are looking for championship performance from your truck, insist on E3 Truck Spark Plugs. Our patented DiamondFire technology delivers the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology both on and off road.

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The E3 Spark Plugs Racing fans turned out in record numbers for Round 9 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Truck National Championship at Glen Helen Raceway. Located at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California, Glen Helen Raceway has hosted some of the best off road races in history in both two-wheel and four-wheel categories. This year was no exception as sold-out crowds watched the best drivers in the world end up on their roof trying to find the fastest lines around one of the roughest tracks on the national circuit.

As the truly standing room crowd awaited the start of the Pro 4 Unlimited class, the top two qualifiers, Rick Huseman and Carl Renezeder, were sent to the back row having missed the mandatory driver’s meeting early in the day. That would put the #99 Rockstar/Circle K Ford truck of Kyle LeDuc on the front row alongside Adrian Cenni in the #11 BF Goodrich Tires Chevrolet. LeDuc took an early lead as the Traxxas/Monster Energy Toyota of Huseman was heading to the front.

Renezeder would bring out a full course caution after putting his #1 Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford on its side after the un-rhythm section before turn three. On the restart, local fan favorite Huseman charged to third place behind LeDuc and Cenni. He would later get by Cenni and took advantage of a LeDuc mistake that saw the Rockstar Ford truck land on all four after rolling over in the deep ruts. LeDuc would rally late to pressure the Toyota truck of Huseman for the lead but Huseman would claim his seventh victory in nine races. LeDuc held on for second ahead of Cenni in third.

If you are looking for peak performance from your truck, insist upon E3 truck spark plugs for the road or the track. E3 plugs are the only spark plugs named by the Environmental Protection Agency as an eco-friendly device. The E3 technology offers a clear advantage in Hydrocarbon and Carbon emissions control while at the same time improving your truck’s power and fuel economy. E3 spark plugs burn fuel more completely in the cylinder and put less pollution into the air. Let our patented DiamondFire Technology deliver the Energy, Efficiency and Ecology that you need.