E3 Spark Plugs News

E3 Spark Plugs is giving you the chance to see the tracks from behind the wheel of one of these. Enter to win a trip to the 2012 E3 Spark Plugs Utah Off Road Nationals Presented By Toyota at Miller Motorsports Park.

Itching for a change of scenery? How about the wide open expanses of Utah? And how about seeing it from the behind the wheel of a Baja Challenge race car? Or a Ford Racing Mustang GT? Or Jerry Daugherty’s new Pro 4 #24 off-road racing truck? Or from the window of the Lucas Oil corporate helicopter.

While all that may sound like a far-fetched dream, E3 Spark Plugs is making it a reality for one lucky winner and a guest of his or her choosing. Winning is easy. Just go to the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page and fill out the contest submission form on the Off Road Contest Tab. Tell us why you want to win and who you’ll bring.

Here’s what you get if your name is chosen:

• Airfare for two and accommodations for three nights;
• Two tickets to the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing event at Miller Motorsports;
• A two-hour Mustang Experience, putting you behind the wheel of a Ford Racing Mustang GT;
• A Wide Open Utah ultimate high-performance off-road Baja-style driving experience;
• A ride in the E3 Spark Plugs Daugherty Off-Road Truck;
• A ride in the Lucas Oil Helicopter;
• Two tickets to one of the top Kart road courses in America.

Make sure you read the rules first. You must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of one of the 48 contiguous states or District of Columbia. The contest runs from March 31st, 2012 till May 25, 2012 and you’ll take your trip June 21-23. Good luck!

Carl Renezeder and Kyle LeDuc dominated in the Round 6, Pro 2 and Pro 4 classes of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by Geico Powersports and co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs.

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!

Two rounds and the championship battle for the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series co-sponsored by E3 Spark Plugs remain, but many already are gearing up for next year’s racing schedule. Rounds 13 and 14 of this year’s season take place November 6 and 7 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the season-ender championship race event happens December 11 and 12 for the season titles in all classes plus the Rockstar Energy/Lucas Oil Challenge Cup.

A shot from the 2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series at Speedworld Off Road Park Sunday, September 26, 2010.

With the 2010 season coming to an end, officials announced the 2011 schedule, which closely mirrors 2010′s thus-far successful run. The 2010 lineup featured favored familiar venues and brought record crowds. The 15-round battle for the 2011 season championship begins and ends at the Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Other stops between the March 12 start and the December 11 championship round include Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA; Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, AZ; and Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT.

“We have had the opportunity to establish some fantastic partnerships while building these unique, purpose built tracks,” says Series Director Tony Vanillo. “While we are making our 2011 plans now, it’s a great feeling to know that we are preparing to return to these tracks for the second and third year. This stability is fantastic for the sport.”

E3 Spark Plugs is proud to remain a co-sponsor of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series throughout 2011, along with MAVTV, Geico Powersports, Rockstar Energy Drink and others.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series – 2011 Schedule

• Round 1 – March 12 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ.
• Round 2 – March 13 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ.
• Round 3 – April 16 – Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, AZ.
• Round 4 – April 17 – Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, AZ.
• Round 5 – May 21 – Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, CA.
• Round 6 – May 22 – Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, CA.
• Round 7 – June 25 – Miller Motorsports Park – Tooele, Utah
• Round 8 – June 26 – Miller Motorsports Park – Tooele, Utah
• Round 9 – August 6 – Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, CA.
• Round 10 – August 7 – Glen Helen Raceway – San Bernardino, CA.
• Round 11 – Sept. 24 – Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, AZ.
• Round 12 – Sept. 25 – Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, AZ.
• Round 13 – Nov. 5 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV.
• Round 14 – Nov. 6 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Las Vegas, NV.
• Round 15 – Dec. 10 – Firebird International Raceway – Chandler, AZ.
• Lucas Oil Challenge Cup – Dec. 11 – Firebird International Raceway -Chandler, AZ.

If you’re a Lucas Oil/E3 spark plugs racing fan, be sure to check back for race results and highlights throughout the rest of the 2010 season and the thrill-promising 2011 season.

The E3 Spark Plugs Racing team pulled through the gates at Glen Helen Raceway with high hopes for Round 9 of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road National Championship series, but so did every other team. It is always great fun to race in front of a packed house and the promoters at the San Bernardino track know how to put on a spectacular show for the Southern California race fans. Unfortunately for the racers, they have to endure three days of qualifying and racing on one of the roughest short tracks on the off road circuit. This year was no exception as several drivers in each class would find their truck upside down, over the berm or rim riding the walls.

The #7 Bully Dog/Super Clean Ford truck of Bryce Menzies was fast under the lights at Glen Helen Raceway finishing in second place of the Pro 2 Unlimited class for Round 9 of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road National Championship. Photo courtesy of Luca Oil Racing http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucasoil/.

Pro 2 Unlimited points leader Rob MacCachren would start the race from inside row 2 in his #21 Rockstar/Fox Racing Shox Ford. Pole sitter, Greg Alder would take an early lead in his 4 Wheel Parts/BFGoodrich Tires Ford just ahead of the Bully Dog/Super Clean Ford of Bryce Menzies. By the end of lap one, MacCachren moved to the front with Alder running just ahead of a hard charging Carl Renezeder who had slipped by Menzies. Renezeder attacked the Rhythm Section into turn three but could not get his Lucas Oil/General Tire Ford stopped and put Alder on his roof bringing out a red flag. Officials would black flag Renezeder sending his truck to the rear of the field for the restart.

Stronghold Motorsports rookie driver Robert “Fig” Naughton would move to second place for the restart ahead of the Bully Dog entry of Menzie in the 3rd place. Miller Motorsports Park winner Rodrico Ampudia would restart in fourth. Ampudia found a burst of speed and rocketed to the front, picking off Menzies and Naughton in the space of two turns. After a mandatory competition yellow, MacCachren made a rare mistake as he nearly spun in turn three. Ampudia was set to strike, but as the Pro 2 Unlimited field piled into the corner, Ampudia was spun around and ended up off the track. Naughton would again take over second place ahead of Menzies and the Red Bull/KMC Wheels Ford of Ricky Johnson.

Todd LeDuc got together with Naughton a couple of turns after the restart taking both trucks off track. The Bully Dog truck of Menzies would reclaim second place with Red Bull/KMC racer Ricky Johnson up to third. MacCachren would take the win in his Fox Racing Shox Ford, his fifth of the season and his eighth podium in nine races. Byrce Menzies would finish in second just ahead of former AMA motocross champion Ricky Johnson. Canidae Pet Foods/Geiser Bros. driver Jeff Geiser would finish fourth with Mike Johnson (no relation to Ricky) in fifth. If you expect peak performance from your truck, insist upon E3 truck spark plugs before you go off road. Our DiamondFire Technology delivers Energy, Efficiency and Ecology.

Picturesque views and lots of action-packed off-road racing greeted fans over the weekend as Miller Motorsports Park hosted Round 7 and Round 8 of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. This was the first year the off-road vehicles raced in the salt desert just west of Salt Lake City near Tooele, Utah. In Saturday’s Pro2 Unlimited class final, Lucas Oil/Tecate Ford driver Rodrigo Ampudia claimed his first ever series win and, on Sunday, E3 Truck Spark Plugs driver Kevin Probst posted a solid seventh-place finish in the Pro2 final for Round 8 of the championship.

Pro2 Unlimited driver Carl Renezeder rebounded to finish 3rd in Sunday's feature event after taking a spectacular end-over-end tumble in the Lucas Oil offroad truck on Saturday at Miller Motorsports Park outside Tooele, Utah. Photo courtesy of www.teamrenezeder.com.

Rockstar Makita’s Todd Leduc finished second to Ampudia in Round 7 of the Pro2 Unlimited off-road trucks class just ahead of former NORBA pro downhill mountain bike racer Robert Naughton. In Sunday’s final event, Leduc would again finish in the runner’s up position this time behind series points leader Rob MacCachren. AMA multi-time national MX champion Ricky Johnson brought his Red Bull truck home in third but was later disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct. Johnson’s indiscretions moved Carl Renezeder to third overall. Good luck came late in the weekend for Renezeder who flipped his Lucas Oil-sponsored truck end-over-end in Saturday’s feature.

In the Pro Lite Unlimited class on Saturday, Hart & Huntington/Rockstar truck driver Chris Brandt took the checkers ahead of Monster Energy’s veteran ace Marty Hart with Jimmy Stephensen, Jacob Person and Adam Wik rounding out the top five. On Sunday, Hart claimed the win in a battle with former X-Games freestyle gold medalist Brian Deegan. Jacob Person and Adam Wik moved up one spot each from Saturday’s round finishing third and fourth respectively. Brandt could only manage a sixth place overall in Round 8 behind Anthony Verdone.

The E3 Spark Plugs team of Kevin Probst heads to San Bernandino, California, for Round 9 and Round 10 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Truck Series on August 7 & 8. The popular Glen Helen Raceway is always a favorite of diehard off road racing fans. Whether you’re cruising across town or testing your skills in the salt desert, E3 Car Spark Plugs with our patented DiamondFire technology offer you energy, efficiency and ecology for your ride. Remember to bookmark our website and check often for the latest results from the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series.

Kevin Probst, driver of the E3 Spark Plugs #9 race truck, survived a crash-filled round four at the May 8 Magnaflow Exhaust Off-Road Nationals to finish 14th overall in the Pro 2 Unlimited class. The Surprise (Arizona) off road course had a few surprises for the talented field which included past off-road truck racing champions Rob MacCachren and Carl Renezeder plus former AMA motocross champions Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward and Jeremy McGrath. Probst qualified the E3 racing truck inside row six and was methodically working his way to the front of the pack when another truck’s flip resulted in the race being stopped due to a red flag.

After the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series event was restarted, MacCachren and Renezeder battled with off-road champ Ricky Johnson for a 1-2-3 finish. Former Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year Jeff Ward continued to show the talent that has earned him championships in AMA Motocross, Supercross and Supermoto as well as a pair ESPN X-Games Gold Medals. The 2009 Lucas Oil Off-Road rookie of the year finished the day in 5th place overall. In the dusty melee that ensued, Probst brought his E3 Pro 2 truck to the checkers to maintain his 11th position in the overall championship hunt.

In the popular Pro 4 class, the current points leader Rick Huseman held off a hard charging Carl Renezeder for the top spot on the podium. The Pro Lite class of the Lucas Oil Off-Road event saw Chris Brandt outlast former series champion and freestyle motocross rider Brian Deegan for the win. Don’t forget to catch Kevin Probst and the E3 Spark Plugs race team in action on July 11th at 2 p.m. EST when CBS Sports Spectacular broadcasts the Magnaflow Exhaust Off-Road National from famed Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, about 45 minutes west of Salt Lake City.