What a difference a year makes.
Just ask Rob Naughton (leading Brian Deegan, LEFT), who spent most of his first year in the Pro 2 class struggling. But no more. He opened up the 2011 season with a win at Firebird in Round 2 of Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and, after a momentous weekend at Miller Motorsports Park near Tooele, Utah, tripled his win total and made his claim as a championship contender.
The off-season was full of change for the Stronghold Motorsports team, and it seems to have had an effect. Naughton has new teammates in seven-time Supercross champ Jeremy McGrath, who has now stood on the podium twice with Naughton this season, and last year's Pro Buggy champ Cameron Steele joining the team in Pro Lite. But, more critically, the team added Dave Clark as crew chief, and it's paying big dividends in getting the trucks to run consistently up front.
Naughton qualified fourth for Saturday's race on the new, permanent short course off-road track at the Miller Motorsports Park complex. With a four-car inversion, he started on the pole, and that was all it took. He maintained the lead at the start and never looked back. To join him on the box, though, McGrath had to work a little harder. He quickly moved from his seventh starting position to fourth, where he set to work on Robby Woods and Rodrigo Ampudia, who were battling for second.
“The first half of the race I'm talking to my guys, saying, ‘What should I do? I'm kind of following everyone around playing follow the leader.' I got a run on those guys, Rodrigo and Robby and, going into Turn 4, they opened the door, and there's my chance.”
On Sunday, Naughton started third behind Greg Adler and Rob MacCachren. Adler took the lead and was running strong, but after a yellow, he bicycled in the first turn after the restart and fell back. A little later, MacCachren brushed the wall in almost the same spot and later dropped out. That left Naughton leading, a position he would never relinquish. The chase behind him was Brian Deegan, Carl Renezeder and Woods. Woods and Renezeder had contact, dropping both down the order, although Woods would recover to finish third behind Naughton and Deegan.
“From the get-go I loved this track,” Naughton said. “I knew there were places I could pass and that helped me out. I started in the fifth spot and got into second and then Rob pulled off and I got the lead. I thought I could get one here, but to get two is super sweet and getting them in front of Utah fans is even better!”
Stronghold should have added a third win for the weekend, but it wasn't to be. Cameron Steele started on pole for Saturday's Pro Lite race and stayed out front for the duration until Brian Deegan started reeling him in toward the end. While trying to make a move for the lead, he made contact with Steele, who got the worst of it, apparently leaving Deegan to cruise to the win. But instead of seeing the checkered flag on the next lap, it was black. The checker flew for the truck behind him, Casey Currie.
Currie had started last due to struggles in qualifying, but made quick work of most of the field and was in third toward the end, before the incident between Steele and Deegan. It was the first win for the V8 crate motor package introduced at the most recent rounds at Glen Helen last month.
“I saw Cameron and Deegan battling up front and I knew something was going to go down,” Currie said. “We're getting near the end of the race. I was watching mistakes happen, I was closing the gap on them and I knew something was going to happen, and it did. It's unfortunate for Cameron Steele that the crash happened, but it's racing. I'm excited for the team, and to be the first one to win in a V8 is awesome.”
Deegan kept his nose clean on Sunday as he tried to chase down Chris Brandt, now teamed up with Aero Motorsports from nearby Pleasant Grove, Utah. But Deegan had nothing for Brandt, and could only follow him to the checkers in second.
Kyle LeDuc (RIGHT) and Carl Renezeder had an amazing Pro 4 battle at Glen Helen in Round 6. At Miller, they took up right where they left off. LeDuc doggedly pursued Renezeder on Saturday, looking for anywhere to make a move. He finally found his opportunity in the only right-hand turn on the track, Turn 4, a place few considered a likely passing spot.
“It was kind of an unplanned maneuver,” LeDuc explained. “I started up front and got away and made a mistake and went back a couple of spots. I got by Huseman – he broke – and started working on Carl. I knew had some speed for him in the backstretch. I was patient, didn't want to throw away second place. I found a window of opportunity a couple of laps before I actually did it and put the pass together and it stuck. There was a little door-to-door rubbing, but no hard contact, no hard feelings. It was a great race and it was just great to have two wins back to back. The Pro 4 99 is on a roll.”
On Sunday, LeDuc didn't enter the picture until late in the race, and even then wasn't quite a match for Renezeder thanks to some contact early in the race. Josh Merrell was on the pole and took the early lead until LeDuc got into him, leaving Renezeder and Adrian Cenni to battle for the lead. Kyle eventually got around his father Curt to pursue Renezeder, but it was too little too late, and Renezeder now leads the Pro 4 points.
Rounds 9 and 10 will take place at night back at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., on Aug. 6-7.
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Round 7 winners
Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
Pro 4 Unlimited: Kyle LeDuc
Pro 2 Unlimited: Rob Naughton
Pro Lite Unlimited: Casey Currie
Pro Buggy Unlimited: Justin Smith
Super Lite: Patrick Clark
Limited Buggy: Quentin Tucker
UTV SR1: Dan Kelly
Unlimited UTV: RJ Anderson
Modified Kart: Sheldon Creed
Kart Jr. 2: Preston Roben
Kart Jr. 1: Eliot Watson
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Round 8 winners
Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
Pro 4 Unlimited: Carl Renezeder
Pro 2 Unlimited: Rob Naughton
Pro Lite Unlimited: Chris Brandt
Pro Buggy Unlimited: Cody Freeman
Super Lite: Wyatt Kirchner
Limited Buggy: John Fitzgerald
UTV SR1: Doug Mittag
Unlimited UTV: Robert VanBeekum
Modified Kart: Kyle Hart
Kart Jr. 2: Preston Roben
Kart Jr. 1: Eliot Watson