Only in the world of short course off-road racing do the most unlikely of partners make a perfect team.
Except for their common Rockstar Energy sponsor, Rob MacCachren (LEFT and ABOVE) and Todd LeDuc (RIGHT) don't seem to have much in common besides their passion for short course off road racing. MacCachren is clean-cut, a bit older, races desert when he's away from short course and has been a one-man show in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Todd LeDuc, on the other hand, is used to racing as part of a larger team, a family team. He's got the tats and attitude common to the younger extreme sports stars.
In reality, they're not so different, and have been friends for a long time. When the LeDuc clan started to go their separate ways, started by Kyle's move to Monster sponsorship, it only made sense for the two to join forces and create a two-truck, two-class team.
“Rockstar came to me and asked what I would do – would I build a Pro 4 for the season – and there was just no time for that,” explains MacCachren. “A couple of weeks later they called back and asked if I would bring Todd under our awning and pits at the racetrack and help him out. It would make it a little easier on him, he wouldn't have to go out and get a semi. We were rebranding the tractor and trailer and awning. We had intention of going Pro 4 in the future or adding another vehicle under here anyway, so the timing worked out. So we agreed to have Todd come out to the track and under our awning,”
The new Rockstar/Makita team – each also has his own, separate sponsors – is indeed a force to be reckoned with. MacCachren, the 2010 Pro 2 champion, is a frequent winner. Since moving to Pro 4 at the beginning of 2011, LeDuc has been knocking on the door, and so far this season has been a regular on the podium. He nearly took a win at Miller, losing out only to Carl Renezeder in the first race of 2012 that Kyle didn't win.
“Every year when you have a race program, you get it stronger and stronger and stronger,” LeDuc says. “The first year was just a learning curve of chassis and truck and everything. Now we've got better equipment, a good team, a good crew. Now it's beginning to show. We've got a lot of seconds, a lot of thirds. We just need that big win.”
The partnership certainly appears to have helped LeDuc, who is second in the Pro 4 points going into Glen Helen. But there is some transfer of knowledge in the other direction as well.
“Because he's in a Pro 4, there's not much that relates to the 2; but the Pro 4s race before us, so when he comes off the track, I'll ask him questions or he'll tell me certain things that happened with the track,” says MacCachren. “I can get a handle on what's going to happen during our race. And we're both on BFGoodrich tires, and even though he's Pro 4, we can check his tires and see how they're wearing and either confirm some of our decisions or help us change some of our decisions. Obviously, when you can have another guy in the tent that's feeding you information from what he's learning, it's a help.”
The transition hasn't been so difficult for LeDuc, who is used to a being part of a team, albeit an all-family affair. For MacCachren, it's a bit of an adjustment.
“We're used to being the only one under the tent and once we bring a bunch of other people under the tent, we feel a little cramped, but it's working out. Todd's got a lot of great people that help him out and they're working together. It's been good,” says MacCachren.
LeDuc seems pleased with the partnership as well. “I think it's a great fit,” he says. “It's a good superteam we've built with a winning Pro 2 and a top-notch Pro 4.”