Kyle LeDuc put two more check marks in the win category when the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series traveled to Reno, Nevada for Rounds 5 and 6, held Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31, 2014, at Wild West Motorsports Park. LeDuc has won five of six rounds this season, but has been around racing long enough to know how quickly fortunes can change, so he takes it in stride. At the Reno event, he also marked a personal milestone, his 50th career short-course win. He was quick to credit the crew members and great sponsors who have supported him during 11 years of short course competition.

“The tracks we’ve been to so far this season are the tracks I like,” LeDuc said. “Big mile per hour, high speed tracks, that plays to our advantage. We have been the most consistent and have been able to capitalize on it while they’ve all had bad luck like we did last season.

Kyle LeDuc dominated Pro 4 at Reno’s Wild West Motorsports Park, winning both nights, and scoring his 50th short-course victory during the weekend.

“We had one bad race but we are getting a big points lead quick. We are trying to race for points and be smart and not take risks, but we know our truck is fast enough to run up front. We try to get there as fast as we can. So far, it’s worked out. We’ve had to start back in the pack; it’s been a struggle, but we’ve been able to make it work.” However, LeDuc’s streak does not compare to Carl Renezeder’s nine straight wins in Pro 4 that spanned two seasons last year. So far though, nobody has been able to slow LeDuc’s charge.

Reno Under Lights

This was the first time the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series ran under the lights in Reno. Racing after dark in the cooler temperatures changed the way the track responded during the race. Instead of getting dry, hard-packed and slick, it stayed damp. It offered great traction, but also had a tendency to develop deep ruts. Those ruts were hidden in the shadows waiting to send a driver onto two wheels and into the wall; something that happened with regularity in Reno.

Menzies Motorsports’ Ricky Johnson, who trailed Kyle in the points chase going into Reno, failed to reach the podium in his RedBull No. 48. He survived to finish 4th in Friday night’s Round 5 after a crazy race filled with contact and crashes. In Round 6, he started on the front row and was running third for most of the race. A red flag came out when Todd Leduc’s smoke filled truck came to a stop setting up a green/white/checkers finish. In the melee that ensued, Johnson got turned around, dropping him back to 7th.  

Similar to LeDuc’s back to back wins, the 2nd and 3rd place finishers also repeated in both rounds. Renezeder finished 2nd both days followed by Rob MacCachren in 3rd. “We had some carburetor problems so we had the Kroyer Racing Engines crew here helping us out,” said Rob, “We got a little bit better every time out on track. We finished third both days; we are happy with our results. We want to win, but being on the podium is what it takes to win the championship. Running at night is fun. The track here is great and the racing is even greater.”

Pro 2 Battle

Just as Kyle LeDuc has dominated in Pro 4, “The General” Brian Deegan has kept a stranglehold on the Pro 2 class. He has qualified fastest in five rounds so far and won back-to-back in Reno, giving him three straight victories and the points lead. “We’ve really put a lot of work into the truck this season trying some new stuff,” said Deegan. “I have a new motor guy that Ford sent over; it’s not cheap but we are spending the money on development to get our truck better and better.”

RJ Anderson worked hard for this one, scoring his first Lucas Oil Off Road victory in Friday night’s Pro Lite race in Reno.

“I think it’s paying off; we are laying down fast laps and trying to be smooth. It’s not easy, my Rockstar teammate Rob MacCachren has been really fast but, we we’ve been able to hold him off. Qualifying first is good, but in the end it’s all about the main event. I’m going to go out and try to win every time. 

In Round 5 Deegan held off his teammate MacCachren, and Bryce Menzies who was third after a crazy race filled with yellow flags. In Round 6 Deegan ran clean out front and at the finish his truck was barely dirty. The trucks of 2nd place Carl Renezeder and 3rd place Robby Woods showed multiple scars from a wild battle on the track.

Pro Lite Talent Pool

The Pro Lite class has seen an incredible influx of talent this season. Brian Deegan has two wins, but Sheldon Creed was on top of the points lead coming into Rounds 5 and 6 due to his consistent podium finishes. Creed continued the trend with back-to-back 3rd place finishes, driving his truck bathed in purple paint to honor his grandmother. In Round 5, former champion RJ Anderson took his first win of the season. He battled back and forth with Deegan, until the white flag lap during which Anderson slipped past Deegan on the inside and drove it home to take the victory.

Rookie Brandon Arthur had the second fastest qualifying lap for Saturday night’s Pro Lite race, started on the front row, and led the pack for a while before having some trouble.

In Round 6 qualifying, Sheldon Creed smoked the field with a blistering 55.786. His speed was no surprise, but the driver with the second fastest time raised some eyebrows. It was put down by rookie Brandon Arthur. With his fast time in qualifying and the inversion, Arthur would start on the front row. At the drop of the green flag, Arthur jumped out front, holding off Kyle Hart, Brian Deegan, Justin “Bean” Smith and RJ Anderson.

Smith would bring out a red flag on lap 3 when he landed a jump on the front bumper and catapulted end over end down the straight-a-way. He eventually came to rest back on his wheels. Incredibly, he was able to climb out of the crumpled mess that used to be his Pro Lite race truck.

In the heat of competition, Justin “Bean” Smith stood it on the nose and then flipped it during Saturday night’s Pro Lite race.

Fight To The End

After resuming the race, another caution flew allowing Creed to duck into the hot pits to change a flat tire; Arthur was still out front. Deegan had made his way past Hart and was running side-by-side with Arthur who refused to back down. The two changed places at the front before Arthur hooked a rut sending him up on the bicycle. He had to back off to avoid hitting the wall and then sit by while the field passed him.

Sheldon Creed has six podium visits and the Pro Lite points lead after his win Saturday night in Reno.

The yellow flew again and this time it was Deegan headed into the hot pits. After yet another yellow flag the running order was Kyle Hart, Ryan Beat, Jimmy Fishback, Sheldon Creed, and Casey Currie up front. Hart took his first Pro Lite win followed by Fishback with his best Pro Lite finish and Creed came back from his late race stop to round out the podium; Beat dropped back to 4th.  

The six straight podiums give Creed a sizeable points lead over Brian Deegan who was running third behind Bradley Morris. Unfortunately for Morris, he was injured in a mountain biking accident that has sidelined him for the time being. He had successful surgery to repair damage to his vertebrae in his neck and knowing Bradley, he will be right back in the thick of action soon.

Next, the series heads to Tooele, Utah, and the Miller Motorsports Park for Rounds 7 and 8, June 21 to 22, 2014. If what we witnessed at Reno and the rest of the first rounds continues, it’s going to be another mind-blowing race weekend. Stay tuned to Off Road Xtreme for all the latest Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series race updates.