Racers and fans alike have been anxiously waiting for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) to start back up again. After a 2 month gap between races due to weather issues, the OPTIMA Batteries Silver State Showdown, presented by GEICO was everything anyone wanted and expected.
The competition was fierce at the back-to-back nights of racing on the fastest track in the series at Wild West Motorsports Park in Reno, Nevada. Points leaders all had their work cut out for them. The Pro 2 division some saw excellent action with Rodrigo Ampudia laying down the law on the track.
Ampudia is an early adopter of the Pro 2M engine that recently made its mainstream debut. The engine came to LOORRS when the Lucas Oil Midwest Short Course League (LOMSC) was included into the series earlier this year. The Pro 2M engine is a 410 cubic-inch V8 and has been the exclusive engine for the Midwest racing series for 2 years. Some drivers found that they were able to go two entire seasons without the need for a rebuild of their engine, along with other parts of the powertrain. The engine does produce less power but is far more sustainable and cost-efficient.
Ampudia broke his winning drought and took first place Friday night. He also was the first to win while using the Pro 2M engine.
Three Pro 2M trucks were on the field and Ampudia took charge early, beating out Brian Deegan, Rob MacCachren and championship leader Jerrett Brooks. Ampudia made history that night as the first driver to win a LOORRS race using the Pro 2M engine. His spotless Friday night of racing also launched him to the top of the points standings for the series.
Saturday’s racing was just as intense as the night before. As the points leader and a strong win the night before, Ampudia was under serious pressure to perform. Early leads seemed like he would run away with the podium top again but Brooks and Bradley Morris were on a mission. The two were battling for 2nd and 3rd until near the end of the race when Ampudia was overtaken by Morris. Brooks overtook him on the next turn.
Morris had a couple of truck-length lead over Brooks and appeared he was going to get his first win of the season. On the final turn, however, Brooks came in hot and crossed the finish line just ahead of Morris and Ampudia.
At the end of the weekend, Brooks retained his points leader position for the season. Ampudia is a mere 4 points behind with Morris 10 points behind. The competition will continue to be fierce at the next race in October. For more info on the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, head over to their website at LucasOilOffRoad.com.
