Racers and race fans get back in the groove of fender to fender off road racing at the CORR season opener in Pomona, California...stay tuned for LIVE coverage all weekend as we bring you the behind the scenes action, drama, and carnage that takes place BEYOND THE DIRT!!
Pomona, California April 26, 2008 –The 2008 CORR Season opener was took off right where it left off last season with the Johnny & Carl show in front of thousands of fans here at the LA Fairplex - Pomona. Carl Renezeder jumped out to an early lead driving the Lucas Oil sponsored Pro 4 as Monster Energy Johnny Greaves waged war with Scott Douglas and Rick Huseman. However, just before the competition yellow waved the cream rose to the top as Johnny passed Douglas through the big bumps as he caught Douglas cruising and taking it easy through the five-foot rhythm section. As Greaves blasted by Douglas the crowds roared watching the # 4 Monster Energy Pro 4 set his sights on Carl Renezeder.
Meanwhile, Rockstar's Curt LeDuc got tangled with one of the Herbst brothers and they both limped into the hot pits finished for the day. LeDuc jumped from his driver's seat and walked to the front of the Herbst truck raising his hands and with his right index finger he pointed to his head as "use your head next time." LeDuc obviously very hot at the time walked back to his Rockstar truck as they prepared to get it back to the pits.
Adrian Cenni, who has dazzled fans for two full seasons after his return from a wicked crash years ago recently swapped from FOX Racing Shox and BFGoodrich Tires to KING Shocks and NITTO Tires. There was no doubt that Cenni's Pro 4, which by the way is now being prepped by Mark Porter Racing, was way off in the suspension setup. The rear end of Cenni's truck bounced huge on the rebound and that was taking quality seconds away from Adrian each lap. Cenni finished in the back of the pack as he tried to make a final charge but was restricted by his ill-tuned suspension.
ROCKSTAR Rookie Pro 4 racer, Kyle Leduc, roared his # 99 race truck to an impressive fifth place finish after battling one of the biggest Pro 4 fields we've seen in several years at CORR.
Thousands of fans packed the bleachers as Championship Off Road Racing struck a new cord in the world of off road racing by broadcasting all three professional truck racers live on Speed Channel. CORR has taken the world of closed-course off road racing to a new level here in 2008 as more than half of the 2008 season racers are slated to be televised live on either Speed Channel or NBC Sports.
The venue here at the Los Angeles Fairplex was constructed over the past four weeks and so far they have packed the stands with fans that are basking under the 95 degree California weather. Mt. Baldy stands to the north and it's snowcapped peaks guard the race track. The Pacific Ocean is only 25 miles to the west as the crow flies and the word is the temperature beach side is a gorgeous 78 degrees.
Pomona, California April 26, 2008 –In memory of their fallen brother, Nye Frank, Rob MacCachren and Dave Clark came together here at the first race of the 2008 CORR season and dominated a massive field of CORR Pro 2's in front of a packed house at the LA Fairplex-Pomona.
Nye Frank, a longtime close friend to both Rob Mac and Dave Clark, along with many others, was killed in a fight with a 24-year old man who was allegedly, as reported by witnesses, on drugs and acting strange when Frank and him becamed involved in a fistfight that ultimately resulted in Nye Frank's death.
Racing for their fallen friend while displaying Nye Frank decals on the race truck, Rob MacCachren dawned his new racing sponsors race suit, a ROCKSTAR laden suit with a matching helmet, and went to work with Crew Chief Dave Clark providing information over the radio to Rob Mac.
MacCachren raced door-to-door with Red Bull's Ricky Johnson for the entire race, but in the end it was all Rob Mac at the finish line as he held off the charging Ricky Johnson piloted race truck.
Rob Mac was the driver for the 2007 Red Bull truck driving for Steve Barlow Motorsports and he won a slew of races in 2007 for Red Bull, however ROCKSTAR came in to the picture at the beginning of this season and signed Rob Mac to a contract after he had already began building his own new Pro 2 under the Menzies Motorsports banner.
ROCKSTAR rode to the top this afternoon beating out Red Bull and Monster Energy in the war of the energy drinks.
Monster Energy's Johnny Greaves crashed hard during the Pro 2 morning practice rolling off the top of the Skyjacker turn and sustaining major damage to the truck. He was unable to qualify for the main event and had to start in the back of the pack at the start, but come to find out they suffered a rear end damage during the morning crash that went unnoticed and he was sidelined in the hot pits for the remainder of the Pro 2 race.
The carnage amongst the Pro 2 field was incedible as the nation's most talented off road racers got together and entertained the fans with some of the wildest door-to-door racing action ever seen.
Pomona, California April 26, 2008 –Off road racing veteran, Marty Hart, never lifted in his run for the first blood of the season here Saturday beating out Rob Naughton after he pulled off the race course 3/4 way through the race. The start of the race was red flagged after five trucks tangled in the first turn after track worker's overwatered the first turn and the Pro Lite trucks slid sideways through the mud.
The second start saw a clean re-start and the leaders jumped out in front. Marty Hart started from the third row stayed close all race long and the door opened after a lapped vehicle got hooked up with Rodrigo Ampudia who was in the middle of an impressive charge towards the front. Ampudia was putting down fast lap times enroute to the front when he was sidelined.
27 CORR Pro Lites started the race and only 11 finished the entire race. Michigan's Boss Snow Plow sponsored - Chad Hord out dualed UPR/Nissan sponsored Todd Cuffaro for the final podium spot as Todd Cuffaro charged from 8th position start. Cuffaro said afterwards, "We had a great race."
April 25, 2008 –DIRTnewz is producing a 2008 web-based reality show that will air online the week following each CORR race weekend exclusively at www.DIRTnewz.com The show will feature Monster Energy’s Johnny Greaves, FABTECH's Rick Huseman, Bully Dog’s Josh Baldwin and Pro Lite racer Casey Currie, Rockstar’s Rob MacCachren, UPR’s Todd Cuffaro, Monster Energy’s Rookie Shannon Campbell, CORR Officials, Speed TV Production team members, and several other race teams. Produced and directed by DIRTnewz.com the show will feature the behind the scenes look at the 2008 CORR season as never seen before. It can only be seen here at DIRTnewz.com
The show will feature the trials and tribulations of off road racing in its fast and furriest environment. DIRTnewz will dig deep into the ditches of America's most intense off road racing series and show you what happens when it all goes good and when it goes bad.
“BeYond tHe DiRt” only at DIRTnewz.com
The first episodes will feature the entire Monster Energy Pro 2 build process that was shot in the Greaves Motorsports shop in the icy frigid confines of Wisconsin and upcoming episodes will feature the latest behind the scenes with Championship Off Road Racing.
