Crandon, Wisconsin (September 6, 2009) Kyle LeDuc stood on Crandon's Champion tower and reminisced about the days when he was 10-years old growing up while his father, Curt LeDuc raced at the Crandon International Raceway. Both Kyle and Todd LeDuc, racing sons of the veteran off road racing champion, Curt LeDuc, grew up in the backwoods of this 40 year old racetrack, but yet Sunday afternoon, the 26-year old Cherry Valley, California racer captured the biggest championship win in his young racing history.
The youngest LeDuc outlasted his father Curt LeDuc who was racing the #43 Rockstar Pro 4 race truck in what could be considered one of the wildest off road racing starts in recent Crandon history.
The crash began as Traxxas sponsored Mike Jenkins came into Crandon's turn one at over 100 mph put his Pro 4 up on two wheels and lost control of his 800 horsepower race truck while up on two wheels. Other racers corrected to allow Jenkins some room and that started a chain reaction crash that resulted in Mike Jenkins' truck tangled in a web of safety wire and steel tube that protects racers from entering Parson's Pond at the end of Crandon's turn one.
Involved in the melee was Jamie Flannery, Adrian Cenni, Steve Barlow, Steve McCrossen, Mike Jenkins and Kenny Kincaid all who were unable to return to the track. With the action on the track stopped, Crandon's all-volunteer staff that worked fast in order to get the race back underway. Race officials red flagged the race and 22 minutes later the race restarted with the #99 Rockstar Pro 4 immediately taking lead and never looking back until he crossed the checkered flag.
Smiling wide from ear-to-ear was off road racing champion, Curt LeDuc, who celebrated his son's Crandon Borg Warner victory with him at the finish line.
"Kyle winning is just the same as if I won and I couldn't be any prouder of both my sons Todd and Kyle. We have been at this for many years as a family and this victory just doesn't get any better," said Curt.
While the crashed trucks were removed from the race course, Crandon racer, Jamie Flannery, made his way to the announcers tower and said, "Some people have more money than talent and in the old days we would handle a crash like this much differently." Flannery was visibly upset at the circumstances that put him on the sidelines before he was even able to get around the race track for one lap in the world-class Borg Warner race.
Monster Energy Johnny Greaves made a valiant charge on the young LeDuc, but with only a couple laps to go he turned his #22 Pro 4 upside down and landed on his side rendering him out of the race. But the truck caught on fire as they turned him over and it was a long 30 seconds before the fire was extinguished. Greaves jumped out of the truck as Crandon track workers extinguished the flames on the #22 Pro 4.
Curt LeDuc claimed the third spot on the podium in the Crandon Borg Warner/TORC Round 12 race celebrating with champagne popping celebration!
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