One Pro-4 Win for Renezeder in Brutal Weekend of Racing

LAKE FOREST, CA (June 10, 2008) – “I just remember thinking ‘how many times can a guy hit you in one corner,’” commented Carl Renezeder after his 72nd career win in a race that had greater resemblance to American Gladiators than off-road racing. If any driver left the L.A. Fairplex in Pomona after rounds five and six of the CORR season this weekend with all their fiberglass and no broken parts, it was from sheer luck.

“We won one and got nailed hard enough from behind in the three other races to get flats in all of them,” explained Renezeder. Twice, while jumping out of “the hole” (turn four), he was hit in the air. The force of the landing popped the left rear tire both times. The third flat was caused by a fellow competitor using Renezeder as a brake going into turn five.

An alternator problem in his Lucas Oil Pro-2 on Saturday morning resulted in having to use a past champion’s provisional to tag the back of the main event, which was an 18th-place starting position. He ran as high as seventh before being served a flat tire by Jeremy McGrath while jumping out of turn four in the closing laps. In the Pro-4 race, Renezeder was top qualifier, was leading by the mandatory caution, and then fought hard with Johnny Greaves for the last six laps, securing the win in the final turn on the final lap. Renezeder earned all the points possible in that race, which turned out to be the only bright spot of the weekend.

On Sunday, Renezeder again qualified the Pro-4 on the pole, and earned a respectable seventh place starting position in Pro-2. The invert put him on the pole in the Pro-2 race, but Jerry Welchel ran over the back of him after the mandatory caution, giving him a flat that had to be changed with only a lap and a half remaining. The invert put his Lucas Oil Skyjacker Pro-4 on the outside of the fourth row for the start of the final race of the weekend, and he raced his way to the front.

Another mid-air hit, this time by Rick Huseman, while jumping out of the hole had the makings of a horrendous wreck. Somehow, the truck landed on its feet, but the left rear tire didn’t survive. Yet another flat relegated him to the pits and a finishing position outside the top ten.

“They say ‘you can’t win ‘em all’ and this weekend they were right,” concluded Renezeder. “We’ll regroup during this six-week break, put the trucks back together and start looking at our strategy for the second half of the season. This team is hungrier than ever for more wins and championship titles.”

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Four Wins in Wheatland Leads Renezeder into Pomona

LAKE FOREST, CA (June 5, 2008) – What started out as a storm-filled weekend at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri last weekend, turned into a great day of racing on Sunday for Carl Renezeder. Saturday was a complete washout for the Pro classes in the first round of the Lucas Oil World Series of Off Road Racing, so the classes had to double up on Sunday to get all the racing in. For the first time in his career, Renezeder swept all four rounds of racing in his Lucas Oil Skyjacker Pro2WD and Pro4x4.

“I had a lot of fun racing today,” commented Renezeder at the end of the day. “Not only did we have great battles on track, but we were able to find and fix a problem that’s been nagging us for the past few races in the four-wheel-drive truck. And, I still can’t believe the amazing job the track crew was able to do to make the track so racy after all the rain we had. It’s a testament to their expertise and the commitment they have to putting on a first class show.”

The team pulled out of the track Sunday night and headed straight for the West coast, driving through the night to get back in time to prep the trucks for rounds five and six of the CORR series at the LA Fairplex in Pomona, California this weekend.

“We raced here in April and finished on the podium all four races,” explained Renezeder. “Between the good luck we had here to start the season and the great luck we had last weekend, we’re hoping to parlay that into two more successful rounds of racing this weekend.”

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Lucas Oil Speedway – The Diamond of Dirt Tracks – Next Stop for Renezeder

LAKE FOREST, CA (May 22, 2008) – “If for no other reason, I’d make the trip out to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri for the trophy alone,” quipped Carl Renezeder when talking about the upcoming event at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks. The World Series of Off Road Racing opens its 2008 season at the state-of-the-art facility on May 29 and June 1. The nationally renowned track is taking it one step higher by hosting round one under the lights on Saturday night.

“We used to race at night in Topeka every year, and it was always some of the best racing of the year,” explained Renezeder. “The tracks hold moisture better once the sun is off the surface, it’s cooler for the fans and it’s exciting for the drivers. I can’t think of a better place to run my Lucas Oil race trucks.”

Last year, Renezeder captured a win and a second place finish at the inaugural off-road race at Lucas Oil Speedway in the four-wheel-drive division, but this season, he hopes to bring home even more hardware. Both his Lucas Oil Pro2WD and Lucas Oil Skyjacker Pro4x4 will be at the event this year.

“It’s a tight schedule for us to haul out here from California and get back for another race in Pomona the following weekend, so last year we were only able to bring one race truck. But that killed me to stand in the pits and watch the Pro2WD race. It’s a push for my guys, but we’re making it work to have both trucks this year, so I’m even more excited to be heading out there,” concluded Renezeder.

The event will be covered by both SPEED Channel and Versus TV. Visit the WSORR website for more detailed information about the schedule and television broadcast dates: www.wsorr.com.

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LAKE FOREST, CA (May 20, 2008) – If nothing else, Carl Renezeder can be pointed to as a driver that can make the most of a bad situation. After a severe allergic reaction to an energy drink on CORR’s Friday qualifying day, Renezeder, barely able to talk or breath, climbed into his Lucas Oil Pro-2 and nailed down a fifth place qualifying effort in a field of more than 22 trucks. He was under close medical care during the Pro Lite qualifying session and then strapped into his Lucas Oil Skyjacker Pro-4 and qualified fifth in that division as well. Rounds three and four of the Championship Off Road Racing season were off to a rough start, but Renezeder was determined to persevere in the Primm, Nevada heat.

Saturday morning was host to several new things in the CORR rule book: the series is now awarding qualifying points to the top three qualifiers, as well as the top three drivers at the start of the mandatory yellow, and they have reinstated the invert, where a random number between zero and eight is drawn to invert the top qualifiers in the Pro starting grids. With the changes in mind, the team readied themselves for the two days of racing ahead of them.

In the Pro-2 division, Renezeder was part of the great racing action both days, turning fifth and second place qualifying efforts into third and second place finishes, respectively.

“I had a lot of fun driving my Lucas Oil Pro-2 this weekend,” commented Renezeder, after a heat-soaked weekend. “The racing was clean, and there were some great battles on the track. Our BFGoodrich tires were flawless, and we’re consistently finishing well in that truck.”

The Pro-4 division was a different story all together. After two wins in the opening two rounds of the season, the team had high hopes for another great weekend. It was not to be. Less than five laps into Saturday’s race, Adrian Cenni drove straight out of the top groove of turn one and straight over the right side of Renezeder, ripping the rearend out of Renezeder’s race truck, ending his day. Not that it’s any consolation, but Renezeder wasn’t the only one that had his day ended by the bright orange truck, and, luckily, he had the opportunity to fix it and come back to the line on Sunday.

Unfortunately, on Sunday, Josh Baldwin made it three wide going into turn two on lap one, knocking Rick Huseman out of the way on the inside, and then gave Carl a right front flat while trying to exit the turn.

“I had to spend the rest of the race protecting that right front,” explained Renezeder, who held his position through the mandatory caution. “Once it started to come apart, we had to go into the pits and change it. At that point there were only three laps remaining, so we ended up finishing a lap down in ninth. We tried to do the best with what we had.” Indeed they did.

Renezeder finished the weekend with third and second place finishes in Pro-2 and thirteenth and ninth places finishes in Pro-4. Current points have yet to be released; check www.corracing.com for updates.

The events from this past weekend will be aired via the following schedule:
- SPEED–Sat, May 24, 7:00-9:00p EDT
- NBC–Sun, Jun 15, 12:30-2:00p EDT

Next on Team Renezeder’s schedule is the World Series of Off-Road Racing season opener at the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks”, Lucas Oil Speedway, May 31-June 1.

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Renezeder: Early Points Leader in Pro-4
2nd in Pro-2

LAKE FOREST, CA (May 14, 2008) – With a stellar start to the 2008 Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) season, Carl Renezeder heads to Las Vegas International Off Road Raceway in Primm, Nevada this weekend with a positive outlook. Wins in both Pro-4 rounds in Pomona just three weeks ago put him twenty points ahead of the class, and a runner-up and third place finish in Pro-2 has him just 18 points behind leader, Rob MacCachren, in second place.

“It’s a 15-race series, so we have to make each one count,” commented Renezeder after the opening weekend. “I take my competition very seriously. If we make even a small mistake, there are several guys right there that will capitalize on it.”

Renezeder relies on a top-rate crew, led by crew chief, Mike Seat, to build and prep trucks that are not only fast, but durable. Seat has proven his worth over and over, helping lead the team to three championships in the past three years, 15 CORR wins in 2007 alone and, just as importantly, very few DNFs.

“My crew is amazing,” continued Renezeder. “I love being able to get into my race trucks knowing that all I have to do is focus on my job of driving. They take all of the other factors out of the equation, and that’s comforting.”

Rounds three and four will take place Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in the stateline town of Primm this weekend. Round three will air on SPEED Channel on Saturday, May 24 at 7:00 pm, and round four will air on NBC on Sunday, June 15 at 12:30 pm. Visit the CORR website (www.corracing.com) for a detailed schedule of this weekend’s racing.

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LAKE FOREST, CA (April 29, 2008) – “That was so much fun,” smiled Carl Renezeder as he pulled his Lucas Oil Skyjacker Pro-4 into victory lane for the second time in as many races this past weekend at the CORR opener in Pomona, California. Great racing was on display all weekend, but the Pro-2 and Pro-4 races on Sunday had the crowd cheering on their feet, while Renezeder worked his way past some tough competition.

Saturday’s events seemed to go by in a blur as the three Pro divisions practiced, qualified and raced within a five hour window. Renezeder grabbed the pole in the Pro-4 division and the outside front row slot in Pro-2. He admittedly missed a bit on the set up in his Lucas Oil Pro-2 for the race, but still managed a third place finish. In Pro-4, the truck was flawless. He led from flag to flag and looked comfortable the entire way. During the live television coverage on SPEED Channel, both Bill Weber and Ken Stout talked about how significant a win it was after an off-season full of several changes to Renezeder’s program – a new engine program and the retirement of his 11-year-old Chevy (the winningest truck in CORR history) being the two most drastic changes.

“We always knew this truck would be competitive,” explained Renezeder. “We’re glad we had most of last season to work all the bugs out, and we’re excited to have a Pro Power motor under the hood this year. With the addition of Skyjacker to our program, and the reliability of our BFGoodrich tires, my confidence in this Lucas Oil Pro-4 is at an all-time high.” And that confidence shined through on Sunday.

Renezeder’s qualifying efforts were respectable on day two with a fifth and third place start in Pro-2 and Pro-4, respectively. But, it was the racing that caught everyone’s attention. At the drop of the green, Renezeder spent the few laps before the mandatory caution feeling out the changes they had made on the Pro-2. As he idled around before the restart he simply commented, “I think we’ve got something for these guys.” The green flag few again and he went to work. He held off a hard-charging Jerry Welchel and then made fantastic passes on both Todd LeDuc and Ricky Johnson. Unfortunately, he ran out of laps to battle with race winner Rob MacCachren and had to settle for second.

“I’m thrilled with two podiums in the opening two rounds,” commented Renezeder. “Obviously, we want to win them all, but we know we have a great baseline for the season. We should be in the hunt every time.”

The Pro-4 race was another display of smart racing and a flawless truck. Great battles throughout the race were just a precursor to the final lap. Rick Huseman had a three second lead on Renezeder as the white flag flew and he heard his spotter say, “this is your last lap…go get him.” Renezeder caught Huseman over the table top jump, made a great move in the big bowl turn, drove perfectly through the rhythm section and then made a fantastic pass in the final turn to take the win.

“That’s why I love racing,” commented Renezeder after the race was over. It seemed to be the sentiment among most racers that day that did battle without ruining equipment. Driving the trucks onto the trailer and adding four more trophies to the case is a great way to start a championship campaign. Renezeder’s got his fingers crossed that the next 13 rounds of racing have similar results.

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New Paint, Same Focus for Carl Renezeder

LAKE FOREST, CA (April 21, 2008) – After an epic 2007 race season, including a Pro-4 championship and 21 short course wins, Carl Renezeder plans to roll that success and focus into the new season. Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) hosts the 2008 season opener this weekend, April 26-27 at the LA Fairplex in Pomona, California, with new race formats and live television. Add a new power package for both Team Renezeder race trucks, and you have an entirely new program for the start of the season. But for Renezeder, it’s business as usual.

“There have definitely been a lot of changes this off season,” commented Renezeder, “but that hasn’t changed our focus. We’re committed to winning races for the team, our sponsors and our fans. We’re excited to be celebrating 15 years with BFGoodrich and 10 years with Lucas Oil, and equally happy to have Skyjacker Suspensions, PUMA, Cobra Seats, Schroth belts, Sube Sports and Honest Tea join our team. It takes commitment on all levels of this sport to perform at the top of your game, and I’m proud of the effort we put out there every race weekend.”

It’s not a far stretch to imagine Renezeder being a contending force every time he takes the track. As a four-time series champion (current Pro-4 champion) and winningest driver in CORR history (59 wins to date), his record speaks for itself. This season, the weekend format makes it much more difficult to add to the win column, with only eight points races per division. That should make each win even sweeter.

Renezeder will again compete in both the Pro-2 and Pro-4 divisions, which will now qualify on Saturday morning, followed by heat races in the afternoon and main events on Sunday. The heat races will be live on Speed Channel at 3:30 pm (Eastern), and the main events will be aired on NBC, set for telecast on Sunday, May 25 at 1:30 pm (Eastern).

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Rain, Wind, Setbacks and Victory for Team Renezeder in Laughlin

LAKE FOREST, CA (January 27, 2008) – After much debate at the start of the weekend as to whether the 48-mile races each day of the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge would be attrition or sprint races, by the end of the weekend, both turned out to be true. A team had to survive the course, but it also had to be quick to bring home a trophy. For Carl Renezeder and his Lucas Oil/BFGoodrich Trophy Truck, the event had its highs and lows, ultimately ending in a win on Sunday afternoon amidst a rain-soaked, heavily rutted course.

“Desert races are usually thought of as endurance events,” explained Renezeder. “We knew we’d have to have a tough truck to get us to the finish line, but it had to be fast as well.”

After qualifying third out of 24 trucks on Friday afternoon, the team suffered a setback on Saturday with a gear failure that knocked them out of the race only two laps into the eight-lap event, relegating them to a last place start on Sunday. And that’s when things turned around.

“The truck felt better than ever,” commented Renezeder after Saturday’s disappointing finish. “I just want a shot to drive this thing to the finish line.”

He got his wish and he capitalized on it. Twenty-two trucks left the line ahead of him on a wet, soaked Sunday afternoon, and Renezeder had only eight six-mile laps to beat all of them. Great battles on the track with Rob MacCachren and Robbie Gordon entertained the umbrella clad crowd, and when the checkered flag flew, Renezeder had not only beat the field on corrected time, he had passed all 22 trucks ahead of him and finished physically first as well.

“Turns out that the 14 tear-offs we put on our helmets were about 86 too few,” remarked co-driver, Mike Seat, while wiping sandy bits of course off his face. Luckily, the less than perfect race conditions didn’t deter them, allowing them to put a positive finish on the opening race weekend of Team Renezeder’s 2008 season.

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