The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) came to a close at Lake Elsinore last weekend but not before fans were treated to some of the best racing of the season, and Team GT was right in the middle of it. Capping off the weekend, Team GT veteran, Carl Renezeder, claimed his ninth short course championship winning the Pro-4 class championship handily.
“Congratulations to Carl and everyone on his team,” said Travis Roffler, director of arketing for General Tire. “Carl is the epitome of a champion and we couldn’t be more proud to have him representing the General Tire brand in LOORRS. To win a ninth career championship is quite an accomplishment and a testament to the hard work and dedication that Carl and every member of his team put in to their racing.”
Before the cork popped on the champagne, there was racing to do. The weekend started with the 15th, and final, round of LOORRS competition followed by the fan favorite, Challenge Cup. In round 15, Renezeder pulled every trick he had out of his hat to capture one last Pro-4 win but a last lap attempt at a slide job on Eric Barron wasn’t enough. Renezeder settled for second while Ryan Beat finished fourth.
Sunday’s Challenge Cup was an impressive display of driving prowess by every member of Team GT. With big money and bragging rights on the line, every Team GT driver put their best foot forward and their GRABBER’s were there every step of the way. In Pro-Lite competition, short course newbie, Ray Griffith, had his best finish of the 2013 season as he drove to a fourth-place finish.
Reminiscent of the shootout at the OK Corral, the Pro-2/Pro-4 race was one for the history books. With a Pro-4 championship under his belt, Renezeder was certainly a crowd favorite and fought hard all day but mechanical issues would keep him off the podium. Meanwhile, Team GT up-and-comers Robby Woods and Beat were brilliant in their final race of the year.
Woods exemplified championship driving after strategically moving his way to the front of the 24-car field to lead in the closing laps. A green-white-checkered finish was called but Woods focus remained the same, a race win. Through each corner he came closer and closer to that elusive first career win but a last lap bump and pass by Barron left Woods wide while Barron and Brian Deegan went underneath for position. With the help of his GRABBER tires, Woods was able to slide back in line but was running in third behind Deegan. LOORRS black flagged Barron for rough driving giving the race win to Deegan while Woods held on for a hard-fought second-place finish. Beat followed in third after a superb day of racing that saw him move his way from mid-pack to the front of the field for the finish.
“That was one of the greatest Challenge Cup races I’ve seen,” said Roffler. “It was heartbreaking to see Robby in second after he worked so hard and led there at the end. He’s made huge strides and we’re extremely proud of him. I think we’re going to see big things from him in 2014.”
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