Falken Tire and its driving partner, Jordan Brenthel, one half of Team Brenthel, earned first place in the Open V8 class at last weekend’s Lucas Oil Off Road Series, Southern California Division, held at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA.
Both Jordan and his brother, Jonathon, race in this popular series, competing in both classes, Open V8 and Pro Lite. The team uses Falken’s WILDPEAK A/T tire, sizes 265/75R16 for the front, and 31x10.5R15 for the rear. The WILDPEAK A/Ts are specially grooved for racing and track conditions.
“Jonathon and I both entered Open V8 as well as the Pro Lite class to gain as much seat time on the track as possible,” noted Jordan Brenthel. “Saturday was my first racing a short course. I was leading the Open V8 race, but without warning, rolled the truck and that ended my race.”
Jordan injured his hand during the rollover and sat out the Pro Lite event to watch his brother compete in the tough race that ran later on Saturday.
He returned Sunday, and with the confidence he received from his spotter – Brad Deberti, who helped guide him through the track, Jordan started the race smoothly and ran flawlessly, with the result recording a win in Open V8. He also finished fifth in the Sunday Pro Lite race which followed.
“This is the fourth different type of off-road motorsport Falken competes in,” declared Nestor Cabrera, Falken’s Off-Road Supervisor. “What makes the Lucas Oil Off Road Series unique from King of the Hammers, desert racing and rock crawling is that there is no natural terrain to traverse, as all the tracks the drivers compete on are manmade. Short course tracks utilize a loop style format with high jumps, banks, burrs and technical sections in a stadium-style arena. Spectators can see the entire course from their seats and the action is usually very fast-paced with trucks bumping, pushing and even rolling over during a heat. The format is similar to Supercross/Motocross with qualifying, elimination heats and a main event.
“It’s very competitive and a lot of fun to watch,” Cabrera added.
“This is the perfect venue for race fans and Falken customers and enthusiasts to watch our drivers and our Falken tires in action,” added Nick Fousekis, Falken’s Director of Motorsports Marketing and Events. “Lucas brings events to fan-friendly tracks, and Glen Helen Raceway is close to Falken’s headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga. We’re all big supporters of off-road racing and of course, Team Brenthel, so it’s good to see Jordan and Jonathon out there competing and carrying Falken to victory circle.”