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For McGrath the definitive poster-boy of Supercross, getting his first Pro 2 win of 2011 was particularly sweet.
Whatever degree of chill the cool desert air cast upon fans braving rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the heated action on the track quickly dispelled. Stronghold Motorsports led by seven-time Supercross champion, Jeremy McGrath's wire-to-wire Pro 2 win, highlighted the weekend of racing for the team, which included three podiums when the final checkered waved. K&N News spoke with Stronghold Motorsports Managing Partner, Scott Bailey to get his take on how things went and how 2011 is unfolding for the team overall.
Jeremy McGrath is getting familiar with the LOORRS tracks and his new truck, and he proved it by winning flag-to-flag in round 13 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
You covered every tier of the podium, what was the overall team consensus after the weekend, and how are you currently positioned for championship points with only one points earning round remaining?
"We have had some successes in the Pro 2 category including Rob Naughton and Jeremy taking first and second place on the podium in two separate rounds. Between them, we have captured a total of 10 podiums in 14 Rounds; four of those being wins. In short course racing, there is a great deal of contact on the racetrack, and that can take its toll on challenging for the championship. The racing is a 20-lap off road slugfest and even when you do your best to stay out of trouble, sometimes, it finds you. Right now, Jeremy and Rob are sitting in fourth and fifth place in a very deep field. Cameron Steele has been very impressive in his first season behind the wheel of the ProLite and he is sitting in third in the points chase. With one more points earning round left in the championship, we are headed to Firebird Raceway looking for a solid finish."
Stronghold Motorsports' Brandon Bailey will be racing his Pro Buggy in the upcoming Lucas Oil Challenge Cup at Firebird Raceway.
Jeremy got his first win in a big way, what's his take on winning in such a convincing manner, and is it safe to assume he's got his truck dialed in?
"We were in a great position to start on the pole with the No. 2 and Jeremy capitalized on that by running a flawless race from flag-to-flag. He shot off like a rocket and never looked back. It was a great race and a wonderful victory for the entire team. He has said that he likes the Vegas track and has always been fast there. He put it all together for that race. At the beginning of the season, Dave Clark, Jimmy Davidson and the crew built a brand new truck in house for Jeremy with a Roush power plant. Of course, it has taken some time for him to get comfortable in the truck, while at the same time Jeremy was seeing some of these tracks for the first time. But throughout the season, both he and Rob have been among the frontrunners, and we've had some great results."
K&N sponsored Rob Naughton has three wins and five total podiums for 2011 so far.
Rob Naughton proves that LOORRS racers are indeed ironmen.
Rob Naughton had another strong showing, what's his perspective on round 14?
"In just his second season, Rob has entrenched himself among the elite in the Pro 2 class. He has driven some very strong races and has developed into a very clean driver. When he's in his zone, he hits his marks, and is very consistent. He came out with a win early in the season and he has since backed that up with two more wins and five trips to the podium. He continues to develop as a driver and his second place in Round 14 is a reflection of the hard work put in by both Rob and his crew chief, Nick Griner."
With a very impressive first season racing Pro Lites Cameron Steele currently holds third place for series points.
How is the team's confidence with the momentum they've gathered heading into Firebird Raceway?
"We are looking forward to an exciting weekend at Firebird to end the season strong. Along with the last round of racing, we're going to be contending for the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup. Rob and Jeremy will be going up against the Pro 2 (2wd 900HP) and Pro4 ( 4wd 900 HP) field, while Brandon Bailey (Pro Buggy) and Cameron Steele (Pro Lites) will be squaring off with the Pro Lites and Pro Buggy classes on the same track. Stronghold Motorsports has done very well in these winner take all cup races in the past and we believe that we will have a strong showing in December."
Curt Michael clinched to United Racing Company's Sprint Car championship for the seventh time in eight years.
With the 2011 360 Sprint Car season wrapped up in the northeast, Curt Michael and his team finally have time to sit down and breathe. That's because for the seventh time in eight years, Michael clinched to United Racing Company's Sprint Car championship. Michael and his team, the only team to ever win five championships in a row (2004-2008), dealt with their most difficult season yet, overcoming mechanical gremlins to rally late in the season and capture his unprecedented eighth URC championship.
Curt Michael and his team won five championships in a row from 2004 to 2008.
"As a team we did a great job rallying through those (mechanical) problems and still won the championship," Michael told K&N News. "Overall we had a good season, not as good as some of my other championships, but in the end it worked out."
Michael credited his brother Sean and Bill Gallagher for providing him with top-quality equipment. But the team had a scare at a race in Bridgeport, New Jersey when while running in second place, the motor broke. From that point on the team had to play catch-up, but a strong end to the season sealed the deal.
2011 will go down in the record books as the final URC season for Michael and his team. After over a decade of URC competition, they will look to run a wider variety of races, including a jump into the bigger 410 c.i. powered sprints.
"We are setting some new goals for next season and aren't going to run for a points title. We as a team just want to do something different."
The team is already hard at work preparing for 2012. Michael said that with the holiday's taking time away from the shop, there really is no offseason anymore. Racing begins in February at Lincoln Speedway, and the team is also planning on more races at the famed Williams Grove Speedway.
Curt and the team thanked K&N for their years of support.
"K&N has great products that have helped us win so many championships. When we take our motors in to be rebuilt at Riders Racing Engines, they always say we have the cleanest motors thanks to our great K&N Carbon Fiber Air Box and the K&N Air Filter Oil we use."
One look at the ATRacing website and it is instantly apparent, Andrea Tomba and his crew have figured out desert racing. 2011 might have been the most successful season yet for the team that dominates the ProBaja Southern Baja Off Road Championship series every year.
The ATRacing Team Driving Through the Silt
Tomba drove his Ford F-150 and Ford Explorer to his third straight ProBaja Class 8 Open Championship, collecting 3 wins and 2 seconds in the six-event season. Teamates Randy Sanders and Chad Faulkner competed in just four of the six races due to work constraints, yet placed 4th in the final ProBaja Class 6 points standings, collecting 2 wins and 1 second place finish. Finally a pair of rookies, Rory King and Daniel Hernandez drove their Ford Ranger 4x4 to 9th place in the 28 truck ProBaja Class 7 Open Championship.
"ProBaja has proved that it offers the best attended races, both for the number and quality of participants, as well as spectators," Tomba said. "(Three championships in a row) feels absolutely incredible, and somewhat tough to believe, because it really was like a movie finish."
After completing a perfect 2009 season (6 wins in 6 races) and winning 5 races with 1 runner-up in 2010, Tomba had to battle through adversity to complete the three-peat.
The ATRacing Team Vehicles
Tomba raced out to an early lead in the points standings, but a DNF brought on by a transmission failure caused Tomba to fall back. Entering the final race of 2011, Tomba needed to win and points leader Ricky Betancourt had to finish at least fifth. Betancourt was caught in a turn 1 accident that caused a flat tire, relegating him to an unlikely 8th place finish, while Tomba raced out to the early lead and dominated the event.
"It makes it that much sweeter, and I really can't think of a better way to show our appreciation for all the great work the crew and team did the entire season."
This season, the ProBaja Southern Baja Off Road Championship say more than 440 teams enter an event. The series runs four desert style Baja races, and two Short Course events, putting more emphasis on driver technique and versatility. More than 100,000 fans attended each of the four desert Baja races.
Tomba and his team are already working on their race lineup for 2012. The ATRacing stable is working to eliminate the mechanical bugs that hindered King and Hernandez's season while also preparing for a run at Class 8 championship number four. But when asked whether or not the offseason can end quick enough, Tomba offered a candid response.
"Funny, I think I have to answer yes and no! On one hand, we can't wait for the new season to start, to see what the competition is going to bring out, and it always adds a little extra pressure when you're the one everyone wants to beat.
"On the other hand, 2012 was the first year that we ran three trucks, and these months 'off' before the season starts again are definitely welcomed, as we need to step back a little and draw up all the plans for next season.
"And it's even more exciting when you consider the 45th SCORE Baja 1000 will finish in our home territory, so we are already looking at opportunities to either race one of our trucks, or drive for someone looking for a driver with plenty of Southern Baja pre-running and racing experience."
Tomba offered high praise for K&N and it's full line of products and their ability to hold up even in tough desert conditions.
"We have been working with K&N Racing for over a decade. It really feels like a marriage. K&N have shown us that they are always striving to improve their products or find us new products to combat the number one enemy in off road racing, dust!
"It is an honor for us to have the opportunity to run and test these products, which have always proven to be unbeatable. Some things never change, and the incredible level of service and attention that K&N have always shown us, going out of their way to make things happen, has always remained the same. For us, K&N is like family and are in integral part of ATRacing, and I couldn't imagine racing without them or their products. I am most grateful for their support and friendship."
For more information on Andrea Tomba and his ATRacing team, visit www.atoffroad.com.
There are many difficult challenges in the everyday life of a successful race car driver. The ultimate challenge is figuring out how to win. Guys like Jason Meyers and the Elite Racing Team have managed to complete this challenge two years in a row with back to back World of Outlaw Championships. For Meyers, "The major challenge is always the fierce competition within the World of Outlaws. We are racing against some of the most talented and dedicated athletes in the world, and staying front of them is no easy task." With over 400 racers that ran their cars in 2011, competition can be quite fierce.
Consistency was the name of the game for the Elite race team. The 2011 season started off slow, but as the summer began to heat up, so did Meyers. During the month of July he managed to finish Top Five 11 times out of 14 races.
They managed to stay strong through the season and finish the year with 9 event wins, 41 Top Five finishes, and 56 Top Ten finishes. These numbers were proof that Meyers and his race team were determined to win another championship. "It seemed like we just couldn't breathe life into the season in the beginning, but we never gave up and we kept fighting the battle every day until we turned it around and ultimately we overcame our challenges and captured a second championship."
Driver Jason Meyers hoisting a 1st place trophy in Victory Lane.
Some would question where the Elite race team gets their motivation and Meyers claims, "Motivation comes from within someone; it is that burning desire inside your soul that just makes you want to be better every day." To give an idea of what "comes from within" Jason Meyers, K&N got a chance to ask him some quick questions last week.
Do you have a specific routine before every race? I am pretty regimented in what I do before every race. There is nothing superstitious or anything like that, but I go through a series of events that I feel prepares me mentally and physically to perform at my highest level before every race. This includes everything from reading through notes to what I eat prior to a race.
What kind of preparations do you need to go through to ensure a championship next year? We have sat down and analyzed the last two seasons and find where we really shined and where we really struggled. We have identified those areas and are building systems to expand our strong points and better our weaknesses so that we will be an even better team in 2012. We know very well that just being as good as we were in 2011 will not be good enough, we have to be better.
My family is very involved in our race team. We have a really neat family atmosphere that is great to be around.
What kind of role does family play at the race track? My family is very involved in our race team. My wife does everything from running our vending trailer to dealing with me and the storm that I create with the numerous tasks that I take on day to day. Oh and did I mention that she does all of this while raising two beautiful girls? She is incredible. All of our team members' spouses are involved and around the team quite often. We have a really neat family atmosphere that is great to be around.
Is Charolette Motor Speedway a track favorite? We have had a lot of success over the past few seasons at Charlotte and that just naturally makes it a favorite. The events in Charlotte are some of the diamonds of the schedule, and it is really something to race in front of those kinds of crowds.
Would you say K&N products give you an edge over the competition on the track? We choose our parts that we utilize very carefully and accept nothing less than the best when it comes to performance. Our K&N products have been a part of our program for over 15 years now and I wouldn't use anything else, unless there was something better that is, and there just isn't anything better than K&N products.
Make sure to keep an eye out for the Elite Race Team during the 2012 World of Outlaws race season as they go for a third consecutive championship.
Jeff Maldonado wears a few different hats throughout the work week. If he is not at work at Toyota central in down town LA he is managing his clothing line, marketing company or helping out with charity events. When SEMA season comes around, Jeff switches gears again to custom builder. While he has worked on more than a few vehicles, present at SEMA, his Scion tC is the face of his company 742. His Scion has been to SEMA for the last 3 years with a different look and theme every time. Since 2006, Jeff has worked on perfecting his showmanship on vehicles to best represent the companies he show cases.
SEMA featured Jeff Maldonado's custom Scion tC
Scion's have always been a car that owners strive to customize. Jeff went above and beyond this craze by totally hooking up this cars interior. With its fully wrapped, peanut butter colored suede and leather interior, this car stands out on the inside. As you move to the outside of the vehicle you get a complementary two tone paint job by basf custom on a v fiber complete wide body. The hood and the trunk of this vehicle go almost perfectly with the interior and is split up with the vivid color of the body.
Maldonado's Company Seven42 brought the 2006 Scion tC to SEMA
The cool thing about Jeff's vehicle, is while it's a show vehicle at SEMA and spends most of the year covered up, you might see it gliding the streets of LA on the weekends. Under the hood of this vehicle you might find brands like Optima, K&N, jet performance and engine modifications from Mishimoto. Since the beginning of his tuning and custom building career there have been a few brands that Jeff has stuck with for performance and K&N is one of those brands. Since the start of his career Jeff has received over 100 awards, been featured in 3 magazines and been presented on TV and webcasts.
Maldonado has received over 100 awards for this SEMA featured Scion tC.
Besides having fun and making tricked out custom cars, Jeff hopes to build his marketing company through his work and create a good platform to showcase manufacturers and vendors. With very unique color choices and his own personal style, Jeff plans to stick out from all the other custom builds out there.
