Brian Deegan Races to Two Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Championships Saturday at Firebird International Raceway
Lucas Oil Challenge Cup, Sport’s Richest & Most Prestigious Event, Set for Sunday
GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY – Dec. 10, 2011 – The Pro-Lite Unlimited final during Saturday’s Lucas Oil Off Road Series at Firebird International Raceway figured to be a winner-take-all battle between drivers Brian Deegan and Chris Brandt. After all, only four points separated the two competitors in their quest for a 2011 series point’s championship.
Deegan kept his end of the deal, racing to a win on his way to the 2011 championship. Brandt, however, found himself locked in another heated battle. Instead of chasing Deegan for first, Brand was battling Kyle LeDuc in a nearly race-long struggle for second place.
LeDuc was determined to play the spoiler, holding off Brandt during a race where he nearly flipped over on two separate occasions. Brandt settled for third, and a runner-up spot in the point’s championship.
While the Deegan-Brandt battle didn’t materialize as expected, Brandt definitely made an impact on the champ throughout the 2011 season.
“I just want to thank Chris Brandt for being such a great competitor all season long…” Deegan said from the victory podium.
But Deegan’s day wasn’t quite over yet. He had his sight sets on yet another season point’s championship.
Heading into the Pro-2 Unlimited finale, all Deegan needed was to successfully finish the race in order to claim his second championship of the day.
Simple, right?
Well, this race would prove to be anything but simple. Three racers were eventually penalized – including Deegan himself – in a race that was described as “carnage” by one track announcer.
After causing one of several accidents during the race, Deegan would eventually finish third, wrapping up the Pro-2 Unlimited title.
If carnage was the best way to describe the Pro 2 finale, consistency would be the term to use for the Pro-4 Unlimited race. Carl Renezeder wrapped up a 2011 season that saw him on the championship podium 14 times in 15 races with a runner-up spot behind Kyle LeDuc – a fitting ending to a dominant championship season.
With the points races completed on Saturday, Renezeder, Deegan and all the drivers of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will take to Firebird International Raceway’s off road course Sunday for the largest combined purse in short course off road racing, the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup.
As the most prestigious event in the sport, the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup combines classes, normally run separately throughout the season, into a head-to-head competition with more than $100,000 on the line.
Tickets are still available for Sunday’s Lucas Oil Challenge Cup. To learn more or to purchase tickets, please visit www.firebirdraceway.com or call 602-268-0200.
Here are results from Saturday’s racing:
Class: Pro Lite Unlimited
Driver Best time Best Speed
Brian Deegan 16:28.369 87.642
Kyle LeDuc 16:29.913 88.589
Chris Brandt 16:30.434 88.190
2011 Class champion: Brian Deegan
Pro 4 Unlimited
Kyle Leduc 15:01.110 95.868
Carl Renezeder 15:03.695 94.732
Josh Merrell 15:10.658 93.330
2011 Class champion: Carl Renezeder
Pro 2 Unlimited
Greg Adler 27:06.138 88.739
Jeff Geiser 27:08.224 87.939
Brian Deegan 27:08.382 90.622
2011 Class champion: Brian Deegan
Super Lite
Austim Kimbrell 15:41.432 81.187
Kyle Lucas 15:41.433 82.552
RJ Anderson 15:42.278
2011 Class champion: Chad George
Unlimited Buggy
Justin Smith 14:48.160 87.79
Steve Greinke 14:49.057 88.89
Wayde Wymon 14:57.308 86.00
2011 Class champion: Mike Porter
Limited Buggy
John Fitzgerald 13:38.347 83.71
Bradley Morris 13:39.840 83.27
Geoffrey Cooley 13:40.233 84.22
2011 Class champion: Curt Geer
SR1
Doug Mittage 12:26.563 47.829
Dan Kelly 12:28.004 47.918
John Dempsey 12:38.761 48.368
2011 Class champion: Corry Weller
UTV
Chad George 12:22.389 47.996
Robert Vanbeekum 11:34.979 47.802
RJ Anderson 8:20.102 49.490
2011 Class champion: RJ Anderson
Kart Jr. 1
Broc Dickerson 6:59.406 103.233
Preston Roben 7:00.434 103.443
Darren Hardesty 7:01.329 103.893
Kart Jr. 2
Myles Cheek 8:37.668 112.363
Shelby Anderson 8:38. 218 112.061
Brock Heger 8:39.015 111.893
Kart Modified
Kyle Hart 10:37.969 121.809
Mitchell Dejong 10:28.604 123.808
Jeff Hoffman 10:30.249 122.072
