LOORS: LeDuc Racing Las Vegas event summary

Rockstar Energy / Makita Team LeDuc Racing Storms Into Las Vegas For LOORS Season Opener

The 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) began under the neon lights of Sin City with the premiere Unlimited 2 and Unlimited 4 classes packed with talent. The veteran Rockstar Energy / Makita team of LeDuc Racing has seen numerous teams come and go during their many years of racing, and with multiple BorgWarner Cup victories to the team's credit they know exactly what it takes to win, regardless of the competition. The all-new tight, technical track constructed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway played to the strengths of the first family in short course racing, and expectations were high coming into the event.

Kyle LeDuc qualified second in the first round of Unlimited 4 in his No. 99 Rockstar Energy / Makita Ford, less than a second behind Rick Huseman, while his father Curt qualified 10th out of 17 Unlimited 4 trucks. When the green flag dropped, Curt and Kyle both when to work moving forward in the field in their 800 horsepower Ford F-150s. Kyle battled with Johnny Greaves for much of the race and even made a spectacular mid-air pass of Rick Huseman to move into second place behind Scott Douglas. When the checkers came out Kyle had started off a new season of short course racing much the same way he ended 2009: on the podium. Family patriarch Curt LeDuc had moved up from 10th to finish just off the podium in fourth place in his No. 43 Rockstar Energy / Makita truck. "Carl Renezeder and I were having a hell of a battle, and I really wanted to be up there (on the podium) with Kyle, but I guess that will have to wait until we go to Arizona," Curt LeDuc commented after the race.

Todd LeDuc qualified fifth on Friday in his Rockstar Energy / Makita Ford, only one second behind Jeremy McGrath. Todd started on the third row in Round One and soon worked his way to the front of the crowded field, with 22 trucks on the track. Part way through the race action an errant rock found its way through the Beco radiator of Todd's No. 8 truck, causing temperatures to rise to critical levels. Todd kept a cool head in the face of adversity and was able to nurse the 800 horsepower Ford truck around the track to earn valuable season points, eventually finishing in 15th place in Round One.

Saturday night the skies opened up and drowned out any chance of running testing or qualifying for Sunday's Round Two action due to the muddy track conditions. Jumping straight into race action, Kyle LeDuc started fifth in Unlimited 4 and quickly worked his way forward, engaging in a spectacular battle for third place with Carl Renezeder. Kyle eventually made the pass in his No. 99 Rockstar Energy / Makita Ford, but contact with a K rail barrier resulted in suspension damage that required Kyle to limp his F-150 around the track, ending in a 13th place finish. Travis Coyne swapped paint with Curt LeDuc on the first turn of the race, causing brake damage to Curt's Rockstar Energy / Makita Ford. The injured truck also suffered from engine issues under the Makita-green hood, pushing Curt back to 12th place by the end of the race.

The Unlimited 2 race started with a spectacular crash by Ricky Woods, and the fiberglass continued flying all the way until the checked flag! Todd LeDuc started 16th and methodically picked off competitors, but the slick conditions and short, 1.1 mile track did not give Todd the room he needed to reign in the leaders. His No. 8 Rockstar Energy / Makita Ford eventually rounded out the top ten of the 21 racers in Sunday's Round Two Unlimited 2 battle.

Before the mud has even dried on the chassis, the Rockstar Energy / Makita LeDuc Racing team is already preparing for the next stop on the LOORS circuit at Speedworld Off Road Park. Look for more podium finishes by Rockstar Energy / Makita Team LeDuc Racing in Surprise, Arizona on April 17th and 18th.

-source: leduc racing