LOORS: Rob MacCachren Phoenix event summary

Ups and Downs For Rob MacCachren At 2011 LOORS Season Opener in Phoenix

ROCKSTAR driver Rob MacCachren started the 2011 Lucas Off Road Racing Series (LOORS) season the same way he ended the 2010 season: fast! MacCachren qualified first in the premier Pro2 Unlimited class on Friday in his ROCKSTAR Energy / BFGoodrich Tires / MasterCraft Safety Ford. Due to the first two row inversion, Rob started outside of the second row when the green flag dropped. Displaying the patience that he is famous for, MacCachren waited for mistakes from others to capitalize and move forward through the traffic. Contact from Brian Deegan unsettled MacCachren’s truck towards the end of the race but Rob was able to maintain his composure. When the tables were turned and MacCachren got into the back of Deegan though, the latter spun out on the last lap of the race.

When the dust and the "hockey fight" between the two diametrically opposed Rockstar drivers was settled, the No. 1 Ford crossed the finish line in third place; a mere seven seconds behind the winner, but LOORS officials penalized Rob for his contact with Deegan. The controversial penalty pushed MacCachren back to eleventh overall in the first round of racing. The scores of “Rob Mac” fans filling the bleachers were left puzzled how the squeaky clean MacCachren could come out as the bad guy against Metal Mulisha's "General," Brian Deegan.

Sunday saw MacCachren qualify first once again, eager to put the perceived wrong doing behind him and get back to the podium. Unfortunately fate had other ideas and the driveshaft transferring power from the 800 horsepower engine in MacCachren’s ROCKSTAR Energy / BFGoodrich Tires / MasterCraft Safety Ford detonated early in the race. It was a disappointing way to end what had already been a frustrating weekend for the perennial champion. "This is not how I expected this weekend to play out," MacCachren commented on Sunday night. “It's upsetting for the crew, my sponsors, and especially for me because I knew I could do well here. We won here at Firebird Raceway just a few months ago at the end of the 2010 season and my truck is just as fast now as ever; qualifying showed that. It's going to take me a while to dig myself out of this hole, but there is still a lot more racing left in the year."

The next stop for ROCKSTAR Energy Drink’s Rob MacCachren will be Rounds 3 and 4 of action-packed LOORS racing at Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, Arizona on April 16 and 17.