MENZIES PRODUCES A DOUBLE SURPRISE IN SUPRISE-ARIZONA

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, (LOORRS) presented by Geico Powersports, returned to the Speedworld Motorsports Park, in Surprise-Arizona, May 3d to present round four of their current 2009 series. Just like Saturday's round three this event was a complete sell out. The Arizona sun was in full force but there was plenty of cold drinks, including frosty adult beverages, to help the capacity crowd with the heat.

There was also a couple surprises in Surprise-Arizona provided by Bryce Menzies who won two features in two divisions all within a half hour of each other.

Once again the Unlimited Two truck class was a major highlight of the day and Menzies claimed his first series win in the division. Greg Adler led the starters under the initial green flag and held the point all the way to the mandatory competition yellow flag thrown at the race's halfway point.

This is where this race became a surprise in Surprise-Arizona. On the restart Rodrigo Ampudia jumped into the lead. One lap later another full course caution slowed the rhythm of the race after Jeff Ward's truck rolled over in turn two. That sent the race to a green-white-checker finish. On the ensuing restart Ampudia led the field to the line. However behind him Adler did a bump and run on Carl Renezeder to take over second. A half lap later Renezeder responded and spun Adler out in turn two. In a very rare moment for him, Renezeder received a black flag for what officials termed retalliation. On the way to the final lap white flag Menzies and Robby Woods around Ampudia with Menzies claiming his first division win.

After his victory lane celebration Menies quickly jumped out of this truck and into his Menzies Motorsports unlimited buggy to participate in his second consecutive race of the day. With a great deal of patience , Menzies watch John Fitzgearld and Sean Geiser fight for the win during the waning moments of the race. On the white flag lap Geiser's buggy slipped in turn five. Menzies lunged into second and set his sights on the race leader. In the final moments of the final turn Menzies made a beautiful inside move on Fitzgearld and then won a drag race to the checkers. Bruce Fraley, who won Saturday's round three event joined them on the podium after taking third.

The high powered Unlimited Four truck class again had the capacity crowd on their feet when series icon Carl Renezeder his 81st short course career victory as well as his second win in a row in this division.

But it was not easy to do. Travis Coyne led the starters under the initial green flag but unfortunately slid sideways in turn five. Alan "The Flying Hawaiian" Pfleuger took over the lead with Renezeder right behind him. Everyone in the capacity crowd was aware that the battle for the race was now on.

What a majestic battle it turned out to be. The pair of short course racing veterans, as well as team mates, ran neck and neck and often swapped the lead two or more times on the same lap. However the Pfleuger truck appeared to be going away on him in the final laps of this race. Either that or the Renezeder truck actually got faster. At this point in the event Renezeder did an astounding lap of 55.8 seconds around the six turn course. The final podium rundown for the event was Renezeder and Pfleuger in the top two spots while Coyne did a nice job of recovering from his earlier spin to take third.

For the second consecutive day, and the four consecutive time, Robert "Fig" Naughton won the Unlimited Lite feature. Again Naughton is driving with his left foot because his right foot was broken earlier in the year and surgery was required. Naughton made his race winning move on lap nine a low line pass in turn five against race leader Brian Deegan.

But the one thing Naughton didn't need to see was a full course caution that occurred one lap later when the trucks driven by John Harrah and Bobby Altimirano collided in turn four. The Altimirano truck rolled over on its side and, amazingly, was able despite a significant loss of the truck's sheet metal.

Naughton now found himself having to lead the restart with Deegan and early race leade Chris Brandt lined up behind him for a green-white-checker finish. When the green flag fell the Deegan truck appeared to be under powered as it came out of turn one and he started going backwards through the field. Meanwhile Naughton roared through the final laps and secured his latest win. Brandt fnished second while Todd Cuffaro completed the podium in third.

In the Unlimited Buggy class Cody Freeman took the race lead with four laps remaining for the win. But a lap after Freeman became the new race leader, Chuck Cheek jumped from fourth to second and the battle for the race was on. A late in the race full course yellow flag set up a green-white-checker finish. Cheek did everything he could to take the win but Freeman wouldn't have anything to do with it. Larry Foddrill joined them on the podium after finishing third.

In the Bully Dog Super Lite truck class Chad Leising collected his first series win in his Mazda powered truck. Leising reclaimed the race lead after roaring around John Harrah on the backstretch midway through lap eight and it turned out to be the race winning move. Harrah followed him under the checkers while Chuck Dempsey took third.

The Dragonfire Racing UTV class was won by Chad George who is a generational driver from a well known off road racing family. George inherited the lead at the halfway point of the feature after early event leader Robert Vanbeekum was sideline by mechanical failure. Tyler Winbury, who won Saturday's round three event, was second while Jacob Pearson completed the podium finish.

In the LOORRS little league of auto racing, featuring divisions that will someday develop the series' future stars, there were two double winners. In the Modified Kart ranks Connor Hart won

Sunday's race. on top of also winning Saturday, while Dave Mason and Brandon Arthur joined him on the victory lane podium.

Sheldon Creed swept the weekend in the Kart One Junior class. Myles Cheek and Brock Heger joined him on the podium following Sunday's race. In Kart Two Junior racing Trent Williams won the feature followed by Dustin Grabowski and Maxwell Ries.