Moto Racers
Fans of off-road truck racing will not want to miss the opportunity to see legends of the motocross, freestyle-motocross, desert and short-course off-road racing worlds go head-to-head at the Speed Technologies SuperLite Invitational on Saturday evening, June 12, 2010.
Part of the three-day Octane Fest motorsports jamboree – scheduled for June 10-14 at the Churchill County Fairgrounds and Top Gun Raceway, outside of Fallon, Nev. – the SuperLite Invitational will be the featured event of Saturday’s lineup.
"We’ve got the motocross legends like Jeff Ward, Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Johnson. The younger guns like [Brian] Deegan and Twitch [Jeremy Stenberg], who are the kings of freestyle motocross. And then some real hard-core short-course racers like Carl Renezeder and Johnny Greaves set to race," said Speed Technologies’ Kevin Singleton.
"Add to that field John Harrah, who was actually the SuperLite champion last year, and Roger Norman, who won the Baja 1000 and also just won the Mint 400 in Las Vegas, and you’ve got an amazing group of guys who will be going all out for the victory in this race."
SuperLite series races pit drivers against one another in true spec trucks, built in-house by Speed Technologies, meaning the driver with the skill and aggressiveness to take on all comers typically wins.
Each truck comes out of Speed Technologies’ factory with a standardized 240-horsepower Mazda RX8 engine, and the same power-to-weigh ratio of trucks in the more advanced ProLite category, meaning drivers can hit speeds of up to 80 miles per hour amidst the jumps, berms and straight-aways on the short-course track.
For the SuperLite Invitational, fans can expect to see two qualifying heats on a custom-built track to determine the starting positions for the 10- to 15-lap feature race.
"The track is a really nice facility at the Churchill County Fairgrounds, and is really custom-built for this sized truck," Singleton said. "Part of the track is inside the horse arena there, and then the competitors will jump out of the arena to the other half of the track that’s still visible from the grandstands.
"We really spent a lot of time laying the track out. There will be big jumps, rough sections, and we’re going to keep the track pretty wide to promote passing. I think it’s going to be an all-out sprint race, with a lot of lead changes. Guys are not going to have time to strategize. It’s going to be a matter of getting to the front at all cost… If the trucks have any bodies left at the end of the race I’ll be surprised. Those guys are going to be rubbing hard on each other."
Octane Fest will host multiple events at multiple locations around Fallon, Nevada. The 4×4 Jamboree at the Fallon fairgrounds includes SuperLite Trucks, Rock Crawling, TUFF-CUP Pro Arena Rock Racing, Tuff-Cross (Arena Enduro Racing), Motocross, Tuff-Truck, Demolition Derby, Monster Ride trucks, Mud Drags, and the second annual Mad Metal Truck Show & Shine.
The NHRA Lucas Oil Division 7 Series will be take place at the Top Gun Raceway, while the Hurricams Car Show will take over Oats Park, and IMCA Dirt Track Racing will be held at Rattlesnake Raceway.
Fans can purchase tickets to the SuperLite Invitational and the rest of the Octane Fest events online at www.OctaneFest.com.
SuperLite Invitational Driver Bios
John Harrah – Speed Technologies: As the founder of Speed Technologies and reigning champion of the short-course SuperLite series (part of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series), John Harrah probably has more experience behind the wheel of a SuperLite truck than any other driver on the planet. A versatile driver with experience in short-course truck racing as well as motocross and desert racing, Harrah will be looking to represent Speed Technologies well at the inaugural SuperLite Invitational at Octane Fest.
Jeff Ward – Speed Technologies: Speed Technologies’ Jeff Ward is coming off a strong short-course off-road truck racing rookie season last year in which he took second place overall in the Unlimited 2 division of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Race Series, as well as the Rookie Of The Year title in that class. A highly decorated motocross and supermoto racer, Ward has put in plenty of time behind the wheel of Speed Technologies’ SuperLite trucks and will be looking to stay out ahead of the other motocross guys in the SuperLite Invitational.
Ricky Johnson – Red Bull: Ricky Johnson has won more motocross and supercross races than almost any other rider on the planet, ever, including 61 AMA national wins, seven of which were national championships. An inductee of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Johnson retired from motorcycle racing in 1991 after a career-ending broken wrist; however, he was far from done. Johnson quickly transitioned to four-wheel racing, competing in SCORE off-road desert events, including victories in the Baja 1000 in both 1997 and 2003. In 2008, Johnson joined the Barlow Motorsports/ Team Red Bull off-road team and competes mostly in the TORC Pro-2 Truck division. With such a diverse racing background, look for Johnson to be pushing his SuperLite truck to its limit in the SuperLite Invitational.
Johnny Greaves – Monster Energy: Beginning at the age of 12 in motocross, Johnny Greaves has won races and championships in every level of competition. At 23, he switched to four wheels and soon earned success while buggy racing in SCORE off-road desert and SODA short-course off-road series (the precursor to Championship Off Road Racing – CORR). Johnny Greaves now has a total of 51 CORR Series race victories since 1998 and leads the way in that category, giving him the title of the "winningest driver in off-road short-course racing". He has won 15 times over the last two seasons – seven wins more than anyone else, including his next closest rival who has eight victories over the same two seasons. He was named the 2006 Driver of the Year.
Jeremy McGrath – Monster Energy: Seven-time AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath got a taste for four-wheel off-road racing action in 2009’s Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series, and likes what he’s experienced so far. He is often referred to as "Showtime" or "The King," meaning the King of Supercross. Jeremy now lives in Encinitas, California with his wife Kim and daughters Rhowan and Bergen. Still competitive in Supercross, he is racing off-road trucks in the Pro 2WD division of the TORC Series and occasionally tries his hand at Stock Car racing.
Carl Renezeder – Lucas Oil: If wins in off-road short-course racing are the measure, then Carl Renezeder is looking like the man to beat in the inaugural SuperLite Invitational. The owner of 88 career short-course victories (12 in Lucas Oil Off Road Series; 65 in CORR, 10 in WSORR; 1 in RJORGP) and the seven-time National Champion (LOORRS U4 – 2009; LOORRS U2 – 2009; CORR Pro-4 – 2003, 2007, 2008; CORR Pro-2 – 2005 & 2006), Renezeder knows what it takes to win and will be looking to extend his dominance to the SuperLite class at Octane Fest.
Brian Deegan – Rockstar Energy/Metal Mulisha: Turning pro at age 17, Brian Deegan rode his way onto a supercross team. In 1997 at the LA Coliseum, Brian Deegan won the 125cc main and in true rebel fashion, ghost rode his bike across the finish line. This was the beginning of what we know today as Freestyle Motocross. Deegan founded a group called the Metal Mulisha and despite numerous broken bones and almost dying three separate times, went on to win 10 X Games medals. Currently Deegan is determined and focused on progressing his career from two-wheels to four-wheels, having formed the Rockstar/Metal Mulisha/Lucas Oil team which has already made it onto the podium twice in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series. With his aggressive style and hunger to make a name for himself in short-course racing, don’t expect Deegan to hold back at all in the inaugural SuperLite Invitational.
Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg – Rockstar Energy/Metal Mulisha: Another legend from the freestyle motocross world with podiums at all of the most important freestyle motocross events, Twitch made his first appearance in short-course off-road racing in the SuperLite division in December 2009. Twitch and his Rockstar/Metal Mulisha SuperLite truck #88 were up against a seasoned SuperLite field trying for a $20,000 purse, with $10,000 going to the top spot. Twitch qualified sixth on Saturday, which put him in the Pole starting position for Sunday’s race. In his first race ever, Twitch held his ground and was in the top three for most of the race. Unfortunately some mechanical issues ended his race, but he was pumped and will definitely be battling hard at the SuperLite Invitational.
Roger Norman – Norman Motorsports: A champion desert racer from a true motorsports racing family, Roger Norman founded Norman Motorsports in 2008 to facilitate his quest to race in the unlimited class in the Score Desert Racing Series. In the first year they won the Primm 300 and Baja 1000 overall, also finishing second in the Score points championship. In 2009 they had podium finishes throughout the year and finished second overall in the legendary Baja 1000. Wrapping up the 2009 season with back-to-back second place finishes in the Score Trophy Truck points championship. The first quarter of 2010 is looking bright for Norman Motorsports. At the Las Vegas Mint 400 the team qualified number one, started from the pole position and led the 61 unlimited competitors from start to finish. With his experience in the desert racing, Norman should feel right at home in the unpredictable world of short-course SuperLite racing.
About Speed Technologies: A horsepower-charged shot of adrenaline, Speed Technologies ignited onto the global arena as a professionally executed motorsports machine in 2006.
In its brief yet highly storied history of accomplishments and associations, Speed Technologies has proclaimed its prowess with fledgling achievement in the world of motorsports and as a viable business initiative.
