Compton, California (April 29, 2015) - Short course off-road racing traditionally offers fans the opportunity to enjoy the thunderous power of 900 horse-powered trucks in the friendly confines of a stadium setting. Drivers and teams equally enjoy an environment that is vastly friendlier than the exposed wide open expanses experienced by their desert racing brethren. For Greg Adler Motorsports and Team 4 Wheel Parts, this past weekend’s trip to Chandler, Arizona for Rounds 3 & 4 of Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series competition provided no shortage of on and off-track challenges as they attacked the Wild Horse Motorsports Park battlefield.
As the team rolled into the facility on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, there was the pending threat of rain and high winds moving across the desert. That threat quickly became a reality as strong wind gusts lifted up the T4WP canopy and catapulted it over the team’s semi-trailer, rendering it unusable for the weekend. Undeterred, Crew Chief Mike Seat and his veteran staff continued to prepare for the weekend and subsequent practice sessions.
Friday morning brought a torrent of rain, flooding the paddock and forcing the cancellation of the afternoon qualifying session while the team took advantage of the extended downtime to make their best estimate of truck set-up for the #10 Pro 4.
While the packed house rose to their feet for an evening of racing, the Pro 4 field took the green flag. Adler, starting in the fourth row, quickly began his advance on the field, finding himself in 6th position midway through the 16-lap Main Event. In what became the most exciting battle of the evening, Adler and the #11 of Adrian Cenni diced and danced over the ruts and jumps while racing inches apart. Adler eventually seized the spot from Cenni and set his sights on the 4th place competitor. Unfortunately, while gaining on the position, he suffered a steering system failure that halted his advance, resulting in an 8th place finish.
“Every driver in this field is fast,” said Adler after the race. “You have to fight for every position and Adrian (Cenni) was tough to pass. Once we got around him, I thought we were on our way to make a charge for a podium spot. It was unfortunate that we had this steering issue because we were running great.”
The weekend Pro 4 finale saw Adler taking off from the jump and fighting with the pack through the tight course. On the 7th lap, Adler had an issue on the second turn and within seconds, experienced a small flash fire that brought the action to a halt. Restarting his truck and joining the field, he had his work cut out for him. In a race that was mired by multiple stoppages caused by contact and spectacular crashes, Adler remained in the thick of the action. Late in the race while battling for the 4th spot, he lost traction and spun, again in turn two. The restart resulted in Adler charging to the checkered flag having survived another Pro 4 war of attrition with a top 5 finish.
“We had a good run on Saturday but it was a battle,” said Adler, reflecting on the excitement of the weekend. “This was a great race for the fans and I’m sure they enjoyed it. It’s been a wild weekend but this crew was tough and showed that nothing was going to slow them down. Now we’re looking forward to coming back home to Lake Elsinore.”
Next up, the18-round Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series comes back to Southern California’s Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park May 30-31 for Rounds 5 & 6. In 2015 the series visits California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and for the first time ever, Ensenada, Mexico. Follow Greg Adler Motorsports at www.Team4WheelParts.com. You can catch Lucas Oil Off Road Racing throughout the season on CBS, the CBS Sports Network and MAVTV.
Greg Adler Motorsports is Supported by:
4 Wheel Parts · Pro Comp Tires · ODYSSEY Battery · MagnaFlow Exhaust · AMP Research / AVS · Lund · Red Kap · Daystar Products · G2 Axle & Gear · Bushwacker · Makita Industrial Power Tools · Mastercraft Safety · Fox Racing Shox · K&N Filters · Fiberwerx · GoPro
About 4 Wheel Parts:
4 Wheel Parts is the global leader in truck, Jeep, SUV and off-road aftermarket performance products. With 69 locations across the U.S. and Canada and growing, 4 Wheel Parts Service Centers install all the products they sell. Maintaining the nation’s largest inventory of off-road tires, wheels, lift kits, and accessories, 4 Wheel Parts serves customers across the country and around the globe. Life is Better Off-Road™. Visit them at www.4wheelparts.com or call toll-free 877-474-4821
