Racing in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO is good business for Greg Adler, the chief executive officer of 4Wheel Parts.
His aftermarket equipment company doesn't sell many racing parts. It is the place to go for 4-wheel-drive enthusiasts who want to outfit their trucks for off road adventures, however, and since a lot of those enthusiasts attend the Lucas Oil short course events the series is a perfect fit for Adler, 44, and his company.
The Manhattan Beach, California, resident started racing about 20 years ago as an outlet for his competitive spirit. He started in the desert, first in buggies and then in trucks, and tried pavement racing in the Spec Truck series until running all the races at Irwindale Events Center got monotonous to him. His epiphany came nine years ago at a short course off road race in Crandon, Wisconsin.
"I borrowed a truck from Evan Evans," Adler said. "It had hand controls (because Evans is a paraplegic) and that was hard to get used to, but I had a blast and realized what I wanted to do (in racing). It made a lot more sense for me from a personal standpoint and on the business side. When short course moved west I jumped in with both feet.
"Short course gives our company the most bang for the buck (due to the audience demographic and television exposure). It's a lot easier to get a good return on our investment."
Adler, who spends about one week each month on the road visiting 4Wheel Parts stores and manufacturing and distribution centers, also is married and he and wife Stacy have four children. That means he does a lot of juggling.
"Between work and family and racing balancing it all can be challenging," he said. "I'm pretty fortunate. I've got a great fan in my wife, a great supporter of the racing, and race weekends are great family time as well. The kids enjoy being there and camping out and being a part of it all.
"My practice time (between races) definitely suffers. Because of my other responsibilities I don't have the time to get in as much practice as the other guys, and as a result I'm not as intimate with the truck, but I'm not complaining.
"It's not my profession, for sure, but I still want to go out and compete for wins, not just be there. A good day for us is being able to be competitive and battle with all the guys up front. I feel like our program has come a long way and we're right there with the best."
GREG ADLER AT A GLANCE
Age: 44 (18 July 1968)
Lives in: Manhattan Beach, California
Marital status: Married; wife's name is Stacy. They have four children – Damon, Olivia, Lake and Brooke
Occupation: Chief executive officer, 4 Wheels Parts
Car number: 10
Type of chassis: Ford
Engine: Duggans Ford in Pro 2, ProPower Ford in Pro 4
Crew Chief: Jon Nelson
Sponsors: Pro 2 – 4Wheel Parts, Airaid, MagnaFlow, Daystar, Hypertech; Pro 4 – ProComp Tire & Wheel, 4Wheel Parts, E3 Spark Plugs
Years in racing: 20
Divisions raced: Spec Truck, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro 2, Pro 4
Series points standings: 9 Pro 2 (2010); 5 Pro 2, 13 Pro 4 (2011); 7 Pro 2, 9 Pro 4 (2012)
