Youth Phenom Sheldon Creed Captures Fourth SuperLite Championship Win Of Season At Miller Motorsports Park
TOOELE, Utah – Youth phenom Sheldon Creed again illustrated his prowess in SuperLite Championship racing, tallying his fourth win in regular season Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series spec-truck competition during round seven here at Miller Motorsports Park.
Fighting 40-mile-per-hour wind gusts and 90-degree temperatures, the 15-year-old battled a 12-truck field to deliver the win in the Trench Shoring/BFGoodrich-backed SuperLite. Creed, of San Diego, California, touted a 14-point lead going into the day’s race and continues his countdown to the coveted championship, after landing upon the podium six times and racking up four wins in regular season racing.
“I’d like to give this one to one of our good friends, Shane, whose brother passed away last week,” said Creed said upon the podium. “So, this one is for him.”
Piloting the Person Racing/Mickey Thompson/Majerle’s Sports Grill/Universal Technical Institute truck, veteran racer Drew Britt of Peoria, Arizona snatched a second place finish on the slick short course racing facility situated just five miles south of the Great Salt Lake.
“Sheldon Creed, he’s the guy we are going for,” said Britt. “We’ve got to get ahead of this guy. But that’s easier said than done. He’s definitely something to be reckoned with.
“Taking second on the day, veteran series racer Dawson Kirchner, muscled the Speed Technologies/General Tire truck to his second podium appearance at Miller Motorsports Park, having climbed atop the box for a third in 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Round 8 racing.
“You say I have pretty good success here,” said Kirchner, “but I really struggle with this track.”
Strapping into the SuperLite Arrive & Drive season hot seat for his rookie season in the class, Cody Rahders of Alpine, California proved his ability to post impressive lap times by logging the race’s fast lap of the 15-lap extreme sports contest. For his lap 12 effort, Rahders piloted the Superchips/Black Rhino Performance/K&N Filters truck a 46.493-second lap upon the nine-tenth-mile track, according to MyLaps.com.
Rahders, who began racing dirt bikes at age five and maintains a leading position in points in World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) Production 700 UTV racing, opened up the televised SuperLite Championship season with a four place finish but has yet to improve that effort, dropping to eleventh today after succumbing to suspension issues in the leased SuperLite Championship Arrive & Drive truck.
Standout action sports superstar, skateboarder Danny Way, maintained a solid pace to deliver his Plan B Skateboards/Nixon Watches/Independent Trucks Arrive & Drive machine to a 10th place finish in his first effort behind the competition seat. Way, a multi-time X Games Gold Medalist, has racked up numerous world records and world-renowned firsts upon a skateboard. He jumped the Great Wall Of China in 2005 and is a touted master of big air on vert and mega ramp.
Series contender, Metal Mulisha’s Ryan Hagy, piloting the General Tire/ Valli Construction/Rockstar Energy/4 Wheel Parts machine, launched into the lead early into the race with the holeshot. But upon a very slick track, sliding into turn three on the second lap, Hagy caught an edge and bicycled the truck into the k-rail.
This gave the blaze orange SoCalSuperTrucks/Speed Energy truck of Jessie Johnson the advantage to take reigns of the lead. Brother of NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, he held the lead through to the next lap, when he slid out on the same, very wet turn three. Johnson finished fourth.
Creed grabbed hold of the lead heading into the competition yellow for a few laps. But Hagy, determined to capture his elusive first win in SuperLite competition, battled back into dominant position for Metal Mulisha.
Upon the white flag lap, it appeared as if Hagy would have his win. Creed, Britt and returning racer Kyle Lucas aboard the Lucas Oil Product truck followed him close beneath the white flag. Going wide into turn one, Hagy slid into the K-rail, busting his tie rod, earning him a ninth on the day.
Yesterday, during the Miller Motorsports Grills & Thrills event, an exclusive race hosted for Larry H. Miller Group company employees, Creed was once again at the pinnacle of performance. Although he suffered spectacular crash heading three-wide into turn one with Kirchner, his crew managed a quick fix under a full-course yellow, sending him to the back of the pack to reign in the $2,500 win for the money race.
Patrick Clark returned to SuperLite racing last night to tally a second atop the podium for his $1,500 cut of the purse. Last season, Clark was a standout in the season, finishing second in overall points. He now racing in the prestigious Pro 2 Unlimited truck class. Rahders finished third for the Grills & Thrills race for his $1,000 cut of the purse.
The race served as the second time in three years that SuperLite served as the exclusive class to race before the crowd of thousands.
SuperLite Championship Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Round 7 Results
Sheldon Creed – #74
Drew Britt- #7
Dawson Kirchner- #18
Jessie Johnson- #15
Brent Fouch- #21
Wyatt Kirchner- #26
Garrett Poelman- #62
Kyle Lucas- #11
Ryan Hagy- #5
Cody Rahders- #16
John Gable- #99
About SuperLite Championship
SuperLite Championship is the stadium-style spec-truck that competes in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. As short course off-road racing’s exclusive arrive and drive racing program, SuperLite Championship lands adrenaline junkies, motorsports enthusiasts and professional action sports athletes in the driver seat. The series features dedicated television coverage upon CBS Sports and Speed TV. Sponsors include Exotic Engine Development, K&N Filters, Justice Brothers, VP Racing Fuel, Lucas Oil, FiberwerX and Safety Kleen. For more information visit SuperLiteChampionship.com or call (888) 787-3761.
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Category: Press Releases, Race Recap
