Todd LeDuc Becomes Pro-2WD World Champion at Crandon Raceway! 

Pro 2 World Champion

The highly anticipated 40th Anniversary of Crandon International Raceway kicked off over Labor Day weekend to an estimated crowd of nearly 40,000 fans.  The live ABC broadcast of the competition not only added to the notoriety of the event, it also brought nation-wide attention to the “small town with big time racing.”  With just three more races left (including Crandon) in the Off-Road Championship (TORC) Series, Rounds 11 and 12 brought all-out competitive action in the Pro 4×4 and Pro 2WD classes.  Claiming victories in both the 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive classes, the Rockstar / Makita Team LeDuc rightfully earned their spot in the history books during this legendary anniversary race at the venue dubbed “The Big House.”      

 Saturday’s Round 11 Pro 2WD action found Todd LeDuc claiming the “hole shot” during the land rush start and dominating the field of 19 competitors.  Leading entire race from the green flag to the checkers, Todd also earned his first Oakley “Bomb Award” of the season for the fastest lap time.  “It is a real honor to take home a win during the 40th Anniversary celebration of Crandon, especially with the U.S. Air Force on board with me this weekend,  and I can’t thank the fans, the dedicated crew, and my generous sponsors enough for making this possible,” commented Todd LeDuc. With this win, Todd became the 2009 Pro 2WD World Champion, which includes a $10,000 cash purse and championship ring.

Todd in the Lead

Sunday’s Round 12 brought lots of excitement to the spectators and the television audience as a three-way race for fourth place broke out between Todd LeDuc, Robby Gordon, and Evan Evans just a few hundred feet from the finish.  Todd, who was running in fifth, made a last minute charge for fourth and successfully passed Robby Gordon just seconds before crossing the finish line. ”I kept waiting for Rob MacCachren and Robby Gordon to get into eachother or make a mistake, and they never really did’” said Todd.  Gordon and LeDuc made contact during the battle and Robby ended up backwards on the track, ultimately finishing in the sixth position.  Todd currently claims the second spot on the points grid and is trailing leader, Ricky Johnson, by just two points!  With two races left in the regular season and just two points separating Todd from the leader, the next race at Perris Auto Speedway is sure to be exciting in the Pro 2WD class.
 

U.S. Air Force Sponsored

When the final checkered flag dropped Sunday evening at Crandon International Raceway, it was Kyle LeDuc in the No. 99 Rockstar / Makita Pro 4×4 Ford who earned his first BorgWarner Cup and the 4th Oakley “Bomb Award” of the season for the fastest lap time in the race.  Father, Curt LeDuc, the 1998 winner of the coveted BorgWarner Cup, also claimed a podium position in his No. 43 Rockstar / Makita Pro 4×4 Ford by crossing the finish line in third place. 

As both LeDucs took to the stage to claim their trophies and the $100,000 sterling silver Cup, it was an obviously emotional and historic accomplishment for the family and crew.   Becoming the first “father and son” team to earn podiums in this prestigious race, Curt commented, “It has been an unbelievable day and a great weekend for my family, our team, and our sponsors.  To any father who has ever worked with his sons, keep doing it!  It does pay off!  I couldn’t be more proud of both Kyle and Todd.”  In addition to earning the celebrated Cup title, Kyle also takes home a $40,000 cash purse compliments of Crandon International Raceway and another $3,500 cash prize from Ford as a “Racer Performance Award.”     

Sunday’s hard-fought victories were in sharp contrast to Saturday’s disappointing Pro 4×4 race as Curt LeDuc suffered a dramatic crash while making a charge for the third position during his 7th lap.  Kyle, who had been running in second place, was battling for the lead when he received the black flag during the fifth lap for an incident with the No. 2 truck of Steve Barlow.  Forced to go to the back of the pack due to the penalty, Kyle crossed the finish in the 9th position while Curt was able to recover and claim an 8th place finish.  As the final points were tallied at the conclusion of the weekend, Kyle will head into the next race in the second points position while Curt currently claims the fifth spot on the points grid.

Rockstar / Makita’s Team LeDuc Racing will return to the track for Rounds 13 and 14 of the Traxxas TORC Series racing on September 25 – 26 at Perris Auto Speedway.  Coverage of The Off-Road Championship Series Crandon race can be seen Wednesday, September 9th on the ESPN2 Network at 10:30pm Pacific Standard Time.