Funco Monster Energy Kawasaki’s
Chad George Wins at Speedworld
Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing
Series - Round 11 & 12 - Surprise, AZ -
September 24, 2011
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Monster Energy
Kawasaki's Chad George took the win at
Speedworld in the UTV Modified class
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Irvine, CA (9/30/2011) - Funco
Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chad George powered
his Kawasaki Teryx® to the top of the podium
in Round 11 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
(LOORRS) at Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise,
Ariz., with an amazing pass at the last second.
The following day in Round 12, George got a good
start, but a mechanical issue forced him off the
track and into fifth place. Teryx pilot Tyler Winbury
put together a couple solid races to finish on the
podium in second both days. Dragonfire Racing Kawasaki
Teryx pilot Hans Waage drove consistently all weekend,
scoring two third-place finishes, and rounded out
the Kawasaki podium sweep on Saturday.
Gunning for his fifth-consecutive championship,
George came to Speedworld determined to get on
the box. On Saturday, he got a good start and
was working toward the front, but a flat forced
him to pit. After a quick tire change he got back
on the track and started picking off competitors.
On the final lap, George managed to inch past
the leader right at the finish line to steal the
win. On Sunday, he got off to another great start
and was running near the front of the pack, but
a mechanical issue left him in fifth.
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Chad George
jumps his Funco Monster Energy Kawasaki
Teryx 750 Sport UTV
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“This weekend our goal was to finish strong,”
said George. “A big part of succeeding in
this series is having the right equipment and
mindset to finish these grueling races. On Saturday,
I had a good start, but got a flat and had to
pit. Our pit crew did a killer job and got me
back on track fast. Once I got back on the track
I moved to the front and passed the leader on
the last corner of the last lap. I beat him by
less than a tire at the finish. It was amazing.
It felt great to take that win. On Sunday, I was
sitting in second for the first couple laps. I
knew I had the speed for first, but was pacing
the pack and waiting for an opportunity to pass
when a mechanical issue forced me off the track.
I had a great weekend and want to dedicate it
to my Grandma Geri, who had a medical emergency
this weekend. She is my biggest supporter and
comes to every race, so this was for her.”
Although Winbury is the youngest driver in the
UTV unlimited class, his skills are on par with
the most seasoned racers on the circuit. At Speedworld,
he maintained a consistently-fast pace and navigated
the blue-groove course with precision to finish
in second during both rounds of the weekend.
While this was Waage’s first event of the
2011 LOORRS season, the Arizona local and desert-racing
veteran put his Dragonfire Racing Kawasaki Teryx
on the podium both days of the event. Better known
for dominating the Baja 500 and 1000 races in
2009, Waage proved his skills as an off-road racer
translate anywhere. At Speedworld, Waage successfully
piloted his Teryx to third-place finishes both
rounds of the event.
One of the biggest adversaries the racers faced
over the course of the weekend was the scorching
hot Arizona sun. By race time on Saturday, the
temperatures were hovering around 108 degrees
Fahrenheit. Racers did everything they could to
keep themselves and their cars cool, but the heat
proved too much for some racers to handle.
“Dealing with the temperature was a huge
challenge,” said George. “It would
get over 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the car during
the race. When you’re fighting the heat
and exhaustion, it makes it really difficult to
race. To prepare myself for that kind of heat
I work out in the sun before the race and drink
lots of fluids with electrolytes. Then I try to
cool down as much as possible right before I climb
into the cockpit. I train a lot for heat like
this, so I feel like it actually gives me an advantage
out there because I know the heat affected some
of the other drivers much worse than me.”
In five weeks, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
continues to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas,
Nev., for Rounds 13 and 14. With only three rounds
left in the series, George is more determined
than ever to earn the wins he needs to advance
to the top of the leaderboard.
Results
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS)
Speedworld Off Road Park – Surprise, Ariz.
September 24-25, 2011
UTV Unlimited Class Results – Round 11
(Saturday)
1. CHAD GEORGE, FUNCO MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
2. TYLER WINBURY, KAWASAKI
3. HANS WAAGE, KAWASAKI
4. RJ Anderson, Polaris
5. ROBERT VANBEEKUM, MUZZY’S MONSTER ENERGY
KAWASAKI
UTV Unlimited Class Results – Round 12
(Sunday)
1. RJ Anderson, Polaris
2. TYLER WINBURY, KAWASAKI
3. HANS WAAGE, KAWASAKI
4. ROBERT VANBEEKUM, MUZZY’S MONSTER ENERGY
KAWASAKI
5. CHAD GEORGE, FUNCO MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
About Funco Motorsports:
Founded by Gil George over 30 years ago, FUNCO
Motorsports is the leading manufacture of high
performance sand, off-road cars and custom UTV's
. Their unique designs and family oriented service
has sold over 400 Big 5 Model cars and their entry
into the UTV market has been explosive too. With
4 consecutive championships, FUNCO Motorsports
has proven that their experience on the track
translates into quality, race-proven products
for all UTV enthusiasts www.funcoutv.com
About Kawasaki Motors
Corp., U.S.A.:
ATVs, Motorcycles, Utility Vehicles, Watercraft
and Power Products are just some of the unique
consumer products that have made the Kawasaki
brand a household name around the world. From
the class leading Ninja® sportbikes and thundering
Vulcan™ cruisers to the rugged Brute Force™
ATVs, MULE™ utility vehicles and JET SKI®
watercraft, Kawasaki products lead the powersports
industry around the globe. The secret of Kawasaki's
success is in designing and manufacturing products
that offer balanced performance, high quality,
reliability and excellent fit and finish. So take
a look at what Kawasaki has to offer you in the
way of Leading Edge products! www.kawasaki.com
About SuperLite Championship:
The SuperLite Championship Series features extensive
national and international exposure through the
Lucas Oil Series television package, which airs
on such broadcast TV neworks as SpeedTV, NBC Sports,
Outdoor Channel, Versus, Juntos Podemos and MavTV.
The SuperLite Championship has secured an exclusive
presence on its own dedicated TV show on the Outdoor
Channel, providing comprehensive coverage of the
off-road races, the sponsors, the trucks and the
drivers. www.superlitechampionship.com
About Lucas Oil Off-Road
Racing Series:
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS)
is the evolution of the long standing support
of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas
Oil Products. Steeped in the Midwest tradition
of short course off road racing infused with a
West Coast influence, LOORRS brings intense four
wheel door to door action to challenging, fan
friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series:
This is Short Course. For more information please
visit LucasOilOffRoad.com
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