Upon pulling into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to race in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, Kyle LeDuc and his fellow competitors likely all had heavy hearts. Just three weeks prior, fellow driver and off-road champion, Rick Huseman, his brother Jeff, and their friend Danny Hicks had lost their lives in a plane crash. Of course when the green flag waved Kyle and the other drivers would focus on the race at hand, but prior to the event, time was allotted to the respect of their lost friends, as Chaplain Steve Hanson offered a prayer, and Kevin Huseman led the Pro4 Unlimited field around the parade lap in the #36 truck to pay the final respect for his lost brothers.
Kyle LeDuc recently won his third consecutive Pro4 Unlimited Victory during a race at Las Vegas MotorSpeedway.
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"Vegas was a special and sad event," shared Kyle LeDuc. "The very recent loss of my buddies, Rick and Jeff Huseman, was fresh on my mind and in my heart. I wanted to represent for Rick and win it the way he would've- charging and giving nothing away and scooping up a win. We delivered."
Qualifying first, Kyle LeDuc started on the outside of row two and behind his brother Todd, who was on the front row after the inversion. Their father, Curt, was also in the field of drivers as he began the race in the third row.
During the first half of the race, Kyle and Todd held the third and fourth spots, and eventually both gained a position when fellow driver, Josh Merrell rolled his truck. Both drivers remained in the second and third places until the final lap of the race when Kyle made his move and drove under the leading driver, Carl Renezeder, and took the checkered flag for his third consecutive Pro4 Unlimited victory.
When asked the key to his success, the driver said, "We won both rounds in Surprise, Arizona, and then Saturday in Las Vegas, followed by a second, and then won the final race of the year. My success has been a culmination of many skills on my end, as well as great preparation of the truck. I like to save my truck for after the halfway flag, and then unleash the beast that is the #99 rocket ship. My truck is very easy to drive, very versatile and can pass at will with great concerning speeds and acceleration," he continued. "I'm very confident in both myself and my truck, so it's very hard for the competition to keep up."
Immediately after stepping down from the podium, Kyle jumped into his #99 Pro Lite Unlimited truck and qualified second, for what some considered as the "wildest race of the day." During the race, fans watched as Kyle bicycled the truck several times and even ended up on his lid once, obviously putting him in the trailing position of the nineteen truck field.
With the 2011 season behind him, Kyle LeDuc is already anticipating a successful and exciting round of races during 2012.
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The driver continued swinging through the remainder of the race though, and passed two trucks on the final corner, earning himself a sixth place finish and the fastest lap along the way. Although Kyle LeDuc got off to a fast start in the Pro Lite Unlimited class on the following day, a faulty fuel pump ended his chances of a victory early on.
After taking the checkered flag in the Pro4 Unlimited race the day prior, Kyle LeDuc lined up behind his father, who was on the pole, and Todd, who was on the outside of row two. As the race progressed, both Kyle and Todd LeDuc managed to work their way to the front of the pack, but during the last lap, Carl Renezeder took the lead in turn two, a position of which he held onto, leaving second place for Kyle and third for his brother Todd.
When asked if his team played a role in his success, LeDuc said, "Team is what makes it racing. I build the trucks, and my guys keep it at a level that can sometimes seem overkill. But when you sweep a weekend and fight for a championship, it needs to be done that way; perfect every time."
When asked to share his thoughts on K&N products he continued, "On my Pro4 truck, I currently run their air filter with the power top, as well as a wrap. We also run the oil filters," he continued. "K&N has given my team and me the confidence that their products deliver at extreme levels, and we never second guess the products coming out of the K&N factory."
Referring to the upcoming season, LeDuc said, "In the 2012 season, there will be some records broken that may be hard to imagine. But with our team and our desire to be the best, we will succeed and make our stamp in the world of off-road racing, and keep the LeDuc name in everybody's mind."
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