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Douglas
Motorsports CORR/ WSORR Double Duty Report
El Cajon, CA – (May 25, 2007) - The second weekend of racing in the 2007
Championship Off-Road Racing series saw competitors from all over the
country descend upon the Los Angles Fairplex in Pomona, California. The
long standing facility is famous for its NHRA drag racing facility, and
is home to the NHRA Wally Parks Motorsports Museum. The Fairplex also
hosts live thoroughbred racing and was once the primary venue for Mickey
Thompson’s Off-Road Gran Prix. When it comes to racing the LA Fairplex
is rich in its history.
In 2007, CORR wrote a new page of off-road racing history with its
creation of a short course off-road event at the Fairplex. The entire
event was held on the mammoth Fairplex parking lot. Jim Baldwin and CORR
created an .88 mile “chunk of Baja” track and erected grandstands for
10,000 spectators. The track included the typical jumps and whoops from
other track designs, but track designers included a section of pavement,
giving the drivers a different surface to conquer.
Friday Practice and Qualifying
The track brought some new challenges with the addition of asphalt to
the track as well as a very low content of clay in the actual dirt
surface. In practice, the Douglas Motorsports #7 AMSOIL, Kumho Tires,
Sycuan Casino, KC HiLites, Alloy, American Racing Ford F-150 was
searching for a better way to handle this unique layout.
After practice, the crew went to work on some suspension changes,
looking to gain some speed for qualifying. Scott’s qualifying run saw
the truck pickup 1.5 seconds over his fastest practice time. This put
him in the seventh spot for the Baldwin Cup Qualifier. The top eight
PRO-4 trucks all qualified within two seconds of each other.
Saturday – Jason Baldwin Cup Qualifier
Scott knew he had his work cut out for him with this middle of the pack
starting position. His biggest concern was getting cleanly through the
first lap. The fast, but sometimes, narrow track did not leave much room
for error.
After several laps racing in the middle of the back, Scott “got up on
the wheel” and began a strong move through the field. At one point, the
#7 AMSOIL Ford F-150 was challenging for the third position, until a
lapped truck slowed down its progress. At the finish Scott Douglas came
home in fifth place.
Afterwards Scott commented, “Our setup was just off today. Our
suspension wasn’t quite right, and we probably picked the wrong grooving
for the Kumho tires. We had a shot at podium finish today, but the
combination of some lap traffic and catching a rut wrong moved us back a
couple of spots. Bill Smith and I will get together to figure out how to
get this hot rod back to the front.”
Overnight, crew Chief Bill Smith put the crew to work as seven different
changes were made to the chassis. Douglas Motorsports has never tackled
this many adjustments, while at the track, on its Douglas Motorsports
PRO-4 Chassis.
Sunday – Qualifying
The Douglas Motorsports #7 AMSOIL, Kumho Tires, Sycuan Casino, KC
HiLites, Alloy, American Racing Ford F-150 found some more speed, as the
morning qualifying time dropped another second. Unfortunately, much of
the competition worked hard through the night looking for ways to
improve their race trucks as well. Once again, Scott Douglas would start
from the seventh spot.
CORR Round 3
The fourteen lap affair saw Scott Douglas begin to make his move to the
front on lap six. After riding in the fifth spot for several laps, Scott
put the Pro Power horsepower to the Kumho Tires. By lap ten, the #7
AMSOIL Ford F-150 was in second place. Scott was looking to take the top
spot away from the leader, Greaves #22. Unfortunately, Scott pressed too
hard, got out of shape, allowing three trucks to get by. With time
running out, Scott came home with a well fought fifth place. This round
of racing was extremely competitive, as second through fifth place
crossed the finish line within three seconds of each other.
“The wholesale changes we made to the truck were right on. The Kumho
Tires worked well, AMSOIL kept our Pro Power engine running cool and
strong, and my crew gave me a truck that had a shot at the win. Today
was just awesome. There was a lot of passing, everybody raced clean, it
was really fun out there today,” commented Scott Douglas. “When I got
behind Johnny, I got a little greedy, and it cost me. When the checkers
came out we were just in the wrong position. Considering where we were
on Friday, to how we performed today, I’m pretty happy.”
WSORR – The Owatonna Nationals
While CORR was hosting a race in Ponoma, California, the World Series of
Off-Road Racing (WSORR) held its season opener, The Owantonna Nationals,
in southeastern Minnesota. Douglas Motorsports was competing at both
locations.
Scott Douglas had fellow AMSOIL Super Team member, Mike Oberg drive his
secondary PRO-4 truck in the WSORR event. Mike Oberg and his Jason
Baldwin Memorial Cup winning ride are a regular competitor in PRO-2WD
division. In a show of support for short-course off-road racing, Scott
arranged for Mike to represent Douglas Motorsports, and their sponsors,
at the Midwest event.
The track consisted of a .88 mile track set on and inside the Steel
County Fairgrounds 1/2 mile banked dirt stock car track. The PRO-4
competitors were turning laps averaging 58mph.
Mike Oberg made Douglas Motorsports proud as he took the #71 AMSOIL,
Kumho Tires, Sycuan Casino, KC HiLites, Alloy, American Racing Ford
F-150 to victory in both rounds of racing at the Steele County
Fairgrounds. Way to go Mike!!
Scott Douglas stated, “We felt that it was important to our sponsors and
our sport, that Douglas Motorsport find away to compete at both events
this past weekend. Fortunately, Mike Oberg and I have many of the same
sponsors, so there wasn’t a conflict. Jeremy Meyer, motorsports
coordinator for AMSOIL, like the idea, so we put it in motion. I think I
said it before, but there’s tradition in this sport that needs to be
respected. After the Mickey Thompson series ended, the Midwest off-road
promoters really cultivated the short-course version of off-road racing.
Now we are back racing on the West Coast, where it all began with
Mickey. Hopefully, we can create a huge national traveling series that
incorporates all participants.”
After a hectic weekend of racing, Scott Douglas and Mike Oberg
transported both race teams to Superior, Wisconsin for the annual AMSOIL
University Sales Conference. The teams arrived Tuesday afternoon, just
in time to participate in the corporate gathering.
Next Race: June 9-10, 2077 - Championship Off-Road Racing - Chula Vista
Raceway, Chula Vista, CA
Scott Douglas thanks all his supporters:
AMSOIL, Kumho Tires, Ford Trucks, Sycuan Resort & Casino, Alloy, KC
Hilities, American Racing, BorgWarner, Howe Performance, Raceline Oil
Pumps, Mastercraft Seats, Miller Electric, Stewart Warner, J & H
Transmissions, Fox Shox, Ringers Gloves, Phil’s Inc., Pro Power Engines,
Scott USA, and McKenzie’s.
The second round of the Baldwin Cup Qualifiers will be broadcast on NBC,
this Sunday, May 27th, at 2pm eastern time.
The CORR and WSORR divisional rounds of racing will be broadcast on
SPEED at a later date.
For more information or schedule an interview you can contact Jackie
Douglas - DMSpro4@aol.com . Photos by J & L Photography
-Mike Reusche, Marketing - MTG
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