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Scott Douglas, Rancho® Ford Targeting Pro-4 Points Lead In Crandon
by Drew Shippy
June 17, 2003
Crandon, Wis.… Two-time Pro-4 off-road world champion Scott Douglas,
fresh off an impressive win in Antigo, Wis., brings his #12 Rancho Ford to
Crandon Off-Road Raceway this weekend in hot pursuit of the CORR Lucas Oil
Series points lead.
The Rancho F-150 stands just one point behind Johnny
Greaves, winner of two of the season’s first three CORR Pro-4 events, and 10
points ahead of Curt LeDuc. More importantly, the Douglas Motorsports-owned
Rancho Ford has stayed clear of trouble through the year’s early rounds, a huge
change from last season.
“We got a little too aggressive a few times last
year and that got us into situations where we couldn’t showcase our
capabilities,” said Douglas, winner of 51 events overall. “This year we’ve
focused on getting good starts and staying in the thick of things until we have
a shot at the lead, then we try to make something good happen.”
That
strategy worked well in a brutal season-opener in Dresser, Wis., where the
Trollhaugen Ski Resort posed tremendous driving and durability challenges for
racers in all categories, but especially Pro-4. Douglas refused to take
unnecessary chances in both rounds and came away with respectable second- and
third-place finishes.
“That gave us a lot of momentum heading into
Antigo, because we had heard Dresser’s track was going to eat up a lot of
trucks and it did,” Douglas said. “We came away from that event in great
condition and were able to focus on our tactics heading into
Antigo.”
Antigo has always been kind to Douglas who had won three races
there and 2003 was no exception: After battling Jason Baldwin for second place
over several laps, Douglas dipped low in the first corner and headed out in
pursuit of leader Carl Renezeder.
Renezeder soon ran into trouble,
enabling the Rancho Ford to roar by and establish an overwhelming lead over the
field. Douglas’ margin of victory was nearly half a lap.
“That’s exactly the
kind of approach we wanted to take wait for the right chance and grab it,”
Douglas said. “And that’s exactly what we hope to do in what will be a very
important weekend in Crandon.”
Douglas brings to Crandon a proven
technology package featuring, of course, the Ford F-150 platform, a Rancho
suspension system, 750-horsepower Wolverine Performance LLC Ford Racing
Technology V8 engine, ATD automatic transmission, Reider Racing/Precision Gear
differentials, and BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires. The truck gains additional
power and an unforgettable sound from a DynoMax® performance exhaust system. Plus, the
Douglas Motorsports team led by Crew Chief Ted Kendall is made up of seasoned
professionals who know what it takes to win.
“Each and every one of us is
shooting for a season title,” Douglas said. “We have the
truck and talent to
get it done. Now we just have to do the job on and off the track and hope for a
little luck from time to time. That’s what championships are all
about.”
For more information on Scott Douglas and the Rancho Ford, check
out the Douglas Motorsports website at www.douglasmotorsports.com. Also be sure
to visit www.gorancho.com
and www.dynomax.com for more information on
the world's best suspension and exhaust products.
Tenneco Automotive is a
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