Marty Hart Maintains Championship Points Lead With Second Place Finish in Utah
Marty Hart Jumping His Pro2 in Front of the Sold Out Grandstands
06.28.12
The ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension / Maxxis Tire / GearUp2Go.com Pro2 race team converged on the huge Miller Motorsports Park racing metropolis with two goals; win and maintain the points lead when the weekend ends. Tough track conditions coupled with high winds and oven equivalent heat made the on track endeavors quite challenging for all racers. The short, tight track, while challenging for the drivers, delivered epic entertainment for thousands of fans in the standing room only sold out grandstands.
After a series of set up changes to get a grasp of what little grip the track possessed, Hart put the hammer down hoping for a solid qualifying run. Starting near the front is important. After six laps Hart would have to settle for a 5th place starting spot on the grid behind some very talented drivers. But any fan of Marty Hart knows that if anyone can make his way up to the front in quick order, its the Hart Attack!
Marty Hart battling Rob MacCachren for 2nd place in Tooele, Utah
Lining up behind the ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension Toyota Tundra Pace Truck, Hart was ready to get to work. When the flagman put the green flag to the sky it was go time Hart style. Marty made early moves which quickly put him in a battle with Jeff Geiser for the third position, a battle which seemed to go on for many laps. For the most part there is only one good line. If the line is filled, passing is difficult. That is, unless you are a racing veteran like Marty who set up his pass with precision and moved solidly into second place behind Brian Deegan.
There is no doubt Hart and his ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension / Maxxis Tire / GearUp2Go.com Pro 2 Unlimited truck were capable of winning the race. Time wasted trying to take the third spot allowed Deegan to pull out to a sizable lead that would prove to be too large to overcome. With championship points on the line and the presence of mind to not beat up his equipment trying to close the gap, Hart looked to instead keep the championship in mind. Second place in the Pro2 class is pretty tough to earn.
Marty Hart celebrating a 2nd place finish in Round 7 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series in Tooele, Utah
Still reeling from a solid performance the day before, Sundays Round 8 event would prove to be not quite as special. After a great qualifying session Hart nabbed the prized 3rd place starting spot. Even with the inversion you are pretty much guaranteed to be on the first two rows. With the entire ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension / Maxxis Tire / GearUp2Go.com team feeling good about Martys chances, the green flag fell and it was go time once again. Quickly Hart found himself driving hard and trying to get to the bumper of Rob Mac who was pulling away in the lead.
The fender banging battles from 3rd through 8th made for great TV coverage. Unfortunately it would be Hart who would get tagged from behind and spun out of shape, moving him back to 7th position. As the laps ticked off Hart chipped his way back up to 5th. An unbelievable feat given Marty was keeping time with the leaders with another trucks fender stuck in his windshield and severely limiting his view. Then misfortune paid the truck a visit and unleashed gremlins into the transmission with a vengeance. With only one lap to go the very disappointed Hart found himself and his truck dead in the water and the reality that we would have to settle for a 13th overall finish on the day.
Ups and downs and racing challenges not only abounded for Marty, but young Kyle Hart experienced similar woes in his ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension / Duncan Racing / Maxxis Tire Modified Kart. Battling the flu, Kyle set fast time in practice both days and battled for the lead in both races. Unfortunately the racing anxiety of some of his competitors would rough up his chances at a podium in both events on the weekend.
Kyle Hart racing his Modified Kart in Tooele, Utah
The two goals Hart and the ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension / Maxxis Tire / GearUp2Go.com team looked to achieve on the weekend were nearly completed. A solid second place finish showed Hart is more than capable of dominating races and leading the points. While the 13th place finish definitely hurt the points gap between 1st and 2nd place overall, the exodus from Tooele, Utah still has Marty Harts name at the top of the season points.
Rounds 9 & 10 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will be in Southern California where a huge crowd is expected for the racing under the lights at Glen Helen Racway. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend on August 4th and 5th. You can also catch all of the racing action on CBS, CBS Sports, Speed and MavTV.
To get a better idea of what it is like to race a Pro 2, check out this onboard video of Marty attacking the Miller Motorsport track: Ride With Marty Hart
Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series TV Schedule: TV race schedule
ReadyLIFT Off Road Suspension is proud to be the official sponsor of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Toyota Tundra Pace Truck.
For more information or photos please contact brian@readylift.com
For more information about ReadyLIFT Suspension Inc. please visit www.readylift.com
You can follow the Marty, Kyle and Team ReadyLIFT Racing on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ReadyLIFT Suspension
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Both Marty Hart and ReadyLIFT can be found on Instagram by the usernames martyhart15 and readylift.
