PFLUGER NAILS 6TH PLACE FINISH IN US ARMY 150
In a car outclassed by most of the field, the young driver from Morristown, AZ
had to rely on his skills and a bit of luck to even finish the 150 lap, 2 hour marathon
that was the inaugural US Army 150 at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, CA. With an
expectedly unremarkable qualifying time that marked him to 15th out of the 27 entries, and
a pack-back finish in the qualifying main event on Saturday things could only get better
for the feature event on Sunday. And it did.
From a deeply mired 19th position start Pfluger had one thing in mind:
this is a long race, and it is all about patience and working a steady pace forward.
It was a combination of hard runs on the outside in turns 3 and 4 and full-bore
straight-away dashes that kept his car making the climb up the ladder. Out
horsepowered by as much as 200hp by many competitors it was clearly the setup and the
driving savvy that moved him forward instead of being shuffled to the back.
By about 1/4 way thru the race Pfluger had moved up 5 positions and was
racing hard with the 25x of Eric Williamson when contact was made coming out of turn 4.
The resulting melee forced officials to put Victor to the back of the pack.
Now, a lot of drivers lose their cool and concentration when this sort of thing
happens, but not Pfluger. If anything his instincts seem to hone and focus on
maintaining complete control of his emotions and his car. This unique characteristic
certainly served him well this time as he quickly worked his way back up thru traffic.
Aided by the inevitable attrition rate that so many cars on a short track can generate,
the #Z2 car owned by Jerry Blaco was once more on the move the front.
NEWS - Updated Statistics ! - Click Here
Double Duty for Pfluger at Shasta Raceway Open Show - Oct. 3, 4, 5
Click Here to hear Victor's Radio Interview with
Gary Moore on Q97 Radio
 The Victor Pfluger Racing team is back in business. VPR will
be attending the Shasta Open Show in Anderson, Ca with an all-star team in attendance.
"We are so happy and proud of our relationships that we have been fortunate enough to
make through Victor’s career, and for that, we want to thank everyone involved."
Quoted team owner Art Pfluger.
Victor will be driving the VPR Super Late Model entry owned by Jerry Blaco
of Redding, Ca known as the Z2 Car. Victor’s had great success with this car, even
winning a race against 3 time NASCAR Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday. "Ron was a
great and gracious competitor: it was a wonderful win!" Victor told the press after
the event.
VPR has assembled a great team for the Shasta Open Show which is being sponsored in part
by the US Army. The team will be led by long time VPR crew chief Chuck LaHorgue. "His
insight and ability to assemble an amazing team has brought in some highly valued team
members, including Tony Wilhelmson and Mike Ketka. These guys are long time friends and
supporters with the “never say die” attitude that makes this team a race winning
effort." Art, Victor's father continued.
"We are really looking forward to this race! Shasta is a great
facility and we had a awesome time there last year. I understand that the show is
going to be even better this year under the auspices of the new promoter Rick Faeth."
It will be a lot of fun to see all our friends from the west coast in their own
location." Said Victor.
Shasta Raceway Park is practically in Jack Waterman's backyard. Art wrote, "Jack has
worked on our website for many years with little return from us other than more requests
to change this and add that on our site. He of course always gets the job done without any
fuss and usually makes great suggestions along the way. We appreciate what he does."
Victor will be driving in two classes, both the Super Late Models and the
fiercely competed Modified Series. VPR’s decision to run the
Modified race raises the bar of expectations and allows the team the opportunity to fight
for a win for car owner Rick Fasano of Glendale Arizona.
VPR is also proud to announce that this will be their first event supporting the Racing4reasons.com
campaign. Racing4 reasons exists because of the hard work of family and team friend Julian
Wray. Wray created the organization based on supporting charitable causes
through mainstream motorsports marketing. "We take pride in the fact that we can be
associated with such a wonderful organization. We invite everyone to please take a look at
the www.racing4reasons.com
site and see the awesome things that Mr.Wray is attempting to accomplish. " Urged
Art.
"We are proudly attending this event with the support of our long time relationships;
Parker Farms, Copperstate Tire, Maxima Oil, Racing4reasons, AlpineStars, AZ Pro Signs,
Pimp Hammer Clothing, LaHorgue Race Cars, JWwebs.com, Mondello Tech, LifeLock, Bud Harvey,
Galen Puccini, Carl Phlum, and A.J.Promotions. Without each and everyone of these people
we could NOT attend this event.
Thank you to everyone involved. We are VERY excited and couldn’t do it without you.
Wish us Luck!"
In the dark hours just before dawn Victor and his race crew (Mom and Dad) made their way
to Firebird Raceway. Today's objective: Test drive a C - 5TTR Corvette for NASA Pro
Racing. Although Victor has raced here before in karts,dwarfs and A.S.A. Speed Trucks,
today's running will be a first for him.
This C-5 TTR Corvette is not an ordinary Corvette, it is a hybrid!
Part street car and part race car. Shirl Dickey of Shirl Dickey Racing in Aguila, Az. who
builds and maintains custom Corvettes invited Victor to come and run his car with
him.
Victor got 3 sessions in the car and started off 1 second behind
Shirl Dickey's time. By the third session though Victor's time was as fast as Shirl's
time. Victor was used to the track (Firebird Raceway West) and had a great time running
this car.
"The car was a blast to drive, I've never raced anything like this
before and couldn't believe how quick it was. There was a lot of power, great handling and
amazing brakes.
"Thank you for the opportunity to run your car Mr. Dickey"
More Photos - click image for larger versions
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Project Blue Oval Ford Fusion Goes East
07-12-08
Click Image for Larger Version
The Project Blue Oval Ford Fusion has already been in Victory Lane at Tucson Raceway Park
seven (7) times this season with owner/driver Scott Rueschenberg behind the wheel but
Rueschenberg’s commitment to run a limited ASA Late Model schedule this season would
mean “The Ruesch” would miss the July 5th race at Tucson Raceway Park and most
likely surrender his point lead to last years Champion, Joe Paladenic. As things would
work out, Paladenic would win that event and seize the points lead while Rueschenberg
competed at the famous I-70 Speedway with his ASA team. The Summer monsoon break at TRP
would allow the Desert Mountain Medical team to bring the Blue Oval Fusion east for the
summer and put the car to the test against North America’s best Late Models, but the
question was who to we put in the Blue Oval Ford Fusion.
Since the start of the 2008 season, Rueschenberg in his Blue Oval Ford
Fusion has only been beaten by two drivers, his ASA Late Model teammate and 2007 ASA North
Champion, Trent Snyder and 2007 ASA Speedtruck Challenge Champion, young Victor Pfluger.
On May 3, 2008 Pfluger narrowly beat Rueschenberg to win the biggest race of his young
career while also beating three time Craftsman Series Truck Champion, Ron Hornaday in
Tucson Raceway Park’s Hornaday 100 but Pfluger hasn’t raced since due to budget
concerns.
With Snyder was already committed, Rueschenberg would tab Pfluger for a one race deal at
Concord Motorsports Parks Super Sonic 100 ASA Late Model South series race driving the
Desert Mountain Medical Blue Oval Ford Fusion and Pfluger would not disappoint the team
with his efforts. After collecting the car from the folks at GAT Racing in Tucson Arizona
Pfluger and veteran Crew Chief Chuck LaHorgue would spend a couple of days at Eddie Sharp
Racing with help from ESR employee Kyle O’Brien setting the Ford up for Concords
unique tri-oval layout. While loading the car for the trip to the raceway the radiator was
damaged and the hasty repairs would rob valuable practice time on Friday night leaving
Pfluger and team behind the eight ball.
Pfluger and the Ford would qualify a conservative 21st and rely on their
team’s long race set up strategy to get a good finish. Early on in the 100 lapper
Pfluger would get tagged and spun putting him a lap down but he was able to run times
close to the leader and keep in contention while waiting out the possibility of a Lucky
Dog. As luck would have it, a lap 84 caution would give the team what they needed and put
Pfluger back on the lead lap. With just sixteen laps left Pfluger would work his way up to
a respectable eleventh place finish among North America’s best. Pfluger was very
impressed with the power of the Ford crate engine and equally impressed with the handling
of the Lefthander Chassis which were both new experiences for this young driver and he
hopes to get another chance behind the wheel of the Blue Oval Ford Fusion.
We would like to thank our project partners whom helped make this project a reality.
Ford Racing, Lefthander Chassis Company, GAT Racing, AFCO, Five Star Bodies, Fire Bottle,
Fluidampr, Holley Performance Products, Joe’s Racing Products, Bassett Racing Wheels,
Howe Racing Enterprises, Crane Ignition, DynoTech Driveshafts, Longacre Racing, Jones
Racing Products and Larry’s Engine and Marine.
July 9, 2008
Pfluger - Back in the Saddle Again
17 year old Victor Pfluger - ASA Speed Truck Champion, has attracted the attention of
Scott Reuschenberg of Arizona. Reuschenberg is a prominent business man in Arizona,
owning Desert Mountain Medical. He is also a racing enthusiast and owns a number of
top ranked cars. Reuschenberg has offered one of this cars to Pluger to run in a number of
ASA races.
This couldn't have come at a better time. We are chomping a the bit
to get back to racing after being sidelined by the sport's economic problems that seem to
be plaguing everyone these days." Said Art Pfluger, team owner and father of Victor.
"We are also incredibly lucky to be able to bring along with us our
top-notch crew." Continued Pfluger.
Long-time crewchief Chuck Lahorgue will be at the helm of the crew who
will included Brad and Carlton Peterson as well as Kyle O'Brien who now works for Eddie
Sharp Racing. Victor and Matt Wolfe left Arizona last Wednesday to take the car to
an ASA Race at the I-70 Speedway in Mo.
There they assisted Reuschenberg and his people and have stayed with
the team to assist in car prep. After that the race in MO, they will be taking the car to
Wisconsin after the race then picking up a trailer for the team and returning to AZ.
At Victor's scheduled event there will be some big names. Racers at the
Concord Motorpsorts Park will include Landon Cassil from the Nationwide Series, Trent
Synder - 07 ASA North div champ, 07 South Division Champion is to be there, as well as
Jimmy Lang who has won the first 3 races in the South schedule. Pre entry for the race has
27 cars and that number is likely to grow.
"Even though won't be running our regular team sponsor's decals, we
still appreciate the support from all of them and hope to make them all proud." Said
Victor in a phone interview.
VICTOR PFLUGER RACING STARTS THE ENGINE
TO HELP PROTECT CONSUMER’S IDENTIES WITH LIFELOCK®
TEMPE, AZ – LifeLock®, the industry leader in identity theft protection, has
expanded its interests in motorsports with the announcement today that the company will
sponsor The Victor Pfluger Racing Team out of Morristown, AZ in order to widen its
campaign to educate consumers about the real dangers of identity theft. The partnership
will include the sponsorship of Z2 Super Late Model car in the Whelen All-American Weekly
Series at various race tracks across the Southwest.
“Our company is dedicated to connecting with consumers throughout the U.S. to
enlighten them about identity theft and the protection options that exist”, said
LifeLock CEO Todd Davis. “We have found a very strong connection with many different
series of professional motorsports, where fans are some of the most loyal and passionate.
We are excited about extending our reach into another competitive series through a solid
partner.”
LifeLock has been involved in professional motorsports since the company opened its doors
just over three years ago. In 36 months the Tempe-based company has served as car sponsors
on the NASCAR SPRINT Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Indy Racing League
Series. LifeLock has also served as the title sponsor for LifeLock 400 NASCAR SPRINT
Series race in Kansas last year and this year’s NASCAR SPRINT Series races in
Michigan and Chicago.
“This is a company that I take great pride in partnering with,” says Art
Pfluger, Team Owner. “While we need companies to take notice of our efforts on and
off the race track, we need to believe in the efforts of our marketing partners within the
community on a local and nation level. Personal identity theft is something that we all
hear about, but the consumer seems to have the attitude that it will only happen to
someone else. I have personal friends that have been in a position to have to deal with
this problem. It can be devastating. I can only hope that more people do their part to
research their exposure and take a positive action and sign up for this service.”
Over 800,000 identity theft and fraud complaints were reported to the Federal Trade
Commission in 2007, costing American’s more than $1.2 billion annually.
As the industry leader in identity theft protection, LifeLock requests on behalf of its
clients that the national credit bureaus place fraud alerts on its members’ credit
files, and requests that members’ names be removed from pre-approved credit card
offer and junk mail lists. It is backed by a $1 million service guarantee. In addition to
the proactive identity theft protection measures provided by LifeLock, members are also
entitled to LifeLock’s WalletLock™, eRecon™ and TrueAddress™ services.
WalletLock works to cancel and replace all documents and personal identifying information
inside a wallet if it is lost or stolen.
eRecon is a regular patrol of the Internet in search of social security numbers, credit
card numbers, driver’s license numbers and email addresses of LifeLock members to
protect against the information being illegally traded or sold online. LifeLock’s
TrueAddress service searches to see if members have had a change of address form filed and
alert them if there are changes made that they may be unaware of.
About LifeLock®
Famous for its CEO giving out his Social Security Number in advertising and national
press, the company is experiencing strong growth. Located in a secure facility in Tempe,
Arizona, LifeLock® (www.lifelock.com) is a private company backed by Goldman Sachs,
Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, as well as Bessemer Venture Partners. Winner of the
2007 American Business Award for the Best Radio Advertising Campaign, LifeLock was a
finalist for 10 other ABA awards, including Best New Company and Best New Product/Service.
Recently the company was named recipient of the Red Herring 100 Global Award as one of the
Top 100 start-up’s in the world and was listed among the finalists for the Best
Places to Work in 2007 by the Phoenix Business Journal.
Victor Pfluger Racing
Victor Pfluger (www.victorpfluger.com), fresh off his 2007 ASA Speed Truck Series
Championship, returned to Victory lane in only his 3rd start in a NASCAR Super Late Model
in 2008. He already has three wins this year, out of 8 starts. Victor's most prestigious
win of the year coming at the expense of Ron Hornaday, NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Current
points leader and 2007 Series Champion back on May 3rd.
Pfluger Wins over NASCAR's Ron Hornaday
Tucson Raceway Park was buzzing with excitement because Craftsman Truck Series Champion,
Ron Hornaday Jr. was returning to the track to race. This was an opportunity of a lifetime
for Victor Pfluger who had grown up watching and following the career of local legend
Hornaday.
Heat race action saw everyone in the house on their feet as Hornaday demonstrated why he
has won 3 Truck Championships. Relegated to staring in last position, by lap 3 Hornaday,
driving the #15 car of Rueschenberg had blown by the pack to take the win with Duane Hunt
and Pfluger trailing behind.
Pfluger was slated to start the 75 lap race from the 8th position in the 18 car field. In
the first 10 laps of the wild race Hornaday had climbed to the 7th spot as Paladenic lead
the pack over Mat Williams. It was a 3-way battle for the next 15 or so laps as Pfluger,
Rueschenberg and Hornaday were locked in a side by side struggle. At lap 22 a caution
would come out letting the field bunch up again. Hornaday took this opportunity to close
the gap on the leaders.
Halfway through the 75 laps saw Paladenic, Hornaday, Pfluger and Rueschenberg out front in
a race of their own while half a straightaway behind the rest of the drivers were hoping
for a chance to slip by Mat Williams.
Lap 45 saw a dramatic turn of events: Hornaday executed a strategic move to avoid contact
with a lapped car which domino-ed to Pfluger who spun and to Cassie Gannis whose
involvement created a fire under the hood. This situation brought out the red flag and
field reverted to the previous lap with Hornaday and Pfluger retaining their spots.
The race went green with Paladenic out front, Hornaday in second and Pfluger in third. In
just a few laps Paladenic's and Hornaday's cars were beginning to suffer from tire wear.
It was on lap 61 that Pfluger saw his opportunity to make his move on Hornaday and he and
Rueschenberg charged to the front.
The side-by-side battles continued and with only two laps to go the pack began to
frantically swap positions as Hunt would get by Rueschenberg for second and in the final
dash to the checkered Harrington would get by Hornaday for fourth. During all this Victor
held his ground and took the win in the biggest race of his career at Tucson Raceway Park.
Pfluger, who won the ASA Speed Truck Championship last year, ran virtually door to door
with the veteran Hornaday for more than 30 laps. Many of these laps were actually three
wide with Rueschenberg tagged on one side of the other. "Racing in traffic like that
is fun - and it gets a bit hairy - but the excitement of racing against one of my all-time
heroes was just amazing and it helped me concentrate on driving hard, but steady. "
Said Pfluger.
"Hornaday was an awesome competitor, a very personable and gracious guy." Said
team owner Art Pfluger. In the Winner's circle Hornaday signed Victor's trophy and told
him what a great job he had done.
Scott Rueschenberg also ran a great race and as always a formidable competitor. He too
came over to congratulate Victor on his win.
"We tried a new setup because we hadn't as done well the last 2 races. The new setup
helped, but we will continue looking to make the car better for each race." Said
Pfluger still reeling from the victory.
BACK TO BACK WINS FOR PFLUGER
Tucson Raceway - March 29, 2008
The Parker Farms, Copperstate Tire, Maxima Racing Oils, Holiday
Inn Express Chevy unloaded at the beautiful Tucson Raceway Park Friday afternoon for a day
of productive testing. Though the universe seemed to have a different agenda for the team
and towards the end of the testing session problems arose in the form of a broken rocker
stud. This would be extremely problematic for the team and looked as if it might put a
quick end to driver Victor Pfluger’s quest of 2 wins in a row.
Thanks to the help of the local fans and racers the Parker Farms team was able to locate a
replacement part at a local speed shop, Townshed Performance, and get the car back on
track. Bud Harvey provided over-the-phone tech support helping the team get the new stud
installed and motor tuned to perfection.
Qualifying on Saturday saw Victor Pfluger in Jerry Blaco’s z2 Parker Farms Chevy
setting fast time over the 14 car field. This was a good indicator of things to come as
the trophy dash would show Pfluger starting 6th and finishing 2nd. The main event had
Pfluger lined up in the 4th starting position. When the green flag came out Pfluger
quickly took the lead on lap two and setting sail past last years Arizona State Champion
Joe Paladenic.
The race pace was only interrupted with 2 cautions. But Pfluger, who kept
a cool head under pressure, quickly resumed a 5 car lead over Paladenic until the last 5
laps when Scott Rueschenberg made his way into forward pulling into 2nd behind Pfluger.
Pfluger made use of his smooth and smart driving style pulled a slight lead before the
checkers fell giving him back to back wins.
The entire Parker Farms team cannot thank Chuck LaHorgue for his over-the-phone-help that
led to this win. Matt Wolfe’s at track help was greatly appreciated, along with that
of Mike Hubbard, Brad and Carlton Peterson who all came out to help crew the car. Jerry
Blaco’s continued support of the team in lending his black z2 has been greatly
appreciated.
Thanks to all of the Holiday Inn Express fans that came to the track to give their on-site
support. None of this could be possible without the continued support of Alpinestars, Lou
Martin at Pimp Hammer, and Rancho de los Cabelleros. Pfluger heads back to Tucson Raceway
Park on April 4th to go for 3 in a row. Come on down and see the action for yourself and
support your local drivers.
SPEEDTRUCK CHAMPION WINS WINTER THRILL ROUND 3 AT TRP
Photo linked from www.racingwest.com
In only his third NASCAR Feature Event, 17 year old Victor Pfluger pulls off a thrilling
win. The Parker Farms/Copperstate Tire/ LaHorgue Race cars Monte Carlo owned By Jerry
Blaco of Redding Ca. the third race of the season Saturday night. Pfluger qualified
second out of the pack of Late Models and finished 5th in his heat race. This placed him
on outside pole for the start. When the green flag dropped he took a quick lead over
Dave Larson. Victor led the race from flag to flag in a 40 lap non-stop feature that went
the distance without a yellow. His only challenge came in the final lap when Scott
Rueschenberg had a late race charge and made it within a few feet of the rear bumper at
the flag.
Crew chief Chuck Lahorgue was on hand to supervise the setup of the car
and to lend support to the team. 15 year old Brian Hill of Tucson, AZ recently joined the
pit crew for the Tucson races and is learning fast.
We were thrilled and grateful to all the supports and fans that showed up to cheer us
on. Lou Martin of Pimp Hammer Clothing
was on hand for the evening as was Aendy Araiza from Rutland Tools who made the long ride
to Tucson from Los Angeles to watch the festivities. Media consultant Matt Wolfe also was
in attendence to help with just about everything including taking care of the contingent
of "Pfluger Phans" that were on hand. "We want to welcome The Airport
Holiday Inn Express in Tucson who has come onboard to assist the needs of our team and
supporters with lodging. Jack Waterman of course keeps the website going so that
everyone can keep up to date with Victor." Said Art Pfluger, father of the young
hotshoe. Brad and Carlton Peterson were not there as they had previous obligations
and it was shame as they work very hard to help the team. AlpineStars helped keep
Victor safe with his new custom Alpinestars driver's suit.
"We really wanted a win with Mr.Blaco's car", said Victor. It has been really
special having him loan us this chassis. We are trying our hardest to honor his generosity
by doing well at the track. It is pretty cool when someone thinks highly enough of you to
loan you a chassis and then have you take it 900 miles away to race. We hope that when
this is over he is as happy as we are." The rules for the series have been a
challenge. Adjusting to only being allowed 2 new tires per race makes pit strategy
and timing even more important, so we are really grateful to Lahorge for his solutions
that always keep us dialed in.
PFLUGER HONORED AS YOUNGEST ASA SPEED TRUCK CHAMPION IN SERIES HISTORY
Source: Dave Grayson
Date: 03/10/2008
The ASA Speed Truck Challenge Series,(ASA-STC), teams arrived in Lake Havasu
City-Arizona to officially open their 2008 season with a March 8th 100 lap feature at the
Havasu 95 Speedway. But before they officially kicked off their 12th season they had a
some business to take care of from last year. It was their annual awards banquet, held at
the Quality Inn and Suites, where a packed room gathered to pay tribute to their 2007
champion: Morristown-Arizona's Victor Pfluger.
The gathering brought back a lot of memories of exactly how Pfluger won
that championship this past October at the Havasu 95 Speedway. It was a race that many
series participants and fans are still talking about. Going into that final race Pfluger
was two points behind two time series champion Darren Young. Everyone watching was
prepared for literally anything that night. It was a race that was being billed as
"the duel in the desert." Pfluger set the fast time in qualifying that night and
that earned him the highly coveted five bonus points. He also won the trophy dash. The
stage was now set for "the duel."
On the initial green flag Young jumped into the lead. Pfluger stayed close
to his tailgate. The two potential champions ran nose to tail for over 40 laps. All of
sudden Young slowed and pulled into the pits. He was the victim of a cut tire. Young
returned to the race and charged his way back to fifth before the laps ran out. Pfluger
became the new ASA-STC champion. At age 16 he was also the youngest champion in series
history. Pfluger and his family owned and operated racing team finished the 2007 season
with three wins, 11 top five finishes, 12 top tens in 13 starts. He also was the fastest
qualifier five times and won four trophy dashes.
Pfluger displayed a great deal of class at the awards banquet. Anyone who
has ever met him should not be surprised. Victor Pfluger is a very classy, very well
raised, young man. After being presented with his champion's ring and jacket, Pfluger
dedicated the champion's trophy to his parents and thanked them for the years of support
and the sacrifices that they made to help him achieve his dream. He also had high praise
for crew chief, and truck builder, Chuck Lahorgue and told them that this championship
could not have happened without his effort. Pfluger awarded LaHorgue with a Champions ring
and jacket. Pfluger was also pleased to acknowledge Jim Parker, the owner of Parker Farms,
who has been his long time primary sponsor. There were also the appropriate thank you to
his list of associate sponsors that included Copperstate Tire, Alpine Stars, Maxima Racing
Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Mondello Tech, Pimp Hammer Clothing and Holley Carb.
Anyone who closely follows the ASA-STC already knows that Victor Pfluger
will be moving on the new racing opportunities in 2008 and will not be defending his
title. He plans to campaign a super late model stock car in NASCAR's Whelen All American
Series and plans to seek the NASCAR Arizona State Championship. Home base for Pfluger
Racing this year will be Tuscon Raceway Park where he's already scored top five finishes
in two starts. Chuck Lahorgue is busy building the team a new car. In the mean time they
are using a car loaned to them by Jerry Blaco.While the details are still being finalized,
there are also plans for the team to compete in selected NASCAR Camping World West Series
events this year.
Also appropriately honored at the awards banquet was Darren Young. Always
a class act off of the track, Young saluted Pfluger Racing for a job well done under the
highly competitive circumstances that they both dealt with. The Gilbert-Arizona native
also had high praise for his team, United Nissan Racing, and the tireless effort they put
out that put him in a position to make that championship run last year.Young finished the
2007 season with an excellent record that included four wins, 10 top five and 10 top ten
finishes in 13 starts.
Also making the honor roll at the ASA-STC's awards banquet were the
drivers who finished third through tenth in the final 2007 standings. They included: Andy
Allen, Randel King, Bear Rzesnowiecky, Jim Putman, Austin Murphy, Shawn Steele, Tim Allen
and Jeff Catlin.
While 2007 was another banner year for the series, the prospects of 2008
are even brighter. And for the eighth year in a row there will be a national television
package which is a huge benefit for both the series and the individual teams in terms of
acquiring sponsorships. It has also been announced that the ASA-STC's televised races this
year will be aired on a Saturday afternoon time slot which is a big improvement. There is
also an influx to 20 plus new teams who will be racing with them this year.
After completing their first race of the year at the Havasu 95 Speedway,
it appears that the competitive edge for the ASA-STC is going to be as sharp as ever. That
season opener saw Jason Black get his first ever series win with Dallas Colodny right
behind him in a very exciting green-white-checker finish. After that race Jay Rutherford,
series President and CEO, was all smiles about the outcome of the race and said
"somebody asked me earlier if I had two picks for the 2008 championship and I gave
them two picks. Come to find out they were first and second in qualifying and one of them
won the trophy dash and the other won the main event." That would be Dallas Colodny
and Jason Black.
Strong Start to the 2008 Season
Many people are wondering, "What will the 2007 Speed Truck Challenge
Champion do next?" The answer: "It mostly depends on money !" says team
owner, Art Pfluger. The plan is to run the NASCAR Whelen All American Series at
Tucson Raceway Park - and run for the state NASCAR championship.
Opening Night at the
Tucson Racway Park saw Victor Pfluger set third fast qualifying time and finish 4th after
losing the third spot on the very last turn of the last lap. The winners of the race
were Trent Synder (2007 ASA Late Model North div champ), and second was Joe Paladenic (The
2007 Az State NASCAR Champ).
Race number two of the season, March 1st, saw Victor and the 2z car again
make the 3rd fastest qualifying lap. And in another great race he finished 3rd in the
feature event. "We missed having Chuck Lahorgue with us this weekend, we are
still anxious over setups, and just feel more secure when Chuck is able to guide us.
Hopefully Chuck will be with us at the next race on the 15th." Said Art 
Also in the plans are a few outings to run the ASA Late Model Series.
Chuck LaHorgue, who has been with the team as builder and crewchief for
several years will continue his roles in the new season. A busy schedule may
preclude him from attending certain races, but he is always just a phonecall away.
"We couldn't have won the championship last year without the skill and help of
Chuck. His dedication to his drivers and teams is amazing." Said Pfluger.
Currently the VPR team is currently running the #2Z car of Jerry Blaco.
"We are honored that Mr. Blaco made us such a generous offer." We
are having a new car built by Chuck Lahorgue, but untill that is done, we are just really
grateful for the car that Jerry has allowed us to use." Said the team.
Continuing their support from years past are Bud Harvey and Carlton
Peterson - who have pledge their expertise at the track and in the shop.
"And nothing is as important to a racer as their sponsors" said
Victor. "We are proud that all of our sponsors have returned for the 2008 season.
We have strived to offer our sponsorship partners a great return on their
investments in terms of local and national advertising and exposure. Parker Farms, our
long-time primary sponsor are again offering their generous support and I hope we can hand
them another championship this year." Copperstate Tires has been a crucial team
supporter for many seasons and are continuing their support. As are Alpinestars,
Maxima Oil, Holley Carb and Pimp Hammer Clothing.
PFLUGER’S SPEED TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP CLENCHED IN A TRIPLE CROWN NIGHT - Becoming
the Youngest Champion in Speed Truck History
Under the hot Arizona desert this past Saturday there was a shootout brewing between
points leader Darren Young and sixteen year old Victor Pfluger. The two ASA Speed Truck
drivers have been the class of the field all year and heading into the final battle the
veteran Young held only a two point lead. Both drivers and their teams knew anything could
happen during the race, and until the checkered flag drops their fates had not been
sealed. The championship could come down to the last race, possibly last lap, maybe even
the last corner. ...Read More ....
Sept. 1st, 2007 -
Irwindale Speedway
In addition to battling a hungry pack of Speed Trucks on Saturday night, Victor
Pfluger was also battling a nasty flu. Despite the illness, the racing spirit in
this young champion shown through and he was able to make a make a very respectable
evening for himself and the team.
READ MORE.... |
Victor Pfluger - King of all Media -
TV, Radio and Now the Movies !
On August 14th, 2007 Victor Pfluger
was invited to be a guest on radio station KBSZ - the interviewer asked some great
questions and Victor, whose maturity and poise belies his young age, gave smooth and
educated answers. You can listen to the interview, courtesy of KBSZ by Clicking Here
(MP3 File). |
And now a major motion picture ...
A taste of Hollywood has hit Victor Pfluger Racing! Victor and the entire team was invited
to participate in the filming of a major motion picture....READ MORE |
SIXTH PLACE FINISH FOR VICTOR AT LAS VEGAS
Going into the race at Vegas the VPR team knew that a top five finish was very important.
Victor sat first in overall points in the series but with only a 2 point margin
over his closest competitor. The evening's race was being filmed in front of the
record breaking crowd for broadcast on the Outdoor Channel later in the year. And
the crowd was not dissappointed. READ MORE |
July 21, 2007 - Irwindale, CA
The day got off to a good start with a strong
qualifying just .076 second off the fast time. This put Victor in 3rd position for
the start. A rough start saw the the current points leader drop a number of spots to
7th. A long crawl brought the #80 back up the pack to 5th place. Knowing the
truck was getting stronger as the track cooled and the long runs dialed in the setup,
Victor was confident that he could catch the leader and win this race. But curfew
restrictions at the facility forced them to shorten the race to only 50 laps which didn't
leave enough time for the young gun to take the win. Victor took 5th place and still
maintains his point's lead.
JULY 15, 2007
 Victor
wins second ASA Speed Truck Challenge of the Year !
The ASA-Go Fast-Speed Truck Challenge Series paid a July 14th visit to the Orange Show
Speedway in San Bernardino. When the checkers flew at the conclusion of the 75-lap feature
Victor Pfluger parked his #80 Parker Farms/Copperstate Tire Dodge...Read More
from Racing West !
Read the Article from the ASA Speed Truck Site .... Click Here
Victor Widens his Points Lead - "From the Pits"
It was a great weekend. The Parker Farms/Copperstate Tire/Mondello Tech Dodge was on
rails. Victor started with Fast qualifier, then on to the Trophy Dash and ran away with
the feature. With the next weekend being Irwindale, a track that we especially want to do
well at. It was great for me to see the truck go in the trailer without a scratch on it.
Read More from - From the Pits -
June 27, 2007
Click for more photos
Debut in Grand National Division at Infineon a Grand
Experience
A mad scramble doesn't begin to describe the week leading up to the Infineon Speedway
debut of Victor Pfluger. Since the early days in karting the team has been a
shoestring raceteam, maximizing the sponsorship contributions from their loyal group of
supports - ... Read More
June 23, 2007
Pfluger Makes NASCAR Debut at Infineon Speedway
The road course kid made the show for the Grand
National West Sunscream 200 at Infineon Raceway this weekend. Despite a tough qualifying
time, the young gun, who was relagated to starting in the 34th position stayed on the lead
lap for the entire race while holding off and passing veteran drivers. The week
leading up to this race has been a hectic battle to prep the new GN car and arrange the
tow to Sonoma. But, for the young man who has always dreamed of racing the Everest
of road courses, it has all been worth it.
FOURTH PLACE FINISH AFTER ROUGH START
California Speedway - a road course - Victor's favorite racing, and a
style he has excelled at. His karting background has given him the skills to
navigate thru the turns better than most drivers. Having been the youngest racer in
ASA history to win a race - at the St. John's track, he has shown he has propensity for
turning right.
Practice went smoothly at the beautiful venue and Victor was confident of a strong
qualifying. On the first circuit of qualifying it was apparent that something had
gone amiss with the motor. Clocking in at 2 full seconds off pace proved that there
was work to be done. A quick look under the hood revealed an unhooked spark
plug wire. The Parker Farms, Lahorgue Race Car had qualified on only 7 cylinders and yet
still came up with a 10th place start.
Victor knew he had a fast truck and reckoned that with 45 scheduled minutes of racing
he should be able to make up for the weak starting position. When the flag dropped
the determined points leader immediately began picking up spots. 20 minutes into the race
the leader's fastest lap time was a 1:15:23 and Victor clocked off a 1:13:76. and was
getting faster.
The race was slowed by 2 cautions and but restarts were a breeze for the powerhouse.
27 minutes in sitting in 4th spot and another caution was pulled. As the pack came
around the bend to take the green there was an unexpected surprise. the checkers were
waving 7 mins early - no time remaining to complete the inevitable charge to the lead.
Victor later commented on the shortened race: "We now have to race twice as
hard to keep the points lead. Though it has motivated us to make sure we are at the front
of the field the rest of the year."
REBOUNDING FROM TURMOIL
Sixteen year old Victor Pfluger proved a lot this past weekend.
This, the first race after the disconcerting claiming of his motor, proved beyond a doubt
that this young gun is definitely a force to be contended with... Read
More
Alpinestars Announces Sponsorship
Victor Pfluger Racing would like to announce that Alpinestars has come aboard to supply
Victor with his driving equipment for the rest of the 2007 season. We would like to
thank Matt Wolfe with Wolfemotorsports and his contacts P.J. Rashidi and Billy Deakins at
Alpinestars. We would also like to thank Alpinstars for partnering up with us for what we
feel will be a longterm relationship. We have not once put pen to paper nor have we met
face to face on this deal. So for Alpinestars to partner up with us just from a talent
stand point says someone is watching out for the little guy. We would like to extend a
very heart filled thank you to P. J and Billy . Now that we look good the only thing to do
is stay consistent and run up front.
Please visit www.alpinestars.com
for your local retailer of driving gear, riding gear and street wear; and tell them Victor
sent you!
TRIPLE CROWN WIN FOR PFLUGER IN TUCSON
Coming off of a commanding win in the Late Models last week, Victor
Pfluger kept up the winning momentum by grabbing the Triple Crown in the 4th of the Speed
Truck races. First, the 16 year old from Wickenburg set a blistering Fast Time with
a margin of more than 2/10th of second over the second runner-up. At the pill drop,
Victor rolled a 1 and nabbed the pole position for the Main. In the interim, the #80
Lahorgue truck took him to win in the heated Trophy Dash. On the pole
with a nearly perfect truck, and his mind set on victory, Victor held the lead even after
a number of caution restarts which put him in heated battles. First challenge came from
veteran Darren Young, and then nearer the end of the race with Austin Mercy, but the
determined Victor pushed the truck to the edge and took the win. -new
photos
April 14, 2007 - Victor
Pfluger Wins the Blythe Late Model Season Closer - Victor driving the
Parker Farms/Copperstate Tire/ Maxima Oil Late Model won the season closer at Blythe in a
decisive fashion. At the flag the young driver was a full straightway ahead of the second
place car. Hoping to set fast time, we were content with the third spot, but the inversion
worked in our favor and we got the pole position.
Pfluger led every lap of the 35 lap race besting past champion Mark Schriner (#82, who
finished 3rd) and seasoned veteran Ron Daniels (#39 who finished second). It was a
satisfying season with a great ending as we were able to snatch another win.
Chuck Lahorgue was once again our setup and engine coordinator, but this time was remotely
communicating with the team via cell phone.
Jerry Auck of Danny's Chrome Oasis in Phoenix, one of Pfluger's top sponsors, happened
to be in the area and was thrilled at the opportunity to come out and watch his logo on
the hood of the winning car. We want to congratulate Chris Gerchman on another Track
Championship. We believe that we finished the year in second but need to have it verified.
We hope to take this momentum to Tucson for the Speed Truck Race next weekend. -
Victor Pfluger Interview with Ron NAVA - includes In Car Video Footage
Click Here for Interview !
March 4th, 2007
Pfluger Sets the Bar at Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway in Blythe
Victor Pfluger, the 16 year old driver from Morristown, AZ had a fantastic set of runs in
both the Late Model Winter Blast Series and the first race of the ASA Speedtruck
Challenge. Saturday was a double-duty day as Victor and his team... Read
more
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Arizona -- The ASA Speed Truck Challenge will send their high
flying, full sized, racing pick up trucks to take on the often challenging Havasu 95
Speedway, a quarter mile paved oval located in Lake Havasu City-Arizona, this Saturday
night April 7th....Victor Pfluger, on the strength of two very consistent top five
finishes in a row, goes into the weekend leading the standings with 122 points.Like the
current crop of youngsters in the series... Read More
!
Local Soroptimists Honor Victor Pfluger
Newspaper Article from Feb. 21 - from the Wickenburg, Sun
 
Click Images for Larger Versions
Lucky 4-4-4
 The final race of the ASA Speed Truck Series ran at
I-10 on Nov. 11 2006. Victor Pfluger qualified 4th fast out of the 18 trucks that
started, finished 4 in the Main Event and with those points was able to nab a strong 4th
place over all in Final Points.
Fourth Place Finish at the Firebird Road Course moves the young driver into the
Fourth Position in Points AND Victor awarded the Hard Charger Award Read
More... - Click Here
for Complete Race Results (word doc.)
The Toys For Tots Car Show
At the Event
|
Top Ten Award !
|
| This is the 2006 Remember When Cruise Association Toys for Tots Custom Car
and Antique Hot Rod Run to Wickenburg Arizona. The run is held every year on the first
Sunday of December. The next run is December 2nd 2007. |
2002 Dodge Dakota
Victor is 15 years old.
Home town Morrison, AZ.
Phone 623-388-9435
Racing Exp. Karts, Dwarf Cars, ASA Speed Truck, ASA Late Model.
Accomplishments: youngest driver in history to win ASA Speed Truck Race.
(St. John’s Road course, Arizona) 2003 SWKA Kart Champion
Streaming On-Line Video !
Madera, 07-15, 2006
Victor Spun at the Top of the Race - Click
Here (note: WMV file -3.2mb)
Madera, 07-15, 2006
Charging a Comeback - Click Here
Front of Shirt |
Back of Shirt |
Now Available - Victor Pfluger T-Shirts !
Click Images to See Larger Versions
Contact Us about how to get your T-Shirt !
|
| Victor Pfluger: Personal Stats:
Home Town: Morristown, AZ
Racing Experience:
- Karts
- Dwarf Cars
- ASA Speed Trucks
- Late Model Stockcars
|
 
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Accomplishments:
Youngest driver in history to win an ASA Speed Truck race (St. John's Roadcourse,
AZ). 2003 SWKA Kart Champion. Scored three wins, one second and a fifth place
in the senior sportsman division karts in winter series 2006. First Runner-up Junior
Sportsman series. Won Dwarf Car National and Regional title with ASA ProAutoSports
in 2004. Seventh in points with the Arizona Dwarf Cars on dirt ovals. Scored
three wins, one second and a fifth place in the Senior Sportsman Division Karts.
Click Here for the ASA Speed
Truck Challenge Website
|
Victor has just completed the 2006 ASA Speed Truck Series finishing 4th
in overall points. This gives him the honor of being the first driver under 16
years old to finish top five in points. A remarkable accomplishment for such a
young driver. He also competed in numerous Late Model races at a number of nationwide
tracks. The ASA Truck Speed Truck Series includes 14 Televised Races at some of the
top tracks in the west. Including The Bull Ring, Orange Show Speedway and Irwindale. |
Victor Pfluger Racing in conjunction with ThunderWave Racing is actively seeking
sponsorship for the high profile ASA Series. Last season the ASA Speed Truck series
was nationally televised. Each race was repeated during the summer.
*If you have problems viewing the videos, try right-clicking on the clip link and
choosing "Save Target As" - and save it to your Desktop and then play it from
there ! |
