Off-Road Championship Gran Prix : Rod Millen Wins in Sports Truck Class

Rod Millen continued Mazda’s domination of the grand national sports truck class Saturday night with a victory in the sixth round of Mickey Thompson’s Off-Road Championship Gran Prix before 43,700 fans at the Coliseum.

Millen, running sixth at the outset, benefited from a five-car pileup in the peristyle end of the stadium on the second lap and then passed Al Arciero on the seventh lap to earn the win. Arciero finished second, and Rob MacCachren was third as only four drivers finished the race.

Millen’s win gave Mazda its fifth victory in six races in the series. Toyota has won the manufacturer’s cup five consecutive years, but Mazda is nearing its first cup championship with one race left in the series.

Rob Gordon, 19, of Orange won the unlimited 1600cc dune buggy race with a wire-to-wire performance. Gordon’s victory was eased when his two closest rivals, Jerry Whelchel and Frank Arciero, flipped their vehicles on the 5/8-mile course.

Whelchel lost control just past the start-finish line on the sixth lap while running third and rolled his car. Arciero flipped entering the peristyle while running third on the eighth lap of the 10-lap feature.

Glenn Harris, veteran grand national sports truck racer, was penalized one position in his heat for repeatedly bumping Rob MacCachren in the seven-lap race.

But the committee, headed by Jim Chamberlain and veteran truck driver Rod Hall, found nothing wrong with the tactics that Whelchel used to win his heat.

Whelchel rammed leader Marty Coyne on a sweeping turn leading to the finish line, forcing Coyne to spin out momentarily. Whelchel earned the win while Coyne had to be content with a third place behind Rob Gordon.

Later, Harris claimed his penalty was “political,” while Tjelmeland thought he was robbed.

Said Harris: “The ruling all boils down to politics. If I step one foot out of line, I’m penalized. You learn to deal with it and keep trying.”

Tjelmeland said he was merely trying to avoid Maples when his car momentarily stalled coming down a peristyle jump.

“Whelchel was racing for the checkered flag and he was racing for a spot not occupied by another rider,” Chamberlain said.