The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Nissan's Chad Hord Dominates CORR Pro-Lite Class in Year-End Nissan Off-Road Nationals Shootout

CHULA VISTA, Calif.--Oct. 3, 2005--Just one week after narrowly missing the 2005 Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR) Drivers' Championship, Nissan NISMO Frontier driver Chad Hord received a great consolation prize -- the biggest payout of his racing career -- by winning both Pro-Lite Class races at the Nissan Off-Road Nationals Shootout at the Otay Ranch Off-Road Raceway in Chula Vista, Calif., on October 1 - 2, 2005. In addition to Hord's pair of victories, which gave him an aggregate 40 points and payout of $25,000, Nissan driver Mark Krueger's second and third places finishes were worth 30 points and second place overall for the weekend of racing.

Hord was unchallenged in Saturday's 16-lap race, starting with a hole shot at the start and leading flag-to-flag. In addition to Krueger's third place finish on Saturday, Nissan's Art Schmidt finished fourth. In Sunday's race, Hord worked his way through the field from fifth at the start, holding off a hard-charging Krueger at the end for Nissan's dramatic one-two finish.

"What a tremendous way to end the 2005 season," said Ron Stukenberg, senior manager, Nissan Motorsports marketing and operations. "With Chad Hord winning back-to-back races and Mark Krueger on the podium both days, it says a lot about their driving abilities and the quality of their racing programs, not to mention the Nissan NISMO Frontier race trucks."

Nissan's title sponsorship of the inaugural Off-Road Nationals Shootout, the richest race in CORR history with a total purse of $322,000, is part of the company's ongoing support of CORR. Nissan is also the official truck of CORR, arguably the largest and most watched off-road racing series in North America.

"With no points on the line this weekend, the races were strictly for bragging rights heading into next season, though the prize money was also a pretty strong incentive," said Hord. "The $25,000 payout will help tremendously with next year's racing budget, though I'm sure my wife might like so see some of it go toward a vacation or maybe the purchase of a new Nissan vehicle."

NISMO, the premier supplier of high-performance parts and accessories for Nissan vehicles, supports the teams. NISMO now offers a wide range of parts, accessories and apparel through participating authorized Nissan dealers nationwide. For more information on the complete line of NISMO parts and accessories, log on to www.NissanUSA.com/NISMO.