Chad Hord Starts 2005 CORR Season With Victory at I-96 Speedway; Art Schmitt Finishes a Strong Third, Giving Nissan Two Podium Spots in Round One

LAKE ODESSA, Mich.--May 2, 20053, 2005--The bright, sunny skies of Lake Odessa, Mich., were very good to Nissan drivers Chad Hord and Art Schmitt in Round One of the I-96 Speedway Off-Road Championships. Hord picked up his first Pro-Lite win since 2002 with the victory, while Schmitt finished third in the inaugural race in the 2005 Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR) Lucas Oil Series season.

Hord, of Felch, Mich., drove his Nissan Frontier race truck to the early lead and led the first five laps before falling back. He regained the lead with three laps to go and held on for the victory. Schmitt also had an impressive showing in Round One, resulting in a third place podium finish.

Round Two brought in the clouds, rain and misfortune. Hord took an early lead again, only to lose course when his helmet/face mask was sprayed with mud, temporarily blinding him. Hord recovered for an 11th place finish. Schmitt had similar bad luck when his truck experienced clutch failure and was unable to finish the race.

"We're extremely pleased with the performance of the Frontier trucks this weekend -- we didn't have to wait long to get our first victory of the season," said Ron Stukenberg, senior manager, Nissan Motorsports marketing and operations. "Chad Hord showed the field that he can be fast right out of the box with his Frontier and knows how to get to the winner's circle and Art Schmitt also gave notice that he'll be a strong contender again in 2005."

Rounds Three and Four of the CORR Lucas Oil Series are scheduled to be held in Antigo, Wis., on June 11-12.

NISMO, the premier supplier of high-performance parts and accessories for Nissan vehicles, supports the team. NISMO now offers a wide range of parts, accessories and apparel through participating Nissan dealers nationwide.

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