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Team Falken Takes Podium At Legacy Racing Association Series

PAHRUMP, NV – TThe newest addition to Team Falken, Michael Scafuto and Brady Kelly of Team Real Racing, finished the Legacy Racing Association Series strong at the Desert Showdown in Pahrump, Nevada, earning a 2nd place overall finish in the Unlimited Truck class. The course at Pahrump begins just outside the town and loops around to end at the Pahrump Nugget, covering approximately 250 miles of hill climbs, rock beds, vertical drops, and sandy silt beds. Team Real Racing competed in the Real Racing Trophy Truck outfitted with 40” Falken Wildpeak Race Compound M/T01 tires.

The Desert Showdown was Team Real Racing’s opportunity to compete for the overall championship win, as they were only four points behind the leader. Determined to fight for the championship spot, Michael and Brady sought a competitive advantage and pre-ran the course last on Thursday in their Ford Raptor equipped with Falken Wildpeak R/T tires to get actual race-day track conditions. Due to the nature of off-road racing, courses get altered by weather conditions and competitors traveling through loose terrain with heavier and wider tires.

On Friday, Team Real Racing participated in the site and qualifying laps in their trophy truck. The site lap went well; however, during the qualifying lap, Team Real Racing experienced an idler bearing failure, and their belt came off repeatedly, resulting in the loss of power steering. This setback forced them to withdraw and start in 24th place on race day. Adamant to get the truck running in top shape, Michael drove 83 miles to Baker, California, to retrieve replacement parts. While they were sorting out repairs, the team also found that the mounting plate for the engine had a slight bend. Team Real Racing rallied and worked tirelessly through the night, addressing the bent plate and pulley issues to get the truck back in action for race day.

With repairs addressed and an unwavering desire to rally for the overall championship win, Team Real Racing battled it out at the beginning of Saturday’s race day. With their disadvantaged start in 24th place, Michael and Brady skillfully charged through the field, traversing through rough terrain, dust, and traffic, closing the gap to first place to five minutes by the third pit. At the third pit, Team Real Racing discovered another idler bearing failure caused by defective parts, which threatened to derail their run for 1st place. The Team Real Racing pit crew worked their magic again and replaced the bearing and belts in record time to keep the team in the race. Despite the setbacks, Michael and Brady powered through and completed the 250-mile desert race with a 2nd place overall finish for the 2024 championship standings with 721 total points.

“Although this race didn’t go as planned with our new truck, and all eyes were on us to win the championship, we’re incredibly proud of the fight we put up and thrilled with our overall performance this season,” said Michael Scafuto.

“Team Real Racing is admirable for powering through all their challenges, and they showcased the tough capabilities of the 40” Falken Wildpeak Race Compound M/T01 race tires,” said Douglas Fletcher, Light Truck and Off-Road Motorsports Supervisor for Falken Tires. “The tires looked brand new even after racing through 250 miles of rough Nevada terrain.”

To end the year, Team Real Racing will compete at the Rage at the River race event in Laughlin, Nevada, from December 12th to December 15th.