Panther Tires shining bright at the 4th Annual Outback Shootout

 

 

The 4th Annual Outback Shootout title sponsored by Panther Tires, De Racing, and Team Tekin played host to some of the best racing Northern California has seen in recent years. Racers from all around the local area as well as neighboring states would all converge to win the title of Outback Shootout Champion. On the line were bragging rights and some of the coolest functional trophies to date!
 

 
All throughout qualifying Panther drivers showed not only did they have the leading pace early on but the consistency was going to be tough to beat. The Outback Raceways rice field clay is known to be quite tacky and choosing the right tires to provide balance, feel, and lap times can be tough in some cases. The Panther team drivers however were not having this issue. Early on Panther drivers were exchanging Tq runs between each other in the Pro 2 SC division. Patrick Zhao, Lou Figueria and team manager Randy Pike were running varying combinations of either Switch SC or Rattler SC in clay compound with orange closed cell inserts in the Pro 2 SC mod class. After qual points were tallied Zhao would take the overall Tq position. The main was one for the books as it wouldn’t be decided until the final 45 seconds with Figueria edging out teammate Zhao 2nd and Pike 3rd for the win.
 


4wd SC was no different. Panther team drivers were posting some of the fastest lap times of the weekend in this class as well. The team chose either the Switch SC in clay compound or the SC Slick in clay as the tire of choice for this class. The top 5 drivers were all within mere seconds in qualifying requiring the final results for 3rd through 5th to after qual points to be decided by the tie breaker of total laps and times! The Amain for this event was simply epic. Panther tires Patrick Zhao(tq) and Amain Hobbies Austin Blair would battle hard from the start tone followed closely by Josh O’Connell, Lou Figueria, and team manager Randy Pike. It was anyone’s race for the first 5 minutes. Traffic would then become an issue costing Figueria some time allowing Pike to get by and pull away a bit. Pike would begin catching the top 3 who were slowing each other down allowing him to catch up but it would all be for not as Pike would suffer a mechanical failure ending his run. Zhao would bobble allowing O’Connell and Blair to get by and finish up the race exchanging epic passes until the final tone with O’Connell edging out Blair for the win.
 

 
New Panther Team driver Cameron Kerndt would have a very productive weekend Tq’ing Pro 2 17.5 SC using Panther SC Slicks in clay compound. From the tone Kerndt was on the move running clean and consistent. He’d get into traffic early on costing him valuable time and allowing Nathan Lavery and Amain Hobbies CEO Kendall Bennett to catch up. The race would wind down to the final minute where Kerndt would bobble traction rolling allowing Lavery to get by for the win. Kerndt would settle for a hard earned 2nd place overall.
 

 
Cameron Kerndt started from the #2 position in Stock 17.5 Stadium truck running Panther Switch 2.0 in clay compound. From the tone Kerndt would be battling for position along with Amain Hobbies CEO Kendall Bennett. Bennett would take advantage of Tq Bob Vassallo going wide leading onto the straight and make the pass. Kerndt would check up on Vassallo allowing him to recover but a few laps later and Vassallo would be claimed by the technical section in front of the drivers stand allowing Kerndt to get by and take 2nd place. The race would continue in this order with Bennett taking the win followed by Kerndt 2nd and Vassallo 3rd. 
 

 

 

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