It all came down to the second weekend of December in Chandler, Arizona, to finish up an exciting 2011 season for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORS). Saturday saw the final series race in this third year of LOORS competition. Then on Sunday, the racers pulled out all stops to compete fiercely in the Challenge Cup offering over $100,000 in prize money. The season competition classes include karts for the kids, UTVs, buggies, and four classes of trucks from the svelte Superlite trucks to the thunderous unlimited Pro trucks. Qualifying laps had been run on Friday and practice times were set in the mornings. The track officials kept the races moving to keep the crowd entertained and the volunteer track crews helped out with flagging and issues around the course. The upcoming 2012 season, plus the Challenge Cup Race, has already been planned out. Races will return to many of the familiar tracks, along with a Labor Day weekend event in Reno, Nevada. The schedule again holds fifteen championship rounds of racing over eight weekends in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. The races start in March and run through October. You can get all the details at www.lucasoiloffroad.com. The first classes for the day were Modified Kart, Junior 2 Kart, and Junior 1 Kart for the kids 8 to 15 years of age. These mini racers use single-cylinder engines on a chassis of maximum 120 inches length. The Juniors can reach speeds of 40 mph and the modifieds may reach 70 mph.The first classes for the day were Modified Kart, Junior 2 Kart, and Junior 1 Kart for the Order up! Two newly cut tires being rolled back to the pits for installation. The major tire players were on hand with fresh rubber and hot grooving irons ready to custom tailor tires to driver/crew preferences and to the track conditions for the day.Order up! Two newly cut tires being rolled back to the pits for installation. The major ti The Superlite Championship crew was in attendance with a good array of cars. This is spec class racing where drivers can buy turn-key cars or kits, or can rent a Superlite for a single race or for the season. The lightweight racers all run Mazda 13B rotary engines and the tight spec class restrictions keep the cars evenly matched, leaving most of the competition to driver skill.The Superlite Championship crew was in attendance with a good array of cars. This is spec The Pro 2 and Pro 4 classes sport the biggest, baddest motors and hit the track most aggressively. When battling in the dirt they can do a good bit of rubbing, banging bumpers and body panels over the jumps and while sliding through turns. For the final weekend of racing, they kept the pack tight and nobody seemed willing to back off the competition.The Pro 2 and Pro 4 classes sport the biggest, baddest motors and hit the track most aggre In the limited buggy class Geoffrey Cooley pushed his No. 322 car towards the front of the class and was able to jump his way to victory in front of the packed grandstands. His Challenge Cup race was his first class win, netting him a money purse and some end of season bragging rights.In the limited buggy class Geoffrey Cooley pushed his No. 322 car towards the front of the Austin Kembrell in the No. 88 Superlite and Patrick Clark in the No. 25 machine ran several laps right together putting fender to fender during the Championship Cup. We saw them more than once leaning into one another as they bounced and slid around the fast track, battling for who would take second place from the other. Clark would prevail.Austin Kembrell in the No. 88 Superlite and Patrick Clark in the No. 25 machine ran severa Ryan Hagy was leading the Superlite race on Saturday but would stand his car up hard and then roll it over in Turn 4. Drivers come in fast and have to set up for one of the two exit lines coming out of this turn and into a series of whoops or small table top jumps.Ryan Hagy was leading the Superlite race on Saturday but would stand his car up hard and t When the checkered flag waved, the No. 19 Pro buggy piloted by Justin “Bean” Smith would dominate over all others, marking the third year the buggies have beaten the trucks in this race.When the checkered flag waved, the No. 19 Pro buggy piloted by Justin “Bean” Smith would d No. 37 RJ Anderson clenched the Superlite Cup win and took the prize money. With a number of spectacular crashes during the race, the field of cars diminished a bit. Anderson would keep pushing towards the front and once he got there held on, even after the cars were bunched up again during the competition yellow.No. 37 RJ Anderson clenched the Superlite Cup win and took the prize money. With a number In a class versus class cup race, the Pro Lite Unlimiteds were pitted against the open-wheel Pro Buggy Unlimiteds. The two classes would start one behind the other with the buggies in back, and the drivers in reverse qualifying order to make things interesting. Throughout the race, the classes would swap leads.In a class versus class cup race, the Pro Lite Unlimiteds were pitted against the open-whe On the last lap of the Pro Lite versus Pro Buggy race Casey Currie had a bit of an issue with his front body clip flying up. He commented after the race that he knew he just had to blindly estimate the curve around the final Turn 5 and make it to the finish. He did so and was able to take third place in this hotly contested race.On the last lap of the Pro Lite versus Pro Buggy race Casey Currie had a bit of an issue w The last Challenge Cup race was the Pro 2 Unlimiteds versus the Pro 4 Unlimiteds and the starting field was a congested one. The 2WD trucks would get a half lap head-start as it is the slower of the two classes. Adrian Cenni worked his 4WD to the race lead at one point but was black-flagged for a track incident. His truck, like many, lost a number of body panels that day.The last Challenge Cup race was the Pro 2 Unlimiteds versus the Pro 4 Unlimiteds and the s Carl Renezeder again raced Pro 4 and Pro 2 for 2011, and won the Pro 4 Championship. For the Challenge Cup, he chose to race his No. 17 2WD truck. He and No. 99 Robby Woods, also racing a Pro 2 truck, would go a number of laps practically right on top of each other. They swapped spots and seemed stuck together through turns and over the jumps.Carl Renezeder again raced Pro 4 and Pro 2 for 2011, and won the Pro 4 Championship. For t A Pro 4 truck would win the Cup race for the third year when No. 54 Rob Naughton took the checkered flag.A Pro 4 truck would win the Cup race for the third year when No. 54 Rob Naughton took the By Jay Kopycinski Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
