Lucas Oil Off Road: Champions crowned at Lake Elsinore

As always, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series racing was spectacular at Lake Elsinore, but on this championship Saturday it was all about the titles.

While Pro 4 was done, and the outcomes in Pro 2 and Pro Buggy were pretty much known, Pro Lite could have ended dramatically. With only a 12-point lead over Jerett Brooks, RJ Anderson (ABOVE) was by no means assured of a second championship. Neither of the contenders qualified particularly well, so they were going to start deeper in the field, which can be dangerous territory. As it turns out, it was one of the cleanest Pro Lite races in memory, with Brad DeBerti romping to his fourth win of the season. Brooks won the war over Anderson, finishing fourth to Anderson's seventh, but it was all Anderson and the LoanMart/Walker Evans Racing Nissan needed to exit Pro Lite with a title.

"This has been a long season," Anderson said, describing one in which he took five victories and was only off the podium four times to claim his first championship since 2012, which was his first full season in the class. "This is our longest Lucas Oil season yet, with them adding the Baja race. That makes it that much tougher. It's hard to win a Pro Lite race in itself, and to have the best, most consistent finishes throughout the year and be the champion is something else.

"This is my second Pro Lite championship in five years, and this one for sure was the toughest – not that the first one was easy. I'm so stoked. I think it shows how much work we've put into that Pro Lite, and the results speak for themselves. I'm so happy to walk away from this as a champion and hang it up and move on to focus on trying to win one in the Pro 2."

With a 25-point lead over his cousin Chad, all Garrett George had to do was start the Pro Buggy race to claim the championship, It looked like he might go ahead and win the race as well, but an engine gremlin left him coasting. Fortunately a hit from behind bumpstarted his engine back to life, and he could get going to try to chase down new leader Chad. Unfortunately, Chad had his own issues, leaving Sterling Cling at the front in his BFGoodrich Tires/L&D Power Alumi Craft for his third victory of the season. Garrett George charged back through the field in his Anenberg/Baja Designs Funco to finish second and celebrate his title on the podium (LEFT).

Consistency was the name of the game in Pro 2. While Bryce Menzies won more races than Rob MacCachren and took the early lead in the championship, MacCachren was on the podium in all but three contests. MacCachren had a rough qualifying session for Saturday's finale, leaving him in ninth, with Bryce on point for the start. If MacCachren had issues or got shuffled back a few places, it could spell disaster for the championship.

Menzies suffered his own issue on the first lap and handed the lead to Brian Deegan. While Menzies would come back to attack Deegan for the lead, he caught the K-Rail in the right-hand Turn 4 and his day was done.

With Menzies out, MacCachren was free to race as he pleased. Deegan led for several laps with Robby Woods and Patrick Clark in pursuit, but his truck rolled to a stop, bringing out a caution. Woods assumed the lead, but during the next caution for a rollover by Tanner Foust, he had to come into the pits for a flat. That left Patrick Clark, having by far his best season yet with third in the championship, to speed to this second victory of the season in his Budweiser/Howe Performance Steering Chevrolet (ABOVE).

At the last restart, MacCachren was fourth behind Clark, Carl Renezeder and Myan Spacarelli. He quickly dispatched Spacarelli then took off in pursuit of Renezeder, who had lost his rear brakes. That made him easy pickings as MacCachren slid by on the inside of the right-hander and put his Rockstar Energy/Makita Tools Ford in second to celebrate his third LOORRS title on the podium.

"This team came on strong in the second half of the season," the Pro 2 champ from Las Vegas said. "We finished first or second in the last eight rounds. That's what it's about – being consistent. Earlier in the year, Bryce and I were having a back-and-forth battle; we finally got the lead and held onto it.

"The championship's won at the race shop. They need to prepare a truck and stay on top of it. The competition level we have out here and the horsepower these trucks have, it's very harsh on the parts. These guys do a great job of keeping track and keeping new parts on the truck."

In Pro 4, Kyle LeDuc didn't even have to show up to walk away as champion. But he of course brought his Monster Energy/Toyo Tires Ford out to try to extend his own record for wins in a season. Starting second beside Menzies, he had a good chance to do so, and took the lead when Menzies did a half-spin in Turn 4. But then he had his own issue in the same turn, handing the lead to MacCachren. While LeDuc would come back to attack, he couldn't get past MacCachren's Rockstar Energy/Makita Tools Ford, and MacCachren had his first Pro 4 win of the season while LeDuc was able to officially celebrate his second-consecutive Pro 4 title (RIGHT) in second.

After Sunday's Lucas Oil Challenge Cup races, the series takes a break until next March, when the 2016 season will commence at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park Race Winners :

Pro 4, Rob MacCachren
Pro 2, Patrick Clark
Pro Lite, Brad DeBerti
Pro Buggy, Sterling Cling
Mod Kart, Hailie Deegan Jr.
1 Kart, Luke Knupp Jr.
2 Kart, Connor Barry

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series 2015 Champions:

Pro 4, Kyle LeDuc
Pro 2, Rob MacCachren
Pro Lite, RJ Anderson
Pro Buggy, Garrett George
Mod Kart, Travis PeCoy Jr.
1 Kart, Kali Kinsman Jr.
2 Kart, Cole Keatts