Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series notebook

LOORRS to Missouri in 2017

Long expected but finally confirmed, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will head to the Midwest in 2017 with an event at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.

Lucas Oil Executive Vice President Bob Patison announced to the drivers in Lake Elsinore that a new short course off-road track was being constructed at Lucas Oil Speedway, which already features a three-eighths-mile clay oval, a lake for drag boats and a go-kart slick track.

"It's going to be a magnificent facility," Patison said. "It has all the amenities fans need to hold a first-class event, and it will be on our schedule next year. We are looking for a site somewhere along the way that eventually we can add to the circuit to make out Midwest swing a little more productive for our teams. We are moving outside the Southwest; it is part of our long-term game plan, and it's starting to become reality."

While addressing the drivers, Patison also noted that the television contracts for CBS and CBS Sports have been extended through 2018, and that one broadcast in 2015, a tie-in with an NFL regular-season game, reached 1.7 million viewers.

"Dirt," the movie

LOORRS teams and fans couldn't have missed the filming going on in the paddock at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park. ESX Entertainment, a joint venture between Forrest Lucas and racer/actor Ali Afshar, is working on its latest production, "Dirt," a movie centered around short-course off-road racing.

"This movie is basically taking the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and infusing it with some diversity," said Afshar (left, with Rob MacCachren at Lake Elsinore). "It's a feel-good action film. Think 'Karate Kid' – fish out of water – meets 'Fast and the Furious.' High action, high production values."

Racing fans often approach movies about their sport with trepidation, as many have been less than realistic. However, Afshar promises "Dirt" will be authentic.

"Our characters and our storyline are first. We're shooting at the real tracks, and all these racers are actually in it. There's no CG, no fake stunts. It's going to be the most authentic feature film for motorsport ever, that's not a documentary," he says.

The movie stars Kevin Dillon of "Entourage" fame, Christina Moore and DeRon Horton. The targeted release is for summer of 2017.

Giving back

Just before the Lake Elsinore rounds, several LOORRS racers, including Ryan Beat, Greg Adler and RJ Anderson, visited young cancer patients at Loma Linda Hospital and delivered Joy Jars through the Jessie Rees Foundation.

"The Jessie Rees Foundation started to build these Joy Jars, which was a way to make kids on the cancer ward and other pediatric wards that are battling these terrible diseases, to try to put a smile on their face," said Adler. "When Lucas contacted me and asked if I wanted to take part, it was something I couldn't turn down. It was a great experience and really inspiring to meet these kids. I think we got a lot more out of it than they did."

Another cause close to Adler's heart is Autism Awareness Month, which takes place in April. Adler's son, Lake, is on the Autism spectrum, and Adler says that through early detection they were able to get help and help Lake have a more normal childhood. So Adler runs the Autism Awareness "puzzle" theme on his Pro 4 at April races to help promote awareness and also donates winnings to the cause.

"Early awareness, that's where it really helps for people to know – if they seem more quiet, or don't make good eye contact, or anything not typical, get him or her checked out, because it's really going to make a difference at an early age. The professionals have become so good at learning how to work with these kids and engage the brain the way they need," he says.

Points leaders

Heading into the Utah Motorsports Campus (formerly Miller Motorsports Park) rounds this weekend, the E3 Spark Plug Nationals Presented by Geico, it's a mix of familiar and new names at the top of the standings. With two wins and two seconds, Carl Renezeder leads the Pro 4 standings for the first time in several years. Defending Pro 2 champion Rob MacCachren has three podium finishes to his credit to lead that class, although Bryce Menzies has the most victories with two. Unfortunately a bad finish and a DQ have left Menzies well down in the standings.

Jerett Brooks (left) leads Pro Lite with two wins and a second followed closely by Brandon Arthur, who has the other two victories in 2016. After giving up his Pro Lite effort to concentrate on Pro Buggy, Taylor Atchison leads the standings in that class with consistent high finishes. Finally, Hailie Deegan has two wins to lead the Modified Kart standings.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Standings
After four rounds

Pro 4
1. Carl Renezeder, 198
2. Bryce Menzies, 177
3. Eric Barron, 176

Pro 2
1. Rob MacCachren, 192
2. Brian Deegan, 187
3. RJ Anderson, 176

Pro Lite
1. Jerett Brooks, 196
2. Brandon Arthur, 194
3. Ryan Beat, 188

Pro Buggy
1. Taylor Atchison, 184
2. Sterling Cling, 171
3. Mike Valentine, 165

Mod Kart
1. Hailie Deegan, 188
2. Trey D. Gibbs, 184
3. Christopher Polvoorde, 178
3. Trevor Briska, 178