Historic sweeps as the championship pictures emerge in Lucas Oil Off Road

Competitors faced a new circuit at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, AZ for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Super Clean Duel in the Desert Presented by Toyota. Some of them proved to master the new, unique-to-the-series clockwise course, while others were left scratching their heads.

The masters included Eliott Watson, completing his second tripleheader sweep in Pro Buggy and setting a new six-in-a-row record. Myles Cheek had the measure of title rival Brock Heger in Production 1000 UTV and took three victories. Ronnie Anderson swept the Turbo UTV races and took the points lead over Corry Weller. Jerett Brooks took two of three Pro 2 contests, but still left with a points deficit to consistent Doug Mittag, who finished second in each race. And while Heger saw nothing but the second step of the podium in Production 1000 UTV, he took two of the Pro Lite races to take a solid points lead into the finale at Glen Helen Raceway next month.

For the most part, competitors enjoyed the new course, reversed from its former direction but maintaining a similar layout. The series tweaked the course from driver feedback throughout the weekend, opening up the final turn, removing a roller and modifying some of the features. The general consensus was that while passing was difficult, the course was fun.

“This new track is rad,” said Mittag. “I like it. It gets beat up, it gets rough, but that’s what off road is all about. Love the new track, love what Lucas is doing.”

Other drivers felt that it needed to be opened up a bit, with Brooks saying it’s more like a Trophy Kart track, although he appreciates the series doing something different. Heger had a similar opinion.

“Its cool, it’s different, and I think thats what everyone kind of wanted, something different. It definitely needs a little bit of fine-tuning on some stuff and it’s very hard to pass. I know they’re thinking about adding some more stuff to make it more racy, To make a pass you have to slam someone, and I think they’re trying to avoid that,” he said.

That said, there was plenty of racing going on; competitors just had to choose their opportunities wisely, and starting up front was definitely an advantage.

Brooks looked unstoppable in Pro 2 on Friday, putting a big gap between he and his competition on the start and each restart. Mittag was pursuing him for the beginning of the race, but spun, handing second to Ryan Beat with RJ Anderson third. And it was the fight for the rest of the podium that kept the race interesting. Mittag would eventually reclaim third from Anderson and was pursuing Beat when Beat biked hard in Turn 1, putting the right side of his truck high in the air. Then Mittag hit the same rut, hit the same 45-degree angle, but slid into Beat who had slid into the wall and that set Mittag back on all four wheels. Mittag ended up with the better momentum and claimed the position, while Beat had to hit the pits. Brooks took a dominant win in the K&N Filters/General Tires-sponsored truck he calls “El Diablo,” followed by Mittag and Anderson.

Brooks went two-for-three in Pro 2. Richard S James

“I wouldn’t say it was a walk in the park,” said Brooks. “That track is destroyed, After they ripped it – we weren’t expecting it to be ripped, and kind of set the truck up for later in the race – it was a handful, just trying to avoid the ruts and be consistent. I know Doug, he comes on at the end of the race, and that’s what we’re trying to set up our truck for, and it came into play – I was pretty consistent. We’ll try to find some more speed for later in the race tomorrow.”

Brooks didn’t really get the chance to find out. Competing on another freshly ripped track as the series tried to keep some moisture in the dirt for the end of the race and keep it raceable for the duration, Brooks was starting third. Up front, Beat started on pole and lost the lead to Mittag at the start, but only briefly; he was back in front with a pass in Turn 4 before the first lap was done. After that it was just a matter of keeping a tenacious Mittag behind him, which he did to take his first Pro 2 win in his Bilstein/Lucas Oil Chevrolet. Brooks had contact early in the race, and had his hood bodywork flapping in front of his face for much of the race, handing third to Anderson.

Brooks, who had to put an old transmission in his truck after blowing up his primary transmission, redeemed Saturday’s struggles on Sunday, seizing the lead from pole at the start and never looking back.

“Yesterday we were off pace; we just kind of missed the setup,” he said. “Today, we put the old school stuff in, the transmission, converter, gear ratio, we used all he stuff we used last year, and this thing held up. Today, a flawless run. This is the best the truck has ever been. I was just in my groove, clicking off laps. I was probably 60 percent the whole race, just checking out, Sometimes thats what you need to do in the Pro 2 – slow it down to get that traction.”

Instead, the drama was all behind Brooks, and a couple of his competitors made it a little easier on both him and Mittag. Anderson spun in Turn 2, collecting several trucks, and moving Mittag up a position. Later in the race, Beat biked in Turn 1, giving Mittag another spot. But Mittag never really had anything for Brooks, and scored his third second-place finish of the weekend, his fifth out of the last six races. But those six second-place finishes combined with a win and bad luck in a couple of races for Brooks means he and Brooks head into the final two points-paying races at Glen Helen in almost a dead heat.

The Friday Pro Lite pace lap started with a hole where polesitter Christopher Polvoorde should have been, but he joined just in time to take the start and pulled out a lead. But a few laps in, he slowed suddenly coming out of Turn 1. It turns out the same problem that made him late to grid – a malfunctioning electronic throttle – reared its head again. That handed the lead to Heger, who was never challenged. His Maxxis Tires/Method Race Wheels Ford was followed to the finish by Ronnie Anderson and Madix Bailey.

Heger never viewed the back of another truck on Saturday, starting on pole and leading from the green. He was pursued by Polvoorde and Cole Mamer until Polvoorde slid back, and Mamer got by him. Polvoorde would later have another problem and fall back into the field, handing third to Ronnie Anderson.

Heger was denied the sweep on Sunday, though. He took the lead briefly, but bobbled in Turn 2 and Bailey, up from third, was now in front. Bailey looked in control until a late-race caution with two laps to go cost him the win and ruined Heger’s day. Heger, who had fallen to third after attacking Bailey and making light contact, had contact with Jimmy Weitzel after the restart that left him sidelined. Mamer, who likely would not have had a shot if not for the caution, went outside of Bailey in Turn 2, which put him on the inside for Turn 3, and he took the lead and the victory in his Falken Tire Pro Lite. Bailey was second with Weitzel third. Despite his misfortune, Heger still takes a decent lead into the final two rounds at Glen Helen next month.

Watson took time off from college midterms to score another historic sweep of a tripleheader, bringing his streak to a record six. Since two first-timers, Matt Brister and Trey D, Gibbs, took victories at Glen Helen, no driver other than Watson has won a Pro Buggy race and the defending champ has a stranglehold on the championship.

Brister led the Pro Buggy field to the green on Friday, and pulled out a big lead. Watson, followed, likewise putting a lot of space to the third place battle between Gibbs and Darren Hardesty Jr. After the competition yellow, the top four stayed right together, with Watson looking for a way around Brister. A deflating tire on Brister’s Funco helped Watson find a hole, and Hardesty claimed what was now second shortly thereafter. Watson took his fourth-straight win in the Tom Watson Inc. Alumi Craft, followed by Hardesty and Gibbs.

Watson was going to have a harder time keeping his streak alive on Saturday, as he had to start fourth. Brister started on pole again and jumped out to the lead, with Gibbs on his tail. Gibbs was close enough that when Brister got a little squirelly in Turn 2 on the second lap, Gibbs made contact, necessitating a trip to the pits. That left Watson, who had already made it by Dale Eberts, to pursue Brister. Watson made a few attacks, but Brister survived until the final lap, even able to put a gap on Watson at times. But as the white flag waved to start the last lap, Watson got a monster run out of Turn 5 to get alongside Brister entering Turn 1, but it wasn’t until Turn 3 that he finally completed the pass, two corners before the checker fell.

Watson started on pole for Sunday’s race, so it was essentially over at the green. Gibbs made it interesting, though, coming back from contact with Bradley Morris to get back to second before a caution was called with two laps to go. Gibbs poured the pressure on, but ultimately had nothing for Watson who cruised to his sixth straight and second tripleheader sweep.

Watson achieved a clean sweep in Pro Buggy, and extended his win streak to six. Richard S James

“I’m stoked the last six races our car has been so good,” said Watson after Sunday’s win. “We’ve been putting the time in at home to make sure it’s good to come out here in Chandler and Wheatland and do well.

“I kind of had it set on cruise control for the first half of the race and with two to go to have a caution, I had to get back in the groove of racing again. Trey is one of the fastest guys out here, he knows how to pass cleanly, He was behind me and I was, “We’ve got to go now!” I made a little mistake and he got really close.”

Both Friday and Saturday’s Production 1000 UTV races had a four-place inversion from qualifying/the previous race’s fast lap. It was never a question of if, but when Brock Heger and Myles Cheek would get to the front and start battling. At Wild Horse Pass, though, Cheek seemed to have the measure of Heger. On Friday, the pair quickly dispatched Dallas Nord and Robby Hornsby to get to the front. Heger got there first each day, but Cheek never let him keep the lead. On Friday, it was a good run out of Turn 4, side-by-side in Turn 5 and taking the lead on the front straight.

Saturday’s contest had the pair starting behind AJ Santos and Nord. Santos was shuffled back by the end of lap 1. Heger took the lead in Turn 2 on the second lap, and Cheek joined the battle by the end of that lap. Heger’s time up front was short-lived, though, as Cheek got alongside in Turn 2 on the fourth lap, completing the pass in Turn 3. From there, he cruised to his second win of the weekend. On Sunday, they started up front. with Heger claiming the lead early until a restart after Nord rolled into Turn 3. Cheek went inside Heger at Turn 2 to take the lead. Heger hung with him for a while, but Cheek was able to put distance between himself and Heger on every restart.

Ronnie Anderson checked out on the Turbo UTV field on Friday and Saturday, but had to work a little harder on Sunday. Two-time defending champ Corry Weller seized the lead at the start, and Anderson slipped from his outside front-row starting position to third. But before four laps were completed, Anderson was out front and pulling away. He swept the weekend to take over the points lead.

The final two points paying rounds for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series will take place at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., on Oct. 16-17, followed by the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup races on Sunday, Oct. 18.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Rounds 6, 7, 8

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ

Sept. 18-20, 2020

Friday, Sept. 18 Winners

Pro 2: Jerett Brooks

Pro Lite: Brock Heger

Pro Buggy: Eliott Watson

Production 1000 UTV: Myles Cheek

Turbo UTV: Ronnie Anderson

Mod Kart: Connor Barry

Junior 2 Kart: Talan Martin

RZR 170: George Llamosas

Saturday, Sept. 19 Winners

Pro 2: Ryan Beat

Pro Lite: Brock Heger

Pro Buggy: Eliott Watson

Production 1000 UTV: Myles Cheek

Turbo UTV: Ronnie Anderson

Mod Kart: Connor Barry

Junior 2 Kart: Lake Adler

RZR 170: George Llamosas

Sunday, Sept. 20 Winners

Pro 2: Jerett Brooks

Pro Lite: Cole Mamer

Pro Buggy: Eliott Watson

Production 1000 UTV: Myles Cheek

Turbo UTV: Ronnie Anderson

Mod Kart: David Gasper

Junior 2 Kart: Brodie Martin

RZR 170: George Llamosas