The foothills of north San Bernardino will roar to life Saturday night as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series opens its 2019 season at Glen Helen Raceway. The world’s premier short course off-road racing series will start for the first time here in the 30 years of the track’s existence.
Various classes of trucks and buggies will test the California landscape, and this time the SoCal Shootout will be conducted at night. The powerful trucks of Pro 2 and Pro 4 often stop the show, part of the nine classes that will be in action.
Tickets are $30, $10 for kids 6-15, and those 5 and younger get in free.
Among the stars of the show will be Pro 2 champion Rob MacCachren, a five-time series champion. The 53-year-old Las Vegas native has won four times in the Baja 1000 and recorded eight career short course off road titles.
RJ Anderson of Riverside is the Pro 4 championship and a veteran of the sport. His father Randy served as the longtime crew chief of Walker Evans, and by age 14 he was already displaying his raw talent.
“Coming off Pro Lite championships, I thought Pro 2 was just a bigger Pro Lite, and man, was I mistaken,” RJ Anderson said of his introduction to the big trucks. “These guys, not only are they the best of the best you’re racing against – guys like MacCachren and Brian Deegan, who have won multiple championships. Just figuring out the vehicles. … I mean, it’s a fully different beast than a Pro Lite.
“It’s not at all the same as I thought it was going to be. Five years later, I’ve still yet to get my first Pro 2 championship.”
Other Southern Californians competing at Glen Helen will be freestyle motocross legend Hailie Deegan (Temecula), Kyle LeDuc (Temecula) and Scott Douglas (El Cajon).
Sprint cars
The California Lightning Sprint Car Series will begin its 26th consecutive season Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway, also known as “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval.” Also on the 7 p.m. card will be the USAC West Coast Sprint Cars, IMCA Stock Cars and the American Stocks.
It’s the first of five CLS events at the “Okie Bowl.” The series will have 17 races this year and will end the season Nov. 23 at Bakersfield.
Jarrett Kramer is the defending series champion and will be looking for his third CLS title. Other past champions competing in 2019 will be five-time champion Bobby Michnowicz and two-time titlist Brent Sexton
Their main competition could come from a savvy group of teenage drivers, including Aiden Lange of Lakewood, Dominic Del Monte of Gardena, Palmdale’s Eric Greco, 2018 Rookie of the Year Grant Sexton and his older sibling Dalton of Lakeside, Ramona’s Kyle Dodd and Indio’s James Turnbull.
Other drivers in the mix include Cody Nigh of Camarillo, USAC/CRA Series regular A.J. Bender from San Diego, Dale Gamer of Anaheim, Chino veteran Pat Kelley, CHP officer Jeff Dyer of Bermuda Dunes, Jon Robertson of Torrance, Bakersfield’s Wink Schweitzer and Frank Ditmar of Lakewood.
Pit stops
— Leah Pritchett will have double duty this weekend at the NHRA 50th Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway. In addition to competing in Top Fuel dragsters, the Redlands native will open defense of her SAM Tech NHRA Factory Stock Showdown title in her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. Pritchett carries a 12-round winning streak into action against a field that includes Mark Pawuk and 2012 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson.
— Ventura Raceway starts its 2019 season Saturday night. The half-mile facility will feature VRA Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, TQ Midgets and Motorcycles (pit bike and 250/450 flat track class). Pits open at noon and the grandstands at 3 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults; seniors, military and students $11; kids 12 and younger are admitted free.
Louis Brewster can be reached at [email protected]
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