Rooster tails of mud and dirt clods, the roar of 900+ HP engines, grandstands packed with fans standing on their feet stretching to see their favorite drivers, and bumper-to-bumper action with checkered flags waving competitors across the finish line within tenths of seconds of each other is what the 2013 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series season was all about.

The grand finale at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park was a perfect example of the action-packed racing that fans had come to expect. There was more than than just a little bumping and grinding out on the dance floor, and we don’t mean the kind you see in a night club. Coming into the last race of the season, some titles were fairly well sewn up, while others had yet to be decided. Those still in the hunt had both barrels loaded and a finger on the triggers.

The 2014 season opener was no different. Short course off-road racing fans that patiently waited through the long off season were rewarded when the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series resumed at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Tempe, Arizona. They came to see action and that’s what they got. However, patience was in short supply on the track, and with zero points in the bank, everyone was a championship contender again when the green flag dropped.

Pro 2 Battle

First to hit the track were the Pro 2 trucks. Brian Deegan and Carl Renezeder started on the front row, but Bryce Menzies quickly took the point. He got into the back of the Number 38 Mickey Thompson Ford when Deegan lost momentum in the slick mud. The contact sent Deegan into a spin that dropped him to the back. As racing resumed, Rob MacCachren began a charge toward the front. Carl Renezeder was the next to fall back when his Nissan spun out after contact from Greg Adler in his Ford.

Pro Buggy has an exciting full field for 2014 with some surprisingly competitive new drivers too.

The scariest moment of the race, and possibly the weekend, came when Robby Woods and RJ Anderson almost connected in a very bad way on the front stretch. “We missed our set-up in qualifying so I had to push the limits to catch the lead pack,” said Woods, “We went from ninth to fourth, but I pushed too hard and lost it. Being stalled in the landing zone of a blind jump is the worst feeling ever.”

Ryan Hancock’s buggy did a handstand during the weekend’s intense racing.

Woods continued, “RJ did everything he could to miss hitting me in the door but could not avoid me. I went over and talked to him after the race; he was as cool and humble as could be. Neither of us wanted this but that’s racing. We had an awesome battle on Sunday and I look forward to many more great races with him.” The contact took both trucks out but RJ’s quick reactions saved what could have been a tragic wreck for Woods.

Bryce Menzies was still leading throughout all this mayhem, but suffered a mechanical failure in his brand new Ford and that forced him to retire from the Pro 2 bout. Defending Pro 2 champion Rob MacCachren went on to take the win. Brian Deegan was second after climbing all the way back to the front and chasing Rob Mac to the checkers, and Greg Adler finished third.

“Starting the season off with a win definitely helps the team feel good about all the hard work and testing we did off season,” said MacCahchren, “The competition is tougher than ever in the Lucas Oil Series; it is very rewarding to come out on top.”

In Sunday’s round two, an unplanned dive into the hot pits dropped MacCachren back in the pack, causing him to finish seventh. Deegan was back on the podium again in third place, giving him the points lead heading into round three. Renezeder rebounded from the previous round to finish second. Bryce Menzies took his back-up truck to the number one spot; his new truck had problems during qualifying that could not be fixed in time for the main heat.

Fun Buggies

In Pro Buggy, Funco Motorsports started the year off with a strong statement. Cousin’s Chad and Garrett George battled each other for the win. That gave the team the top two spots on the podium and started a whirlwind of speculation about the coming season. Despite Steven Greinke winning back-to-back championships for the last two seasons in his Fortin Racing Racer Engineering-built Pro Buggy, Alumi Craft cars have owned the podium.

Would Funco repeat on Sunday? In a way, yes. Chad George took another second place finish, but he was flanked by Alumi Craft drivers. Bradley Morris took the victory in his Alumi Craft, (backing up his third place finish in round one) and Dave Mason Jr. drove his Alumi Craft to third place.

The final tally of the weekend was Funco with a first and two second place wins. Alumi Craft drivers took a first and two third place trophies; and Morris will go to round three at Elsinore in the points lead. Both camps are known for their competitive nature; and Greinke will no doubt be in the mix as well. Pro Buggy is going to be fun to watch in 2014!

Ricky Johnson (48) and Rob MacCachren (21) went at it neck and neck. Mac is always a tough competitor, but in the end, Johnson came home with the Pro 4 round two win.

All Four Driven

The unlimited all-wheel drive truck class is really heating up. It’s stacked with talent in 2014; any number of competitors in Pro 4 are capable of taking a win. Kyle Leduc would be the first to taste victory in his Ford. In round two he would struggle in a race that was filled with contact and carnage.

“Saturday we were first all day,” said Kyle, “Every time we touched the dirt, we were setting the pace. Sunday was a crash fest and we got caught up in all of it. Carl spun in front of me and I had nowhere to go. We finished, but back in ninth place.”

MacCachren and Barron both ran out front Saturday, but did not post the results they had hoped for in the end. Barron put his Mickey Thompson Toyota on the podium in second place in round one, but developed a problem in round two that dropped him back to tenth. MacCachren spent time at the front in both rounds but failed to reach the podium; finishing fourth in round one and eleventh place in round two on Sunday.

Kyle Leduc may have taken the first Pro 4 victory of the year, but Ricky Johnson posted the best score of the weekend. He was on the podium in third place in round one Saturday and took his Ford to the win in round two on Sunday. Johnson and Menzies, Red Bull teammates, who have been killing it in the TORC series for years, both jumped to LOORRS this season.

Johnson’s arrival on the LOORRS scene is not good news to the Pro4 regulars who have championship aspirations. He is a fierce competitor and the Menzies Motorsports provides him with top-notch equipment. His combined results gave him the points lead going forward. Sharing the round two podium with Johnson were second place finisher Greg Adler in his Pro Comp Ford and Jerry Daugherty in his Chevrolet.

Deegan scored the win in Pro 4 round one, but rookie Cheek was hot on his tail for the second spot that day.

Super Trucks

The Pro Lite races in both rounds were significant in that they were calm by comparison to last season during which the class was a meat grinder. In rounds one and two at least, the carnage was significantly curbed. The highlight of the weekend was the strong run put in by rookie Myles Cheek. Not only did Cheek finish second in round one, but he was dogging the 2013 champion and eventual winner Brian Deegan throughout the race.

Deegan had to drive defensively in his Mickey Thompson Ford to hold off Cheek in his Nissan. Sheldon Creed was third in his Ram truck. Round two saw Creed on the top of the podium, (earning the points lead), Ford driver Justin “Bean” Smith finished in second place and RJ Anderson was third driving his Walker Evans Racing Nissan.

So it seems that Lucas Oil Off Road Racing stayed the same and changed in some ways for the 2014 season. All of the dirt-busting, high-flying, throttle-roaring action remains, as do the packed grandstands. Even better is the infusion of the awesome new machinery and exciting new drivers, some you’ve known for years, others promising rookies. To see a short clip of the in-your-face action during the first Round of the Chandler race, watch the video below.

The action in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series has never been better, and with new drivers and new trucks coming into the fray, the racing will only get more competitive, and that makes it a better sport for everyone — drivers, sponsors, and spectators!

Next stop for the The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Lake Elsinore, California for rounds three and four on April 25 and 26, 2014. For more information about the Lucas Oil Series, go to www.lucasoiloffroad.com. To see more great action photos from the race, see the Off Road Xtreme Gallery below >>>

Crowds continue to fill the grandstands for exciting bumper-to-bumper Lucas Oil Off Road Racing action.