Chandler, AZ
Not only did Christopher Polvoorde earn a Rookie of the Year title in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series in 2017, but he also cracked the top 5 in the championship standings. Polvoorde’s goal at the beginning of the season was to finish in the top 10 in points, racing in the highly competitive Pro Lite class.
He shattered that goal on his way to earning the Rookie of the Year title, finishing in 4th place in the season long points championship. He was only 14 points shy of earning a championship podium position.
The Pro Lite class is stacked with experienced, aggressive drivers that include several past champions. Running up front takes skill, strategy, and hard work. Christopher Polvoorde developed all of those attributes while racing in the Trophy Kart classes. His Pro Lite class Rookie of the Year title is the second he has earned. He was the Modified Kart class Rookie of the Year in 2014. In 2015, he won the LOORRS Modified Kart Championship and a TORC Series Crandon World Championship trophy. Before the mud was even dry on his Palms River Resort, Toyo Tires, King Shocks, Walker Evans Racing, MTRV8, Tomar, Rugged Radios, Fastway Trailer Products, Kicker, STEEL-IT, and CSD Racing Products Pro Lite truck, he was looking forward to the 2018 season.
“I’ll be at the SEMA show for a couple days but we are already working on next year,” said Polvoorde, “We are so happy with our results this season. It’s been a great year; we had a lot of fun. Race weekends can get hectic but we do it because we love it. Every track has its own challenges.
We have a lot of good friends at the track but once the racing starts, friendships are put on hold. My friend Ronnie Anderson and I had some great battles this season. Our parents always tell us to not take each other out. (He said with a laugh). The final race weekend at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, AZ. was a rough one. The track is hard to pass on and it was really slick. The dirt gets hard packed and turns to what is called “blue groove.” Rubber from the tires builds up on the surface, turning it blue, and it becomes like ice.
I was running right behind Jerett Brooks when his fender flew off and came right at my face. It crashed into the screen in front of me and caused me to flinch. That little flinch was all it took to slide off in the turn. I had to get back on course and I lost a couple positions. Pieces of the shattered fender were still in my cab after the race. You never know what’s going to happen out there. We had our ups and downs this year. We learned a lot, and are looking forward to applying it in 2018.”
The 2018 season can’t come fast enough for the Palms River Resort team. They have some exciting new developments coming next year so keep your eyes open for announcements coming soon!
Photography By: Bink Designs
About Christopher Polvoorde 17 year old Christopher Polvoorde is constantly on the move. When he is not racing short course in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS), he is training and competing cross country on a mountain bike. An academic over-achiever with a 4.5 GPA, he is a quick study on the track as well. He earned the 2014 Modified Kart rookie of the year title. In 2015, he surpassed that by winning the LOORRS Modified Kart Championship and a TORC series World Championship trophy at the birthplace of short course racing; the “Big House” in Crandon, Wisconsin. Racing his Mod Kart in 2016, he won both the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup race and a second world championship in Crandon. When he is not racing or studying, Christopher enjoys working in the race shop, snowmobiling, RC car racing, and skiing. In 2017, he will be racing towards a championship in the ultra-competitive Pro Lite class.
Written by Bink Designs