Bark River, MI
Christopher Polvoorde is now 6 for 6 with a remarkable winning streak in the Lucas Oil Midwest Short Course League (LOMSCL). Over the weekend the driver of the #94 STEEL-IT / General Tire / TIS Wheels Pro Lite traveled to Bark River International Raceway's Off-Road Rumble for two rounds of racing. Polvoorde thrilled the fans with a stunning last-lap pass for the victory on Saturday and backed it up with yet another win on Sunday to keep the win streak alive and the LOMSCL Pro Lite Championship quest just within reach.
Christopher was all smiles at the end of it. “With that crazy last-lap pass, I was able to get another sweep here at Bark River. We are now 6 for 6 wins in the Lucas Oil Midwest Short Course League, and it has been a dream season!" For the record, a winning streak six deep is seldom ever heard of, and even only a few of the sport’s all-time greatest can claim similar achievements. What is even more extraordinary, is that a west coast race team based out of Southern California is pulling double duty in the LOORRS National Series. The team has been able to make the long cross country haul to the Midwest and make each race a viable victory.
Part of the effort includes testing and a dedicated team commitment. “Bark River is insane,” Polvoorde commented. “It is a wild track with some crazy features. I've heard stories from many of the top guys in the sport about how fun it is. Coming into this weekend, we wanted to be prepared, so we came the week before and did some testing here at the track which got us up to speed. Michigan is a long haul from home, so it's cool to be back here racing and experiencing new tracks and growing my fan base. Going into the weekend with our win streak in the Midwest series put some pressure on my back.”
The team did their homework, and the testing paid off because speed was the name of the game for Christopher in the #94 STEEL-IT / General Tire / TIS Wheels Pro Lite at Bark River. Polvoorde was second quickest in the first practice with Ryan Beat leading by only a slight margin. For qualifying, Christopher took the pole with the fastest time around the track clocking off a 1 Minute 20.724 Second lap time. “We qualified P1!” exclaimed Polvoorde. “Truck is working good, and the General Tire Grabber X3's are hooked up! Pro Lite is a stacked field right now, so I just wanted to come out here to get some good finishes and keep the points lead.”
That momentum set up the tempo for Christopher to be well-positioned to achieve his goals. Pro Lite Race 1 featured a ten truck field with a 10-lap race and the competition caution scheduled for Lap 5. Polvoorde’s start position was inverted from 1st to 2nd, which put him on the front row outside. “The first race was insane,” stated Christopher. “Starting on the front row, I was able to hop up into 2nd right away. After a small mistake, I dropped two positions but then regained them back and started hunting down Ryan Beat, who was leading.
The pace was fast, and the roost was brutal. I was getting hammered behind Beat since I was right on his back bumper for pretty much the entire race. Beat was running perfect laps with no mistakes. Sitting in 2nd, I was looking for one small mistake so that I could strike. When the white flag came out, I knew it was all or nothing. Coming through the infield, Beat dove to the bottom but got crossed up somehow. I saw my chance, so I went wide and was able to get next to him and finish the pass with one corner to go and take the win!”
Polvoorde continued, “That race was honestly one of the most intense, high paced races of my life. There were many close calls, but it all came to together. I have to give a huge shout out to my spotter Cory Kruseman for keeping me focused and helping me get it done.”
Sunday's Pro Lite Race 2 started with the #94 STEEL-IT / General Tire / TIS Wheels truck starting way back in the third row in 6th position. From the green flag start, Christopher passed through the field, making clean passes one by one. By the end of the first lap, Polvoorde had assumed the lead and would peel away from the rest of the field for another consecutive victory. Polvoorde explained, “We started 6th, and I was able to battle my way to the front fast. After that, I focused hard and was able to put down consistent, clean laps, not making any mistakes to get to the checkered flag. The STEEL-IT Pro Lite is so fast right now."
Christopher continued, "My team and I are clicking, and it's honestly such a great feeling. My crew chief Jimmy Davidson puts his heart and soul into my program. He makes sure to give me the best truck possible, and words can't describe how grateful I am to have him as part of our race program.
We have a dream team right here, and I am so lucky to have every single one of these awesome people by my side and everyone else behind the scenes. Coming out with another sweep doesn't seem real,” Christopher shared. “This will be a year to remember. I want to thank my whole team and everyone who supports me, STEEL-IT Coatings, TIS Wheels, General Tire, King Shocks, Arma Sport, Brembo Brakes, Rigid Industries, Simpson, Rugged Radios, FK Rod Ends, Kicker Audio, Maxima Racing Oils, K&N Filters, Optima Batteries, Camburg Racing, Magnaflow, MPI Steering Wheels, VP Racing Fuels, ARP, Smart Whips and The Palms River Resort."
Next on the schedule, Polvoorde will attempt to continue his Lucas Oil Midwest Short Course League race winning streak during the 50th Annual Crandon World Championship Off-Road Races happening August 28th through the Labor Day Holiday.
Photography By: Bink Designs
About Christopher Polvoorde & CP Racing Team Christopher Polvoorde was born on July 28th, 2000 and raised in the Racing mecca of Southern, CA. From a young age, Christopher had an adventurous spirit and a passion for the outdoors and racing. That passion leads Christopher’s life to this day where you can find him chasing sunsets year around on the hills of Mammoth Mt or the waters of the Colorado River. It helps being surrounded by a team of experts including Christopher’s father Chip Polvoorde, who handles anything and everything, Crew Chief Jimmy Davidson who provides the fastest truck on the course, week in and week out, as well as driving coach and spotter Cory Kruseman, who works with Christopher on his race craft. With Christopher’s natural speed and a team like this, expectations are high.The CP94 team returned to racing in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and will be adding the Lucas Oil Midwest Short Course League for 2019 with the goal of lifting the Championship Trophy at the end. With all that Christopher has going on it is hard to imagine but he is also a full-time freshman College student at The University of San Diego on an academic scholarship after finishing high school with a 4.5 GPA. The future is bright for Christopher who takes it all in stride focusing on working hard and enjoying the ride. Visit // www.christopherpolvoorde.com