San Bernardino, CA
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) hosted Rounds 7 & 8 during the Rockstar Energy Drink US Golden State Nationals presented by General Tire at Glen Helen Raceway. Christopher Polvoorde, just coming off of the Midwest Short Course League Championship and a Crandon Pro Lite World Championship title, was aiming for the top of the box at Glen Helen. Polvoorde ran strong all weekend in the #94 STEEL-IT / General Tire / TIS Wheels Pro Lite qualifying 2nd & 3rd fastest for Rounds 7 & 8 and picked up a 2nd place podium on Sunday.
Going into this weekend, the Pro Lite class has seen some of the fiercest competition and heated racing with a very close points battle spread very thin through the top 6 contenders. "We have high aspirations and are motivated to win," declared Christopher. "This summer was great with eight straight wins, the championship and the big Crandon win in the Midwest put a lot of wind in our sails. We are here at Glen Helen, aiming to finish off the LOORRS season strong!"
Team Polvoorde Racing spends countless hours before race day to ensure the truck is perfectly tuned and unloaded race ready with the proper setup. It is all about teamwork and communication in the #94 pits. During practice, Christopher consistently showed to be one of the fastest in the field.
“We were quick from the get-go,” explained Polvoorde. “Going out to practice, the team and I were working well together. Everything seemed great, and I know we had a fast truck for the weekend. We went out for qualifying where I ended up 2nd fastest behind Ryan Beat. I am super happy with the General Tire Grabber X3 as they paired perfectly with the rough track and I feel we had a huge advantage." Christopher clocked in at 53.509 on his 3rd lap, reaching 67.278 MPH just .227 seconds off of the pole.
For Saturday’s Round 7, Polvoorde would start in 5th place on the third row. “I was able to work my way up into 2nd after the first initial lap. From there, I was chasing down the leader and began to make moves to complete a pass for the top position. Unfortunately, a caution flag came out and I realized I had a slow leaking tire after some bad contact with debris on the track. I was forced to pull into the pits for a tire change. I continued to finish the race, but that pretty much cost us the win.”
After the race, Optima Batteries arranged for special guest Max Douglass to go for a thrill ride in the STEEL-IT 2 Seater Pro Lite.
The Ride-A-Long gives a proper perspective of what it is like to suit up, race around the track at speed and feel the adrenalin that comes from getting in a real race car. Christopher's program functions in part thanks to a list of valued partnerships. Polvoorde Racing works hard to recognize this and often is allowed to stoke out a super fan and on occasion, a VIP.
Besides Ride-A-longs, Christopher will highlight his partners with well-presented demonstrations and displays. Before, during and after a typical race weekend, onlookers can see various products being used in the pits as well as featured throughout his social media channels.
Molecule Sports Products has just jumped on board and Polvoorde is all pumped up. "I am super stoked to have Molecule Products in my arsenal at the track! Their helmet care kit is just what I need to freshen, clean, and polish my helmet before race time!”
For Sunday’s Round 8, Christopher knew the #94 STEEL-IT / General Tire / TIS Wheels was fast and despite chaos popping off in qualifying, Polvoorde’s confidence paid off. “It got a little nutty out there,” Christopher explained. “After some chaos in qualifying, I was only able to get one real lap in, but I still savaged 3rd quickest. That will have us starting in 4th position.”
At the race start, 14 trucks pinned it down and crammed into very tight quarters. “Right off the bat, I hopped up into the top position," Polvoorde commented. "I buckled down, assumed the lead, began to cruise and perhaps got too comfortable.
Unfortunately, I made a mistake and dropped to second. Feeling the pressure, and a whole lot of heat from behind, got me fired up and pushing forward. I eventually got the lead back. The last few laps of the race got pretty ridiculous with a caution coming out, seemingly, every lap. On one of the re-starts, Heger was able to get around me after a small bobble. I pushed hard but didn't have enough laps left to get him back.”
“That was a crazy race! I'm happy to have claimed the #2 spot and am stoked to end up on the podium for the third time this season. It didn't come without some hard work, that's for sure. I must thank 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 and everyone else that supports us. Everyone puts so much effort into our race program and it feels good to give back with a podium finish. It is an excellent way to end the weekend!"
Next and final stop of the season will be in Chandler, Arizona at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the GEICO Off Road Championship Presented By General Tire for Round 9 and Challenge Cup all taking place 1-day on October 26th. Don't miss out on the action!
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 is currently competing in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and was able to win eight straight to capture the 2019 Lucas Oil Midwest Short Course League Championship & Crandon Pro Lite World Championship titles. With all that Christopher has going on it is hard to imagine but he is also a full-time sophomore 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