Chandler, AZ
Christopher Polvoorde aimed to achieve two goals for his 2018 short course off road program; win some races and improve on his end of season points standing to 3rd or better. Polvoorde made the finale race weekend of the year count with a big finish in the #94 STEEL-IT V8 powered Pro Lite. A 4th place finish in Round 11 was good enough for 3rd place in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Pro Lite Championship points standings and a 2nd place podium finish in the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup made a great year of racing even better.
Round 11, hosted at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in in Chandler, Arizona was the place to be for any short course racer or fan of off road motorsports. This last event presented a field of 17 drivers, all of whom wanted to finish on top of the box. There was a very close points battle for the Pro Lite points championship that was to be decided in the final race. Ryan Beat, going into Round 11, led a thin margin ahead of Brandon Arthur followed closely behind by Christopher Polvoorde.
“We qualified 4th, which put us on the second row and in great position for the start,” explained Christopher. “Earlier we had made some pretty big changes and the STEEL-IT / TIS Wheels / General TirePro Lite was super fast, but at the green flag we got banged up and fell back to 7th.”
“I knew that was not going to be any good for improving my championship standings, so I put my head down,” explained Polvoorde. “Right away I found the groove and began working my way back up. We were on rails by Lap 4, and that is where things got real crazy. Ronnie Anderson & Hailie Deegan were hooked up into a heated battle and I jumped in with them. We were all racing back and forth, going into a corner three wide and coming out three wide.”
Christopher continued, “I just got past Ronnie and then going into Turn 2, I lost the front brakes and just completely blew through the middle of the corner. Anderson easily skated by while I ripped the berm trying to save my momentum. With the speed, the STEEL-IT Truck got a huge run heading into the Ski Jump, we go flying off, Ronnie dives into the middle lane right about where I am projected to land. I ended up on top of his rear cage and snagged the back of his truck. We are hooked up and connected going into Turn 3. Ronnie slams into a berm and shakes me off. Some how neither of us loose any positions but I noticed my left front tire was going down. No big deal, we kept it moving forward and finished in 4th.”
A crazy race to end a wild season, Polvoorde’s 4th place finish was good enough to maintain and secure the 3rd place overall on the 2018 season. With points racing done and finalized, there was one last opportunity for Christopher to make a mark in the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup.
Again, Polvoorde qualified 4th and that placed him near the front of the field. Off the start, the #94 STEEL-ITtruck filed into line instead of getting swallowed up. From that point, Christopher was in position to chase down the leaders and try to pick them off one by one.
“We could see our truck was faster,” said Polvoorde. “This track is a bit narrow with few passing options. We always are trying to race fair and clean. Brock Heger is a great racer and just made no mistakes. I got to congratulate the big winner. I finished on the podium in 2nd place with a big check and I feel great about the entire season. The changes we have been making are pushing us in the right direction. We feel good and have our benchmarks to set the tone for next season. Our 2018 goal was to end in the top 3 and win some races. We accomplished our objectives and it was a great feeling! I already miss it but I think next year is going to be our year!”
Christopher Polvoorde is supported by STEEL-IT, TIS Wheels, General Tire, The Palms River Resort, King Shocks, Simpson, Optima Batteries, Magnaflow, Rugged Radios, Camburg Racing, and KC Hilites.
Photography By: Bink Designs
About Christopher Polvoorde 18 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 currently attending University of San Diego, 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. In 2017 he won the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year title in Pro Lite. When he is not racing or studying, Christopher enjoys working in the race shop, snowmobiling, RC car racing, and skiing. In 2018, Christopher was able to capture 3rd in Pro Lite Championship Points. He will now reset his focus during the off-season and race towards the 2019 Pro Lite championship.
Written by Bink Designs