Watson Sweeps LOORRS’ Return to Wheatland; Three Pro 2 Winners in Three Days
The Pro 2 and Pro Buggy classes couldn’t have been any more different in the results column as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series made its long-awaited return to Lucas Oil Speedway, and what may be its only race in front of fans all season. While three different drivers—RJ Anderson, Jerett Brooks, and Doug Mittag—took checkered flags in the headline Pro 2 class, Eliott Watson returned to championship form in Pro Buggy with a clean sweep of the weekend.
Even though Brooks’ new truck, nicknamed “El Diablo,” seemed to be the class of the field on speed, making it onto the Pro 2 podium twice was an achievement. Anderson returned to the top step of the podium on Friday over Mittag and Ryan Beat, owing to a flat tire that relegated Brooks to fourth. The defending champion earned a redemption win, his third of the season, on Saturday ahead of Mittag and Mickey Thomas. But on Sunday, Mittag not only stayed on Brooks after the competition caution, he also made the winning pass before mechanical issues knocked Brooks out before the finish. Anderson and Thomas scored their second podiums of the weekend in second and third.
In Turbo UTV, two of the sport’s premier drivers from each region ended up splitting the three wins on offer. Midwest regular Kyle Chaney typically runs in Wheatland alongside his normal schedule, and took Friday’s win in his return to LOORRS, while defending series champion Corry Weller earned her third win of the season on Saturday. In Sunday’s rubber match, it was Chaney on top once again, with Weller coming home fourth.
Meanwhile, Watson wasn’t the only driver to take three wins on the weekend, as Brock Heger took a checkered flag each day; he came out on top on Friday and Sunday in Pro Lite, and won his second Production 1000 UTV race of the year on Saturday. Cole Mamer scored the remaining Pro Lite win, while Myles Cheek earned the other P1000 victories, taking down Heger on Friday and getting around Dallas Nord for Sunday’s win.
In the youth classes, RZR 170 driver TJ Siewers was the only racer to win twice, taking the Friday and Saturday victories before George Llamosas denied Siewers the weekend sweep on Sunday. Six different racers scored kart victories, as Trey Eggleston, Connor Barry, and Braden Chiaramonte won the Mod Kart races, and Brodie Martin, Lake Adler, and Logan Leggitt took victories in the JR2 division.
The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series season resumes on September 18-19 with its first of two visits to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Between now and then, Pro 2 and Pro Lite action from both of this year’s events so far will air on CBS. The season opener from Glen Helen Raceway will air on Sunday, August 30 at 11AM PT/2PM ET, while the action from Lucas Oil Speedway will air on Saturday, September 12 at 10AM PT/1PM ET.
Images via Eliott Watson (1); RJ Anderson (2); Brock Heger (3)