In with the new

They say variety is the spice of life…don't know who “they” are, but they're correct. For 2010, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series adds variety in three new tracks, all at dedicated racing facilities, in addition to the inaugural season staples of the Lake Elsinore (Calif.) Motorsports Complex and Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, Ariz., – each hosting two events this season.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host two races, one the weekend following the huge SEMA automotive aftermarket trade show in November. Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, near Salt Lake City, will host an event in June and Firebird Raceway in the Phoenix metro area will feature the season finale on one day followed by the Rockstar Energy/Lucas Oil Challenge Cup races the next.

“It's always great to get to go to a new track and do something different, especially in some of the new cities like Salt Lake City,” says Unlimited 2 competitor Greg Adler. “What the series has been looking for are really nice venues where you can put a great track for the competitors, but also a nice place for the fans to come and enjoy the race – the facilities are already there, the infrastructure is already there to make it a more pleasant fan experience.”

The races at LVMS will take place at a completely new and unique track built in conjunction with the facility and Lucas Oil Off Road racing Series officials.

“Everyone at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been fantastic,” says Lucas Oil Off Road Competition Director Tony Vanillo. “We are excited to be working closely together building this track in an area of the facility that is completely dedicated to our short course, off-road racing series. This is an opportunity that brings the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series into metropolitan Las Vegas while also capitalizing on the outstanding response we receive from the SEMA show.” The series has been invited to return to the SEMA show with the outdoor vehicle demonstration on the Toyota Proving Grounds.

Miller Motorsports Park, built by the late auto dealer magnate and owner of the Utah Jazz, Larry H. Miller, is a facility that is only a few years old but has quickly gained a reputation for quality events. It hosts top-flight road racing series such as the Grand-American Rolex Sports Car series, the American Le Mans Series, NASCAR Camping World Series, FIM Superbike World Championships and AMA motorcycle racing. The track's driver training options include an off-road driving school.

The LOORRS tracks will be built mostly along the front straight of the road course, from just before the final turn of the track and along the straight before doubling back upon itself. Great views will be had from several permanent and temporary grandstands, along with hospitality suites and Miller's famous Clubhouse.

The season finale and Challenge Cup races will happen at a track complex familiar to other Lucas motorsport fans, Firebird Raceway, which hosts the Lucas Oil Drag Series on its quarter-mile and the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series on Firebird Lake. The facility is also home to the NHRA Arizona Nationals, a variety of road racing events and the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.

That's three new tracks which will hopefully highlight the series, the competition and the abilities of the machines and their pilots. Unlimited 2 and Unlimited 4 champion Carl Renezeder, for one, is hoping for a challenge from the new circuits.

“I always like going to new tracks – it's different, it's something new to master,” says Renezeder. “I always hope that the new tracks become a little more technical and evolve with the sport as well. We're one of the few four-wheel sports that fly through the air like we do. They really need to emphasize that, just like they emphasize it at Elsinore; Elsinore is a great track for that. I'm looking forward to the new Las Vegas track, the new Firebird track as well as Miller Motorsports Park. I hope they're going to make us get big air and make it really technical so we can showcase what our vehicles can do and the level of talent that's out there.”