Every facility that hosted a Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series event will see a return to the schedule for 2012, with two new venues – one old and one new – joining the existing tracks. Lake Elsinore, site of two race weekends and the Challenge Cup event in 2009, rejoins the schedule with an all-new track. The LOORRS series will also expand its reach to Reno, Nev., in 2012.

The Lake Elsinore Motorsports Complex will be the site of Rounds 3 and 4 on April 21-22 after being absent from the schedule for two years. The track is undergoing a complete renovation and, when completed, will be a one-mile short course off-road track with seating for approximately 10,000 spectators.

"We're going to incorporate a step-up there and it's going to have a big, increasing-radius Turn 1,” says Tony Vanillo, competition director for the series and the designer of all the circuits. “It's going to have the pits in the infield and be down so it's real visible; spectator-friendly elements.”

The new track in Reno, which will host the series on Labor Day weekend, is going to be a natural terrain circuit constructed on a hillside. That means big elevation changes with challenging drop-offs and dramatic viewing for spectators.

“It will be very Chula Vista-ish in design,” says Vanillo, referring to a popular track near San Diego from the CORR days. “This one will be one of our premier racetracks. The setting is going to be phenomenal.”

For the 2012 season, the series will visit each venue only once, with the exception of Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., where the season will open on March 31 and close in October. Each weekend will feature two full rounds of the championship, again with the exception of the finale at Firebird, where the final round on Saturday, Oct. 27 will be followed by the Lucas Oil Challenge Cup races on Sunday, Oct. 28.

Two of the race weekends, Glen Helen in Southern California in August and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September, will be night events.

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series 2012 schedule

Rounds 1 and 2          March 31-April 1    Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.

Round 3 and 4            April 21-22             Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park, Lake Elsinore, Calif.

Rounds 5 and 6          May 19-20              Speedworld Off Road Park, Surprise, Ariz.

Rounds 7 and 8          June 23-24             Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah

Rounds 9 and 10        Aug. 4-5                 Glen Helen Raceway, San Bernardino, Calif.

Rounds 11 and 12      Sept. 1-2                Reno, Nev.

Rounds 13 and 14      Sept. 22-23            Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nev.

Round 15                    Oct. 27                   Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.

Lucas Oil Challenge Cup            Oct. 28            Firebird International Raceway, Chandler, Ariz.