It is now the year 2021...

[handmethemic]

So what's being churned up by the rumor mill? I know there are a couple new pro truck class entries here in Champ Off-Road (one moving from UTV, another from a sportsman truck class), but what else is out there? Which "out west" guys and gals are planning on coming east all summer?

 

[Jacob D]

Sounded like Mittag was planning on it, as with Kyle LeDuc returning for another season as well. Mamet said he was, so that’s sounding like an extra Pro Lite, 2, and 4. Keegan Pro 4 most likely as well, should be another super stacked season!!

 

[handmethemic]

I also saw Keegan teasing a return to Pro 4 on social media.

Zac Zakowski (formerly Pro Stock UTV) announced (with photos) that he is in the Pro 2 mix this year.

 

[stephenrjking]

I also saw Keegan teasing a return to Pro 4 on social media.

Zac Zakowski (formerly Pro Stock UTV) announced (with photos) that he is in the Pro 2 mix this year.

Yeah, Keegan is definitely telegraphing a move. I hope he has a truck that can compete; the Monster teams have a pretty big head start on development. Speaking of which, Johnny Greaves confirmed on instagram that Monster re-upped for another two years a little while back. DaGuy's mention of Mittage checks out--just checked Mittag's IG and he comments on one of his posts that he's racing Champ Off Road. The question, I guess, is whether it's 4 or 2? He brought the Pro-2 to Crandon last fall. Maybe both?

RJ's epitaph on the LOORRS series asserts that he was stepping away from a full-time short course ride anyway, which is disappointing and probably at least in part sponsor-related, but it doesn't sound like he's selling his Pro-4, so we'll probably see him in Crandon.

Pro-2 will have a healthy field of some sort or another. Brooks appears to be continuing work on his Pro-2, but avoids saying where he's running it next year--perhaps waiting for something to turn up on the west coast. Ryan Beat would probably be my pick to win the title if it's mostly the same field, though Kyle Kleiman is obviously good and has really grown into his truck. If Mittag races Pro-2 he's also a favorite.

Hopefully shaping up to be a good field; I'd love to see COR pull some of the old LOORRS exposure, and I hope some of the guys that ran midpack last year (Kyle Chaney for example) keep running in the truck divisions.

 

[CYS Motorsports]

I also saw Keegan teasing a return to Pro 4 on social media.

Zac Zakowski (formerly Pro Stock UTV) announced (with photos) that he is in the Pro 2 mix this year.

Yeah Keegan got an Eric Barron built truck that was for sale for a while.

 

[CYS Motorsports]

RJ's epitaph on the LOORRS series asserts that he was stepping away from a full-time short course ride anyway, which is disappointing and probably at least in part sponsor-related, but it doesn't sound like he's selling his Pro-4, so we'll probably see him in Crandon.

Also the RJ epitaph didn't indicate saying he was done with Short Course, just that that was going to be his last season racing with LOORRS. Considering his ties with Polaris and Polaris being a Midwest brand, would lead me to believe he was coming back to the Midwest. He has run a full season out here before in his Pro Lite days.

 

[stephenrjking]

Also the RJ epitaph didn't indicate saying he was done with Short Course, just that that was going to be his last season racing with LOORRS. Considering his ties with Polaris and Polaris being a Midwest brand, would lead me to believe he was coming back to the Midwest. He has run a full season out here before in his Pro Lite days.

We can hope, but he seems to be focusing more on UTV stuff in all disciplines. We'll see. What kind of history does the Barron Pro-4 chassis Keegan acquired have? He's a fast driver (I think it was 2015 that he stepped into the Mike Jenkins Pro 4 at Crandon when Jenkins had to miss due to the birth of a child, and he was the fastest guy on the track right away) and I believe he can be right there with CJ and Kyle, IF he has the truck to do it. But his last Pro-4 forray was beset with sponsorship issues and lack of development.

 

[afortune46]

Youll see more west coast truck guys - the utv guys that I have spoken to are going to texas and oklahoma for short course due to rules , theres about a dozen guys from next year not returning between pro mod/stock either from moving into truck classes, to rule changes sending them to other series , to just not running anymore.

 

[Pro4orNothing]

RJ may do Fall Crandon only next year with his Pro4. Almost sounded like a Menzies-type program could be in the cards.

Love seeing Keegan teasing a return to Pro4...is it in addition to his Pro2? Or is he going to go all-in on Pro4?

What’s Szymik’s plans for next year? Looks like his Pro Lite was sold or was at least up for sale...Pro lite as a class seems to be about where its been the last few years with a likely low truck count

My unofficial count has 10 Pro4’s, 15 Pro2’s this summer...provided that the full timers from last year stick around and the West Coast guys who say or seem likely to race up here are on the line at.

 

[handmethemic]

Pro-2 will have a healthy field of some sort or another.

Honestly, if it's just the 2020 field all over again (with no "newcomers"), it should be a stellar year for Pro 2. Kincaid, Kleiman, Beat, and a healthy Cory Winner should make a tremendous four way battle and a handful of the others from last season each flashed some serious speed at times.

My unofficial count has 10 Pro4’s

This would be tremendous, but then I'd pay for a ticket just to watch Greaves, Leduc, Greaves, and Carlson race each other without anyone else on the track...

 

[Pro4orNothing]

Honestly, if it's just the 2020 field all over again (with no "newcomers"), it should be a stellar year for Pro 2. Kincaid, Kleiman, Beat, and a healthy Cory Winner should make a tremendous four way battle and a handful of the others from last season each flashed some serious speed at times.


This would be tremendous, but then I'd pay for a ticket just to watch Greaves, Leduc, Greaves, and Carlson race each other without anyone else on the track...

Assuming all 8 full-timers from last year return, add in a likely Keegan, plus the Troy Cox/Cole Mamer truck, that’s 10. Not bad for a class that everyone has thought was on life support.

A couple of years ago, we’d be happy to get that lineup at Fall Crandon; now we’re privileged that every round gets that quality of a lineup. I’ll never miss a Fall run, but I’m hoping to hit another one or two races this summer because of the high-quality fields we seem destined for this year.

 

[Jacob D]

Can’t forget about Mickey Thomas in Pro 2, as well as Adam Daffner, sounded like he would be coming out

 

[handmethemic]

Can’t forget about Mickey Thomas in Pro 2, as well as Adam Daffner, sounded like he would be coming out

Ah yes, can't believe I forgot Thomas. He came on strong at the end of 2020.

 

[ragracin]

I was told that all the off road trucks and parts that were owned by Mike Jenkins were talked about being bought and brought to the Midwest. It supposedly included several pro 4s. It might just be a rumor, but it was right around the time I started seeing pictures of K***gan Kin**d and Ja**y Flan****y together on Facebook. I have to *** out peoples names because this might be rumors and not facts, it is only what I “heard” and after all who really wants to talk facts when it is more fun to speculate.

 

[OFFRD-JNKIE]

After watching the KOH pre-show there was some talk of a new west coast short course series, it was mentioned by Dave Cole he would not elaborate on details.

 

[stephenrjking]

I was told that all the off road trucks and parts that were owned by Mike Jenkins were talked about being bought and brought to the Midwest. It supposedly included several pro 4s. It might just be a rumor, but it was right around the time I started seeing pictures of K***gan Kin**d and Ja**y Flan****y together on Facebook. I have to *** out peoples names because this might be rumors and not facts, it is only what I “heard” and after all who really wants to talk facts when it is more fun to speculate.

The Jenkins trucks are old, at this point, and I would think they would need to be reworked to be competitive with the newer Greaves and Leduc trucks. That's a concern I have with Keegan, who is very fast but, like everyone, needs the right equipment to compete.

I would assume some kind of west coast series will spring up. There are dozens and dozens of UTVs and buggies and trucks out there that want to race that have nowhere to go. It might not have the cash push of Lucas Oil, but they can run races at tracks that already exist using vehicles that are already built. Champ off road has started well, but it's not a national series and it's not ready to be one. Better if there are races down there.

 

[stephenrjking]

After watching the KOH pre-show there was some talk of a new west coast short course series, it was mentioned by Dave Cole he would not elaborate on details.

Just listened to this part of the broadcast.

It's not some talk. Ricky was trying to get Dave to spill the beans on an announcement and Dave wouldn't do so, but it is pretty clear that: there is a series that is being assembled. They have commitments from drivers. Some of those drivers will be involved in some kind of demonstration at KOH that Dave has agreed to. The announcement has not been made and Dave is not making it.

So I don't think Ultra4 is involved in the running of the series, but someone is. Cory had previously expressed confidence on this board that something would be around to run; obviously there is some kind of arrangement in place. Guys like Jerrett Brooks appear confident that they are racing, but have not announced a move east. So I think we probably have a series that re-animates what was the LOORRS structure last year.

 

[ragracin]

 

[acers]

View attachment 221615

Lunch !!!

 

[Curtis Guise]

I'm curious to see who is starting the new short course series that Dave mentioned on the KOH pre show. And don't forget that VORRA is coming south March 19-20 and putting on a race at Glen Helen. Sounds like a great way for all of those trucks, buggies and UTV's that were left with nothing from LOORRS going away to get some racing in...