With a pack of events, Glen Helen Raceway looks forward to more racing action. Including the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, the N.A.H.A. Hillclimb, REM Saturday MX and the Yamaha Dealer Series, all tracks will be full of racing this weekend.

By Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil Products, the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing.

It is the second time for the series to visit Glen Helen. For this year’s event, improvements include doubling the seating capacity and streamlining parking to create a better flow for spectators, so they can spend more time watching the racing and visiting with their favorite drivers and vendors. This weekend’s racing will mark rounds five and six of the series, which is seeing unprecedented success in 2011.

As the world’s best UTV and Trophy Truck drivers take on Glen Helen’s Lucas Oil Short Course on Saturday and Sunday, the action kicks off with an off road bang. To see some of the best off road racing north of Baja, rounds 5 and 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is sure to draw a large crowd.

The challenges on the 0.8-mile course all of it visible from the grandstands include some tight turns and a tough rhythm section between Turns 2 and 3 that sent more than one truck tumbling last time at Glen Helen.

The track is tough to master. Rick Huseman experienced one of his few losses here last year, who was undefeated in Pro 4 in 2011. He is going to try to avenge that loss to Kyle LeDuc with a perfect weekend, carrying a hefty lead in the Pro 4 points over Renezeder.

Freestyle star and off road racer Jeff “Ox” Kargola has passed away after having fallen while participating in the 2011 Monster Energy “Rip to the Tip” Baja adventure ride in Mexico the non racing, eight day ride that begins in Tecate and ends in Cabo San Lucas.

Kargola, 27, was a member of the Metal Mulisha FMX team, who lived in San Clemente, Calif. At the age of 12 he started riding and turned pro at 16. Every year from 2001 to 2010 he competed in Moto X events at the X Games and won a silver medal in the Best Trick competition at Winter X in 2005. He’d made a name for himself racing superLite trucks in the Lucas Off-Road Racing Series in recent years. At Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz, last month he won Round 2 of the 2011 series, and was in sixth place after four stops on the series.

Founded by Kargola’s Metal Mulisha teammate Cameron Steele, Rip to the Tip is an 8 day, 1,376 mile adventure ride. For this year’s event, the planned course went from Mexicali to Cabo San Lucas, according to Steiger, who notes that Kargola was surrounded by Steele and teammates Ryan Hagy and Trigger Gumm in his final moments.

Kargola was a professional level member of the AFMXA, a trade association established by freestyle motocross riders and industry leaders. His death marks the second for the Mulisha in just over two years Jeremy Lusk was killed after an FMX event in Costa Rica on Feb. 10, 2009.

Rick Huseman is four for four in Pro 4 this season, and illustrates no signs of dawdling down, after Rounds 3 and 4 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series at Speedworld Offroad Park in Surprise, Ariz.

After Round 4, Huseman said that he is very enthused and it has been enormous team effort. He added that it was remarkable that his team has been able to triumph at the end, which according to him; race is sometimes more than just going fast. He said that in the race, there were a lot of excellent trucks and his team is fortunate to be the one standing on the podium at the conclusion of the race.

The only trucks on the lead lap were that of Huseman and Carl Renezeder. Crediting any single part of Huseman’s program for his team’s success, then it is regularity. Having a dependable truck is what Huseman stresses the significance, which in the closing round, it paid off for him.

Meanwhile, V8 crate engines from GM, Ford and Chrysler (MOPAR) will be permitted in Pro Lite, beginning with the May event at Glen Helen. As a way to make available more cost-effective engines in the class, its proponents have touted the V8, which is presently powered by high-strung, race-prepared four-cylinder engines from the same manufacturer as the truck body.

For the 2011 Yamaha Australian Off Road Championship (AORC), Motorcycling Australia has authenticated the date and venue alterations. On 10-11 September, AORC rounds seven and eight have been reorganized to take place at Mt Seaview, NS, due to the 2011 Australian 4 Day Enduro (A4DE) moving to 7-10 July.

At Callington in South Australia, these rounds will happen to be rounds nine and 10, and the rounds slated for 27-28 August, will become rounds seven and eight.

Including Juniors and Seniors, the rescheduled rounds will be Enduro Format for both days; however, as the whole course is on private property, registration will not be needed. Event organizer Denise Hore said that to move the events, it was a harsh decision and one not taken lightly.

Hore said that in rescheduling the AORC, they have taken into consideration the greatest interests of the majority of riders, whilst considering a number of factors including championship events and accessibility of transponders in the diverse states. He added that there was no chance to schedule the event in advance, regrettably due to calendar clashes. He said that for them, this date presented the best option.

As a result of current intense weather conditions in the Mackay region, the A4DE was rescheduled, causing noteworthy damage to the track and neighboring areas. Rounds seven and eight of the AORC were originally planned to take place in Broadford, Victoria from 9-10 July.

Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing will make a revisit to Firebird International Raceway. The adjoining region is blistering with hype about the series starting and ending the 2011 season and Racing aficionados have identified the newest short course track as the fan favorite. Things will definitely set off in a big way in Round 1.

With the official pre-race party going down Wednesday March 16, race fans are encouraged to join in the celebrations. With vehicle displays, autograph signings and a live from the scene broadcast of the Lucas Oil Totally Off-Road Radio Show, top racers of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series will welcome the fans at Majerles Sports Grill Chandler.

The Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series is proud to declare a joint venture with Racer X Communications, with the start of the 2011 series quickly approaching. For the 2011 season, at this year’s races, Racer X Motorsports will be handling all the official communications needs from racer communication to staff communication.

This year, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.’s Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels division has decided to be a sponsor for the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series’ Pro-Lite Unlimited and Pro-Buggy Unlimited classes. The company said that the moment is quite exceptional as the judgment to work together with Lucas Oil series marks a return to short-course off-road racing for the Mickey Thompson brand. Mickey Thompson was an early supporter of stadium-style off-road racing in the 1970s and he himself was a well-known race driver.

Bobby Garrison triumphed in the second round of the World Off-road Racing Championship Series (WORCS). He was praised by Dubach Racing Development (DR.D). The race was held in Primm Valley, Nevada.

Garrison with his hard charging, never say die-riding style, and put his DR.D-backed Kawasaki KX450F on the pinnacle step of the championship podium. At some stage in the dead engine start format, he had to kick his bike over a few times before it would fire. He claimed victories in both main events by getting ahead of all factory supported riders by coming from behind. Garrison sits at the top of the WORCS series points’ standings, with this emphatic success.

Garrison is a true privateer this season and as a result, his success is all the more noteworthy. He rode a Kawasaki, which he had bought himself. He raced for prize money. Garrison said that WORCS has ‘Top Privateer’ bonus and this weekend has been excellent for him. In either race, Garrison had to deal with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Taylor Robert, but minute mistakes cost him a chance for the win. KTM‘s Kurt Caselli too gave a good fight.

Garrison took the lead and kept pushing during the ultimate minutes. On the white flag, Robert put in one of his fastest laps, hard on the attack to reclaim the lead. For the overall win and the points lead in the WORCS series, as Garrison took Moto 2, he would not be denied this weekend. In both the days, the podium standings were indistinguishable. Garrison took the win. Robert, although gave a healthy competition, came second. Caselli finished third. Soule came in fourth and Brown was fifth.

In the 2011 WORCS Pro Championship points table Bobby Garrison has 92 points, Kurt Caselli 87, Taylor Robert 84, Kyle Summers 73, Brenden Ritzman 62, Robby Bell 61, Gary Sutherlin 61, Justin Soule 57, Mike Brown 55 and Destry Abbott 51.

In the various sports betting odds websites, Garrison was one of the pre tournament favorites to win the World Off-road Racing Championship Series.

Trevor Bayne is ineligible for this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie of the year award. It was disheartening news for Bayne. NASCAR officials told Sporting News that Trevor Bayne would not be eligible to compete for the rookie of the year title in the Sprint Cup Series, although he plans to run 17 races for the Wood Brothers this year. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp explained that Bayne could not earn Cup driver points in his 18 starts with Wood Brothers Racing since Bayne will race for the Nationwide Series title. Tharp added that if Bayne cannot earn driver points, he becomes ineligible to be rookie of the year.

However, his eligibility for Cup rookie of the year may be able to defer to the first year he elects to compete for the championship in that series. A change in the rookie eligibility requirements has been considered by NASCAR, which would merge with its new rule that requires drivers to opt one series, in which they compete for championship points.

On Saturday morning, the new qualifying session will split NASCAR Nationwide series and a 200-mile series race in the afternoon. Of May 13-15 and September 30-October 2, that will take place during both race weekends. On Friday, both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide will have a combined 5 hours of practice. The race’s goal is to make it more accessible to a greater number of fans. For the Friday and Saturday events, Dover has also increased the age and decreased the prices of junior tickets for those 14 and under to $8. Tharp added that even though Bayne will run half of this year’s 36-race Cup schedule, there are ongoing discussions about making Bayne eligible for the award in 2012.

Bayne expressed his disappointment for his ineligibility. In the 2012 Budweiser Shootout, he would have enjoyed the ability to participate and would have a spot earned by recent rookie of the year winners.

In the Toyota All-Star Showdown, Travis Pastrana will make his NASCAR debut at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale this weekend and he will be one of at least 45 drivers trying to qualify for the race. In the Showdown, race winners from last year’s NASCAR K&N East and West Pro Series events and the series champions from all of NASCAR’s developmental series have automatic starting spots.

Pastrana will be driving the No. 99 Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing in the Showdown. He is an X Games, freestyle motocross and rally car champion. For the Showdown, he and Michael Waltrip have teamed up and a limited, seven-race schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

In preparing Pastrana for his NASCAR debut, Waltrip has been instrumental, although Pastrana said that from a variety of people, he has been hearing pointers, including Carmichael, who moved into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. Carmichael had raced in the Showdown prior joining the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

Before the Irwindale test, Pastrana tested at New Smyrna, Fla., he had Camping World Truck Series Matt Crafton drive his car at New Smyrna. Testing his rally car in the Irwindale parking lot before the X Games was his only previous time at Irwindale.

He admitted he will not be fast enough to turn a top qualifying time, therefore he said that he expects that he will have to race into Saturday’s field in the qualifying race. Against some stiff competition in the Showdown, Pastrana will be testing his newly honed stock car skills. In 2010, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano won the Toyota All-Star Showdown. With multiple Showdown wins, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver, Matt Kobyluck is one of only two drivers. Most recently in 2009, he has won twice.

On Friday and Saturday night, the Speed Channel will broadcast the Showdown at 10 p.m. ET. The Pro Series open race and the super late model race are scheduled for Friday, qualifying for the K&N Pro Series portion of the Showdown. For Saturday night, the K&N Pro Series portion of the Showdown and the late model race are scheduled.

2011 contingency program for off-road and motocross racing was announced by an excited KTM North America, Inc. In possible contingency payout throughout all series, KTM will post over $2,000,000, making this the largest contingency program ever posted by the Austrian manufacturer. Across the U.S., KTM will sponsor over 70 different series in amateur off-road and motocross events. In KTM Bucks, most of the rewards are payable, which are valid at any participating KTM dealer while some pro level payouts will be paid in cash rewards. With XTRM to be eligible, all KTM riders interested in KTM contingency must complete the registration.

Through the company’s dealer network, the new KTM amateur motocross support program is available. By submitting a résumé to local KTM dealers, Amateur racers can apply to the program. With at least four amateur national events for 2011, resumes must list previous racing accomplishments and a planned race schedule. On rider skill and ability, the level of support will be determined as well as past racing results and value as determined by KTM dealers. Until Feb. 1, resumes will be accepted. On February 15, 2011, each applicant’s résumé will be processed and selected riders will be determined. On the riders skill and ability, past race results and value, the level of support will vary as determined by the KTM dealer.

For pro AMA Supercross and Arenacross racers, KTM is also posting $580,000 in contingency. In an AMA Supercross or Supercross round, finishing in the top ten will net $600 while 11 through 20 receive $400. For the top eight, Arenacross payouts are $600 and $400 for nine through 16. For the support program, riders must be willing to race a minimum of 4 amateur national events to be considered.

It is the end of the year and the clock is counting down. The start of one of the most grueling events in the realm of off-road racing, the world’s toughest off-road competitors will mentally and physically prepare themselves, while the sun casts its first shadows of 2011. The New Year is a simple reminder of the opportunity, which waits, to a select few, at the annual Dakar Rally.

Dakar Rally, the international test of endurance and determination will take place for the third consecutive year in the South American countries of Argentina and Chile. ASO, the race organizers moved out from Africa after the security threats in Mauritania in 2008. The Dakar Rally is easily the “world’s most grueling race”, with more than 5,903 miles to be completed from Jan. 1 to 16, 2011.

With the shortest elapsed time over the 15-day event, the winner of the rally is the team Based on 14 stages, known as “specials”. It is extremely difficult for the competitors traversing on the terrain. The competitive specials in the Dakar Rally are crossing dunes, camel grass, rocks, off-road and mud, among other elements.

On Wednesday at the first shakedown test ahead of the start of the 2011 Dakar Rally, defending champion Carlos Sainz was among those who got their first taste of South American dust. On a gravel circuit designed on a farm in the municipality of Zarate, 2009 champion Giniel de Villiers, Sainz, last year’s Dakar runner-up Nasser Al-Attiyah and American Mark Miller all put their Volkswagen Touaregs to the test. Ahead of the start of the rally proper on January 1, it was the first opportunity for the four men to get a feel for the heavily revised 2011 Touareg.

Red Bull Volkswagen team boss Kris Nissen said that in order to get completely comfortable inside the car, this is a day for our drivers and co-drivers to iron out the last details.

A team must possess three things, to be successful at the Dakar Rally, namely, true determination and perseverance, state-of-the-art equipment and first-rate driving and navigational skills. valuable seconds can be lost by just a slightest mistake by man or equipment in its effort to achieve the ultimate objective i.e. winning the Dakar Rally.