RJ37 Team Driver and K&N-Sponsored RJ Anderson Always Tries Harder
- 4 Oct 2016
It has been a wild year for the K&N-sponsored 23-year-old Pro2 driver, RJ Anderson. Seriously if you grew up around the folks he did, you might be in the same boat. You know, the one that says two trucks are always better than one. RJ has never been the type to just sit around. Competition has kept him busy, so it’s no surprise that the positive results are piling up. This past weekend RJ and Team RJ37 headed to Lake Elsinore, California, for Rounds 13 & 14 of the 2016 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) with a shot at capturing the Pro2 Championship points lead in the #37 Polaris RZR/Rockstar Energy Pro2 truck. After his strong finish in rounds 11 & 12 in Sparks, Nevada at the Wild West Motorsports Park, taking a podium in both races, he advanced to second position in the championship points standings. His success has positioned him for a late season charge toward his first Pro2 Off-Road Racing Championship in only his 3rd year racing the Pro2 Class. RJ37 driver and team owner, RJ Anderson said, "We came into this season with a no excuses attitude. The team and I knew what it would take to get the truck up front and we have worked hard this year to make that happen. To be sitting second in points at this part of the season is proof to both my sponsors and my team that we are on the right track. With a little luck, I think we can give the class a run and win a championship."
In addition to chasing down a championship in Pro2, the RJ37 team had planned to bring their brand new #37 Rockstar Energy/Polaris RZR Pro4 to unveil at Lake Elsinore. It was undecided if RJ would actually run the truck in competition this past weekend, but the plan was to get it out there for practice and see how the new 4WD, Kroyer-powered beast would run. During his shakedown of the new Pro4 truck, RJ was able to get one practice lap in and we are looking forward to seeing what the new truck can do during the 2017 LOORRS Season. “I knew long ago that I wanted to race Pro4 but I also knew that I had to continue to remain true to the sport and pay my dues and work my way into the class. After winning the Pro-Lite Championship last season we decided to focus solely on the Pro2 program for 2016 in preparation for adding a second truck if the opportunity arose. With help from Rockstar Energy and of course Polaris RZR, we found a truck we liked. The team and I have spent the past few months setting the new Pro4 up and learning the truck before ever considering to even put it on the track in competition. But I feel like we are ready to see where we stand in the class and to see where the truck is at. You only can learn so much testing, you really need to be at race pace to see what you and the truck are made of” stated RJ37 driver and team owner, RJ Anderson.
It appears that RJ’s persistence is really paying off. Our K&N-sponsored driver earned a 3rd place podium finish Friday night under the lights in Lake Elsinore for Round 13 of LOORRS, proving once again he is a force to be reckoned with behind the wheel of his Polaris RZR/Rockstar Energy Pro2. Anderson was a mere 1.8 seconds behind Rob MacCachren, the leader and 1st Place Finisher, and less than a second separated him and Brian Deegan from the number 2 spot. Talk about a close race. Saturday night played out a bit different in Round 14 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Race Series. RJ came away with a 7th place finish, most assuredly not what he or the team had hoped for. He laid down some seriously quick lap times, 46.517, right up at the top, but unfortunately it just wasn’t enough to get him a second podium at Lake Elsinore. Team RJ37 knows that with only two races left in the series, they must pull out all the stops to reach their goals. Not only racing trucks, RJ has stayed busy behind the wheel of his Polaris RZRs. This past weekend at the Sand Sports Super Show, RJ also unveiled his brand new 2017 XP1K4 Polaris RZR. In fact, Anderson has recently appeared in multiple high-profile commercial shoots with Polaris RZR as they launch the all-new 2017 Polaris RZR XP Turbo. He’s worked alongside his Polaris RZR teammates including younger brother, Ronnie, to shoot the special "Team RZR" launch videos. The fourth video in the epic viral video series is slated to be released this winter and rumor has it, this could be the biggest one yet! His RZR appearances haven't been limited to just being on camera. RJ was back on the track last weekend at the WORCS racing series at Glen Helen and where he swept the weekend behind the wheel of his Holz Racing Products Polaris RZR XP1000. RJ took down the best of the best in both the Pro 1000 and Pro Unlimited classes adding a few more podiums to his already long list of accomplishments.
"It’s important for me to get out and still compete as often as possible in my RZR. You know, Polaris has done so much for me, my family, and this sport and while it’s very easy to be caught up in running the RJ37 team and racing trucks, at the end of the day my RZR keeps me grounded. I get out there with my friends and family and just go hard behind these amazing machines and not only does it keep me fresh and in a racing mindset in between truck rounds, it also provides me with a ton of fun. To get back in my RZR and head to WORCS and come away with a couple of wins might not sound like a lot to some, but if you see the level of competition at WORCS competing in RZRs you would understand why I am stoked on that. These guys, and girls, are super-fast now and their RZRs are crazy good! Now with the new 2017 RZR having 168hp right out of the box, I can only imagine how gnarly racing is going to get in these things now! I can't wait to build my new RZR," explained Anderson. The RJ37 Team was looking forward to getting back out on the track at Lake Elsinore and in front of the local crowd. The season is nearing a close and the racers are pulling out all the stops to maximize their standings in the points chase and the team is equally excited to watch RJ37 Pro-Lite driver Ronnie Anderson in the #52 Walker Evans Racing Pro-Lite continue his run towards the "Rookie Of The Year" award. The younger Anderson has shown promise this season, having promoted from modified carts. And while older brother RJ is entering his prime, little brother is seriously starting to find his groove.
"To see Ronnie improve and mature behind the wheel of the #52 makes me just as happy as seeing myself do good. Ronnie is a huge part of the RJ37 program, we look to him to continue to carry the torch in the Pro-Lite class and one-day plan to see him fielding another Pro2 and maybe a Pro4 for us and himself here at Lucas Oil. Ronnie knows it’s a process and I am just glad I can be along for the ride with him and see him come into his own style and find his own success. Don't let that smile fool you, he is hungry and he wants to win and everyone who has paid attention this year has seen him charge. Ronnie's coming to the front and I really hope he scores Rookie Of The Year because he and his crew deserve it," exclaimed RJ37 driver and team owner, RJ Anderson. Here's a look at the 2016 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Championship points standings for the top 5 in Pro2 Class as we head into Rounds 13 & 14. It looks like it will be a pretty tight race for points champion after this past weekend in Lake Elsinore.
Veteran racer, Rob MacCachren, in first position leads the hunt with 584 points. RJ Anderson, currently in 2nd with 507 points with Jeremy McGrath close behind with 506 points. Not too far behind with 481 points, K&N sponsored driver, Carl Renezeder could be the dark horse that tips the cart. Doug Mittag rounds out the Top 5 with 472 points. With just two remaining events, there could be an upset, but it’s great to see these heavy weight competitors pushing their trucks and themselves to the limit! To improve your car’s performance, check out K&N Filter's vehicle search tool. The same performance products our K&N drivers use to improve the performance on their cars and trucks. |
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