SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (February 10, 2009) – The Glen Helen Off-Road Short Course Series, a racing competition that is designed to accommodate professionals, the experienced and beginning racers will make its debut Feb. 21 at Glen Helen Raceway Park.
Off-Road Director Bob Beyer has spent the past few months building and refining a race course that has drawn praise from those who have driven it during two test sessions. The course, approximately 1 mile in length, will be a permanent addition to the existing facilities that have made Glen Helen one of the busiest and most versatile motor sports venues in the nation.
The raceway just north of San Bernardino annually hosts the opening round of the AMA Motocross Championship Series each May as well as the Yamaha AMA California State Motocross Championships, the Yamaha Dealer Series, the Baja Cup Challenge and numerous other events.
The launching of the seven-race Short Course Series and the expansion of the Baja Cup Challenge from a single event to a four-race series signal the full-scale return of off-road racing to Glen Helen, which has hosted infrequent events since the demise of the CORR Off-Road Winter Series a decade ago.
Beyer, a veteran official with a passion for off-road racing, made it a priority in creating the Short Course Series to produce an affordable, family-oriented series that bridges the gap between rudimentary weekend competition and the higher-profile, pressure-filled touring series.
That’s been accomplished by establishing entry fees ($300 for the truck and buggy classes) and ticket prices tailored to the current economy, by giving everyone from professional drivers to novices classes in which to compete, and by putting together a solid schedule of seven points-paying races to determine a champion in every class.
In addition, the track will be available as a testing and practice facility throughout the year, centered in the hotbed of the off-road racing community.
The track has an extremely spacious staging area, approximately 100 feet wide, that is perfect for the exciting “land rush” starts. From there the racers will funnel onto a long (1,000-foot-plus), fast front straightaway and into the banked, 60-foot wide first turn, and the track is open enough to offer the drivers numerous opportunities for passing. The front and back stretch feature multiple high-speed jumps and the inner-loop provides a technical double-jump section with a crest jump and rolling jumps back onto the front straight a-way.
The entire track is visible from all spectator areas (festival seating and ice chests are welcome) and the pit area will be open to spectators at no extra cost. Overnight camping also is free for race teams.
The format calls for the race teams to move in, set up and practice on Fridays and for all race activity to take place on Saturday. There will be classes for current and older short course, stadium and desert vehicles ranging from limited to unlimited trucks, limited to unlimited buggies, and newly-designed and/or spec vehicles.
The complete schedule is:
Round 1 – February 21
Round 2 – March 21
Round 3 – June 13
Round 4 – July 18
Round 5 – August 29
Round 6 – October 10
Round 7 – November 14
There also is ample opportunity for expanded and crossover marketing for team and series sponsors thanks to the Baja Cup Challenge Series and the numerous motocross events at the versatile track.
The Baja Cup races, primarily designed for desert vehicles, will be run on longer (3-4.5 mile), natural terrain courses and will offer an exciting contrast to the fender-to-fender competition so common in short course racing. For more information on the Glen Helen Off-Road Short Course
Series and Baja Cup Challenge, contact Off-Road Director Bob Beyer by telephone at 909-815-5811 or by e-mail at bbmracing@aol.com.
For more information on other Glen Helen events, contact Track Manager Lori Bryant by telephone at 909-384-9342 or by e-mail at lori@glenhelen.com.
