Before today’s production-based Pro UTV classes, early UTV short-course racing was a period of experimentation. Builders started with recognizable 2008 Kawasaki Teryx and Polaris RZR 800 platforms, then created heavily modified race machines with custom chassis, long-travel suspension and engines producing far more power than their showroom counterparts.
From 2008 through the early 2010s, the national short-course story increasingly became Kawasaki versus Polaris. Kawasaki attacked the Unlimited UTV class with three major Teryx programs: Chad George and Funco Motorsports, Austin Kimbrell and Kimbrell Racing/Xtreme Machine & Fabrication, and Robert Van Beekum with Muzzys. On the other side, RJ Anderson and Walker Evans Racing developed the Polaris RZR into Kawasaki’s most persistent championship rival.
The competition helped establish professional drivers, factory-supported teams and the level of specialized engineering now associated with top-level UTV racing. It also produced one remarkable statistic: Kawasaki Teryx race cars won 13 of the 15 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series UTV rounds in 2010.
From CORR to the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
Championship Off Road Racing helped give UTVs a national short-course stage during the late 2000s. Modified Yamaha Rhinos had already demonstrated that side-by-sides could entertain spectators, but the arrival of the Kawasaki Teryx and Polaris RZR gave builders two new and very different foundations.
CORR ceased operations during 2008. Lucas Oil created the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series for 2009 and carried West Coast short-course racing forward at venues including Speedworld, Glen Helen, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Miller Motorsports Park, Firebird and Primm.
LOORRS featured multiple UTV categories over this period, including Limited, Modified and Unlimited UTV. The Unlimited class produced the headline Kawasaki-versus-Polaris battles. An experimental SR1 category also emerged for lightweight race vehicles using high-revving motorcycle engines, showing how quickly short-course UTV design was evolving.
These Were Not Stock Kawasaki Teryx and Polaris RZR Models
The names on the bodywork connected the race vehicles to production side-by-sides, but the leading Unlimited UTVs were purpose-built machines. Teams fabricated chromoly chassis and cages, widened the suspension, repositioned components, installed racing fuel and cooling systems and developed engines specifically for short-course competition.
That distinction is essential to understanding the era. A Funco Teryx, XMF Teryx, Muzzys Teryx and Walker Evans RZR could look related to vehicles found at dealerships while sharing relatively little with a stock machine beyond parts of the powertrain, drivetrain or exterior identity.
Why the Kawasaki Teryx V-Twin Was So Successful
The original 2008 Kawasaki Teryx was heavier than some competing platforms, but its liquid-cooled 749cc V-twin offered an excellent foundation for making power. Engine builders could increase displacement, improve cylinder heads, revise induction and exhaust systems and tune the clutching for the explosive acceleration demanded by short-course racing.
Funco and C&G Performance, Weller Racing, Muzzys and other specialists developed different versions of the Kawasaki engine. When Unlimited UTV rules permitted greater engine freedom, the Teryx teams could exploit the V-twin’s big-bore potential rather than being limited to showroom output.
The platform’s success was therefore not simply the result of Kawasaki having more entries. Three well-developed teams approached the same basic V-twin from different directions, creating an internal Kawasaki battle while collectively taking on Polaris.
The Three Major Kawasaki Teryx Teams
| Team | Primary driver | Race vehicle | Program identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funco Motorsports | Chad George | Kawasaki Teryx | Funco chassis and suspension with C&G-developed V-twin power |
| Kimbrell Racing/XMF | Austin Kimbrell | Kawasaki Teryx | XMF chromoly chassis, Weller Racing engine and Walker Evans shocks |
| Muzzys | Robert Van Beekum | Kawasaki Teryx | Muzzys-developed engine and complete race program |
| Walker Evans Racing | RJ Anderson | Polaris RZR | Polaris power with Walker Evans and Holz Racing development |
Chad George and Funco Motorsports
Chad George entered the Teryx era as an established UTV champion. Funco Motorsports built a dedicated short-course Teryx with a custom chassis, Funco suspension, King shocks and a developed Kawasaki V-twin. The combination delivered an immediate win at Chula Vista in July 2008 and became the benchmark program during the first LOORRS seasons.
The complete Funco Motorsports Kawasaki Teryx CORR race build shows how extensively the first-year Teryx had to be transformed for competition.
George’s calculated approach mattered as much as outright speed. He consistently collected podiums and championship points even when another Teryx or Anderson’s Polaris was faster on a particular weekend. Our later interview with Chad George provides additional insight into the driver, the Funco Teryx and the development of the program.
Austin Kimbrell and Kimbrell Racing/XMF
Austin Kimbrell’s Teryx used a lightweight chromoly chassis constructed by Xtreme Machine & Fabrication. Weller Racing built its 800cc Kawasaki V-twin, while a Muzzys Pro Pipe, XMF long-travel suspension and Walker Evans Racing shocks completed a package designed for the Unlimited class.
The original Austin Kimbrell Kawasaki Teryx race-build feature provides a closer look at the machine and its components.
Kimbrell became the breakout winner of 2010. His aggressive style and powerful Teryx produced five victories, including weekend sweeps at Las Vegas and Miller Motorsports Park.
Robert Van Beekum and Muzzys
Robert Van Beekum brought another distinct Kawasaki effort to the front. Rob Muzzy’s program applied decades of motorcycle and engine-development experience to the Teryx V-twin. Van Beekum became a frequent podium finisher and won races in both 2010 and 2011.
The Muzzys Kawasaki Teryx Race UTV feature documents the highly developed race car and helps illustrate how far an Unlimited Teryx had evolved from its production origins.
RJ Anderson Gives Polaris a Front-Running Challenger
RJ Anderson became the central Polaris figure in the rivalry. His Walker Evans Racing machine began with the original Polaris RZR 800 platform and was developed with suspension and chassis expertise from Walker Evans Racing and Holz Racing.
The Polaris followed a different formula from the big-bore Kawasaki machines, using the RZR’s compact dimensions and lighter architecture as the basis for an increasingly effective race car. The detailed RJ Anderson Walker Evans Polaris RZR race build shows the extensive fabrication and suspension development required to compete in Unlimited UTV.
Anderson did more than prevent Kawasaki sweeps. His results demonstrated that the RZR could become a championship platform. When Polaris introduced the substantially more powerful RZR XP 900, the competitive balance shifted again for 2011.
2008: Chad George Wins With the New Teryx
George gave the first-year Kawasaki Teryx an important early victory at Chula Vista International Off-Road Raceway on July 26, 2008. The win immediately validated Funco’s approach and demonstrated the racing potential of Kawasaki’s new V-twin side-by-side.
The result also previewed the level of modification that would define the next several seasons. These were not recreation vehicles with basic safety cages. They were specialized race machines developed for jumps, braking bumps, close contact and repeated full-power acceleration.
2009: EFI Arrives and George Wins the Championship
Kawasaki introduced digital fuel injection across the 2009 Teryx 750 FI lineup. Although the Unlimited race engines were extensively modified, EFI reflected the continuing development of the production platform beneath the Teryx racing identity.
The inaugural 2009 LOORRS season placed the Unlimited UTV class on tracks across the Southwest. George and the Funco Kawasaki emerged as the most complete combination, recording five victories, eight podium finishes and five pole positions.
Our original 2009 LOORRS Speedworld race report preserves a firsthand look at the early series, including the UTV racing, drivers and track conditions.
George secured the Unlimited UTV title at the Primm finale, giving him his third consecutive UTV championship when his earlier CORR titles were included. Austin Kimbrell won the final race, with Van Beekum and other Kawasaki drivers also running near the front.
Kawasaki’s strength was already apparent, but Anderson’s developing RZR 800 program ensured that Polaris remained part of the championship conversation.
2010: Kawasaki Teryx Wins 13 of 15 LOORRS Races
The 2010 Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI retained the 749cc V-twin and fuel-injected foundation that race builders had learned to develop so effectively. On the track, the 2010 LOORRS season became the high point of Kawasaki Teryx short-course dominance.
Teryx drivers won 13 of the championship’s 15 rounds. The victories were distributed across four drivers, demonstrating the depth of the platform rather than the dominance of one team.
| Driver | Vehicle | 2010 LOORRS victories |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Kimbrell | Kimbrell Racing/XMF Kawasaki Teryx | 5 |
| Chad George | Funco Kawasaki Teryx | 4 |
| John Dempsey | Kawasaki Teryx | 2 |
| Robert Van Beekum | Muzzys Kawasaki Teryx | 2 |
Kimbrell Sweeps Las Vegas
Kimbrell earned maximum points during Rounds 5 and 6 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He won both races, qualified first both days and led at the mandatory caution. George finished second Saturday and third Sunday, while Van Beekum charged from 13th to fourth Saturday and finished second Sunday.
The original 2010 LOORRS Las Vegas race report and photo gallery provides a closer look at the heavily modified Teryx and RZR race cars competing during Kawasaki’s dominant season.
Kawasaki Fills the Front at Miller Motorsports Park
Kimbrell carried the streak to Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, winning both rounds for his third and fourth consecutive victories. George finished second both days and Tyler Winbury placed third twice.
The depth of the Teryx field was remarkable. Kawasaki occupied the first five positions on Saturday and the first four on Sunday. Kimbrell, George, Winbury, Van Beekum and John Dempsey all appeared near the front during the weekend.
Kimbrell, George, Van Beekum and Anderson Trade Results
George relied on consistency while the other leading drivers traded wins and mechanical setbacks. Kimbrell became the season’s most frequent winner, Van Beekum added victories for Muzzys and Anderson continued putting the Walker Evans Polaris between the Kawasaki teams.
The championship remained close enough that the Firebird finale mattered. George ended the season with his fourth victory and fourth consecutive UTV title. Kimbrell finished second in the standings after winning five races.
2011: The Polaris RZR XP 900 Changes the Championship Fight
Kawasaki entered 2011 with a deep factory-supported roster that included George, Van Beekum, Kimbrell, Jon Crowley, Mike Lasher, Casey Currie and Brian Bennett across several forms of racing. In LOORRS, George sought a fifth consecutive title while Van Beekum joined the Muzzys Monster Energy Kawasaki program.
Polaris arrived with an important new weapon: the 2011 Polaris RZR XP 900. The new production model introduced an 875cc ProStar twin-cylinder engine and a rear-engine chassis with a trailing-arm suspension layout. Anderson’s Walker Evans entry now had a more powerful and more performance-focused production platform from which to develop a short-course race car.
George Starts Strong
George opened the season at Firebird with first- and third-place Unlimited UTV finishes. Our 2011 LOORRS season-opening race report documents the early championship battle and includes original images of the Teryx and RZR race cars.
George won again at Speedworld and continued to collect championship points even when mechanical or suspension issues prevented another victory.
At Glen Helen, Tyler Winbury won Saturday for Kawasaki. Anderson won Sunday for Polaris, with Van Beekum second and George third. The results captured the nature of the season: Kawasaki still had strength in numbers, but Anderson could break through and win.
Van Beekum Wins at Miller and Sweeps Las Vegas
Van Beekum finished third on Saturday at Miller Motorsports Park before winning Sunday with a new Muzzys powerplant. Tyler Winbury finished second both days, keeping multiple Kawasaki entries on the podium.
Van Beekum later swept Rounds 13 and 14 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He set the fastest lap Saturday, qualified fastest Sunday and led his class through mechanical damage and changing track conditions. George finished third in both races.
RJ Anderson Wins the 2011 LOORRS UTV Championship
Anderson combined wins with consistent podium finishes and entered the finale ahead of Van Beekum and George. George won the final round at Firebird, but Anderson’s season-long results delivered the LOORRS UTV championship to Polaris and the Walker Evans Racing RZR XP 900.
The championship completed the competitive arc. Kawasaki’s three leading teams had established the Teryx as the dominant early platform, but Anderson’s Polaris program developed steadily from the RZR 800 to the RZR XP 900 until it could win the title.
Where SR1 Fit Into the Short-Course Era
The SR1 class developed alongside the production-engine-based Unlimited UTV battles. SR1 machines typically combined lightweight side-by-side chassis with high-revving motorcycle engines. Corry Weller became one of the category’s leading drivers and won the 2011 LOORRS SR1 championship.
SR1 showed both the creativity and fragmentation of the period. Builders could pursue big-bore V-twins, production-based RZR power or motorcycle-engine conversions. The variety produced fascinating machines, but it also made it harder for the national series to maintain one clear and accessible UTV formula.
Why the National LOORRS UTV Era Faded
The Kawasaki-versus-Polaris battle did not end with one decisive race or an announcement that UTV short-course racing had failed. The national LOORRS UTV era gradually faded as the vehicles and the market moved in another direction.
By the early 2010s, the leading Unlimited UTVs had become expensive, specialized race cars. Although they retained recognizable Teryx or RZR identities, the best machines used custom chassis, extensively modified engines, long-travel suspension and professional-level preparation. The freedom produced fast racing, but it also separated the class from the production side-by-sides that most racers could buy and afford to build.
At the same time, new generations of factory sport UTVs gave racers increasingly capable production platforms. WORCS, desert-racing organizations and regional short-course series offered classes that aligned more closely with those showroom vehicles. LOORRS increasingly centered its national identity on its professional truck divisions, while UTV participation continued through regional and UTV-focused competition.
The shift did not end UTV short-course racing. It closed a particular developmental chapter—one in which a builder could take a Kawasaki V-twin or Polaris platform, work within a relatively open rulebook and create a race car far removed from its showroom origin.
The End of LOORRS
LOORRS continued with its professional truck classes through the 2020 season. In November 2020, Lucas Oil announced that it would discontinue ownership and operation of both the national Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and the Lucas Oil Regional Off Road Series. The company cited uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of additional shutdowns.
Short-course off-road racing continued under other organizations, while UTV racing had already expanded into dedicated series, regional events, desert racing and rock racing. The end of LOORRS therefore did not end the discipline, but it closed the organization that had hosted the most important early national Teryx-versus-RZR battles.
Additional background: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series discontinued after the 2020 season.
Legacy of the Teryx-versus-RZR Era
Chad George and Funco proved that the Kawasaki Teryx could win immediately and sustain a championship program. Austin Kimbrell and XMF turned the Kawasaki V-twin into one of the fastest combinations in the field. Robert Van Beekum and Muzzys demonstrated the engine’s continuing development potential. John Dempsey and Tyler Winbury added further Kawasaki victories and podiums.
RJ Anderson and Walker Evans Racing gave Polaris a program capable of challenging three major Kawasaki teams. Their development of the original RZR 800 and later the RZR XP 900 changed the balance of the rivalry and delivered the 2011 championship.
These teams helped establish expectations that remain part of professional UTV racing: recognizable drivers, serious engine development, specialized suspension, strong manufacturer and aftermarket involvement and vehicles capable of drawing fans on the same weekends as full-size short-course trucks.
Related Vehicles and Race Builds
- 2008 Kawasaki Teryx 750 4×4
- 2009 Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI
- 2010 Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI
- Original Polaris RZR 800
- 2011 Polaris RZR XP 900
- Funco Motorsports Kawasaki Teryx CORR Race Build
- RJ Anderson’s Walker Evans Polaris RZR Race Build
- Austin Kimbrell’s XMF Kawasaki Teryx Race Build
- Muzzys Kawasaki Teryx Race UTV
- Interview With Chad George
- 2009 LOORRS Speedworld Race Report
- 2010 LOORRS Las Vegas Race Report
- 2011 LOORRS Season-Opening Race Report
- History of the Kawasaki Teryx
- History of the Polaris RZR
Early UTV Short-Course Racing FAQ
What were the main UTV classes in early LOORRS racing?
LOORRS used categories including Limited, Modified and Unlimited UTV. Unlimited UTV produced the prominent Kawasaki Teryx and Polaris RZR battles. SR1 was a separate category built around lightweight machines using motorcycle-style engines.
Were the LOORRS Kawasaki Teryx race cars stock?
No. The leading Funco, XMF and Muzzys Teryx race cars were heavily modified or purpose-built machines with custom chassis, long-travel suspension, racing safety equipment and extensively developed V-twin engines.
Why was the Kawasaki Teryx successful in Unlimited UTV?
The Teryx’s liquid-cooled V-twin provided an excellent foundation for large-displacement, high-output engine builds. Kawasaki also had several experienced teams developing different chassis, suspension and engine packages.
How dominant was Kawasaki in 2010?
Kawasaki Teryx drivers won 13 of the 15 LOORRS UTV rounds in 2010. Austin Kimbrell won five, Chad George won four, and John Dempsey and Robert Van Beekum each won two.
Who was Kawasaki’s principal Polaris rival?
RJ Anderson and Walker Evans Racing became the principal Polaris challenge. Anderson’s program developed from the original Polaris RZR 800 to the RZR XP 900 and won the 2011 LOORRS UTV championship.
Why did LOORRS stop featuring the national Unlimited UTV battles?
The national UTV era gradually faded as the highly specialized Unlimited vehicles moved away from production machines, racers shifted toward production-based classes and LOORRS concentrated more heavily on professional truck racing. UTV short-course competition continued in regional and dedicated series.
When did LOORRS end?
Lucas Oil discontinued its national and regional off-road racing series after the 2020 season amid uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of additional event shutdowns.
