JERETT BROOKS BATTLES TO THE END TO CLINCH 2020 PRO 2 CHAMPIONSHIP

San Bernardino, CA

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Pro 2 Championship came down to the Round 10 finale and was ultimately decided on the last lap. In an exhilarating climactic ending to the season, the Pro 2 championship was so close between racer Doug Mittag and Jerett Brooks only 2 points separated the competitors going into the General Tire Golden State Lucas Oil Off Road Nationals weekend. Jerett, the 2019 champion, wisely put points on the board with two top qualifying sessions and then positioned the #77 K&N Filters / Bilstein / General Tire Pro 2 with a 1st place victory and 3rd place podium finish to effectively earn his second championship.

“Back-To-Back Pro 2 Champs!” Brooks declared from the podium. “Wow, what an insane year with seven wins. We have a great team with Tanner and Nick, who do amazing things in the shop day in and week out.

Everyone went above and beyond on this Pro 2 build. It is for sure a one of a kind machine and was the fastest truck all year. I really want to thank everyone that makes this team perform at the highest level. I especially need to recognize my family first, K&N Filters, Bilstein, General Tire, KMC Wheels, FK Rod Ends, Black Rhino Performance, FiberwerX, Optima Batteries, Kroyer Racing Engines, CBR Performance, Sparco, Aeromotive, Caspers Concrete, Power Steering Solution, Weismann, Oakley, Maxima Racing Oils, Synergy Electric and Get HID Lights. It is an insane amount of work and we could not do it without their support.”

This event would be the first time on Glen Helen Raceway’s 1.0 mile track for Jerett’s new truck, but the team hooked it up with the very same setup & settings that helped Brooks earn the 2019 Pro 2 Championship. With the K&N Filters #77 unloaded all fresh and dialed in, Jerett clocked his fastest lap of the weekend during Practice Session 1, Lap 1 at 49.435 and 72.823 MPH. Later, Jerett nailed it down again, scoring the pole in the Round 9 Qualifier with another sub-50-second lap (49.927 during Lap 2), the only one in the division to break through into 49-second laps.

Round 9 saw Brooks starting in 3rd place on the second row due to the inversion. From the green flag, Jerett maneuvered the #77 into 2nd behind Doug Mittag. During the first several laps, Brooks followed the leader feeling out the competition and hunting for an opportunity with still throwing down 49 second lap times. On Lap 4, a yellow flag came out and officials determined this would be the competition caution. On the restart, Jerett found an opening and made the pass for the lead stick on the last corner. Ryan Beat, who was running in 3rd, followed by to slip into 2nd, which slightly extended Brooks points separation over Mittag.

From here on out, the #77 started running phenomenal, pushing a five to ten car length lead over 2nd place until a yellow flag came out on Lap 11. Through the remaining laps to the finish, Brooks maintained to the end for a 1st place victory. During the podium interview, Jerett stated, “I am having fun with it. We have been here before and know what needs to be done. This track is rough & technical, but we are using the same old setup and have not made a single shock adjustment or gear change. It is a championship weekend and you have to make the charge early and get that extra point for leading halfway. That is exactly what I did and it’s all for the championship.”

Jerett had scored another pole for the Round 10 Qualifier, which was also held on Friday before the Round 9 race. It was another sub 50 second (49.856) on Lap 1. All three laps during the session were within .128 seconds of each other. So before the start of Round 10, Brooks had accumulated 469 points and 7 ahead of Mittag. For Round 10, the #77 was starting outside on the third row in 6th next to Mittag on the inside. On Lap 1, Jerett managed to jump up into 4th by Turn 3 and then into 3rd by Turn 5. Brooks maintained his momentum and continued to advance, moving up into 2nd by the end of Lap 3. The Competition Caution came out on Lap 6. The restart saw Mittag putting pressure on Brooks, but Jerett held the position. On Lap 8, Doug pushed Jerett wide and assumed the lead while Ryan Beat slipped by for 2nd place. Brooks held position in 3rd place for the remaining laps as they calculated they would win the points championship if the #77 finished in 3rd Place.

With the Round 10 podium finish, Jerett Brooks won the 2020 Pro 2 Championship and a $20,000 paycheck. This is Brooks’ second Pro 2 Championship in a row, a feat that he had previously accomplished winning back-to-back Pro Lite Championships. “We had an excellent race,” Jerett commented in his podium interview. “I felt confident in our truck. Big shout out to my team Tanner Stevens and Nick TenBruin. We built this thing from ground zero. We did it all out of our own little shop. Doug has been an awesome competitor all season. I have been racing against him for years. We go neck and neck, so my hat is off to Doug and his crew. Thanks to my whole family. Back-to-back; this one is really cool and it is super rad to bring home another championship.”

Jerett Brooks is supported by: K&N Filters, Bilstein, General Tire, KMC Wheels, FK Rod Ends, Black Rhino Performance, FiberwerX, Optima Batteries, Kroyer Racing Engines, CBR Performance, Sparco, Aeromotive, Caspers Concrete, Power Steering Solution, Weismann, Oakley, Maxima Racing Oils, Synergy Electric and Get HID Lights.

Photography By: Bink Designs