Elk River, Minn. ~ Extreme heat and a punishing race track pushed the world’s best short-course off-road racers to their limits Sunday as AMSOIL Championship Off-Road presented by Brunt Workwear completed round eight at ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota. With the heat index climbing well above 100 degrees, drivers battled not only each other but one of the toughest combinations of weather and track conditions of the season. Deep ruts, unforgiving berms and rapidly changing racing lines punished even the smallest mistakes, leading to spectacular flips, broken parts and extreme exhaustion by the time the checkered flags waved.

When the dust settled, the 2026 season officially reached its halfway point after four weekends and eight rounds of competition. The championship battles tightened across the board following another action-packed day of racing, as the world’s best short-course off-road drivers survived one of the toughest tests they’ll face all season.

Thomas Outlasts Chaos for Third Victory

No race over the weekend better showcased the punishment ERX Motor Park could dish out than the PRO4 finale. After two full days of racing, the battered circuit was filled with deep ruts and changing lines that caught out even the sport’s best drivers. Mickey Thomas, Jimmy Henderson and Andrew Carlson traded the lead through the opening lap before Carlson’s charge ended with a flat tire. One lap later, Henderson caught a rut entering the split lane, triggering a chain reaction that trapped much of the field and allowed Thomas to break away. RJ Anderson and Johnny Greaves were the first to escape the carnage and immediately set off after the leader.

The drama continued when Thomas was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for speeding through a yellow-flag zone, allowing Anderson to pull alongside as Thomas exited the hot pit. Thomas reclaimed the lead less than a lap later, and the pair spent the remainder of the race in a high-speed duel separated by only a few truck lengths. Thomas withstood the pressure to claim his third victory of the season and second in as many weekends.

“I was able to come back out from the penalty right next to RJ and was able to retake the lead shortly after. Just put my head down and run a clean race out front,” said Thomas. “It’s a hot day, so it felt like the longest race of my life just trying to hold the truck together. We are winning races this year, and it just feels awesome.”

Anderson capped a successful season debut with a hard-fought runner-up finish after also placing third on Saturday. CJ Greaves overcame a late trip to the hot pit after running third on lap 16, returned one lap down and salvaged the final podium position, flipping Jimmy Henderson’s championship lead as Henderson was unable to finish on Sunday.

Holtger Charges Past Greaves on Final Lap in PRO2

The PRO2 championship battle continued to intensify as the season reached its halfway point, with Kyle Greaves and Ryan Beat leading the charge atop one of the deepest fields in AMSOIL Championship Off-Road. Sunday’s race looked destined to mirror Saturday’s, as Greaves rocketed off the line with Beat glued to his rear bumper. But for the second straight day, Beat’s bid unraveled when a flattening front tire forced him into the hot pit during the mandatory mid-race caution, ending another promising run.

The caution reset the field and put Johnny Holtger directly behind Greaves for the restart. The round two winner relentlessly pressured Greaves over the closing laps before making the decisive move in Talladega Turn with three corners remaining. Holtger drove away to his second victory of the season and third podium of the year.

“Coming to the white flag, I said if he takes the inside on the split lane, I only have one shot and that is to the outside. That’s what he did, and it played out,” said Holtger.

Greaves, who admitted to losing power steering over the final laps, clipped an inside tractor tire on the final downhill but recovered to finish second, extending his recent surge with a second straight runner-up finish and five podiums in the last six rounds. Jacob Rosales continued his strong weekend by crossing the line just behind the lead duo in third, earning his second consecutive podium of the weekend.

Maciosek Masters ERX in Tight Wire-to-Wire Win

PRO LITE is built on speed, and ERX Motor Park rewards drivers who can balance outright pace with precision. On Sunday, Joey Maciosek found that perfect balance. One round after charging to a runner-up finish, Maciosek was the class of the field, leading from the drop of the green flag and controlling the race for much of the afternoon. While the margin looked comfortable early, points leader Connor Barry steadily reeled him in over the closing laps, applying relentless pressure. Maciosek never flinched, hitting his marks to perfection and completing a wire-to-wire drive for his second victory of the season.

“Connor is a fierce competitor, he has no fear out there,” said Maciosek. “We wouldn’t even be out here without him and his dad as they loaned us their motor. I knew if we just held the race line, he would have to go around me the hard way or make something happen.”

Barry rebounded from a difficult Saturday with an impressive charge to second, collecting his third podium in the last four rounds and keeping his championship lead intact. Matt Wood closed the weekend on a high note, finding late-race speed to finish third for his fourth podium of the season after narrowly missing the podium in round seven.

Van Den Elzen Stays Red Hot, Sweeps PRO Spec

Not even the scorching temperatures at ERX could match the pace of Chris Van Den Elzen. Racing through the peak of Sunday’s heat, Van Den Elzen continued his remarkable midseason surge by leading from the drop of the green flag and controlling the preferred race line throughout. Defending champion Wyatt Miller kept relentless pressure on the leader, setting up a dramatic finish. The race was decided in the second-to-last corner when Miller made an aggressive bid entering the sweeping uphill turn. Miller swapped, dug into the soft dirt and launched into the infield, ending his charge just moments before the checkered flag. Van Den Elzen never flinched, completing the weekend sweep and extending his winning streak to three straight races.

“Wyatt was just on me,” said Van Den Elzen. “I knew he was just charging, trying anything and everything. I just had to focus and not let anything else disturb the lines I was running and just put down fast laps.”   

Points leader Nick Visser spent much of the race battling in and out of the podium positions before settling into third with two laps remaining. Miller’s late misfortune elevated Visser to second, giving him his third consecutive podium finish and valuable championship points. Rookie Gavin Plummer delivered the best drive of his young career, charging from 10th on the grid to claim third in the final corners for his first career PRO SPEC podium.

Bernloehr Completes Weekend PRO Buggy Sweep 

PRO Buggy once again delivered one of the fiercest battles of the weekend, where raw speed and patience were equally important on the unforgiving ERX circuit. Fresh off his Saturday victory, Jordan Bernloehr found himself chasing Tony Keepers, who looked poised to collect his first win of the season after leading deep into the race. Bernloehr stayed within striking distance before making the winning move on lap 12, slipping underneath Keepers and taking control. From there, Bernloehr was flawless, sticking to the preferred race line and holding off Keepers to complete the weekend sweep and earn his third victory of the season.

“This is my third win in a row here, fourth ever, so anytime you can do that at one track, it is pretty special,” said Bernloehr. “And to be able to do it in front of my hometown, my family and friends, nothing compares to it.”

Keepers rebounded from a difficult round seven to finish second, collecting his fourth podium of the year. Cole Bernloehr also bounced back on Sunday, using a strong second-half charge to capitalize when points leader Michael Meister over-rotated and climbed over a tractor tire in the closing laps. Bernloehr inherited third and held the position to secure his third podium of the season.

Bootle Completes Perfect Weekend, Extends Winning Streak

Jeb Bootle continued to seize control of the PRO SxS championship with another dominant performance, completing a perfect weekend with his third consecutive victory and sixth win of the season. Bootle led every lap on Sunday, but the race was anything but easy as round five winner CJ Greaves stayed glued to his rear bumper throughout. The pair sprinted to the finish over the closing laps, but Bootle never faltered, delivering another flawless drive under pressure.

“To come out here and show our speed is great,” said Bootle. “We put a lot of time in these cars and it was great to show it. Hot day. It was hard on cars and things were squeaking and popping at the end.”

Greaves threw everything he had at the points leader but settled for second, earning his fifth podium of the season. Nathan Wolff spent much of the race battling with the lead duo before spinning with two laps remaining, opening the door for Ronnie Anderson to move into third. Making just his second start of the weekend in his 2026 season debut, Anderson capped an impressive return with his second podium finish of the weekend.

Bootle Wins Heavyweight Battle in PRO STOCK SxS

The fight at the front of PRO STOCK SxS delivered another thriller as Jeb Bootle outdueled points leader Cross Kirchmeier for the victory. Brody Sands, who earned a podium in the season opener at Wheatland, led through the opening five laps before the championship contenders arrived. Kirchmeier and Bootle quickly worked their way around Sands, then traded the lead before a mid-race caution tightened the field once again. On lap eight, Bootle completed the decisive pass and never relinquished the top spot, holding off a charging pack to earn his third victory of the season.

“When I was behind Cross, I thought I was faster,” said Bootle. “But then I got around him and he was all over me. He had a little bit better line down in the hairpin that I couldn’t figure out, but we made it work and brought home the win.”

Kirchmeier stayed glued to Bootle’s rear bumper over the closing laps, finishing just over a half-second back to extend his podium streak to four consecutive rounds. Collin Truett used the restart to his advantage, charging from 11th on the grid and passing CJ Greaves with two laps remaining to secure his second podium of the season in third. Less than a second separated the top four at the checkered flag, with Greaves narrowly missing the podium in fourth.

PRO AM SXS: A talented trio of teenagers set the pace in Pro AM SxS on Sunday, but once again it was points leader Cole St. Peter standing on the top step of the podium. Josh Schuiteman grabbed the opening-lap lead before mechanical trouble sidelined his bid, handing the top spot to Carson Hill. St. Peter, who started in the fifth row, wasted little time charging through the field and closed in on Hill within a few laps. Hill, the only driver to defeat St. Peter this season with his round two victory at Wheatland, put up a strong fight before St. Peter completed the winning pass on lap nine and drove away for his sixth victory of the season. (St. Peter was the first to the checkered flag on Saturday but was penalized in post-race inspection.)

Hill bounced back from a difficult Saturday to earn his fifth podium of the season with a runner-up finish. Bryce Powers stayed out of trouble throughout the race and quietly drove to third, collecting his second podium of the year.

PRO AM TURBO SXS: Rory Navin turned a breakthrough Saturday into an even bigger Sunday, charging to his first Pro AM Turbo SxS victory of the season during round eight at ERX Motor Park. After earning his best finish of the year with a runner-up result on Saturday, Navin started deep in the sixth row before slicing through traffic and taking the lead on lap three. Once out front, he never looked back, driving away in clean air for the victory.

Points leader Ty Lueckemeyer made the most of the mandatory mid-race caution, launching off the restart to slip past Saturday winner Blake Enloe for second. Lueckemeyer held off Enloe over the closing laps to secure his third consecutive podium, while Enloe completed another strong weekend with his fourth straight podium finish in third.

SUPER STOCK TRUCK: Scott Boulanger controlled the pace in Super Stock Truck, but a pair of late full-course cautions erased his advantage and set up a dramatic green-white-checkered finish. With Matt Pyburn lined up on his rear bumper for the restart, Boulanger executed a flawless final lap to pull away and secure his third victory of the season.

The battle for the remaining podium spots stayed tight from start to finish. Pyburn reclaimed second from Ronald Kosciesza on lap seven, but Kosciesza remained within striking distance and slipped back around just before the checkered flag to earn his second podium of the weekend. Pyburn crossed the line third, collecting his first podium finish of the season.

STOCK TRUCK: Colt Wierzba returned to the top step of the podium in Stock Truck, collecting his third victory of the season after breaking through for a long-awaited win. After sweeping the opening weekend, Wierzba patiently tracked down early leader Shaun Besson before making the winning pass on lap four. Once out front, Wierzba pulled away from the field and was never challenged the rest of the way.

Tyler Hoffman continued his impressive run of consistency despite an early spin, charging back through the field and making a last-lap pass to finish second for his fourth consecutive podium. Brian Peot, who spent much of the race running second, slipped to third on the final lap but still earned back-to-back podium finishes after a close battle to the checkered flag.

1600 LIGHT BUGGY: Eric LaFreniere broke through for his first 1600 Light Buggy victory of the season after surviving one of the closest finishes of the weekend. Johnny Pyburn led the opening two laps before LaFreniere took over the top spot, but the race remained a three-way fight to the checkered flag as points leader Evan Hockers charged from ninth on the grid to join the battle in the closing laps.

Hockers briefly moved into second before contact from Pyburn swapped the pair, setting up a thrilling finish. As Pyburn pressured LaFreniere for the win, Hockers pulled alongside coming to the line and edged Pyburn by less than two-tenths of a second to finish second and earn his third straight podium. LaFreniere claimed his first victory of the season, while Pyburn’s third-place finish marked his first podium of 2026.

1600 SINGLE BUGGY:  The 1600 Single Buggy championship battle continued to tighten as Connor Schulz and Taylor Roloff went head-to-head once again. Schulz claimed the points lead with Saturday’s victory, but Roloff entered Sunday’s race just seven points back. Schulz took the lead from Collin Byer on lap three, while Roloff moved into second one lap later. From there, the championship rivals ran nose-to-tail to the checkered flag, with Schulz completing the weekend sweep for his fifth victory of the season and Roloff collecting his sixth podium of the year.

Byer held the final podium position through much of the race before Travis Trelstad found a way around on lap eight. Trelstad went on to finish third, earning his third podium of the season.

RACE-DRIVEN SPORTSMAN SxS: Chad Emling continued his midseason surge in Sportsman SxS, completing a perfect weekend at ERX Motor Park with his second victory in as many days. Starting deep in the fifth row, Emling was still eighth at the race’s midpoint before charging through the field. Chaos erupted in the closing laps when Zach Wirhanowicz and Chase Huss tangled, allowing Emling to capitalize with a last-lap pass for the victory and now holds a one-point lead over Isaac Otto atop the championship standings.

Cameron Rolf led from the opening green flag and turned in the best finish of his career, earning his first Sportsman SxS podium with a runner-up effort. Erik Hill capped off a strong weekend by charging from fifth to third on the final lap, securing his second consecutive podium finish.

YOUTH SXS: Jack Smith capped a breakthrough weekend in Youth SxS by completing the sweep with another impressive drive on Sunday. After earning his first career victory on Saturday, Smith started 10th and steadily worked his way through the field before taking the lead from Alexander Walraven with two laps remaining. From there, Smith pulled away to secure his second straight victory.

Walraven’s late bobble opened the door for Paxton Shamblin to move into second, earning his first podium since his round two victory. Peyton Weisbrod continued her championship charge with a late-race push to finish third, collecting her first podium of the weekend and moving into the points lead at the season’s halfway mark.

MOD KART: After delivering one of the best races of the weekend on Saturday, Mod Kart returned with another thrilling battle on Sunday. It took points leader Lincoln Mandsager four laps to work his way to the front, where he and second-place driver Corbyn Wassenberg quickly separated themselves from the field. Mandsager found another gear over the closing laps, pulling away to earn his fifth victory of the season, while Wassenberg backed up Saturday’s breakthrough win with another runner-up finish.

The fight for the final podium spot came down to the final corner as Race Visser and Finley Holtger made contact while battling for third. Holtger spun, allowing Visser to escape and narrowly hold off Ellah Holtger at the checkered flag. Visser’s third-place finish marked his fourth podium of the season.

SHORT COURSE KARTS: Roman Tullberg’s persistence paid off in a big way as he captured his first Short Course Kart victory of the season after a thrilling finish. Starting eighth, Tullberg charged to second by lap three before making the winning pass on Levi Gumm. He then had to fend off a furious charge from the rest of the field over the closing laps as the leaders converged in a dramatic sprint to the checkered flag.

Tullberg held on by just .160 seconds over Bennett Groh to secure the victory, while Groh celebrated the first podium of his career in second. Points leader Jarrett Meulemans crossed the line only .306 seconds behind the winner in third, with Quinton Mocco just .823 seconds back in fourth as all four drivers finished within a second of one another.

170 SXS: William Wolff completed the weekend sweep in 170 SxS, overcoming a fifth-row starting spot to earn his third victory of the season. Wolff methodically carved through the field before taking the lead from round five winner Rhett White by the end of lap three, then held firm over the closing laps to finish off a perfect weekend.

White stayed within striking distance throughout the race but also had to fend off a charging Jersey Kleinkamp in the closing laps. Less than a half-second separated the pair at the checkered flag, with White securing his fourth podium in six rounds and Kleinkamp collecting his third podium in just four starts this season.

200 SXS: The familiar names were back at the front in 200 SxS as Gaborik Geyen completed the weekend sweep with his fourth victory of the season. Geyen wasted little time working through the field, taking over the lead on lap three before driving away for the win. The victory came just one day after he regained the championship lead, with only four points separating him from Gavin Pence entering Sunday’s action.

Pence once again followed Geyen through the pack, finishing second to extend his podium streak to seven consecutive rounds. Hunter Holtger returned to the podium for the first time since the season opener, making a decisive pass with two laps remaining before holding off Knox Lafferty to secure third.

570 SXS: There continues to be little drama at the front of the 570 SxS field as William Holtger remained perfect through the first eight rounds of the season. Holtger once again worked his way to the front after not leading the opening lap, taking over the top spot by lap three before pulling away for his eighth consecutive victory.

The remainder of the podium mirrored Saturday’s results as Alexander Walraven and Gabe Holtger finished second and third, respectively. Walraven climbed from fourth into the runner-up spot on the final lap, while Gabe Holtger held off Tucker Pakenham at the checkered flag to complete his second podium sweep of the weekend.

Next AMSOIL Championship Off-Road presented by Brunt: Dirt City Off-Road National July 24-26 at the Dirt City Motorplex in Lena, Wis.

About AMSOIL Championship Off-Road

AMSOIL Championship Off-Road is North America’s premier short-course racing series. Champ Off-Road competition features high-powered PRO4 and PRO2 trucks along with the best Side-by-Side and Sportsman racers in the sport. AMSOIL Championship Off-Road will be streamed on FloSports with television programming on FOX Sports.

About ISOC: AMSOIL Championship Off-Road and AMSOIL Championship Snocross are owned and operated by the International Series of Champions (ISOC) out of Albertville, Minn.  The 2026 Champ Off Road season will air on Fox Sports and live-streamed on floracing.com.  For more information on its events and schedules, visit www.champoffroad.com or www.snocross.com.