Genevieve is now on Wikipedia! Take a look at the newly created page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_Chappell) to learn more about Genevieve’s early career and how she arrived to where she is today.

And don’t forget to check back from time to time, as it will be updated!

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This was my first shoot with the Lucas Production team, and was the very first event of the Lucas Oil Off Road Series, held at the Motorsports Complex track (at the state line, behind Buffalo Bills) in Primm, Nev. – so I didn’t know exactly what to expect!

What no one expected was the wind that came on Friday. It was strong enough to shut down our production for the day, and meant no practice for the racers. But there were still people there in the grandstands, bundled up with jackets, hoods and blankets. If they were there on that windy Friday, you just knew there would be lots of people there the rest of the weekend.

One other thing that jumped out at me was that everyone – racers, teams, crew members – were really thankful to be racing and grateful that Lucas Oil got the series moving. That was the theme of the day, on and off the camera.

I spent the first half of Saturday meeting racers and doing some features, and had a great time talking with former motocross and Indycar star Jeff Ward, Rodrigo Ampudia (whose father is one of the nicest people in the series), and Carl Renezeder. I am working stricting for Versus, and it was great to be able to introduce the viewers to some of the veterans, and some of the new faces.

I was close to the track again, and spent most of Saturday getting covered by rocks and dirt. I have to laugh when people who don’t know about television production tell me it must be fun to work in such a glamorous job – because it really isn’t glamorous when it is hot and windy and it feels like someone has just jumped a bucket of dirt on your hair and clothes. It’s still really fun, though!

Another thing that I noticed was that the crowd was different than I expected. There were a lot of pretty girls there, tons of families, and lots of kids. LOORS has attracted quite a family crowd. The crowd on Sunday was up a bit from Saturday, but both days had great sized crowds. A neat thing about Sunday was following up with Jeff Ward. He didn’t have a great race on Saturday, so he and his crew had some serious game faces on Sunday. I saw them studying portions of the course, and it obviously paid off as he had a very good race on Sunday.

This was my first production with the Lucas Oil Production staff, and it was very impressive to see how the whole team works together. Everyone clearly wants to see the series succeed and I’m thrilled that I am along for the ride!

View fun pics from the two day event

The next LOORS event is May 2-3 at the Speedworld Off Road Park in Surprise, Arizona.
I hope to see all of you there!

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For the second year, I was called to cover the Historical Race – The Mint 400. This year, it was held just south of Las Vegas, Nev. instead of in Primm. I would be doing pit reporting for both Speed TV and the Outdoor Channel – which was great, other than the fact that I was changing shirts all day long!

I stayed at the Golden Nugget, and apparently, so did everyone else with the Mint as it seems to have been taken over by the racers, teams, and sponsors. I was worried that the race might be down, given the economy, but the attendance and entries were up. The hotel was definitely buzzing with a lot of excitement and anticipation.

The excitement definitely carried over to Saturday race day. I was covering the Class 1, Class 8, and Baja Pro Truck classes and it was a lot of work! The highlight of the day was interviewing KJ Howe. KJ was the organizer of the original Mint 400, and he always has the most amazing stories from past Mint races. It is always fun to have a chance to speak with him. KJ is a super sharp dresser and on this day he was wearing super clean, crisp, white clothes during our interview, which was right next to one of the turns on the Mint 400 course. So, of course, we were getting sprayed with rocks and dirt, and he just smiled and said “Isn’t this great!”

It was a long day, but thankfully it wasn’t too windy and wasn’t scorching hot like last year’s event. Look for it on Speed Channel and Outdoor Channel!

To view some fun images from the event click here

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Throttle pinned, stay on top of the whoops set up for the big wide open corner and then hit the massive table top. Fly through the air 150 feet and then with barely enough time to set up for the next turn you’re looking at the next set of doubles. This is the view from the inside of an 850HP Unlimited 2 Wheel Drive high octane beast as seen from the driver’s seat of the newest crossover moto athlete to try his hand with four wheels in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, Hart&Huntington Racing’s Carey Hart.

Hart is one of a handful of superstar athletes including Supercross Champ Jeff Ward and the Metal Mulisha’s Brian Deegan who will be taking the green flag in their respective classes at the inaugural weekend of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) April 4th and 5th in Primm Nevada. Following the trail blazed by Supercross legends Ricky Johnson and Jeremy McGrath, Hart represents a new generation of crossover moto stars taking on the challenge in a very competitive Unlimited 2 Class. Catching up with him at a recent test session, Hart was asked what drove him to the class and the Lucas Off Road Racing Series. “The cage,” was his first reply with a bit of a snicker. Understandable, considering Hart has broken something like 68 bones during his career on a bike. “There is something that happens when you put on the suit and the helmet, climb into the truck, pull your belts tight and step on that throttle. The horsepower, the adrenaline, the jumps, the whoops; this (stuff) is amazing. I have immense respect for guys like RJ (Johnson) and MC (McGrath) who have gotten into these trucks and have really competed with guys that have been doing this for years. Seeing those guys come in here, put in their laps and figure out how to win has really driven me. I’m not just doing this for fun. We will get on the box! ”

Hart, who’s had several hundred laps testing in the truck under his belt is looking to be a contender as a rookie in what is arguably the most competitive class in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. Joining him will be multi-time Supercross and Supermoto Champion Jeff Ward. Ward, also an IRL open wheel racing veteran who’s taken a second and a third at the Indy 500, is expected to be a quick study in his Speed Technogies Unlimited 2. In the Unlimited Lite (Lite Truck) Class, Brian Deegan will be shedding his rookie yellow tape and with the experience gained last year we can be sure he’s increased his expectations.

Carey Hart, Jeff Ward and Brian Deegan will be in Primm Nevada for the Lucas Off Road Racing Series Season opener at the Primm Valley Motorsports Complex, April 4th &5th. For Tickets, Schedule and information please visit lucasoiloffroad.com.

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The Superstars of the Metal Mulisha will be hanging it out at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series season opener in Primm, Nevada on April 4th and 5th as part of the huge short course off road racing extravaganza. Led by Mulisha freestyle stars Jeff “Ox” Kargola, a Winter XGames Medalist, Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Wes Agee, the group will be presenting two of their high flying freestyle demonstrations each day.

“This is all part of our plan to step it up and bring a high level of entertainment for our fans,” said LOORRS’ Tony Vanillo. “The crowd that comes out to our events is going to see it all; hard core short course off road racing and some of the best freestyle motocross riders in the country. We couldn’t be more thrilled in having the Metal Mulisha riders as part of our event. I can’t wait to see these guys in action.”

Founded in 1996, the Metal Mulisha was formed by Supercross racers Brian Deegan and Larry Linkogle. The Metal Mulisha, free of the rules and regulations of Supercross racing has been a driving force in the freestyle motocross movement. They maintain a close knit group of some of the best athletes in the sport while dominating the freestyle motocross scene.

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Presented by Geico Powersports was formed in 2009. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is based in Corona, California and is a short course racing sanctioning body. The series was born from a style of racing which began in the early 70′s and hit mainstream in 2006. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series brings intense, adrenaline, action-packed racing to spectators and television viewers.

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