A Tough Break at Bark River — But the Fight Isn’t Over

Bark River gave Chris the kind of weekend that can make or break a championship push — and while the results were not what he came for, he left Michigan with the fight still very much alive.

Chris came out fast from the start. He topped Friday qualifying for valuable bonus points, then led Saturday’s race at halfway to add even more to his total. With the #66 truck out front and the points battle tightening, everything was heading in the right direction.

But, with just three minutes left, aggressive contact from another competitor turned Chris around and shuffled him backward. He went from leading the race to fighting through traffic, but he never gave up on it. Chris charged back to finish fifth — not the result he was chasing, but a recovery that mattered when every point counts.

Sunday brought another strong qualifying effort, with Chris qualifying second. The first corner of the first lap brought more contact, this time cutting down a tire. Chris headed straight for hot pits, where the crew changed the tire in less than a minute and sent him back out on the lead lap. It was an incredible recovery and the kind of pit work that keeps a championship run alive.

On lap two, the hidden damage from Saturday’s contact caught up with the #66. The impact had damaged the right-front hub and lug studs and, while changing them out, the crew had found marring on the hub nut and replaced it. An unnoticed difference in the new nut’s threading caused it to strip off the spindle. The entire right-front assembly — hub, wheel, brakes, and all — came off the truck, ending Chris’s day only two laps in.

It was a tough way for Sunday to end, but this championship is far from over. The qualifying points, halfway-lead bonus points, Saturday recovery, and that lightning-fast hot-pit stop kept the deficit manageable. Chris now sits second in the Pro Spec standings, just six points behind Nick Visser, with Round 13 at Crandon up next.

Bark River tested him. Now it’s time to respond.

You heard it here first: Chris is racing a Class 11 Beetle on Saturday at Crandon.

Amanda will still be behind the wheel of her Class 11 on Friday and Sunday, but for Saturday’s race, she’s handing the keys to Chris. Most fans already know Dave will be out there, but this is the first time we’re sharing that Chris and his brother, Andy, will be joining him on track, too.

That means three Van Den Elzens, three Beetles, and one very real family showdown at the Big House.

There will be bragging rights on the line, plenty of laughs in the pits, and probably no shortage of competitive spirit once the green flag drops. Consider this your Pit Pass-only heads-up before anyone else hears about it.

We’ve been selling our Agents for Autism shirts all season, and we’ll have them with us again at Crandon. Every shirt is a chance to wear something that means more than racing — and to help support a cause that matters deeply to our VDE family. Take a look at the shirts here:

This weekend, we’re adding another way to get involved: a 50/50 raffle. You can buy tickets in person throughout the weekend, and we’ll draw one winner on Sunday after the Pro Spec race. One lucky fan will take home half the pot, while the other half goes toward supporting Agents for Autism.

Pick up a shirt, grab raffle tickets, or do both — every bit helps, and we’re grateful to everyone who shows up for this effort with us.

It’s one of the biggest weekends in short-course off-road racing, and for Chris, the timing could not be bigger.

There is only one Championship Off-Road points round at Crandon this weekend, which means every qualifying position, every lap, and every place on track matters. With only 6 points separating the top two in points, there is no room to coast — only one chance to make up ground before the final rounds of the season.

The weekend gets even wilder. Friday brings the first-ever Pro Spec vs. Pro Buggy race, with money and bragging rights on the line, followed by Sunday’s Crandon World Championship race — one of the biggest achievements in all of short-course racing. Chris is the only repeat Pro Spec World Champion and he’s hoping to do it again this weekend.

And of course, the Van Den Elzen family will be busy all weekend. Amanda, Dave, Andy, and Chris will all spend time behind the wheel of Class 11’s throughout the three races this weekend, which means family bragging rights might be just as competitive as the World Championship itself.

After Bark River, Chris is ready to respond. Come find us at Crandon, cheer loud, and be part of a weekend with everything on the line.