CATCHING UP WITH CHRISTIAN BROOKS
MB2 Motorsports driver Christian Brooks is in the middle of his second season on the Red Bull Global Rallycross circuit, competing in the Lites division. Brooks competed as a rookie last season, earning a reputation for being one of the most solid and consistent young talents on the tour, and inspiring many people to believe that he was destined for great things soon. While he finished fifth overall in the standings and never reached the podium at any event, he held his standings position for most of the year and almost never dropped out of the top five despite being one of the youngest drivers on the tour.
Now in his second season and with a new team, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Brooks has shot off the line and taken the circuit by storm. Let’s see how the MB2 Motorsports driver has fared thus far.
The season kicked off in Memphis, Tennessee, and from the very first practice, Brooks put the competition on notice, registering the fastest lap at 1:06.970. After qualifying second, Brooks won his second heat comfortably to claim a spot in the semi-final at the event, and a second-place finish there earned him a spot in the final. Brooks drove his best main event to date in the Memphis final, battling it out and claiming his first-ever podium, finishing third, just two seconds behind the race winner.
The series moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Brooks once again made history. After a blistering practice run where Brooks was once again the fastest driver around the track, Brooks won his second heat and semi-final rounds to advance to the final. In the final, Brooks held off the competition to take the checkered flag and claim his first Red Bull GRC Lites series victory! He did so in resounding fashion, finishing over two and a half seconds better than the second-best racer.
That victory gave him a huge momentum boost in the early going on the season, placing him in the frontrunners of the championship standings.
The third stop came in Thompson, Connecticut, where two events were held on back-to-back days. After once again being the fastest driver in a shortened practice session, but he faced his first major adversity when he was disqualified from the qualifying heats. He didn’t let it deter him, however, and he won his first heat and finished second in his second and semi-final heats. All this led up to another solid final, where Brooks took second place, just 1.8 seconds behind the winner.
The second day appeared to be off to a flying start, but Brooks crashed out and didn’t finish his first heat before finishing third in his second heat. In the semi-final, Brooks once again ran into trouble, and didn’t finish, giving him a rough starting position for the main event of the day. Despite the immense adversity, Brooks still salvaged an excellent finish in third place, his fourth straight podium to start the year.
The series then headed north of the border in to Ottawa, Canada. However, for Brooks, this trip could not end quickly enough. Like the Connecticut race, the Ottawa event was actually two races in one weekend. The first event saw Brooks get off to a great start in practice, but Brooks struggled in qualifying with the fifth-best time. He bounced back, winning his semi-final heat comfortably, but the final did not go his way, and he was forced to retire early from the race, taking a DNF.
The next day didn’t get much better. Brooks struggled in qualifying, both heats, and the semi-final, finishing below the standards of success he had built for himself early on in the season. The main event didn’t treat Brooks any better, as he was unable to start the race, and once again was forced to take the tenth and bottom spot for the final.
As a result, the Ottawa weekend has put a dent in Brooks’ championship standings. After running at the front of the pack with the leaders for most of the year thus far, the Ottawa events saw his lead slip away, and he has since fallen to fourth overall. However, the series has a long way to go and Brooks isn’t far off the leaders. In fact, he sits just 12 points behind the third-place driver and 23 points behind second—a gap that can easily be made up in just a single event. Even the circuit leader Cyril Raymond’s gap isn’t safe, as he sits 63 points ahead of second.
With six events still remaining, including the season finale event in Los Angeles, the sky’s the limit for Brooks this season, and he’s already proven he has what it takes to contend for the title. He’ll be looking to get back to that form soon.
MB2 Raceways is a proud sponsor of Christian Brooks as he races the Red Bull Global RallyCross circuit this season. Want to get behind the wheel of a high-speed racecar and experience the thrills for yourself? Head to your local MB2 Raceway and feel the excitement of driving a fully-electric European-style go kart for yourself as you race around our fully-indoor tracks.
Call MB2 Raceway today at 866-986-RACE for more information or to ask about our great group packages!
