RJ Anderson was going to go off-road racing. That was inevitable. The only question was whether he would be a driver, like the legendary Walker Evans, or a mechanic like his father, Randy, who has been Evans' crew chief and business associate for over 30 years.

The answer is, both. The 20-year-old is a driver with two championships on his resume. He's also the operations manager and does a little bit of everything for Stronghold Motorsports, the team he represents in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Pro Lite Unlimited class.

Anderson is the reigning champion in the class he joined after winning the title in the Unlimited UTV class in 2011 and is third in the standings as he prepares for round three of this year's series May 17-19 at Lake Elsinore (California) Motorsports Park.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," the Riverside, California, resident said. "I'd definitely like to race off-road as long as I can. I'd like to eventually move up to Pro 2 Unlimited. It just seems more competitive (than Pro 4).

"It's never easy. The Pro Lite class is really competitive and I like that challenge. I like striving to beat other guys that have been in the sport. I'm super competitive."

He's also something of a role model for his younger brother Ronnie and his niece Shelby Anderson, who both are competing in the Modified Karts class. But he said that on race weekends the others are on their own.

"When I get to the track my crew guys tell me to focus on my driving and that kind of stuff," Anderson said, and obviously he does that well.

RJ ANDERSON AT A GLANCE

Age: 20 (2-17-93)
Lives in: Riverside
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Operations manager, Stronghold Motorsports
Car number: 1
Type of chassis: Currie/Griner  
Engine: Kroyer Dodge
Crew Chief: Nick Griner
Sponsors: LoanMart, Walker Evans Racing, South Point Hotel and Casino, Polaris, Maxxis Tires, Loctite, Oakley
Years in racing: 8
Divisions raced: Limited Karts, Trophy Karts, Super Lites, Unlimited UTVs, Pro Lite Unlimited
Championships won: Unlimited UTV, 2011; Pro Lite Unlimited, 2012