Most racing series use a yellow stripe or something similar on the vehicle’s rear bumper to designate a rookie driver. When Brad DeBerti lined up for his first race in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO March 20 at Lake Elsinore, California, his Pro Lite truck should have had both a yellow bumper and a sign saying “caution: student driver.”
It was his first race at the national level, his ninth at any level and just his fourth in the Ford truck he bought from three-time Pro Lite champion Brian Deegan. DeBerti said Deegan “has been a big help. We’ve done training sessions almost once a week for a few months,” and he obviously paid attention.
The 20-year-old from Pismo Beach, California, enjoyed what he called “definitely a once in a lifetime experience” by winning the opening round of the 2015 season by 2.278 seconds over Jerett Brooks, who had won the final four races in 2014. Then for an encore DeBerti won round two as well, by 6.815 seconds over reigning champion Sheldon Creed.
That’s not a bad start for someone who never had raced at all before making his debut in the Lucas Oil Southern California Regional Series May 17, 2014. DeBerti finished fourth in that race, then had three seconds and two thirds in the five regionals he ran in Southern California and Arizona.
The opening-round sweep gives DeBerti a 9-point lead over 2012 champion RJ Anderson in the national standings. He’s also the points leader in the Southern California Regional Pro Lites division, where he has two wins and a second in three rounds.
“We’re going to try to run the nationals and the SoCal regionals. I need the seat time because of how new I am,” said DeBerti, who moved from Bakersfield, California, to Pismo Beach four years ago. I didn’t really do anything else before this. I messed around in Razors at the beach, but that’s about it. I was just working. I really don’t have any background, to be honest with you. I haven’t done anything.
“I’ve worked with my dad (Doug DeBerti). My dad’s built trucks for the Ford Motor Company, concept vehicles, so I’ve always been in the shop wrenching on stuff since I was a kid, but never into racing. We did so many things that we could never stick to one sport. It was always just everything for fun. That’s what my brother (Shane) and I grew up doing.
“We went and watched one Arizona race, one of the nationals, and we came home with a Pro Lite truck. We bought a Pro Lite from the (Jacob) Person family. We ran that for half a season and I got this in the offseason.”
DeBerti said they hadn’t gone to the race intending to buy a truck. So far, however, it’s proven to be a good decision.
“Everything’s handling really good,” said DeBerti, whose next race will be the Arizona Off Road Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona, April 24-25. “My team has been getting this thing ready. The second test on it we had a new motor and transmission, 100 percent new everything.
“Really it’s just a family team. I hired one of my real good buddies, Justin Yager, and we hang around the shop every day and just have fun all day. We’ve had the same attitude from the beginning – we’re here for fun and if anything else happens, great.”
BRAD DeBERTI AT A GLANCE
Age: 20 (29 June 1994)
Lives in: Pismo Beach, California
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Driver
Car number: 70 Pro Lite
Type of chassis: Ford
Engine: Ford
Crew Chief: Justin Yager and Doug DeBerti
Sponsors: Deegan38, Mickey Thompson Tires, N&S Motorsports, Truckdaily, U.S. Gear, Hawk Performance, Method
Years in racing: First year
Divisions raced: Pro Lite
Series points standings: First seasons
