Augie Renezeder Builds Momentum With Short Course Podium and Top-Six Desert Finish
Laguna Beach, CA
Two very different race weekends delivered similar results for Augie Renezeder. The mission is crystal clear: Keep working. Keep Improving. Over a two-week stretch spanning short-course racing at Glen Helen Raceway and the rough desert terrain of Laughlin, Nevada, Renezeder battled through flat tires and electrical issues to emerge with a pair of significant results.
First came a runner-up finish during his debut weekend with Championship Off-Road, earning Renezeder his first career podium with the national short-course series. Two weeks later, after a rough qualifying session at the AORC Laughlin Desert Classic, Augie charged his way forward from deep in the starting order to finish sixth overall in UTV Pro.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT AT GLEN HELEN
Renezeder arrived at Glen Helen Raceway for the Oct. 2–3 Championship Off-Road season finale facing a new level of competition but racing on familiar ground.
He had already won at Glen Helen earlier this year during his Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR) debut, and it did not take long for him to show similar speed against the CHAMP Pro SxS field.
Starting on the front row Friday night, Renezeder grabbed the early lead before a rear flat tire forced him into pit lane three laps into the race. The setback dropped him out of contention and eventually resulted in a 12th-place finish.
Saturday provided another opportunity.
Renezeder worked his way forward through an unpredictable Pro SxS season finale and positioned himself behind eventual winner and newly crowned champion Jeb Bootle for a late green-white-checkered finish.
Even another flat tire on the final lap could not stop the charge. Renezeder held the car together to cross the line second overall, earning his first career Championship Off-Road podium in only his second start with the series.
“I couldn’t be happier with how the weekend went,” said Renezeder. “Friday obviously didn’t finish the way we wanted after leading early and getting the flat, but we knew the speed was there. Saturday was about putting our heads down and staying in it. Getting another flat on the last lap made it interesting, but we held it together and got to the podium. To race with those guys and come away with second gives us a lot to build on.”
The result provided another strong benchmark for Renezeder and the Doug Mittag M81 Designs-built Polaris RZR Pro R short-course program.
FIGHTING FORWARD AT LAUGHLIN
Less than two weeks later, Renezeder traded Glen Helen's jumps and close-quarters racing for the high-speed sprint through the extremely rough Laughlin Desert Classic.
His first appearance at the event got off to a difficult start. Voltage issues plagued the Polaris RZR Pro R during qualifying, leaving Renezeder 25th in qualifying and far deeper in the order than expected. The team replaced the alternator immediately afterward and entered Saturday knowing there was significant ground to recover.
Starting 28th on the course, Renezeder went to work.
By the end of Saturday's racing, he had climbed to 10th, putting himself back into position for a strong overall result heading into Sunday's final run. With the electrical problem resolved, Renezeder delivered a cleaner Sunday run and continued moving up the order.
When the combined results were finalized, he had climbed to sixth overall in UTV Pro against a 31-entry field of skilled desert racers.
“We found ourselves in 10th at the end of Saturday and had a much cleaner run Sunday,” Renezeder said. “We knew we were in the hunt for a good top-10 finish, and ending up sixth is something we’re really happy with. It was a lot of fun battling with some of the best in the business, and I can’t wait to run this whole series next year.”
BUILDING TOWARDS WHAT COMES NEXT
The final results tell only part of the story. Both weekends required the same thing: staying composed, solving problems, and continuing to push forward which has become a recurring theme throughout Renezeder's 2026 season.
He has now collected a CORR victory at Glen Helen, a runner-up finish during his first Baja racing experience at the NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally, his first Championship Off-Road podium, and a top-six Laughlin Desert Challenge finish.
Next comes another opportunity to put those lessons to work on the big stage of SCORE-International Baja 1000 as Renezeder shares driving duties with veteran Wayne Matlock in the No. 1871 Matlock Racing Polaris RZR Pro R in Pro UTV Open. The opportunity pairs Renezeder with one of the most accomplished UTV racers in SCORE history and gives him another chance to build on his growing Baja experience against one of the deepest fields in off-road racing.
“Every race this year has helped us move the program forward,” said Renezeder. “We’ve faced some challenges, but we’ve also shown that we have the speed and the package to compete. Now the goal is to keep improving, carry this momentum into the new season and put ourselves in position to chase a championship.”
AUGIE RENEZEDER - UPCOMING 2026 RACE SCHEDULE
Nov. 9–15 — SCORE International Baja 1000
San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sharing driving duties with Wayne Matlock | No. 1871 Matlock Racing | Pro UTV Open
Nov. 20–22 — Championship Off-Road Racing | Firebird Motorsports Park
Chandler, Arizona
Rounds 1 & 2 | 2026–27 CORR Season Opener