This Time, Outside Track the Best Way : Off-road racing: Riverside’s Walker Evans, the oldest driver in the race at 51, edges Alpine’s Ivan Stewart for first in the Grand National Sport Truck main event.

As if negotiating eight turns and two dozen jumps over the third-mile of real estate they call a “Chunk of Baja” wasn’t enough of a challenge, drivers in the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Championship Gran Prix Saturday night had to choose between two lanes on the inner portion of the track at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The track, one of the longest and widest on the 10-stop Mickey Thompson series, offered drivers an option on the third turn--inside or outside--before converging back into one lane some 200 yards later.

They call it a dual-lane track, and unlike other endeavors--such as track-and-field or business--the inside track is not always the most advantageous.

Grand National Sport Truck drivers, the marquee performers of the Mickey Thompson circuit, found the outside strip to be the faster road to victory.

Riverside’s Walker Evans used it to win the Grand National main event over Alpine’s Ivan Stewart. Evans, 51, and Stewart, 44, were the oldest drivers in the race.

Roger Mears Jr. finished third and father Roger Mears Sr. was fifth. Dan Essingler, the winner of heat No. 2, finished fourth.

On the other end of the age spectrum, Jeremy McGrath of Sun City, one of the youngest racers at 18, won UltraCross Pro Motorcycle class ahead of Escondido’s Ryan Hughes, even younger at 16.

In the Super 1600, Greg George of Colton defeated points leader Frank Arciero Jr. of Laguna Hills. Arciero, who became the all-time main event winner in the Mickey Thompson series with victory No. 14 at the season-opener in Anaheim, came within a car length of George at the finish.

Because of the size of the Super 1600s, Arciero was concerned about taking the lead early. “If one of the fast guys start up front, I can see him running away with it,” Arciero said beforehand.

Said George, “Arciero is always tough, and one thing you can’t do is give him an edge.”

In the UltraStock main, Jeff Elrod of San Jose took an early lead and maintained it through the checkered flag. Vincent Tjelmeland, the winner of heat of No. 2, was second and Kent Castle third. Elrod, tied for third in points entering the evening emerged as the overall points leader because Tim Lewis, who was leading, finished eighth, and Larry Noel, who was second, was 11th.

In the Superlites (formerly known as Odysseys), Holgeir Oksnevad of Durand, Ill., took the checkered flag over John Gersjes of South Gate and Edward Moore of Garden Grove. Moore, who won the first heat, took the overall points lead from Lakeside’s Frank Chavez.

Chavez’s teammate on the Mike Lovelle Racing Team, El Cajon’s Ron Pierce, won the first heat.

Donny Banks of Macon, Ga., won the Four-Wheel ATV main ahead of Gary Denton of Chino and Charles Shepherd of Bakersfield.

In keeping with the event started by the late Mickey Thompson 10 years ago, these events are not just for the racers, as most of the 43,162 that attended Saturday night would confirm.

A 1 1/2-hour autograph session, allowing fans onto the track for a closeup view of their favorite racers, was held before the racing program.

Then, during the opening ceremonies, the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group--perhaps influenced by the Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star game this week at the Sports Arena--had the points leader of each vehicle division introduced.

The likes of Alpine’s Ivan Stewart and Lakeside’s Frank Chavez came roaring out of the stadium tunnel and onto the track for a trial lap amid dimmed lights, spotlights and fireworks spewing from the ground, then negotiated the various jumps.