Chris Dodd

**Chris Dodd "with the Hot Bod",** alsoknown as **"The Dude,"** is a driver in the Utica Rallycross Series. He drives the #1 car for CJ Racing.

 Car no., team
 Best Points
 First race
 Last race
 First win
 Last win

## Pre-URCS

Chris Dodd's childhood history is relatively unknown. He was born in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, and is the oldest of 2 children that his parents had. One of the big things that Dodd has mentioned is how he was homeschooled. His Parents taught him how to speak English, Spanish, and some Hebrew at a very young age. He is single, and is waiting "For the one that God has for him". He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, however during the Offseason he visits his friends and family in Melbourne, Florida.

From the time he was 6 years old he loved watching race cars. But while his love for speed was prominent early on in his life, he didn't actually get his first chance at racing until he was 13 years old... But boy, once he got started, there was no stopping him. From Go-Karts to Quarter-Midgets, and everything in between, he was winning left and right. He quickly became best friends with another young racer named Tommy Turbo(who is now his spotter). He loved working on his own cars, and was respected by many in garages across the Country for how hard he worked. By the time he was 17, he was a Champion in 4 different racing series, and was on as a Co-Host to the(at the time) newly hit Sports Radio show on SiriusXM called "The Marty McGee Show", with young driver-turned-Radio Host Marty McGee. Dodd still comes on sometimes to give his take on the world of sports and racing.

At the age of 19, in December of 2015, he decided to take a new turn in his life, and became an Owner, starting CJ Racing and running both Late Models and Sprint Cars from North Carolina to Florida, and everywhere's in between. But while the Asphalt was were he made his bread and butter, Dirt Racing was his true passion...

## URCS S4

In March of 2017, when it was announced that the Utica Rallycross Series would be returning for a 4th Season, Chris Dodd saw an opportunity to bring his love of Dirt Racing to the Utica stage, and he did just that, squeaking in as one of the final entries. He piloted the #1 machine for his team, CJ Racing.

Chris Dodd amazed in his first start at Yuma, going up midway through the grid and edging out Estavas Cortez for the top spot by three hundreths. Dodd would retain the lead and win in his debut. Dodd followed this up with a fourth place at Elk Horn Pike and a third place at Meijendel two races later.

While Dodd had the points lead at the halfway point, a few runs outside the top ten allowed his title rivals to catch up. At the same time, Dodd was dealing with an aggressive new fanbase, whose over exuberance made Dodd flustered.

Despite this, Dodd stayed in title contention with top tens at Dubai, Tel-Aviv, and Hong Kong, locking himself into the Dead Man's Curve finale.

Much like the start of the year, Dodd started midway through the field also like Yuma, Dodd stormed through the difficult mountain course and won the race, book ending the year. He beat rookie of the year competitor Mark Holbert by seven seconds, and won not only the rookie title, but the championship.

## URCS S5

After a successful Season 4, Dodd returned with an expanded team, fielding friend and fellow driver Eugene Demax. While Dodd did not win the season opener like the year before, Dodd scored at top ten at Yuma and followed it up with a second place at Elk Horn Pike. Dodd led briefly at La Fortuna, but ultimately finished outside the top ten. After a top ten at Meijendel, Dodd finished last and scored his first career DNF at Budva, then followed it with another poor performance at Sarh.

Dodd scored a top ten at Dubai, before scoring another runner-up finish at Tel-Aviv. However, after a modest performance at Hong Kong, the consistent Tyler Benoit had pulled away from Dodd in points, meaning Dodd would have to qualify for Dead Man's Curve.

Dodd approached the Qualifier fearlessly and he finish fifth of twenty-eight, securing a spot in the main event. Dodd started mid-pack, but was unable to recreate the magic from last year, failing to beat rookie Aiden DiGabriele's time. However, Dodd's run was good enough to finish seventh, ending the year on a strong note.

While Dodd's sophomore slump wasn't as bad a other drivers, the lack of consistency left him eight in points, but able to run in Season 6.

## Popularity and Fanbase

Dodd's performance on track and his good personality made him a standout among the competitors, resulting in a large fanbase growing around him.

Merchandise sales for Dodd nearly doubled that of other competitors and Dodd's name was licensed to a wide array of products.

Dodd became very popular among female fans who would, according to Eugene Demax, mob the driver in the garage area like The Beatles.

Dodd's fame has been bittersweet for Dodd, who was flattered by the support, but often felt the actions of his fanbase were too aggressive and over the top. Dodd has criticized the nickname "Chris Dodd with the Hot Bod," as being too immodest, and has often released statements expressing his displeasure with the namesake.

Despite this, Dodd remains to be one of the most popular drivers in the series and is well-respected by his peers.

## Complete URCS Results

*4*

Note: \* indicates season still in progress