Motorcycles to ULTRA4: Off-Road Racing Vehicles in North America
Story By
John McCabe
So you've been getting into off-roading some...have you attended any off-road races? There are several categories of racing that you may want to go watch, or try, depending on your skill level and budget. We've included information about the major North America off-road race vehicles and what sanctioning bodies oversee them... Photo courtesy of KTM. Off road racing's first sanctioning body, created exclusively for off road racing, was the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA). It was founded in 1966 by Ed Pearlman and Don Francisco. The first race sanctioned by NORRA was the Mexican 1000 Rally, which was later renamed the Baja 1000. The Baja 1000 is still run today and is still recognized as one of the top off road races in North America (see this previous article on the history of the Baja 1000). The Griffin King of the Hammers Presented by Nitto Tire, part of the Nitto ULTRA4 Off Road Racing Championship Series is the other major event held annually in North America. The race, held at the Means Dry Lake Bed in Johnson Valley, California, grows longer and more technical each year in; it has become one of the most grueling races run and one of the ultimate tests of racer and machine. There are multiple courses run during this week-long event that drew 20,000 people to the desert last year. As of 2013, motorcycles, Jeeps, UTVs and ULTRA4 racers compete on the various courses through the area’s Hammer Trails. ULTRA4 ULTRA4 cars are custom built by the teams and are essentially unlimited. These cars are very expensive, but they have to do more than any other race cars made. Not only do they race through the desert at speeds exceeding 100 mph, but they have the greatest ground clearance and lowest gears of any racing vehicles so that they can crawl through rocks safely. These cars represent the pinnacle of off road racing and their drivers are highly skilled. Trophy Trucks Like ULTRA4 cars, Trophy Trucks are custom built for racing and are lightweight with fiberglass bodies and alloy frames. Most Trophy Trucks are two-wheel-drive, although some are four-wheel-drive. Some Trophy Trucks have V6 engines, but the majority are V8s and generate upwards of 900 horsepower. By rule, all Trophy Trucks are normally aspirated. (Check out this awesome recreation of the Big Oly Bronco trophy truck.) Jeeps The vehicle that best represents America is the Jeep, so it is only fitting that Jeeps would have their own class of off road racing in North America. Jeep, Rubicon Express Modified and Pro Comp stock class are the main categories of Jeep racing. As they are sanctioned by various sanctioning bodies (such as SCORE, BITD, SNORE, LOORRS, etc...), they all have different rules. However, they are never very far from stock, except that they will generally have suspensions modified for longer travel and better clearance. VWs The sport of sand duning began with dune buggies, which are modified VWs that have a rear-mounted air-cooled engine and rear wheel drive. Bruce Meyers and Ted Mangels won the original Baja 1000, then known as the Mexican 1000, in the first Manx dune buggy that Meyers built. When the race was first run in 1966, a Honda motorcycle ridden by Dave Ekins smoked the competition. Meyers decided that he could beat those two-wheelers with his four-wheel buggy and in 1967 he desecrated the record by over four hours. Today, Volkswagen configurations, such as sand rails, fiberglass dune buggies, Lites and Baja Bugs race in many events, from closed-stadium races to the Baja 1000. They are often cheap to build (usually under $10,000) and a lot of fun to race! Motorcycles Motorcycles have been racing off road since before roads were common in North America. The overall winner of the first Baja 1000 in 1966 was a motorcycle and motorcycles still take the overall title about half the time. Racing bikes come in a multitude of configurations. Motocross bikes are 125 cc for the novice riders or 250 cc for the pros. Motorcycles such as those that race in King of the Hammers, Baja and the other desert races, are Enduro bikes which are built for more durability, carry extra fuel and have headlights for racing at night (along with other modifications). Most Enduro motorcycles displace between 250 and 500 cc and can be 2- or 4-stroke engines. Because motorcycle racing is important to the majority of the manufacturers, you can often buy a race-ready motorcycle from your local dealer. ATVs ATVs, in terms of racing, are essentially 4-wheel motorcycles. Classes are generally 450 cc and below and displacements of more than 450 cc. If you are looking into quad racing, you can probably purchase a brand new ready-to-race 450 sport for under $10,000 from any of the major suppliers! Photo courtesy of Honda. UTVs UTVs, also known as Side-by-Side or SxS Utility Vehicles, are similar to the racing quads of the ATV category, but built more for durability than speed. They also have full roll cages and are large enough to fit two people. Classes range from beginner to Unlimited. Beginner class vehicles must remain almost entirely stock, whereas some unlimited classes allow for modifications so significant that the vehicle barely resembles a UTV when finished. ISXSA rules can be found at http://www.isxsa.com/Rules. Around the world, you will find many more classifications of off-road vehicles, from the sporty World Rally Cars to the huge semis that race through the desert in the Dakar Rally, but when it comes to North America, these are the main classes of off road racers that you’ll find – and race if you're lucky! -John McCabe
