Inside the Off-Road Race World with Hart & Huntington/Premiere Motorsports Group

Competition is in our blood. Since the beginning of time, the competitive edge has helped drive innovation and improvements. Racing has always been a great way to test one’s abilities and talents, starting with foot races and chariots and evolving into cars and motorcycles. Of course, more challenges had to be added to even out the playing field. Going fast and turning wasn’t enough, so the birth of off-road racing occurred a few decades ago. Heck, up until the last century, all racing was done off-road, before actual roads were built. Rough terrain, dirt, mud, rocks and jumps make for much more exciting and challenging racing. Your runof-the-mill race cars wouldn’t stand a chance on off-road courses. Therefore, purpose-built off-road trucks needed to be created with full roll cages, long-travel suspension and high horsepower engines built to handle rough desert terrain.

The Baja 1000 began decades ago and is open to all types of off-road vehicles for the long and sometimes unpredictable course through the desert. The top class is the high-powered trophy trucks. However,  a long desert race that takes place during all hours can be a difficult spectator sport. A few organizations began to pop up to organize short course races at various venues that would be spectator friendly and make for a much more intense racing experience. Like any race, many elements combine to allow the driver to be their best. Support from race teams, sponsors and pit crews and always evolving technology play a factor on race day. On race day, the pit crew that built the high-end trucks scramble to repair, replace and keep the trucks running in prime condition. The top spots can change in a split second as drivers lay it on the line during each lap, which can include table top jumps, kickers, berms and tight turns that almost guarantee contact and crashes.

One team that has been on the rise in the short course world of off-road racing is the Hart & Huntington Off-Road Team under the umbrella of Premiere Motorsports Group. The group was formed in 2009 as a small team to support Carey Hart’s efforts in the off-road racing world, and it has grown each year, adding new drivers and achieving greater success at the races. At the same time, the early stages of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) were being formed to help promote primarily West Coast-based short course off-road racing events. The series has a two-round race weekend at each event throughout the season. Currently, the Premiere Motorsports Group off-road team consists of four drivers in various classes with LOORS. Carey Hart has continued his run of motocross good luck competing in the Pro 4 class with his #46 eBay Motors truck, along with Josh Merrell in the #22 MAVTV truck. Rob “Fig” Naughton is coming off several Pro 2 class wins in recent years with the #54 Lunarpages truck. Also on the rise is Ryan Beat competing in the #51 Lunarpages/eBay Motors Pro Lite truck. At the shop, the routine before each race involves fixing any parts or damage from the previous race, and then testing, tuning and tweaking before everything is wrapped up nicely in fiberglass body panels. The team has competitors racing in the top three classes of the LOORS series, and with multiple rounds and practice throughout the race weekend, quick fixes, overhauls and tuning must be done on the grounds quickly.

Of course, the team needs support from sponsors in order to keep the trucks in top condition before and on race day. Current sponsors for the team include Hart & Huntington, eBay Motors, MAV TV, General Tire, Lucas Oil, Liquid Graphics, Baileigh Industrial, Lunarpages.com, Roush Competition Engines, Go Pro, Miller Welders, Torchmate, Weismann Performance, Team Associated RC10.com, FiberwerX, Fox Racing Shocks, AEM Performance Electronics, Simpson Race Products, Competitive Metals, Thyssen Krupp, Beam Designs, Corona Motorhome Rentals, Pin Did It, The Fan Man, Advanced Transmission Design, Walker Evans Racing Wheels and Gibson Exhaust.

In short course racing, such as the LOORS events, the races are broken into classes based on truck level from Karts to Pro-Lite to Pro 2, the top dogs of the race scene. These Pro 2 trucks are the brothers of the Baja trophy trucks. They are 2WD, pushing 700-plus-hp, and they resemble full-size trucks. The intricate roll cages provide protection and allow for the custom suspension to be mounted. This power and size make for a rough racing weekend with bumping and crashes commonplace, ensuring that the pit crews will keep very busy during the races. Many drivers cut their teeth and gained their fame in the motocross world before tempting fate with off-road race trucks, making for some exacting races.

Technology and parts developed for the off-road race trucks have found their way onto daily-driven street and off-road trucks. In the world of desert racing, suspension travel is key. The goal of the long-travel suspension is to suck up the impact of a truck weighing a couple of tons and keep it on track without skipping a beat. The old adage “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” still applies to many of the products in both form and function. Milder long-travel kits are available for everyday drivers looking to have a little weekend fun off-road. These kits are likely available in stages from leveling to long-travel setups involving control arms and link setups depending on the amount needed. Of course, accessories such as LED lighting, guards, steps and seats inspired by the races are available for everyday drivers, as well.

Take a look behind the scenes to see what is involved in prepping and racing one of these insane off-road machines, and learn how with some upgrades to your truck, you can enjoy some of the fun yourself! ST

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