Whether it’s an old souped up jeep or a custom made buggy – the world of 4 x 4 rock crawlers is constantly pushing the limits of what terrain can be conquered. These vehicles have even been introduced into Formula Offroad as an officially sanctioned NASCAR event. These machines go through some absolutely brutal courses. Drivers often take the brunt of it as they push their 4 x 4s past punishing boulders and slippery hills.
While there is a burgeoning amateur league that uses souped up old Jeeps and pick-up trucks, the real engineering feats lie in the design and construction of custom 4 x 4 racers for a treacherous mix of mountains, sand, and mud. We’re going to take a closer look at what goes into both these off road vehicles and the courses they tread upon.
While plenty of events like the Bundy Hill Offroad feature standard and partially modified all-wheel drive vehicles, most of the larger events – such as the one in Johnson Valley, California – require custom chassis, engines, and tires in order to get the most out of their course.
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Building a semi-professional Formula Offroad 4 x 4 is an expensive and strenuous process, too. In order to make it to the King of Hammers â one of the most highly anticip
Building a semi-professional Formula Offroad 4 x 4 is an expensive and strenuous process, too. In order to make it to the King of Hammers – one of the most highly anticipated national events – teams have to prepare a full year in advance, ensuring their vehicles and drivers are prepared for one of the nation’s most challenging courses.
When it comes to the engine dynamics, the calculus is rather simple. The more air you can push into the engine, the more fuel you can add and consequentially – the more horsepower. This is essential as these vehicles will be called upon to go through some grueling and unforgiving events such as the Flat Nasty Southern Rock Race.
Additionally, for the professional and semi-professional circuits, a custom chassis provides the right amount of support to protect the driver and the vehicle while reducing weight. Unlike other forms of racing, air resistance and friction aren’t as much of a concern as fuel efficiency isn’t at all a factor. But keeping the driver and the engine intact in the event of a rollover is absolutely essential.
Courses Made for Failure
Unlike NASCAR Rally Race tracks which are engineered from top to bottom to reduce terrain impacts upon the vehicles – Offroad 4 x 4 courses are almost purposefully designed to push these vehicles to failure.
Many of the features of the half-time shows are drivers pushing their custom rigs to failure in a brutal show of engineering prowess or lack thereof. Because these courses are so difficult – errors on the actual race track can be catastrophic. With vehicles ranging well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, one simple slip-up can take a 4 x 4 out for the season.
But make no bones about it, these races are about winning. The teams that design and maintain these 4 x 4s make every allowance to make speed and versatility the priority. Depending on the track and the specific race type, 4 x 4s can either compete in individual timed events or enter into the fray with several hundred taking off at intervals.
Overall, those looking to get into the semi-professional leagues or simply compete in this style of competition are going to have to do some considerable research in advance. Some courses require specific engineering and safety requirements be met prior to entering a vehicle on the track and nearly all require some manner of release or waiver. With that said, this is possibly one of the most interesting and challenging types of terrain racing available and it’s only getting more popular. Check this out to see some of what you’re missing!
