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A truggy is a type of high performance off-road racing vehicle that combines features from two older existing categories of off-road racing vehicles, trucks and buggies. The first truggies were built for racing in the SCORE and BITD off-road desert racing series, held in Mexico, California, Nevada and Arizona.
Desert off-road racing began in the 1960s in Baja California and expanded over the next 30 years to include dozens of races and several sanctioning organizations. These organizations created a class structure so that while many types of vehicles could race, direct competition could be segmented into groups of similar vehicles. These classes evolved over time, and included classes for near-stock vehicles, as well as "open" classes that permitted unique custom-built vehicles.
One of the most popular and fastest classes in the 1990s was the 'Open Buggy' or 'Unlimited' class, which permitted maximum leeway in designing a vehicle. Most buggies of the era remained loosely based on the architecture of the original VW Beetle automobile, with a rear engine, an independent rear transaxle suspension, and relatively shorter wheelbase. The "open" or "unlimited" buggy classes became the home to extremely high performance vehicles. These "Class 1 unlimited" buggies soon did away with the entire production Volkswagen chassis and sheet metal, and instead used a full tube chassis. In almost all cases they continued to use the rear-engine / transaxle architecture of the VW, replacing the iconic Volkswagen's air cooled 4-cylinder boxer engine with larger and more powerful engines from a variety of manufacturers, especially the related Porsche motors. Transaxle strength was often a limiting factor of these designs, while their greatest attributes included their light weight, extreme wheel travel, strength and overall custom built suitability to the task of racing at high speeds on harsh desert roads.
Another groups of classes that had increasing popularity throughout the 1990s were the various truck based classes, for both mini and full-sized trucks. These truck classes were popular as they reflected more closely the vehicles bought by average American and Mexican consumers for use off-road, as they were based on modified production trucks of the era. The fastest truck classes evolved over time from one with limited modifications to a more open class rules, that permitted massive changes to many aspects of the vehicle, but still generally required using the stock frame and some of the body from a production vehicle. These high-end trucks were both very fast and very reliable. Their greatest attributes included extremely large and powerful front-mounted V8 engines, larger wheels and tires to absorb rough terrain, extremely rugged rear truck axles, and increasingly long travel suspension.
In 1994 SCORE decided to run the Parker 400 off-road race over two days. Day one would see the new class of Trophy Trucks run on the course, and day two would see all other classes race over the same course. Jim Smith, owner of Ultra Custom Wheels entered his Mike Smith built Trophy Truck and also entered a Class One car into the race. However the Class One car, was in fact his Trophy Truck without its body, but with its interior aluminium panels painted black. Jim and his crew called it a truggy and the name took hold.
In 1995 the team Terrible Herbst Motorsports decided to build an unlimited Class 1 buggy that used the basic front engine, rear solid axle architecture of a truck. This vehicle, which was designed and fabricated by Mike Smith Fabrication. [1] [2] it was built like an unlimited buggy, with a full custom triangulated tubular chrome-moly chassis, but with the truck-like layout of big American V-8 motor in front of the driver, and a very strong truck-style rear axle and large 37" Trophy truck sized wheels and tires on all corners.
The combination in many ways combined the best characteristics of each of the two donor types: the lower weight, higher strength chassis, and extremely large suspension travel of the buggies, with the massive horsepower and stronger rear end design of the top trucks.
The Terrible Herbst Truggy was given the name "El Tiburon" and "The Landshark", in part due to the paint scheme originally applied to the all-fiberglass custom body of the vehicle. It dominated class one for many years after its introduction, winning back-to-back SCORE Class 1 titles in 1997 and 1998, as well as the overall (all classes) points championship in 1998. It continued to be the most dominant vehicle in the sport for nearly a decade, winning first and second place repeatedly in both class and overall categories in both the SCORE and the BITD series.
As a result of this domination the truggy format became popular with other builders and the term became the generic term from a specially built off-road vehicle that uses truck architecture (front engine, solid rear axle) but unlimited buggy style construction (tube chassis, no production parts retained). The format also became popular with the newer disciplines of closed-course stadium off-road racing, and extreme rock-crawling, [3] where 4-wheel drive versions were created.
A dune buggy — also known as a beach buggy — is a recreational motor vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes, beaches, roads or desert recreation.
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle is supported. In the latter case, a bearing or bushing sits inside a central hole in the wheel to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle. Sometimes, especially on bicycles, the latter type axle is referred to as a spindle.
Four-wheel drive, also called 4x4 or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.
The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula. The race was founded by Ed Pearlman in 1967 and is sanctioned by SCORE International. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, attracting competitors from all over the world. The race is the final round of a four-race annual series, which also includes the San Felipe 250, the Baja 400 and the Baja 500. The 2017 Baja 1000 marked the 50th anniversary of the race.
Six-wheel drive is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configuration is largely confined to heavy-duty off-road and military vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, armored vehicles, and prime movers.
Championship Off-Road Racing was a sanctioning body for short course off-road racing in the United States. It formed in 1998 and went bankrupt in 2008. Its Midwest races were supplanted in 2007 by the Traxxas TORC Series and by the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series on the West Coast in 2009. Both received most of the drivers and adopted the same racing format.
SCORE International is an off-road racing sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing and is famous for the Baja 500, San Felipe 250 and the Committee's flagship event; the Baja 1000. For the 2016 season, the SCORE season will consist of four races; all held in Mexico for the first time. Founded by Mickey Thompson in 1973, SCORE International was purchased from Sal Fish in late 2012. and is run by its current president and race director Jose A. Grijalva, and General Manager Juan Tintos.
Mud bogging is a form of off-road motorsport popular in Canada and the United States in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud or a track of a set length. Winners are determined by the distance traveled through the pit. However, if several vehicles are able to travel the entire length, the time taken to traverse the pit will determine the winner. Typically, vehicles competing in mud bogs are four-wheel drive. The motor sport is overseen by sanctioning bodies like the American Mud Racing Association, and the National Mud Racing Organization (NMRO), that oversee each class, develop and maintain the relationship with track owners to provide a racer and fan-friendly facility, ensure the sponsors get a good return, and help govern the sport.
A trophy truck, also known as a Baja truck or trick truck, is a vehicle used in high-speed off-road racing. This is an open production class and all components are considered legal unless specifically restricted.
Horizon Hobby, LLC. is an American international hobby product distributor, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, United States. It currently manufactures various hobby-grade radio-controlled (RC) models, as well as Athearn model trains and die-cast models, which it sells direct to consumers as well as to hobby retailers.
The Best In The Desert (BITD) Racing Association is an American desert off-road racing association, based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Casey Folks, and is currently owned by his sons Daryl and Bryan Folks. BITD runs the Vegas To Reno, the longest off-road race in the United States.
Carl Renezeder is an American off-road racer for Team Renezeder Racing. As of the end of the 2016 season, Renezeder has won 125 short course national events he has competed in Lucas Oil Off Road Racing (LOORR), Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR), and World Series of Off Road Racing (WSORR). He has won nine short course off-road racing championships. Renezeder was also the first driver in short-course off-road racing history to win championships in both two wheel drive and four wheel drive trophy trucks in the same season when he won the 2009 Unlimited 2 and Unlimited 4 divisions in LOORRS.
SCORE Class 5 is described as "open wheel unlimited Baja Bug class that competes in the SCORE off-road race series races including the Baja 1000, Baja 500, San Felipe 250, Baja Sur 500 and the SCORE Desert Challenge.
The Baja 500 is a Mexican off-road motorsport race on the Baja California Peninsula that is sanctioned by SCORE International. The course has remained relatively the same over the years with the majority of events being a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada. Race course mileage varies and is usually slightly under 500 miles.
The SCORE San Felipe 250 is a 250-mile Mexican off-road motorsport race that takes place near San Felipe on the Baja California Peninsula. It was first held in 1982 and is sanctioned by SCORE International.
Terrible's SCORE Primm 300 is an off-road race that takes place yearly in Primm, Nevada in September. The Primm 300 is part of a series of races that include the Baja 1000, Baja 500 and San Felipe 250. The event includes various types of vehicle classes such as stock VW, production vehicles, buggies, trucks, and custom fabricated race vehicles. The race consists of 4 loops on a 69 mile course on the east side of Interstate 15 near the Nevada-California state line. The main pits and start/finish area are just north of Buffalo Bills Resort. Due to environmental concerns chasing is not allowed, pits are permitted only in designated locations, spectator access is limited but available.
Vildosola Racing is the professional SCORE Trophy Truck #21 off-road racing team based in San Diego, California. It is owned and operated by Gus and Tavo Vildósola. The team races in numerous off-road circuits, including SCORE/Tecate Baja series and Best In The Desert (BITD).
Gustavo Vildósola Ramos is a Mexican off-road racer and entrepreneur.
Off-road racing is a form of motorsports consisting of specially-modified vehicles racing in off-road environments.
KM Racing Team was created in 2008 by connection of Martin Macik's Truck Team and Pavel Kubicek's motorcycle team. Martin Macík was a pilot of truck Liaz participating in the Dakar Rally since 2003 and as one team called KM Racing linked since Dakar moved to South America in 2009. During the four South American Races the team used trucks Liaz with pilots Macík Martin, Ladislav Fajtl, Vlastimil Vildman and Jaroslav Valtr, motorcyclists David Pabiska, Randysek Dusan and Ivan Jakes and quad riders Josef Machacek and Martin Plechaty.
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