SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1186466
Sand Sports Super Show 2019 The Side By Side Industry Gathers At the 2019 Sand Sports Super Show By Dan Sanchez Photos by Dan Sanchez and Ashley Horne Within SCORE International alone, the UTV competition continues to increase, showcasing the influence the OE vehicles, and the aftermarket, have in off-road motorsports. The growth of the UTV market is also evident in the number of vehicles, aftermarket parts, and attendees at this year’s Sand Sports Super Show held the weekend of September 13th through the 15th at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Aside from the acres of SXS vehicles on display from OE manufacturers like Polaris, Can-Am, Yamaha, and Honda to the customized vehicles from numerous retailers and enthusiasts, there were thousands of aftermarket performance, safety, and accessories for UTV owners to experience. Show attendees saw great deals on new and accessorized vehicles ready to purchase, but they also got an opportunity to win a Polaris RZR SXP 4 1000 and a Monster Ghia, both raffled off by the American Sand Association, Polaris and Sand Limo. There were also plenty of door prizes for attendees as the QR code on their entry badge were scanned and entered to win show prizes that included Rugged Radios’ 2 pack RH-5R hand-held radios, Simpson D3 harnesses, a set of five BFGoodrich KM3 URTV Tires, Honda camp chairs, a set of Vision Rocker 545 wheels and much more. Robby Gordon Announces New UTV One of the new vehicles introduced at the show was Robby Gordon’s Speed UTV. No longer under the Textron OE badge, the Robby Gordon UTV is his unique design that comes in various packages of performance and horsepower up to 300hp. The UTV sells for $32K and is an industry disrupter, demonstrating what is capable on these vehicles but also pushing the OE manufacturers to evolve even further. For manufacturers like Polaris, the official UTV of SCORE International, they recently introduced the RZR XP 4 Turbo S, which offers the highest performance in the company’s line-up with a 168 horsepower engine and 25-inches of wheel travel. They also have a race-ready RZR Pro XP Ultimate, that features 181 horsepower with Fox 2.5 Line Valve shocks, 6-point racing harnesses and more. For UTV owners wanting to keep up or surpass what the OE’s are offering, the Sand Sports Super Show also had numerous aftermarket manufacturers showcasing their latest products and offering special show pricing. One of the latest was King Shock’s new Electronic Fluid Management System that was first introduced at this show. The system allows King’s bypass shocks to be electronically adjusted from the cab of any vehicle from a control panel that features pre-set adjustments and manual adjustments. For the UTV enthusiast, it offers unlimited adjustments for any type of terrain they can encounter. BFGoodrich Tires, the official tire of SCORE International, had its latest Baja T/A KR2 UTV racing tire on display on some of the hottest Polaris and Can-Am race vehicles in their outdoor display. SCORE Official Wheel Sponsor Raceline wheels, also showcased its new line of beadlock wheels for UTVs that support larger diameter tires and for off-road racing applications. The company also had the pre-runner truck of the Sourapas team on display, prior to the Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 race. Other aftermarket manufacturers such as Nexgen showcased their line of safety harnesses for UTVs and other vehicles and LED lighting manufacturers such as Baja Designs, displayed many of their newest products specifically for UTVs that improve nighttime driving safety. For the professional UTV racer, manufacturers also had hardcore racing parts on display, including Weddle and its newest gearbox that is prepped for racing and provides decreased wear and reduced heat. Other racing products on display included Trinity Racing’s Stage 5 racing exhaust, racing seats from PRP and Simpson, as well as a new air particle separator from KWT Filters. Within SCORE International, the prominence of UTVs within the Powersports market makes it easier for racers to get into off-road motorsports. With increased durability, speed and capability of higher speeds on any terrain, there seems to be no sign that the popularity of these vehicles will be slowing down anytime soon. As manufacturers like Polaris, Can-Am, Honda, Yamaha, and now Robby Gordon’s Speed UTV continue to support racers, it will be exciting to see them break new barriers in the years to come. SJ