SCORE Journal

SCORE-Journal-October-2020

SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing

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Rat Sult Has Racing Creds A world of competition experience gives SCORE’s live Web Show Host an edge By Stuart Bourdon Photos courtesy Rat Sult and GetSomePhoto Off-road racing is one of the most exciting forms of motorsports. It’s exhilarating to be a part of it, whether that be as a driver, co-driver, pit or chase crew, race car builder, or a dedicated fan of the sport. However, due to the often remote nature of off-road racing, it can be difficult to keep up with the course race action as it happens. That’s where the SCORE World Desert Championship Series live Web Show comes into play. Through the SCORE live feed Web Show, the action from start to finish, and the often-dramatic qualifying sessions before the race, are shown live through the SCORE International web and social media platforms for all to see. Making sure you get all the details and behind-the-scenes stories as it happens is the SCORE live Web Show host and announcer “Rat” Sult. Rat has been the face and voice of the SCORE live-feed web broadcasts since 2016, and his racing experience, love of the sport, knowledge of the players, and lively personality bring enthusiastic insight to his driver interviews and play-by-play commentary. Getting started in off-road motorsports at a very young age had a great deal to do with Rat’s success in his career racing many different kinds of vehicles (powered and non-powered) and his love of competitive sporting pursuits. Born Gary Sult, but nicknamed by his dad very early on, Rat’s first set of wheels included a helmet with the (Hodaka) Super Rat logo. Riding for Kawasaki (pictured at the SCORE BaJa 500 in 2007), Rat Sult finished third in that year’s SCORE season points series. After riding pro motocross quite successfully for many years, his first professional foray into SCORE desert racing was in 2004, during which Rat took the SCORE Championship in the 250 Pro Class. Born Racing Bringing decades of racing experience into the job helps Rat directly connect with drivers and crew. Rat told us, “I started racing when I was eight years old. My dad is a long-time desert racer. He raced a little bit of everything, including top fuel dragster and dirt track. I guess I followed in his footsteps.” Rat has successfully raced a variety of wheeled vehicles. His rides have ranged from motorcycles, off-road cars, and go-karts (not the kiddie kind) to mountain bikes, snow bikes, skateboard, and street luge. “I started out racing motocross and then got into a downhill mountain bikes.” Rat continued, “I raced the Winter XGames in Snow Bike, set a snow bike speed record in ’99, won two XGames Gold Medals in Street Luge, and traveled all over the world for seven years racing downhill skateboard and street luge.” For those of you reaching for their phones to Google “street luge” right now, Rat explained, “you’re lying on your back on what is essentially a very long custom-built skateboard. You steer with your feet and body and race downhill. It’s very fast. I had been racing off-road with my Dad, so I got out there with my Parker Pumper helmet and a spandex suit trying to be aerodynamic. I ended up qualifying for the XGames my third race and I was hooked.” Off-road racing has always been a big part of Rat’s life. “My dad raced all sorts of off-road cars, Class 1, Class 5 Unlimited, and also dirt bikes for many years. I rode with him in a bunch of races, and we had quite a few podium finishes, as well as a first place in the 1994 Barstow Firecracker 250. Back then we ran lots of races and we were always out pre-running.” Eventually, Rat’s competitive nature led to his own off-road program. “We won big in 2004, getting the SCORE 250 Pro Moto Championship. Riding for Team Kawasaki in 2007, we got third in points in Open Pro Moto. It was pretty cool to bring Kawasaki back to the game after being gone for years.” One of the desert racing wins he is most proud of came in a Class 2 racecar in 2009. “I solo drove the SCORE Baja 1000 in a Class 2 car to a second-place finish.” On-Air Talent One of the reasons Rat is so well suited for the job as an announcer for the SCORE live feed Web Show is his racing experience, which allows him keen insight and perspective into the competitive spirit of the drivers. His background in broadcasting and on-camera personality completes the circle. “I’ve been hosting different TV shows since about 2000. I did action sports with Xcorps TV, and some stuff with NBC back in the day, and through all of my racing over the years and interviews I learned how to talk on camera.” Rat is also an event promoter in his own right, and the years of experience running his shows have also helped in his current role as host of the SCORE live Web Show. “I’ve been putting on Off-Road Nights Dirt Lifestyle Expo for quite a few years. The next is going to be at Del Mar Fairgrounds (Del Mar, California), March 27th and 28th, 2021. It began in a small parking lot and grew slowly, then two years ago we moved it to Del Mar and it just blew up.” When opportunity knocked, Rat was ready with his “off-road creds” in hand. “I got started with SCORE in 2016 doing the San Felipe 250 race show hosting, and it was cool because my Dad and I went down there together. He stays down there for two or three months a year, so that year we camped out on the beach together at Pete’s Camp. I guess I did a good job because I’m still doing it five years later.” Back in Baja  His latest assignment was the 2020 SCORE Baja 500 that had been rescheduled and moved from Ensenada to San Felipe due to Covid-19 precautions. “The race went off without a hitch,” he said. “The start/finish was moved to a private location just north of town, so access to the area could be tightly controlled. All the racers were following the rules put in place to keep everyone safe, the hotels and restaurants were also taking all necessary precautions, and there were no problems in that respect. The on-course action was terrific, and it was a great race.”   Rat’s genuine enthusiasm for and depth of knowledge of off-road motorsports is evident in his ability to connect with drivers during the SCORE live Web Shows. He told us, “I just love doing it. Racing is my number one passion, but number two is the people. I love making people feel good. Every single person that comes across the finish line, I don’t care if they are first or the winner or who they are, I just love making them feel like they’re a rock star.” SJ Rat Sult in his street luge heyday, posing with an ironic road sign, with his skateboard and street luge, and dressed head to toe in a leather aero suit specially made for downhill racing.

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