Will the 2013 KOH UTV Race Scare People Away or Bring More

[Crowdog]

The combined EMC/UTV race day gave us a lot more exposure. There were yellow vests everywhere on the course. As a racer, I liked that!

If the race is Thursday like this year, you have to consider volunteers that are on the course. Many of these guys need to prepare for the big race the next day. Adding several hours to the race day on Thursday is not likely. I favor splitting the vehicles into different loops to further separate. UTVs do desert first then rocks. EMCs do rocks then desert. Start the EMCs at 7 and UTVs at 8.

Plus mandatory winch lessons for everyone.

 

[Slacker]

Plus mandatory winch lessons for everyone.

I heard someone in pit 2 make the comment that this was their drivers first time in the rocks At first thought winch lessons are crazy, but knowing people are coming that unprepared.........

 

[the stripping shop]

make it harder because its like saying lets make the dakar shorter or the baja1000 shorter why. These races are for the strong willed and most prepared drivers and pit crews. Go race worcs or lucas oil for 45min out of your weekend if you want it easy and spectator friendly. KOH/Dakar/baja/V2r should be and will be races when you finish them there are only few and you are part of elite club. If it was easy everybody would do it. Just saying you have to big balls to do the dakar and people keep showing up and its not cheap by far.

 

[66cummins]

The combined EMC/UTV race day gave us a lot more exposure. There were yellow vests everywhere on the course. As a racer, I liked that!

If the race is Thursday like this year, you have to consider volunteers that are on the course. Many of these guys need to prepare for the big race the next day. Adding several hours to the race day on Thursday is not likely. I favor splitting the vehicles into different loops to further separate. UTVs do desert first then rocks. EMCs do rocks then desert. Start the EMCs at 7 and UTVs at 8.

Plus mandatory winch lessons for everyone.

You are kind of a picture whore... Lol! I guess ideas can be tossed around for a full year, but my biggest concern is if we will even get to race next year. I really don't care what day or who we race with. Hell, slap some more rocks, desert and miles in there.. It would be cool if more race followers could make their way to some of the other obstacles, not just forced into one or two places to view..

 

[JoeyD23]

I think it would be sick to have UTVs qualify! Make then climb a rock canyon and do a desert loop.

 

[Crowdog]

I think it would be sick to have UTVs qualify! Make then climb a rock canyon and do a desert loop.

Totally agree. This would bring it to a whole new level.

 

[XPirate]

I could be wrong, but I thought I heard Dave Cole tell the UTV drivers at KOH that whoever Finished 1st, if there was a finisher, would be givin a spot in the main event for 2014 KOH if he or she chose to????? If this is true, I'm willing to help support our fellow badass driver Mitch Guthrie!!!!! How awesome would it be for some of the top aftermarket companies to support Guthrie Racing and go out and show that "WE" can hang with the big boys!!!!!! It would also give a UTV the chance to qualify!!!! Maybe Guthrie can chime in if he wants to, and we can get the ball rolling.... I also believe if the UTV race was on the weekend before with the Moto's, we would have a larger turnout, it's hard for a lot of people to make a thursday race, besides all the prep and pre-running needed.... just my .02

 

[NIKAL]

This question is a mute point if we lose Johnson Valley to the 29 Palms Marine Base. I know someone who is very interested in modifying his XP 900 to be KOTH worthy, but will not drop a dime on his build until we know that Johnson Valley will be here next year.

As he said "I will not invest my time or money just to have no place to race."

My guess is several are going to be in the same boat and wont commit to KOTH until we know if their will be a place to have it. I know I would not be building a rock racer, not knowing if KOTH will be back.

 

[American Rock Rods]

I could be wrong, but I thought I heard Dave Cole tell the UTV drivers at KOH that whoever Finished 1st, if there was a finisher, would be givin a spot in the main event for 2014 KOH if he or she chose to????? If this is true, I'm willing to help support our fellow badass driver Mitch Guthrie!!!!! How awesome would it be for some of the top aftermarket companies to support Guthrie Racing and go out and show that "WE" can hang with the big boys!!!!!! It would also give a UTV the chance to qualify!!!! Maybe Guthrie can chime in if he wants to, and we can get the ball rolling.... I also believe if the UTV race was on the weekend before with the Moto's, we would have a larger turnout, it's hard for a lot of people to make a thursday race, besides all the prep and pre-running needed.... just my .02

This was for the race the next day, not an entry for 2014.

 

[XPirate]

This was for the race the next day, not an entry for 2014.

Gotcha, well then moving forward I hope we can all keep returning to the lake bed we love for some kick ass racing!!!!

 

[Big Guy]

I talked to the 1938 guys and they said he almost left after the pre-run!! He hated it and won't be back!

 

[Crowdog]

I talked to the 1938 guys and they said he almost left after the pre-run!! He hated it and won't be back!

I can understand showing up to the lakebed based on all the past races, then seeing the course and freaking out. The course was many levels harder than anything we have seen before.

 

[dezerteryx]

i compare KOH to the big enduro race in austria (erinsberg i think). it is one of the hardest races in the world and only a handful finish on time but yet hundreds still race it every year and every year it is harder than the last. i think the class will continue to grow and i personally hope to race it in the next couple years.

 

[RuggedRadios]

I think it is going to turn some people away, but I also think it is going to bring some new teams in to try it as well. The Moto community has been running races like this for a long time. Erzberg rodeo, the roof of Africa, Last man standing, etc. All races that have a pretty substantial turn out every year of guys who just want to try and finish. The glory of finishing the hardest UTV race on the planet will keep them coming.

 

[megadesertdiesel]

What's an EMC?

 

[Brian B]

What's an EMC?

Every man challenge. I believe its an open class, just have to be on a Jeep chassis.

 

[RuggedRadios]

Every man challenge. I believe its an open class, just have to be on a Jeep chassis.

Every man challenge is divided into two classes, Stock Mod and stock with specific rules for each class. I'm not really sure on the rules exactly but I know in stock, tires are limited to 35's, fenders can only be cut so much, bed has to stay stock length etc.

 

[Crowdog]

Every man challenge is divided into two classes, Stock Mod and stock with specific rules for each class. I'm not really sure on the rules exactly but I know in stock, tires are limited to 35's, fenders can only be cut so much, bed has to stay stock length etc.

I think they were limited to 37" tires.

 

[07turbo]

I think they were limited to 37" tires.

Stock class is limited to 35" and modified are limited to 37".

I like the concept of the 4500 and 4600 going on one course and us on the other loop. However, I have heard many times the point in running the desert sections first is to spread the field out before they get to the rocks.

I really hope a compromise can be worked out, as I liked the publicity of running with the full size cars. I really hated to read a lot of the comments on Pirate that the UTV's were the cause of many of them not finishing. Not that I believe it, but I would like to see the excuse go away while maintaining our ability to race the same course the same day.

 

[atvobsession]

How many more rigs would've finished if there were no EMC rigs pluggin the trail?.

Without a doubt, Paulywood, Todd Stephenson, Dave Eulberg and myself would have finished, without the EMC cars. All of us were running, and doing fine when time expired.

Paul and I were about 21 miles from the finish, when time expired. The others were between 23 and 26....based on where I know Dave Eulberg was at 5PM. Todd is slightly a guess...as he was between Paul and Dave.

Last year's race was a joke, in comparison to this year. This year's course, REALLY WAS..KING OF THE HAMMERS, as it was essentially the same course at the Ultra 4 cars, just 1 lap less. I had no issue with the course...just the fact we had 4,000 rigs clogging crap all day long.

I think running the EMC and UTV the same is a GREAT idea for our sport....just need to make some tweaks!

Start the UTV's at 7AM and EMC at 9AM. Split the course into 2 laps...Send the UTV's to the rocks first.....and send the EMC through the desert. By the time EMC get to the rocks...the UTV's will be long gone and any broken ones will be out of the way.

This is also better for the fans...as you'll have action at Chocolate Thunder or any rock section...pretty much all day long.