By Michael Lee
The 2019 Dirty Turtle Off-Road Pro UTV Survival race in Bedford, Kentucky, tested our team before we even reached the starting line. A qualifying rollover left my Polaris RZR with major front suspension damage. However, help from fellow racers got us back on course. Co-driver Chris Armstrong and I then climbed from 40th at the start to a 12th-place finish.
A New Season of Pro UTV Survival Racing
With GNCC no longer offering a UTV class for the 2019 season, many East Coast racers were looking for another place to compete. Pro UTV Racing had launched its Survival series the previous year, combining speed with tough terrain.
These one- to two-hour endurance races used fire roads and perimeter trails, then sent teams into steep hills, rocks, ledges and deep ruts. The rock sections could punish even a small mistake. As a result, finishing on the lead lap was a real achievement.
For 2019, Polaris RZR joined the series and offered a Polaris Athlete sponsorship to the season points champion. That gave racers another reason to commit to the seven-race schedule. Walker Evans Racing, SuperATV and RCV also supported the series, with contingency opportunities adding to the stakes.
A Muddy Arrival at Dirty Turtle Off-Road Park
I arrived around 5:30 a.m. Friday after driving through the night from Alabama. The park was soaked, and I got our RV stuck more than once while trying to reach our site. Fortunately, our Polaris GENERAL 4 pulled the roughly 70-foot RV and trailer combination out of the mud.
After helping other racers get settled, we unloaded and set up our pits. Dirty Turtle offered a trail network and a short course where spectators could watch the action. At the time, the park also had a parts store, cabin rentals and RV hookups.
Meanwhile, Chris rested before our final race checks. I worked on the RZR, which had just received a front frame section replacement after damage at King of the Hammers. Read more about that race in our 2019 King of the Hammers UTV race recap.
With the racecourse so muddy, I chose to keep the race car out of the muck before qualifying.
A Qualifying Rollover Changes the Weekend
Qualifying began around 2 p.m. Friday. Despite the mud, drivers posted fast times. I watched for a while, hoping the track would dry. Although it stayed muddy, traction improved as the surface began to tack up.
With about 30 minutes remaining, I headed down to qualify. We had swapped my 32-inch tires for 27-inch tires to try to gain an advantage on the fast course.
As I drove into the first corner, a loud pop came from the right front. The RZR darted right and nearly left the course. At first, I thought a tie rod had failed. Yet the car turned left again and tracked straight.
I approached the tabletop jump with some hesitation. The landing went smoothly, but I knew something was wrong. Therefore, I backed off and focused on reaching the finish.
About 100 yards from the line, the car would not turn into the final left-hand corner. The right front caught the dirt and sent the RZR into a cartwheel. Once I climbed out, I found that the lower control arm had torn away, taking the frame tabs with it.
The staff brought the damaged RZR back to our pits on a skid steer. Suddenly, our weekend depended on getting the front end rebuilt overnight.
Fellow Racers Help Rebuild the RZR
By the time I started assessing the damage, Chris had already stripped and cleaned the right front. He gave me a list of parts and tools we needed. Within two trailers, I found help.
Phillip Poe supplied two ball joints. Justin Barth and Jason Welch brought help and a welder. Cody Morris and his crew arrived with another welder, steel tabs and a Sawzall. Together, they put a repair plan into motion.
In a few hours, the group welded on four new lower control arm mounting tabs with gussets above and below. Their work amazed me. I offered to pay, but everyone declined. I cannot say enough about how much their help meant to our team.
Next, Chris, Justin, Jason and I finished assembly and swapped the tires. At about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, I climbed in for a test drive. The RZR felt right again.
I drove for roughly 30 minutes to check the repairs and break in the new belt we had installed. Afterward, Chris handled the last checks while I finally got some sleep. Before that break, I had slept only two hours in the previous 48.
Starting 40th in the Pro UTV Survival Race
Following about five hours of rest, we attended the 6:30 a.m. drivers’ meeting. While the Pro AM class raced, Chris and I watched the hills and looked for useful lines. Starting last meant we needed every chance to pass.
Before staging, I made my usual rounds to shake hands and wish the other drivers a safe race. Then I stretched and warmed up before strapping in. Finally, Chris and I were ready to test the repairs, with 39 cars ahead of us.
Officials sent racers off two at a time at 10-second intervals. By the time we started, the leaders already had a substantial head start. We needed speed, but we also needed to avoid a DNF.
Through the short course, we caught three drivers. The tight trails limited passing, so we waited for the first hill section. There, multiple line choices let us pass three cars near the bottom and another five or six on the hillside.
Farther along, three more cars let us through. However, the next hill brought our first major bottleneck. At least 10 cars were trying to climb or waiting in line.
After roughly four minutes, I found a route around the queue and tried the easier line. A stuck racer stopped our progress again. Once that car moved, we followed a few other racers to the top.
Another hill offered a winding easier route and a more difficult direct climb. Chris and I had spotted a line earlier that morning. Using it gained us three more positions on the opening lap and saved time on later laps.
A Creek-Bank Drop Damages the Control Arm
The final rock trail climbed through a flowing creek filled with ledges and jagged rocks. Near the end, a stopped car blocked the trail. With traffic building behind us, Chris pointed toward a roughly 10-foot creek bank.
I drove up the bank and onto higher ground. However, as I turned around the stopped car, I dropped back into the creek too soon. The right front caught on the way down and bent the lower control arm.
I did not know the exact damage until after the race. Still, I knew we had a problem. Our goal immediately changed from chasing the win to finishing and saving championship points.
We slowed to a trail-riding pace. After two laps, our crew told us only 12 cars remained on the lead lap, and we were one of them. That surprised us because nobody had passed us despite our reduced speed.
From 40th to 12th at Dirty Turtle
After three laps, the leaders caught us and put us a lap down. Our crew said we were still among the top 15 and urged us to reach the finish. On lap four, we caught other damaged cars and gained a few more positions.
Then we reached another bottleneck at the same hills that had delayed us on lap one. A broken car nearly blocked the easier route. James Cantrell went ahead, and I followed with a more conservative line. We made it through and returned to our slower pace.
Chris kept reminding me of our goal. His ability to settle me down had helped at King of the Hammers, and it mattered here too.
As the steering worsened, I slowed further. Near the end of the lap, the leader passed us again and brought our race to a close. We completed four laps to the leader’s six and finished 12th after starting 40th.
Teamwork Made the Finish Possible
After the race, many drivers stayed near the finish to trade stories. Even after such a demanding event, people were smiling and enjoying the company. That atmosphere was a big part of what made the series special.
I left encouraged by the improvements we had made since King of the Hammers. Each race taught me more about adapting to problems and caring for the car. My plan for 2019 was to race one RZR across several formats and types of terrain, so preparation mattered.
Most of all, this weekend showed how much the racing community can accomplish together. Without the people who helped rebuild our front suspension, we would never have made the start.
Thank you to Polaris RZR, Walker Evans Racing, SuperATV, Moto Race Tire, Gilbert Designs, RVS Performance, Bluefire Outdoors, 5zero3 Designs, COMEUP Winch, Desertcraft, Performance SXS Bushings, BCC Skid Plates, Gear Grabber Shifters and Competition LED for supporting our racing.
More UTV Racing Coverage
For more from the same season, explore our 2019 King of the Hammers UTV race recap. You can also see Michael Lee’s later race preparation in our Polaris RZR Pro R build for King of the Hammers.
