Trip Reports

2014 Sand Sports Super Show

Posted on December 23, 2014

16th Annual

By Cody Hooper for UTVGuide.net

Well, the 2014 Sand Sports Super Show is in the bag. With thousands in attendance, we can attest to the strength of the UTV industry- its still growing at an alarming rate. Berts Mega Mall had dozens of UTVs on display for sale, from stock to full-tilt custom rigs. Robby Gordons Stadium Super Truck race series made a stop here as well, and patrons could watch the high-octane racing for only $15 a ticket. This show had more RZRs than we have ever seen at the show, while Can-Am unveiled their new X ds and X ds turbo Maverick units to the public. With so many custom UTVs and accessories on sale, this year was all about integration- the vehicles are getting more technology boosted into them now than ever before. Big horsepower, crankin tunes, and tons of giveaways highlighted the weekend. If you missed it, make sure you show up next year, as its sure to be even bigger.

Rugged Radios

RUGGED RADIOS -The Rugged booth was enormous this year. Taking up nearly a third of one span, Rugged was shelling out radios, intercoms, and equipment at extremely discounted pricing. The Rugged crew was also on hand to help with radio troubleshooting, install questions, and product displays. Communication is nice to have in a UTV- especially on group rides. We outfitted our Orange Crush car with a two-way intercom and 50W base radio, allowing us to talk in-car and between rigs while out exploring.

TMW Off-Road

TMW OFFROAD -With the show-stopping El Diablo sitting front and center in their booth, TMW drew a huge crowd. All of their builds featured in the booth were gorgeous, but this black and white Storm Trooper was our favorite. Built using Foxs new 3.0 DSC shocks, this play car has all the makings of a great dune and desert bomber. The clean color scheme and well-tailored lines had many onlookers contemplating whether to open up their checkbooks!

SDR Motorsports

SDR MOTORSPORTS – SDR had a huge display at this years show. Featuring seven cars in the booth, and many more scattered around the rest of the show, it was hard to miss SDRs signature cage and door look. While the ultra-custom Christine build drew the most drool and fingerprints, it was this lightweight play car that had our jaws on the floor. Built for Ronnie Renner, the freestyle MX phenom, this MCX USA turbocharged, HCR Racing long-travel UTV will soon be spotted on aircraft controls radar, as Renner cant keep anything out of the air for long. Contact SDR for your custom build today.

Sparks Racing

SPARKS RACING -The Orange Crush car in our booth was sporting a Sparks 1065cc big bore kit, and this 1110cc monster RZR adorned theirs. With lots of experience in making horsepower, Sparks can take your RZR from box-stock to over-the-top fast. This 1110cc car makes turbo power without the added weight or trouble of boosting the engine. Whether its a 900 or a 1000, Sparks can juice up your engine with a variety of options.

Cognito Motorsports

Cognito Motorsports – Cognitos booth didnt have a ton of shiny, brand-new equipment in it, but rather a couple of their race cars. We, along with thousands of other show patrons, really loved being able to get up close and personal with the machines Cognito races in the desert. Showcasing their stock-geometry replacement suspension, these UTVs look downright bulletproof. Cognito makes high-strength components for Polaris RZRs that are strong enough for any abuse you can throw at them.

GMZ Race Products

GMZ Race Products – GMZs Sand Stripper tire was the highlight of this cool display. The 6 ply radial tires come in two paddle heights- .75 and 1.125. The HP series with the 1.5 paddles offers serious bite, while only weighing 24.7 lbs each in the standard 28×15 R14 size. The front ribbed tires feature a staggered three-rib design that helps the front end bite and turn, even in long-wheelbase vehicles.

Pro Armor

Pro Armor -Pro Bilt! That was the name of the game at Pro Armors booth this year- and for good reason. Pro Bilt is Pro Armors new customs shop that allows anyone to have a grouping of product installed, ranging from doors and seats to a full-blown build like this yellow RZR. They now offer installation service for all of their parts, as well as other brands. Pick from Pro Armors catalog, drop your car off, and pick it up customized to your specs. Its a simple, easy to use program that allows custom machine builds without long lead times.

Vision X

Vision X -Vision X makes some of the craziest off-road lighting around- their 8.7 LED Light Cannons provide over 3,000 feet of useable light. Vision X showed off some crazy integration technology, which upon its final release, will link many electronic add-on controls wirelessly to your smartphone. We were in awe of the Assault Signature Series builds they showcased in a couple booths- the lighting provided by their newest LED technology is breathtaking.

STI Tire & Wheel

STI TIRE AND WHEEL – STIs large display featured a ton of wheel and tire options, and it really displayed STIs knack for color customization well. Their newest wheel, the HD5, features an offset identical to the RZR 1000s stock wheels, allowing you to have a strong, lightweight aftermarket beadlock that wont widen the vehicle or slow handling response. The HD5 wheels look fantastic when paired with a color-matched beadlock ring, which STI keeps in stock.

KC HiLites -The HiLite of KCs booth was the new Flex LED system. Using single, 10 watt Cree emitters, the Flex system offers adjustable sizes that can be linked. Buy a 10 light bar, and if you want more light, buy another 10 later on and hook them together. Its pretty smart technology, and the overall package is sturdy, great-looking, and extremely bright.

Elka Suspension

Elka Suspension – Elka shocks can be found on the newest crop of Wildcat LEs, and they had a few cutaway units on display to show off the high-tech build quality of their shocks. The Stage 5 shocks are fully adjustable, including low and high-speed compression, rebound, and spring preload adjustments. Dragonfire Racing also offers their own custom-tuned line of Elka shocks, available with spec valving that has been put through its paces in rough off-road conditions.

Rigid Industries

Rigid Industries -Rigid had quite a few featured machines around the Sand Sports Show, including BJ Baldwins massive Trophy Truck. Rigid had a ton of lights featured, but what caught our eye was their Q-2 series LED pods. Using a massive 24 LED square housing, these lights pump out 9,000 lumens in multiple beam patterns. The Q series lights were seen on the Cognito race cars, as well as the trick XP1000 in their booth. Rigids lights are known for being bulletproof (check YouTube), and are crafted with incredible sealing and fit & finish.

SSV Works -Our newest Teryx build was our favorite car in SSVs booth, but they had many new stereo systems available for the newest crop of UTVs. Honda Pioneer, Yamaha Viking, Kawasaki Teryx, Polaris RZR, Polaris Ranger, Can-Am Commander, Can-Am Maverick, Arctic Cat Prowler, and Arctic Cat Wildcat systems are available for shipment now, in many configurations. iPod integration and great sound quality make these simple systems a great addition to any UTV.

HiPer Racing Wheels

HiPer Racing Wheels -While HiPer had many wheels on display, their new UTV Fusion wheel was the highlight. Featuring a billet center and interchangeable wheel halves, users can change wheel offsets without buying multiple sets of wheels. The super-strong, resin-suspended carbon fiber construction is claimed to be five times stronger than the average UTV wheel, while offering light weight and superior dent resistance. ProLine Wraps had a set of chromed Fusion wheels on their Ice Breaker XP4, which looked awesome in contrast to the black tires.

Fullerton Sand Sports

Fullerton Sand Sports -While Dave Kuskie and his crew were busy making great deals on some amazing tire and wheel sets, we snapped photos of two of their tricked-out UTVs. The Rigid Industries sponsored XP4 is the same car we photographed a few weeks back at the Idaho Dunes UTV Invasion. The two-seat Pace Offroad car in the booth featured a gorgeous Z1 turbo engine swap that puts out insane amounts of horsepower. If youre serious about traction in the sand, give FSS a call and get a set of trick paddle tires for your rig.

UTV Tech

UTV Tech -UTV Tech was running some great video footage of their Hard Rock series skid plates being put through some rather vigorous testing. Some clips included a Can-Am Maverick repeatedly bashing the skidplates on a huge rock pile under the entire vehicle weight, without any bending or creasing of the panels. UTV Tech makes full-coverage skid plates with some very nice features, including wraparound protection for the rockers that also act as a slide pan so you dont get hung up on rocks or logs. And Fullerton Sand Sports had their new RZR XP4 1000 setup with a full Hard Rock package from UTV Tech in their booth.

Speed Strap

Speed Strap -Speed Strap was out in full force with a trailer loaded with custom tow straps and tie downs. Their ratcheting tie downs are very durable, with high-quality mechanisms that dont jam up like some of the cheaper ratchet straps you can buy. Speed Strap also had some of their meaty tow straps and tire Y-straps on display, offering unique tie down systems to compliment your rig.

HCR Racing / MCX USA Turbos

HCR Racing / MCX USA – Earlier this year,MCX-USA Turbo joined forces withHCR Racing and combined forces of power and suspension under one roof to dominate the UTV market by creating a synergy of power, performance, and reliability. At the show, they had their RZR XP 1000 and Maverick 1000R in their booth. Each adorned with HCR long travel and MCX USA turbo. Plus Ronnie Renner’s sick new XP 1000 was in the SDR Motorsports booth.

DragonFire Racing

DragonFire Racing – DragonFire was on hand at the SSSS in a big way. They partnered with Polaris and RideNow to build a 2015 raffle prize for the American Sand Association. The brand new Polaris RZR XP4 1000 was unveiled on Friday as the show opened. Plus a chance to ride shotgun with 2X Mint 400 winner Lacrecia Beurrier at the MORE Powder Puff race drew a crowd. They also used the event to launch their new2015 DFR Catalog.

Gibson Performance