With all the different classes of desert racing, newcomers to the sport can easily get confused by the class names and terminology. The purpose of this article is to give you an idea, at a glance, of those cars numbers and what they really mean.

VW based, and Tube Chassis cars have been a staple of Off Road Racing since the sport began, all those years ago. It started out with stripped Volkswagen Beetles, using fairly stock engines and suspensions. These cars were usually built in someone's backyard for a local, non sanctioned race. That was then.....

Today, VW and Tube Chassied cars are a quantam leap ahead of thier vintage counterparts. Although there are several desert and short course racing series in which these cars compete, we will Use SCORE's classifications here.

VW's

Class 11 harkens back to those days gone by with simplicity being the norm. The VW is about as stock as you can get. The only real mods allowed are a Full Roll Cage to protect the occupants, Skid plates to protect the engine and front end and as big a tire as will fit within the stock wheel wells. This is an excellent class for first time and low budget Racers to get involved in Desert Racing without going broke in the process. Just make sure you bring a strong butt and kidneys !

Class 5-1600 (Sportsman) are true Race Cars, offering higher speed, Increased Suspension Travel, a heavier, more structural Roll Cage, Multiple Shocks, Increased Safety and a stronger but limited motor.

The class requires the use of a 1600 cc single port, single carb engine. Still, 85 to 90 HP is common. Wheel travel is on the order of 10 in. front / 13 in. rear, utilizing a stock type suspension. The 5-1600's use the type-2 "Bus" transmission , over the smaller Type-1, along with Type-2, up to Porsche 930 CV joints for thier increased durability.

While not a low budget vehicle, these cars can be built and raced competitively for a fraction of the cost of the Funny Cars of the VW world, the Class 5's. This class is gaining popularity, with over 20 cars entered in the '96 Baja 1000 alone. These cars can be punishing at high speed, but who said winning was easy ?

Class 5 Unlimited Baja Bugs (and in rare instances, Porsche bodied) that thrill the VW loving crowds at races across the South West in SCORE, LaRana and the Fudpucker Racing Series. About the only stock part on a Class 5 is the steel sheet metal of the body, and even that has been cut, trimmed, altered and augmented with Fiberglass pieces. The suspension is upwards of 18 inches of travel in the front , and 22+ inches in the rear. On the widened front end, torsion springs are abandoned in favor longer trailing arms (4 inch), and Coil Over/Reservoir shocks. The rear consists of Multiple Reservoir shocks, widened and lengthened Trailing Arms (up to 6X6in.) Heavy Duty Torsion Bars/Spring Plates, and Air Stops to help decrease the harsh impact of bottoming out (Yes even with all that travel available, it still happens).

The engines of these beasts are usually a Type 4 "Porsche" based flat 4 cylinder, air cooled engine, putting out somewhere in the neigborhood of 225 horsepower or more. Thier Engines are allowed Dual Carburetion, Porsche 911 Fans , and a host of power and reliability modifications far above that of thier little brothers in the limited 5-1600 Class.

Transmitting all that power is a Type 2 "Bus Transmission that has been heavily modified. These however are giving way to the newer "Hewland", "Mendola", and "Fortin" trannys available today. The longer heavier axles are augmented by Porsche 930 , 934/5, or "Wright" CV Joints, that can operate and live at the high angularity created by the enormous travel.

Tube Chassis Buggies

Offering everything from the cost effective Sportsman classes to Trophy Truck rivaling speed of the Class 1/2 Pros, The Buggy classes have something for everyone. Unlike the Bugs, however, the buggys aren't limited to VW based power and suspension in all the classes. One of the main reasons for the increasing popularity of the buggy classes it the high cost of racing Trucks. Where the Trucks usually require some form of high dollar sponsorship, a large pit crew, and support vehicles, the buggys can, and often do prove competitive "with a little help from your friends and family".

Class 9, like the 11's allows the low budget racer a chance to shine. These single or twin seat cars are severely limited by thier short travel Ball Joint front ends, Swing Axle Type-1 Transmissions, Stock engines and pump gas. However, that doesn't stop more and more first time racers from building them up and hitting the dirt. Again, like the 11's, only those of high pain threshold and bionic kidneys need apply!

Class 1/2-1600, is the next step up and it's currently the fastest growing class in the SCORE Racing Series. These single or 2 seat buggies are limited in engine and suspension, but not to the degree of the Class 9's. Here the newer I.R.S. with Porsche 930, 934/5 CV's and the longer travel King/Link Pin Front ends are employed with wheel travel in the 11 in. / 14 in. range (front/rear). The motors hover in the 85-90 horsepower range but are limited to single stock carburetion, single port heads, and 1600cc displacement. Thier closest analog are the 5-1600 cars with which they share many rules.

Class 10 Cars are a larger step yet with lengthened arms (2-4in.) in front with either A arm (see class 1/2 below) or single /. Coil Over rear suspension, with longer wider arms (up to 6x6in.) are the norm as well. The Biggest difference is that this class allows engines other than VW/Porsche make. 1650cc liquid cooled Toyota's are very competitive, and other manufacturers are represented as well. For those air cooled VW faithful, The CC limit becomes 1776 with single or dual carburetion, dependent on wether it is a single or 2 seat car. Type-2 "Bus" tranny's are still employed here, but the majority of racers have or are migrating to the "Hewland" or "Fortin" Transmissions for thier added beef. Class 10 is another Growing class in Off-Road Racing, as it provides the higher speeds and better handling desired, while still being somewhat affordable (though at this level, not to everyone)

Class 1/2 cars are the single or 2 seat equivalent of a Top Fuel Dragster. These "bucks up" Tube Chassis Desert Monsters are the Unlimited class of the Buggy scene and have in fact, beaten the Trophy Trucks for the overall title on several occasions. A-Arm / Coil Over front suspensions , regularly push 22 in of travel, although the more traditional VW style front ends with Dual Coil Over shocks haven't yet been abandoned. In the rear, 22in. of travel is common, with longer and wider arms being employed. The rear is fully suspended by several nitrogen charged reservoir shocks per side, with 2-4 being of the Coil Over variety. Porsche 934/5 CV's are pushed to the limit with kind of movement, but have proven reliable thus far. The Transmissions are of the "Hewland" or "Fortin" type as the venerable Type 2 VW "Bus" Tranny is not up to the task of handling the power of the engines used here. Those engines are moving steadily away from the flat 4 cyl. air cooled VW/Porsche type and into the realm of liquid cooled in-line 4 cyl., V4, and V6 power. The 1997 season has debuted several Aluminum block V-8 cars, and have have won the overall at several races. Trophy Trucks beware!

Promoters & Sanctioning Organizations

SCORE International

Fudrace Online

Short Course Off-Road Drivers Association

 

 

Best in the Desert Racing Association

 

Protruck Racing Assoc.

 

For the latest pictures of these and other vehicles, check out the VW' & Sand Cars Photo Pages !