How to drive a Trick Truck: Part 1

For decades, those wishing to explore the experience of high-performance driving by learning time-honored techniques from the pros could read about it in books, or, better yet, enroll in racing schools around the world. The ever-evolving world of online sim racing has changed that in some regards but learning behind-the-wheel secrets of speed still holds universal appeal to enthusiasts of all ages.

While that may be true in pavement racing, learning the craft of piloting a 1,100-horsepower unlimited truck has, until now, been kept within the minds of a select few. But thanks to the good folks at Method Race Wheels, a new 10-part video series pulls back the curtain for all of us to enjoy.

Simply titled “How To Drive A Trick Truck,” the innovative series takes on the subject with an appealing, tongue-in-cheek approach offered up in short, easy-to-digest segments. The vignettes feature Justin Lofton, who relies on his potent Fox Shox/Yokohama/Method Race Wheels Jimco-built truck to help illustrate the sport’s inherently unique nuances.

If you are new to the sport, you might be asking, "Who is Justin Lofton and what qualifies him to teach anybody how to drive modern piece of engineering like this Jimco?" Well, Lofton is three-time Mint 400 overall champion, 2009 ARCA champion and who grew up right outside of Glamis -- the ultimate off-road destination in California.

“How to Drive a Trick Truck" will play out here at RACER.com over the next 10 weeks, with a new episode each week. In this installment, Justin goes over what exactly off-road racing is, the different kinds of classes you would find in an off-road race and offers a quick breakdown on his race truck, also known as Bad Co.

If your dream is to get behind the wheel of a race truck, this is a good place to start!