If the previous two episodes of this innovative new film series were a bit rudimentary, this week’s installment of “How to drive a Trick Truck” gets down to some insights designed to expand our inner gearhead.

Without question, the single most crucial element to modern off-road racing is not the engine or even the suspension. No, the development of the transmission/gearbox assembly must be strong enough to handle power curves that peak above 1,100 or more horsepower. In the past decade, there have been huge strides in transmission development, especially in the form of exotic, paddle shift gearboxes, the use of torque converters and no-lift shifting.

In this informative video, off-road champion Justin Lofton shares myriad of technical insight into the options available to unlimited race truck teams today and discusses the merits and challenges of each in a very compact but visual way.

Watch this week’s episode of “How to drive a Trick Truck” and learn. With Lofton getting set to shift gears in next week’s five-day Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 presented by Method Race Wheels, this is a timely lesson in modern day off-road technology.

Backstory:

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 entitled “How To Drive a Trick Truck” looks to pull back the curtain for all of us to enjoy.