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How to drive a Trick Truck: Part 3
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.
Marty Fiolka
A lifelong enthusiast of off road motorsports, Marty Fiolka raced his first Baja 1000 in 1992 and still enjoys getting behind the wheel via his annual BFG Team Rennsport NORRA Mexican 1000 effort. A graduate of University California at Long Beach, he founded The Rennsport Group in 1995 to execute motorsports public relations programs for Nissan, Infinity, Exxon, Mitsubishi, SCORE International and later became the editorial and marketing director for Dirtsports Magazine. Marty is a current contributor to RACER Magazine and RACER.com as well as operating the promotional agency for Crandon International Raceway and annual Red Bull Crandon World Cup. Fiolka was a 2014 Inductee to the Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) and was instrumental in founding the Wide Open Baja adventure business and Ensenada's Horsepower Ranch. He also served as the associate producer of the original Dust to Glory documentary film and author of two books; 1000 Miles to Glory: The Baja 1000 Story and The Big Blue M: The History of McMillin Racing.
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