"Why didn't I think of that?" Most of us have uttered that phrase a time or two after chancing upon a great new product. The best new ideas are often the ones that seem the simplest, and the innovation was simply waiting to be discovered. All that's left to do is enjoy the new product.
Rialto Off-Road Raceway is the creation of Greg Gagnon and Jen Coleman. The duo also has a Web site, www.prerunners.com, and heads up the United Prerunners off-road group. Rialto Off-Road Raceway is an outgrowth of the need for real off-roading close to home. The raceway is freeway-close for thousands of off-road enthusiasts. Spectators can enjoy the action from atop a grassy knoll overlooking one of ROR's several jump sections.
Freeway-close does not, however, mean tame and dull. The track has been sculpted by Greg's overworked backhoe into a collection of jumps, whoops, and berms capable of slamming even the most bottomless suspension hard against the bumpstops. If your truck does well at ROR, it's ready for the desert.
Racing classes range from Stock Prerunner (use OEM control arms) all the way to Unlimited Prerunner (tube-frame chassis and linkage suspensions permitted). Got an oddball vehicle that doesn't neatly fit into an existing category? Show up anyway - Greg and Jen will put you in a class, or create a class for you. Drivers are required to wear helmets and vehicles are required to have a minimum four-point rollcage. Entrants pay a race fee that's a drop in the bucket compared to other higher-profile racing events. ROR is the off-road equivalent to a sandlot game of baseball, and that's the best part. A small entry fee combined with big-time jumps and truck-swallowing whoops - we like this. ROR has already been discovered, so let the enjoyment begin.