ATV Style | ATV Drag Racing

ATV Drag Racing - If it moves man (and woman) has raced it, a fact that remains true as far back as history can remember. ATV drag racing is no different and although the sport is much younger than many other types of racing it is alive and well. So What does it take to get involved on the ATV Drag Racing Scene?

The most important aspect of getting involved with ATV drag racing is to find out which events happen near your hometown every year. If you happen to live in SoCal you can always find a good hill climb race or flat sand race in Glamis. If you live in Montana it might be easier to find a local dragway for asphalt racing. To get the most out of the sport, and to remain interested for the long run, it takes knowledge of what is popular in your neck of the woods.

Different types of ATV Drag Racing

ATV Dragster - each type of racing requires a slightly different build. On Asphalt the frame can be slightly lower to the ground to reduce drag, sand clearance isn’t a concern. Hill climbing requires as much weight placed foreward as possible to help with traction on the way up. Dirt racing, tractor pulling and mud bogging require consideration to keeping the dirt away from critical components like the radiator since the dirt is more likely to be wet or sticky.

Drag Banshee - You’ll need a donor ATV to modify and though you can find different makes of custom ATVs the Yamaha Banshee based dragster has become extremely popular over the years. The spiderman drag ATV you see featured in this article is based on the Banshee frame and is capable of a 1/8th mile 5 second run at over 140 MPH. The stock engine was replaced with a heavily modified R1X snowmobile engine and nothing much was left stock but it is a great build none the less.

ATV Drag Racing Association - The ATVDRA (www.atvdra.com) is an excellent source of official ATV drag racing information, make sure to check them out before spending a fortune on ATV engine parts or custom frame work. You may not want to build a generic ATV for all types of racing after seeing what others are doing. There are some exceptional dedicated builds out there which brings me to my last tip…

Invest in a digital camera too, take LOADS of pictures, build a srap book of your build and share it online (or on the coffee table) because the sport is driven by seeing what other racers are building and racing. If you decide to build an ATV drag racer you’re entering a community of fellow ATV fanatics who are passionate about everything ATV. You’ve been warned, now send me pictures and details of your builds and I’ll write an article about them when you’re done!

ATV Drag Racing Video - Suzuki ATV with Hayabusa Twin Turbo Engine
Enable Javascript to watch this ATV video. If it IS enabled try updating your flash player.
This ATV Drag Racing video was taken in Menge, France, and features a heavily customized Suzuki ATV frame with Hayabusa twin turbo motorcycle engine doing a burnout, staging and letting her rip.

If you’re looking to get into drag racing try the eBay motors marketplace…