Racing Summary by Robert Minieri

GCQRA Round 2 UTV Race Results 2009 GCQRA Gulf Coast "THUNDER" Series

Round 2, March 1, 2009, Highlands MX UTV Race Results

2009 is proving to be a very good year for those who enjoy UTV racing, for both racers and spectators alike. Round 2 of the GCQRA Gulf Coast "THUNDER" Series was held at Highlands MX in Crosby, Texas. Just as in Round 1, there were 11 UTV's lined up at the gate on race day.

A young up-and-coming UTV racer Andrew Blansett from Montgomery, Texas, piloting the number 11 Polaris RZR, showed the old guys a thing or two about commiting to jumps that most people wouldn't consider tackling on a UTV. Troubles in Moto 1 put Andrew in 9th place, making it difficult to land a spot on the podium. His 5th place finish in Moto 2 gave him a 6th place overall, and while the rest of the field decided to take advantage of the new rule giving the racer the option to have a passenger or not, Andrew decided it didn't matter to him if he brings along the extra weight of a passenger. Afterall, this gave him someone to laugh with as he passed his competitors while jumping his stock RZR base model (not even a RZR S) over the big doubles.

Andrew Blansett's father, Robert Blansett, drove the number 81 RZR to a very respectable 4th place finish overall, finishing 4th in both Moto 1 and Moto 2. Apparently Mr. Blansett was trying to get a couple messages across to everyone - 1, you don't have to be young to go fast, and 2, he's still faster than his boy. We'll have to wait and see if he can keep that second message true after Round 3.

Robert Minieri, driving the number 216 Polaris RZR, once again grabbed the holeshot in Moto 1, but quickly learned that it wasn't a good idea to stay on the gas in the turns as he completed most of the first lap on 2 wheels. His first place holeshot victory was cut short by other racers one by one until the end of the race where he was able to hold on to 5th place. A rough start on Moto 2 landed him 3rd in the holeshot, followed by an abrupt hit from behind by the number 85 machine of Royce Millican. While this hit put a couple dents in Robert's newly built roll cage and jarred a few teeth, the momentum of the forward boost allowed him to hold on to a 6th place finish in Moto 2, giving him the final spot on the podium for a 5th place overall.

Royce Millican, from Conroe, Texas had a respectable 6th place finish in Moto 1, but suffered a DNF for Moto 2. An unconfirmed rumor has it that there was substantial damage to his radiator from the mishap after the holeshot, putting him out of the race.

And speaking of mishaps, the number 169 RZR of Ricky Lee Davis (aka Ricky Bobby) from Libertyhill, Texas now has a story that he will be able to tell his grandchildren 40 years from now. Anybody who says it's not possible to flip a UTV end over end without the aid of a huge jump is dead wrong. During the start of the second moto, things got a little tight and apparently two 25 inch tires spinning rapidly from two different machines need not hit each other. However, this was the case and Ricky Bobby went for quite a ride, coming to a hault on all 4 wheels, but this time aiming back at the gate in which he just departed from. Another rider involved in the mix up paused to make sure he was ok. Ricky Bobby's reaction? "Woo HOOOOO!!!" Apparently those of us who have not experienced the amusement park-like ride of a tumbling UTV don't know what we're missing. And if it wasn't for the rear tire blown from the wheel, Ricky Bobby was ready to chase the pack down and make it a race. That's what I call a racer.

The number 34 RZR was driven by Matt Shimek of Manvel, Texas. For those of you who don't remember this machine, it was the one that had so much suspension travel it looked like it would have been right at home in a mud hole or deep water obstacle. But remember, there's another advantage to all that suspension travel, as he illustrated to everyone as he hit some of the nastiest jumps and just soaked them up, giving him a 3rd place finish across the board.

Josh Cheek, or simply "Cheek", of Buffalo, Texas put on quite a show in his number 9 Polaris RZR. If you're not sure which one is number 9, then just remember that it's one of the nicest UTV's you've ever seen. Somehow Cheek seems to always show up at the track with his machine looking like it just came off of a showroom floor - a completely modified and custom showroom floor, and with an exhaust note to match. But don't think this fine work of art is all show and no go. Cheek proved that his RZR is more than just good looks, as he secured 2nd place finishes in both motos and a 2nd place overall finish. His 2nd place finish in the first moto almost had to be confirmed with an instant replay camera, as Cheek and the number 145 of Colt Stephens were absolutely side by side in their side by sides over the finish line jump. A little bumpin' and bangin' took both of them off the track immediately following the finish for a finale that put everyone there on their feet.


The red number 31 RZR of Wade Moore came out of Krum, Texas. Luck was not on Wade's side that day as he finished in 9th place overall. But on the bright side, he did finish both motos, which is difficult to do when you have 11 UTV's all trying to get to the finish line first on a narrow track, and not something everyone can say from that day.

Jessie Corder from Navasota, Texas was racing in his number 1 Polaris RZR. Jessie finished 8th in Moto 1 and 7th in Moto 2, giving him a 7th overall finish. There's a possibility that Jessie could have done a little better, but he may have still been shaken up from his first lap of practice that morning just before the races began. Jessie was reminded of what it was like to play Lawn Darts as he misjudged his speed and landed nose-down on the face of the second part of a double.

Xtreme UTV Works owner Shane Adams, piloting the bright green number 48 RZR, had also seen better days. The muddy section of the track had Shane going over the wrong side of the burms, and when his goggles finally saturated with mud, he found himself on the wrong side of a turn and almost turned over. It's rough to lose a race due to mechanical failure, but vision is an integral part of racing and without it there's simply not much you can do. His entaglement with Ricky Bobby's wild bull ride in Moto 2 was cause for another loss, giving Shane an 8th place overall.

But the real upset came from Side-By-Side Works racer Colt Stephens, piloting (as in jet piloting) the number 145 Yamaha Rhino. Yes, you read that correctly, I said Yamaha Rhino. It was the ambition of Colt and his father, Scott, to ensure that UTV racing does not become "RZR racing", and so they set out to build a Rhino. There were those who had their doubts, but with a lifelong of racing blood in the family, those doubts were put to rest with Colt's Moto 2 holeshot, 1st place Moto 1 finish, 1st place Moto 2 finish and 1st overall. To add glory to his victory, aside from minor problems in moto 1 this was also the first race most of us can recall that Colt managed to keep his machine in one piece and right-side-up the entire day. With twice the weight and half the cylinders, the Stephens family has caused a lot of money to empty out of the wallets of the other racers in their attempt to modify their buggies and steal the victory from Colt in the up and coming races.

A new UTV class made its debut in Round 2 - Women's UTV. As most classes are when they first start out, it was a small class with only 2 entries. But once the gate dropped it was difficult to tell if the drivers were men or women, as the competition was evident. Melissa Minieri, driving the white number 216 RZR, had a seemingly easy lead over the number 21 Yamaha Rhino of Michelle Manshack in Moto 1, but knowing that the second moto is all that matters when there's only two racers, Michelle would put the heat on Melissa and let her know it won't be an easy 4 laps. Struggling to stay ahead, no more than 4 buggy lengths separated the two racers for the entire race. But Melissa was able to hold onto the lead for a 1st overall, receiving one of the coolest trophies ever handed out to a UTV racer, provided by Yamaha racer Michelle Manshack.

The following photos by Belinda Melder @ www.theoutlawsracing.com