On 25 October, The Checkered Flag caught up with Dylan Parsons to speak about his Championship Off-Highway Professional SPEC-winning marketing campaign, the expansion of the category, and the 2025 season.
The complete transcript of the interview is offered beneath. Some textual content has been altered from the precise dialogue to enhance readability.
An article on the interview may be learn right here.
Transcript
TCF: You went from not successful any races your rookie season in Professional SPEC to successful 5 occasions this 12 months and the championship. Final time, you instructed me that 2023 was going to be extra of like a studying 12 months for everybody, so by comparability, what was your mindset going into 2024?
DP: To win races like that was undoubtedly the mindset. In direction of the top of the 12 months, we began podiuming in ’23 after which acquired Rookie of the Yr. We have been simply increase momentum and simply not making an attempt to wreck the truck. Starting of the season, I got here in, I examined twice earlier than the season and I’m like, “We have been prepared coming into the primary race to run with these guys,” and we gained the primary race of the 12 months. We have been able to go.
TCF: How a lot of a confidence booster was it to win the season opener?
DP: Oh, that was large. Lena, I acquired a whole lot and a whole lot of laps on Lena. It’s the closest monitor to us and to go check there, we examined there a number of occasions. Going there and successful, it’s not my favourite monitor of all of them, however we had aggressive lap occasions and we confirmed up and knew we have been able to go. Successful the primary race, it type of didn’t set in all weekend. We went first and second over the weekend and we have been like, “Okay, we all know we are able to run with these guys. We knew we are able to run with them final 12 months. We simply should execute and be there when we now have to be.”
TCF: Bark River was type of an fascinating weekend since you ran three races due to the Crandon make-up, and naturally you gained two of three and completed second within the different. How did it really feel to run so effectively on what was such a busy weekend?
DP: I truly raced a buggy on Friday at Bark River too, so it was wild. I knew coming into the weekend that it was going to be tremendous busy. I truly acquired an additional man to return with simply because I’m like, “We’ve got three days to show this truck round and if we now have any issues, we’re going to be busting our butts.” However Bark River might be my favourite monitor. Successful on Friday, it simply escalated. We had a flat tyre on Saturday and nonetheless battled again to get second. I believe the truck was battle examined Saturday like we had no physique left. Undoubtedly, successful at Bark River that weekend was as best-case situation as you can get all through that weekend, after which we took the Champ factors lead at Bark River.
I podiumed each days at Bark River final 12 months within the truck too, and I’ve gained a number of occasions within the buggy and I believe I podiumed in side-by-side there a couple of occasions too. So undoubtedly, Bark River has been good to me. [chuckles]
TCF: So would you say that while you took the factors lead at Bark River, or any time earlier than that, the place you began to understand your probabilities of successful the championship have been rather a lot higher than you might need anticipated?
DP: We talked about it just a little bit. I’m like, “I’m simply apprehensive about racing race by race, like if that occurs, it occurs.” We type of talked about it at Lena, we have been getting shut. Nick (Visser) was working good, however he was having points the place he’d simply crash out however he beat me in qualifying each time. He was at all times quick, he was simply having tremendous points with the truck breaking or crashing. I wasn’t apprehensive about any of that. I simply wished to take every race one after the other and fear about successful that race or podiuming that race.
I imply, we podiumed each race this 12 months besides someday at Antigo. We had a flat tyre that day, like simply from some contact; the flat tyre, some contact, I believe I had a pair, but it surely was by no means a failure. It was at all times, we acquired hit.
TCF: I keep in mind a few occasions the place you and (Chris) Van Den Elzen and Visser and a few different guys acquired into it, like I believe at ERX you and Van Den Elzen acquired collectively. Have been there any onerous emotions between you and anybody else or did you progress on from it will definitely since you’re all mates?
DP: Properly, that one I used to be fairly upset about. We talked the following day, we have been good, it simply… It was escalating just a little bit there. […] He’s tremendous quick however he was beginning to have issues at ERX. We crashed at ERX, after which it simply escalated from there once more. We had sat on the rostrum, we acquired over it after which like him and I acquired collectively once more.
I had been doing it just a little bit at Bark River too. We bumped on that final lap there and I made an aggressive move for the win, however you’re going for the win that late within the season for factors, if the opening was there, you needed to go for it.
TCF: There have been another guys who gave you some good competitors regardless that they weren’t full-timers like Chris Parrish and Wyatt Miller. What was it like racing with these guys?
DP: Parrish was tremendous quick. He got here from Method 4 and stuff like that and it could have been fascinating to see him the entire season, however clearly (Ryan) Beat had totally different plans, like with Wyatt coming in and that was the plan. Wyatt was tremendous quick. I believe he’s racing that truck once more subsequent 12 months and he’s going to be tremendous quick. Him coming into this sport is placing extra eyes on the game due to his household as an Earnhardt and all that as a 12 12 months outdated. There’s a couple of younger children and it’s type of like, “Properly, you bought to race them the identical as everybody else, however you bought to do not forget that they’re 12.”
However yeah, having them are available is just going to make our sponsors get extra publicity. Bass Professional Outlets goes to submit issues about that and our truck’s in the identical image or JR Motorsports or no matter. It may possibly put extra eyes on brief course with him coming in, identical to again within the 90s, nobody actually knew Jimmie Johnson raced brief course. That’s the place he got here from, and he went and did what he did in NASCAR for all these years. There’s the crossover of the stepping stones and hopefully Wyatt goes to that in some unspecified time in the future and he can say he raced brief course to begin to develop himself into what he’s going to do.
TCF: Professional SPEC’s been rising and getting extra aggressive over these previous few seasons from 4 vehicles in Yr One. What are your ideas on the way it’s grown?
DP: I believe we had ten vehicles this 12 months. The primary race was type of like, “The place is everybody?” There have been some vehicles that didn’t race this 12 months and there’s vehicles that offered already. Chad Rayford who gained the factors final 12 months, good mates with him, I used to be pushing hammers to purchase that truck since Snocross season and getting that truck again on the monitor (with Avery Hemmer). She was tremendous quick at Crandon. Like I truly went over and helped them check earlier than Crandon and didn’t even take my truck. I simply went over there and noticed for her. They’re like, “You suppose she’s prepared?” Yeah.
[…]
Professional SPEC was rising. I believe we had 11 vehicles at Fall Crandon and undecided if there’s any extra being constructed in the mean time. There’s a pair on the market nonetheless, however I had a whole lot of questions after Fall Crandon on some. I do know one side-by-side man purchased a Professional Lite, however he wasn’t positive what he’s going to do with it but. It’s a carb Professional Lite and I believe he’s going to race that subsequent 12 months in Professional Lite and see how that goes.
The Impulse Podcast would at all times say we have been the most effective race to observe like each race. We’d placed on a present each race and there have been folks coming as much as me on the parade and Lena, at Crandon, like, “You guys are placing on an ideal present. All these things.”
That’s actually cool to know that we’re placing on simply nearly as good a present as Professional 2, Professional 4, every part else and we’re not the extent they’re.
TCF: Clearly, Professional 2 and Professional 4 are the massive fish within the collection, however do you’re feeling Professional SPEC, being extra of a driver collection, goes to get much more common?
DP: Hopefully. Professional SPEC, I believe the largest drawback is there’s all these Professional Lites that guys are seeing on the market for thus low cost. You get to clarify to them like, “How a lot time’s on all that stuff? Like is all of it new?” Then you definitely see a Professional SPEC that’s on the market, I do know there’s two of them on the market they usually’re priced approach increased than a Professional Lite, however these engines have zero time on them. They’re model new, they’re each model new gone-through vehicles.
I’m on my second season on an engine and I haven’t performed something with it; upkeep, that’s all we’ve performed. It’s been confirmed that you can take a inventory engine and race. We bounce them off the rev limiter and everybody is aware of that, however no failures and that engine’s been nice versus a few of these increased lessons. They’re rebuilding engines midway by means of the season and Professional Lites are shopping for engines and delivery them off and getting them rebuilt straight away. It’s an enormous expense the place this engine, yeah, it’s $9000 with all electronics, but it surely’ll run. Wiring harness all the best way out to the alternator, you hook gasoline to it and it’ll run.
My opinion is that they’re spending greater than that to rebuild them. You simply purchase a brand new one and put it in while you suppose the time is that you just blow it up or it’s wore out or no matter, however I’m going to do some leakdown on mine and stuff like that this winter and see the place we’re at. It feels stronger now than it did final season, I’ve most likely been driving just a little bit but it surely doesn’t appear to be so.
TCF: How massive of a task have guys like Mike Vanden Heuvel and Matt Gerald had in constructing and creating the truck all year long?
DP: Big. Mikey, I’m going up there possibly as soon as per week and go to lunch with them or no matter, simply taking pictures concepts off one another. We did a pair issues this summer season all year long and made the truck quicker all year long. There have been just a few stepping stones of stuff we wished to do and we did it earlier than Bark River, we did a pair modifications and earlier than spring Crandon and it was large. We undoubtedly felt the pace come from the stuff we did within the truck.
TCF: How massive was it to have a sponsor like Toys for Vans, particularly since they have been a full-season sponsor this 12 months?
DP: Toys for Vans has been superior. Invoice (Ciuplinski) and TJ (Larson), they got here to the races this 12 months, the proprietor and the GM of all of the shops, they usually each got here to a race this 12 months. It was tremendous cool. We’re type of native and we see Toys for Vans, they’ve a pair shops proper by us, however most individuals don’t realise that they’ve like thirty shops throughout the nation. They purchased a pair 4 Wheel Elements they usually’re type of the identical factor as a 4 Wheel Elements. A few of their numbers on gross sales, I by no means would have even realised that they promote a lot of Bilstein and CURT Hitches and issues like that. They’re an enormous provider for lots of these merchandise.
TCF: Final 12 months, you instructed me you anticipated an enormous studying curve going from a side-by-side to a truck. How massive did it truly find yourself being?
DP: I’m lastly to the purpose the place I really feel I can drive it the identical approach because the buggy. It’s simply ‘bounce in and drive,’ and it’s identical to you drove it like that. It was the identical factor leaping within the buggy the primary time: the primary two years, I wrecked a whole lot of stuff and stuff like that. That was the objective with the truck: the elements have been far more costly, it’s essential to not wreck issues. That’s why I used to be like, “I needed to exit and show myself that I can drive it.”
Now, I can bounce in that factor and drive it nonetheless I need and it’s tremendous comfy. That was undoubtedly a studying curve. Final 12 months, I used to be continually chasing, it felt like traction, simply making an attempt to not spin out in traction. This 12 months, I may throw the truck wherever I wished to and I knew what it was going to do. I believe the Kenda tyres helped rather a lot on that. Our setup labored effectively, like we constructed the vehicles all on the similar time, Mikey had been working with Professional Lites which were working Kendas for years now.
Ours and Chad Rayford’s setups have been actual shut final 12 months. I knew that he was successful, that he’s acquired the identical setup I do, it’s simply the type of tyres I believe made our truck work rather a lot higher than the place we have been at earlier than.
TCF: On the finish of the season, you gained at Crandon. You stated final 12 months it was enjoyable, but it surely’s additionally extraordinarily demanding due to all of the hype. How did it really feel to lastly win there, particularly on Labour Day weekend?
DP: I didn’t win the massive day however Saturday was nonetheless cool, undoubtedly. We got here into the weekend and we needed to begin the race, we needed to qualify inside a pair positions of Nick. He certified first and I acquired second, so I simply needed to begin and I gained the championship. It was simply, ‘Okay let’s go race. We don’t have to fret about successful the championship, any of that.’
The excessive all weekend was up there. You’ll be able to’t even clarify that top. The weekend was superior. Saturday, it was a dream come true and it was fairly cool.
Successful at Crandon, I gained my first race there in buggy. Successful the ring, that may have been cool to win on Sunday. However successful the championship, we did what we may do. We acquired taken out on Sunday on the primary lap and that was our solely DNF for the 12 months; that was my alternative as a result of we got here into the pits and the tyre was all wrapped up. I couldn’t have gained two laps down, however you don’t receives a commission for fourth within the Crimson Bull Cup.
TCF: What are your plans for subsequent 12 months? Are you going to defend your Professional SPEC title or do you intend on making an attempt out another lessons?
DP: That’s the plan. We purchased a semi a pair weeks in the past in order that’s going to assist out with the programme. I believe I took 5 trailers to Fall Crandon, simply between campers and additional trailers and the UTV and elements. All the pieces will likely be all going in a single trailer, that’s going to be tremendous good, and simply defend the Professional SPEC title. We acquired a couple of different corporations coming onboard for subsequent 12 months that we’re figuring out some closing particulars. That’ll assist in like, simply making an attempt to make the truck higher.
There’s nonetheless room for enchancment on making the setup higher and truck higher and there’s a couple of issues I need to change, however simply do the identical factor once more. Hopefully, so long as issues go effectively, we’re going to go to the Mint in March for that brief course race if the Professional SPEC class goes there. There was a bunch chat going round that the majority of us wished to go and it appears like Beat desires to go, so so long as we get the funds for that, we’re going to go there.
I consider Champ’s going to submit their schedule, I heard November 1st or third subsequent week or two weeks. They’ve many of the schedule out, however there’s nonetheless one race up within the air on the finish of the season. I’m undecided the place that’s going to be but, however we heard it was probably west.
Tremendous pumped to go to Wheatland in Could. I’ve been there as soon as with the MidAmerica UTV collection, however I simply went and helped out Colin (Kernz) and that was the primary time ever being there. That was the time when the Professional Lites ran there and my truck wasn’t fairly performed and I’m like, “I’m not taking place there for that first time driving it” type of factor. However that monitor seems to be superior, like that massive bounce within the again and the over/below, there’s no monitor like that round right here. I’m tremendous pumped to go there. That ought to be actually enjoyable.
TCF: I believe Champ can also be including a race in South Dakota, so what are your ideas on that if it occurs?
DP: That one, I’m undecided what’s up. It’s South Dakota or additional west. There’s type of some rumbling of what’s occurring there and rumours and stuff like that. I imply, South Dakota can be cool. We race Snocross there and that city Deadwood is a brilliant cool city. All the pieces’s proper there and supposedly the monitor was going to be near city.
However I heard rumours there have been some points with permits or one thing like that. I’m undecided the place they put the monitor there. It’s not mountainous, but it surely’s fairly hilly proper there. There’s cliffs and stuff like that. However we’ll see. I imply, hopefully we go there, it’s just a little nearer than California, however there’s rumours of Arizona or California. I’m undecided but although. We’ll see.
TCF: To play on the Snocross factor, how totally different or comparable is engaged on a Snocross programme in comparison with a brief course?
DP: It’s a whole lot of the identical factor and a whole lot of the stuff I realized from my programme, I’ve realized from Snocross and stuff and backwards and forwards. You’re coping with the identical folks; Champ runs Snocross additionally, so all of the officiating, most of them you’re coping with the identical folks and stuff like that. I’m only a wrench for one of many groups. Final 12 months, I labored with Nick Lorenz and we acquired second in Professional Lite factors. That was a whole lot of enjoyable and it’s a superb filler that I can work for a staff like that after which nonetheless do my programme in the summertime. Tremendous pumped for that. You get to see the nation too. I went to Canada final 12 months, Deadwood. It’s tremendous cool.
However yeah, like the identical factor. You prep the sleds on the store, you race someday and then you definately take all of it aside and redo it and put it again collectively for the following day. It’s the identical mindset with a snowmobile as you do with the truck, prefer it’s, ensure you get one probability to go on the monitor and you bought to ensure every part’s excellent.
TCF: Would you ever see your self truly racing in snocross or are your arms already full as it’s?
DP: I did just a little bit. I did just a little bit once I was youthful and I raced cross-country snowmobiles for a short time after which I did a couple of regional snocross races, however I had extra enjoyable wrenching on snowmobiles and that type of factor. I’m too outdated to race now. All these guys are fairly younger.
TCF: Yeah, I get it.
Earlier than we wrap this up, is there the rest you’d like so as to add?
DP: I’m undecided. [laughs]
No, I’m simply tremendous pumped on the championship. Between Matt and I, that was the objective. That’s at all times the objective is to win the championship. I believe successful that, we’ve simply acquired to continue to grow on it and defend it subsequent 12 months. Simply continue to grow at it, like I’m undecided. The longer term is countless. It’s simply, how far can we go?
Interview on YouTube
