Putting trust in your equipment.
Racing and motorsports is punishing on every aspect of a vehicle and its driver. Every component is put under stress and pushed to its limit. These stresses can cause parts and components to fail and break, which can equate to an early end to a race. Oftentimes in off-road racing, drivers and crews choose to carry additional equipment and parts so that they can replace them on the fly during long endurance races, but to get that extra competitive advantage ATX Wheels racing driver, Loren Healy, doesn’t even bother carrying a spare wheel and tire.
Having the right wheel and tire setup is very important in the world of off-road racing. These two parts take the brunt of the abuse from the various types of terrain as they claw for grip. A bent or broken wheel or punctured tire can mean the end of a race for drivers, even those equipped with spares. But, Healy is so confident in the ATX Wheels that his buggy will be wearing in the Ultra4 that he doesn’t plan on carrying a spare wheel and tire.
“I don’t carry a spare tire. I don’t want the extra weight and I have that much confidence in my wheels and tires,” said Healy.
Healy has quite the background in off-road racing. Growing up, he rode four-by-four vehicles near his home in New Mexico, giving him some valuable experience that he uses now. It wasn’t until 2009 that the then-28-year-old Healy decided to race, where he entered the tough King of the Hammers. His vehicle caught fire 20 miles into the race, but he returned in 2010 to capture his first championship and the Ultra4 series championship. In 2013, the experienced Healy had captured numerous podium finishes and was sitting in second place in the standings when his buggy broke an A-arm during a race and he ended up in 11th overall in the standings for the year.
That’s not stopping the ATX Wheels driver though. Healy is very optimistic for 2014 and the Griffin King of the Hammers race. Packed with a set of ATX Wheels forged 17-inch Slab rims and Nitto off-road tires, he’s looking to recapture the success that he enjoyed there in 2010.
ATX Wheels will be on hand for the 2014 Griffin King of the Hammers showing off a number of vehicles and wheel models to the public in February.
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