Off-road racing

Off-road racing is competitive motor racing on unpaved or rugged terrain, using vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, and buggies. Courses may be purpose-built circuits or long cross-country routes.

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Four-wheel drive: A drivetrain that can deliver engine power to all four wheels. It improves traction on loose surfaces and steep, uneven terrain.
King of the Hammers: An annual desert race in California combining high-speed sections with extreme rock crawling. It tests two very different off-road driving skills in one event.
Rally raid: A long-distance cross-country motor race, typically contested by cars, trucks, motorcycles, or quads. It is a central discipline within off-road racing.
Baja 1000: An annual off-road race across Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, first held in 1967. Its early editions helped establish organized desert racing in North America.
Desert racing: Off-road motor racing across desert terrain, often over long distances and at high speeds. Its demanding conditions have driven specialized vehicles and race practices.
Suspension (vehicle): A vehicle system of springs, dampers, and linkages that manages wheel movement and road impacts. Long-travel suspension helps vehicles keep traction across rough ground.
World Rally-Raid Championship: The international championship series for rally-raid competitions sanctioned by the FIA and FIM. It organizes elite cross-country competition into a season-long championship.
Off-road motorcycle: A motorcycle designed for riding on unpaved terrain, often with long suspension travel and knobby tires. Motorcycles make off-road racing a multi-vehicle sport rather than a car-only discipline.
Mint 400: An annual off-road race in Nevada, first held in 1968. It became an influential American desert race soon after the Baja 1000 began.
Vehicle suspension: A system that connects a vehicle’s wheels to its body and absorbs movement from uneven surfaces. Off-road racing has pushed suspension designs toward greater travel and durability.