#TeamEVP sponsored racer Richard Ferrick and his Polaris RZR Turbo 4S had an awesome desert racing debut in Arizona at the ‘Best in the Desert Parker 250.’
Richard alongside his fiancé and co-driver, Sabrina, make up team Coyote Off-Road. While in the middle of building his RZR to BITD specs, Richard met EVP co-owner Todd Zuccone out in Glamis and the two got talking about how Evo could help with their build and eventual racing plans. So, our own Evo Sam and Evo Amanda connected with Richard, got him hooked up with our Stage 2 Tune, Magnum Exhaust, plus a few other go-fast goods and the rest, as they say, is history.
Prior to their run in Parker, Richard, a disabled veteran, and Sabrina, a former first responder, also reached out to Desert Vets Racing (DVR). DVR is an organization dedicated to providing our Armed Forces veterans team building, vocational skills, and mental health support access through the sport of racing. According to their website, DVR’s grassroots approach helps active duty and veteran personnel “build and maintain a sense of group and purpose with like-minded people.” The nonprofit veteran’s organization is heavily involved with desert racing, fielding multiple race teams in BITD, the Mint 400 and more.
“We had huge support from our DVR family,” said Ferrick. “And we will continue to stay with this amazing team because I, myself, need the feeling of working with my brothers and sisters in arms, and that team bond and trust of knowing that I can rely on them anytime, anywhere. Evo was also a huge component to our finish and time because it gave us the power and torque to pull through every straight and turn Parker had to offer.”
RACE RECAP FROM RICHARD FERRICK, TEAM DESERT VETS RACING:
The weather was perfect, the wind conditions were great, and this was the first race for us as we teamed up with Desert Vets Racing in “The Coyote,” a 2019 Polaris RZR Turbo S. We pulled into Parker Thursday, January 6 to finally meet our DVR family, and they were exactly what we expected them to be as they all greeted us with open arms and helping hands.
Friday, we set off to tech and contingency and it was so amazing to see all the vendors and take part in the interview with DVR on CBS West. We then proceeded to go down the very fast-moving tech line where we were gracious enough to have received some great support from our amazing sponsors in our first ever off-road race journey.
After we passed tech, it was time to prepare for race day. Saturday morning was spent going over “The Coyote” and having our DVR race meeting. Shortly after, we were staged up and moving down the line to the start. When we finally reached the start, we got ready for the green light, and it was go-time. The course began with some serious technical transitioning and rock. The back stretch was great; it was fast-paced, open and flat, and the competition was hot.
Since we equipped our car with the EVP Stage 2 Tune, Charge Tubes, Blow-Off Valve, and the Magnum exhaust, we had the power to come in for a top-10 finish. We crushed the competition on the first lap all the way to the leader in class. We cleared the first lap in first and made a quick refuel and co-driver swap before taking off hungry for the finish where we battled to the podium. In the end, we finished 10th in class and 71st overall.
SPONSORS: Would like to thank some of the people who helped make it happen: Seal Savers, thank you for keeping the shocks dialed and clean; System3 Off-Road, thank you for the amazing wheels and tires; KWT (particle separator), thank you for keeping the engine clean and strong for every mile; PRP Seats, thanks for keeping us safe all the way to the podium; Rugged Radios, thank you for keeping our comm lines open; Polaris, thank you for the amazing machine; we had zero mechanical issues; and EVO Powersports, thank you for giving The Coyote all the power we needed. And last, but not least, Desert Vets Racing. Thank you, for bringing us on board and making us part of the family. The greatest support and team.
