The final time Dylan Parsons sat down with The Checkered Flag, he was getting ready for his rookie season in Championship Off-Highway‘s Professional SPEC class. A yr and a half later, when TCF caught up with Parsons on Friday, he was the newly topped champion of the class.
TCF and Parsons recapped his 2024 season, mentioned the expansion of the Professional SPEC class and what makes it probably the most in style divisions in brief course in the present day, and even chatted a bit about snocross and what’s to come back in 2025.
A transcript of the interview might be discovered right here.
The 2024 Season
Parsons completed fourth within the 2023 Professional SPEC standings. It took a while to get used to his new confines after shifting up from 1600 Single Buggy, however he discovered some steam within the closing stretch with three podiums: a pair of thirds in each races at Bark River Worldwide Raceway and a second within the season finale at MidAmerica Outdoor.
“In direction of the tip of the yr, we began podiuming in ’23 after which acquired Rookie of the Yr. We have been simply build up momentum and simply not attempting to wreck the truck,” he started. “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 yr. We have been able to go.”
The robust ending to his first yr proved so encouraging that he picked up full-season sponsorship from Toys For Vans. A pickup aftermarket equipment vendor, the corporate first appeared on Parsons’ #99 truck on the 2023 Crandon World Cup weekend earlier than stepping up for your entire 2024 marketing campaign. TJ Larson and Invoice Ciuplinski, respectively the President and Vice President of Retail, additionally attended races.
Parsons described the sponsorship activation as “tremendous cool. We’re form 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 Components and so they’re form of the identical factor as a 4 Wheel Components. 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.”
The 2024 marketing campaign kicked off with the Mayhem on the Motorplex, the primary of two rounds at Filth Metropolis Motorplex. The monitor was the positioning of Parsons’ first Professional SPEC podium final yr when he completed third, and one that he’s greater than conversant in. He took the lead on the opening lap of the primary race and by no means regarded again en path to his maiden truck win, then capped off the weekend with a second in Race #2.
“I acquired tons of and tons of of laps on Lena. It’s the closest monitor to us and to go check there, we examined there a number of instances,” Parsons defined. “Going there and successful, it’s not my favorite monitor of all of them, however we had aggressive lap instances and we confirmed up and knew we have been able to go. Successful the primary race, it form 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 yr. We simply must execute and be there when we’ve to be.’”
The Antigo Off-Highway Nationwide at Antigo Lions Roaring Raceway ended up being his worst outing of the season, although it nonetheless had its moments. He was capable of notch a 3rd on the primary day earlier than a flat tyre dropped him to fifth, which he identified was because of contact slightly than a tyre failure.
A second on the Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run acquired him again on monitor earlier than being mired in drama with fellow title competitor Chris Van Den Elzen at ERX Motor Park, the place the 2 collided mid-air within the closing laps on Friday. He salvaged a 3rd, although he admitted he was “fairly upset about” how he was raced.
“We talked the subsequent day, we have been good, but it surely was escalating a little bit bit there,” he continued.
Parsons famous he additionally needed to get aggressive at instances to remain alive for the championship. This was evident at Bark River the place issues acquired bodily as he held off Van Den Elzen with a purpose to take the factors lead: “We bumped on that final lap there and I made an aggressive cross 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.”
Bark River was an unusually busy time for the collection. Apart from the standard Off-Highway Rumble within the UP, a 3rd race day was added to make up for the Brush Run’s Saturday being rained out. To make Parsons’ schedule much more crowded, he additionally raced his buggy once more that Friday.
Nonetheless, he had a near-perfect weekend as he gained on Friday and Sunday. Regardless of Saturday being marred by a flat that dropped him a lap down, he clawed again onto the lead lap after a crimson flag to complete second. Maybe to make the runner-up all the higher, he completed forward of Van Den Elzen and fellow contender Nick Visser.
“I knew coming into the weekend that it was going to be tremendous busy. I really acquired an additional man to come back with simply because I’m like, ‘We’ve got three days to show this truck round and if we’ve any issues, we’re going to be busting our butts,’” he recalled. “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 state of affairs as you can get all through that weekend, after which we took the Champ factors lead at Bark River.”
Parsons entered the Polaris World Championship Races at Crandon Worldwide Raceway with a wholesome benefit over Visser to the purpose the place he merely wanted to begin Saturday to safe the title. The non-points race on Sunday, which was a part of the Pink Bull World Cup, didn’t go as hoped as he was wrecked out on the opening lap; whereas it was his solely retirement of the yr, it not affecting the championship meant it didn’t put an excessive amount of of a damper on his weekend.
“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,” elucidated Parsons. “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 will have been cool to win on Sunday. However successful the championship, we did what we might do. We acquired taken out on Sunday on the primary lap and that was our solely DNF for the yr; that was my selection 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 Pink Bull Cup.”
He completed the season with 644 factors, 47 greater than Van Den Elzen and 49 on Visser, and 5 wins (he additionally notched one on the Filth Metropolis Off-Highway Nationwide). After spending his rookie yr attempting to get used to the truck, he’s much more snug now.
“I’m lastly to the purpose the place I really feel I can drive it the identical means because the buggy. It’s simply ‘leap in and drive,’ and it’s identical to you drove it like that,” he stated. “It was the identical factor leaping within the buggy the primary time: the primary two years, I wrecked a number of stuff and stuff like that. That was the purpose with the truck: the components have been far more costly, you want 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 leap in that factor and drive it nonetheless I would like and it’s tremendous snug. That was positively a studying curve. Final yr, I used to be continually chasing, it felt like traction, simply attempting to not spin out in traction. This yr, I might throw the truck wherever I wished to and I knew what it was going to do. I believe the Kenda tyres helped loads on that. Our setup labored nicely, like we constructed the vans all on the identical time, Mikey (Vanden Heuvel) had been working with Professional Lites which were working Kendas for years now.”
Vanden Heuvel, the top of Flying Dutchman Off-Highway, and Parsons’ workforce supervisor Matt Gerald have been instrumental in growing the truck since coming into Professional SPEC.
“Mikey, I am going up there perhaps as soon as per week and go to lunch with them or no matter, simply taking pictures concepts off one another,” Parsons remarked. “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 positively felt the pace come from the stuff we did within the truck.”
The Professional SPEC class
“That’s actually cool to know that we’re placing on simply pretty much as good a present as Professional 2, Professional 4, the whole lot else and we’re not the extent they’re.”
– Dylan Parsons
Parsons’ first yr in Professional SPEC was the third for the category. It was based in 2021 with enter from Ryan Beat, a Professional 2 star who helped design and check the truck. The début season as an precise championship got here the next yr, the place simply 4 drivers competing for the 2022 title, earlier than the grid greater than doubled with 9 the next yr.
Because the identify suggests, Professional SPEC has sure components which are an identical between vans to advertise parity and supply a extra inexpensive but aggressive possibility for these trying to climb the brief course ladder. The inventory engine is one such part, which Parsons famous is exceptionally sturdy in high quality and efficiency. Though a Professional SPEC truck tends to be pricier than a Professional Lite, which could persuade drivers to purchase the latter, the engine helps make Professional SPEC the smarter funding in the long term.
“There are all these Professional Lites that guys are seeing on the market for therefore low-cost. You get to elucidate to them like, ‘How a lot time’s on all that stuff? Is all of it new?’ Then you definately see a Professional SPEC that’s on the market, I do know there are two of them on the market and so they’re priced means larger than a Professional Lite, however these engines have zero time on them,” Parsons began. “They’re model new, they’re each model new, gone-through vans.
“I’m on my second season on an engine and I haven’t accomplished something with it; upkeep, that’s all we’ve accomplished. 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 larger lessons. They’re rebuilding engines midway by way of the season and Professional Lites are shopping for engines and transport them off and getting them rebuilt straight away. It’s an enormous expense the place this engine, yeah, it’s $9,000 with all electronics, but it surely’ll run. Wiring harness all the way in which out to the alternator, you hook gas 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 once 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 in all probability been driving a little bit bit but it surely doesn’t appear to be so.”
Apart from the gear, Professional SPEC additionally gives a stable discipline of drivers trying to break into the upper rungs of brief course. Ronald Kosciesza, the one different full-time driver and a 2024 rookie shifting up from Sportsman vans, was by no means within the title dialog however loved robust runs as nicely that included a podium at Bark River.
Half-timers impressed as nicely. Hunter VanZile was a Mod Kart competitor earlier than heading into Professional SPEC and gained at Bark River. Christopher Parrish, who did double responsibility in Championship Off-Highway and on pavement within the System 4 United States Championship, gained 3 times at Antigo, Crandon, and ERX. 13-year-old Mod Kart champion Avery Hemmer acquired 2023 Professional SPEC titlist Chad Rayford‘s truck, and Parsons—who had the identical truck setup as Rayford in 2023—served as her spotter for testing earlier than the Crandon finale the place she completed third in each races.
Different 2024 rivals included Diesel Shanak, who dubiously obtained the Robust Luck Award for his misfortunes all through the season en path to a sixth in factors, 2022 and 2023 Mod Kart champ Porter Inglese, and the returning Aaron Messenger and Justin Tessmer, who every scored a prime 5 at Fall Crandon.
For these unfamiliar with the collection, Wyatt Miller was maybe probably the most notable face. Regardless of being simply 12 years previous, the dust monitor racer and fourth-generation Earnhardt strung collectively three straight podiums to start his brief course profession. Parsons described each Parrish and Miller as “tremendous quick,” whereas opining the latter could possibly be a significant boon in selling brief course due to his background and tempo. Miller plans to return to the collection in 2025, which he feels is “is placing extra eyes on the game. There’s a number of younger children and it’s like, ‘Properly, you bought to race them the identical as everybody else, however you bought to do not forget that they’re 12.’
“Having them are available in is barely going to make our sponsors get extra publicity. Bass Professional Outlets goes to put up issues about that and our truck’s in the identical image or JR Motorsports or no matter. It will 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 sooner or later and he can say he raced brief course to begin to develop himself into what he’s going to do.”
With so many personalities and the championship’s three-man battle, it’s no marvel that Professional SPEC was a fan favorite in 2024. Parsons cited The Impulse Present, a podcast centered on brief course who “would at all times say we have been the very best race to look at 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 amazing present. All these things.’
“That’s actually cool to know that we’re placing on simply pretty much as good a present as Professional 2, Professional 4, the whole lot else and we’re not the extent they’re.”
The 2025 Season
Whereas the 2024 season simply concluded in September, Parsons is already at work in increasing Shock Tech Racing for 2025.
“We purchased a semi a pair weeks in the past in order that’s going to assist out with the programme,” he stated. “I believe I took 5 trailers to Fall Crandon, simply between campers and further trailers and the UTV and components. Every part will probably be all going in a single trailer, that’s going to be tremendous good, and simply defend the Professional SPEC title. We acquired a number of different corporations coming onboard for subsequent yr that we’re understanding some last particulars. That’ll assist in like, simply attempting to make the truck higher.
“There’s nonetheless room for enchancment on making the setup higher and truck higher and there’s a number of issues I wish to change, however simply do the identical factor once more.”
Over the winter, his focus will probably be on AMSOIL Championship Snocross, the place he works as a mechanic. The collection is overseen by Worldwide Sequence of Champions, the identical sanctioning physique that runs Championship Off-Highway. The 2024/25 season begins at Mt. Zion Ski Hill (Ironwood, Michigan) on 13/14 December and concludes at Spirit Mountain (Duluth, Michigan) on 4–6 April.
Whereas a unique motorsport from brief course, there are many features that may be utilized from one to the opposite. Parsons himself used to do snocross and cross-country snowmobile racing when he was youthful, however discovered he “had extra enjoyable wrenching on snowmobiles.”
“It’s a number of the identical factor,” he defined. “Lots of the stuff I realized from my programme, I’ve realized from snocross 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. I’m only a wrench for one of many groups. Final yr, I labored with Nick Lorenz and we acquired second in Professional-Lite factors. That was a number of enjoyable and it’s an excellent filler that I can work for a workforce 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 yr, Deadwood. It’s tremendous cool.
“You prep the sleds on the store, you race in the future, and you then take all of it aside and redo it and put it again collectively for the subsequent day. It’s the identical mindset with a snowmobile as you do with the truck, prefer it’s ensure you get one likelihood to go on the monitor and you bought to verify the whole lot’s excellent.”
Apart from Champ, Parsons plans to go to the Mint 400 in March for the newly added brief course races if Professional SPEC is invited. He and his classmates have a gaggle wherein “most of us wished to go and it seems like Beat needs to go, so so long as we get the funds for that, we’re going to go there.”
As soon as Snocross and probably the Mint are out of the way in which, it’s full steam forward to the 2025 Championship Off-Highway season. The yr begins on 2–4 Might at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, a monitor Parsons visited in 2023 and informed TCF quickly after that he would like to see on the COR calendar. Certainly, he reiterated that place on Friday.
“Tremendous pumped to go to Wheatland in Might,” Parsons commented. “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 accomplished and I’m like, ‘I’m not taking place there for that first time driving it,’ form of factor. However that monitor seems to be superior, like that huge leap within the again and the over/underneath, there’s no monitor like that round right here. I’m tremendous pumped to go there. That ought to be actually enjoyable.”
Apart from the standard returning tracks, the collection additionally plans to move to Deadwood for the Black Hills Shootout, which was beforehand on the 2024 schedule earlier than being pushed again a yr. Whereas Parsons likes the world due to Snocross, he revealed he isn’t completely certain if it’ll occur because of “some points with permits or one thing like that.” Arizona and California have additionally been raised as potential alternate options, although he would favor Deadwood if doable since it’s a nearer journey from the Midwest.
“It’s South Dakota or additional west,” he heard. “There’s form of some rumbling of what’s taking place there and rumours and stuff like that. I imply, South Dakota could be cool. We race Snocross there and Deadwood is an excellent cool city. Every part’s proper there and supposedly the monitor was going to be near city.
“I’m unsure the place they’ll put the monitor there. It’s not mountainous, but it surely’s fairly hilly proper there. There’s cliffs and stuff like that. We’ll see.”
No matter the place COR goes, he is able to go for back-to-back Professional SPEC titles.
“I’m simply tremendous pumped on the championship. Between Matt and I, that was the purpose. That’s at all times the purpose is to win the championship,” Parsons concluded. “I believe successful that, we’ve simply acquired to continue to grow on it and defend it subsequent yr. Simply continue to grow at it.
“The long run is limitless. It’s simply how far can we go?”
