The Red Bull Frozen Rush is an off-road motorsport

match race A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consi ...

on snowy alpine skiing slopes. The event debuted in 2014 featuring eight short-course and desert off-road racing drivers. '' Road & Track'' magazine said "The unique action provided a mix between the traditional stadium-style off-road racing and the crossover jumping from

Global Rallycross The TitansRX International Series (formerly known as Red Bull Global Rallycross or Global Rallycross) is a group of rallycross series, currently organised by racing driver Max Pucher and businessman Chip Pankow. The initial series was series ru ...

History

In 2013, Red Bull had their team driver Ricky Johnson haul one of his Pro 4 short course trucks across the United States from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Mount Snow Mount Snow (previously known as Mount Pisgah) is a mountain and ski resort in southern Vermont located in the Green Mountains. It is Vermont's southernmost big mountain, and therefore, closest to many Northeast metropolitan areas. In Septemb ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

for an exhibition on the ski slopes. Red Bull filmed the exhibition and the video was popular enough that they decided to turn it into a competition. Sundayrivermaine

The first competition happened in 2014 at the Sunday River Resort near

Newry, Maine Newry (; ) is a resort town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 411 at the 2020 census. Newry was the site of one of Maine's worst Cold War aircraft crashes. The town is the home of Sunday River Ski Resort and has a p ...

. The drivers raced the trucks on the resort's snowy ski slopes. About 10000 spectators attended the event with temperatures topping out below .

Vehicles

The event features Pro 4

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

Trophy Truck A trophy truck, also known as a Baja truck or trick truck, is a vehicle used in high-speed off-road racing. This is an open production class and all components are considered legal unless specifically restricted. Although any truck that meets t ...

s racing with

studded tires Snow tires, also known as winter tires, are tires designed for use on snow and ice. Snow tires have a tread design with larger gaps than those on conventional tires, increasing traction on snow and ice. Such tires that have passed a specific wi ...

. Th
BFGoodrich race tires
utilize an inner liner and feature approximately 700 studs. The studs have ruined the fiberglass fenders of some trucks. The 900-horsepower trucks have modified jets in their carburetors for the less dense air in the higher altitude. Teams had to adjust their suspensions and gear ratios for the conditions. Trucks didn't need to use as efficient of cooling systems in the cooler temperatures.

Drivers

In the inaugural 2014 event, eight drivers from the two national series (

TORC A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some had hook and ring closures and a few had ...

and LOORRS) were selected to compete head to head with the victory advancing to the next round. Ricky Johnson beat Johnny Greaves in the final round for the win after Greaves received a 5-second penalty for hitting a gate. The 2014 Frozen Rush was broadcast taped delayed on NBC Sports' Red Bull Signature Series program. Drivers use thick gloves and heated helmet technology developed for snowmobile racing.

Competitors

References

External links

* {{Red Bull Off-road racing Red Bull sports events Auto races in the United States Motorsport in Maine Recurring sporting events established in 2014 Annual sporting events in the United States