Feature Vehicle: Mitch Guthrie Jr. RZR XP Turbo

If you’ve followed UTV racing over the past few years than you have probably already heard the name Mitch Guthrie Jr. “Mitchie” as he is known to family and friends, blasted onto the UTV scene a few years ago making a name for himself at the WORCS Racing Series. Prior to UTV racing Mitch was one of the fastest kids competing in the Trophy Kart class at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. Many know him as the speedy co-dog at King Of The Hammers where he has help his father Mitch Guthrie Sr. earn multiple KOH wins in the UTV class. Needless to say, the apple doesn’t fall to far from the tree and like Mitch Sr., Jr. has a knack for getting to the front of the pack!

After a few very succesful seasons at WORCS, Guthrie Jr. decided he wanted a new challenge and made the choice to switch to Best In The Desert competition for 2016. The 19 year old has wasted no time grabbing headlines and attention in his rookie season of desert racing leading multiple races this season and even taking a win in the Holz Racing Products Production Championship race at the 2016 UTV World Championship. The factory backed Polaris RZR athlete has shown signs of brilliance this season but like any new racer with a new machine competing in desert racing, some challenges you don’t really expect will always surface. Unfortunately for the #951 team, the challenges they have faced have kept them from winning a desert race this season but it hasn’t kept them from continuing to find speed and continuing to challenge the best in the class with ferocity.

The chassis was constructed by LoneStar Racing and is based off of a 2016 Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo frame. The team opted for the longer wheel base due to its smoother ride over the bigger bumps. The suspension is also a LoneStar Racing piece and is used by the likes of Johnny Angal and Branden Sims, both of which have showed lots of success with the kit. Long time partner and sponsor, Walker Evans Racing keeps Guthrie smooth with a set of perfectly tuned Walker Evans Racing Velocity Series shocks. Walker Evans Racing also supplies the 15″ bead-lock wheels.

Guthrie was one of the first drivers to switch to the all new 32″ tire platform. The ITP Ultracross is one of the most proven tires on the circuit and at 32″ tall they provide for a smoother ride and larger ground clearance. The tires combined with Tire Balls run flat system allow Guthrie to drive harder through the harshest of terrain without fear of a flat. The assembly isn’t easy but its worth the effort.

Guthrie turned to long-time friend Shannon Campbell, one of the top off-road racers in the world to build him a custom cooling system for the #951. The system not only looks trick but allows the machine to run in an extreme heat and under heavy load while keeping the turbo charged factory Polaris engine cool.

We thought it would be cool to give everyone a closer look at Guthrie’s new 2016 Polaris RZR XP Turbo he built for this season. Its a cutting edge machine that many in the UTV racing world expect to see on top of the podium before long. We were able to get these shots after day 1 of the 2016 BITD Laughlin Desert Classic a couple weeks ago so pardon the dirt on the machine. Then again, they built the car to race, not look pretty!

Photos by: Rusty Baptist // UTVUnderground.com

Front End:
•LoneStar Racing +3 Long Travel
•LoneStar Racing Tie Rods
•Walker Evans Velocity Shocks
•RCV Axles
•Baja Designs XL80 Lights

Cockpit:
•Polaris Digital Dash
•Lowrance HDS7
•Alba Clutch Outlet Temp. Gauge
•Rugged Radios RRP 6100 Intercoms
•Rugged Radios Dual Parker Pumper
•Sparco EVO 2 Seats
•Sparco Steering Wheel
•Mastercraft 5 Point Harnesses
•Pyrotect Fuel Tank
•Odyssey Battery
•PRP Door Bags, Impact Holder, Camelback Holder

Rear End:
•LoneStar Racing +3 Long Travel
•Walker Evans Velocity Shocks
•RCV Axles
•Lonestar Racing Rear Sway Bar + Links
•Custom Campbell Enterprise Cooling System
•Stock RZR XP Turbo Motor

Wheels/ Tires:
•ITP Ultracross Tires
•Walker Evans 15″ Beadlock Wheels
•Tireballs

Chassis:
•Custom Lonestar Racing Chassis
•Wiring and Dash By BDR Brian
•Factory UTV Skidplate