XP1K

About the Project

The new 2014 Polaris RZR XP1000 is the most powerful and advanced UTV to hit the market yet. With the launch of this machine, Polaris has completely reset the performance bar, and there is no better combination of fun and performance, especially for the price. We wanted to build on that platform and show the world how incredible the XP1000 is – so we created XP1K.

UTVUnderground.com and Mad Media tapped our friend, championship UTV and Pro-Lite racer RJ Anderson to pilot our 2014 Polaris RZR XP1K machines, and together we put down a dream list of stunts and tricks that we could stitch together into a single, over-the-top video.

We assembled an off-road dream team to build two RZR XP1K UTV’s, so that we could attempt the most fantastic and challenging UTV stunts ever filmed. Our RZR XP1K machines started out as bone stock 2014 Polaris RZR XP1000’s – and were built into race ready vehicles with the help of suspension master Randy Anderson (Walker Evans Racing), UTV racecar builder and racer Mark Holz (HOLZ Racing Products), engine and drivetrain guru Kevin Kroyer, (Kroyer Racing Engines), and Polaris RZR turbo expert Trey Lokey, (MCX-USA Turbos). We also got a ton of support from the technicians at Polaris – who were instrumental in helping us breathe life into these cars.

The location we picked for XP1K is called Eagle Mountain. It’s an abandoned iron mine just East of Palm Springs, California that has been used in several TV commercials and movies. Our video doesn’t feature futuristic killing machines (Terminator), but it was the perfect off-road playground to showcase RJ Anderson’s aggressive driving skills, car control, and the power and durability of the new RZR XP1000.

The goal of this project was simple. We wanted to share our love of UTV’s with the world.
We wanted to put YOU in the drivers seat, and let you feel what it’s like to smash the gas pedal and GO!

Who is RJ Anderson?

The next generation of professional off-road racers has been cutting their teeth racing in the Pro UTV class since the introduction of sport UTV models in 2007. RJ Anderson is the leader of that movement. He was the 2011 Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Pro UTV Unlimited Champion, while also competing in the Pro-Lite truck class. He earned an astounding twenty-six podium finishes competing in LOORRS in 2011. That same year RJ was the named the TORC Rookie Of The Year and the TORC Pro-Lite Championship runner-up. A year later in 2012 he took eleven LOORRS podiums including five wins in the Pro Lite class, and was named the 2012 LOORRS Pro-Lite Champion and Dirt Sports Magazine Short Course Driver of the Year!

In addition to RJ’s pro career at Lucas Oil, he is also the most feared competitor at the World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) where he competes for Factory Polaris in the Pro UTV class. If the equipment holds up RJ wins and his record shows that winning and finishing on the box is not a problem! RJ’s racing career has also made way for numerous stunt-driving opportunities. He has appeared on set for Polaris numerous times and most notably appeared in 2 of UTVUnderground’s featured viral videos for Polaris in 2012, the Polaris RZR Tour Moto Track Takeover and RJ Anderson’s Vehicle Breakdown filmed during the Polaris Camp RZR event in Glamis, CA.

RJ has been surrounded by professional racers his whole life, and is a student and friend of off-road race champion and living legend Walker Evans. RJ’s father Randy Anderson worked as Walkers crew chief starting in 1980, and soon after became a partner at Walker Evans Racing when it was formed. Randy Anderson is one of the foremost authorities in off-road wheels and suspension. RJ has the off-road industries best sponsors backing his race program and is indeed, the future of off-road racing. For more on RJ visit www.RJ37.com

UTVUnderground.com

The owner and founder of UTVUnderground.com is Joseph “Joey D” DiGiovanni. Joey lives and breathes UTV racing, dunning, rock crawling, mudding, and anything related to off-road and the UTV industry. Joey has built the UTVUnderground.com website into the most informative and entertaining portal for UTV action on the planet. The UTVUnderground.com forums boast thousands of hard-core UTV enthusiasts that swap stories, photos, and information on builds and mods. Joey played a pivotal role in the co-production and distribution of XP1K. He’s the UTV guru that worked with RJ and The Martelli Brothers to make XP1K as outrageous as possible.

The Martelli Brothers

The team of Matt and Joshua Martelli, aka “The Martelli Brothers”, have directed and produced hundreds of web films, dozens of commercials, TV shows, films, etc. They are best known for producing and directing the first three installments of the Gymkhana film series with Ken Block. Their cinematic creativity and hands on approach to film production is unparalleled. You won’t see these guys lounging in a director’s chair – they are passionate about what they do, and they like to get dirty.

Mad Media

Mad Media is a San Diego based marketing and production group that has been producing authentic and dynamic print, web and film work for over twenty years in action sports, motorsports, and general automotive. They have won forty plus awards in the past two years for their commercial television work, viral video campaigns, and online content. Mad Media is the production team behind Gymkhana 1, 2, and 3 – as well as the annual Mint 400 off-road race coverage. They work closely with UTVUnderground.com on a variety of film and TV projects. The entire XP1K campaign including creative concept, design, print, merchandise design, pre-production, film production and editing, and distribution/activation was conducted from the Mad Media headquarters, with heavy input from Joey DiGiovanni and RJ Anderson.

About Polaris®

Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2012 sales of $3.2 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER® and RZR® side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and small vehicles. Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris and KLIM branded apparel and Polaris accessories and parts. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII”, and the Company is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index. Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime at www.polaris.com .

Safety First

Hey…don’t try this stuff at home…especially in a stock UTV! The XP1K videos and photos feature a heavily modified race machine on a closed course – driven by a professional, with a safety crew on standby. RJ makes it look easy. But trust us – theses are very dangerous stunts that should only be watched for fun. UTVUnderground.com, The Martelli Brothers, Mad Media, and all of our project partners remind you to always wear your seatbelts and a helmet when operating or riding in a UTV. We accept no liability whatsoever for injuries or vehicle damage incurred while trying to (stupidly) emulate or copy these stunts. Please do NOT send us pictures or video of you attempting your own UTV stunts. Refer to your owner’s manual for more information on safely operating your vehicle. Do not attempt.

Dedication to Rick Huseman

The filming of this project is dedicated to the memory of Rick Huseman. Rick was a professional off-road racing champion, and a great friend to all of us involved in the XP1K project. We had a plan in place before his untimely passing to film with him at Eagle Mountain – and we did so with his memory in our hearts. Rick was a true champion, and a man among men, and is survived by his wonderful wife and son. You will be missed but not forgotten. Race in peace brother. Rick Huseman (July 9, 1973 – October 16, 2011)

Polaris RZR

The Polaris Ranger RZR the most dominating sport side by side in history. 2 seater, 4 seater from mild to wild, the Polaris RZR are the most exciting UTVs on the market. Visit the Polaris RZR website to view new models or find a Polaris dealer near you!

Falken Tire

Falken was created as the flagship high performance radial brand, Now Falken has become a well-known, stand-alone brand that focuses on UHP (Ultra High Performance) products while utilizing professional motorsports to further develop and improve products for worldwide distribution. Visit Falkentire.com for more information about Falken Tire’s product line up.

Kroyer Racing Engines

Kroyer Racing Engines has been serving its customers since 2000. In 2011 alone, KRE earned 12 Championships and the SCORE International Offroad Racing Series – Engine Builder of the Year Award. Visit kroyerracingengines.com for more information about Kroyers products and services.

MCX USA Turbos

MCX-USA is working to bring the highest quality, largest selection and most reliable turbo and performance products to the UTV market, including applications for Polaris’ best selling RZR line-up. Visit mcx-usa.com for more information.

Walker Evans Racing

Walker Evans Racing’s mission statement is to design and manufacture quality, performance, race-proven products that can used for aftermarket applications. The very same products they produce are the very same products used on numerous race winning vehicles. Visit walkerevansracing.com for more information.

Holz Racing

Holz Racing Products has since been designing, innovating and manufacturing the highest quality and best performing suspension and chassis components in the industry. Our commitment to quality and our no-compromise design philosophy is what keeps Holz at the leading edge our industry; Performance and function first. Visit holzracingproducts.com for more information.

South Point Hotel and Casino

South Point Hotel & Casino, one of off-road racing’s biggest supporters is located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Featuring a movei theatre, 64-lane bowling center, restaurants and a large selection of table games, slot and video poker machines. Visit southpointcasino.com for more information.

Impact

Based in Santee, California and centered in close-proximity to the elusive Sonoran desert and the locale of the legendary Baja 1000, Impact has become known for its revolutionary product lines and leadership in racer safety and innovation. Visit impactraceproducts.com for more information.

Mastercraft Safety

MasterCraft has a long history, starting back in 1970 of producing industry leading race safety equipment including, race seats, helmets, restraints, race suits and more. Visit mastercraftsafety.com for more information.

XP1K Project Facts

VEHICLE FACTS

Two identical XP1K cars were built by Holtz/Walker/Kroyer so if one was damaged, filming could continue.
One of the key features of the vehicle is a hand/cutting brake, which allows the car to brake loose and rotate tighter.
The highly tuned 1010cc Kroyer Racing Engine package runs on late model VP race fuel.
The 15-inch Wild Peak A/T Falken Tires were custom grooved and set up by the Falken Tire Team for maximum grip.
The combination of the MCX-USA Turbo and the Kroyer Racing Engine package creates 190 horsepower to the wheels; utilizing 13 pounds of boost, making the XP1K cars some of the most powerful UTVs in history.
One of the benefits of the differentials is the ability to switch between 2WD and 4WD on the fly.
The Walker Evans Racing shocks are the same shocks that come stock on the RZR XP1000, with some slight internal modifications.
The XP1K cars are capable of speeds in excess of 90 mph.

SHOOT FACTS

Shooting took place at Eagle Mountain, during the hottest heat wave in 30 years. Temperatures soared to 127 degrees. On the final day of filming it actually rained in the morning.
Mad Media utilized four fully outfit RED Epic and Scarlet cameras in a myriad of configurations, including; handheld, on tripods, on jibs, dollies, on a Pursuit Systems camera car, from a Raven Helicopters R44, and the Copter Kids’ RC aircraft.
At times, it was so hot that cameras had to be fitted with custom dry ice packs to keep them from shutting down. Nearly 10 lbs of dry ice was used over the first 3 days of filming alone.
45 GoPro Hero 3’s were used. Six were destroyed beyond recognition.
RJ Anderson jumped his vehicle 126 times without breaking a single part.
RJ’s helmet is an Impact Air Vapor safety helmet, custom painted by Troy Lee Designs.
RJ’s suit is a custom one-off by Oakley and his harnesses are manufactured by Mastercraft Safety.
The terrain varied radically from sand, silt, rock, concrete, iron pellets, scrap metal, wood, and pavement.
The hill decent totaled 440ft at an angle of 45 degrees. RJ hit it a total of four times.
The mineshaft RJ jumped was over 80 feet deep. RJ hit it eight times in a row, perfectly.
The entire crew stayed on site in abandoned houses that hadn’t been used since the mine closed in 1981.
The XP1K crew of forty worked from 5am to 8pm daily, for five long days of shooting, and drank over 600 cups of coffee courtesy of the Oceanside Black Rock Coffee Bar.
The crew consumed over 5,000 bottles of water, and 60 bottles of Pedialyte during the shoot.
Although the crew fought against heat stroke, multiple crewmembers succumbed to minor heat exhaustion and needed to take fluids intravenously.

STUNT BREAKDOWN

Tunnel Launch: RJ launches from within a metal tunnel that measured over 300 feet deep. On exit he jumped over 40 feet in the air before landing
Bank Jump: A motocross style tail whip over a 8 foot dirt bank.
Wooden Whoops: A brutal 80-yard section of stacked decaying telephone poles with a jump at the end.
Mine Shaft: A sketchy 45-foot gap over a pit that measure more than 80 feet deep.
Rally Roads: A series of fast uphill graded gravel rally roads that lead up to the peak of the mountain.
Concrete Gate Drift: A massive concrete structure that RJ threaded precisely – putting the rear right tire a mere six inches from the cement post.
Hill Bomb: An enormous 440ft loose gravel descent at an angle of 45 degrees. RJ hit it a total of four times.
Square Tunnel: A massive quarter-mile underground tunnel that was full of marble sized chunks of iron.
Archway Triple: A series of MX-style jumps laid out between massive concrete pillars originally used to load iron onto train cars.
Step-Up: A thirty-foot gap with an elevated landing that was built at the end of the Archway Triple.
Pool Gap-Jump: Another sketchy gap jump RJ sailed across to launch into the concrete Pool Session.
Pool Session: A series of high-speed drifts and tight donuts executed through a minefield of broken cement and twisted metal carnage.
Mogul Monolith: A gigantic post-apocalyptic cement structure that featured forty, staggered, mogul-style whoops designed to push the XP1K suspension to the absolute limit.
Cyclones: RJ’s own idea of showcasing the AWD action of the Polaris RZR vehicle. Look closely. All four tires are pulling as he rotates seven times in a row before pulling away towards the Basement Bomb.
Basement Bomb: Originally conceived as just a connecting shot – a small jump was built to allow RJ to hit a leftover hanging light fixture. The flying shrapnel ended up being one of the coolest “accidents” caught on camera.
Saucer Drift: This was incredibly dangerous and more complicated than could be captured on film. RJ executes a 360-degree turn on across the face and lip of a massive upended circular concrete rock crusher. There was no room for error.
Concrete Step-up, Step-down: A motocross-style series of gap jumps at high speed that RJ made look easy.
World Record Jump: After tying the former world record of 105 feet on several attempts, our crew carved out a massive dirt roll-in to allow RJ to reach speeds close to 75mph. On his next attempt he jumped 129.75 feet – setting a new world record for “Longest UTV Jump”.