It’s not a good idea to go speeding around in the snow and ice in trucks. Or is it? Oddly, the new truck-snow race called Frozen Rush got its start in Vermont, when the Red Bull people had Ricky Johnson try out his truck on the slopes of Mount Snow.
The resulting video proved so popular that the first official Frozen Rush event took place the very next year at the Sunday River resort outside Newry, Maine. More than 1,000 spectators turned out to watch eight competitors, suited up with insulated gloves and heated helmets. The event was held in March of this year at the same venue.
The event features Pro 4 Trophy Trucks outfitted with studded tires, but it’s not as simple as that. It turns out that racing such trucks, designed for desert racing, at such altitudes and in such cold conditions, required some modification.
The 900 horsepower trucks had to have their carburetors fitted with jets that inject less dense air to compensate for the altitude. Teams also need to tweak their suspensions for the conditions, and found that the cooling systems were almost not needed.
The highlight reel from the 2015 race shows flying snow and trucks, with a top five of the best moments. In the end, Bryce Menzies took first place, with Ricky Johnson in second and Rob Mack in third.