RED BULL STONE SCRAMBLE

The Red Bull Stone Scramble is the second in a multi-stop original collection of SxS races in the Red Bull Scramble Series, which featured both amateur and professional racers. Spanning every corner of the continental U.S., no single race is the same, as each boasts many unique elements but all include exhilarating racecourses and thrilling competition.

Wet conditions certainly made the course tougher than expected. You can tell by the motion blur on the driver-side tire that the driver didn’t use diff-lock in his YXZ going through this section.

BRUTAL BRIMSTONE

Side-by-side enthusiasts met on muddied tracks and slick, rocky terrain at Brimstone Recreation for an epic day of endurance racing at the Red Bull Stone Scramble. Professional and recreational racers alike joined SxS phenom Mia Chapman and the Red Bull Off-Road Junior team members Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Seth Quintero as they competed on the custom-built course designed by off-road legend Hubert Rowland.

The first time we visited Brimstone Recreation in Huntsville, Tennessee, we said to ourselves, “This place would make for a perfect extreme enduro race.” The Red Bull Stone Scramble is not extremely tough, but it’s a start. Hopefully, the team is using this event as a start to more extreme things to come.

The race featured two classes, the SxS Pro for the more experienced racers and the SxS Sportsman for amateur off-road enthusiasts. Each race consisted of three laps on a nearly nine-mile course. With a time of 1:02:23, Kingsport, Tennessee, native Jamie McCoy won the SXS Pro race and took home a brand-new Polaris RZR XP Turbo. Pikeville, Kentucky’s Jeremy Blackburn won the SxS Sportsman race with a time of 1:11:14, earning him a new set of BFGoodrich tires and $500.

Event Participants compete during Red Bull Stone Scramble at Brimestone Recreation in Helenwood TN, USA on 18 September 2021. // SI202109190041 // Usage for editorial use only //

“Once you get hooked on racing, it becomes a passion,” said McCoy, who represented his home state on the podium. “I like to just get out there, and I ride to win.”

No need for a helmet pumper to keep dust out here; however, they do work for keeping your shield from fogging up, too. It looks like Mitch Guthrie Jr. figured that out quick and might have had to run with his visor partially open.

Drivers anticipated a challenging and tough racecourse, but Mother Nature added a layer of difficulty by dousing the area with a downpour just minutes before race time, muddying the tracks and terrain. Those familiar with the local territory reaped the benefits of the storm, while drivers more familiar with rocky desert landscapes weren’t as lucky. But despite the conditions, the Tennessee off-road community showed up in full force and welcomed some of the brightest stars in the sport with open arms.

Rising star and Red Bull athlete Mia Chapman raced her Polaris RS1. She didn’t crack the top three this time out. Fellow Red Bull drivers Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Seth Quintero failed to podium either this time around. We wonder if Monster and NOS energy-drink-sponsored teams will start showing up for the publicity. It could get interesting in these days of the energy-drink wars.

“The Tennessee racing community is unlike anything I’ve experienced,” said Mia Chapman. “Everyone is so nice and supportive. Tennessee is completely different and a totally new challenge compared to the desert. There are a ton of trees, slippery rocks, and even the mud is unlike any place I’ve been.” For upcoming rounds, visit www.redbull.com/events.

This racer has a complete X3 build done by S3 Powersports, but he’s still running stock tires. It was the right choice for these conditions.

We are stoked that Red Bull is giving attention to the UTV crowd. These pylons remind us of one of the very first sports the world-renowned company was involved with—air racing!

PODIUM FINISHERS

In the Pro class, Jamie McCoy finished the race in just over an hour. Collin Truett was one minute back, and Mitchell Lankford rounded out the podium.

SXS PRO CLASS

1. Jamie McCoy, 1:02:23

2. Collin Truett, 1:03:18

3. Mitchell Lankford, 1:11:50

Your Amateur winner was Jeremy Blackburn, and second place went to Kenneth Clark and Kyle Arkenau.

SXS SPORTSMAN CLASS

1. Jeremy Blackburn, 1:11:14

2. Kenneth Clark, 1:17:26

3. Kyle Arkenau, 1:28:42

RED BULL STONE SCRAMBLE

Racing on the rocks at Brimstone

PODIUM FINISHERS

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