You’ve read about his exploits at Ultra4 Racing events all across the country, and maybe even witnessed what he and his custom off-road rigs are capable of doing firsthand. But what do you really know about the one and only Shannon Campbell?

An off-road superstar, Campbell is one of the top drivers to beat on both the short-course and endurance Ultra4 Racing circuit. What he doesn’t prove on the race course, his two kids, Wayland and Bailey, certainly will as they follow in their dad’s footsteps.

Campbell’s skills, however, go far beyond just racing. After all, everything he drives, he builds in-house at his Arizona shop Campbell Ent. Custom Fabrication, LLC, and everything he knows he passes on to the next generation.

Because of the many facets of Campbell, we wanted to really get to know him off the race course and find out what makes him so successful as a builder and professional athlete. Off Road Xtreme also wanted to get to know more about of Wayland and Bailey, who are rising stars in their own right.

Shannon Campbell piloting one of the Spec Class race vehicles up the infamous canyon route known as “Chocolate Thunder” during the 2014 King Of The Hammers race.

A Bit of Background

Campbell and his wife Tammy really started their off-roading adventure back in 1996. That year, the Campbells entered their first off-road competition. Though they were rookies in the event, the Campbells took home the win, setting the standard for their racing careers that followed.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Bailey Campbell is preparing for her first King of the Hammers event in 2015 while continuing to race in the W.E. Rock Dirt Riot Mountain Series with her dad as co-driver.

With the off-road racing blood flowing freely in the Campbell family, it was no surprise when Shannon started building his own rigs. Though at first just a hobby that was something fun to do on weekends, the passion Campbell had for building and racing quickly grew into a full-time gig.

The result has become a reputation as an extremely successful and professional off-road performance shop and builder, with a lengthy list of career achievements. There is a fleet of race rigs running nationwide, sponsored by the best, ranging from Monster Energy Drink to FOX shocks and Currie Enterprises.

No matter where you find Campbell, be it at home with his family or on the race course, the mission is always the same: strive to be the best in everything he does, set the bar high, never quit, and create the trend rather than be the follower.

Whether he’s behind the wheel, under the hood or in the co-driver position for his daughter, Campbell is fully involved in every aspect of the off-road community. Here, Bailey Campbell competes in the second Dirt Riot Mountain Series event in Colorado Springs with her dad acting as co-driver.

Off Road Xtreme: How did you get into off-road racing and how have you progressed in the racing scene since?

Shannon Campbell: “My dad raced off road when I was a kid and it’s all I ever wanted to do, so I jumped at the first chance I had, but didn’t really have the best car and so I learned how to make it better.”

ORX: Who did or do you look up to in the off-road racing community?

Campbell: “I never really looked up to just one person, but always paid attention to everyone that was good and learned from them.”

ORX: What are some of your biggest accomplishments in the off-road scene thus far?

Campbell: “Some of my biggest would be-1996 1st Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge, UROC Champion, W.E. Rock Grand National Champion (two years), XORRA National Champion (two years), 2005 Dirt Sports Driver of the Year, “KING” of the Hammers (2008, 2011), Ultra4 National Champion, 1st Place Japan Rockcrawl, [and] Ultra4 Sportsman of the Year.”

ORX: What have you not accomplished that you’re aiming to accomplish in the future with your racing career?

Campbell: “I would like to race everything. If only time and money weren’t a problem (laughs).”

ORX: What is it like racing with or against your son Wayland and now having your daughter Bailey get into the off-road world?

Shannon in the co-driver’s seat with Bailey at the helm.

Campbell: “It’s fun being able to teach them the things I wish I knew at their age!”

ORX: What’s the most rewarding part of having both of your children greatly involved in something you are so passionate about?

Campbell: “What is most rewarding is doing it as a family. It keeps us all together.”

ORX: If you could give your kids any advice (whether they would listen or not) on their careers in off-road racing, what would it be?

Campbell: “I learned something from all my mistakes, so I try and teach them all that I have learned. Just when you think you’re the best, there is always someone who is better. The goal is to finish the race and then we can win the race. [Also] never give up.”

ORX: You are very successful at what you do and have lots of people who look up to you. How do you stay so grounded about your accomplishments in off-road racing?

Campbell: “I’m fortunate to have great family and friends. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be who I am.”

Shannon Campbell just minutes prior to the start of the 2014 King Of The Hammers race.

ORX: Where do you see your off-road racing career going from here? Where do you see your children going with their off-road passions?

Campbell: “I hope to have my name known worldwide and keep evolving the future of the off-road industry. As for the kids, I want them to have fun and enjoy off-roading whether they continue to race or do it for fun.”

Though Campbell has seen his struggles this season on the race course, he did see a fantastic win at Badlands. Image: Thom Kingston/ Ultra4

2014 Season Successes

So far this season, Shannon has experienced a tough year in the Ultra4 competition series, not finishing in the annual King of the Hammers event in February, followed by finishing 17th at the Ultra4 Stampede in June. His luck turned around in Indiana on June 28, where he took home the win for the Ultra4 Badlands event, only to get 36th place at the Ultra4 Glen Helen Grand Prix event in mid July.

Shannon and Wayland before an event. Image: Campbell Ent.

According to Tammy, Shannon has been testing out some new things recently, so there the team is looking forward to a turn-around later in the 2014 season and on into 2015.

On the flip side, Campbell’s son Wayland finished 15th this year at King Of The Hammers, and has placed ninth, 15th and fourth at the other Ultra4 Racing events he has competed in so far during the 2014 season.

Shannon’s daughter Bailey has also been in on the action, scoring eighth, third, and sixth in races in the 2014 season’s W.E. Rock and Dirt Riot Mountain Series events.

She’s also competed in two Ultra4 Racing competitions with her dad and brother, taking home 13th and 12th, and even hit her ultimate goal this year of qualifying for the 2015 King of The Hammers event.

Tammy expressed her excitement as well as anxiousness about having her husband and two kids all on the course at the 2015 King Of The Hammers, telling us that Shannon has been teaching Bailey all season, “she has to finish to win.”

The Future of Campbell Racing

Modest about his successes and stardom, Campbell is just as at home under the hood of an off-road build as he is behind the wheel. He’s also content being in the passenger seat co-driving for a friend or his daughter, as well as on the sidelines cheering on one of his teammates. Because of this and all the heart and soul Campbell has put into his racing and building careers, the future of Campbell Racing and Campbell Ent. looks bright.

Coming up this season, Bailey, Wayland and Shannon will all be out in force competing against some of the best in the off-road world, including each other. In the middle of August (14 through 16), the Campbells will return to Colorado for Bailey’s third and final round of the W.E. Rock Dirt Riot Mountain Series competition.

The following week, it’s over to Tooele, Utah for the Miller Motorsports Ultra4 competition. September 12 and 13, the team will be in Strugis, Kentucky for the big Ultra4 Sturgis Blowout, followed by the Off-Road Expo in Pomona, California October 3 through 5. They will also be attending the yet to be located Ultra4 Nationals, to be held October 16 through 18.

Rounding out the season will be the family’s appearance at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, which is set for November 4 through 7, 2014. Be sure to follow Shannon Campbell and his kids’ racing careers on the family’s Facebook page. We wish them the best of luck for the remainder of the season and in their future off-road adventures, including the 2015 King Of The Hammers event!