If you’re looking to own a piece of off-road racing history, one heck of chance is about to go down through the California branch of Auctions America. Among the dozens of incredible examples of automotive history going under the gavel beginning July 31, 2014, will be Frank “Scoop” Vessel’s 1976 Ford F-100 off-road race truck.

For those of you who don’t know who “Scoop” was, here’s some schooling. Frank “Scoop” Vessels III was, among other things a top off-road racer, and achieved more than 30 off-road victories throughout his career. He was a four-time SCORE class champion, and winner of the 1977 Baja Baja 500 and 1000, and the 1988 Baja 1000. In 1974, Vessels was named the “SCORE Rookie of the Year,” and the “Off-Roadsman of the Year” by SCORE-International in 1978

Several automotive racing enthusiasts worked toward the creation of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, including Vessels. The first NASCAR-style truck made its appearance in 1994 at the Daytona 500.

Frank’s grandfather, Frank Vessels Sr. was a prominent figure in American Quarter horse racing, and was the founder of the Los Alamitos Race Course, in Cypress, California. Frank earned the nickname “Scoop” from hanging around his grandfather’s horse stalls as a kid. The story goes, as Frank told a reporter once, that when he was young he was handed a shovel and told to “scoop.” The nickname stayed with him for life.

Vessels was also a breeder of American Quarter Horses. He was the president of the American Quarter Horse Association from 2004 to 2005, and was a past president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. He ran the Vessels Stallion Farm for more than 20 years. The Vessels Stallion Farm logo appeared on the side of many of Frank’s early trucks.

Vessels died on August 11, 2010, when the private airplane he was piloting crashed just outside of Burns, Oregon. He was 58 years old at the time of his death.

This Ford F-100 off-road race truck is in perfectly restored condition and has quite a history under its wheels. The truck was, depending on the source, originally a 1972 that was built into a full-bore race truck in 1976 by Charlie Haga. Vessels and the truck went on to take the Class 8 full-size truck win in the 1977 Baja 500 and Baja 1000.

There is not a lot of information available about its mechanicals, but what we do know is that it was originally powered by a propane-fed 404 ci Ford V8. The IMPCO company wanted to demonstrate the viability of a pressurized propane fuel system since it would not change its density or power delivery with altitude. The truck would be racing on a course that traversed altitudes ranging from sea level to nearly 6,000 feet in elevation.

The F-100’s 1977 wins were big for Vessels and BFGoodrich because it was the introduction of the tire brand to off-road racing. Vessels took part in the development of the first generation of the BFG Radial T/A tire. The premiere of this tire marked the switch from mostly agricultural-type tires to those specifically deigned for off-road competition.

Other known spec’s on the 114-inch wheelbase pickup include front half-ton I-beams, a Chrisman rearend, Art Carr C-6 tranny, F-250 spindles with knock-off hubs/lugs, American Racing wheels, Rough Country shocks, and custom brakes with GM calipers.

The truck was completely restored by BFGoodrich (and converted to gasoline) for the 2005 SEMA show to celebrate the tire company’s 20th year of involvement in off-road racing. For some racing action of the truck, check out the classic film Baja: Off Road With BFG via YouTube below.