Method Race Wheels Heritage Series Tribute to Off-Road Racing Icons

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Jesse Jones’ Mason Motorports All-Wheel-Drive Trophy Truck features the Enduro Racing Duralast Class 8 pickup livery.

The Method Race Wheels Heritage Series of off-road desert race trucks and cars was created to pay homage to some of the most famous and historic race trucks and cars. Each one of the off-road race vehicles in the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series features liveries patterned after an iconic race truck or car.

Boyd Jaynes, Method Race Wheels Content Director, explained, “We chose these for our Method Race Wheels Heritage Series because they were historic liveries that graced race cars that were icons of their day. The first five of the current six Method Race Wheels Heritage Series race trucks and cars wear liveries that are not exact copies, but rather updated interpretations of those liveries.”

Method Race Wheels Heritage Series #1

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Jesse Jones’ Mason Motorsports AWD TT has about double the power of the truck Ashley drove in 1996.

Number one of the Heritage Series is Jesse Jones’ Mason Motorports All-Wheel-Drive Trophy Truck. This modern off-road race truck features a version of the Duralast livery first used on the Dave Ashley/Dan Smith Enduro Racing Duralast Class 8 pickup truck for the 1999 off-road racing season.

The Enduro Racing Trophy Truck did well at quite a few races, including the overall four-wheel-vehicle win in the Baja 2000 (held in November of 2000 on a treacherous 1,680-mile course from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas). The single seat, two-wheel-drive race truck roared with an eight-into-one exhaust system that was recognizable miles away. Jesse Jones’ Mason Motorsports AWD TT puts about twice the horsepower and torque as the truck Ashley drove in 1996.

Justin Loftons’ Rough Rider Trick Truck

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Justin’s Lofton’s Jimco Gen 3 livery is patterned after the truck that Paul and Dave Simon drove to the overall win at the 25th (1992) Baja 1000.

Second in the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series is Justin Lofton’s Rough Rider Trick Truck. Justin’s Method Race Wheels Heritage Series desert race truck hides a 2015 Jimco Gen 3 Trick Truck under its Rough Rider-themed 1995 Ford F-150 skin. The Rough Riders was a multi-class dominating Ford truck “super team” from 1991 to 1996.

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Justin Lofton’s Rough Rider Trick Truck hides underneath a 1995 Ford F-150 body.

Justin Lofton‘s Jimco Gen 3 Trick Truck wears a livery patterned after the Class 1 tube-chassis race truck that Paul and Dave Simon eventually piloted to the overall win at the 25th (1992) annual Baja 1000. As technologically advanced as the Jimco Gen3 Rough Rider Trick Truck is, the Russ Wernimont-built Class 1 truck was ahead of its time and featured a four-link rear and boxed front suspension that delivered 28-inches of rear-wheel travel.

Brenthel Miller American Trick Truck

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The Method Race Wheels Heritage Series Brenthel Gen3 pays tribute to the Miller American Racing Chevy pickup driven by Steve Kelley.

The Method Race Wheels Heritage Series Brenthel Industries Gen3 Trick Truck is the third of the series and a “tip of the hat” to the Larry Minor Miller American Racing Class Chevy pickup truck driven by Steve Kelley. Designed by Walker Evans, Larry Minor, and Randy Anderson (built in Walker’s shop) in the early 80s, the Miller American Class 8 featured a coil-spring rear suspension.

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The borrowed classic livery apparently held some magic, as the Swanty team won its class in the 50th Baja 1000.

The Miller American Chevy scored numerous wins during the 80s and was a fan favorite. For the 50th Baja 1000 (1992) Cody Swanty wanted a historically significant and familiar paint job on his Pro Truck. He decided the Miller American paint job was the perfect look. The classic livery borrowed from the Larry Minor Miller American Class 8 apparently had some “mojo,” as the Swanty team won its class.

Lightning Does Strike Twice

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The fourth member of the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series is AJ Jones’ Mason Motorsports AWD TT.

Fourth in the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series is the Mason Motorsports AWD TT now being driven by AJ Jones. The son of TT racer Jesse Jones, AJ has been highly competitive in 6100/TT spec classes and finished seventh overall with a Spec TT class win at the 2019 Baja 1000. AJ Jones’ skill level and record of success has risen so quickly in the past few years that it reminded the crew at Method Race Wheels of Jimmie Johnson.

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The Chevy Lightning livery was influenced by the famous two-truck Chevy team Larry Ragland and Jimmie Johnson.

That thought led to borrowing the Chevy Lightning livery of the highly successful and recognizable two-truck team of Larry Ragland and Jimmie Johnson from nearly 30 years ago. AJ Jones’ quick and agile Mason Motorsports AWD TT is powered by upwards of 1,000 horsepower. It’s now cloaked in the striking Chevy Lighting livery as a tribute to the two iconic desert racing champions.

Greenwood Big Oly Bronco Tribute

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The Greenwood Bronco is a tribute to the famous “Big Oly” Bronco that Parnelli Jones drove to fame in the early years of off-road racing.

Number five of the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series is very likely the most immediately recognizable. It’s a tribute to what is arguably the most famous off-road race car, the Bill Stroppe-built “Big Oly” Bronco that Parnelli Jones drove to fame in the fledgling years of off-road racing. The Greenwood Oly Bronco was built by Chris Greenwood (who grew up in a racing family) and drove it for the first time in the 2019 NORRA Mexican 1000.

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The Greenwood Bronco was christened with the Big Oly livery for the 2021 Baja 1000.

Wins at a few other races, and again at the 2021 NORRA Mexican 1000, were the beginnings of a plan to go really “big” with the Bronco. The Greenwood Bronco was christened with a Big Oly Bronco-like livery for the 2021 Baja 1000, making it a perfect choice for the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series.

Wilson Racing Family Dynasty

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The Wilson Motorsports Class 1 car was included because it carries a livery that has been part of the multi-generational racing dynasty.

The sixth member of the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series is the Wilson Motorsports Class 1 off-road race car. Boyd explained that this Method Wheels Heritage Series pick was somewhat different than the others. “The Wilson Motorsports Class 1 car is the exception to the rule. We included it in the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series because it carries a livery that has been part of the Wilson family racing dynasty.”

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The Wilson Class 1 Jimco Mid-Engine runs an aluminum small-block V-8 that turns 40-inch BFG KR3 tires.

The Wilsons have been racing since the earliest days of organized desert racing and are still racing cars bearing that same livery the family has used for decades. Three generations have raced everything from motorcycles and three-wheelers to Class 1 cars, and just about everything in between. The Method Race Wheels Series Wilson Class 1 off-road racecar is a Jimco Racing Class 1 Mid-Engine powered by a Wiks Racing aluminum small-block V-8 that can turn 40-inch BFGoodrich KR3 tires.

The Next Method Wheels Heritage Series Race Car

What will be the next off-road race truck or car inducted into the Method Race Wheels Heritage Series? There was no answer to that question. We have some favorites, but what iconic off-road race truck or car would you like to see next in the Method Wheels Heritage Series? 

About the author

Stuart Bourdon

A passion for anything automotive (especially off-road vehicles), camping, and photography led to a life exploring the mountains and deserts of the Southwest and Baja, and a career in automotive, outdoor, and RV journalism.
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