ST. GEORGE – What started off as a simple dyno competition quickly turned into a successful full-scale event when the minds behind the Fall Fuel Fest went to work. Over 10,000 people collected in the desert at the SGMX Motoproving Ground for sled pulls, motocross, dynos and nitro circus.
Over $100,000 in cash and prizes was handed out to the drivers, riders and builders who were able to come out on top. Vendors and promoters were all in attendance as well, providing fans with parts, apparel, food, and chances to meet the athletes. Although unprecedented in the St. George area, the first ever Fall Fuel Fest drew an impressive crowd and was an overall success.
“We definitely learned a lot. It is the first event we’ve ever thrown, so we came into it not knowing what to expect.” Bentley Hugie from H&S Performance said. “It turned out twice as good as we ever dreamed. I think it was perfect.”
The main sponsor of the Fall Fuel Fest is H&S Performance, and they came through on their promises of this being a huge event. The two dyno trailers were running all day, testing the true horse power being put out by some of the biggest diesel trucks in the area. The two-hour Ultimate Moto Challenge race took a combination of a distance desert race and an obstacle section that had even the best riders struggling to get through. Riders were required to navigate logs, tractor tires, and full-sized cars in addition to the challenges already part of distance racing.
The night finished off with a show by the Nitro Circus team, and combined dirt bikes, BMX, skateboards, tricycles, trash cans, and just about anything else with wheels for a fast-paced series of stunts and jumps. As the excitement continued to build, members of the team attempted bigger stunts like the tandem dirt bike, simultaneous jumps, and even a wheelchair jump.
Many of the people involved with the races and stunt teams were local riders, which led to a lot of interaction between the riders and members of the audience. Friends, family and fans had opportunities to talk with riders and meet the people they cheer for, and riders were able to see up-close how supportive their fan base is. This interaction motivated fans to cheer on their favorites with more excitement, and riders to work harder to entertain the fans.
For a lot of the contestants, events like this have become a family affair, and a chance to spend time with family and friends who do the same. Jerry Hairhoger, the first place winner in the street semi-truck event, works side by side with his father on their trucks, and they travel to compete with each other at events across the nation.
“It was a good time and a nice event.” Hairhoger said. “We built the truck in three months; PDI* built the engine, I built the turbo charger, and my father and cousin helped build the truck.”
Organizers of the Fall Fuel Fest plan on having an event every year, and have certainly started the tradition off right by going big. Community support, solid promoters, and the mutual love for motor sports led to a successful event.
Enjoy our complete STGnews Fall Fuel Fest Photo Gallery below:
More: Fall Fuel Fest website.
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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2012, all rights reserved.
10,000 peeps for the first event…that’s off the chain! What a way to show people that STG is more than just golf and goin to church! Thanks for the good news coverage and photos, stgnews.com.
Haha right?!
Awesome, insane event for the area. Beer and shots to the city for having a bold new show to go to!
Thanks goes to SGMX and the promoter of the event!! The City had nothing to do with this and almost didn’t let it happen. The promoter had to go to the City Council and reassure them this event would be ok for that area of the City. It’s not like it was their idea or anything like that.
Good point, Gunther, I should’ve known better. The City looks down on this type of entertainment-too ruggish, too masculine or god knows what lol!
Goes to show, that if you have government stay OUT of it, good things can successfully happen.
Heard today from event staff and security that the latest numbers were over 15,000 people! very impressive.