Ramona High student wins in off-road racing

Brandon Arthur, a sophomore at Ramona High School and member of its junior varsity baseball team, has won a first and a second place in two recent off-road races sponsored by the High Desert Racing Association (HDRA).

The 16-year-old raced the class 1400, Ford F-100 race truck that he built with help from his father, Todd, who is a fabricator and Trophy Truck racer.

“The truck used to belong to my dad, who used it on his farm,” said Todd Arthur. “Brandon is a good kid. Being allowed to race the truck is his reward for keeping his grades up. The truck is licensed for the street and Brandon drives it to school sometimes.”

Todd and his wife, Susan, own HRT Motorsports, which specializes in building long travel buggies and off-road/prerunner trucks.

Brandon took first place in the Redline at Stateline race in Primm, Nev., at the end of January, and finished ahead of his nearest rival by over 25 minutes.

In the Imperial 250 in Plaster City, Calif., April 5-8, Brandon was in the lead when the truck began to sputter and die. Brandon diagnosed the problem as a lack of fuel so he and co-driver Donny Kerr set about switching the wiring and hoses to a back-up pump that was mounted in preparation for such a problem.

After making the switch, the second pump was found to be inoperable, but in the course of repair they discovered a loose connection that was the culprit all along. After making the repair, Brandon headed back out and the truck was able to withstand the race course laid out by HDRA staff and described as brutal with deep sand, huge rocks, and big jumps. Brandon came in second place. Half of the 1400 trucks participating did not finish.

The next race for Brandon and his team from HRT will be the 500-mile HDRA Fireworks 500 July 4-8 in the Nevada desert. Kerr, Brandon’s co-driver, is from Ramona and owns an online clothing store, Ridiculous Clothing, with his wife, Jennifer.

Aside from his fabrication and driving skills, Brandon is also an experienced automotive technician and engine builder who has placed second in statewide skills competition.

HDRA is a professional off-road racing organization based in Las Vegas, and sanctions off-road racing events in Nevada and California. HRT Motorsports, based in Ramona, offers custom fabrication, developed from years of racing and track testing. More information is at www.hrtmotorsports.com.