OFF-ROAD
ach of us takes to the dunes for different reasons. For some, it is a way to spend time with our families. For others, it is a way to test the new toys we have wanted to play with since the last season ended. But for all of us it is a chance to get away. It is a type of therapy that we all need, something we count on to release the stress of our everyday lives. Stress seems to slip away with every touch of the throttle. Whether you sail over the dunes or you roll through the bowls, our vessels of the desert become the incense of our mediation. It is not about having the fastest car or jumping the farthest. It is about being there with one’s self, with one’s machine, and having an “out” to our lives that this industry knows all too well. Why do we all venture to the dunes? In search of our own Mecca, we travel far and wide for these releases we so desperately need. Safari Off-Road out of Tucson, AZ knows this business inside and out and relies on people who are passionate about this hobby of ours. Ron Dalke, owner and operator of Safari Off-Road, has been building everything from long-travel rails to the good old VW buggies for the last 24 years. These three particular
sand rails are owned by Ron himself and his two friends, Ed and Tony. Ed and Tony were first customers of Ron’s and I guess they never left. All three of these cars are LS1-powered, pumping out between 390 horses on Ron’s green flamed rail to 485 horses on Ed’s red ride. The suspensions are set up the same on all three also: 24 inches in the rear and 22 to 23 in the front. Tony’s “De Storm” sand rail is slightly different from the others, but it is in the same neighborhood of the other two.
What Ron and his team at Safari Off-Road have done is consistently shown that no matter who you are or what you want, you will receive a quality product. There is nothing overlooked and no stone unturned. Although I do like Tony’s paint scheme (done by Tucson Spary Technology) a little more and it was the inspiration for the title of this article, all three of these machines are pure pieces of art. And if you get The Doors song stuck in your head, just think of Ron and his crew in Tucson and they will gladly take your order. As for us, we will gladly see you over the next dune.
By Red
E
Safari