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Story & photos by Steve Rock
April showers brought May flurries to Newmarket, Ontario, but that didn’t stop over 100 vehicles and drivers braving unseasonably cool temperatures to attend the fifth, TMR Customs pre-season open-house on Sunday May 7 , 2017. Rigs from all over the province began arriving well before the official 11am start, and quite a few remained on-site as staff were closing the clean and well organised shop after the final (and grand) prize draw of the day some four hours later.
For many off-road enthusiasts, the open-house marks the unofficial start of the 4x4 season in Ontario and provides them with the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends after being confined indoors all winter. Quite a few of the attendees also compete in the TMR race series, and the open house gave them a chance to showcase builds, discuss the latest mods, and perhaps gain a little inspiration for the next addition to their rig.
The TMR Customs race series isn’t all slow-speed, technical rock-crawling. The not-for-profit event was created to be a fun race series that’s all about speed and action. This equals big-fun for the spectator, plus racing that can be had on a budget for the competitor, especially if you’re someone who’s new to motorsport. There’s no need to run an unlimited-class machine with all the latest in off-road trickery to have a blast; a stock machine that meets the race-series’ strict safety requirements will give you just as many smiles-per-mile, and most likely more bang for your buck, than any other form of motorsport.
There is a unique camaraderie amongst the 4x4 community which is evident at this type of event, and is great for anyone contemplating giving-it-a-go, as there’s always someone around to offer seasoned advice or lend a hand if things don’t go quite as planned.
Grass-roots motorsport events are perfect for the 4x4 enthusiast who wants a little more excitement from their rig than if they were just running trails, yet in a safe and controlled environment.
This year is only the second that the series has run and, if you’re lucky, you should still be able to catch one of the summer’s events. Check out the TMR Customs Off-Road Race Series on social media facebook.com/tmrcustomsoffroadracingseries with the full schedule and rules available at www.tmrraceseries.com.
Tim’s (the T in TMR) Top 5 First Mods:
- Recovery gear & winch
- Tire deflator & air source to inflate
- Upgraded steering & suspension
- Aggressive tires
- Diff covers & skid plates
Tim’s Top Tip for money well spent: "lockers before light bars".
https://www.tmrcustoms.com/ca/
Connect with TMR Customs on social media: facebook; twitter; instagram
Connect with Steve Rock on social media: facebook; instagram