Fresh Air

Meet the team that will take Mopar® power to the top of the “Trail” in off-road competition—Collins Motorsports!

Words: Darren Jacobs

Here’s the understatement of the year—Mopar® fanatics are passionate about the professional race car drivers who compete with Mopar power. Just ask long-serving Team Mopar veterans such as Allen Johnson and Gary Scelzi from the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Jerry Coons Jr. of the USAC Mopar Midget National Championship Series, or Samuel Hübinette, Mopar’s two-time Formula Drift Series champion. They will tell tales about a Mopar Nation of diehard fans that crowd their pit areas, express their love for all things Mopar, and cheer on their favorite MoPowered champions with an ardent fervor second-to-none.

Now, another squad of drivers will soon learn about the zeal of Mopar enthusiasts. At the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Mopar announced its return to off-road competition, headlined by the Collins Motorsports trio of Brian Collins, Larry Ragland, and Chuck Hovey. With just two races piloting the No. 12 Mopar Dodge Ram SCORE Trophy Truck in the SCORE Desert Series under their collective belts at press time, the Collins Motorsports crew is basically a “newbie” to the Mopar world.

Here are a few brief factoids for Mopar fans on the off-road racers and crew members who will drive Mopar power onto the “Trail” for years to come. Prepare yourselves, guys! Now that you’re part of Team Mopar, you’re in for a one-of-a-kind, wild ride!

Brian Collins

• Date of Birth: 09-25-62
• Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
• Marital Status: Engaged, Carla
• Children: Brian Jr., Courtney
• Is also co-owner of Collins Motorsports
• Was the 2006 and 2007 Overall SCORE Baja 500 champion
• Claimed wins in 2005 at the SCORE Primm 300, Terrible’s Town 250 and Nevada 1000

Larry Ragland

• Date of Birth: 12-22-43
• Hometown: Cave Creek, Ariz.
• Marital Status: Girlfriend, Kelly
• Children: Chad
• Claimed the SCORE Baja 1000 overall win five times (1999, 1997–1995, 1991)
• Has also earned five overall wins in the SCORE Baja 500
• Earned his second-straight SCORE Heavy Metal and SCORE Class 8 championships in 1992

Chuck Hovey

• Date of Birth: 07-23-68
• Hometown: Escondido, Calif.
• Marital Status: Single
• Children: None
• Has won the Superstition Series seven times
• Was the overall winner and first in Class 1 in the Terrible’s Town 250 and Henderson Terrible’s 400 in 2007
• Claimed the Pro Dirt championship and was the overall points champion in Best in the Desert in 2004, 2005 & 2007

Robbie Goerke

• Date of Birth: 06-07-72
• Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
• Marital Status: Wife, Mandy
• Children: None
• Serves as Team Manager for Collins Motorsports
• Has been involved in off-road racing since 1990
• Is co-owner of Collins Motorsports

Billy Goerke

• Date of Birth: 04-23-74
• Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
• Marital Status: Girlfriend, Michelle
• Children: None
• Serves as crew chief for the Collins Motorsports Mopar Trophy Truck
• Is the primary co-rider in the No. 12 Mopar truck
• Is co-owner of Collins Motorsports

Erik Dickinson

• Date of Birth: 07-22-79
• Hometown: Apple Valley, Calif.
• Marital Status: Single
• Children: None
• Is Head Fabricator and Back-Up Co-Rider for the Mopar Trophy Truck

Sam Zaranti

• Date of Birth: 10-03-73
• Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
• Marital Status: Girlfriend, Sue
• Children: None
• Chief Mechanic for the Collins Motorsports team

Collins Motorsports and Team Mopar “Score” Two Early Wins

Just as Mopar Magazine was set to go to press, Brian Collins roared through the rugged trails and washes of Mexico’s Baja California desert, earning the overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory in the No. 1 Collins Motorsports Mopar Dodge Ram 1500 at the 22nd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race. Collins captured the win in only the third event since Mopar announced its return to off-road racing. The victory was the first since 1979 by a Mopar-powered Dodge truck in a SCORE event. The veteran off-roader covered the 232-mile course in just three hours, 44 minutes, 16 seconds, averaging an amazing 62.07 miles per hour.

“This was a huge win for us,” said Robbie Goerke, team manager for Collins Motorsports. “It was big to get that first win for Mopar. To beat the top motorcycle team by 24 minutes, that was a huge deal. We only stopped for 40 seconds the entire race. Our Mopar engine package [the Mopar R5 Aluminum block] was awesome.”

Also at press time, Chuck Hovey and Brian Collins teamed up to drive the No. 12 Dodge Ram to the Unlimited Class and overall win at the SNORE Mint 400 near Jean, Nev., to give the team two early wins. — Source: SCORE PR