The first thing Ray Griffith learned about the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series was that he really had a lot to learn.
"I think the first season went all right, but we had our ups and downs," Griffith said of finishing 12th in the point standings in his rookie season in the Pro Lite class.
"It's not as open and friendly as desert racing is as far as people giving you help. A lot of things are more secretive, the setup and things like that. I think we learned a lot and we're definitely farther along than we were last year. We finally got the truck pretty competitive. We were fourth in the (Challenge) Cup race (behind Justin "Bean" Smith, Sheldon Creed and RJ Anderson) so we're definitely pretty good now.
"A desert car and a short course truck are different animals, different setups and different ideas. It took most of the season to start feeling in control. There were a few things we had issues with that we didn't know were issues because I'd never driven short course. It took the whole season to learn it. I've got a feel for the car now, the way it's supposed to work and the way it is working."
Griffith, a 26-year-old resident of Downey, California, grew up playing in the dirt. He said he and his father, Todd, built a sand rail when he was 12 and once he got his driver's license "I was on my way to the desert somewhere every weekend with a dirt bike in my truck."
The sand rail and dirt bike eventually gave way to a Jeep and a successful venture into the Jeepspeed Challenge series, where Griffith earned Rookie of the Year honors and won three championships. Then it was on to the unlimited single-seat Class 1 in the Best in the Desert series and the Pro Lite class in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO.
"A truck looked like the way to go," Griffith said. "The exposure is there and that's where you've got to be. I wanted to go to a truck for the body and because it's more sponsor-friendly, there's more room (for sponsor identification)."
The truck that carried Griffith to four top 10 finishes during the regular season and that fourth in the Challenge Cup was on a chassis jig in Wisconsin early this year and Griffith has begun testing it and preparing for the season-opening E3 Spark Plugs Arizona Nationals March 22-23 at Wild Horse Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.
He's also getting his Class 1 Jimco desert car ready for the General Tire Mint 400 in Las Vegas a week earlier after finishing 14th in class and 46th overall in the recent Parker 425 with his dad sharing the work, as usual.
"He's the El Jefe (the chief)," Griffith said of his father. "He's the crew chief, the boss of everything. He helps with all the different ideas in the shop and prepping the cars and he's there every minute we're at the track, taking care of everything. He runs all my pits in the desert races.
"It's great having him there."
RAY GRIFFITH AT A GLANCE
Age: 26 (16 February 1988)
Lives in: Downey
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Chain Link Fence Construction
Car number: 53 Pro Lite
Type of chassis: Stamper Dodge
Engine: Nogrady Dodge
Crew chief: Todd Griffith (father)
Sponsors: General Tire, King Shocks, Jamar Brakes, Patrick Signs, McKenzie’s, Currie Enterprises, KC HiLites
Years in racing: 9
Divisions raced: Jeepspeed, Unlimited Class 1 desert, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro Lite
Championships and awards: 3 championships in Jeepspeed desert series
Series point standings: 12 Pro Lite (2013)
