SODA (SERIES)

'SODA (Short-course Off-road Drivers Association)' was an off-road racing sanctioning body in the United States.

Contents

Demise

History

Video game

Classes

Tracks that held races

Drivers

External link

Demise

Most drivers from SODA moved to CORR (Championship Off-Road Racing) after the 1997 season, which basically ended SODA's existence. A greatly diminished series continued on for at least a few years afterwards.

History

The series was televised in the 1980s and 1990s. Series races appeared tape delayed on ESPN/ESPN2 (often during in the winter months). Most races were held in Wisconsin but a few were held in Michigan. The crown jewel of the series was the off-road championship event held at the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway - the "home of the world championship off-road race".
The vehicles used were primarily Trophy trucks, buggies (which were based on the original Volkswagen Beetle called Baja Bug), and a few stock cars. All vehicles had heavily modified suspension.

Video game

In 1997, Sierra Entertainment released a SODA-themed racing video game called SODA Off-Road Racing.

Classes

★ Class 2-1600, 1600cc engine buggies with driver plus co-pilot

★ Class 4, 4 wheel-drive full size trucks

★ Class 5-1600, buggies with driver only

★ Class 7s, 2 wheel-drive four cylinder trucks

★ Class 8, 2 wheel-drive full size trucks

★ Class 13, 2 wheel-drive full sized trucks with more restrictions than Class 8

★ Heavy Metal, combined race with Class 4 and Class 8 trucks

Tracks that held races

Many tracks held races:

★ Bark River Off-road Raceway, Bark River, Michigan

★ Crandon International Off-Road Raceway, Crandon, Wisconsin

★ Glen Helen Raceway, San Bernardino, California

★ Ionia Fairgrounds Speedway, Ionia, Michigan

★ I-96 Speedway, Lake Odessa, Michigan

★ Langlade County Speedway, Antigo, Wisconsin

★ Lake Geneva Raceway, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

★ Luxemburg Speedway, Luxemburg, Wisconsin

★ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin held a single event inside the paved road course in 1996

★ Sunnyview Expo, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Drivers

★ 7-time series champion Jack Flannery. His championships were occasionally compared to those of Dale Earnhardt.

★ Brendan Gaughan - NASCAR driver (1995 Class 13 champion, 1996 Class 8 champion)

★ "the Legend" Walker Evans - 1994 and 1995 Class 4 (2WD) Series champion

★ Johnny Greaves

★ Jimmie Johnson

★ Art Schmidt

★ Jeff Kincaid

★ Scott Douglas

★ Curt LeDuc

External link

★ 1997 Crandon Spring results