Latest news with #PolarisRZR
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How a California farmer became an off-road racing champion
Brock Heger has spent most of his life driving tractors on his family's farm in California. Now, he's one of the world's top off-road racers, exploding onto the off-road racing scene. Heger, 25, recently won the Dakar Rally, a grueling, nearly 5,000 mile race through the Saudi Arabian desert. He won in just over 59 hours, crediting his endurance to growing up on his family's farm in Southern California's Imperial Valley. While a tractor's top speed caps around 20 mph, Heger's Polaris RZR vehicle rips through the desert at 118 mph. "Having the ability to drive a tractor for 20 hours, being able to work long hours, was good preparation," Heger told CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave. How Heger became an off-road racing champion Heger started racing at 6 years old. He won his first championship by 12. He exploded onto the off-road racing scene and has won six consecutive major events. "I love pressure," he said. "I love trying to do things that, you know, people might think is hard or crazy to do. I've been able to have a really good run in off road racing. And with that comes, you know, nice red target on my back." In January, he was a last-minute entrant to what could arguably be called the World Cup of off-road racing at the Dakar Rally. He crossed the finish line on his 25th birthday. "It was definitely surreal," he said. Joe Heger, Brock's father, is his son's biggest fan. "When he was younger, he used to tear a lot of stuff up. I used to tell him, slower, sometimes faster. It makes you more humble, and it makes you take care of your equipment. Teaches you how to respect, wake up everyday, go to work and and enjoy what you do," Jon Heger said. Sneak peek: Where is Jermain Charlo? Hegseth orders Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk, Jeffries calls it "a complete and total disgrace" FEMA, Trump administration react to sources saying chief did not know U.S. had a hurricane season
CBS News
16 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Pushing the Limits: California man's journey from family farm to off-road racing champion
Brock Heger has spent most of his life driving tractors on his family's farm in California. Now, he's one of the world's top off-road racers, exploding onto the off-road racing scene. Heger, 25, recently won the Dakar Rally, a grueling, nearly 5,000 mile race through the Saudi Arabian desert. He won in just over 59 hours, crediting his endurance to growing up on his family's farm in Southern California's Imperial Valley. While a tractor's top speed caps around 20 mph, Heger's Polaris RZR vehicle rips through the desert at 118 mph. "Having the ability to drive a tractor for 20 hours, being able to work long hours, was good preparation," Heger told CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave. How Heger became an off-road racing champion Heger started racing at 6 years old. He won his first championship by 12. He exploded onto the off-road racing scene and has won six consecutive major events. "I love pressure," he said. "I love trying to do things that, you know, people might think is hard or crazy to do. I've been able to have a really good run in off road racing. And with that comes, you know, nice red target on my back." In January, he was a last-minute entrant to what could arguably be called the World Cup of off-road racing at the Dakar Rally. He crossed the finish line on his 25th birthday. "It was definitely surreal," he said. Joe Heger, Brock's father, is his son's biggest fan. "When he was younger, he used to tear a lot of stuff up. I used to tell him, slower, sometimes faster. It makes you more humble, and it makes you take care of your equipment. Teaches you how to respect, wake up everyday, go to work and and enjoy what you do," Jon Heger said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Side-by-side driver killed in collision with pickup truck
Side-by-side driver killed in collision with pickup truck originally appeared on Bring Me The News. A 24-year-old man was killed when the side-by-side he was driving was in a collision with a pickup truck. The crash happened around 6:45 p.m. Friday on County Road 67 just outside Elgin in Wabasha County, with a Dodge Ram truck and a Polaris RZR colliding. The driver of the Polaris, identified as Skyler Helgeson, was pronounced dead at the scene. A male passenger was also in the Polaris, but there was no information provided by the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office regarding his injuries. The driver of the Dodge was a 34-year-old man. There is also no word on his injuries. The investigation into the crash continues. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement's latest version of events, and may be subject to change. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Drive
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
This Old Ford Model A Rat Rod Is Actually a Polaris RZR
The latest car news, reviews, and features. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, which means it's also too quiet. Time to disturb the peace with another Polaris RZR body swap. This one will make Henry Ford roll over in his grave…and try to hop into the driver's seat. The RZR is the sport segment's most popular side-by-side that, well, often finds itself on its side—or rolling down a hill, or crunched against a tree. People get carried away, y'know. Enterprising builders know an opportunity when it wrecks itself: for example, a crashed Polaris became the donor for this off-roading Honda Fit. And now we've got another ruined RZR fitted into a Ford Model A. In part one of a currently 13-part series, Papa Wheelie rescues a 1929 Model A from his uncle's property, where it had been parked for an extended period. Although he doesn't specify how long the green machine was sitting, a photo shows the vehicle in a covered garage, itself partially covered by haphazardly placed items, such as a warehouse store-sized container of cat litter. Sigh. That's okay, though. He really just needed the sheet metal; its heart and soul comes courtesy of a 2016 Polaris RZR Turbo that was rolled by 'a friend of a friend.' Gee, some friend. 'Many of you will say, 'Hey, that's pretty stupid that you're doing that,'' Mr. Wheelie says at the intro video's 1:25 mark. 'But my idea of hot rodding is you take what you have.' And what he had was a neglected Ford and a rolled RZR. That first video was posted in January of 2022. Twelve updates and three-ish years later, the pieces are finally in place. Or at least fit together enough for a first test drive. The finished Model A 'pre-runner' now boasts a different look from its derelict beginnings. Featuring splashy teal and black paint, the Model A is also without its sidemounted spare tire, has a chopped profile, and wears whitewall tires wrapped around steelies. The vehicle was also made street legal with working headlights, taillights, turn signals, and a registered license plate. But when hitting the streets, your senses will be confused. 'I heard it coming down the road,' said a friend. 'I'm, like, who is showing up in a motorcycle?' He wasn't the only one flabbergasted. During the maiden voyage, Papa Wheelie ends up driving behind local law enforcement (4:00). After a while, the patrol unit pulls over to let him pass, but, to Wheelie's surprise, doesn't follow. Because, no, vintage Fords aren't supposed to sound like that. But who cares? Everyone who drives and rides Papa Wheelie's 'Model rAzR' comes back wearing the biggest grin their face can muster. Yes, especially the kids. The project isn't over yet, but it's certainly closer than it's ever been. The team still has to make tweaks to the hand controls and gauges. The overly squealy tires will also be replaced with a staggered-sized set of 32-inch ('maybe 30s?') high-performance ITP Coyote treads fitted onto Vision wheels. The next video will feature a comparo test between the vehicle's low-riding hot rod stance and the jacked suspension off-roader. The Model A was a favorite of gangsters and hot rodders. This Polaris-based version would probably get a thumbs up just the same. As for the Father of the Assembly Line, would he really be upset over one of his creations still enjoying life nearly a century later?
The Drive
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
This Off-Road Honda Fit Is Really a Polaris RZR Underneath and It Rips
When you think about it, anything can become an off-roading beast nowadays. With the proper tires, lift kit, suspension, and disregard for self-preservation—er, I mean, passion —even a Honda Fit can terrorize your neighborhood's immaculate lawns. Resembling a Micro Machines car come to life is Danny Duncan's off-roading 2017 Honda Fit. It was actually lifted and transformed into an off-roader in 2020, and you can check out that incarnation of the vehicle at the 2:41 mark of this old video. Last year, fellow content creator/builder Mike Masse crashed Duncan's Polaris RZR. Masse's injuries put him in the hospital, but by the time he was discharged, he had an idea: swapping the Fit's innards for the RZR's. A modded Fit 4×4 has been done before, but a body swap? To be a true off-roader, sure, why not give the subcompact Honda a side-by-side's capability? As Masse explains, the fit of the, uh, Fit was underwhelming. 'The little transmission can't turn 35s, the suspension is creaky, and there's some broken parts,' he said in his first video about the build. Nevertheless, he also casually added that 'It might be the best Honda Fit to ever exist.' Masse started posting about the project in March, documenting the repair of the RZR, the body swap, and the teardown test drive, which happened just a couple of weeks ago and is embedded above. To see and hear the 'upgraded' RZR-Fit (this thing needs a real name), you can skip to about 7:27. Masse rips the little Honda around the property near the garage at full squeal. This definitely can no longer be called a small, front-wheel-drive car. It doesn't sound like a Fit at all, and in overhead shots, it doesn't drive like one either, rumbling around those dirt corners. Masse then takes the lifted Honda to the streets and, subsequently, the grassy road verges. That bit starts at the 8:38 mark, and we see the Fit's handling from the road. And, as you'd expect, the thing drives over and onto everything with very little effort. A standard Fit would've lost a bumper at the least. The joyride ends with a sheriff's deputy waiting back at the shop due to reports of 'racing.' Masse doesn't say what the result of the conversation was, but tells us, 'I don't think I broke 40 mph.' He adds, 'Typical, like [a] Honda thing where it sounds like it's fast and it sounds loud, but it's not really going anywhere.' The off-road Fit is unfinished, of course. Masse wants to address 'clunking' noises he heard, improve the stopping power of the brakes, and add another inch or two of lift to better accommodate the big tires, which still rub against the fender during hard stops and turning. The overall build won't win any points for cleanliness, but the vehicle is structurally sound thanks to all the welding that was done. Masse did a great job of making regularly serviceable bits, like refueling, easily accessible. Let's hope the next test is on an actual trail, though. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@ Beverly Braga has enjoyed an eventful career as a Swiss Army knife, having held roles as an after-school teacher, film critic, PR manager, transcriber, and video producer – to name a few. She is currently a communications consultant and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets covering automotive, entertainment, lifestyle, and food & beverage. Beverly grew up in Hawaii but roots for Washington, D.C., sports teams.
