RALLY ROOKIE - 60 SECONDS WITH ANDREW SHORT

Upshift: Tell us what we are doing out here in the dunes today?

Andrew Short: It’s an awesome opportunity to get some rally experience. It’s something that I’ve always been interested in, it seems like the ultimate trail ride. Being a pro motocross and supercross racer for so many years, I loved riding and racing, but it’s so one-dimensional.

I fell in love with riding in the mountains of Colorado. That’s where I met Scott Bright, and we started talking about rally. It seemed like a great opportunity to learn something from him. I don’t know where it will go, but it may lead to something in the future.

Upshift: Why have you become so interested in rally?

Andrew Short: I’ve always seen rally on TV, but honestly it’s not that popular in America. Ricky Brabec is probably the best rally rider in America currently, and he’s a fantastic rider. I wasn’t too knowledgeable until I started talking to people at different events; that’s how I caught the bug. The average rider can get into rally pretty easily, but gear is a little expensive. It’s about $1500 for the “lunch box” unit and the instruments, so there is a bit of an investment. Also, you need some time to learn how to navigate. So, there is a lot of time you need to invest in before you go racing.

Upshift: So when is your first rally race?

Andrew Short: I’ve signed up for the Sonora Rally in April. I’ve heard there are some massive dunes, and the navigation is pretty tricky, so we’ll see how that goes. I’ve been buddies with Scott Bright for a while now, and I’ve been very fortunate that he came out here to give me the “how-to”. He laughed at me getting lost, and gave me some of the tricks of the trade. It’s been a cool weekend, and I’ve got to ride in the dunes. Dumont Dunes are a lot bigger than I thought, and trickier to ride trying to follow CAP settings (compass heading). It was a lot of fun and definitely tricky, and it tested my skills and my knowledge. I think my brain is just as fried as my muscles.