Jeff Ede navigates through a race course during the event. (Submitted photo/Derek Wrightson)

By Derek Cornet

pushing the limits

‘Absolutely insane’: La Ronge men compete in international off-roading race

Jun 19, 2024 | 12:12 PM

Two men from La Ronge are back in town after attending a premiere off-road racing event in the United States called Mountain Havoc.

Jeff Ede and Derek Wrightson travelled to Bonners Fair, Idaho, for the three-day competition described as the Superbowl of havoc-style racing. They took with them a 2013 Jimmy Smith tube chassis with a six-liter V8 engine, automatic transmission, with one-ton, 14-bolt rear axles, and 47-inch tires.

Ede was the driver of the vehicle, while Wrightson was part of his support team. Both men are part of the La Ronge Off-Road group.

“It’s a qualifier race, so you have to place well in another race to qualify for this race,” Ede explained of the event held June 14 to 16.

“This was a four-race series throughout the weekend. We did four different courses. One race Friday, two races Saturday and one race Sunday. It was a point system, so however you did on each of those four races you got so many points and, whoever had the most points at the end, ended up placing first or second or third.”

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In order to make it to the race, Ede performed well enough at Mountain Top Madness during the May long weekend in Kelowna, B.C. Ede ended up placing 12th out of 21 teams at Mountain Havoc with 284 points, while the top driver had 487.

Jeff Ede is pictured with the race buggy he competed with during the competition. (Submitted photo/Derek Wrightson)

“It’s pretty nerve racking, showing up and racing the best drivers within Canada and the United States,” Ede noted.

“There were really well put together rigs, the best drivers, and the tracks were absolutely insane, and they very were difficult race courses.”

The races courses themselves were a mix of a natural and manmade obstacles through a terrain of mountains, sand and forest. There were a few big fan jumps, rock piles, mudholes and pits that Ede had to climb or navigate through.

Ede purchased the buggy in the fall of 2023, and himself and Wrightson worked on it over the winter as it was in rough shape when Ede bought it. The races in Kelowna and Bonners Fair were the first races where they used the buggy, and it was their first time competing south of the border.

Ede has been off-roading since he got his license when he was 16, so travelling to the United States and participating in such an event was quite an exhilarating experience.

“We have a few trails local to us in La Ronge,” he added.

“I’ve had a lot of practice trail riding, but it is totally different story racing these kind of tracks and against these kind of competitors.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com