The Accessory Dream Guide Issue 4

ROB DUFAULT

Rob Dufault has been a member of Team NSOR for over seven years. What he likes best about his job is: “working with customers who have the same interests as me and waking up in the morning and enjoying coming to work at a 4X4 shop!” Rob is a very successful off-road racer. He describes his area of specialization in broad terms, but he can actually back this up due to his experience in living the off-road life. His area of product expertise is:“anything from a stock 4x4 to full on rock crawler.” He has been off-road racing and winning since 2010 and he has a very long list of the races he’s entered and his results: Safari Off-Road Challenge, Edmonton 2010/High Riders’ Challenge, Alix 2010-2014/ Hard Grass Havoc, Drumheller 2013, 2014 /We Rock, Goldendale, Washington 2015 2nd Place, Sportsman A Class /Idaho X Rocks, 2015 2nd Place, Unlimited /Monroe Prison Break, Monroe, Washington 2014 /Hope Motor Sports Brigade Days Summer Smash and Pumpkin Smash. 2012-current In the last race, I got the fastest time over all and won in Comp Modified and Buggy Class /Pemberton Off-Road Rally, 2013-current /Island Cup, Vancouver Island 2012-2016. In the 2016 race, 1st Place /Merritt Off-Road Events 2017 July Race. 2rd Place /Punisher 4x4 @ Merritt Track, 2017 3rd place, Unlimited Class /North Idaho Mud and Crawl 2014 1st place, Unlimited Class. When he was asked what he loved most about racing, Rob was enthusiastic: “I love the competition! Making new friends and comrades is the best part of racing for me. Being surrounded by people with the exact same interests as you really gets the blood flowing.“ Currently, Rob is racing a 2012 j5fab 4 wheel steer rock crawler called DUF Buggy.“The name came from my old man.” When he was a child, he dreamed of “1980’s Toyotas with flat decks and now Rob has “progressed from a stock Toyota with 33” tires to a cou- ple of Toyota-based buggies, to now his dream four wheel steer trail slayer! This required some serious conversions: “I bought the buggy as a single seater and converted it to a 2 seater, so my dad and I could go wheeling again!” First, he installed “new BFG Comp Crawler tires because they are the best tires on the market!” Rob recommends starting with tires for almost all new vehicle owners and suggests that a winch be one of the first purchases too. His favourite accessory brand is: “Camburg as they make the best ‘go fast’ parts on the market”. Rob’s favourite accessory right now is “my lights, this is the first vehicle I’ve had with more than enough lights.” Of course, he now plans to add bigger tires because “everyone wants bigger tires”. This particular buggy began to feel like a Dream Ride “early in 2012, when the buggy made its first trip to the King of the Hammers desert race in Johnson Valley, California. Rob describes this week-long event as endless trails and there is always a large group of people that want to run trails all day and night. Since then, he will “compete in anything from local short course races/obstacle courses, all the way to professional rock crawling events”. His proudest moment so far is: “Winning the Island Cup in 2016 on Vancouver Island in East Sooke - and it still drove on the trailer after I was done!” It is now crystal clear that Rob is a bona fide expert on living the off-road life and that makes him an ideal member of Team NSOR. Rob is proud to display the company decals on his Dream Ride: “Seeing the windshield decals as a kid all over the place and always wanting to have a truck with the banner flying high.” Can’t you just picture Rob crossing the next finish line?

22 THE ACCESSORY DREAM GUIDE