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Team 4405: Promoting Responsible Recreation

Travis Carpenter’s 4405 “Land-use” Ultra4 race team is well known in the hardcore offroad community for its work in the land-use realm.

Running a slew of stickers from land-use organizations on the 4405, along with the mantra, “Keep Public Lands Open to the Public” emblazoned across the vehicle, many people mistakenly assume the 4405 team is sponsored by land-use organizations.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Team 4405′s mission is to spread the word of responsible OHV recreation, encourage trail stewardship and volunteerism, raise awareness of land-use issues, and most importantly, promote our hardcore offroad lifestyle to the general public.

In order to accomplish that mission, Travis and I started the 4405 “Land-use”  outreach program. The outreach program keeps Travis and the 4405 just as busy as the race schedule does.  The 4405 is on near constant public display on the trail, at businesses,  in parades, at various 4×4 events and expositions like the Off R0ad Expo, and most importantly, at grade schools and high schools.

Fabricator Dan Trout of Fishmouth Fabworks built the car not just for functionality, but to attract people to it. Since Trout’s skilled craftsmanship draws admirers to the car,  the 4405 often becomes a centerpiece of discussion, which gives any member of the 4405 team the opportunity quickly turn the conversation into one about land-use.

This fall, with the help of a grant through the Cal4 Wheel Conservation and Education Foundation, Team 4405′s outreach program took them to the Pomona Offroad Expo and several schools to speak to people about responsible OHV use and to promote our sport.

In the month of November alone, the 4405 was seen by over 2,500 high school students, and eight classes of students were given a presentation on responsible OHV use and Ultra4 racing with the 4405 on display. The classes were also shown the short film “It’s in your hands” which was produced by the Rubicon Trail Foundation to teach students about recreating on public lands with wheeled motor vehicles.

This type of work does not just help to spread the word about land-use issues, it also helps promote our sport and lifestyle with the younger generation.

It is important to note that you do not need to be a high profile Ultra4 race team with a special program to do this kind of work. If our way of life is to continue in a world that is becoming filled with kids that spend more time in the “virtual” world of Facebook and cell phones, we need to promote our sport. Take the time yourself to talk to people, especially kids, about wheeling and camping. Invite your friends and neighbors to go wheeling with you for a weekend. If we can all become advocates for wheeled motorized recreation, it will help to keep the hardcore offroad lifestyle alive.