IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 4 -- Kia will embark on its greatest off-road racing challenge in 2002 when it enters a new race vehicle in the Trophy Truck class of the SCORE Desert Series. Winner of the Class 3 championship (short-wheelbase SUVs) four times in four attempts -- 1997-2000 -- Kia will compete in the premier class of desert racing against the likes of Ford, Chevrolet and Jeep. The Kia Trophy Truck is based on the larger sport-utility (codenamed "BL") that will be in showrooms later this summer. Kia enters the Trophy Truck division after its Sportage sport-utility dominated Class 3. Darren Skilton, who drove the Sportage to those championships, will drive Kia's new Trophy Truck entry. "We didn't race in 2001 because we were building this truck, and we wanted to make sure it was right from the start," Skilton said. "I feel very confident that, when we race it for the first time, it will surprise a lot of people. I've had a great relationship with Kia and, together, we've built a vehicle we believe will compete for a class championship right away." In just four seasons at the Class 3 level, Skilton drove the Sportage to 19 victories, including two Baja 1000 wins and a Baja 2000 victory. This year, Skilton will face the challenge of handling a vehicle very different than the race Sportage. The new Trophy Truck is powered by Kia's 3.5-liter V6 engine, the same engine that is currently found in the 2002 Kia Sedona and that will be used in the new SUV. The race version of the engine will produce 350 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. The Trophy Truck sits on a prototype tubular chromoly chassis, with a 118-inch wheelbase. To support the race vehicle over the array of terrain, the A-arm suspension features three-inch coil-over shock absorbers in both the front and the rear. "We race to win, but we also use racing as a way to test and promote our vehicles," said Peter M. Butterfield, Kia's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Desert racing is the most grueling form of racing in the United States. By competing and winning, we showcase the reliability and durability of all Kia vehicles." The Kia Trophy Truck will make its debut Jan. 24-27 in Laughlin, Nev., in the SCORE Desert Series season opener. The five-race season ends in November with the historic Baja 1000. Kia Motors America is the U.S. sales, marketing and service arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea.
