Sparks Racing’s Polaris RZR XP1000
Curtis Sparks has been around off road vehicles most of his life. From the early days aboard a Honda ATC 90 to a full factory ride with Honda when they had a three wheeler team. Today Sparks Racing is a thriving business catering to ATVers and UTVers looking for the ultimate in high performance modifications.
On our recent outing to the Glamis Sand Dunes, for the Camp RZR West experience, we ran into an old friend of ours. Curtis Sparks has been involved in racing off road vehicles since he was a teenager. He started off on a ‘76 ATC 90 three-wheeler, back when three-wheelers were first introduced.
He was even a member of the powerhouse Honda ATC race team back in the mid-seventies and has long been known for building some of the best engine kits in the ATV world. A long list of top GNC, GNCC, and even top ATV flat track racers have used and endorsed his products for years.
Upping The Ante
Today, Curtis Spark Racing is at the forefront of the latest technology for making UTVs faster than ever. His engine kits are well known for being powerful but reliable mills that get the job done. Since Curtis had brought out one of his shop play vehicles to ride in the dunes (it was after all, Camp RZR West at Glamis) we thought we’d chat with him about what was done to his personal Polaris RZR XP 1000 for more duning fun.
Options
It comes down to what it is you want to do most with your RZR. The newest models from Polaris put out considerable power in stock trim. Then again, the desire to have something that is faster than a stocker is always going to be there.
When it comes to performance enhancers, the folks at Sparks Racing have got the entire gauntlet covered. Casual duners will want to start with the basics, mostly getting more and better air flow into the engine. To this regard, Sparks offers a series of Air Intake mods for the RZR XP 1000 motor.
An essential (and low cost) item to get more power to your Polaris RZR is their updated air boot chamber and a set of K&N Performance air filters.
Air Intake Mods
They offer a large diameter new intake box opening for increased flow and performance. Coupled with a high performance K&N filter, with foam wrap, it does away with all the stock intake plumbing and filter box. A clean and simple mod. It also reduces the overall weight of the intake setup. The new box redirects intake location to the center of the bed, thus reducing filter contamination. It Includes a K&N breather for the crankcase vent hose as well. Cost. $279.95
Two Kits: Big Bore And Biggest Bore
You can opt to go for Sparks Racing 1065cc kit that uses the existing bottom end or their Big Bore 1110cc kit that requires some crankshaft and lower end mods…
“We wanted to build the ultimate dune car for our latest shop car to showcase our products and the products of our industry partners,” said Curtis as we spoke with him at the Glamis Dunes.
“The 1110 cc kit is the larger of the two kits we make for the RZR XP 1000. We set out to build a car that made exceptional power without sacrificing any necessities we all want in a daily-duner or play car.” added Sparks.
“This platform nets a massive increase in performance, which goes above and beyond any production UTV on the market. We built this car to demonstrate what a naturally aspirated car is capable of, and we wanted it to have the chassis to back it up.
Monster Of The Midway
“Our Sparks Racing 1110 cc Big Block Cylinder Kit is a perfect big bore kit for any RZR XP 1000 owner who wants to drastically increase performance without sacrificing reliability. It’s not cheap but you get what you pay for and it retails for $2299.95.” Here’s what you get with the Monster Kit: Sparks Racing 1110 cc Big Block cylinder. a set of CP/Sparks Racing Piston kits, a set of Sparks Racing/Carrillo rods and the head base gasket.
Why That Matters
“We have designed custom connecting rods for this kit which optimizes rod geometry and are 80 grams lighter than stock, to insure both performance and reliability. Most companies are not correcting the rod geometry when they spread the bores on their big bore kits, so they simply offer you an HD stock geometry rod which still must endure extreme side-loads, “ says Curtis.
“Some other features on our biggest bore kit for the RZR 1000 are a one-piece cast cylinder with closed deck design. Closed-deck design offers increased cylinder rigidity and gasket sealing capability, as compared to an open-deck design. We also use a Nikisil plated cylinder, which offers light-weight, extreme durability and better performance.” “It has enlarged water jackets, for increased heat dissipation and better cooling. The custom designed head gasket also insures gasket integrity. Our CP pistons are manufactured specifically for Sparks Racing and as I said earlier, our custom Carrillo rods optimize rod geometry. This kit is available for pump fuel, race fuel, and even turbo applications,” added Sparks.
More Power Without Taking It All Apart
“Another option for RZR 1000 drivers, looking for more power, without having to go into your motor’s bottom end, is our Sparks Racing 1065 cc Big Block Cylinder kit,” says Curtis.
“This kit is a perfect big bore kit for any RZR XP 1000 owner who wants to drastically increase performance without sacrificing reliability. This kit is a “bolt-on” kit, so there’s no bottom-end modifications required, and it is designed to use the stock connecting rods. The stock cylinders are designed to only be installed with the engine completely disassembled. The Sparks Racing Big Block cylinder was specifically designed to be installed without taking the engine completely apart, so the installation can be done without removing the engine from the car. Price:$1399.95”.
The Sparks Stage 2 Kit
Curtis likes to prove the viability of his products in the field. We happened to run into him while attending the Camp RZR West experience at Glamis… He was out every night at Comp Hill showing how his 1110cc RZR was a match for any Turbo-fed machines on the hill…
“Our Sparks Racing Stage 2 Performance Package for the RZR XP 1000 or XP4 is perfect for anyone looking for the most efficient way to increase performance, reduce weight, improve cosmetics, and build an ideal platform for future performance modifications,“ said Sparks.
“We have assembled a complete package that takes ALL the guess work out of putting together a turn-key setup. If you end up mixing and matching parts from various vendors and manufacturers, it can leave you guessing what to do for tuning and clutching mods. But with our Stage 2 kit you don’t need to do that.
“Each Kit Includes: Sparks Racing complete X6 stainless steel exhaust system kit. Dynatek fuel/ ignition controller with Sparks Racing Fuel & timing maps, Sparks Racing Performance Clutch Kit, and Sparks Racing Heavy Duty Secondary Clutch Dampener. Price: $2295.95.”
More Mods Available
Sparks Racing has a ton of bolt-on aftermarket products for UTVs. From full on racing mods, to dune, play machine, or serious trail riding applications they can make your stock UTV outperform all takers. Curtis stands behind everything that goes out his door. For him, that makes ALL the difference. Nuff said. Find Sparks Racing at http://www.sparksracing.com or 11200 Pitts Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93306
By Dennis Cox
Photos by Dennis Cox
