Chloe Yonker Talks About Love At First Ride
Story By: Savannah Rose
Photos by: Jason Zindroski & Tom Leigh
Chloe Yonker, known as The Cummins Cowgirl on social media, is a brand new face in the UTV world, but after just one ride, she is already hooked. Back in October at the EFX Tires Trail Hero SXS Rally at Sand Hollow State Park, she got the chance to ride shotgun and get behind the wheel of a Polaris RZR with Ranco Racing’s Adrian Orellana, and of course jumped at the opportunity. What horsepower enthusiast would turn down the chance to try a new type of four-wheeled fun? We had a chance to chat with Chloe a bit at the rally about where she came from and where she’s headed in the industry, and it sounds like she’s got plans to stick around for a while.
Chloe: “So this is my first time doing anything with SXS, or anything off-road really. I’ve always been more involved in the diesel world, lifted trucks, truck meets, that sort of thing. I met up with Rancho Racing at a race in Vegas, we became friends, and they invited me out here to try out their Polaris RZR. I said ‘You don’t have to tell me twice!’”
She hails from a background of a slightly different type of horsepower – the kind that is fueled by hay instead of high octane fuel. Growing up, Chloe was a “horse girl” but traded in her real horses for some real horsepower.
Looking at her, with long blonde hair and her nails done, you might not guess that she currently works as a full-time diesel mechanic, working on semi-trucks in her hometown in West Texas. In her spare time, she’s been working on a build for the SEMA show, set to make its debut at the 2021 event. She got her start spinning wrenches by working on her family farm pickup truck, on which she did a body swap, although it wasn’t a family activity, per se.
Chloe mentioned she is the “black sheep of the family” and the only gearhead. Her father is a financial accountant, proving that the apple does sometimes fall far from the tree, and sometimes lands somewhere really fun, where it’s got a chance to grow a little wild.
This trip contained many firsts for Chloe – from her first time ever in a RZR, to her first-ever trip to Utah. She thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous views, as her home in Texas is quite the opposite – very flat and bare. Thrilled by the fun of the new world of offroading, Chloe says she’s having an absolute blast. The dunes were an entirely unique experience for her, and the terrain changing from sand to big rock outcroppings provided plenty of variety throughout the week.
We asked her about the differences of the UTV world versus the big truck industry, she smiled and told us how much she enjoyed it.
Chloe: “The industry is incredible, it’s like a giant family who helps each other out even though they compete against each other, so it’s really cool, I like it! I really want one of these now. This is way more fun than just parking a truck at a show!”
We have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of Chloe at various events, so keep an eye out for her, her SEMA build, and maybe even her future RZR! Find her on the ‘Gram at @thecumminscowgirl and give her a follow.
