RACE RECAP | 2023 Red Bull Beach Scramble

Gym, Tan, UTV

Slingin’ Sand at the 2023 Red Bull Beach Scramble

Words & Photos: Justin W. Coffey

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

Red Bull, always keen to showcase new locations and incorporate new demographics, pushed their proverbial finger into the peninsula of a big imaginable map. “That’s the place… We’ll bring the Big Rig, throw up the inflatable balloon arch and race UTVs on the beach!” A damn fine idea, and one that was clearly well received, as the 2023 Red Bull Beach Scramble sold out within the first few days of open registration.

The sand along New Jersey’s eastern shore is an interesting shade of gray. Matched by the melancholy sky that stretches out above it, the coastal piers and twisting metal amusement rides are the only thing that separate that sand from the sky. The boardwalk was brisk and absent of people. A few brave souls, who had obviously booked their weekend away without much concern for the weather, wandered aimlessly, eyeballing giant pizza slices and hot dog stands as they strolled the wooden walkway.

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

The south end of New Jersey state feels a little bit like Florida’s Keys – a peninsula edged on either side by the sea, the Delaware Bay to the west and the mighty Atlantic Ocean to the east. Its vibe is distinctly east coast, a warming sort of disposition mixed occasionally with the harsh realities of the North Atlantic. Freezing temperatures and brutal storm systems keep the locals salty, while the warm summer weather draws people from Pennsylvania for the long weekend. A juxtaposition of worlds and wealth. The Local Kind and the Big City Bullies do battle in the mean streets of real estate. Like a scene from West Side Story, only with wallets instead of switchblades.

100 racers split between two classes (40 Open Pro, 60 Open Amateur) penned their names on paper to race between the piers and along the shore at Wildwood Beach. Following an 8am driver’s meeting and a sighting lap shortly thereafter, the first heat race saw the green flag at 9am for the Open Pro class. A second heat race for the Pros was followed by two four lap heat races for the Open Amateur class. The results would determine grid positions for racers hoping to get a decent spot when they lined up for the main event later in the day.

The Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) for both classes allowed drivers – who may have had a rough time in their heat race – a second chance to make the main event. As it turned out, Grayden Bloxham won the Open Amateur LCQ after snapping an A-arm in his heat race and welding it back together just before being called to the line for the proverbial last chance. Driving an antiquated rig and holding true to the Open Amateur classification, Bloxham, filled with emotion and honestly looking a little shocked by the result, thanked his wife for her support when he took the second step of the podium later in the day.

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

“I’m an old man compared to all these guys and gals out here. I just wanted to have some fun in my old car. But I couldn’t have imagined a result like this, and have to thank the other teams in the out for lending me their welding equipment so that I could make it to the LCQ. What a great way to spend the weekend!” – Michael Bruell (Charlton, NJ), Third Place in Sportsman UTV

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

Grassroots racing at its finest…

The Open Amateur main, with a sold-out field of 60 cars, was everything you’d expect from a UTV race on the shore of Southern New Jersey. Well-worn rigs clad with cancerous rust from being so close to the sea set themselves up for a dogfight down the sand. But a clean hole-shot from Bloxham left the rest of the racers chasing the backside of his RZR for all six laps. The battle for the podium behind him was fierce, though, and as the course began to get dug out and ocean water from the Atlantic filled the ruts, a spray of sea-soaked sand layered the front of anyone following too closely.

But a lack of visibility, traction and cornering speed didn’t slow down Michael Bruell who chased Patrick McGuire (Toms River, NJ) into a checkered flag to finish off the last place on the podium. For most, the Open Amateur race was simply a chance to drive their rigs on New Jersey’s infamous “shore.” But for a few, it was a chance to showcase their skill behind the wheel of a UTV and take home a little something for their efforts. And like Bruell said – what a great way to spend a weekend.

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

The Open Pro class had a few surprises in store. Hunter and Cody Miller, fresh off of their spectacular one-two finish at the inaugural Ranch Scramble, lined up in their bright yellow Can-Ams alongside the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team, which included Seth Quintero, A.J. Jones, Mitch Guthrie Jr., and Mia Chapman. Cody Bradbury (Nuevo, CA) and Corbin Leaverton (Nuevo, CA) were also on the front row for the Open Pro start, filling in some gaps that would ensure an exciting race.

The green flag flew at 3pm for the six lap Open Pro main event. From my vantage point it was hard to tell which of the Miller brothers took the hole-shot, but close behind was Seth Quintero who had lined up alongside the leading Miller Bros. car.

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

But by lap two, Quintero was nowhere to be seen, and by the time I made my way back to infield of the course, his Red Bull Can-Am was parked, and Seth stood on the door sill swinging his shirt over his head cheering on his teammates as they made their way through the gates and onto their second lap. Moments later, Cody Miller limped his Can-Am into the infield alongside Quintero, an abrupt retirement for one of the fastest guys on the track earlier that day.

In racing, one man’s demise is another man’s promotion, and with the retirement of both Quntero and Cody Miller, Bradbury and Leaverton found themselves fighting for second and third place behind Hunter. Like in the Open Amateur race, the low tide and worn through race-course provided ever changing conditions, lap after lap. With only four laps to the finish, however, time was not on anyone’s side, and the course conditions were worsening as each UTV crossed beneath the pillions.

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

If you asked me to describe the Jersey Shore, I’d likely defer to pop culture nomenclature – “Gym, Tan, Laundry.” Big pizza slices and Boardwalk Empire. Bagels, apparently. And while a lot of that is accurate in its own way, this coastal stretch of the Eastern Seaboard is a unique slice of the United States. It’s quiet in fall and winter months. Riddled with big Atlantic storms, the swirling leftovers from hurricane systems to the south.

Parking is free until May 15th when the crowds from Philadelphia filter in for the warmer weather. It’s quaint. A place where people retire, or buy rental property. But it’s still New Jersey, and the cultural expressions and colloquialisms that accompany that are ever present. Which makes for a great place to go racing. Something new, something unexpected.

UTV Sports Photo by Justin W. Coffey

What wasn’t unexpected, however, was Hunter Miller’s victory. A clean start, a few DNFs from some fellow fast guys, and the mellow Miller Bro kept a cool head and sharp line all the way through the final lap. He kept a reasonable distance from his adversaries, enough for a solid win with wind behind him. The brawl within that breeze settled with Leaverton and Bradbury uncovered on the next steps. The Sportsman Class had no shortage of action as well, putting two New Jersey boys on the podium and a man from Indiana at the top.

This round of the Red Bull Scramble series took us to the edge of the ocean and slid across the sand, culminating in an exciting conclusion at the halfway point. With still several locations to cover in this diverse competition, the championship results are yet far from predictable. Can’t get enough of this Red Bull racing series? Check out the Ranch Scramble here.