Gary DeMasi has infectious personality and loves to entertain the crowds at rally events. His following on social media (Twitter: @V8RallyRanger) is just as enthusiastic and supportive of his efforts. DeMasi recalled the accident he suffered last year at STPR when his blue #80 Ford Ranger GT50 launched off the course on Stage 10. Lack of rain created an overly dry rally course, but the weather conditions meant all the previous cars had thrown up a lot of dust making visibility almost zero and when he came into the corner a bit off camber into the loose dirt, the truck lifted in the air and the truck and flew into a thick grove of trees.
“There was lots of sand – it was silty and dusty,” DeMasi said. So, this year, it meant some things would be done differently. DeMasi’s co-driver, Stephen Kurey, said he changed the notes to err more on the side of caution. Eventually DeMasi rebuilt the Ranger through a consistent, dedicated crowd-funding project. “We used an ’86 body and chassis, and salvaged the power train and cab,” DeMasi said. “We added the rear suspension. It took us 28 days to rebuild and then we ran Black River Stages [in September 2014] and finished fourth in Two-Wheel-Drive.”
DeMasi is a former Air Force airplane mechanic and has a tenacious personality. He was in a horrible motorcycle accident that required a year and a half of surgeries in his younger years and then his first rally vehicle was lost in a fire at his garage. At age 49, he suffered a devastating stroke and now heads up a foundation that promotes stroke awareness, “F.A.S.T.,” an acronym for the four warnings including facial drooping, weakness in the arms, slurred speech means it is time to call 9-1-1.“People inspire me to do this,” DeMasi added. “It’s all about raising awareness.”
Check out another off-road worthy ride – the 2015 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.
