Catching up with K&N-Sponsored UTV Racing Champion Mitch Guthrie Jr

Desert racing is an all-consuming passion for Mitch Guthrie Jr

A Winning Legacy

Mitch Guthrie Jr. shares a name and a competitive fire with his father, Mitch Guthrie Sr. The elder Guthrie is royalty in the UTV racing world with a half a dozen King of the Hammers championships, and a host of other notable racing accomplishments.

Racing is a lifestyle that often binds and defines a family, and the Guthrie clan exemplifies this trait in spades. Guthrie Jr. relishes the support of his family and his racing DNA.

Mitch Guthrie Jr. is no stranger to the top of the podium in desert racing

For Guthrie Jr., racing transformed from a childhood obsession to a career. Some wise sage once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” That pearl of wisdom fits Guthrie Jr. perfectly.

“Racing may be my job now, but I still look at it the same way I did when I was younger. I love what I do and one of the biggest parts of it is being able to do something you love, whether it be long nights preparing for a race with my dad or actually being strapped into the car racing, it’s all fun to me.”

Racing Update

When you win an event that carries the label, ‘The Great American Off-Road Race,’ it is surely going to be a career milestone. That defining moment for Guthrie Jr. came earlier in this racing season, and the historical significance of the title is not lost on the racer.

“The highlight of the BITD season for me has absolutely been winning the Mint 400,” reflects Guthrie Jr. “To win a race of that magnitude means a lot to me. Not only is The Mint a huge race, but it has been a huge race for so long and there is so much history behind it. Winning that race and following in the footsteps of many legends that have won - it is pretty cool. We are more than halfway through the season and my main goal is to fight for that BITD championship!”

K&N is a major sponsor of Guthrie Racing

“LOORRS has been a little rough this year after taking many years off from short course racing, but the highlight for me would be overall getting back into the driver’s seat racing door-to-door,” Guthrie Jr. says. “It’s been a while and I really did miss short course racing. It’s been a good time racing with people who I grew up with, and it definitely feels like nothing has changed.”

Life Outside of Racing

While Guthrie Jr. clearly enjoys life both on and off the track, he is quick to admit the line between the two is usually blurred. That’s what happens when one makes a career out of a life passion.

“Like any normal younger guy, I have a great time hanging out with friends outside of racing and going to the river,” says Guthrie Jr. “But one thing I will say is a lot of the time, even if I'm not racing, I'm doing something which has to do with off-road, whether it be going to the desert or working on stuff in my free time. I love everything that has to do with off-road and even in my free time I have a great time doing those things.”

K&N helps keep Mitch Guthrie's RZR protected from the ravages of desert racing

Guthrie Jr. is on a fast ascent in the off-road racing world, and that chase for victory is all-encompassing. That doesn’t mean that he does not think about the future. Just as he has watched in his father, Guthrie Jr. envisions that future maturing into a life of racing.

“The career goals I have are to keep racing the rest of my life in some way,” says Guthrie Jr. “Different opportunities always arise, but I would love to stay in the field of racing and see where that takes me throughout the years."

K&N is excited to support Mitch Guthrie Jr. in his current quest for racing championships as well his future goals in the industry.