1. Dune buggy
   Motorcycle
2. Truck
   Sports car

In addition to his work onscreen. Steve McQueen was also a star in the racing world. While he steered a Ford Mustang through the streets of San Francisco in "Bullitt" and rode a motorcycle in "The Great Escape," McQueen chose a souped-up dune buggy for his 1969 Baja 1000 debut. His Baja Boot made it almost to the end of the race before the transmission blew, forcing him to withdraw.

1. Motor Rally
   Motocross
2. Road Cycle
   Soulcycle

Off-road motorcycle races originated in the UK in the '20s and became extremely popular in the U.S. by the 1960s. Today the sport of motocross — a combination of motorcycle and cross country — pits riders against one another in gritty races through mud, rocks and sand.

1. Texas
   Montana
2. California
   Utah

Racing fans have flocked to northwestern Utah since the 1910s to race across the expansive salt flats in the area. Today the course is known as the Bonneville Speedway and hosts a major event known as Speed Week each August.

1. Los Angeles and San Diego
   Las Vegas and Reno
2. Phoenix and Flagstaff
   Billings and Helena

Each August, racers start their engines and take on the longest off-road race in the country at the Vegas to Reno event. For 10 hours or so — - that's how long the winners take — riders steer cars, trucks, buggies and motorcycles 550 miles across the desert sands.

1. Monster truck
   Trophy truck
2. Speed Wagon
   Road racer

Prior to 1994, riders in sanctioned off-road races were forced to use production frames out on the course. Since that rule was loosened, the custom trucks found in off-road racing are called trophy trucks. Many aren't street legal but have the engines and suspension needed to beat the competition on dirt or sand.

1. 1927
   1947
2. 1967
   1987

Today the Baja 1000 is the final round of an annual four-race series. The best off-road drivers in the world steer cars, motorcycles, trucks and buggies through the Baja Peninsula. This iconic event began in 1967 as the Mexico 1000 before the name was changed to Baja 1000 in the '70s.

1. Four miles
   40 miles
2. 400 miles
   1,000 miles

In a hare and hound race, participants race around two unique courses on dirt bikes or motorcycles. Courses are usually 40 miles or more long. Participants aren't allowed to preview the course before the race, and because the course doesn't repeat, riders are forced to think while they're racing to make it to the finish line.

1. Houston
   Atlanta
2. Coloradpo Springs
   Las Vegas

Starting in 1967, the Mint Hotel in Las Vegas sponsored an annual off-road race. While this hotel no longer exists, more than 300 racers still come to Vegas each year to take part in this event. If you read or saw "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson, this is the race being depicted in the story.

1. Cabo San Lucas
   Los Angeles
2. Ensenada
   Tijuana

Located 65 miles south of Tijuana along the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula, Ensenada is the traditional starting point for the Baja 1000. Races either go one-way from Ensenada to La Paz — a city near Cabo San Lucas — or start and finish in a circular route from Ensenada. Despite its name, the Baja 1000 can range anywhere from 600 to 1000 miles in length.

1. Motorcycle
   Dragster
2. Truck
   Buggy

Mickey Thompson made history when he broke the 400 mph barrier in his twin-engine dragster at Bonneville in 1960. In 1973, he founded SCORE, a major off-road racing sanctioning body.

1. Baja Bug
   Dirt Crawler
2. Mud Monster
   Trick Type

While VW makes some pretty impressive dune buggies, racers who needed a more affordable option began modifying VW Beetles for off-road racing in the '60s. The first Baja Bugs to appear during a major race were driven during the 1968 Baja 1000. Since then, these tiny speed demons have traversed beaches, dunes and desert.

1. Desert racing
   Mud racing
2. Stunt riding
   Rock crawling

Hammer trucks are designed for traversing rocky terrain. To qualify for this race class, a truck must have a transfer case and be 4WD-capable. Unlimited Hammer classes allow custom rides, while Limited ones require the trucks to have a standard production chassis.

1. Dolly Parton
   Loretta Lynn
2. Tanya Tucker
   Barbara Mandrell

Loretta Lynn's Amateur Championship is a major motocross event that has been held every August at the singer's ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, since 1982. It features the top amateurs in the sport and is considered one of the final stops before these riders go pro.

1. Hare scramble
   Fox and hound
2. Rabbit race
   Dog and pony show

In a hare and hound race, riders traverse two unique courses, with no previews or walk-throughs permitted ahead of time. A hare scramble is similar, but consists of riders repeating the same course more than once, allowing them to predict the best path to take on future runs.

1. California
   Texas
2. Michigan
   Georgia

Off-road racers have been gathering at the Red Bud MX Track in Buchanan, Michigan, to ride its famous dirt courses since the '70s. The track is home to LaRocco's Leap, a 120-foot span that is among the longest jumps in motocross.

1. Kawasaki
   Honda
2. Harley Davidson
   Ducati

Since 1997, every winner in the motorcycle division at the Baja 1000 has cruised to victory on a Honda — except in 2014, when the winner drove a Kawasaki. Over in the truck division, Ford and Chevy tend to dominate.

1. Class 1
   Class 16
2. Class M
   Class X

Most major off-road events feature more than a dozen classes. Class 1 includes any open-wheel rides, like motorcycles, with unlimited mods. If you only want to compete with bikes up to 1600 ccs, stick with the Class 1/2.

1. Michigan
   Arizona
2. New York
   Wisconsin

Racing at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, began with a simple drag strip in 1963. Eventually, it grew to a major off-road racing hub. The checkered flag was lowered for the last time in 2006 when the iconic Raceway shut down.

1. Paul Newman
   Mickey Thompson
2. Rod Hall
   Steve McQueen

Rod Hall began racing in the '50s and won his division in the very first Baja 1000 — then the Mexico 1000 — in 1967. He raced in the event every year through 2016, always in a four-wheel vehicle, picking up 25 class wins along the way.

1. Dune buggy
   Motorcycle
2. Truck
   Hot rod

Given that he's one of the most successful motocross riders in history, it's not much of a surprise that Travis Pastrana chose a motorcycle when he raced in the Baja 1000 in 2007. The event was captured on film in "Travis Pastrana's Baja Diaries." Unfortunately, the X Games icon was forced to bow out just a few hours from the finish line when his bike gave up.

1. Roosted
   Flamed
2. Disqualified
   Melted

Let's face it — off-road racing is a dirty sport, especially when you're riding a motorcycle. When a bike flies through the mud so fast that its rear tire throws up a shower of mud onto another rider, this is known as being roosted.

1. Cross Country
   Motorally
2. Hare and hound
   Supercross

Supercross combines the best of off-road racing, arena racing and trick riding. Motorcycle riders race over jumps and obstacles, competing not only for speed but for style points and trick-riding glory.

1. Sandbagging
   Whooping
2. Hammering
   Rallying

Sandbagging can mean two different things in the off-road racing world. The word commonly refers to a rider racing at a level way below their skill level for a guaranteed win, but it can also be used to describe a rider who holds back in a race until the last minute, then races ahead of the pack to claim the title. Either way, it's not a good look.

1. Indy corner
   Talladega corner
2. NASCAR corner
   Daytona corner

Talladega is a legendary racetrack in Alabama. It lends its name to the off-road racing world, where riders use the term Talladega corner to refer to banked corners designed to be taken at scary high speeds.

1. Pants
   Tires
2. Glasses
   Boots

Plenty of mud and dirt go flying in off-road racing, which can quickly coat your safety glasses and obscure your view. Tear-offs are disposable glasses that you can quickly rip off when they get dirty, leaving a clean layer underneath. While some consider them an environmental nightmare, others invest in biodegradable versions to avoid ruining the environment.

1. Speed
   Brakes
2. Cruise control
   Torque

When it comes to rock crawling, plenty of torque is required to keep trucks safely climbing and descending. That means plenty of engine upgrades to maximize torque, plus big knobby tires and a transfer case for 4WD.

1. John Wayne
   Paul Newman
2. Mickey Rooney
   Kirk Douglas

After the peak of his acting career, Paul Newman decided to focus on off-road racing starting in the '70s. In 2204, the actor, who won an Oscar for his role in "The Color of Money," finished fourth in his class at the Baja 1000 in his Porsche touring car.

1. Roosters
   Triples
2. Booters
   Big Oly's

Every time a motocross racer gets major air, the crowd is on the edge of their seats wondering whether the rider will land safely. These huge jumps that allow for lots of hang time are called booters.

1. South Carolina
   Idaho
2. California
   Nebraska

Johnson Valley, California, is home to the Means Dry Lake Bed, which is renamed Hammertown during the King of the Hammers event each January. Held every year since 2008, the event features 400-plus teams reaching speeds of 100 mph or more over steep and rocky terrain.

1. Increase tire pressure
   Lower tire pressure
2. Use really small tires
   Fill tires beyond capacity

Racers perform a process known as airing down when prepping for an off-road event. This means reducing the amount of air in the tires for greater traction and speed in off-road conditions. Of course, it's critical to air back up for safety before heading back to asphalt.

1. Whoop section
   Rooster
2. Sandbag
   Red rider

A whoop section is made up of moguls or mounds of dirt placed close together. If riders go fast enough, they'll skip straight over the top of this area. If not, the whoop section can really take up some precious seconds.

1. Popper
   Home run
2. Crawler
   Triple

A triple is three jumps placed one after the other. Skilled racers can often time the jumps to skip over one of the three hills, which can give them a major time advantage. The same obstacle with four jumps is known as a quad.

1. Australia
   North America
2. South America
   Asia

Off-road racers flocked to the Dakar Rally in Senegal from 1979 to 2007. After safety concerns in the region, the race was moved to South America in 2009. Though it still goes by the Dakar name, this week-long race now starts in cities like Buenos Aires or Lima.

1. Cuba
   Isle of Man
2. Madagascar
   Japan

From its origin in 1907 through 2018, around 150 racers have died taking part in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy — six in 1970 alone. This motorcycle-only event ranks as one of the most dangerous off-road races on the planet.

1. Little Leaper
   Crazy Cougar
2. Big Oly
   Brave Bear

After winning the Indy 500 in 1963, Parnelli Jones built a Bronco-like truck named Crazy Colt. After securing a sponsorship with Olympia Beer, the truck — which won the 1972 Baja 1000 — was renamed Big Oly.