[2] The first event was a race across the Mexican desert, south-eastwards through most of the length of Baja California, originally from Ensenada to La Paz.

Various classes of vehicles run a different number of laps depending on the size of the engine or the set-up of the suspension system.

[9] A simpler, shorter track format is popular at many county fairs, and is called Tough (or Tuff) Truck competition.

[10][11] The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) focused on promoting events mainly on the West Coast until its closure in 2020.

There are also several grassroots organizations, one of the longest-tenured being the Mid America Off Road Association, which promotes short course off-road racing in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

The most successful and popular racer in the sport's history in New Zealand is multiple outright and class national champion Tony McCall of Manukau, Auckland.

[16] In Scandinavian countries, "off-road" racing can refer to a type of motorsport known as Formula Off Road, which involves driving extensively modified vehicles through a difficult course up an uphill terrain.

Multiple series currently exist in both national, state and club forms, often decreasing in track and weekend-total length down that order.

After that is Class 2, commonly known as Super 1650's, are buggies and truggies with two crew members and sport an engine restriction of 1650cc naturally aspirated, inclusive of correction factors.

After that is Class 4, involving automobiles that comply with the Wild 2WD technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity of 6000cc, inclusive of correction factors.

After that is Class 6, two-crew automobiles that comply with the Super PRV technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity between 1201cc and 2050cc, inclusive of correction factors.

After that is Class 7, two-crew automobiles that comply with the Stock 4WD technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity of 6000cc, inclusive of correction factors.

Finally is Class 10, buggies and truggies that comply with the Wild 2WD technical regulations and are limited to an engine capacity of 2500cc naturally-aspirated.