Couples that Race Together: Seth & Sarah Mitchell

photos by Kiersten Scholl of 502 Photos

There’s something about that second seat, right? I think it has been a big part as to why the UTV segment has become such a hit – two people can share off road experiences in the same vehicle. It’s no wonder we’re seeing couples buy one UTV instead of two ATVs. To better understand this unique ability that attracts couples into the sport, we’re launching an ongoing feature called, “Couples Only”.

No other UTV racing series embraces the fact that UTVs come with two seats quite like the GNCC series does with that clearly written little rule that I happen to really like. Paragraph four, under General GNCC Racing Rules reads as follows; “Competitors must register as a Team. A Team consists of a driver and a passenger.”

Sure your wife may have seen some helmet cam footage, but until the last handful of years she has never been able to experience the thrill of hammering through a mud bog, traversing a water crossing, rolling on the gas out of a turn to blast up a rut-infested hill climb, clearing a double jump or understand what it’s like to actually chase down, study weaknesses and pass other racers first hand, much less have a meaningful role in any of these, (and the many other things that make off road racing so fun and addictive).

It’s not optional at the GNCC series, if you don’t have a teammate you don’t race, with this, despite it being the most expensive of any GNCC class to race in, UTV race entries continue to break records. Several of the teams are indeed couples, some are daters skipping putt-putt golf and using GNCC UTV racing as ”date night”, while others are married and rather chase class points than read the Saturday morning paper together.

Introducing Seth & Sarah Mitchell
We’re seeing many ATV and Bike riders find their way into UTV seats, and have a go at Side by Side racing, but it’s not very often that a team that’s never ridden, raced or even driven a UTV before pull to the starting line of the biggest off road racing series in the world and line up next to drivers that have had lifetimes of off road racing experience. And it’s certainly not often that a team podiums their XC2 class, nearly breaks into the top ten overall and finishes ahead of legends like Doug Gust in their first year on basically stock equipment, but that’s how Dublin, Ohio’s Seth and Sarah Mitchell’s new found hobby has gone.

With only two years of racing experience behind them, driver Seth Mitchell and copilot Sara Mitchell, in their plain-looking mostly stock black #54 Can-Am Maverick, are not only having an absolute blast together, they’re actually a legit contender in the highly competitive XC2 Pro Sport class. What’s more, they’ve even attracted some factory-backed sponsorship from Can-Am, which is currently their only sponsor. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of such a thing, who gains the attention of a manufacture before they even have one single sponsorship?

Before their Team Mitchell Motorsports was created, Seth simply let a buddy borrow his new GoPro, then got talked into riding as the passenger in the race. “I came home and showed Sarah the footage and told her how awesome it was. I wasn’t sure how she would take it, but I told her that it was too fun, I had to do it, and she should be my copilot” says Seth. “She said she would, but I don’t think she took me serious until I actually brought home the new Can-Am a few months later.”

Aside from driving their new black Can-Am on and off the trailer, the first time Seth drove the machine, and Sarah rode in it, was when they lined up to race the 2014 General GNCC! “I was nervous and didn’t know exactly what to expect, but when we started he blew my mind!” recalls Sarah. “I know my husband is awesome, but I surely wasn’t expecting him to be such an amazing driver right from the start. Ever since that first race we’ve both been hooked, it’s so fun.”

If Sarah wasn’t as excited about it when Seth bounced the idea off of her, she sure has made a complete turn around. “She looks forward to the races just as much as I do,” says Seth. “She even decorates her half of the car.”

Yep, this is another first, before Seth and Sarah, I’ve never seen a machine with separate graphics, which especially stand out on the clutter-free plain black Can-Am. “I actually want to do so much more than what I have now,” says Sarah. “Anyone who knows anything about me knows I LOVE all things pink! I even have a few sections of my hair died pink for this race season, and I also was lucky enough to find a fire-proof suit with pink on it this year, which I LOVE by the way, and my helmet has always been pink.” She adds, “I keep telling him we need to hurry up and make my whole side of the car pink before my idea gets stolen by another team.” Sarah further justifies her case, “Having the split sides really represents who we are individually, but demonstrates that without each other we aren’t complete.” Like his driver’s half of the machine illustrates, Seth, who isn’t as loud as his wife, would rather “fly under the radar.”

Can you tell Seth’s side from Sarah’s?

When asked if they would still race UTVs if the GNCC series didn’t allow a passenger, Seth said he would and Sarah said she would still support him as she would if he were on a bike or a quad, but they admit they probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much as they do now. In fact, at last year’s Ironman GNCC, the family favorite, Seth raced their UTV, a quad and a bike! He broke in all three races, but enjoyed UTV racing with is wife more than he did the bike and quad, so it looks like the UTV purchase was indeed the right choice for him and his family. Even the Mitchell kids have become die-hards. Their youngest, Kayden at only five years old, gives his parents a hard time and asks if they beat Kyle Chaney yet. When he found out Kyle wasn’t attending this year’s AWRCS season opener he said, “Maybe you’ll win since Kyle’s not coming.” Clever little five year old, no doubt. Meanwhile, their fifteen year old daughter, Triniti, keeps telling them that she’s taking mom’s copilot seat when she’s old enough! And all their kids seem to badly want that same seat. The kids get to drive the Can-Am racer around the house, so, for now, to them, that’s just as good.

Unfortunately AWRCS changed their rules for copilots this year. Unlike last year, passengers are allowed but not required in that series. “We personally do not agree with that concept because we believe that is what UTV racing is all about, enjoying the ride with another person,” says Seth. What’s worth noting is if the other racers chose to race without a copilot, Seth was considering having Sarah sit out because they would then be at a disadvantage having more weight than the other teams. So far that hasn’t happened, at round one almost all of the 32 entries were two-person teams, but it’s unfortunate that this could change and Sarah’s pink portion of their Can-Am could be empty at future AWRCS rounds. Hopefully, if this new rule change starts to cut into the fun that couples like Seth and Sarah have together AWRCS decision makers will go back to making copilots mandatory in their UTV classes.

It’s so appropriate that Seth and Sarah are our first “Couple Only” feature. They remind us that UTVs and UTV racing is for everyone not just former ATV and bike people, and they exemplify the kind of impact that the two-seater UTV can have on a family. Two years ago, before their black Can-Am Maverick entered their lives, family fun consisted of cookouts in the back yard, now Seth, Sarah and kids have every round of the GNCC, AWRCS and WEXCR race series boldly marked on their calendars and love the sport more with every race they attend.

To learn more about GNCC UTV racing click to gnccracing.com

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