Off-Road Racer Live - Ruslan Yankilevich - 2026 Off-Road Expo

Welcome to the first edition of Off Road Racer Live. These recordings come from the 2026 Off Road Expo, in the Josh the Auto Buyer booth.In this edition, Matt Martelli and Desert Dime sit down with Ruslan Yankilevich to talk about his progression through off road racing, from starting in short course and making a name for himself with stunts, to racing desert and becoming part of the Roar Tribe program.Ruslan talks about racing the Mint 400 at just 11 years old, the challenges of trying to race without the budget or resources to properly prepare a car, and how those experiences eventually pushed him toward the pre runner world. He also talks about getting another opportunity to race through Roar Tribe and competing at Vegas to Reno alongside his dad, finishing the race after splitting the driving duties between them.A major part of the conversation is Roar Tribe and the role it is playing in bringing deaf racers and crew members into desert racing. Ruslan explains how much of his pit crew is deaf, how ASL is used throughout the pits, and how his co pilot learned ASL specifically to communicate with the team during races. The result is a race program where the entire crew and audience can follow what is happening on course.They also get into Ruslan’s early years, including the Glamis canal jump that put him in the spotlight and brought a wave of criticism when he was only 10 years old. Ruslan talks about how that experience changed the way he handles criticism, the people who supported him through it, and how it shaped the person and racer he has become.From stunts and pre runners to desert racing and building his own race cars, this conversation gives a look at where Ruslan has come from and where he could be headed next. At a young age, he has already packed a lot into his racing career, and the next chapter is just getting started.Recorded live at the 2026 Off Road Expo.