by AdriAnne Larsen
alarsen@cherryroad.com

Three years ago, two motor sports enthusiasts decided to turn their side hustle into a full time job with a brick-and-mortar location included.

Hunter Law and Rafael Vargas officially started R&R Motorsports in 2020 with a dream to become a household name for motor sports in the Uintah Basin and its surrounding areas. They advertise as a store that caters to many outdoor enthusiasts but what many might not know is that R&R has a handful of sponsored racers for both dirt bikes and UTVs, most notably Law and Vargas, the owner and manager of the store.

Vargas and Law grew up with an interest in racing and outdoor motor sports as a hobby, but they had never gotten into racing themselves until the last couple of years. In 2022, Evolution Power Sports approached Vargas and Law about signing on as sponsored racers, which they were excited about and agreed to do.

Both Vargas and Law have Can-Am Maverick X3 side-by-sides they’ve been racing. Law races in the stock turbo class and Rafael races in the Duner Class, a modified turbo class.

Since starting their official racing careers in 2022, both have placed in the top three, and often in first place several times. In his first two races, Vargas took first place. Law took second in each of his first two races.

Law also won the wheelie contest at the UTV Takeover last year. When Law isn’t selling accessories or managing the service shop, he is busy coming up with ways to race faster and lighter, said Talia Stubbs, a sales associate for R&R.

“Rafael owns two demanding businesses, but he spends his down time preparing to race,” she said.

Most recently, both Law and Vargas traveled to Yuma, Arizona to race in the Record Reset 2023 hosted by Dome Valley Speedway. Vargas took third place as the top three spots were only separated by milliseconds.

Both drivers expressed how much they love racing but also how much they love serving and being a part of the outdoor sports community in the Uintah Basin. Vernal, and the Uintah Basin in general, is a very outdoor focused town, especially in the dirt bike and UTV arena.

Vargas and Law want to be the area’s go-to shop and store for the community’s outdoor sports needs. Together they have more than 30 years of experience and expertise in the outdoor motor sports industry. Vargas, owner of R&R said he’s excited to serve the community and to build a reputation across the racing community not only for R&R but for the Basin as well.

“We’re here and we love what we do,” said Vargas. “We love to go out there and represent the community as often as we can.” Talia Stubbs, R&R Motorsports

A photo from the Record Reset in which Law and Vargas most recently raced.