1999 PHANTOM
The Gauntlet is the one we want to leave out, but it’s part of our history. Often viewed as the “black eye” of Phantom, the Gauntlet showed one thing – that Harrill and PRC were human. With confidence at an all-time high following the Banshee, Harrill kept the testing and development under wraps and released the chassis at the Kart Fest show in 1999. This proved to be a fatal mistake. The surprise release was not accepted well by the racers and the chassis suffered dearly. Granted, the chassis’ initial performance was sub-par compared to its predecessors, but with a tainted first impression of the chassis, racers never accepted the Gauntlet.
With PRC’s reputation on the line, Harrill decided to do something no other manufacturer has ever done – a recall. This decision cost the company thousands of dollars but reaped a seven-fold reward in customer appreciation and respect.
This action spoke for itself, showing the industry the Phantom Racing Chassis stood 100% behind its products. Later, a competitor regarded this recall as, “The best move Harrill ever made.”
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