Drive volunteer team rocks!!!!!

[Brian & Amy]

Being the inaugural DRIVER race, I think there was a lot of pressure on everyone involved in the planning of the Trophy Lite 200 to make things perfect (or at least put in 110%). The biggest unknown coming into race day was the volunteer effort. Jon had done a great job getting the word out about the need for volunteers to run checkpoints, road crossings, be rovers, help with spotting, etc…. In the weeks coming up to the race we started getting emails from folks registering on the DRIVE website. As race-day weekend approached it was amazing how many people wanted to help out and become part of DRIVE. The commitment of people’s time and energy was really overwhelming.

By 6:00 AM the morning of the race there was an army of volunteers amassed at the DRIVE trailer waiting for assignments. Jon gave the run down on what was needed to make the race a success and we began getting everyone set with what they would need for their specific positions and tasks. Every volunteer was focused on the race and you could tell there was an atmosphere of “game on”!!! It was so awesome to see that many people putting their energy into a common goal.

By the start of the race everyone had taken their positions on the course, checked in to DRIVE main (Darren Ballein) and were ready to rock and roll.

From the drop of the first start flag to the final car crossing the finish line (congratulations Blue Buzzard Racing!) every single DRIVE volunteer busted their butts to make the race a success. It just goes to show that when people get together to accomplish something, commitment and heart overcome any hardship (like being out in the dusty desert sun ALL DAY LONG).

DRIVE really values its volunteer team members and we tried very hard to make it clear how important you are to us and to desert racing in Plaster City. I hope we did as good a job saying “thank you” to each and every one of you guys and gals as you did by making this race a killer event.

Amy and I made our way around the course during the race to check in on everyone (almost) and to see how things were going. We tried to snap a few photos along the way and I'll be posting the compilation after I resize the images. Again, I really can’t say this enough:

THANK YOU DRIVE VOLUNTEER TEAM MEMBERS!!!!

YOU ROCK!

[usmcgunrock]

Are you the one that showed up at Checkpoint 1 in the white Toyota and camera?

[ultrablew]

Are you the one that showed up at Checkpoint 1 in the white Toyota and camera?
Did you work chkpt 1?

[Brian & Amy]

Are you the one that showed up at Checkpoint 1 in the white Toyota and camera?

Yes,
We have pictures of you, mom, wife, and the youngest off road volunteer ever.

Thanks again for being out there helping "un-stuck" all the people on the course (racers and otherwise :D )

[stokessdca]

thank you brian and amy you guys did a great job yourselves and you made
everyone feel at home. it was nice meeting you and i look foward to see
ing you at the other races. and thanks for the coffee saturday morning
it saved the day as we had forgot to bring some. joe ( rover 7 )

[usmcgunrock]

Did you work chkpt 1?

No I was rover 4, the black 4runner.

[Brian & Amy]

Here are some of the photos from race day. It was great having the opportunity to get around to most of you guys and gals to check in and see how everything was going. Like I have said before, all of you did awesome job! Thanks for all of your time and effort. It paid off in a big way. The TL200 was a success and that is almost totally a result of the people that volunteered their time and became part of the DRIVE team.



Brian & Amy


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[Brian & Amy]

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[Brian & Amy]

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Thanks again everyone! See you at the next race.

[Brian & Amy]

To the numerous Rovers that I missed:

Sorry, I'll get you next time. The places some of you were manning were just to gnarly for me to get to :eek:

[1BAJA03]

Great pictures Brian & Amy.... Thanks 2 all for making our first DRIVE race a great success. Hats off 2 all. We're already starting to get ready for our next race.

[steviegnsc]

Awesome race guys, couldn't have beat the weather and good company! Brian & Amy you guys are top notch and will be getting out to help as much as I can. We really appreciated you coming by to check on things and saying hello. Course looked like a lot of fun and the layout allowed us to see the approaching cars well before road crossing-1, it just it made it that much safer.

I also wanted to thank the pit/chase teams and most:cool: spectators or not roosting us on the way by:D.

All in all we had a great time.

[Brian & Amy]

Great pictures Brian & Amy.... Thanks 2 all for making our first DRIVE race a great success. Hats off 2 all. We're already starting to get ready for our next race.

Larry,
You guys did an killer job creating the TL200 course and I'm sure the gears are aleady turning in your head to make the next race even better!

It was great meeting you to finally have a face to associate with your name.

[CharlieIII]

Thanks again DRIVE, had a good time. Count me in for the next one. Good meeting you Steve, had a fun at road crossing 1. Your Buddy Alex, was making me laugh all day. Thanks again for the brats, they hit the spot. Not sure who the 10 car was going backwards on the course but we got him turned around. Only a couple people thought it was cool to thru the road crossing at race speeds. All in all awesome day DRIVE.

[Brian & Amy]

Another huge "thank you" needs to be expressed for the "donation" of DRIVE's main headquarters during the race. Due to some unforseen circumstances, the trailers that had been rented for the race never materialized. The day before the race when it became clear that the trailers were not going to be delivered, Doug's brother Jeff Wasser offered up his own trailer to be used as DRIVE central.

This meant countless people setting up shop in his personal space, not only during the race, but sleeping there as well. All of this on his own BIRTHDAY!

Thanks Jeff

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[ultrablew]

He did not say a word about it being his b-day. How humble. Darn, would have made him a cake.......Great guy! He was incredible. Very hospitable and extremely kind. Hung out with him a good part of the day at start/finish. Thank you so much Jeff and happy belated b-day!!!

[FCCEC]

Nope we did

[Brian & Amy]

thank you brian and amy you guys did a great job yourselves and you made
everyone feel at home. it was nice meeting you and i look foward to see
ing you at the other races. and thanks for the coffee saturday morning
it saved the day as we had forgot to bring some. joe ( rover 7 )

Joe,
It was great meeting you. I heard about your trek out to your rover position (with Avery). Good job on getting out to one of the ugly spots and thanks for donating your time and effort out there on the "west side" :eek: We saw you up on that mesa as we made our way from Pesky's to CHK4.

See you at the next race!

Brian & Amy

[SicRic]

Who ever made those Pita Rolls and Sandwiches, You get a BEEG THANK YOU from Checkpoint 3, the were Grrreat!!!
We are in for the next one....

[Brian & Amy]

Who ever made those Pita Rolls and Sandwiches, You get a BEEG THANK YOU from Checkpoint 3, the were Grrreat!!!
We are in for the next one....

That was Kelly Wasser (Doug's wife). The day before the race she and I put together "snack packs" for all the check points and road crossings to make sure you guys didn't get dehydrated or hungry.

Everyone at DRIVE is a former volunteer from one race series or another and we know what it's like to be out there in the sun all day.

A big thanks to John Cole from ELITE AUTO SERVICE in El Cajon for offering to sponsor Checkpoint 3. He is the guy with the killer bronco that was hanging out with you guys for a while. Not only was he out there being part of the race, but he ponied up money to help with the cost of running things (like the checkpoint snacks).

Thanks SicRic and crew for running CHK3 and thanks John for being a DRIVE sponsor!

Brian

BTW,
I have more photos of you guys than I posted. If you are interested in them, Doug will be posting ALL the photos from the rovers, road crossings, checkpoints, etc... on the DRIVE website soon.