DRIVE Volunteer Team knocks another one down!!! ORW Grand Prix

[Brian & Amy]

WOW what a race!
I know that this is a week late but I would like to give a re-cap on the Off Road Warehouse Grand Prix from a DRIVE Volunteer Team perspective.

This is a little long, but race day was an awesome adventure and I wanted to get it all in…..


To be a DRIVE Volunteer is truly a commitment and I think that this race proved that each and every person on the DRIVE Volunteer Team gives 100% to ensure that each race is something to be proud of. From Rovers, to Checkpoints, to Road Crossings, to Staging, to Time Keeping, to keeping the race organized over the radio (thanks DRIVE MAIN), everyone that volunteers their time and effort to make DRIVE happen is a member of a close off road family that has continued to grow throughout this season.

Volunteers make off road races happen. DRIVE Volunteers make off road races AWESOME!

The pre-race began when the Volunteer team started forming around the Volunteer trailer Saturday at 6:00AM. The sun wasn’t up yet, but you could tell in the demeanor of everyone at the Volunteer meeting that it was GAME ON!!!

The first race of the day began at 6:45AM. This meant that everyone on the Volunteer Team had to get geared up and to their positions without any time to spare. In true DRIVE fashion all positions were set-up and ready to rock and roll before the first green flag dropped.



You could already tell by day break that it was going to be a “warm one”….. This proved true as day time temps hit 106-108 depending on who’s thermometer you were looking at

Amy and I did our best to keep each position hydrated and having fun, but when it comes down to it the DRIVE Volunteers are out there on the course because they love off road racing and no amount of heat or blaring sun was going to stop them from making this DRIVE race happen.

Jerrod Storm and the whole crew at Road Crossing 1 had a VERY busy day with most of the accidents happening in the first couple miles of the race. Not only did these guys cover the road crossing, they also ran out to the broken cars with safety flags to wave off oncoming racers. Thank you guys for going above and beyond in the brutal heat!



Davin Brigman and the Checkpoint 1 crew took the North side of the course. They were the furthest position from Start/Finish which meant that they had less than 20 minutes to get from the Plaster Plant to Bomb Road and set up the checkpoint before the race would begin. Of course they did it! Thanks guys for getting it done!



Coming South from Checkpoint 1 racers dropped down into Coyote Wash and had the honor of meeting up the Road Crossing 2 crew. Just like the Road X-ing 1 guys, at the second road crossing there were racers with tranny, clutch, and tires problems keeping things exciting down in the wash. Thank you guys for cheering on the racers and stepping in to lend a hand (i.e pushing) when a few of them got stuck in the wash! You did a KILLER job!







As the course continued South to Evans Hewes Checkpoint 2 was waiting to greet racers. Joaquin Alves was at Check 2 with his wife ON THEIR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!!!!!! Dude…… Seriously Joaquin, I don’t know how you pulled that off, but you are a CHAMP! Thank you to Joaquin & Edgar (with their wives!), and also to Bryan Godinez. Bryan came out to the race to volunteer a little and check out the race a little. Well, 10+ hours in the sun at Checkpoint 2 being his first time out to a DRIVE race makes you a lifer in the DRIVE Volunteer book! Thank you all for sticking it out and doing such an awesome job!





Road Crossing 3 was right where the course crossed the Plaster City East staging area. Racers came FLYING through this section and because of that fact Doug wanted to make sure that the entrance to P.C.E. had enough people out there to ensure that there would be an adequate level of safety not only for spectators, but for families out there enjoying the desert away from the race. Again the DRIVE Volunteers outdid themselves by putting in a long day in some fairly gnarly conditions with smiles and great attitudes. You guys/gals ROCKED!!!





As racers came flying into pit row and Start/Finish our DRIVE spotter crew Tim Mathews and Chuck Grasmic were waiting like off road snipers, sending vehicle numbers to the timing trailer and letting our flag-man know who was coming around the corner. Tim has been our vehicle spotter for EVERY RACE. Always calm and collected even when situations were otherwise

Thank you Tim and Chuck for doing such a great job the whole day!



Thank you to all the rovers that hovered around the course making sure that everyone was safe and that the race was run without course cutting. You guys did an amazing job. Amy and I tried really hard this time to get around to you all throughout the race day, but as always fell short.
Aaron Loney (Team Mutton Chops!), Ryan Haugley (Team Haugley), Luis Arellano (Zoomlens), and Mickey and Debbie Crosby, you guys were in the stickiest sections of the course and had a nasty job all day long. Next time Amy and I will get photos of you guys BEFORE you go out Thanks again!

Gary Estrada, John Marlin and Becky Estrada



Team Stokes: Joe and Joseph



Matt Tindell (Matt Matt)



Mike Harvey



I would also like to thank all the people behind the scenes that help out DRIVE and the Volunteer Team. Without the help of some really great companies and people supporting DRIVE and the Volunteer effort it would be next to impossible to pull this off.

First, A MASSIVE THANK YOU to Jay Langley ( Off Road Warehouse ) for making the decision to put your support and companies name behind a DRIVE race and for having the faith in all of us that we would get it done.

Jay and his crew (Joe and Joseph Stokes) are great people and even before the ORW Grand Prix they have been helping us out. You guys are great, thanks again!

Thank you Terry Tolbert and RDO Equipment for being so cool in loaning us light towers. Those things were like BEACONS at Start/Finish and for everyone that stopped by to join Amy and I for the BBQ the night before the race, you know being under one of those lights was like standing next to the sun!

Thank you to Ryan and Alicia Jonsson and BearDesigns. Alicia has been helping Amy and I from the beginning of the Volunteer Team. She is amazing! Always getting big things done while making them seem like small things.

Thank you also for sponsoring Checkpoint #2 and taking the time to go out and check on them in between your heats. The Check 2 crew said running that checkpoint was like being in the lap of luxury! Ryan, Thank you for letting me borrow just about every item from your trailer. Amy and I will eventually buy the stuff that is necessary for our Volunteer Team catering, but without your hospitality there is no way we would be able to do it now. You guys are awesome!

Thank you to Marcus Fear and Sparkletts Water for donating 15 cases of water!!!!! The most important thing in the desert is to stay hydrated and let me tell you, when anyone opened up the DRIVE coolers looking for a way to beat the heat, the rows of ice cold water bottles were a sight for sore eyes! Sparkletts RULES!!!

Another HUGE THANK YOU to Jimmy and PCI Race Radios!!!! Jimmy is the guy that always helps us out with our communications and makes it possible for everyone on the DRIVE Team to hear Darren Ballein (DRIVE MAIN). Thanks Jimmy!

Last but not least, thank you to each and every racer that signed up and took the green flag at our race. You guys are the reason we volunteers are out there and every honk of the horn, mashing of the loud pedal, and wave from the cockpit makes the hot day totally worth wile!

DRIVE knows it takes money, time and effort to come out and race in Plaster City. I can assure you that the DRIVE Volunteer Team is committed to making each and every race safe, professional, and carried out with a great family atmosphere. We hope that comes across to each of you as you see us cheering you on all over the course!

At the end of all this I would like to thank the two people that make this whole thing happen. Doug and Kelly Wasser (Mr. and Mrs. DRIVE). They are two of the greatest people I know. Always working tirelessly to make DRIVE something that the off road community can take pride in. You guys are incredible



Thanks again!
See you in the desert

Brian & Amy

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[TreyP]

All I can say is THANKS a million for what the volunteers do. We hated sitting in that sun all day and racing in it. That the DRIVE Crew hung in there all day for us was awesome.

Can't wait for cooler weather and more racing. See you there.

[Brian & Amy]

DRIVE volunteers will be there rain or shine!


BTW, the DRIVE Desert Clean Up #2 is just around the corner.....

If anyone wanted to know



-Brian & Amy

[go woody]

Thanks everyone I love that track keep up the good work

[ultrablew]

All I have to say to add to Brian's post is a huge thank you to Brian and Amy for all your time, effort and organization for the volunteers. You 2 are amazing and DRIVE is very fortunte to have such a great crew.

[Tundranation]

It was a blast working this race .....not even the heat could ruin our fun !! By the way Tim, did you happen to check the ambers on that last race vehicle ???????? Thanks DRIVE for a fun race !!

[DUNE DUMMY # 29]

You forgot "Fast" Eddie Haynes again.

[Brian & Amy]

You forgot "Fast" Eddie Haynes again.

Eddie is AWESOME! My bad. I didn't take a photo of him at this race. He and Brian Wiley (Rover 76) have been there from the beginning too! Thanks to both of you guys for being such great rovers!


-Brian & Amy

[tmathews]

It was a blast working this race .....not even the heat could ruin our fun !! By the way Tim, did you happen to check the ambers on that last race vehicle ???????? Thanks DRIVE for a fun race !!

Nope... too busy looking for race vehicle numbers and calling them in, while you were taking pics...

[Tundranation]

Nope... too busy looking for race vehicle numbers and calling them in, while you were taking pics...

No you were to busy eating Otter Pops !