race-dezert.com brings you highlights of the 2012 BITD Parker 425.

This video has been updated to show the Official top 10 results at the end of the video.

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The famous Miss Mint 400 competition is back for its 4th consecutive year, bigger, brighter and better!  The top prize has been raised to a whopping $5,000 dollars and the lucky winner joins the likes of  past winners like Vanna White of TV game show fame and The super-powered Linda Carter. Girls from across the country will compete for the Miss Mint 400 crown, which brings with it the prestigious Miss Mint title, a prize package, national exposure and a professional photo shoot.

Do you think you have what it takes to be the next Miss Mint 400? The contest is open to women 18-years-of-age and older who are legal residents of the fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia.  Official contest rules and registration here.

Over the years many beautiful women have represented The Great America’s Off-Road Race, will you be next?

The Monster Energy Landshark Trick Truck  is Back; Herbst Takes First in Class! 

The Monster Energy Off Road Team kicked off the 2012 Best in the Desert series with an impressive showing at the Parker 425 in Arizona this past weekend.  On the banks of the Colorado River lies a racecourse known for its sandy whoops, rocky washes, high-speed graded roads, and signature “Parker Python” which is always a crowd pleaser.  In past years, rain has been a present on race day, helping the racers stay clear of the dust.  This year, race conditions were ideal and it was the wind that helped clear the dust and silt from the record 227 entries in the field.

Thursday marked the beginning of the event, where trucks lined up for a practice lap then headed right back out for a qualifying lap that would decide their start position for Saturday’s race.  This 5-mile loop started and ended at each end of the Parker Python.  Along Shea Road, which parallels a stretch of the racecourse, spectators got to witness high-speed whoops and sandy turns.  BJ Baldwin knows the importance of starting upfront on race day and was a man on mission, claiming a 2^nd place spot four seconds off the lead qualifier, Rob MacCachren.  Tim Herbst, driving the #19 Trophy Truck, took 8^th and brother Troy Herbst in the #49 “LandShark” took 18^th.  Monster Energy’s Class 1 presence, Mikey Childress, started 12^th on race day.

Another trademark of the Parker 425 race is the start begins right in the streets of Parker, just like in Baja.  Racers headed off the line directly into the beautiful Arizona sunrise. With only Rob MacCachren ahead of him, BJ kept up and setting a good pace for the rest of the pack.  Midway through the first lap however, something in the engine wiring harness malfunctioned, causing the engine to cut out intermittently.  BJ pulled off to the side, causing him to fall 12 minutes behind MacCachren and falling several spots in the process.  Electrical issues would continue to haunt BJ all day, but didn’t stop him from placing in the top 10.  “As many demons as this truck had today with electrical issues, alternator failing, batteries failing, I think finishing third across the line is impressive, considering having had an hour of down time,” said Baldwin at the finish line.  The official results bumped him down to 5^th on time in Trophy Truck and 8^th overall.

With BJ in and out of trouble, teammate Ryan Arciero and Troy Herbst in the #49 Trophy Truck picked up the slack for the Monster Energy Off Road Team.  Ryan started out the race with an aggressive strategy – Get through the pack. “We did everything we could in that first lap to pick off as many guys as we could and get Troy the truck in a position that he could take it to the finish,” said Arciero.  And they did just that.  After the team switched drivers, Troy Herbst would take the checkered flag and finish 1^st in class and 2^nd overall.  “The team has been doing a lot of homework and it’s been a long time since a Herbst as been in the winners circle and this is long overdue.  There’s going to be more to come I can tell you that right now.”

Tim Herbst in the #19 was also barreling through the desert at a podium pace.  After starting 8^th, he made his way all the way to a couple hundred yards behind BJ and Rob Mac.  With them in sight, Tim pushed harder to catch them and in doing so, blew his engine and ending their day.  Jerry Welchell, in the #75 Monster Energy Camburg Trick Truck, had a similar story as his engine let go in the second lap.  The overall attrition of vehicles was staggering.

Class 1 driver, Mikey Childress, had a great race day leading to the final lap, where he ran in to one issue that possibly cost in an overall win.  “Flawless throughout the entire race, my vehicle ran the best it has ever,” Childress explained at the finish line.  At mile marker 50 of his final lap, he was 57 seconds off the overall pace.  After hearing some vibration on the fast roads, he decided to pull off and assess the situation.  Turns out he had only been running on one loose lugnut and two broken studs.  After robbing some studs from the other wheels and changing out the wheel, Childress nursed it in to the finish to claim 6^th overall and 3^rd in class.

The Monster Energy Off Road Team opened the BITD season with a bang, putting 3 racers in the overall top 10 out of a field of 227.  You won’t want to miss the next race in the BITD series, the legendary Mint 400 in Las Vegas, NV over March 23^rd-26^th – BJ will be eager to defend his title.

Photos by Vincent Knakal of Mad Media

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Riot Racing’s driver Marc Ewing returns to the ring to battle at the Best in the Desert championship race, the Henderson 250. Facing fire and ice in the winter mountains of Nevada, Josh Daniel’s #1598 car fails with one lap remaining. Riot’s hopes fall on Ewing’s #68 trophy truck to race for a podium finish.

Watch how the 2011 season culminates for Riot Racing.

RiotRacing.com
BITD.com
VitaBrevisFilms.com

Robby Gordon took the overall win today at the 2012 BITD Parker 425, winning over Troy Herbst and Ryan Arciero by 4 minutes. Gordon’s overall time was 14 minutes faster then Jesse Jones time last year, which was attributed to a fast first lap on a smooth course. As time went on the course got more chewed up and vehicles starting falling to what Parker does best, cause DNF’s. TSCO Racing and the Weyrich brothers put up a good showing with Mark finishing 3rd overall and 2nd in Trick Truck, while brother Gary battled from starting 70th to finish 15th overall. Coming in second place in Class 1500 was Ray Griffith, after qualifying 4th on Thursday he kept a fast pace to put him in the same spot overall.

Of the top 20 overall vehicles, only 6 of them qualified in the top 20. While qualifying towards the top is typically an advantage, in a race like Parker where attrition takes it toll, just finishing the race is a battle.

Unofficial Overall Leaders
Place Name # Time Starting Position
1 ROBBY GORDON 1537 7:18.50 3
2 TROY HERBST 49 7:23.01 18
3 MARK WEYHRICH 9 7:26.12 16
4 RAY GRIFFITH 1553 7:34.12 4
5 JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ f18 7:36.35 19
6 MIKE CHILDRESS 1565 7:37.51 12
7 JIMMY NUCKLES 48 7:45.21 11
8 ADAM HOUSEHOLDER 24 7:46.28 22
9 OLLIGES/SWIFT 28 7:49.08 29
10 BJ BALDWIN 1 7:50.13 2
11 JUSTIN DAVIS 1513 7:50.53 41
12 RICHARD BOYLE 1563 7:50.59 36
13 JON WALKER 1589 7:58.49 50
14 SHELBY REID 1568 8:01.35 31
15 GARY WEYHRICH 98 8:03.14 70
16 TRAVIS CHASE 1595 8:04.08 28
17 RICKY BRABEC 1582 8:07.53 59
18 BRAD ETTER 1560 8:12.38 51
19 TODD JERGENSEN 1551 8:14.28 32
20 GARRICK FREITAS 1572 8:16.19 27

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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Rob MacCachren put a hurting on the field of 88 Trick Trucks and Class 1500 cars taking the top spot in qualifying, putting 4 seconds on BJ Baldwin and another 9 seconds on Robby Gordon. Rob Mac used smart lane choices to start first for Saturday’s grueling 425 mile course that Parker is known for. While qualifying at the top is definitely an advantage over the field, this race is about attrition so you can’t count any team out until the results come out.

Stay tuned on RDC as on race day we’ll have our usual live coverage with radio coverage and live video, along with stories and photos after the race. Good luck to all the racers!

Also be sure to check out a quick video by Scott Smith at Paradigm Productions from todays qualifying!

Parker Qualifying Video

Photos by Jason Zindroski of HighRev Photography

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You saw how durable the Rigid Industries LED Light Bars are.   Every two weeks, we’re breaking down the Rigid Industries video that blew the off road world away.  Mad Media put together a series of torture tests to put these lights through hell. They did their best to cut, crush, drag, torch and drown Rigid’s lights to death but weren’t very successful.  We’re going to break down each test show the exact tools that were used to torture these lights.   Not even a concrete smash can keep their lights from shining. They put their products to the test so that there’s no question; You’re buying the best LED Light Bars available!

Falken Tire, a leading high performance choice for driving enthusiasts on pavement and off-road, has just announced further expansion of its motorsports involvement in the popular and demanding off-road King of the Hammers event, running a new vehicle built by Off Road Evolution of Fullerton, CA, that will compete in the highly competitive Ultra4 Class. The Falken Tire factory team race vehicle will feature the Wildpeak A/T 37×13.50-R18 tire.

King of the Hammers, known as the “toughest one-day off-road race,” according to series organizers, will run for the sixth time on public lands in Johnson Valley, CA. Over the first five years the race has run, it has evolved from 12 teams to more than 150 teams competing before thousands of fans both live and online. The race will be run on Friday February 10, 2012.

The custom tube chassis vehicle will be piloted by Falken Vice President of Marketing Andrew Hoit, an experienced off-roader, along with his co-driver, Ryan Hagel from RCH Designs in Huntington Beach, CA. The car is powered by an LS1 engine making more than 400hp, with a Turbo400 transmission and Atlas transfer case. The team is prequalified for the race but will set its starting position on Wednesday February 8th.

This is Falken’s first serious effort into off-road racing. The high performance tire manufacturer has already shown its dominance in the professional world of drifting and claimed two wins in last year’s hotly contested GT class of the American Le Mans Series. Falken is also supporting two other teams in this year’s event, the husband and wife team of Race Prep Racing, also in the KOH Main Event as well as the Savvy Off Road/Currie Enterprises Jeep Wrangler competing in this year’s Every Man Challenge event on Sunday February 5th.

“We feel this is a perfect venue to showcase the durability and versatility of our Wildpeak tire line,” stated Nestor Cabrera, Falken’s Off-Road Supervisor. “We are confident we’ll perform well in this demanding event.”

KOH, as King of the Hammers is known, will feature over 150 vehicles competing, while 71 Last Chance Qualifier contestants will attempt to secure the 20 remaining spots and conquer the 165 mile course.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

race-dezert.com brings you highlights of the first HDRA race of 2012. Check out the race action and also see what the Ironman Ivan Stewart and Roger Norman have to say about the resurrected HDRA series.

For Racers by Racers.. In six quick months Roger Norman, Robert Gross & Ken Flippin listened up to racers and reformed the premiere racing organization High Desert Racing Association (HDRA). The inaugural HDRA Redline @ Stateline in Primm, NV. went off without a hitch with racers, fans, media & the BLM.

HDRA Banner

With over 100+ starters in the 2-day event HDRA put up an extra incentive with an unheard of $10,000 bonus payout to the overall winner which made racers push their vehicles to the limits on a rough 12 mile course. In the end Galindo Motorsports drivers Steven Eugenio & Kyle Conlon took the overall victory in the #103 single seat Jimco Class 1 with a time of 2:35:17. Galindo Motorsports brought home more than $12,000 in winnings!

Steven Eugenio / Kyle Conlon HDRA Redline @ Stateline Overall

Fresh out of the DMV, talented 16-year-old Brandon Arthur of HRT Motorsports blew away the competition winning both days in his bright yellow Class 1400 Open Truck.

Brandon Arthur Class 1400 Winner

Ivan “Ironman” Stewart dropped the green flag as the honorary Grand Marshal of the inaugural HDRA race and the off-road legend followed up with some words of wisdom to finishers on the podium.

Ivan Stewart with Steven Eugenio & Kyle Conlon

The official HDRA helicopter equipped with well known off road videographer Jimmy Lee Cook of Air Land and Sea Films caught all the aerial action and kept racers on the peddle for the 2-day event that will be televised in the near future.

HDRA Official Helicopter

“All of our departments did wonderful job this weekend timing, registration, retrievals and the rest of the HDRA staff. I give our team a 99% and feel with were over staffed. We feel our car counts are only going to grow from here,” commented Robert Gross, President of HDRA.

Next race on HDRA’s schedule is the Imperial 250 taking place April 5th-8th in Plaster City, CA., which is the only scheduled race taking place in Plaster for 2012. Jump aboard and take advantage of all the great things HDRA is offering their racers. See www.hdrarace.com for more information.

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The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge; the season opener for 2012. Get a first-hand view of this sick loop course as the team battles through the short course style turns and high-speed sections to make some moves on the competition!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

Off road legend Johnny Campbell was chosen by Robby Gordon to be the co-driver/navigator for Gordon’s Team SPEED/HUMMER in the 2012 DAKAR RALLY in South America. Ironically, Campbell had never raced in a 4 wheel vehicle nor navigated in this fashion before the very first stage. What we learn is that Campbell lived the adventure of a lifetime while simultaneously beating very seasoned navigators at their own game on three separate stages, including Campbell’s personal first, which came on stage 9

Johnny Campbell has turned out to be an exceptional co-driver. Anyone else of equal talent and pedigree who sought the public spotlight, not so much. Johnny’s manner does not foster a lot of showboating and hoopla. Instead he’s low key and ends up being mysterious and reserved. When the news first broke that Robby Gordon tapped JC to do the big one (DAKAR 2012), some of us wondered if it was April fools. It seemed so unlikely and outa left field; and that’s some of the most genius ideas seem at first, not so obvious. If you are a high-profile and rambunctious driver with a history of antics and shenanigans, you don’t want a clone of yourself sitting to your right, at least not in the DAKAR

Let’s imagine Campbell in the cockpit for a minute since the in-car footage can’t do this any justice: he’s had only a few hours the night before to study the road book, a basic reporters notebook filled with dozens of goofy symbols bred and more data than you can really use. On his very kilometers of stage 1, he was thrown into the global arena, with virtually no experience and competing against the most seasoned and successful navigators on the planet. As is turned out, this choice be Gordon paid off and Campbell earned his own first 3 stage wins on this Dakar Rally.

Campbell first explains the difference between a co-driver (off-road) and a navigator (rally). Most fans think they know the difference, but you’d have to see first hand to really know the difference a navigator spends hours on end the night before the each stage, having only been given the road book at the end of each day. His life is so in his hands, way more than a BAJA co-driver. There is no rehearsal, no pre-run, no GPS. Instead, the course has its own GPS that is challenging the navigator to find waypoints and drive through them. The notes in the road book have kilometer   and his driver is blind, a total “cold run” in a very foreign place.

After a successful 2012 DAKAR, Campbell will leave his options open to any chance of returning to the DAKAR Rally to give it another attempt to make history and be the very first American to win the overall championship. Our hats go off to Campbell for this amazing effort.

Johnny's Stage 9 Road Book: One look at one page of this can make your head spin. Imagine having Gordon to your left wanting you to describe what you see here at over 100 MPH

You saw how durable the Rigid Industries LED Light Bars are.   Every two weeks, we’re breaking down the Rigid Industries video that blew the off road world away.  Mad Media put together a series of torture tests to put these lights through hell. They did their best to cut, crush, drag, torch and drown Rigid’s lights to death but weren’t very successful.  We’re going to break down each test show the exact tools that were used to torture these lights.   Not even the Blunt Force of these deadly handheld weapons can keep their lights from shining. They put their products to the test so that there’s no question; You’re buying the best LED Light Bars available!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

The opening race of the 2012 SCORE International series kicked off in Laughlin, NV next to the raging Colorado River.  The Laughlin Desert Challenge was broken in to two races, giving racers the opportunity to score points both days.  The course consisted of a 6.25 mile loop, featuring high speed jumps, sandy banked turns, rocky washes, and massive ruts known for crippling even the most capable of off road vehicles.  This spectator friendly course featured 8 laps of hardcore off-road action with tons of bumping and passing.

Not only did the Friday qualifying lap earn racers spots for the first race on Saturday, but it ended BJ Baldwin tire hysteria as well. Finally, BJ ran his much-anticipated new Toyo tires in competition; and he did it well.  With this quick and testing course in front of him, it was a perfect preview at what to expect from BJ in the longer races of 2012.

One lap was run on Friday to choose the started order for Round 1.  SCORE sent racers off every 4 minutes so each racer had a clear path ahead of them.  Top qualifier was none other than Baldwin, with an impressive time of 6 minutes and 23.99 seconds.  Recent Off Road Hall of Fame inductee, Rob MacCachren, qualified second, a mere 10 seconds behind BJ. Needless to say, that’s a hell of a way to open 2012.  Greg Nunley, Loyd Sproule, and Monster Energy’s Cameron Steele rounded out the top five.

Race day brought a calm and collected BJ, something not seen in 2011.  “This year I am committed to wining races. I am not going to let anything get in the way of victory,” said Baldwin, “I want to focus on smarter driving and finishing races, keeping my eyes on the another championship.”   The race, however, was a little different than the previous days qualifying, as BJ had to constantly fight off off-road race legend Rob Mac for the lead.  “Our plan was to take it easy on the first few laps, but right after the start the pace was quick and we were being pressured by MacCachren. He started catching us on the second lap so we had to turn it up. Losing to a legend like Rob doesn’t bother me, he is an amazing driver, but beating him is awesome!” commented Baldwin.

BJ further separated from Rob when Rob had to pull over and change a flat on the sixth lap.  From there, it was smooth sailing to the finish.   Juan Carlos Lopez, from Tecate, Mexico, crossed the finish line over a minute after BJ, claiming second place in the Trophy Truck class.  Cameron Steele entered three Dessert Assassins trucks to the race, including two Trophy Trucks.  Josh Daniel, in the #14 Truck, did not finish the race and after a promising start in the early laps of the race, Steele’s #16 truck transmission blew, sending shrapnel towards the passenger seat.   Co-driver Cody Stuart suffered a severe leg injury and was taken to Las Vegas for a nightlong surgery.  Cody will have a long recovery and we wish him the best.  Cameron attended Stuarts trip to Las Vegas and was with him throughout the night.  With him in mind, he booked it back to Laughlin in time for Sundays race.

Starting from the back, Cameron was able to battle through the field of 22 to finish his #16 truck 7th.  Truck #14 finished 5th, with Josh Daniel behind the wheel.  BJ ran in to mechanical issues that forced him to limp through the course by lap 3.  On board computer issues shut down 3 cylinders when he was 14 seconds ahead of Rob Mac.  BJ made it through the 4th lap but after hearing about medical issues concerning teammate and father, Bobby Baldwin, he cut straight to him.  Bobby suffered a heavy concussion and blurred vision in his left eye after a cruel landing off a jump.  Race officials called for SCORE rescue over the radio and took the two to medical facilities.  We are happy to report after a night in the hospital and several tests, Bobby has been released yesterday morning.  Both co-drivers took over the vehicles and neither would finish.

This weekend we saw two race extremes of the new era of BJ Baldwin.  Will the new tires make a significant difference, as seen on Saturday?  Will mechanical issues continue to haunt him like on Sunday?  Your guess is as good as ours.  I guess we’ll see at the BITD Parker 425 in early February.

Photos by Art Eugenio for Mad Media

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Day 2 of the Laughlin Desert Challenge found Rob MacCachren at the top of the podium after a tough battle with Juan Carlos Lopez. “Last year we were close and we ended up second, but this a great way to start the new season,” said MacCachren.  “Last year we swept both rounds in San Felipe and the shocks have really come a long way over the years and these little shock coolers up on top; that’s our secret weapon for San Felipe.”  “There was some great racing today. I can’t wait to do it some more.”

Rob Mac on his way to winning the LDC

The hired gun from Tecate brought the RPM/Clyde Stacy truck across the line in 2nd position. This solidifies Juan Carlos Lopez’s promise to be a threat in the 2012. “It was very hard and technical out there, lots of whoops,” said a very happy Juan Carlos.  “It was either too soft or too hard, but it was a lot of fun. The truck ran great and we had no problems.”

"PIN" at LDC

Taking home third was Steven Stroble who just came off a stellar year nearly pulling off a championship in a rival race series. “The course changed as the race went on and we lost some right at the end,” said Stroble. “The motor started to go a little bit soft and something in the suspension too.” “It was chewed up out there but we came home with a good finish.” “Right at the end, Rob (MacCachren) caught us so we let him by and we chased him on in to the finish line. I didn’t want to hold him up. We weren’t going to be able to get the win but it’s a great way to start the season. We’re going to San Felipe; we’re running for the points and everything counts to get these things across the finish line.”

Top honors in Class 1 was Cody Parkhouse.  “It is a brutal, brutal track. Everything is more squared off and twice as big – which suits this car well, but it beats you up,” said Cody. “We had no issues at all; we ran clean and ran fast. We got it (the win), but we’ll have to wait until it is official. Once again, I ran around with my dad for a lap or two, and it was fun.”

Cody Parkhouse

Second in Class 1 was Harley Letner. “It was a flawless run but I had to put a backup motor in after Friday, so it’s a little low on power but what it lacks in power, I make up on suspension” said Harley. “Our crew sets it up so great and it just works great. It was rough out there. Yesterday was a freeway compared to now; it was insane!”

And rounding out the top three in Class 1 was Brian Parkhouse. “We had no problems; it was just rough and I couldn’t keep up with the young kids.” said Brian. “I was pretty close to Harley (Letner) on splits, but we’ll take third just the same.” “The car worked great and the setup was good. The course got a lot rougher today. We expected that and made some adjustments on our shock package and compensated for it pretty well.”

Brian Parkhouse

The racing at the LDC was great as always but the overall atmosphere left something lacking compared to years past. What once was a exciting, action packed weekend of watching your favorite racers in door to door combat for the win is now just a shell of its former glory. Over the years, the race has been put through the ringer, shrinking in size and becoming less and less of a spectator sport. Many have speculated why, but from this writer’s point of view, the blame falls directly on the BLM and their questionable interpretation of the law. We keep loosing more and more and becoming less and less free to do what we enjoy doing. The days of treking out with the family, finding a nice spot, setting up a barbeque and watching a race are quickly going away, maybe even gone, and now given way to watching from behind a 6ft fence 300 yards away from a flat section of dirt. Where will it end? This race is a perfect example of why we need to get our asses in gear and fight for our sport. It’s time! Let’s do it!

Official Finishers:

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks, 8 laps, 50 miles)—1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 54:16 (55.28 miles per hour); 2. Juan Carlos Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Chevy Silverado, 55:28; 3. Steven Strobel, Clarks, Neb., Ford F-150, 55:40; 4. Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, 55:58; 5. Josh Daniel, Canyon Country, Calif., (Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., driver of record) GMC Sierra, 56:11; 6. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 57:11; 7. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., GMC Sierra, 57:16; 8. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 59:20; 9. Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., Ford F-150, 59:40; 10. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Chevy Silverado, 1:00:30; 11. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Larry Vanderwey, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 1:01:36; 12. James Bult, Monee, Ill, Dodge Ram2500, 1:01:37;   13. Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Chevy CK1500, 1:12:05; 14. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 1:15:50. (21 Starters, 14 Finishers)
CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters, 8 laps, 50 miles)—1. Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 57:10 (52.48 mph); 2. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 57:16; 3. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 58:30; 4. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 59:13; 5.  Jaime Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Porter-Chevy, 59:47; 6. Jeff Geiser, Phoenix (Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., driver of record) Geiser-Chevy, 59:58; 7. Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Geiser-Ford, 1:00:01; 8. Steve Appleton, Boise, Idaho/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 1:00:52;
9. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif., Geiser-Chevy, 1:02:53; 10. Jeff Quinn, Irvine, Calif., (Monica Greenhill, Crowley, Texas, driver of record) Jimco-Chevy, 1:04:48; 11. Tony Miglini, Dallas, Jimco-Chevy, 1:11:41. (19 Starters,      11 Finishers)
CLASS 1/2-1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Robert S. Archibald, El Cajon, Calif., Mirage, 50:11 (44.84 mph); 2. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif., Romo, 50:17; 3. Justin Munyon, San Clemente, Calif., (Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., driver of record) Kreger, 51:26; 4. Jake Wreesman, Ventura, Calif., (Jason Markham, Ventura, Calif., driver of record) Lothringer, 51:33; 5 Ignacio King, Ensenada, Mexico (George Peters, Newbury Park, Calif., driver of record), Penhall, 53:20; 6. Kyle Quinn, Irvine, Calif., (Brian Wilson, Irvine, Calif., driver of record) Kreger, 53:31; 7. Jesus Velez, Mexicali, Mexico, Curry, 58:32. (9 Starters, 7 Finishers)
CLASS 3 (Short wheelbase 4X4, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., Ford Bronco, 44:02 (42.58 mph); 2. Tareck Karam, La Quinta, Calif. (Billy Bunch, La Quinta, Calif., driver of record) Jeep Wrangler, 44:05. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)—1. Kevin Carr, San Diego, 1:01:14 (42.87 mph) (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Erich Reisen/Ross Burden, Canada, 59:30 (37.82 mph); 2. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Thomas Fernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, 1:04:10.
(2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Eduardo Laguna, Mexicali, Mexico/Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Chevy Colorado, 44:23 (50.69 mph); 2. Dan Holtz, Los Angeles/Rick McGeorge, Garden Grove, Calif., Ford Ranger, 53:54; 3. Rene Brugger, San Diego, Ford Ranger, 54:59;
4. Elias Canchola Jr, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 1:00:05. (5 Starters, 4 Finishers)
CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Dan Chamlee, Summerland, Calif.,   Ford Ranger, 1:06:40 (33.75 mph). (3 Starters, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Elias Hanna, Ensenada, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 54:56 (40.96 mph); 2. Jon Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 58:41;
3. Rich Severson, Tucson, Ariz., Ford Ranger, 1:05:20. (4 Starters, 3 Finishers)
CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)—1. Rodolfo Iribe, San Ysidro, Calif.,  Chevy Silverado, 48:08 (46.75 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)—1. Michael LaPaglia, Murrieta, Calif., 54:38 (48.05 mph); 2. Peter Hajas, Wayzata, Minn., Kreger-Chevy, 56:20; 3. Chuck Sacks, Canyon Lake, Calif., (Matt Cullen, Long Beach, Calif., driver of record) AlumiCraft-Honda, 56:26; 4. Perry McNeil, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 57:28; 5. Mike Lawrence, El Monte, Calif., Chenowth-Honda, 58:35; 6. Mark Lawrence, El Monte, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 59:40. (6 Starters, 6 Finishers)
SCORE LITES (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)— 1. Otoneil Huerta, San Luis, Ariz., Curry, 55:08 (47.61 mph); 2. Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., (Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, driver of record) Moulton, 55:27; 3. Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif.,(Rafael Navarro IV, Temecula, Calif., driver of record) Jimco, 56:03; 4. Matt Laughlin, Laughlin, Nev., Penhall, 57:28; 5. Jeff Sanca, Canada, Porter, 59:18; 6. Lobsam Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, Curry, 1:12:13. (6 Starters, 6 Finishers)
STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., Lexus LX570, Lexus, 46:30 (40.32 mph); 2. Chad Bunch, Corpus Christi, Texas (Wes Bevly III, Corpus Christi, Texas, driver of record) Ford F-150, 47:05; 3. Marc Stein, San Diego, Ford F-150, 48:52. (3 Starters, 3 Fiinishers)
STOCK MINI (Stock, mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Andy Bell/Ted Moncure, Long Beach, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 1:06:42 (28.11 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
CLASS 7-2 (Unlimited Mini-Truck, 2.2/2.4-Liter Ecotec engine, 5 laps, 31.25 miles)—1. Billy Wilson/Wes Bevly IV, Corpus Christi, Texas, BajaLite-Chevy, 49:13 (45.72 mph); 2. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo., Mason-Chevy, 51:00; 3. Dana Dague, Huntington Beach, Calif./Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Mason-Chevy, 57:59. (3 Starters, 3 Finishers)
CLASS 4 (Unlimited open-wheel car, 2.2/2.4-Liter Ecotec engine, 7 laps, 43.75 miles)—1. Derek Fletcher, Abingdon, Va., PSD-Chevy, 1:00:02 (43.73 mph); 2. Shawn Twitchell, Nampa, Idaho (Mike Shaffer, Oakland, Calif., driver of record) Custom-Chevy, 1:01:11. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
CLASS 2 (Unlimited open-wheel, car/truck, 3.5-Liter Turbo or supercharged, 6 laps, 37.5 miles)— 1. Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Steven Arlia, Phoenix, PSD-Chevy, 54:55 (40.97 mph); 2. Jon Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 1:04:30. (2 Starters, 2 Finishers)
SPORTSMAN
SPT BUGGY, 6 laps, 37.5 miles—1. Jim Bunn, Bristol, Va., RGBuggy-Chevy, 55:33 (40.50 mph).        (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)
SPT TRUCK, 5 laps, 31.25 miles—1. Nick Tonelli, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 46:57 (39.94 mph). (1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

[Show as slideshow]

Robby Gordon’s Hummer was notably faster than the competition through certain sections of this year’s Dakar Rally.  On the surface this was attributed to the decreased restrictor size for diesel engines to even the playing field with gasoline engines.  In the first week of the rally Gordon only lost stages to his main competition from the X-Raid Mini team when mechanical issues occurred or he stopped to assist teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah.  At Stage 9 Gordon finally won his first stage in 2012, clocking speeds over 120 mph on the 35% descent into Iquique.

The Speed Energy team did not have much time to celebrate before FIA and ASO officials were in Gordon’s camp to inspect his car.  While ASO is the event organizer, FIA oversees all of the technical and safety aspects, much like USAC did for TORC (before they purchased the series).  RDC was there when three FIA marshalls paid Robby a visit at the end of Stage 9 and captured these photos.  When the FIA marshal was checking the size of the restrictor on Robby’s LS7 engine, he felt air movement around his hand even though the engine was not running.

Further inspection revealed that the air was coming from the tire inflation system, located near the air intake.  Gordon maintains that the air source was just bleeding off from the tire inflation and not associated with the engine, but the officials had a different opinion on the matter and disqualified Gordon.  “This is the same system that I have run for the past two years and went through scrutineering with,” Gordon commented.

The scene was reminiscent of 2009 when Robby won his first stage and Volkswagen protested his restrictor.  Was the big budget Mini juggernaut behind the current visit to Gordon’s camp?  Monster Energy Central and Eastern European Marketing Director Joe Parsons stated that the Monster Mini X-Raid team had nothing to do with the controversy.  “The officials are in our camp every night looking over the cars,” Parsons commented.  Some speculated whether disgruntled Gordon teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah made a call to the ASO after hastily leaving the Dakar Rally on Tuesday.

The next night he demonstrated to RDC on Al-Attiyah’s Hummer how the tire deflation system does not provide enough air to keep the engine running.  First Robby covered the restrictor with the engine running and the system in place and the engine promptly died.  Next he deflated all four tires and when he covered the restrictor the engine still died, demonstrating that it did not provide enough air to keep the engine running.  With the hose disconnected the idle dropped, but the engine would still run with the restrictor covered.  On Stage 10 to Arica Gordon removed the hose in question…but had a navigation error in that stage and settled for 4th place.  His chances were looking good for victory until he stopped to change a CV joint on Stage 11 and it cost him over an hour. The next day, on sage 12 to Nasca, Gordon ripped the field to shreds and score a convincing win over Peterhansel by more than 23 minutes.

When RDC asked Robby if this controversy would keep him from coming back to Dakar he replied “Absolutely not.  I am not going to give up that easy.”  While the race is over, Gordon’s fifth place overall finish is still in question.  An official protest has been filed by Gordon’s team with the ASO in France, but don’t expect a resolution any time soon.  Just keep an eye out in 2013 for the placement of Robby Gordon’s tire deflation system in the intake tract.

Gordon and Campbell’s 2012 DAKAR Rally Results for each stage

2012 Dakar – Final Stage Summary Video:

Best of the car category:

Best of the bike category:

The landscape:

Today SCORE opened the off-road racing season with round 1 in Laughlin.

This race course is known for its harshness despite the very short laps. Things started out unscheduled for Jimmy Knuckles and Robby Pierce as they both yard sales after one of the large and high speed jumps alongside the Laughlin High School.

All drivers and co-drievrs are reported ok.

Also noteworthy is one incident involving Trophy Truck #16 of Cameron Steele. The transmission let go and exploded shooting parts into the driver compartment and injuring co-driver Cody Stuart. Cody was sent via helicopter into a Las Vegas hospital for treatment. To follow Cody’s recovery check our forum discussions HERE.

Cody Stuart on his flight to Las Vegas for treatment. He waves the camera an upbeat salut.

Sunday will be another day of racing and hopefully with less carnage.

Youtube video: Isaac Chapluk

Despite a lower than normal amount of entries (102) the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge still put on a great day of racing. With a slightly different setup, round 1 of the two race weekend is a full points race unlike past years which was a combine of the two day event. Tomorrow is another full points day essentially making the LDC a double points race.

BJ Baldwin bested the field taking the overall win with Juan Carlos Lopez just over a minute behind in second.,  “I made a personal commitment to myself and my team at the end of 2011 to never let anything get in the way of pursuit of a victory,” said Baldwin. “Running our race team like a business has sometimes gotten in the way of that and I’m over it, my team’s over it and we are done losing. 2012 is going to be our best year. We were going to try and go slow for the first three laps because it is so hard on equipment but Rob MacCachren just wouldn’t let us do that. He was pushing the pace and I was trying to go as slow as I can but still go fast. He was catching me a second a lap and then on one of the laps I put three seconds on him and then the next lap he got a flat. To lose to Rob would be awesome but to beat him is even better. I’d like to thank everybody that lives here in Laughlin and everybody that lets us race down here. This is a wonderful place to put on an event. ”

Taking third spot on the podium was Gary Weyhrich. “The first lap wasn’t bad but every other lap it went away farther and farther,” said Gary. “I think we’ve got to stiffen up the shocks up a bit. As the run kept going we started getting loose in the rear end and it was hard to control it.  It was frustrating because I was pushing and most of the guys I usually run with were pulling away from me. I think we’ll be fine tomorrow but we’ve got to stiffen the whole truck up. There were a couple of guys broken down and a couple on their side. Typical Laughlin: It’s crazy.”

Working his way through the pack and taking first in Class 1, 5th overall was Adam Pfankuch co-driving for Steven Eugenio. “I didn’t push too hard,” said Pfankuch. “We decided to take it down a notch because we wanted to save the car for tomorrow. It was fun. We just cruised and went around all of the big bumps and helped make the car hold up for tomorrow. This thing is a rocket ship but once it gets a little rough out there it comes to our disadvantage so we took advantage of what we have today.”

The next two podium spots were taken by Cody Parkhouse in 3rd and Brian Parkhouse in 4th. “It was awesome,” said Cody. “We’ve got this thing dialed in so good right now. It might have been a little soft but other than that it was as fast as we could go, foot to the floor everywhere.”

A good example of the close racing today was Ronny Wilson’s and Harley Letner’s tie for fourth spot with the exact same time of 59:17.

Harley Letner. “We had a broken brake line and it made it really hard to stop. It was a good race up until that happened on the third or fourth lap and we still caught a couple of guys. We tried not to overshoot turns and make it to the end and get a finish. I was going for a win but I guess we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Ronny Wilson. “I had a couple of slow laps and got out of the groove. Our goal is to come here and maybe get on the podium or get a couple top five finishes and get to San Felipe. Our cars are really more set up for Mexico races.”

With the new format tomorrow brings another chance at the podium and many are working through the night to take advantage of that. What hasn’t changed is how much the 6 miles of Laughlin desert changes within a day of racing. Tomorrows course will be rough… The holes will be BIG… And the ruts deep..!

Starting line up for Sunday:

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (24)
97 B.J. Baldwin
18 Juan Carlos Lopez
98 Gary Weyhrich
94 Steven Strobel
9 Mark Weyhrich
12 Brendan Gaughan
96 Bobby Baldwin
95 Scott Whipple
20 Rob MacCachren
2 Pete Sohren
47 James Bult
84 Nick Vanderwey
19 Tim Herbst
49 Ryan Arciero
34 Ken Losch
65 Lloyd Sproule
10 Greg Nunley
48 Jimmy Knuckles
30 Robbie Pierce
16 Cameron Steele
14 Cameron Steele
15 Armin Schwarz

68 Marc Ewing
35 Jason Voss

CLASS 1 (20)
101 Damen Jefferies
106 Eric Hardin
102 Brian Parkhouse
107 Ronny Wilson
109 Conan Barker
117 Michael LaPaglia
113 Steven Eugenio
112 Harley Letner
108 Steve Appleton
105 Cody Parkhouse
118 Pete Sohren
149 Louie Serna
148 Kevin Thompson
115 Robert Archibald
110 Monica Greenhill
111 Grant Lenk
114 Clyde Stacy
100 Justin Davis
116 Tony Miglini
119 Jaime Huerta

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Summary video of stage 13 of the 2012 Dakar rally.

High winds throughout the day died down just long enough for BJ Baldwin to take the pole position at this years Laughlin Desert Challenge.

With a blazing fast time of six minutes, 23.99 seconds and 9 seconds faster than second place qualifier Rob MacCachren; Bj will lead the field at tomorrow’s season opener.

“We improved our lap time by nearly nine seconds over last year, so we are very stoked,” said Baldwin, who won this race in both 2006 and 2007 and was second in qualifying last year in Laughlin. “This was our first time running with Toyo Tires and they were hooked up just perfect on this rugged little race course. Our Chevy Silverado is ready to roar on the river and I have to be calm enough to keep from pushing it over the edge.”

Top qualifiers:

TOP QUALIFIER: 97 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 6 minutes, 23.99 seconds (58.59 miles per hour)
2. 20 Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 6:33.00 (57.25mph)
3. 10 Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 6:38.48 (56.48mph)
4. 65 Lloyd Sproule/Derrick Sproule, Canada, Ford F-150, 6:42.16 (55.95mph)
5. 14 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., GMC Sierra, 6:42.30 (55.93mph)
6. 94 Steven Strobel, Clarks, Neb., Ford F-150, 6:45.60 (55.47mph)
7. 16 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., GMC Sierra, 6:49.39 (54.96mph)
8. 98 Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 6:49.63 (54.93mph)
9. 18 Juan Carlos Lopez, Tecate, Mexico/Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 6:51.01 (54.74mph)
10. 2 Pete Sohren, Glendale, Ariz., Ford F-150, 6:51.48 (54.68mph)
11. 9 Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 6:51.78 (54.64mph)
12. 12 Brendan Gaughan/Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, 6:53.00 (54.48mph)
13. 15 Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Chevy Silverado, 6:54.98 (54.22mph)
14. 30 Robbie Pierce, Santee, Calif., Ford F-150, 6:56.56 (54.01mph)
15. 95 Scott Whipple/Scott Gailey, Norco, Calif., Ford F-150, 6:58.39 (53.78mph)
16. 48 Jimmy Knuckles, Brawley, Calif., Sean McCallum, Imperial, Calif., Ford F-150, 7:00.50 (53.51mph)
17. 84 Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Larry Vanderwey, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Chevy Silverado, 7:01.13 (53.42mph)
18. 34 Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./John Pickett, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:07.42 (52.64mph)
19. 96 Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 7:22.40 (50.86mph)
20. 68 Marc Ewing, Henderson, Nev./Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (DNF)
21. 19 Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (DNS)
22. 47 James Bult, Monee, Ill/Jacob Bult, Sand Point, Idaho, Dodge Ram2500 (DNS)
23. 49 Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif., Chevy CK1500 (DNS)
24. 35 Jason Voss/Rich Voss, Cupertino, Calif., Ford F-150 (DNS)

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GORDON & CAMPBELL RESPOND TO PETERHANSEL AND ROMA BY GIVING THEM A SWIFT ASS-KICKING TODAY IN STAGE 12; GAINING 26 MINUTES ON THE GREEN MINI

THE HUMMER IS PUTTING SOME FROWNS ON THE FACES OF MANY- NOT THE AMERICANS TODAY

If there’s one good lesson you can use in life and especially racing, it is that you never want to underestimate your opponent on unfamiliar terrain. It may seem cliché like some quote form “The Art of War” but at the end of stage12 of the DAKAR Rally, the MINI’s were all beaten so badly by both the course and their fiercest rival, it all points to the fact the MINI’s suffered a grand blunder.  And they all got screwed for it.

TODAY’S STAGE 12 VIDEO SUMMARY-

Rally leader Stephane Peterhansel was quoted yesterday about the HUMMER’s horrible stage 11, “As for Gordon, whatever happens now, he will just be carrying on to Lima for the enjoyment.”

IF GORDON AND CAMPBELL HAVE THEIR WAY, STEPHANE PETERHANSEL WILL NOT WIN EITHER OF THE TWO REMAINING STAGES OF THIS DAKAR RALLY

That actually turned out to be true because, from the sound of things this afternoon in Nasca, Peru, Gordon thoroughly “enjoyed” smashing the MINI’s aspirations for another stage win. Despite the absolute spanking that Gordon and Campbell dished out to the field today, they are still an hour and 44 minutes out of the lead with only one more day of full stage remaining.

"THE INSPECTORS CAN KISS MY ASS"

Clearly though, still, they have a respectable shot at an overall podium finish, if not better and American;s are rallying together behind Gordon and Campbell like we have not seen in recent memory.

SPECIAL LIVE VIDEO- GORDON LITERALLY TELLS ASO INSPECTORS TO KISS HIS ASS

Prior to today’s action, RDC had studied the maps and probable routes to determine that the most serious challenge of stage 12 would be the final 40 kilometers, which crossed over the Cerro Blanco, the tallest known sand dune on the planet. In this final section of special stage, all four MINI’s and the TOYOTA of Giniel De Villiers got stuck for at least some amount of time, wrecking all their hopes for stage victories.

ROBBY GORDON:

RDC will remind readers that in the DAKAR, most vehicles are 4WD and the rules state that these cars cannot use auto-air-inflation/deflation systems. But, because 2WD cars are seen as being “disadvantaged, they are afforded the luxury of using on board air systems that allow the pilots to inflate and deflate tires on the fly, without stopping or getting out of the vehicles. Gordon has used this same system for each of his prior 4 DAKAR entries, without issue. Not only do the MINI’s have to stop to deflate and/or inflate, but these drivers today were forced to dig themselves out after getting stuck on the ascending side of the Cerro Blanco. Imagine multi-time DAKAR winner Stephane Peterhansel scrambling to free his MINI from a sand-trap. It happened today at least once.

It is Gordon’s HUMMER and it’s on board inflation system that are at the heart of the suspicious disqualification of 303 by the DAKAR organizers. It does not matter what nationality or race the organizers are comprised of in this case. It is clearly suspicious because the DQ came about only after Gordon and Campbell proved they could lead and win stages.

America has been grossly un-represented in the DAKAR rally and have never won the event, so with the growing popularity of new media technology, more American are catching onto DAKAR fever as we watch our new heroes fight an uphill battle, not only on the race course, but now also in the stewards’ tents and likely, in coming weeks, a court of law.

YES, HE LIKES TO SHOW OFF ALL THE TIME, ALTHOUGH TODAY WAS NOW SHOW; IT WAS SIMPLY A ROYAL ASS-WOOPING

Our team at RDC will be working all night long to try and predict when and where tomorrow’s stage 13 will possibly take the competitors and what fans can expect form this analysis. The MINI’s made a big mistake today by underestimating the HUMMER and it’s crew’s experience in the sand. If they learned anything from that, they will be smarter in tomorrows stage. Until then, “Au revoir et à demain”

STAGE 12 RESULTS: CARS

OVERALL GENERAL STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 12- CARS:

Take a look back at some of my favorite moments from the SCORE Laughlin race back in 1997 to 2004. All footage was pulled from Dezert People 1-3.

 AMERICA RALLIES BEHIND THE TWO MEN WHO HAVE KEPT US IN THE RALLY THUS FAR

THE HUMMER OF GORDON AND CAMPBELL WILL CONTINUE THE RALLY TOWARD LIMA, PERU

DAKAR Fever has swept North America with Robby Gordon and Johnny Campbell displaying a tremendous effort at the 2012 version of the world’s most grueling motorsports event and for good reason. No American has ever won this event. Alas, Gordon and Campbell have been putting on an incredible show and, compared to the DAKAR establishment of European team, it’s been quite the David and Goliath story. The 2WD rear engine HUMMER has been so much faster than the 4WD MINI’s but reliability is half of the game.

They are down but not out

Today, Americans watched in dismay as Gordon and Campbell ominously missed the proper start time of zone 2 on the timed special stage, leading the blogshpere to conclude that these two were out of contention, if not the rally all together. The duo has been marred with issues from the very first stage when the Orange HUMMER had to stop to tow former teammate Nasser AL Attiyah’s HUMMER to the finish of that day’s special stage. This continued at least two more times on successive stages, costing Gordon and Campbell valuable time.

The orange HUMMER has been turning lots of head and it is not time to throw in the towel

ROBBY GORDON: “We lost a CV joint boot and when we finished the first special we tried to change it. It took us too long to change and we missed the transfer section. At the end it was very bad and the silt is all inside the clutch, so we’ve lost the clutch and a wheel fell off… We’ve just had a bad day – we had a horrible day. The only way we’ll win is if the other guys have problems, but I’m pretty sure De Villiers got past us too. But, you know, that’s the Dakar. You fight, fight, fight and hopefully it doesn’t get you, but today it just got us, for no reason. A 1 dollar part, a hose clamp broke. That put is in a position to miss everything else, so it was a bad day for us, but we’ll just keep fighting until the end. We won’t give up. You never know what will happen, so we’ll ride to Lima.”

Later on, after the Gordon won stage 9, DAKAR organizers began “scrutinizing” the HUMMER’s “auto-inflation” system for its tires and outright disqualified Gordon. He immediately appealed and was allowed to continue the rally on a “conditional” basis. This happened on the same stage that Al-Attiyah “tapped-out” of the rally. Then, Frenchmen Stephane Peterhansel outraged the entire motorcycle community when he and his MINI were filmed clipping Italian motor biker Filippo Ciotto (#59) –see RDC homepage for this story

TODAY’S STAGE 11 VIDEO SUMMARY

Gordon and Campbell, a duo of opposites, are credited with inspiring American fans to “rally” behind Team SPEED and the HUMMER crew. They represent America’s only hope for a 2012 DAKAR Rally championship. Despite a host of issues ranging from mechanical to navigational, the HUMMER has posted some extremely impressive stages including back to back 2^nd place finishes before their stage 9 stage win.

Robby collects himself after yesterday's difficult stage 10

Today’s disappointing stage for the HUMMER caused hearts to drop as it was believed that the duo’s hope were totally dashed. But we offer the following case for optimism: The next 2 day’s stages are unprecedented as the DAKAR has never raced in PERU until this morning. Tomorrow will bring many unknown challenges to all the competitors include mystic and massive sand dune mountains, treacherous canyons and likely wetspot as PERU has experienced severe rains in recent days and week. Do not give up hope on the HUMMER and the SPEED ENERGY crew. They have a lot invested.

Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel is a wanted man. Race fans and friends of the dirtbike community are outraged as they call foul on the French organizers of the DAKAR rally for turning a blind-eye to Peterhansels blatant disregard for his fellow competitor’s safety. 

Two days ago, Stephane Peterhansel was driving for the race of his life, trying to fend off an attack by Robby Gordon and co-pilot Johhny Campbell as the orange HUMMER “rallied” to a stage 9 victory. Did Peterhansel put Italian biker Filippo Ciotto’s safety (and/or life) in jeopardy when he crossed the river that day? Did French organizers do the right thing?

We present to the court of public opinion the following exhibits:

Photo and video documentation of Stephane Peterhansel’s and his MINI hitting Italian motorbike racer Filippo Ciotti (59).

Exhibit A: Meet Italian biker Filippo Ciotti. Never mind the fancy haircut; he got a major “clipping” from Stephane Peterhansel

Exhibit A: Italian biker Filippo Ciotti #59

EXHIBIT B: VIDEO DOCUMENTATION:

EXHIBIT C: ARIEL PHOTOGRAPH

EXHIBIT C: ARIAL PHOTO

What you see is a collision between car and rider. Filippo Ciotto gets struck and his bike gets submerged in the river. Ciotto cringes in pain from the negligence of little pussy Peterhansel, who he himself is a former motorcycle champion, does not stop neither to check on the victim nor to help him with his bike.

EXHIBIT D:

Clearly, Peterhansel made a bad call and was hasty in crossing the river.

The DAKAR organizers (That’s what they call themselves at ASO) have said nothing about the matter, nor disciplined the Frenchman for his mishap. Famed Eurosport announcer Carlton Kirby made the call on the same day broadcast pointing out Peterhansel’s crime and stating, “That is a penalty to me”.

EXHIBIT E:

We see the biker and another man as Peterhansel "clips" Ciotti

No such penalty has been leveled but moto enthusiasts throughout the blogsphere have been going bananas over the incident and outraged that the “organizers” have done nothing about it. Some theorists have pitched the idea that, because Peterhansel is a Frenchman and the “organizers” are also strickened with the same curse, that they are somehow colluding to protect their own. While this cannot be proven, it is not that far fetched a concept.

EXHIBIT F:

Ciotti's bike gets swamped. "Merci Boku"

Rather than making this a game of “smear the queer” on the French, let’s just call it what it is: A total disregard for the safety of a fellow competitor on Peterhansel’s part and the organizers have turned a blind eye to their fellow countryman’s mis-stepping. American’s fans are outraged and want Peterhansel head on a skewer.

EXHIBIT G:

Rightfully, Ciotti gives the MINI a little fend off as his bike takes a dip

EXHIBIT H:

This is the internationally known gesture for WTF!

There is a code among former motorbike racers who later race in 4 wheel vehicles: you don’t mess with the bikes. It’s bad karma and not kosher. While RDC has no confirmation of this, it has been rumored that this is what drove Andy Grider to withdrawal from the rally last week: that his driver was purposefully scaring the hell out of bikers on the course. We shall see if that is the case.

EXHIBIT I: Etienne Lavigne- Le Boss:  The one man who could do something about this; he seems to have turned a blind eye to this entire incident.

Etienne Lavigne- "What are you looking at? You canNOT be in this zone!!!"

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Stage 11: Arica – Arequipa

The Motorcyclists Club Approach
For the Dakar’s first day in their country, the Peruvians will be entitled to two special stages and additional kilometres for the motorcyclists. After a day spent switching between off -piste sections and areas interspersed with rivers, they will benefit from a moment of camaraderie : a specific bivouac will be set up for them before they continue exploring Peru. The concept, which had not been tried out again since the camp of Foum Zguid in Morocco during the 2007 Dakar, will also create a major obstacle which will aff ect the management of the race. The assistance vehicles will not be authorized in the maintenance area, where only the motorcyclists and quad riders will be able to help each other.

Truck

Car

Bike