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

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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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Race-dezert.com will be providing live race coverage from the BITD Parker 425.

There will be:

• Live corrected time leader board
• Live finish line video stream
• Live official 2-way communication stream
• IRC Tracking map
• Cover it live messaging
• Same day photos, videos and story

CLICK HERE TO GO LIVE

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)

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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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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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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.

General Tire is proud to help introduce the new TROPHYLITE R-8, a spec truck built for power and style. Each R-8 has over 450 Horsepower, spec shocks and wheels and of course, General Tire Grabbers! If you want V-8 power with big wheel travel, without breaking the bank, the TROPHYLITE R-8 is for you.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

The Monster Energy Off-Road Team assembled talent from around the globe to Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix for Round 15 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) season. Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games Rally Car Gold medalist and international rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category.  Greaves and Doran joined their Monster Energy Teammates, including Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele, for final and best round of the season. When it was all said and done, the Monster Energy Off-Road Team walked away from the 2011 LOORS season with with a staggering 16 podiums, including 8 first place trophies!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

Mad Media just got their 2011 production of the General Tire Mint 400 in from the copiers and they’re giving them away – for free.  Head to Mad Media, Mint 400  and General Tire’s facebook page, click like (must like ‘em all!) and send an email with your address to facebookfan@madmedia.com to receive a free copy.  

This years Mint 400 race will be held March 23rd – March 25th.  Check in with their page to get updates on details of The Great America Off-Road Race.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

With the final round of LOORS in the books, the Monster Energy Off-Road Team put it all on the line for the Challenge Cup. Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games Rally Car Gold medalist and international rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category. Greaves and Doran joined their Monster Energy Teammates Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele, for the final and best day of racing of the season.

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media

The boys in the shop "Hamm" it up pretty good but its all business at JCR before the BAJA 1000

Johnny Campbell Racing is more than just a featured shop in San Clemente; it is an institution and arguably the most important headquarters in the sport of off-road. This is primarily because of Campbell’s pedigree of 11 Baja 1000 championships to his name alone and the legacy he has established by grooming today’s fastest desert racers to follow in his footsteps. But more recently, the JCR Institute title is due to Campbell’s being tapped on the shoulder by the off-road greatness of Robby Gordon, who handpicked Campbell to be his co-pilot in the upcoming 2012 DAKAR Rally. Not only will Campbell have Baja 1000 co-champ Quinn Cody entered in the elite pro motorcycle class in this DAKAR but Campbell himself is one of the favorites to win the OA DAKAR title this year.

Johnny is 100% into JCR everyday but as of press time he'll be in Argentina getting ready to help Robbie Gordon win the DAKAR Rally

JCR carries on the rich tradition of its origins with Bruce Ogilvie at the helm of to American Honda’s famed desert racing legacy. Johnny Campbell took over operations and moved the shop from Torrance to San Clemente early in 2008.

RDC took an unobstructed tour of the JCR facilities in San Clemente as the entire team prepares for what is perhaps the most important motor sports event on the planet, at least from an international perspective. We get the scoop right from Eric Siraton, the chief technician at JCR and the one man who is responsible for all of JCR’s machines.

The Man Behind the Bikes- Eric Siraton

The shop is tucked away between other industrial buildings in the hills east of San Clemente CA but there is no giant JCR signage on the building, only an 18 inch JCR sticker on the door.

Jeff Kargola's 6x Bike Has Become a Standing Tribute to "Ox"

Upon entering the institute, visitors are welcomed into a lobby area filled with posters and giant re-prints of various ads and promotional materials, awards and trophies. Beyond the lobby are several executive office suites, a showroom, boardroom, kitchen and bath area. The inside bathroom at JCR rivals 4-star hotels and nicer than any other we have seen in an off-road shop.

Just picture ambient sounds and the scent of a fresh spring meadow and spa-like amenities.

Beyond the interior is the meat of JCR: the shop itself. Two main work bays are dedicated to each of the BAJA champions bike teams A and B and Eric Siraton oversees the entire program even though San Clemente local and 1x plate holder Colton Udall is a full-time shop employee. Colton started off at JCR building bikes and now has Eric Siraton as a mentor and coach.

Siraton's bay- in process of building 1x for Kendall Norman and Quinn Cody's Baja 1000

There is a mezzanine area with selves of every conceivable motorcycle part, all high-end. Tire’s, wheels, sprockets, pipes, and suspension gear line the shelves and, from up here, visitors get a nice view of the work bays.

JCR's shop has a built-in "llantera"

Self-Contained Machine Shop

Plenty of spare bikes around

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ERIC SIRATON AND QUINN CODY’S DAKAR BIKE BUILD

The Final Product- Quinn's CRF450x arriving in a crate in Argentina anytime now.

As Siraton and his crew prepare Quinn Cody’s CRF450x for a 14-day battle in South America, it is crunch time at JCR and so much has to be done to prepare Cody’s machine for the world-famous rally. It is Siraton’s first crack at building a DAKAR bike from the ground up and he took a few minutes to share some details with RDC.

RDC: What are the key differences in building a machine for DAKAR vs. BAJA? What are some of the spec differences: weight, HP, etc.?

ES: There are more similarities than differences. Both start with our Baja 1000 chassis and motor configuration. Factory stator and ECU. Varies other part that we use for Baja. Differences are on subframe that becomes a fuel tank and we use 4 gal IMS front tank. About 9 gallons of fuel. We also add all the navigation equipment to the front of the bike. And I custom make a wire harness as well as using one provided from HT Rally Raid. All Dakar specific parts were provided from HT Rally Raid. The bike weights somewhere in the 300-pound range. HP is 55+.

RDC: Quinny rocked DAKAR last year with 9th in his first run and a fractured thumb as early as stage 5, did you have a hand on that bike? Your first time?

ES: Last year I didn’t play a part in Quinn’s rally. So this is my first Dakar. So excited.

RDC: When did you realize that you’d be a pro race mechanic?

ES: I never thought I would be a mechanic. I fell into it because of my brother Marc Behnke. He worked at Precision Concepts and he asked if I wanted to work part-time because I had another job. So after work I would go to the shop and pull suspension off a bike and put it back on. After a little while they needed someone full time so I quit my other job to work there.

RDC: When did you get your first decent break?

ES: Bob Bell owner of Precision Concepts was working with Johnny and building the B team XR 650R for Baja and BITD so I kept on asking to help build the bike and go to Mexico. I got my chance building the bikes and help in the chase in Mexico. With help from Jim Green I learn a lot about detail and looks are everything, because if it looks good chances are you did a good job building the bike. In 2001 I started building both bike for Honda and the story rolls on from there.

RDC: How have you progressed in your career so far? Fast or slow?

ES: I believe that my career moved rapidly. Within a year of joining Precision Concepts I was building race bikes.

RDC: You’re on quite the roll with your bikes having this incredible streak until this past March with the “old branch through the radiator trick” on Kendall’s 1x. Before that, how long has it been since you’ve lost a bike in the middle of a race?

ES: In Baja that would be the first failure I’ve ever had. The only other race that we had a failure in was the 2005 Glen Helen 24hr race and I rebuilt the motor to finish the race.

RDC: Walk us through how you felt and what goes through your mind after losing a bike in the desert? Is it heavy for you, considering your record?

ES: When we DNF in San Felipe I was very disappointed knowing that I have never had a failure in Baja. My first concern was: “Is it a mechanical failure or something else?” So when I found out what happened I was somewhat relieved, nothing could have stopped that issue. My record might have a blemish on it but I will still keep building the best machines for my rider and hopefully keep my reputation moving forward.

RDC: Colton’s got the El Plato 1x and he credited you with lots of thanks for helping him out in 2011. Did you have a pretty big hand on the bike or are you more like a mentor.

ES: Colton and I work closely with each other to make sure his bike is solid. He builds his bike then I take it over after it is tested. So I go back over it and check everything to make sure it is perfect. Colton is a great mechanic in his own right, I just helped him step his game up a little bit.

RDC: Who do you look up to?

ES: The following people who have influenced my career: Bob Bell, Bruce Ogilvie, Johnny Campbell, Marc Behnke and my wife Cherlene Siraton.

RDC: How do you like your shop and what makes it special?

ES: JCR Honda is my home away from home. It is like a family, we are all very close to each other. Each year we try to improve the shop in one way or another, to make it more efficient.

Alas, Siraton is at the helm in the shop and on his way to his first DAKAR, Campbell will ride to right of Robby Gordon and Quinn Cody will attempt to podium in his sophomore rally. When you think of JCR, don’t think of it as another shop. It is an institution.

CODY’S DAKAR BIKE

After starting with a new CRF450X they take it all the way down and decide which parts to keep.

This looks like most everything off the stock bike they can't use on Cody's Dakar bike

The rear end carries lots of gas and acts as a ballast for the heavy front end. 9 gallons is like racing with a full tank and carrying a 5-gallon bucket of paint

DAKAR is such different race, barely comparable to any other on earth

This ain't playtime now. Its time to do work.

Just a day before testing in the high desert.

Here she is at testing, what a beast. She passed the test, prettied up and shipped away to Argentina. Quinn and Eric are 100% ready to do work.

Lobsam  Yee wins the last  Baja of 2011

The last great Baja race of the year was presented by RECORD celebrating the winter edition of the off road race Ensenada-San Felipe 250.  This race was conquered overall by Francisco Septien and Lobsam Yee.

A total of 201 entries from Mexico, U.S.A. and Germany (163 4-wheel vehicles and 38 motorcycles)

Took the green flag at Ojos Negros and lived an 185 mile adventure that ended in San Felipe.

It was a really cold 250, temperatures registered below -2 degress celcius at places like Ojos Negros, Heroes de Independencia, Santa Catarina, Valle de la Trinindad and San Matias.

The motorcycles started at 6:30 A.M. and the 4-wheel vehicles at 9:30.  It was a really difficult 250 for everybody, since they used many trails that were used at the 44^th edition of the Baja 1000.

The king of the motorcycles for this 250 was Francisco Septien.

Francisco Septien closed a great season by winning his class M/C Pro and also the overall with an official time of 4 hours, 3 minutes and 49 seconds, also capturing the 2011 championship in his class with this organization.

In the 4-wheel vehicles it was Lobsam Yee from Tijuana that demonstrated that in Baja you don’t need a big class vehicle to win, he drove his Barajas Buggy with great talent to overall victory and in Class 12.

Lobsam Yee wins the Overall the winter edition of Record's Ensenada-SanFelipe 250.

Yee is an experienced racer, by mile 70 he was well ahead of rivals like Jay Culbertson, Eric Chase, Carlos Ibarra and Jaime Huerta.

For this 250 a Gran Reto (shootout) was organized for the 5-1600, 7 Stock and 11 Classes, it was 50 dollars per racer and it was not mandatory.  The idea was to compensate with good prizes to the winners of those classes, like an advanced Christmas present.

A first class duel was experienced by Alonso Gonzalez, Miguel Sandoval and Pin Bernardino, they had a tremendous battle for victory to the end, at the finish line it was the 7Stock of Xalos Racing driven by Alonso Gonzalez the winner.

Cisco Bio was the best of the very demanding Class 11 at the last RECORD race of the year.

Class 11 was taken by Cisco Bio from the team Mastercraft/Impact Racing, he drove the 185 miles and beat Roberto Robles by only 2 minutes and Ramon Fernandez by 11 minutes.

Class 11 always has a great turnout at RECORD events and this race had 28 of them, including Klaus Rasch who debuted with this organization.  Unfortunately for this race he had to abandon early with transmission problems in his VW.

The Race Ready Ensenada-San Felipe 250 had its complicated moment at the goat trail coming down to Valley T, were Martin Aguirre’s Class 8 suffered steering problems, stopping at the narrow passage and plugging the race course for a couple of hours.

Many racers contemplated the idea of pushing Aguirre’s truck off the embankment to clear the course.  At the end it was decided to fix the unit in order to resume the competition, this incident affected more than 80 % of the competitors.

After the race resumed, Record’s president Ramon Castro opted to move everybody to San Matias and do a restart by class, even though the drivers that were not affected by this bottle neck incident were so far ahead on there way to the checkered flag at the San Felipe Arches.

This was the closing of Record’s season, this year brought many great drivers to five 1^st class events, there is great hope that in 2012 the level of competition will continue rising.

Pictures By Alejandro Soltero/www.fotosoolweb.com

Translation By Claudio Sarabia

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Winners Overall

M/C

Francisco Septién – M/C Pro 4 hours 3 minutes 49 seconds

4-Wheel Vehicles

Lobsam Yee – Class 12– 3 hours 46 minutes 12 seconds

Official Results

http://www.recordoffroad.com/tiemposFinales.aspx?Event=SF275

Spanish story:

Lobsam Yee gana la última Baja del 2011

Por Gabriel García

La última gran Baja del año corrió por cuenta de la organización Récord al celebrar la edición de invierno de la carrera fuera de camino Ensenada-San Felipe 250, misma que fue ganada en forma overall por Francisco Septién y Lobsam Yee.

Un total de 201 participantes de México, Estados Unidos y Alemania (163 carros y 38 motocicletas) tomaron el banderazo de arranque en Ojos Negros para vivir una aventura que finalizó 185 millas después en San Felipe.

Fue una 250 muy fría, al registrarse temperaturas por debajo de los -2 grados en puntos como Ojos Negros, Héroes de la Independencia, Santa Catarina, Valle de la Trinidad y San Matías.

Las motocicletas arrancaron a las 6:30 de la mañana y los carros a las 9:30 en lo que fue una 250 complicada para todos, al utilizar muchos de los caminos por donde pasó la edición 44 de la Baja 1000.

Francisco Septién cerró una gran temporada, al ganar la categoría Pro de motocicletas y el overall con un tiempo oficial de 4 horas, 3 minutos y 49 segundos, atrapando también el título 2011 de Récord en su clase.

En los autos el tijuanense Lobsam Yee demostró que en Baja no ocupas un carro muy grande para ganar, al manejar con gran precisión su Buggy Barajas hacia la victoria absoluta y en la Clase 12.

Yee es un piloto experimentado y en la milla 70 ya le sacaba buena ventaja a rivales como Jay Culbertson, Eric Chase, Carlos Ibarra y Jaime Huerta.

Para esta 250 se contó con el Gran Reto en las Clases 5-1600, 7 Stock y 11, que consistía en aportar 50 dólares por corredor, siendo esto no obligatorio, para darle un buen premio al vencedor de esas categorías, como si se tratara de un regalo adelantado de Navidad.

Un duelo de lujo vivieron Alonso González, Miguel Sandoval y Pin Bernardino, quienes lucharon con todo por la victoria hasta el final, siendo el triunfador de la 7 Stock, el primero y dueño del equipo Xalos Racing.

La Clase 11 fue ganada por Cisco Bio del equipo Mastercraft/Impact Racing, quien manejó las 185 millas para vencer por dos minutos a Roberto Robles y por 11 a Ramón Fernández.

Como es una costumbre en los eventos de Récord, la 11 contó con una gran respuesta de participación, al arrancar la 250 un total de 28 vehículos, entre ellos Klaus Rasch, quien hizo su debut en Récord, pero la mala suerte no estuvo de su lado al abandonar en forma temprana por problemas con la transmisión de su Volkswagen.

El atorón del Valle de la Trinidad

La Race Ready Ensenada-San Felipe 250 vivió su momento complicado en la bajada del Valle de la Trinidad, al detenerse en medio del camino el Clase 8 de Martín Aguirre, esto al tener fallas en la caja de la dirección y provocando un atorón que duró 2 horas.

Varios pilotos pensaron en la idea de aventar el Truck de Aguirre para abajo del camino de terracería, pero se decidió por arreglar la unidad para reanudar la competencia, algo que afectó a más del 80 por ciento de los competidores de carros.

Tras reanudar la carrera, el presidente de Récord, Ramón Castro eligió trasladar a todo el contingente a San Matías y arrancarlos de nuevo por categorías, aunque los pilotos que se salvaron del atorón ya les llevaban mucha ventaja para recibir la bandeara a cuadros en Los Arcos de San Felipe.

Este fue el cierre de la temporada en Récord, con un año que contó con grandes pilotos y cinco eventos de primera calidad, esperando que en el 2012 el nivel siga a la alza.

Fotos por Alejandro Soltero/www.fotosoolweb.com

Ganadores overall

Motos

Francisco Septién – Motos Pro – 4 horas, 3 minutos y 49 segundos

Carros

Lobsam Yee – Clase 12 – 3 horas, 46 minutos y 12 segundos

Resultados oficiales

http://www.recordoffroad.com/tiemposFinales.aspx?Event=SF275

Many were stunned to learn about the rebirth of the legendary High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) when it was announced at the Dezert People 9 premiere at Norman Motorsports in El Cajon.  Roger Norman has been busy linking off-road related ventures together to form a stable platform for the growth of off-road racing. Over a year ago he started with the development of 120 square miles of private property in Reno with the goal to become the off-road version of Wrigley field.   RDC recently sat down with Roger Norman in an exclusive interview to gain insight into how he hopes to shape the future of desert racing through the Tahoe Reno Motorplex, Wide Open, and HDRA.

Race-Dezert.com (RDC)- When did you first start kicking around the idea of sanctioning and promoting desert races?

Roger Norman (RN)- This is something that I have wanted to do for years, the people were available and the industry was in need of something new.  It all came together in a very short period of time.  To be successful requires the right people all working towards a common vision.

RDC- What do you think could be done better by existing sanctioning bodies?  What motivated you to create this organization?

RN- I certainly think that there is room for improvement, but that’s the way I feel about everything.  We actually want to use short course racing and other forms of professional four wheel racing as a model, where they provide huge exposure for sponsors through spectator attendance and TV.  This keeps the costs down for racers and the sponsorship opportunities up.  Without spectators and good TV packages that are put on channels that actually have viewers in the chosen time slot you have few sponsors.  Without sponsors you have to reach into the racer’s pocketbook to pay for the race.  There is a better way and we are excited to get working on it.

RDC- Desert racing seems like a difficult event to bring to television, how do you intend to do that?

RN- We have been working with several producers who currently produce a series of shows on Spike, Fox Sports, Discovery, Velocity and Speed Channel.  We will not be tying up the film rights as other promoters have done. We want the independent film makers as well. We will have our own helicopter and Cineflex Camera with an operator at each race and will be producing our own live broadcast and viral videos. After the races we will post videos as I have done in the past for Norman Motorsports. The video we collect will be made available to our media partners for exposure to all classes.

RDC- Tell us a little about the land you own.  How many acres is it and what is the terrain like?

RN- It is the largest deeded private property in the state of Nevada. The Tahoe Reno Motorplex offers 120 plus square miles of terrain to race on and the adjacent industrial park is the largest in the world.  We’ve got everything from pine forest to high mountain meadows here.  Wide open valleys with silt beds to shelf roads and hill climbs.  When people see it they are blown away.  The potential is off the charts.

RDC- What is your vision for the Fireworks 500?

RN- It is going to be Racerpalooza at the Tahoe Reno Motorplex.  Desert racing, rally cross, rock crawling, motorcycle, UTV and Trophy Cart racing.  There will be multiple reasons for people to come out enjoy racing after the 4^th of July holidays. One of which is that anyone including race fans with pre-runners or UTV’s will be able to pre-run.    The race site is only 15 minutes from the big casinos in Reno.  The race will be held the Saturday after 4^th of July and include a full week of open pre-running on new terrain. This venue allows us to give the racers, families and friends the opportunity to recreate in the sport they love without the heavy restrictions imposed on government land. The start finish line is only five miles from the Truckee River and 15 miles from Pyramid Lake, which offers other opportunities for recreation during your race week at Tahoe Reno Motorplex. The world class destination of Lake Tahoe is a 30 mile drive from Reno. Tech and contingency will be held on Virginia Street in downtown Reno under the Biggest Little City arch. The race cars and trucks will be parked and contingency and tech will move through the field of vehicles.

RDC- You recently partnered up with Wide Open Baja.  How does Wide Open play into your plans?

RN- Wide Open is another piece of the puzzle.  Wide Open is the title sponsor of our inaugural race and will be sponsoring every vehicle in the race with a $250 reduction on entry fee for running the Wide Open logo on their race vehicle.  Up to ten Baja Challenge cars will be available for all five HDRA races for those who want to arrive and drive.  They will also be used to provide series sponsors and associate sponsors with a firsthand view of just how exciting this sport is.  HDRA doesn’t just ask them to write a check, we give them the opportunity to be part of the action.  What other motorsports or sanctioning bodies allow sponsors the ability to actually participate in the event. Our vision is that Wide Open allows sponsors to be apart of the event and participate on a professional level.

RDC- How did you link up with Robert Gross and Ken Flippin?  They have a reputation for being “doers” when they were part of SNORE.

RN- I first met Robert and Ken in 2010 at the Mint 400.   The following year I did a little business with them when I loaned SNORE some money because of a new BLM permit procedure where all proffer money was due 90 days prior to the event. The money was needed immediately for the Mint 400 to happen at all. They both struck me as being very proactive and great communicators.  They helped turn a small organization into a big one with almost a thousand cars in that series last season.  The infighting at SNORE was getting so bad that Ken and Robert were considering getting out of sport altogether.  They are a huge asset to the racing community and since I had already witnessed their hard work and dedication firsthand, the decision to make them managing members of the team was easy

RDC- Why bring back the HDRA name?  Are there any ties to that organization’s legacy?

RN- Ken, Robert, and everyone on the HDRA team are more than just racers or promoters, they are fans too.  They appreciate desert racing’s rich history and want to bring this sport back to its glory days with big car counts and real prize money.  With those goals reviving High Desert Racing Association made perfect sense.  Walt Lott’s grandson “Lucas Hand” has been instrumental in bringing HDRA back as well.

RDC- Many organizations have tried to put on races in Laughlin, Primm, and Plaster City, but seem to be retreating now.  What will you be doing differently to make races successful in those venues?

RN-It is not getting any easier to put on events in the USA, that is for sure. We plan to make each race fun and exciting for the race fans and the racers. We will put the spectators in the areas they like to view from. It is much easier to get people to follow the rules when you give them the locations they like.  We will be charging a small fee of $5 at the first event for the best viewing areas. To make it safer we are providing 3,000 feet or more of six foot high fencing to keep spectators off the racecourse. Robert Gross wrote the original safety management plan for minimum standards for which HDRA and possibly others would comply to ensure the safety and longevity of our sport. The Weatherman Bob Stienburger will be the HDRA radio race ops coordinator for all HDRA races. Desert racings hero Ivan “the Ironman” Stewart will be the Grand Marshall of our inaugural race, the Wide Open Redline at Stateline in Primm, Nevada on January 28 & 29, 2012.

RDC- Can you share your strategy for dealing with the BLM and insurance carriers?  These issues seem to be front and center in the desert racing community after last year’s tragedy at the California 200.

RN- We have not seen any difficulty in working with the BLM because they are as concerned about safety as we are.  We have worked out ways to keep racers from damaging sensitive areas and will have those areas watched by HDRA team members during racing. If racers choose to enter those areas they can be disqualified.  We are implementing a plan to minimize the damage to critical areas so that we can gain the trust of the BLM in the future. The BLM gave us the blessing to use some new roads and change things up a little at Primm so we are very excited.    Due to the P-51 crash at the Reno Air Races and the California 200 the insurance costs have gone up about 30% to 40% for desert racing, this has a major impact on the cost to produce an event in the USA.

RDC- So what’s next?

RN- We are currently pursuing some of the nostalgia, folklore and grandeur of years past all the while using today’s technology and safety standards not only for the racer but for the environment. We are currently and constantly searching for new and exciting venues that not only excite the racer about race day but also his family and friends who are there to participate in the event. Our belief is that every one of our HDRA events should not be just a race but also an event that every racer was proud to participate in. We want our racers, friends and family to be consumed by the environment of our event and there is no other place they would rather be than at the racetrack with HDRA.

The Monster Energy Off-Road Team assembled talent from around the globe to Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix for Round 15 of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORS) season. Veteran short course racer Johnny Greaves made the long drive from Wisconsin while X Games Rally Car Gold medalist and international rallycross star Liam Doran flew in from England and jumped right in to the fastest class in the series; the 4WD, 800 horsepower Pro4 Unlimited category.  Greaves and Doran joined their Monster Energy Teammates, including Jeremy McGrath, Casey Currie, and Cameron Steele, for final and best round of the season. When it was all said and done, the Monster Energy Off-Road Team walked away from the 2011 LOORS season with a staggering 16 podiums, including 8 first place trophies!

Directed by The Martelli Brothers – Produced by Mad Media