The post 2024 CODE MexLog 300 Photos appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>Photos by Mauricio Ruelas
Click here for the 2024 CODE MexLog 300 race results.
Next up for the 2024 CODE series is the Mexicali to San Felipe 275 December 6th-8th.
1033 Roberto Romo took the overall win in his class 10 car with a time of 3:24:19.
1409 Guillermo Escalante took the overall sportsman win with a time of 3:56:00.
Class 11 are always a favorite of the day. 1109 Roberto Robles took the win with a time of 4:38:17.
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]]>The post 2024 NORRA 500 / San Quintín to Ensenada appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>Race Day 2 / San Quintín to Ensenada
The final day of racing is upon us at the 2024 NORRA 500. Those who are out front and running strong hope to bring it home with a win. Those who may have struggled on day one are looking for a chance at redemption. The rally format and multiple days of racing at NORRA allow teams to regroup and continue with their best efforts. No matter how much work goes into the preparation, any team can have a great day of racing, or run into problems. NORRA races show who is consistently good and who can solve problems along the way. The winners did not just have a lucky day; they showed their abilities and left no doubts they were the strongest.
Day two would have lots of spectacular scenery and unique experiences as it travelled north from San Quintin to Ensenada. The final 51 mile long special section from San Vicente to Santo Tomas would crown the King of the Beach. The fastest time on that section wins the special trophy. In addition to the race for the overall win, there are individual classes battling for their spots on the podium. After hundreds of miles of racing on day one, competitors were only separated by minutes and sometimes only seconds. The strategy on the final day of racing is to go fast and win. Looking at the list of names at the top of the leader board, making time on those teams would not be easy.
Dave Mason Jr. would start the day in seventh place overall. He charged on the first stage taking the win, but overall race leader Kyle Murray was not going to let him gain time on him, he finished second. Gay Smith took a run on the Evolution Unlimited class leader and second overall Bill Zemak. Smith was third fastest on the stage, but again Zemak was fourth and had Smith covered. Jeff Terzo had a strong run to finish fifth fastest on the stage. The strong teams up front were still running fast. Bruce Yee was sixth, Thomas Purcell seventh, Richie Mendez was eighth, Renee Hudson ninth and Gilberto Rodriguez tenth. The Evolution Pro 2000 UTV/ class 10 racers were turning up the heat on the Yee’s who led the class. They finished fifth through tenth. With twenty thousand dollars on the line, it was time to go.
Stage two saw some new names at the top and some movement in the overall standings. It was still Dave Mason Jr. with the win and Kyle Murray covering him in second, but Zak Langley was third fastest. The Fab School class 5 of Hap Kellogg finished sixth. Austin Farner was seventh. Edward Gibson was ninth in his heavy metal truck and Ricardo Zaragoza was tenth in his Pro Turbo UTV.
Going into the final King of the Beach timed special stage, the overall standings were Kyle Murray first, Bill Zemak second, Bruce Yee third, PJ Jones fourth, Dave Mason Jr. fifth, Zak Langley sixth, Austin Farner seventh, Gilberto Rodriguez eighth, Jeff Terzo ninth and Todd Romano in tenth. This final stage was a challenge. Starting in San Vicente, it headed through the wash towards the Pacific Ocean. After hitting the beach in Erendira, it ran along the coast past Rancho Tampico and then through the coastal mountains to Santo Tomas. Drivers would need speed, but also precision if they were going to be successful.
Dave Mason Jr. proved his speed again, taking the stage win and King of the Beach title. Bruce Yee put in a very fast run to finish second on the stage. Gay Smith was third. Kyle Murray was a solid fourth. Bill Zemak was fifth. Then finishing the top ten were Zak Langley, Austin Farner, Hap Kellogg, Jeff Terzo and Gilberto Rodriguez, in that order. All that was left was to tally the final times, assess any penalties and celebrate the winners. Judging by the smiles on everyone’s faces, there were many who won their individual battles. They might have been just getting to the finish line after overcoming adversity, all the way up to an overall win or cash prize for their class. Congratulations go out to all of them.
The overall win went to Kyle Murray who dominated both days of racing. His team showed speed and consistency that was unmatched. Bill Zemak was a close second and had much of the same performance. He won the Evolution Unlimited buggy class over second in class and third place overall Dave Mason Jr. Mason moved from seventh to third overall on day two. Fourth overall and big winners of the race were the Yee brothers Bruce, Max and Diego. It didn’t seem to matter who was behind the wheel or which brother was calling out the navigation; they were fast. They were fourth overall and won the Pro 2000 UTV and Class 10 category which earned them a check for 20 thousand dollars and a K24 Honda race engine from Lozano Performance worth $9500. This course seemed to be suited for a class 10 car to win, but there was lots of competition in the class; including Austin Farner who finished second and Jeff Terzo in third.
The Yee brothers also had the cops on their tails, but not how you think. Zak Langley and the Cops racing team finished fifth overall and second in Evolution 6100. PJ Jones was the winner in Pro Turbo UTV and sixth overall. PJ also walked away with a check for 20 thousand and the Fab School Overall UTV trophy. Just two and a half minutes behind was the second overall UTV and seventh overall of Austin Farner. Eighth, ninth and tenth places overall were all UTV’s. The order went Gilberto Rodriguez, Jeff Terzo and Todd Romano.
Also worth a mention is Hap Kellogg who won another Vintage class 5 title. His The Fab School sponsored car is in the Vintage era, but can still hang with the fastest Evolution Era vehicles. In the Evolution class 11 battle, Ramon Manriquez was able to overcome the lead held by Franz Muhr to take the win and check for $2500. Chris Forsberg and the NISMO team got their second straight NORRA 500 win. And for all the millions wondering if the Donut Media 5150 truck would survive Baja, they did. The team did an incredible job overcoming everything that Baja dished out. Our Grand Marshal Ramon Castro was awarded the Madonna trophy from Bilstein. First time racer at the NORRA 500, but definitely not the last, Janey Lee earned the Mary McGee trophy for her accomplishments on and off the course.
The competition side of the event was exciting, but NORRA is so much more. NORRA events give you the whole Baja experience. The Meyers Manx Safari Expedition had an incredible journey according to those who participated. Huge thanks go out to the many volunteers, the sweep crews; who were still rescuing people on the way home by the way, and the incredible sponsors of NORRA; Speed Energy, Bilstein, Meyers Manx, Raceline Wheels, Nomad, Mobelwagen, STEEL-IT and The Fab School. They all combine to make it such a great event. For complete finishing results and more go to www.norra.com. Also check out the coverage on NORRA TV for footage from the race.
After experiencing the NORRA 500 just once, you too will be hooked. Everything you need to know about the NORRA 500 and Mexican 1000 can be found at www.norra.com. Go to the site and find out for yourself why NORRA has exploded in popularity. You can feel the same excitement those pioneering thrill seekers sought in 1967 when you join NORRA in Baja. NORRA events honor the past, while forging the future.
Click here for the NORRA 500 race results and penalties.
Photo credit: Bink Designs
Safari photo by Natalie Crow
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]]>The post 2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Special Edition Honors the Original Baja Bronco appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>• Bill Stroppe pioneered off-road competition for Ford and established the foundation today’s Bronco is built upon
• The original Stroppe Baja Broncos left factories ready to tackle Baja’s rugged terrain. The modern Bronco Stroppe Special Edition shares the same G.O.A.T. spirit but complements it with standard Fox Internal Bypass Dampers and an EcoBoost 2.7-liter V6 engine.
• Customers can register their interest in the limited-edition Bronco Stroppe Special Edition today at Ford.com
DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 15, 2024 – A Baja 1000-winning legendary name returns to the Ford lineup for 2025 with the new Bronco Stroppe Special Edition.
A successor to the original Stroppe Baja Bronco from the ‘60s and ‘70s, this new limited-edition Bronco pairs the desert-racing spirit of the original with today’s off-road capability to create a special high-performance Bronco SUV.
“When you purchased a Stroppe Baja Bronco in 1971, it rolled out of Bill Stroppe’s factory ready to tackle the Baja 1000,” said Jason Hyde, Bronco brand manager. “That capability was at the core of our development process for the new Bronco Stroppe Special Edition, including Fox Internal Bypass Dampers designed for performance and improved control during high-speed desert running, a standard EcoBoost 2.7-liter V6 engine, and Baja G.O.A.T. Mode.”
The Bronco Stroppe Special Edition is available exclusively as a two-door model and takes the place of the Wildtrak in the Bronco lineup. It also includes a standard Stabilizer Bar Disconnect, High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension 3.0 (HOSS 3.0), and 35-inch Goodyear Territory RT tires, all so it can deliver off-road performance worthy of the Stroppe name.
The 2025 Bronco Stroppe Special Edition wears a modern take on the original Calypso Coral, Wimbledon White, and Astra Blue livery of the Stroppe Baja Broncos. The new Stroppe heritage paint colors include Oxford White and Code Orange on the body – the first time Code Orange has been used outside the Raptor family – with an Atlas Blue painted hardtop. A standard functional matte black hood mitigates sun glare when bounding through the desert at high speeds, just like the original Baja Broncos. Additionally, the Bronco Stroppe Special Edition includes the following changes:
• Frozen White grille with Code Orange “Bronco” wordmark
• Code Orange front tow hooks and a standard steel bumper
• “Stroppe Special Edition” and “Bronco” branding on the front and rear fenders, respectively
• Squared-off high-clearance fenders in Code Orange
• Unique removable side steps with integrated rock rails
• 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels with a matte-black beadlock ring and gloss-black spokes
• A matte black tailgate
Bronco Stroppe Special Edition stands out with a white instrument mid-panel, first introduced on the Bronco Heritage, but adds Code Orange accents throughout the cabin. That includes the “Bronco” wordmark on the dash, the bezel of the G.O.A.T. mode dial, the insides of the grab handles, and in the contrast stitching on the dash topper and seats. The center console also adds a unique Stroppe Special Edition badge.
“We’ve been hinting at the return of a Bronco Stroppe Special Edition with our competition Broncos since returning to the Baja 1000 with the Bronco R in 2020,” said North American Design Director Gordon Platto. “That combination of Code Orange, Oxford White, and Atlas Blue, and matte black was chosen very deliberately on our race vehicles. It’s an iconic design and the history behind it is so important to the modern Bronco.”
The Next Chapter of the Stroppe Story
Dubbed a “legendary builder of winning off-road vehicles” by the Off-Road Motorsport Hall of Fame, Bill Stroppe’s work on Bronco made it the competitive force it is today. In 1969, a Stroppe-prepared Bronco recorded the first and still only outright win by a stock 4×4 at Baja, establishing a winning tradition that has continued with the Baja 1000 class-winning 2024 Bronco.
Stroppe also recruited Ford motorsports legend Parnelli Jones, and the pair won multiple races in Broncos with Jones at the wheel and Stroppe navigating.
“Bill Stroppe not only established Bronco’s competition legacy at events like the Baja 1000 and NORRA Mexican 1000, but Stroppe Baja Broncos put his off-road knowhow on the road and helped establish Bronco with consumers,” Ford Archivist Ted Ryan said. “Today’s Bronco, with the G.O.A.T Modes and Sasquatch package, can trace its existence back to Bill Stroppe’s work.”
Go to Ford.com to Register Your Interest in Bronco Stroppe
The 2025 Bronco Stroppe Special Edition will be available in January 2025. Customers that are interested in purchasing can head to Ford.com to learn more.
Ford is also introducing a new line of merchandise inspired by the Bronco Stroppe Special Edition. The new items are available for purchase at the Ford Merchandise store.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough electric vehicles along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 175,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.
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]]>The post 2024 NORRA 500 Day 2 Ensenada to San Quintin appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>Rally Recap:
Day 2 / Ensenada to San Quintín
Day one of racing at the 2024 NORRA 500 was fast, fun and challenging. For the many first time racers in the field, it was a big learning curve, but they made it to the finish line in San Quintin with dirty faces and ear to ear grins. At the front end of the race, it was a fierce battle between some heavy hitters. Even the most experienced racers were met with some challenges along the way. Two time overall winner Dave Mason Jr. got stuck, but was pulled out by the number 2 Geiser Brothers Unlimited truck of Paul and Chad Broughton. Mason went on to finish 5th overall and Broughton came home in the 59th spot. Let’s hope Paul’s karma points in the bank pay off on race day 2. Our own Grand Marshal also had to be pulled out as did Steve Strobel and his son Christian.
One of the most shocking and disappointing developments was that of Craig McCarthy and Kevin Murphy. They were way out front and cruising into the final finish line when they had catastrophic engine failure. The rods decided to punch a hole in the block. It shows how difficult off road racing is and the incredible torture imposed on the machines. Many other teams had issues that were able to be fixed on the way or overcome. The Donut Media team had some alternator issues, but they fixed them and made it to the finish. Their learning curve has been steep, but their Baja baptism is complete and they are hooked! Also in the hooked category are Janey Lee and Kylie Walton. They’ve been involved with motorsports for years and finally able at the NORRA 500 to get behind the wheel in Baja. They were elated and already talking about the Mexican 1000 in 2025.
After setting a record in qualifying, Max Gordon suffered a mechanical issue that took him out of day one. He was disappointed on a personal level, but successful at his underlying job. As a development driver, he’s supposed to be pushing his Speed UTV to the failure point in order to perfect it. Robby also had an issue; he rolled his car in a rut. The ruts in Baja are serious; they can easily swallow a UTV.
With so many diverse vehicles in the field, it’s impossible to predict who will be the fastest on any given day. As usual, we had some surprising results. The unlimited trucks and buggies are expected to run up front, but we saw a class 10 and several UTV’s in the top ten. The rally format at NORRA creates a level playing field for all vehicles. Speed and navigational accuracy are rewarded with top results. Push to pass keeps blocking to a minimum. The fastest drivers rise to the top, track position does not put undue influence on the outcome. During a point to point race, getting stuck behind a slower vehicle can ruin your best efforts. At NORRA you can go all out.
Once all the times were calculated, Kyle Murray was in the overall position in his American Rentals, Geiser 6100 truck. Bill Zemak and Alex Reed are in the second spot in their trick RMR Jackal. Bill commented at the finish line that he and Alex began their racing careers dodging trees in the Carolinas and now they’ve graduated to dodging rocks in Baja. He said they ran their own pace and were the beneficiary of other’s problems. They capitalized on it while running at a 70 percent pace.
Third overall and leading the Pro Turbo class that’s racing for a 20 thousand dollar, winner takes all cash prize is the veteran PJ Jones in his CanAm Maverick R. When it comes to racing, PJ has seen it all and knows what it takes to win. He’ll be tough to beat. Second in the Pro Turbo class is Gilberto Rodriguez; also in a CanAm Maverick. He finished tenth place overall. He will have to push it if he’s going to beat PJ on day two of racing. Third in class is Todd Romano in a Speed UTV Bandit.
The other class racing for big bucks is Evolution Pro 2000 UTV/ class 10. Everyone wants to cash in on the 20 thousand dollar prize, but if a class 10 car wins, they also get a Honda K24 race engine from Lozano Performance. The Yee family has their sights set on big prize. Bruce, Max and Diego Yee are all taking turns driving and navigating their Alumicraft car and have been the car to beat. There are some great racing genes in that family. In second place is Austin “Fish” Farner, Austin Eddy and Phil Casey in a Polaris Pro R. We’ve never seen these guys this serious. They are going for the bucks too, but have a little over 5 minutes to make up. Jeff Terzo is having a great race in third driving a Polaris Pro R as well.
Evolution class 11 is also racing for cash money in addition to bragging rights. Franz Muhr and Ramon Manriquez will settle it on the beach on day two. The overall results are Kyle Murry in P1, then Bill Zemak, PJ Jones and Bruce Yee fourth overall. Rounding out the top five is Zak Langley who said he wished he ran faster in the mountains, but didn’t want to push too hard in the rocks. He’s second in Evolution 6100 trucks.
Austin Farner is sixth overall, Dave Mason Jr. is seventh, Jeff Terzo eighth, Richie Mendez ninth, these Pro 2000 UTV/ class 10 drivers are running hard, and Gilberto Rodriguez is tenth place overall.
Day two may hold entirely different results. Some may find their groove and run a blistering pace. Others may start to show the wear and tear that Baja inflicts on everyone. The overnight stay in San Quintin was a chance to relax, savor the day and reflect on all the incredible experiences on day one. It was also a chance for The Fab School Repair Team to fix any problems and teams to regroup and reload for day two. They take the lessons learned and come out even stronger. Day two of racing is going to be incredible.
After experiencing the NORRA 500 just once, you too will be hooked. Everything you need to know about the NORRA 500 and Mexican 1000 can be found at www.norra.com. Go to the site and find out for yourself why NORRA has exploded in popularity. You can feel the same excitement those pioneering thrill seekers sought in 1967 when you join NORRA in Baja. NORRA events honor the past, while forging the future. Don’t miss out on the Good Vibes and Good Times at the NORRA 500. Be sure to follow the race on NORRA TV. There is live footage and links to live tracking on the website. Stay tuned!
Photo credit: Bink Designs
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]]>The post 2024 NORRA 500 Contingency appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>Rally Recap: Day 1 / Ensenada
There is nothing else like a NORRA contingency and Friday the 11th of October the Good Vibes, Good Times at the NORRA 500 got underway. All the incredible sights and sounds of Ensenada, Baja Mexico were the background when some of the coolest cars on the planet and the characters who race them arrived to the event. Because NORRA Honors the Past while Forging the Future, the vehicles range from the earliest pioneers of the sport to the latest high tech masterpieces.
The earliest car competing is the 1965 Meyers Manx of Jon Steinhilber and Joe Lowery. The historic Manx was built two years before NORRA created sanctioned off road racing and the number 10 Meyers Manx team car of Wilson and Mangels won the inaugural event. If you love the vintage race cars, Mack Johnson’s Classic Car Round-Up was the place to be. A special salute to the VW Beetle is the theme this year. It ties in to the class 11 King of the Beach battle that has a Vintage class 11 category and an Evolution category for the cars built to modern rules. The fastest overall class 11 will be King of the Beach. It’s fascinating to see how tough the pioneers of off road racing were. They were not only tough, but also had an incredible thirst for adventure. NORRA is keeping that same spirit alive.
For those who like the latest technology, the Evolution Era is where you’ll find it. The pair of Rhys Millen Racing Jackals are a prime example as are the 6100 trucks and brand new UTV’s like the Speed Bandits, El Diablo’s and the CanAm Mavericks and Polaris Pro R’s. The drivers competing in the Evolution Era are equally impressive. One of the best looking modern vehicles has to be the 2023 NISMO Frontier of Formula Drift champion Chris Forsberg. His car control fits right into the demands of off road racing. The team started last year with instant success. They finished the truck, drove it to the NORRA 500 with no testing and won their class. They are back with a huge team looking for a repeat of their initial success and even more fun this year.
NORRA has living legends like Grand Marshal Ramon Castro, who is competing in a 1971 Sandwinder buggy and young Max Gordon who set a new record in his Speed UTV during qualifying at Rancho Nelson Friday afternoon. Max is the defending UTV champion at the 500 and eclipsed his number one qualifying time at last year’s event by several seconds this time. He starts first off the line in the Turbo UTV class with Pro2000 class driver Nick McPhee second. Those two will have Robby Gordon and Bruce Yee on their tails. Bruce is in a class 10 car. He will be racing for the class 2000 cash prize of 20 thousand dollars and the K24 Honda class 10 race engine from Lozano Performance worth $9500. He will be a huge threat to the UTV’s in class 2000 on this course.
Contingency is filled with racers who come from all over the world. Some have not seen each other since the last NORRA race and are eager to rekindle their friendships and rivalries. The same is true for the fans. The fans get a chance to meet their favorite drivers, take in the incredible display of race vehicles new and old, and check out the latest offerings by NORRA sponsors Meyers Manx, Speed Energy, Bilstein, STEEL-IT, Raceline Wheels, Nomad, MOBELWAGEN, The Fab School and more. Fans also had a chance to meet Grand Marshal Ramon Castro who is a legendary Baja racer. Some say Mack Johnson was there, but he keeps a low profile trying to stay one step ahead of his past.
If all that was not enough, Michael Squier had a special screening of his Baja Bug movie after the driver’s meeting that was open to the public. The entire day was filled with a celebration of off road racing and our incredible fans have been such a huge part of that over the last 57 years. No other racing offers so much access and participation for the fans. You don’t have to be a millionaire to build and race a vehicle off road. There is a class in NORRA for everyone. In addition to racing, NORRA also has the Meyers Manx Safari Expedition for road legal vehicles.
Over the next couple days, the focus changes to racing. This year’s course has breathtaking scenery, but also fast sections filled with all out speed. Once the green flag drops, the fastest will be charging for the glory of winning their class or going for the overall win and the Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc, King of the Beach trophy. You can experience whatever NORRA 500 you like. Some are here for the racing; some are here for the fun. The 500 is easy to race and easy to chase so many teams compete as a reward to their teams who work so hard. They get a chance to enjoy so much more when the engines have been shut down and the preparations for the next day are done.
After experiencing the NORRA 500 just once, you too will be hooked. Everything you need to know about the NORRA 500 and Mexican 1000 can be found at www.norra.com Go to the site and find out for yourself why NORRA has exploded in popularity. You can feel the same excitement those pioneering thrill seekers sought in 1967 when you join NORRA in Baja. NORRA events honor the past, while forging the future. Don’t miss out on the Good Vibes and Good Times at the NORRA 500. Be sure to follow the race on NORRA TV. There is live footage and links to live tracking on the website. Stay tuned!
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]]>The post Baby Shark – A Herbst Land Shark Tribute UTV appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>Words by Jason Stilgebouer
Oftentimes in motorsports, there are tributes to old race cars in many different forms. Sometimes it’s just as simple as a paint scheme or a wrap, and we’re willing to pass it off as a tribute. The Terrible Herbst Motorsports Baby Shark, built by Jason Montes, is much more than just another tribute car, it may have set the new standard of a UTV race chassis. It’s not something we can simply pass off as a Can-Am Maverick X3 that looks like the now-iconic Land Shark that once dominated Baja. This new race car, recently unveiled at the Sand Sports Super Show, is one of the most unique UTV chassis we’ve seen built in a long time.
Jason Montes has been building trucks for 1Nine Industries (formerly known as Herbst Smith Fabrication) for almost a decade and races with the Terrible Herbst team. Tim Herbst approached him with a problem: building a UTV that could survive their prerunning in Mexico, because apparently, Trophy Truck drivers aren’t the gentlest on UTVs. So, there was a tall task to fill—build a prerunner that could be duplicated and, if they wanted, they could go race it. Oh, and it also needed to look like the Land Shark. The result? A Can-Am X3-powered tube chassis UTV dubbed the Baby Shark.
The Baby Shark carries the same ethos as the Land Shark, challenging traditional norms of what Class 1 buggies are and were designed around—taking the parameters of “Unlimited” and engineering something truly unique and special. Jason’s goal was to build a chassis that could be replicated and raced, if the Herbst team wanted to, or even produced for customers.
Working with Hall Designs, the chassis was designed to utilize a Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo RR drivetrain, with an option to build more cars in the future using other manufacturers’ drivetrains and suspension designs, such as the Polaris Pro R and Maverick R. There was even a hint of using a GM LS V8 in the future, which would make it eligible for Class 1. The last time we saw anything similar was Rhys Millen’s Jackal. However, these are only tentative plans at the moment—currently, only one other chassis is being built around the Maverick X3 drivetrain.
Up front, Jason developed the Baby Shark to retain the original chassis pivots but built completely new arms and shock mounts. Paired with Internal Bypass King Racing Shocks, the car has a track width of 80 inches with 23 inches of wheel travel. In the rear, the car was lengthened to a wheelbase of 114 inches, with the trailing arms making it 12 inches longer than a factory two-seat X3. The trailing arms were also built to encapsulate a solid billet knuckle with new shock mount locations, allowing for 22.5 inches of wheel travel.
The drivetrain on the Baby Shark is straight out of a Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo RR, now making 240 horsepower, with a modified Fortin differential in the front and Summer Brothers axles transferring power to the 35-inch BF Goodrich tires, mounted on Walker Evans wheels. The engine is powered by a full Motec system and completely wired by Donny Christianson from American Wire Harness.
Building a custom body that’s easy to replicate is a challenge, especially if you plan to produce several race cars in the future. Teaming up with Walker Industries and Fiberwerx, Jason developed a fiberglass body that looks almost identical to the original Land Shark. The details don’t go unnoticed, from the gills to the eyes just above the shock mounts, and the custom paint job by Loose Cannon Customs really makes the build a home run.
Inside, the Baby Shark is everything you’d expect: perfection. A fully custom aluminum dash maximizes visibility and improves ergonomics, housing Sparco seats, GPS, race radios, and a Motec display. Taking the attention to detail even further, the shifter has been relocated from the center to the driver-side door for better space usability.
Though its main function is to be a 4WD prerunner, the Baby Shark has quickly evolved into an incredible, well-thought-out race car that can also serve as a prerunner. That said, storage is still important for all the necessities, such as recovery gear, an ice chest, spare parts, and even snacks for long days in Mexico. There’s an integrated rear trunk in the back that looks like it could be the fuel cell, but under the spare tire is a large space for everything a prerunner needs. The fuel cell is centrally located under the driver and co-driver seats.
What started out as a simple UTV prerunner built for the Terrible Herbst racing team has evolved into one of the most unique race UTVs we’ve ever featured on Race Dezert. The entire design premise was to take everything great about a UTV and improve it by developing a one-off chassis while retaining the original Can-Am drivetrain. If that wasn’t enough, it also serves as a tribute to the Herbst Land Shark. With its unique engineering and thoughtful details, the Baby Shark sets a new standard for future race UTV builds.
Chassis: Jason Montes Can-Am X3 Turbo RR
Engine: Can-Am Rotax
ECU: MOTEC wired Donny Christianson from American Wire Harness
Horsepower: 240 tuned by James Lynn
Weight: 2300 LBS
Cooling: CBR
Brakes: Wilwood 4 Piston
Lights: KC HiLites
Exhaust: Stainless Bros Muffler
Tires: BF Goodrich
Wheels: Walker Evans Forged Wheels
Front Suspension: 80″ wide custom arms 23″ of travel
Rear Suspension: 80″ wide billet/ sheet metal custom arms 22.5″ travel
Navigation: Lowrance
Communication: PCI Race Radio, M-Sat, Intercom
Seats: Sparco Technology
Fuel Cell: 30 Gallon Harmon Racing
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]]>
Once again Terra Crew took over half of building 6 with a ton of prerunners and race trucks on display.
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]]>The post Bryce Menzies Wins The 2024 SCORE Baja 400 – Highlight Video appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>The post Bryce Menzies Wins The 2024 SCORE Baja 400 – Highlight Video appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>The post 4 In A Row For Menzies At The 2024 SCORE Baja 400 appeared first on race-deZert.com.
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Toby Price and Paul Weel came into the race with the advantage, securing the top qualifying spot at Wednesday’s event. The #46 Trophy Truck enjoyed clean air for most of the race, but reigning champion Bryce Menzies, driving the #1 Trophy Truck, had other plans. At the finish Paul Weel mentioned that they lost the front drive in their truck around mile 80-90. Eventually Menzies made the pass and crossed the line with a time of 7:53:57 and was his fourth consecutive Baja 400 win.
BRYCE MENZIES, No. 1 (First overall) – We started running, Polvoorde (Christopher, No. 94) got a flat early and we got by him. We were just sitting behind Toby (Price, No. 46) and he was running on a super strong pace. It was a wild race for a while, I didn’t know if the trucks were going to last running at that pace. It’s crazy how fast we’re going these days. We passed them at race mile 280 when they got a flat and then from there, we just tried to play it smart, take our time and get to the finish line. Overall, the course was tough and to win four straight SCORE Baja 400s in the SCORE Trophy Truck class is just insane. I don’t know what it is about this race, it’s just good to us. Hats off to all the drivers, the competition is tough and it makes us work harder and harder and that’s what we need for this sport.
Alan Ampudia physically finished third behind Price but took second place on corrected time. Luke McMillin, always a strong contender, had engine troubles at around race mile RM 150 and had to withdraw due to engine failure. The #16 Desert Assassins truck driven by Josh Daniel also retired early due to steering problems.
In the TT Spec class, Trey Gibbs started first but got stuck on rocks in a tight twisty section at RM 35, causing a bottleneck. Fortunately, most racers navigated around without issue. However, #277 Travis Williams wasn’t as fortunate later in the race, as his truck caught fire and burned to the ground.
Photos from Travis Williams IG.
Travis’ explanation of what happened from the Race-dezert forum:
“This is Travis WIlliams #277…Just wanted to get the facts straight since there are already a bunch of different stories out there. We were just in our groove doing our thing and a rock got stuck under the pedal and the throttle was stuck wide open so I slammed on the brakes and tried to make the turn but it obviously pushed wide and there was a sand hill there that stopped us. We cut off the power to unbuckle and get the rock out since I tried and couldn’t kick it out any other way. Literally a few seconds later I saw smoke and said shit we are on fire and since the throttle was still stuck wide open the truck wouldn’t start to back up off the bush. We jumped out to try and put the fire out but I couldn’t get to the fire extinguisher because the flames were already too high on the driver side so Pete came over with his and sprayed the fire as I threw as much sand on it as i could but it just wasn’t enough and we ended up having to walk away from the truck and watch it burn. To say the least its gut wrenching and a very shitty feeling you can think of but at least we are going home to our families tomorrow safe. Our phones also were in the truck so if anyone has reached out we will get back to you once we get new ones.”
The TT Spec class also saw a close finish between Thor Herbst #219 and Jorge Sampietro #297, with Herbst finishing 7 seconds ahead. However, a 9-minute penalty handed the win to Sampietro, followed by Bryce Swaim #242 in second and Herbst in third.
JORGE SAMPIETRO, No. 297 (First in class) – We didn’t have any issues with the car. The main problem for us was being on the dust all day, but we started seventh and managed to finish at the top, so it was a good run. We prepared the car really well and it showed on the race. Everything helped today. The Mike Sky Ranch’s loop (race mile 280) was very challenging.
The #1L TT Legends truck driven by Gustavo Vildosola Sr. and Ricky Johnson continued their winning streak with their 11th consecutive victory in the TT Legends class.
GUSTAVO VILDOSOLA SR, No. 1L (First in class) – We had a very good day. I had a good day, Ricky got a flat and bent the shaft, but aside from that, had a clean run too. The truck is still great. What a course! It was a bit too much technical. The sections at Mike’s Sky Ranch (race mile 280) and Santa Catarina (race mile 340) were super tiring, difficult and tight, but we made it. CO-DRIVER RICKY JOHNSON said: It went great. I just had one flat after I hit a rock. We qualified in the top ten among the SCORE Trophy Trucks, which is exactly what we wanted, and got by Rob MacCachren (No. 11) and Luke McMillin (No. 83) when they had problems. We were racing with Tim Herbst (No. 19L) all day and it came down to about one minute of difference at the finish. It was a tough race all day long, they’re very fast.
Kyle Quinn and John Herder shared driving duties in the #138 Wilson Motorsports class 1 and took their second win of the SCORE season with a time of 8:44:27.
KYLE QUINN, No. 138 (First in class) – It was great! We started fifth, but John Herder did a fantastic job and gave us the car in first place, with a ten-minute lead. We just cruised here. We had a good time and got here in one piece, so that’s a nice win. We didn’t get any flats and that’s a testament to BFGoodrich Tires and the product they support us with.
One of the big discussions going into this race was about the Polaris teams decision to have #141 Max Eddy Jr. enter his Polaris Factory Pro R in class 1. At the finish Max mentioned that he had some axle and brake issues and also flat at Erindira. Despite those issues he had a good run overall and ended up in fourth place with a time of 9:26:30.
MAX EDDY JR, No. 141 (Fourth in class) – It was a long day. It was super, super rough, so dusty. We got a flat tire at around race mile 155 and that set us back with the slower pack of our class and from there we were just fighting dust the rest of the day. We didn’t have a lot of expectations coming here, we just wanted to get to the finish and see what we could do.
In Pro UTV Open the #1896 Factory Polaris driver Brock Heger blew a shock right at the start and had to drive on it for about 30 mins. Their team changed it in a few minutes and he was able to make up time beating Cayden MacCachren by 4 seconds. At the finish Brock turned down the opportunity to celebrate with Champaign because it was so close. Unfortunately for Brock, a time penalty bumped him down to second place with Wayne Matlock taking third.
CAYDEN MacCACHREN, No. 1821 (First in class) – Honestly, it’s crazy that every time I get to the finish line, I don’t remember the day. When I think about it some more, I think it was a great race. It was super dusty and very rough, it just kept getting rougher and tighter.
BROCK HEGER, No. 1896 (Second in class) – It was a good and long day. We blew a shock pretty early on and got passed by a lot of people while we were replacing it. We charged back, passed some people, but ended up getting a flat and they all got by us again. The car was feeling really good, so we went for it and pushed the limits today. It was a long day in and out of the car, which is never good. These last 50 miles, I don’t know if I got to see the road one, just because of the dust.
#2910 Rodrigo Ampudia dominated the Pro UTV Forced Induction class, finishing with a time of 9:48:42, 40 minutes ahead of second-place finisher #2940 Erick Kozin, and just 10 seconds ahead of Bogart Escandon #2956 in third.
RODRIGO AMPUDIA JR, No. 2910 (First in class) – It was a great race for us. We had some problems during the day that cost us a lot of time, but had a lot of fun and made it to the finish line. There was a lot of dust and it was difficult to pass the slower cars because we couldn’t see much. The beach section was fast.
#1014 Bruce Yee took the class 10 win over #1077 Dale Ebberts by 10 minutes.
BRUCE YEE, No. 1014 (First in class) – The course was very hard and challenging. When we got to race mile 50, it felt as if we were finishing the SCORE Baja 1000 because it demanded a lot from us. But we didn’t’ have any issues at all – no flats or anything. The entire course had its challenges. The course was fast and fun, but after Mike Sky’s Ranch (race mile 280), it felt like it was endless.
In the Pro Moto Unlimited category, Justin Morgan and Tyler Lynn rode the 7x bike to victory with a time of 8:46:56, finishing 5 minutes ahead of 11x Arturo Salas.
JUSTIN MORGAN, No. 7x (First overall motorcycle) – We kept it smooth all day, we had no issues and that’s how we got to the finish line first. I handed the bike to Tyler (Lynn) in second place physically and a couple of minutes down on time and he did such a good job. He passed them for the lead and checked in here at the finish line in first place. CO-RIDER TYLER LYNN said: I got on the bike a few minutes behind, so I just put my head down, went there and had fun. We had an awesome team and a great strategy and everything went down perfectly. The course changed a lot since we started pre-running. It got rougher each day, but it was still a lot of fun. Pretty brutal, but fun.
Unlike previous years, the SCORE Baja 400 results did not determine the start order for the upcoming BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 1000. Each SCORE race now has its own qualifying event, and to qualify, competitors must have started the previous race. Notably, the #5 of Clyde Stacey entered a Ford Ranger to ensure their spot in Baja 1000 qualifying. We are excited to see the RPM truc
Mark your calendars for the final chapter of SCORE’s 2024 season when racers take on the biggest most challenging desert race of the year, the Baja 1000 Nov. 12th-17th, in Ensenada.
Click here for race results from the 2024 SCORE Baja 400.
Photos by HighRev Photography
Race quotes by SCORE International. Click here to read all of SCORE’s Press Releases including more finish line quotes.
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]]>WHAT: 5th Annual SCORE Baja 400 presented by VP Racing, Round 3 of the four-race 2024 SCORE World Desert Championship
WHEN: Sept. 11th – Sept. 15th, 2024
WHERE: Start/Finish: Ensenada, BCN
Race Distance: Full course – 425.57mi / 684.89km. Sportsman – 385.07mi / 619.71km. Motos & Quads – 434.84mi / 699.81km
Race Time: 16 Hour limit
Click here for the updates thread in the forum to follow along during the race with live videos, tracking map and more.
Qualifying results:
– TT Spec
– Trophy Truck & TT Legends
RDC’s qualifying coverage
SCORE Press Releases:
Qualifying press release
Final entry list / start order
Live Videos:
SCORE Finish line live video:
SCORE race day live video replay:
Christopher Polvoorde live video:
Piloteando Racing live video:
Terrible Herbst live video:
TT Spec Qualifying replay:
Trophy Truck and TT Legends Qualifying replay:
Live Tracking Map (click to open in a new tab if you don’t see the map below)
Fishgistics Hourly Updates
These will also be posted as they happen in this thread.
What about you? By Bob Bower
Schedule:
TUESDAY, September 10th
1pm-7pm Racer Registration – Mandatory for Qualifying Teams – If qualifying driver and co-driver do not register today, the team will NOT be allowed to qualify on Wednesday, Sept. 11h – NOTE – Qualifying Location & map will be revealed at Registration. There will be no GPS files available for qualifying. Make sure you identify the person who will be driving the vehicle for qualifying when you register and verify in Red Room at Riviera del Pacifico Center
1pm-7pm Media Registration – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
1pm-5pm Chassis Inspections – By appointment for Qualifying teams – Call Tech at 619.572.8245 in advance to arrange inspection. Qualifying Teams must have annual chassis inspections current to qualify on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, September 11th
7am Qualifying for Trophy Truck, TT Legends, and TT Spec Classes – Must have submitted applications and paid all fees online by Aug 28 at 9pm or in-person at Ensenada office by 5pm Sept. 6 deadline, and have completed onsite registration and online waivers by 1pm-7pm Tuesday, Sept 10 to be eligible to qualify!
Qualifying Information, class site arrival and qualifying times and location & map available at Qualifying Registration onTuesday – QUALIFICATION SITE IS NOT OPEN TO PUBLIC!
Noon-6pm Racer Registration (NO WALK-IN ENTRIES ACCEPTED AFTER 5pm) – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
9am-5pm Media Registration – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
THURSDAY, Sept. 12th
8am-5pm Racer Registration (NO WALK-IN ENTRIES ACCEPTED AFTER 4pm) – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
9am-5pm Stella Bracket Purchases, Checks & Installations – Start/Finish area in front of Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, just past interview ramp. Stella units will be installed Friday.
9pm-5pm Chassis Inspections – By appointment only. Call Tech at 619.572.8245 in advance to arrange inspection.
9am-5pm Media Registration – Red Room Riviera del Pacifico Center
FRIDAY, Sept. 13th – TECH AND CONTINGENCY – One Day Only
8am-4pm Racer Registration (NO WALK-IN ENTRIES ACCEPTED AFTER 3pm) – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
8am-5pm Contingency Row – New Entrance, One block south of the Riviera del Pacifico Center
8am-6pm Technical Inspection / Transponder Checks / Stella Tracking Device Installation – End of Contingency Row
►► Must be in Tech line by 5pm, NO Chassis Inspections on Tech Day,
9am-5pm Media Registration – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
5:00pm Mandatory Aircraft Pilot Meeting – Zoom call, must be registered by August 28th at 9pm to be invited to the call.
6:00pm Mandatory Driver / Rider Meeting – Each team will be limited to 2 attendees due to space limitations. – Riviera del Pacifico Center Cathedral Room. Random draw of entries, may be assessed a 1-hour penalty if not in attendance.
SATURDAY, Sept. 14th – RACE DAY
Civil Dawn 6:06a Sunrise 6:30a Sunset 6:52p Civil Twilight 7:15p
Race Distances from Ceremonial Start and Timing Start will vary depending on Vehicle Class.
● Race Time Limit – All Classes – 16 Hours ●
| Preliminary Race Mileages by Vehicle Class |
| ** Class | Ceremonial Start/Finish | Timed Distance | Min. Avg. mph / kph |
| Motos/Quads | 434.84mi / 699.81km | 403.46mi / 649.30km | 25.22mph / 40.59kph |
| 4-Wheel Classes | 425.57mi / 684.89km | 394.17mi / 634.36km | 24.64mph / 39.65kph |
| All Sportsman | 385.07mi / 619.71km | 353.67mi / 569.17km | 22.10mph / 35.57kph |
** Above course mileages subject to change before event date
3:15am-11:00pm Media Center Open – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
3:45am STAGING BEGINS – Pro Motos and Quads, Sportsman Motos and Quads – Front of Riviera del Pacifico Center
4:15am MOTO / QUAD CEREMONIAL START – In Front of Riviera del Pacifico Center
5:00am MOTO / QUAD RACE START – Timing Loop – Location TBA
TIME GAP – Approx. 4:30 Hours between the last Moto / Quad start and first Trophy Truck Start
8:00am STAGING BEGINS – All 4-Wheel Classes – Stage times in Race Information – Stage before Start / Finish ramp
8:15am Honor Guard and Salute to Flag Ceremony – Start/Finish ramp area
9:00am FOUR WHEEL CEREMONIAL START – All 4-Wheel Classes – In Front of Riviera del Pacifico Center
10:00am FOUR-WHEEL RACE START – Timing Loop – Location TBA
SUNDAY, September 15th – RESULTS AND AWARDS
6:45am Posting of Unofficial Results Online and outside SCORE Ensenada Office
8:00-9:30am Race teams must submit any results inquiries during this period – SCORE Ensenada Office
10:00-2pm Media Center Open – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
10:30am Posting of Baja 400 Official Results – Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
10:30am Posting Official Results Online – SCORE Website
11:30am Awards Ceremony – Cathedral Room, Riviera del Pacifico Center
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]]>The post 2024 SCORE Baja 400 Qualifying Photos appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>The green flag drops Saturday morning for the 5th SCORE Baja 400 at 4:15am for the motorcycles and quads, and at 9am for the cars, trucks and UTV’s. Racers will have a 16 hour time limit with the fastest expecting to finish within eight hours on the 425 mile race course.
Follow the race with live video, tracking and updates in the RDC forum.
Photos by HighRev Photography
Trey Gibbs was the top qualifier In the Trophy Truck Spec class with a time of 6:17.246. This was an impressive run especially with it being Trey’s first race in Baja. Jason McNeil driving #238 took second followed closely by 258 Maverick Gaunt just 4 seconds back.
Maverick Gaunt was definitely turning heads with his vertical wing in the back of the truck. It’s great seeing people try new things in off road racing. Do you think there are any advantages with something like this? Join the discussion in the Baja 400 forum thread.
23 of the 31 Trophy Trucks attempted to qualify yesterday afternoon with Toby Price taking the top spot at 5:49.583. Christopher Polvoorde took second just 5 seconds behind Price and Bryce Menzies took the third spot less than a second behind Polvoorde.
Toby Price: I think we had a good, clean lap. We had a little scare, but we got through it and the truck is still in great shape. The course was really difficult to try to make time on anyone. We got a few days until the race, but we’re excited for it. The race course has some sections from previous races, but it’s a little tricky. We’ll see what the day will bring, but I think it’s going to be really difficult to make passes, so we’ll hopefully let the race come to us.
Gustavo Vildosola Sr. (1L top TT Legends qualifier): It was good. It was a very tricky course, which represented a lot of Baja. There were a lot of turns you couldn’t see, but also some fast sections. It was a good course, but sometimes a little frustrating for the driver, because you want to hang it out, but you got to keep it clean. We tried some new things with the truck for qualifying which we liked, but we’re learning every race. I’ll do the first half of the race and will get the beach section, which is fast, but before it there’s some technical stuff, which is going to be very dusty. We’ll need to be patient until we get there.
Click here for full qualifying results from the 2024 SCORE Baja 400.
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]]>The post 2025 KTM and Husky Factory Rally Replicas: A New Era for Rally Racing appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>By Willem Avenant (Decoding Dakar), photo credits HT Rally Raid & KTM
The long-anticipated 2025 KTM and Husky Factory Rally Replicas have finally arrived, and they are set to redefine the limits of rally performance. Thanks to insights from Ties Hellegers of HT Rally Raid, one of the first teams to receive these bikes, we’ve gotten an early look at how these machines will perform as they prepare to make their debut at the Rally du Maroc. With extensive factory testing since 2022, these replicas are as close as it gets to the bikes ridden by factory teams, and we can now explore the key differences between the previous generation (2019-2024) and the brand-new 2025 model.
What is a Factory Rally Replica?
For those unfamiliar with rally replicas, these are limited-edition bikes designed specifically for the rigors of rally racing, offering near-factory performance to non-factory riders. These motorcycles are a close cousin to the full factory rally bikes that KTM and Husqvarna factory teams race. They come with high-performance components, advanced technology, and engineering built to endure the harshest racing conditions.
While these bikes are made available to the public, production numbers are small, making them highly coveted among rally riders who demand the absolute best. They bridge the gap between the factory teams and privateers, allowing competitors to ride machinery that, until now, was mostly reserved for the top-tier athletes.
A Radical Overhaul: From Trellis to Double Cradle
The 2025 model marks a significant departure from its predecessor. The most noticeable change is in the frame design. The older bikes featured a Trellis-style frame with a tubular structure that left the engine hanging beneath it. The 2025 model adopts a double cradle frame similar to the ones used in KTM’s enduro and motocross bikes. This new frame design offers improved rigidity, which greatly enhances low and mid-speed handling—a welcome change for the majority of rally riders.
For those outside the top 20, this upgrade is crucial, as it allows for easier maneuvering during the stage, helping to conserve energy. Rally stages are long and grueling, so anything that makes the bike easier to handle is a game-changer. However, the improved low-speed handling comes at the cost of high-speed stability, a critical aspect for factory riders who consistently push the limits. This is why the factory team spent two years perfecting the bike—working tirelessly to ensure the bike provides the necessary stability for long, high-speed stretches. Fortunately, for the average rider, this trade-off won’t pose a major issue.
Enhanced Power and Torque
Another key change is the reworked engine. The 2025 model offers more torque and power delivery from the start, making the bike feel lighter and more responsive. This snappiness provides a sharper, more aggressive feel that will be particularly useful in technical sections where quick bursts of power are essential.
Redesigned Tanks and Ergonomics
Beyond the frame and engine, the fuel tanks have also undergone a significant redesign. The tanks now have a lower center of gravity, which helps with overall balance and makes the bike feel more agile. Additionally, the rear tank is pre-shaped to catch the rider’s legs, providing a more comfortable and controlled standing position—a vital feature for the many hours riders spend standing on the pegs during rally stages.
The tower has been lightened and made more accessible, providing better visibility and functionality for navigating the bike’s instruments and roadbooks, an essential part of rally racing.
The Downside of High-Tech Innovation
While the upgrades to the 2025 model are undeniably exciting, they come at a price—quite literally. The development of some parts has resulted in higher manufacturing costs. For instance, the mid-pipe of the exhaust is hydro-formed in such a way that its price is expected to skyrocket. Similarly, the skid plate and the integrated toolbox, both critical for protection and convenience, have become increasingly complex and expensive.
First Impressions
Although the 2025 KTM and Husky Factory Rally Replicas have yet to undergo full testing, initial feedback from the HT Rally Raid team has been overwhelmingly positive. The combination of improved handling, sharper power delivery, and enhanced ergonomics promises to make this bike a formidable choice for rally competitors. And while certain components may have become more expensive, the overall advancements make the 2025 model one of the most eagerly awaited rally bikes in recent years.
As these bikes gear up for their first real-world test at the Rally du Maroc, anticipation is high to see how they will perform under the toughest conditions rally racing has to offer.
With HT Rally Raid leading the charge, these bikes are sure to make waves—and set the standard for the next generation of rally machines.
I will be competing in Dakar 2025 as part of the HT Rally Raid team, and I’m excited to share more insights and experiences along the way. If you enjoyed this article and want to dive deeper into the world of rally, follow Decoding Dakar (@willemavenantracing) for more content, behind-the-scenes perspectives, and updates on my journey. Your support, whether through following or contributing to my fundraising efforts for Dakar, makes a huge difference—every bit helps bring this dream closer to reality.
Please consider supporting my journey – https://decodingdakar.myshopify.com/
Quick Facts:
Price: $35,000 USD.
Engine: 450cc fuel-injected single-cylinder.
Fuel Capacity: 35 liters (9.2 gallons).
Range: Estimated to be around 300 miles on a full tank, depending on riding conditions.
Suspension: WP XPLOR PRO 7548 Cone Valve forks and WP XPLOR PDS shock.
Brakes: Brembo brakes with radial calipers.
Weight: Approximately 150 kg (331 lbs).
Production: Limited to 100 units.
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]]>The post CJ Greaves Takes Over The Crandon World Championships appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>
PARADE
The weekend doesn’t officially kick off until the town gets swarmed with race vehicles for the parade downtown on Friday morning. Starting at 9am hundreds of race cars and trucks cram inside main street for fans to see their favorite drivers and get candy from the various floats that parade down the street.
CHAMP OFF-ROAD
Friday and Saturdays races mark the final rounds of racing for the Championship Off-Road Racing series and multiple championships were decided on the final day.
Pro 4
The Pro 4 finale was a thrilling display of high-octane motorsport, marked by dramatic moments and a decisive outcome. Cole Mamer had something to prove and clinched his first win of the season in a gripping showdown with CJ Greaves.
Greaves applied relentless pressure throughout the race, especially in the latter half. His aggressive driving and strategic maneuvers kept him in contention for the top spot, but an unexpected stall halted his pursuit, preventing him from overtaking Mamer.
Johnny Greaves benefited from CJ’s stall and finished in second place. CJ Greaves ultimately finished third and locked down the season championship.
Despite the misfortune in the finale, Greaves’ remarkable season, characterized by five race wins, cemented his dominance in the Pro 4 category. With this victory, he repeated as the Pro 4 champion, proving his skill and consistency throughout the year.
Pro 2
The final Pro 2 race of the season was a riveting showcase of strategic maneuvering, culminating in a dramatic conclusion. At the forefront of the action were Ricky Gutierrez and Kyle Greaves, who engaged in a gripping duel throughout the entire race. Both drivers demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, trading positions and pushing their limits. Despite Greaves’ relentless efforts and close proximity to Gutierrez, he couldn’t quite find a way past, and Gutierrez ultimately secured the victory.
In third place, Ryan Beat kept a close watch on the leaders, staying within striking distance but ultimately failing to challenge for the top spots.
Mickey Thomas emerged as the Pro 2 champion as the season wrapped up. Although Thomas finished sixth in the final race, his remarkable season, highlighted by six wins, had already secured his position as the top driver.
Greaves’ second-place finish on Saturday was pivotal. It allowed him to surpass Beat in the final standings and secure the runner-up spot in the championship by one point.
Prolite
Trey Gibbs, who had already secured the Pro Lite championship at Bark River, started the Crandon race with a commanding presence, leading for the event’s first half. But a mid-race setback forced him to pull into the hot pits, disrupting his lead and impacting his final position.
Matt Wood seized the moment and claimed his first career Pro Lite victory. Woods was fast throughout Saturday’s contest, and he had to be because Travis Milhausen, Jr. was a constant presence throughout the race. Milhausen finished second, and Champ Off Road announcer Brent Smith finished third place.
Despite this unforeseen challenge, Gibbs returned to the track and finished in a respectable fourth place.
Pro Spec
The Pro Spec season unfolded with dramatic twists and turns, keeping fans on the edge of their seats as the championship battle came down to the final races. Dylan Parsons, a driver who had faced fluctuating fortunes throughout the season, knew he needed a standout performance to clinch the title. He delivered by winning both the Bark River and Crandon races.
His back-to-back victories were pivotal, allowing him to secure the Pro Spec championship and fend off fierce competition from Chris Van Den Elzen, who finished second in Crandon, just behind Parsons.
Wyatt Miller, a young sprint car driver making his Crandon debut, finished in third place. Miller’s strong showing in his first appearance at the track was impressive, signaling his potential and adaptability as he transitions to off-road racing.
Pro Buggy
Jordan Bernloehr wrapped up the Pro Buggy championship with a stellar performance in Saturday’s race, adding to his earlier sweeps at Bark River and Lena. Bernloehr secured the title with a dramatic last-lap pass on Dave Mason Jr., who unfortunately dropped out of the race. Lorenzo Bonacci made a remarkable recovery from 10th to finish in second place, while Jadin Lemke advanced from 11th to take third.
Bernloehr’s victory marked his sixth consecutive win, solidifying his dominance and clinching the championship in impressive fashion.
Pro SXS
CJ Greaves continued his impressive run with a commanding victory in Saturday’s Pro SxS race, securing his fourth win of the season. Greaves’ performance was a testament to his skill and consistency, especially in the second half of the season, where he strengthened his championship bid.
Veteran racer Rodney VanEperen delivered a solid performance, finishing as the runner-up.
The battle for third place was particularly intense. In a dramatic final turn, Jeb Bootle managed to hold off a determined Owen VanEperen, clinching third.
With his victory at Crandon, Greaves secured the race win and locked down the Pro SXS class championship, with Bootle finishing second.
Pro Stock SXS
The Pro Stock SXS race at Crandon on Saturday showcased consistency and breakthrough performances, culminating in an exciting finish to the season. Owen VanEperen, who had started the season with a victory, capped it off with another impressive win.
Colin Kernz, a steady performer all year, secured his sixth podium finish by coming in second. Since moving up mid-season, Kolton Krajeck earned his first podium in the Pro Stock SXS class.
In the championship battle, CJ Greaves completed a sweep of the Pro SXS classes, securing the points championship with a solid second half of the season that saw six wins.
ULTRA 4
Ultra 4 USA came out to play once again and continues to be a excited addition to an already crazy weekend in Crandon.
Loren Healy stole the show once again taking home two wins, one Saturday night in the rock race and again Sunday in the Crandon World Championship race.
CLASS 11
The fan favorite Class 11 bugs came out in full force again this year putting on a great show as always.
CUP RACES
With the points races out of the way the day before Sunday was for all the marbles. Drivers could leave everything on the line in hopes of becoming a Crandon World Champion.
Pro 2 – Mickey Thomas
Pro 4 – CJ Greaves
Prolite – Johnny Holtger
Pro Stock SXS – CJ Greaves
Pro SXS – Rodney VanEperen
Pro Spec – Chris Van Den Elzen
Pro Buggy – Lorenzo Bonacci
4400 – Loren Healy
PRO 2 vs PRO 4
All the excitement of the weekend leads to one point in time, where 26 fire breathing Pro 2 and Pro 4 trucks would share the same dirt in a battle to see who would reign supreme.
After a dominating Pro 2 race earlier in the day Mickey Thomas took to an early lead once again laying down lap after lap while the Pro 4’s started to pick through the field of Pro 2’s, led by CJ Greaves.
As each lap concluded the gap between lead 2 wheel drive and lead 4 wheel drive got smaller and smaller until there were just not enough laps left and CJ would get around Thomas in Cowboy Corner with just a few laps to go.
With the sun setting and the checker flag waiving CJ would once again be the Red Bull Crandon World Cup winner adding to his already esteemed resume.
Words by Championship Off-Road
Photos by HighRev Photography
Click here for Crandon race results.
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With the resurgence gaining main stream popularity, Nitrocross and other short course races like Crandon and Glen Helen has made Car builders think of creative ways to make their cars quicker. And weight saving has prevailed as the main advantage in gaining some extra speed.
We caught up with Felix this past week to take a look at his new purpose built Class 11 for Nitrocross and short course racing specifically. “We started racing Nitrocross march of last year. We learned we needed to build a new car (short course specific) to keep running with the big boys. We’ve had success with our older car but the guys with these new era style cars just seem to have the advantage. We worked with a shop in Mexico to have this car built. Has been a challenge to get the car where we want it, but we think we’re close.” Felix hit the road to Crandon after meeting with us and plans to use that as a good testing ground for the Nitrocross race in Richmond Virginia September 7-8th.
This Vision Canopy Class 11 came out very clean, and I believe as the new step of the Class 11 evolution, this will be the new standard for short course style racing.
In keeping with the lightweight build, the EFF Carbon Fiber panels add to the style, and light weightiness of the car giving it some performance gain as well as looking damn good.
There’s something about the bright blue Sparco cam lock belts that Pop on the Spark QRT seats.
The fuel cell standard has been behind the seats to give the car a good low center of gravity, But this car takes things back to roots of the Volkswagen Beetle by moving the cell back under the hood to add some counter weight and ballast to help turn the car better on the short course circuits. Custom made JAZ fuel cell meets the FIA safety standard for racing and also adds to the style of the car.
Keeping with his previous car, the Bright Orange and Blue wrap by DH Graphics are a trademark of Felix and his race cars to stand out, and it came out looking amazing! Easy to spot on TV lol.
“Our season schedule after Richmond, is Salt Lake City, Utah October 5-6, Phoenix, Arizona November 15-16, Miami, Florida January 11-12 2025 and the season finale Las Vegas, Nevada March 1-2.”
Keep an eye out for the debut of this new Class 11 at Crandon this weekend and keep a lookout for the remaining Nitrocross season as well!
Felix pictured here with his Problem Solver.
“I want to thank the Lord Jesus first and foremost for my salvation and for this amazing life that I get to live. I Want to thank @visioncanopies, @ruggedradios, @bm_transaxles, @ridefoxpv @bajadesigns, @slettenengineering, @eff.chapacarbonfiber, @mobelwagen, @4x4spod, @bubbaspowdercoating, also would like to thank my sensai (Jorge Ventura) @jventura984.”
Follow @fastfelix1 on Instagram.
Specs:
Chassis – built in Mexico
Weight – 1806
Wheelbase – 94.5 (stock)
Engine – 1600cc Sletten Engineering
Cooling – Setrab oil cooler
Exhaust – A-1 class11 exhaust
Plumbing – AN lines
Transmission – BM transmissions
Brakes – stock
Fuel cell – Jazz 8 gallon (sfi rated)
Tires – Yokohama 215/70/15
Wheels – mobelwagen
Body – 1970 vw
Front suspension – stock arms
Rear suspension – stock rear arms reinforced
Shocks – Fox shocks
Suspension tuning – custom tuned by Fox
Steering – stock steering box
Paneling – EFF Carbon Fiber out of Ensenada
Skid plates – custom
Electronics – S pod for switches Race tech digital tach
Lights – Baja Designs squadron sports on bumper, S1 running light, qtr rear light bar
Communications – Rugged Radios 6100 intercom connected to a R1 handheld
Rugged Radios pumper
Seats – Sparco QRT seats
Harnesses – Sparco
Powder coat – Bubbas powder coat
Wrap – DH Graphics
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Story by Mike Ingalsbee
Photos by HighRev Photography
When you think of the most iconic off road races in the world, Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno is on that list. The course snakes its way through some of the most desolate desert in the United States. Tiny towns along the way like Coaldale and Goldfield in Esmeralda County, the least populated county in Nevada, tell us about the history of the area. Those who established the towns in the 1800’s were interested in what they could take out of the ground.
Today, Vegas to Reno competitors are interested in how much power they can put down to the ground. The 555 mile long course is a mix of fast graded roads, tight, technical mountain trails and sandy, dry washes. The Earth here is in a constant battle with the forces of nature; wind, rain and sun. They are the same forces that impact the racers. Temperatures can swing dramatically from the depths of the valleys to the tops of the high mountains. Rain, or the lack of it, can have a big impact on the race. It can be a wet, muddy mess, a silty, dusty debacle or some of both. It’s hit or miss on the conditions and that’s what makes it so challenging. That and the countless other variables like the rocks, silt beds, washouts and trees that reach out and try to grab you.
Every racer’s constant foe is the level of competition that drives some to go beyond the edge. It’s significant to earn a win here, but it’s something else entirely to dominate. Domination has only been earned by some of the very best like Johnny Campbell, Jason Voss and now Ryan Arciero. Arciero has captured another victory at Vegas to Reno. He tied the record of consecutive wins last year with three and now stands above all others with his fourth straight.
When I asked Ryan if he was already thinking about next year, he laughed out loud and admitted he was, but it’s the same whether it’s your first win or the fourth in a row. “You always put pressure on yourself as a driver,” said Ryan. “You can’t make a mistake in this race. You have to make a perfect run. You have to take care of the equipment. The truck has a personality too. You have to talk to her; tell her when she’s doing a good job. The team did such an amazing job like always. A lot depends on how the truck leaves the shop. They practice pit stops and are doing tires and 100 gallons of fuel in 30 to 45 seconds. Nine hours of high speeds on these roads is taxing on a vehicle. Our top speed was 151 miles per hour. We beat the crap out of it for 550 miles. We just delivered our 34th truck at One Nine Industries. It went to Ryan Hancock who finished fourth in 6100. Jason Coleman in another One Nine truck took the win in the 6100 class; his third in a row.”
How did the race play out I asked? “Nic Whetstone did an amazing job,” Ryan continued. “We closed in on him at race mile 5 and put the pressure on him. We were going to sit there and try to make him crack. We went back and forth with him as we both had flat tires. We kept closing the gap and held it between 15 to 50 seconds. When he got a slow leak and had to stop at the Rawhide pit we took the physical lead. Once we got past him, he would have to pass us to win. There was nobody else behind so we just had to maintain a good gap. As racers we have a sickness. There is nothing better than winning four times in a row, but now we have to do it again next year!”
Arciero battled with Nic Whetstone, who out qualified him for the pole. Eating Whetstone’s dust for most of the race, Arciero had an easy pass when Nic pulled into the pits in Rawhide. Instead of chasing, Arciero was able to run his own pace the rest of the way. Not only would Whetstone have to catch him, but also put a minute of time on him to win. Now Arciero and his co-driver Travis Moores would only have to concentrate on every little noise, vibration and obstacle in their way. The Rubik Racing team of Nic Whetstone and co-driver Conor Jackson ran a near perfect race themselves to finish second overall. Third place in Trick Truck and fifth, 4 wheeled vehicle overall was 16 year old Max Gordon who had his Father Robby doing the navigating. An impressive podium finish for Max who is getting wins and podiums under his belt and has a promising career ahead of him.
The 6100 class race was filled with strategy. Getting to the finish line first on the road is the priority, but with a large field of competitive racers, anyone could come from a rear starting position and win on corrected time. Jason Coleman, who was working on his own streak of consecutive wins, got past Conner McMullen and Jack Olliges to be first on the road. As long as he stayed ahead of these two, he was in a position to win, but he had to keep his eye on Brent Fox who was charging from the fourth starting position. Coleman and co-driver Brady Melin took a third straight win. Jack Olliges stayed on the gas to finish second and Brent Fox was third.
In the mix with the fastest trucks out front were the Ultra4 cars that had Vegas to Reno on their schedule this year. These are the four wheel drive vehicles that compete at King of the Hammers. They can fly through the desert and also navigate huge boulders and seemingly impossible obstacles. In a surprise to no one, the Gomez Brothers were battling each other for the 4400 class win. You will not find a racing family who is tighter, but still more competitive against each other. They want to beat each other more than anything. This time it was JP over Raul.Raul was going for his own three-peat at King of the Hammers this year when JP came all the way from the 99th starting position to win. This makes two wins for JP this year. He finished seventh place overall. Raul finished second place in 4400 and Brett Harrell was third.
The Ultra4 series had two other classes running at Vegas to Reno 4600 and 4800. Bailey Cole took the 4600 win in his Ford Bronco over John Williams in second and Alex Fleming in third. In the 4800 class, Jeremy Jones beat Johnny Valadez and Eric Wikle in that order. Despite the capabilities of the Ultra4 vehicles, Vegas to Reno took a toll on the 4800 class. They had six DNF’s; (did not finish).
The UTV classes remain as some of the most competitive today. Vegas to Reno brought out all the best who were anxious to put the spotlight on their brand with an impressive showing. In order to allow them to race at their full potential, Best in the Desert gives a one hour starting gap between the unlimited trucks and buggies and the UTV’s. The depth of talent in the UTV open and UTV Turbo Pro classes is unbelievable. We can’t list all the drivers here because it’s 41 names deep. The top ten qualifiers were a nearly even mix of 4 Open class cars and 5 Turbos. The top ten included Cody Bradbury on the pole. Next it was Brock Heger, Dustin Jones, Phil Blurton, Hunter Miller, Brother Cody Miller, Joe Terrana, Mitch Guthrie Jr, Brayden Baker and Vito Ranuio. The list of heavy hitters just goes on from there.
It was obvious that this was going to be a flat out sprint to the finish. The only strategy applied was to not lift. It was not unusual when Dustin Jones pulled out a gap on the field, but lady luck was not with him. He suffered a mechanical failure in one of the most remote sections of the course. It would be a long day for him, but not how he would have liked. He would be joined by many other top teams who were forced out. Even wrestling superstar “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who was making his debut at Vegas to Reno in a Kawasaki, was knocked out of the race. Others were slowed from the front of the pack with broken parts or flat tires. It’s always a balance between out-driving the competition and out-lasting the terrain. A class win is all important, but everyone wants the coveted overall win above everything else.
This time it would go to Josh Row with his Open class CanAm. Remember, he qualified in the 16th spot so he had to battle through the pack to win. Second overall and second in the open class was Max Eddy for team Polaris. Joe Terrana was the fastest Turbo car and finished third overall in a CanAm. Filling out the open class podium was Dallas Gonzalez in his Polaris RZR. Dallas is a seasoned competitor, but still only 18 years old. Second place in the turbo class and sixth overall was Cody Miller. His Brother Hunter was one of the many DNF’s. The turbo class had 12 DNF’s and the open class had 13. It was clear everyone was going all out. Dan Fisher certainly was. He put his Lonestar Racing CanAm on the turbo class podium with a third place finish and tenth place overall.
While some are basking in the glow of a win or strong finish some like Ryan Arciero are already looking ahead. Can he get his fifth win in a row? Will Jason Coleman tie his current record with a fourth straight win? One thing is for certain, the course will be just as tough if not tougher and many racers’ dreams will be crushed along the way.The nature of the challenge is what makes the victory even greater.
Click here for 2024 BITD Vegas to Reno race results.
Race-dezert’s Vegas to Reno Time Trials and race coverage is brought to you buy the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. This years Induction Ceremony and Awards Gala will be held November 3rd at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. Click here to get your tickets and hotel room.
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The 2024 Best in the Desert Casey Folks Vegas to Reno kicked off yesterday with Time Trials in the Nevada desert south of Las Vegas near Jean, NV. Three groups with nine different classes qualified throughout the day to set their starting positions for the 550 mile race that will start Friday morning. The largest classes to qualify were UTV Open with 28 racers and 18 in the 6100 Spec truck class.
Photos by HighRev Photography
Click here for the live video, tracking and updates thread in the forum during the race Friday.
Nic Whetstone in the Rubik Racing Geiser Trick Truck came in with the fastest overall time of the day at 4:59.430 beating 3 time Vegas to Reno champ Ryan Arciero by 5 seconds. Will we see Arciero become a 4 time winner this Friday or can Nic take advantage of the clean air for the entire 550 miles to Reno and take the win?
Eighteen 6100 Spec trucks qualified with Conner McMullen taking the pole with a time of 5:25.510. Jack Olliges was only 1 second back followed by Jason Coleman in third driving his 1Nine Industries 6100.
10 MC Open Pro bikes qualified with N3 Bryce Stavron taking the top spot with a time of 5:02.859.
Dustin Jones in the T978 Can-Am beat 12 other UTV Turbo Pro’s with a time of 5:11.576.
The biggest class of the day with 28 entries was the UTV Open class. Cody Bradbury in the H1 Can-Am was first with a time of 5:09.709 followed by Broc Heger and Mitch Guthrie Jr in their Polaris RZR’s.
JP Gomez came in third overall and first in the 4400 class with a time of 5:07.553. JP was only 8 seconds behind the overall winner.
Only three unlimited cars qualified with Sean Gilbert taking the top spot with a time of 5:10.859.
Click here for 2024 BITD Vegas to Reno Time Trials results.
Click here for the tracking and updates thread in the forum during the race Friday.
Race-dezert’s Vegas to Reno Time Trials and race coverage is brought to you buy the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. This years Induction Ceremony and Awards Gala will be held November 3rd at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. Click here to get your tickets and hotel room.
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]]>The three-day weekend at one of the sports’ longest, fastest, and favorite facilities quickly became the most vital event of the season. The fall finale in Crandon on Labor Day weekend will feature one full day of Pro points racing, so success or failure in Bark River will define a driver’s 2024 campaign.
The opening day in Bark River brought cooler, fall-like weather to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The racers were ready for a full-on assault, knowing points were at a premium and time was running out.
Round 10
Pro 4
It’s a huge weekend for Jimmy Henderson’s quest to catch and pass defending Pro 4 champion CJ Greaves in the standings. They entered the day separated by 32 points, but Henderson has momentum on his side after picking up his first win of the season in Dirt City.
They would start side by side on Friday, with only a sprint to the first turn and roughed up track in front of them. Henderson drew first blood, grabbing the hole shot and pulling away to an early lead. But as the race wore on, Greaves continuously closed the gap, looking for an opening. That opening came after the restart when Henderson gave up the inside on one of the 180-degree turns. Greaves would take the lead, but Henderson kept it close through the remainder of the contest, never being more than a second behind the points leader. When the checkered flag came out, Greaves picked up his fifth win of the season and kept the wolves at bay for another day.
“This is the first time (Jimmy and I) have started on the front row together all year,” said Greaves. “I knew this was going to be the race that everyone wanted to see. The first half was just a dogfight. I’d get a little bit, and he’d get away, and then I would get it back.”
Henderson continued to dial in his new truck, and his runner-up finish marked his third straight podium. Johnny Greaves moved into the third and final podium spot just before the mid-race, mandatory caution when Adrian Cenni pulled off the track. The Hall of Fame driver pulled away from a tight pack that was jockeying for the fourth spot.
Pro 2
There are times in Pro 2 when you have to drive around, through, and over something to get to the front of the field. Fiberglass is a significant investment in high horse-powered trucks, usually littered around the tight confines of an off-road short course.
That was not the case for Mickey Thomas on Friday. He set a blistering pace off the start, running in clean air and putting nearly two seconds on the field by the end of the first lap. Even after the restart, Thomas was not to be denied as he led from start to finish, earning his fourth win of the year and overtaking Ryan Beat for the points lead.
“We had kind of a rough Dirt City, and we came out here and tested and figured some stuff out, and it worked today,” said Thomas. “We have a really fast truck, and we just need to keep putting them (wins) together and finish the year strong.”
Beat and third place finishing Kyle Greaves were equally as dialed in, but just off the pace of Thomas. Beat settled into the runner-up spot off the start as he and Greaves battled for early position.
Prolite
Johnny Holtger said his win on Friday was due to luck, but the Pro Lite driver has proven to have the skill and speed to win all season long. In round ten, it all came back together for the young driver.
Carson Parrish took the lead from the start to the mid-race, mandatory caution. But he was constantly pressured by Holtger and points leader Trey Gibbs. Off the restart, Gibbs sat second but put his truck on two wheels and allowed Holtger to sneak underneath and into second. After that, Holtger put the pressure on Parrish and was able to scoot a few turns later.
With the lead, Holtger didn’t miss a beat as he stretched out his lead over the pack, driving to his second win of the season.
The runner-up spot wouldn’t be sorted out until the final turn. Parrish held the spot with Gibbs on his bumper. But Parrish mistimed the final turn, allowing Gibbs to sneak past and into second, leaving Parrish in the final podium spot.
Pro Spec
Dylan Parsons’ Pro Spec race started on two wheels, but it ended on all four and with two feet atop the podium.
Chris Van Den Elzen held the point off the start, but Nick Visser was able to make a drive and got past on the second lap. Visser’s lead would only last two laps before a broken front end forced him off the track, but only after he inadvertently collected Van Den Elzen.
Parsons watched it all unfold and darted into the lead. He never lifted the rest of the way as he held off Van Den Elzen and drove to his third win of the season. Visser’s exit and Parsons’s win also shuffled up the points race, with Parsons overtaking Visser for the top spot.
Rookie Wyatt Miller has easily adjusted from sprint cars to off-road trucks as he drove to his third straight podium finish in three career races.
Pro Buggy
Lorenzo Bonacci started the season on a hot streak, winning rounds two, three, and four in dominant fashion. Bonacci, a rookie in Champ Off-Road, had win number four in his sights, but the current points leader wouldn’t let him run away with it.
With two laps remaining, Jordan Bernloehr turned up the wick on Bonacci, who spun and allowed Bernloehr to sneak around the race leader for the top spot. Bonnaci didn’t let Bernloehr get away, but Bernloehr had found the right lines and enough traction to close out his second straight win, which was third in the past four rounds.
Bonacci would finish the race in second place, followed by Billy Buth in third and Dave Mason, Jr. in fourth.
Pro SXS
Jeb Bootle has been knocking on the door all season long in Pro SxS. On Friday, he kicked it open and set the deadbolt as he locked down his first win of the year.
Bootle withstood challenges from Owen VanEperen and CJ Greaves throughout the contest but never wavered from the top spot, including a mad dash from the pair after the mid-race restart. Bootle drove a fast, smart race that came down to the wire as Greaves was only two car lengths behind at the finish line.
Bootles’ win keeps Greaves within reach of the points. Greaves’ second-place finish puts him 17 points up on rounds five and six winner Andrew Carlson after Carlson pulled off the track while running in third. Bootle is now 53 points back of the top spot. Kainan Baker returned to the podium, finishing third.
Pro Stock SXS
It’s been a second-half surge thanks to a practice in patience for defending Pro Stock SxS champion CJ Greaves.
For the fourth straight race, Greaves bided his time after having to start mid-pack due to the rules of inversion. For the umpteenth time this season, Greaves stayed out of trouble, waited for the mid-race mandatory caution, and then sprinted to the lead pack and into the top spot. His move to the front position for round ten came with five laps to go, when he used the restart to jump from fourth to the lead within a lap and a half.
Collin Truett led after the restart, but when Jeb Bootle moved to get underneath, Greaves slipped past both of them and into the lead. That was enough for the points leader, who drove to his fourth straight win.
Bootle would hold onto the second spot, while Truett rebounded after dropping from first to fourth to snag the final podium position.
Round 11
Saturday was another action-packed day of off-road, short-course racing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Bark River International Off-Road Raceway is playing host to an unprecedented triple-header of racing after adding an extra day to make up for a lost round of AMSOIL Championship Off-Road this past June.
Friday featured a high-speed track and jockeying for position on the track and points off it. Coming into Saturday, only three rounds of pro racing (four for Sportsman) are left on the 2024 schedule, so the two days of racing over the weekend will be monumental in the championship chase.
Big wins, shuffled-up points, and a full house in Michigan’s off-road home were on tap for round 11, with fans finding a bit of the familiar and a lot of the unexpected.
Pro 4
Johnny Holtger and Kainan Baker had the first cracks at bringing home Saturday’s Pro 4 win, but the young guns both found themselves pulling off the track early on.
While Holtger’s happened on the second lap, Baker’s lead would last seven trips around the big Bark River circuit. That’s when Jimmy Henderson muscled his way past after Baker opened up the door. Henderson was looking for clean air all year, and he found it after getting into the top spot. He was dialed in and pushed his lead to nearly six seconds over points leader CJ Greaves. It was the type of race Henderson has been looking for all season long.
“The set-up was great,” said Henderson. “We made some decisions last night that really paid off today. It was wild, as it was five car lengths and then 20 car lengths. But we were patient at getting around Kainan, and then we brought it home.”
Greaves continues to hold the top spot in points, and the defending champ’s runner-up finish on Saturday kept the gap to Henderson at 30, with only two rounds remaining in 2024.
Andrew Carlson stayed clear of the action in front of him, which allowed him to navigate his way into the third and final podium spot.
Pro 2
It’s never an easy drive in a Pro 2 off-road truck, but Mickey Thomas made his Friday win look easy. He had to work much harder to stand atop the podium on Saturday.
Round eight winner Ricky Gutierrez was motoring in round 11, as he got the early lead over Thomas and Kyle Greaves. The gap between Gutierrez and Thomas was less than a second for the entire first half, but Thomas flipped a switch after the restart as he bolted into the top spot and started gaining multiple seconds on the field, driving to his fifth win of the year.
“Bark River gave us a great track to race on today, and that allows us to have close battles like that,” said Thomas. “Ricky had a great pace there in the first half, but he made a mistake there, and I was able to get around him. The truck is on rails this weekend.”
Gutierrez had the speed to track down Thomas, but he also had to keep Greaves from gaining the runner-up spot. Greaves couldn’t mount a final charge on Gutierrez, who would cross the finish line in second, just a few truck lengths ahead of Greaves in third.
Ryan Beat would finish fourth to keep the gap to points leader Thomas at 14 points with two rounds left on the schedule.
Prolite
With only two rounds now remaining on the Pro Lite schedule, it could be a celebratory Sunday for current points leader Trey Gibbs.
After scratching his way to a runner-up finish on Friday, Gibbs clawed his way back into the winner’s circle on Saturday. While Johnny Holtger gathered up the early lead, Gibbs wasted little time getting into the second slot. By the fifth lap, Gibbs went door-to-door with Holtger and eventually into the lead. Gibbs would check out on the field over the race’s second half, driving to his eighth win and stretching his points margin over Holter to 91 points. With 57 points available each round, Gibbs has a shot to clinch the 2024 title on Sunday.
Holtger followed up his Friday win with another strong effort on Saturday. He crossed the line uncontested in second for his third straight podium. Tyler Remmereid started a distant ninth but made his way into contention over the second half of the race, finishing third.
Pro Spec
Bark River has a way of bringing new faces to the front of the field. That was the case in Pro Spec as Hunter VanZile put himself in contention to win and finalized the deal when the final corners turned a bit chaotic.
VanZile, who had a major crash on Friday, was the early race leader before giving way to Chris Van Den Elzen on the second lap. Van Den Elzen held point for most of the race and was four turns away from grabbing his second win of the season. But he and rookie Wyatt Miller got tied up in one of the final turns and were unable to separate. That allowed VanZile to move from third to the lead and he drove it home for his first career Pro Spec win.
Dylan Parsons would finish second, but not until he had to pull into the hot pit to change a flat tire. Getting back on the lead lap would be close after the tire swap, but a gnarly crash from Nick Visser simultaneously brought out a red flag and a full-field stop. When the trucks refired, Parson joined the race and worked his way into fourth and finally second after Van Den Elzen and Miller entangled.
Ronald Kosziesza steered clear of the chaos before him and picked up his first career podium by finishing third.
Pro Buggy
Six rounds ago, something clicked in Jordan Bernloehr’s favor, and he hasn’t stopped being in control of the Pro Buggy class since.
Dave Mason, Jr., was the early race leader, but he retired early, which put Bernloehr into a lead that he had no intention of giving back. Bernloehr stretched his legs a bit, leaving the pack and driving to a four-plus-second win. It was his fourth straight win and fifth since round six at ERX Motor Park.
Lorenzo Bonacci finished second for the second straight day, and Mark Steinhardt picked up his first podium since round two in Lena with a third-place finish on Saturday.
Pro SXS
The 2024 Pro SXS title is set to come down to the wire, and possibly the final laps in Crandon on Labor Day weekend.
On Saturday, three of the top four drivers, including points leader CJ Greaves and Andrew Carlson, dropped out of the race early.
That is how the class has stacked up this season, with multiple drivers taking extended runs of success throughout the summer. Kainan Baker and Jeb Bootle might be on one of those streaks, as both drivers have put together a successful weekend so far.
Baker was nearly untouchable in round eleven. He had to hold off Carlson for the first half of the race and then some initial pressure from Bootle in the last part of the contest. The 16-year-old didn’t miss a beat and drove to his second win of the season.
Bootle, who won his first Pro SXS race on Friday, finished second. Kyle Chaney kept all four tires spinning and drove to a third-place finish.
Pro Stock SXS
Jeb Bootle has been chasing CJ Greaves around the track all summer, and Greaves has answered with seven wins through the first ten rounds.
Bootle finally got the upper hand, using a second-half surge to take over the lead from Collin Kernz. It wasn’t a runaway win for Bootle, as he and Kernz were locked in an excellent race for the lead over the final six laps.
Kernz has been consistent all season long, and his runner-up finish on Saturday marked his fifth podium in 2024. Jack LeTourneau missed the Dirt City rounds two weeks ago, and the time off helped with recalibration, as LeTourneau finished third on Saturday for his first podium trip of the year.
Bootle’s win allowed him to pick up seven points on Greaves, and the two will enter Sunday separated by 30 points, with Owen VanEperen ten points back of Bootle.
Round 12
It was a mix of gamesmanship and adrenaline, fueled by high-octane dreams of winning races and clinching championships as the twelfth round of the 2024 AMSOIL Championship Off-Road season wrapped up a three-day weekend in Bark River, Mich.
The Bark River International Raceway was primed and perfected for the triple header and withstood 54 races over the past 72 hours. The track withstood the endless pounding of the sports best buggies, side-x-sides, and pro trucks as racers banged doors and throttled down in the definitive, penultimate weekend of Champ Off-Road.
With only one round remaining for the Pro classes in Crandon on Labr Day weekend and two for the sportsman, there was no time like the present to move to the top of the leaderboard.
Pro 4
There is no tiptoeing around the track in a Pro 4. The science and the personas won’t allow it. But there has to be a mentality of treading softly, especially early in the contest when positioning and adrenaline are of peak concern.
Saturday’s winner, Jimmy Henderson, was a perfect mix of patience and power on the opening lap. He let Cole Mamer and Andrew Carlson lean on each other and then found enough of an opening to get through and into the lead. For a driver who is finding confidence in a new truck and trying to chase down points leader and defending champion CJ Greaves, the clean air was important and led to a second straight win and a dig into the points lead.
“It was an awesome race,” said Henderson. “I knew CJ was coming, and I was just running. That last lap, I probably burned the tires off it. But it’s just amazing to come here and have the weekend that we just had. But CJ’s going back to work. The rest of the Pro 4 teams are going back to work. That means we have to go back to work.”
Greaves was extremely patient at the start of the race, and a 30-point lead with only two rounds remaining allowed the defending champ to sit back and wait. But Greaves got on the move and set the fastest lap of the day as he tracked down Henderson. But the goal is the Pro 4 title, and Greaves knew Henderson was quick enough and strong enough to battle for the top spot. Greaves was only a few truck lengths back of Henderson and brought the truck in for his third podium of the weekend.
Johnny Greaves was buried in ninth off the start, and the Hall of Famer kept moving forward, driving to a third-place finish, his second trip to the podium on the weekend.
Greaves will head to Crandon with a 23-point lead over Henderson with only one round (Saturday) dedicated to pro points racing.
Pro 2
Mickey Thomas took off on Sunday, where he left off on Saturday. The Friday and Saturday winner was uncatchable with a lead all weekend long, and starting on the pole on Sunday allowed the points leader the cleanest air of the day.
Thomas lined up next to Ricky Gutierrez and launched off the line once the green flag dropped. Thomas, who led all but five laps over the three days of racing in Michigan, pulled away from the field off the mid-race restart and drove to his sixth win of the season. With Ryan Beat leaving the race early, Thomas will head to Crandon with a 37-point lead.
“What a weekend,” said Thomas. “I’m almost speechless. This place is awesome. We had a flawless weekend; it really couldn’t have gone better. We are feeling pretty good, and Crandon’s another good track for us.”
Gutierrez and Kyle Greaves were dicing for the runner-up position early on, with Greaves wrestling it away after the mandatory caution.
The rookie Greaves put a strong run at Thomas together but also had to keep Keegan Kincaid in his rear-view. The two would cross the line second and third.
Prolite
With each pro race allowing for 57 total points, Trey Gibbs didn’t need to do much to clinch the 2024 Pro Lite championship. He entered the day with a 91-point lead over Johnny Holtger, and taking the green flag would lock it down with only one round left on the schedule.
Gibbs got his start and the championship but contact on the first turn knocked the round 11 winner out of the race.
It might not have mattered, as Carson Parrish was flying on Sunday. The round six winner started on that row and went on a tear. He pulled away from the field and never looked back, picking up his second win of the season and second podium of the weekend.
Carson Brown looked to have locked down the runner-up spot, but Matt Wood was looking for his first podium of the season. Wood moved into third on lap four and then caught and powered past Brown for the runner-up spot with three laps left in the race. It was Woods’ first trip to the podium, and Brown’s third-place finish marked his first time on the box since round two.
Pro Spec
Nick Visser returned to action one day after a major crash knocked him out of the Pro Spec race. But Dylan Parsons was the story early and often on Sunday.
Visser got the hole shot, and Parsons followed him around the long Bark River track. Just as they passed the start line again, Parsons got underneath Visser and into a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. The points leader drove through clean air for his second win of the weekend while the trucks were busy swapping positions behind him.
Wyatt Miller was the beneficiary of patience as the rookie waited for the trucks in front of him to make a mistake. First, Visser had to pull off the track with a flat tire, and then Miller made a pass stick with two laps remaining to jump into the runner-up spot and secure his fourth podium in his fifth career race. Van Den Elzen regrouped after going wide and earned his third podium of the weekend in third.
Pro Buggy
What a weekend for Pro Buggy points leader Jordan Bernloehr.
The red-hot Bernloehr came into the weekend with a sweep at Dirt City in his corner. He was even more impressive in Bark River, winning all three rounds to sweep his second straight weekend of racing. Bernloehr got the lead off the start and was untouchable, driving to a nearly four-second win over Ryan Schwalbe and a tight pack of contenders.
Schwalbe put together his best day of racing this season. He got around Chaden Minder on lap six and then held off immense pressure from Billy Buth, Minder, and Lorenzo Bonacci over the final six laps. It was Schwalbe’s first podium of the season. Buth kept things close behind the runner-up, edging out Minder at the line for the final podium spot.
Pro SXS
Jeb Bootle isn’t about to let CJ Greaves walk away with a Pro SXS championship. He also didn’t let the points leader get around him on the last lap as Bootle notched win number two of the weekend in Bark River.
Bootle was on a rail early in Sunday’s contest. He started on the front row and was a missile moving to the front of the field. Bootle, who picked up his first career Pro SXS win on Friday, was the driver to beat on Sunday. First, he held off the charge from Andrew Carlson and then a late surge from Greaves, who closed the gap to 6/10ths of a second at the finish line.
Greaves’s runner-up spot meant he dropped three points to Bootle in the points race, but he will head into the final round in Crandon with a 25-point lead.
Owen VanEperen didn’t win the race on Sunday, but he beat a lot of cars to the finish. VanEperen started dead last and worked his way into contention, taking over the third spot with a lap-and-a-half remaining.
Pro Stock SXS
CJ Greave’s five-race win streak was snapped on Saturday when Jeb Bootle took home the Pro Stock SXS win. But Greaves went to work and reestablished himself atop the Pro Stock pecking order.
Greaves has been starting most of his races in the middle of the pack this season and has been winning many races by calculating the mid-race, mandatory caution restart. That wasn’t a factor on Sunday as Greaves started on the pole, launched into the lead, and drove to his eighth win of the year.
Greaves also extended his points lead to 38 after Bootle finished third. He trailed runner-up Owen VanEperen across the finish line for his third podium of the season.
Owen VanEperen didn’t win the race on Sunday, but he beat a lot of cars to the finish. VanEperen started dead last and worked his way into contention, taking over the third spot with a lap-and-a-half remaining.
Words by Championship Off-Road
Photos by HighRev Photography
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]]>The post 2024 CODE Grupo TERSA Jacume Grand Prix Photos appeared first on race-deZert.com.
]]>The CODE Grupo TERSA Jacume Grand Prix took place August 2nd-3rd 2024 in Tecate, Baja California. The event kicked off Friday night with contingency. And the racers competed on Saturday running two heats with three laps per heat on the 21 mile race course.
Click here for race results from the 2024 CODE Jacume Grand Prix.
Juan Carlos Lopez in the #226 truck took the overall win with a combined time of 2:57:15.
The largest field of the race was the class 29 UTV Turbo with 17 entries. #2904 Rocky Garcia took the win with a time of 3:19:35.
1105 Antonio Espinosa beat 10 other class 11 racers with a time of 4:10:44.
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]]>Check out full results from the race in the Race-dezert Race Results and maps archive.
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]]>Round 3 of the MORE Racing Championship Series, Glen Helen. A fan favorite with 3 days of racing both day and night. The Mid July weather came out to enjoy the racing as well! Multiple 100-degree weather days can wear anybody out. So who will keep it cool and come out on top come Sunday afternoon?
925 Thomas Burns Qualified first and never looked back! An unfortunate rollover on Saturday didn’t stop him from battling back and securing the win both days!
Ken Flippin in car 555 took the weekend win for class 5/1600 with a time of 1:37:14.
The usual suspects at the top of the Class 11 field. Wilkey and Rodriguez battled both days for the Class 11 lead, but it was Blake that took the weekend win, beating out 30 other cars in class!
Kelton Glaszczak took his Honda 1925 to the top of the box on the weekend with a time of 1:20:21.
But it was Mikey Kelly that took the overall UTV win in his Polaris with a time of 1:06:53.
Out of 15 other 1400 Trucks, it was Corey Pratt that took the class win with a time of 1:25:34
Bailey Hanna in his HRD Nissan took the win in Class 2000 with 14 in class and beat most of the 1400 trucks with a time of 1:27:34.
One of the most competitive classes every year is 1600. The usuals at the top of the list, but it was Justin Cockrell in car 1623 that took the weekend victory with a time of 1:28:59.
Abraham Gutierrez was on Fire! Took Fastest Qualifier, Won Saturday and Sunday with a clean Sweep and was the Overall Fastest class 10 Vehicle this weekend! His elapsed time was 1:23:52.
Dale Ebberts, racing in class 12 with his 1600 car, took the class win with an overall time of 1:33:16. After his sin Ezra took 2nd in class 1600.
The number 99 truck of George Maciel took the Unlimited Truck win in his newly acquired Truck. Just finishing the truck the week of the race with minimal test miles, he went out and laid down consistent Laps that secured him the Weekend Victory!
You may think it was rigged, but Kyle Murray was just that fast! The American Rentals Sponsored 6100 took the weekend win, but not without pressure from Isenhauer and Deakins. Winning the American Rentals Glen Helen Freedom Cup with Style!
MORE Offroad Racing returns September 21st in Lucerne Valley for the GG Light Wars. The first Night Race MORE has hosted since 2019. Can’t wait to hit the lakebed!
Click here for the MORE American Rentals Freedom Cup race results.
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]]>Photos by HighRev Photography
Elk River, Minn. ~ Under the scorching sun in Elk River, MN, the sixth round of the heart-pounding AMSOIL Championship Off-Road series unfolded at ERX Motor Park.
The track was a battleground of challenges and exhilarating racing action, with drivers engaging in intense, door-to-door battles.
The competition has reached a fever pitch as the season reaches its midpoint. Several classes, including Pro 2 and Pro 4, have leaders within just 10 points of each other.
Friday at ERX Motor Park was a day to be remembered in the annals of off-road racing history. Every class brought fans to the edge of their seats, and it was all topped off with a pair of wild wins in the top Pro contests.
ROUND 6
No Wildness Needed in Cenni’s Pro 4 Victory
Friday’s Pro 4 race might have looked like a game of Hot Potato, but it was a potato that everyone wanted to hold onto as long as possible.
RJ Anderson made his season debut in Crandon, and his driving style is a great fit for ERX. He showcased his speed and ability for the race’s first half, driving through clean air and holding off a determined Jimmy Henderson for the first seven laps.
But something gave way for Anderson, and Henderson looked unstoppable as he started to stretch out his lead. However, one lap after the restart, Henderson tilted to two wheels and was pulled off the track.
Cenni, who worked his way from fourth to second off the restart, jumped straight through the opening created by Henderson. Cenni, who didn’t force the action earlier in the race, continued to push through the deteriorating track, ran smooth lines, and held off Kainan Baker for his second win of the season.
“It was a very rough racetrack, and you had to get back to consistency once everything settled down because everybody’s going for broke,” said Cenni. “With this track, it just doesn’t play. You basically have to be there at the end.”
Baker ran an equally clean run and kept finding opportunities to catch Cenni, finishing a close second for his best finish this season. Points leader CJ Greaves pushed his podium streak to four as he moved up and down the leaderboard on Friday before finishing third.
Greaves Gets Career First in Pro 2
Much like the Pro 4 race that would follow, the Pro 2 contest was best described as a continuous deck of cards shuffle.
The starting laps were a chaotic symphony, with trucks roaring in different directions and Ryan Beat holding the right cards. But a flat tire gave a hard-charging Mickey Thomas the lead, forcing Beat to make a pit stop for new rubber.
But Thomas’ reign would last six laps when he was forced to pull off the track. Kyle Greaves had worked into the runner-up spot and pounced to the front of the field in Thomas’ absence. The rookie Greaves began to pull away from an ever-changing pack and drove to his first Pro 2 victory on a track that has played a significant role during his career.
“This is the track that I got my first win in the side by side, and then we came out in the Pro Lite and got our first win here, and now we basically got our first Pro 2 class win here. So, ERX, I absolutely love this place, and I think it loves me,” said Greaves.
There were many positional changes behind the race winner, and much of it didn’t get settled until the final lap. Keegan Kincaid, who was buried as far back as tenth, slipped past Johnny Holtger on the final lap for second. With Holtger slowing, Beat continued his charge from the back of the line and into third, picking up his fifth straight podium and swapping a nine-point deficit to Thomas for a two-point advantage.
Parrish Prevails In Pro Lite
Five drivers held the lead in Friday’s Pro Lite showdown, and several more knocked on the door.
Michael Funk was the first in line before Carson Parrish slipped by on the second lap. Parrish, fresh off his best finish of the year in Crandon (second), was in control as chaos started falling behind him. But Parrish would relinquish the lead on lap eight when round one winner Johnny Holtger moved into a brief lead.
Matt Wood then took control when Holtger slowed and was able to keep Parrish in the runner-up spot. But Wood had to pit, which put Parrish back into a lead he didn’t relinquish, driving to his first win of the season.
Gibbs, who came into ERX on a four-race heater, had to fight through the field twice on Friday. He started outside the top group but then had to pit after officials deemed he had applied heavy contact. But Gibbs stormed back, driving from eighth to second, picking up his sixth podium. Travis Milhausen also worked his way through the field, driving to a third-place finish in his best race of the year.
Van Den Elzen Wins Wild Pro Spec Showdown
Dylan Parsons was locked in early on Friday and was on pace for his second Pro Spec win of the season. Chris Van Den Elzen was equally focused and got the advantage for his first win in 2024.
Parson and Van Den Elzen set a fast pace throughout the contest’s first half, pushing away from the crowd in a tight battle. But Van Den Elzen got the advantage after the restart when Parsons dropped to fourth. From there, Van Den Elzen drove away from the field to win number one.
Nick Visser also moved up a spot after the restart, jumping from third to his final finishing position of second. Parsons got back on the throttle and into third two laps after the restart.
Mason wins as Bernloehr Closes Pro Buggy Points Gap
After three straight wins and four podiums, Lorenzo Bonacci had a firm grip on the Pro Buggy points. But the ERX track can change things up in a hurry, as Bonacci’s 25-point lead is now down to one.
Dave Mason, Jr. ended Bonacci’s three-race win streak in Crandon and started his own winning streak by taking a wire-to-wire win at ERX. Mason jumped out to the early lead and was challenged late by Jordan Bernloehr, who kept getting close to Mason’s rear bumper over the second half of the contest.
Bernloehr couldn’t find the opening he needed, but he did pick up second-place points to close the gap to Bonacci. Chad Minder ran second before Bernloehr snuck past just before the mid-race caution, and then he held off Billy Buth for his second straight podium.
Carlson Excites Hometown Crowd With Pro SXS Win
Andrew Carlson is in the mix of every Pro SXS race this season. When the white flag comes out for the final lap, one of two or three drivers fighting for the win has been Carlson, and the points leader proved his frontrunning status again on Friday.
Carlson, who hails from ERX’s hometown of Elk River, was powerful on Friday. He pulled out of turns faster than a majority of the field, and as the laps ticked away, only CJ Greaves was keeping pace.
The final few laps saw Greaves pull alongside Carlson on several occasions, but Carlson never lifted away from the momentum and kept the charges at bay. He would win his third race in the past four rounds and extend his points to 48.
At one point, Greaves had spun while trying to get to the front and dropped to ninth. But he quickly slipped through the field to challenge for the win and earned his third podium of the season, finishing a close second to Carlson. Kainan Baker finished third.
Greaves Bests Bootle on Last Lap for Pro Stock SxS Win
After a disappointing opening round in May, CJ Greaves is determined to claw his way back into the Pro Stock SxS points race.
On Friday, Greaves had to fight through traffic after getting buried in what seemed a distant sixth. But Greaves was patient throughout and pushed hard at the most opportune times late to earn his third win in the past four races.
Greaves used a pair of clean, physical moves over the final three laps to get past Collin Truett for second and then race leader Jeb Bootle on the last lap for the top spot. Bootle and Greaves would drag race through the final four turns, with Greaves holding on for a narrow victory.
Bootle, the round two winner, earned his fifth straight podium finish, and Truett had his most successful day of racing this season, finishing third.
ROUND 7
Saturday’s racing action at ERX was temporarily put on hold due to rain, adding an unexpected twist to Round 7 of the AMSOIL Championship Off-Road series. When the clouds eventually cleared, the atmosphere became charged with excitement as the afternoon sun brought intense racing to the track.
The Pro 4 and Pro 2 races saw intense competition, creating a chaotic, fast-paced spectacle with debris scattered across the track like a fiberglass freeway.
Amidst all the intense action and raw emotions, it was a day of old-school competition that will be etched into our memories while offering a thrilling glimpse of what the second half of the season has in store.
Greaves Outlasts the Field in Unpredictable Pro 4 Tilt
It has been years since off-road enthusiasts saw a weekend of Pro 4 racing as hectic, entertaining, and nail-biting as what was delivered at ERX Motor Park the past two days.
After a wild, chaotic showcase on Friday, Saturday turned up the wick with a mix of survival, go-for-broke driving, and fender-bashing excitement that saw an eight-time champ break out late and two of the top-five finish without tires.
For the second straight day, RJ Anderson led a stacked Pro 4 field from the start to mandator, mid-race caution. Up to that point, it looked like a two-man race with Jimmy Henderson would dominate the headlines. But in a repeat of Friday’s storyline, there was a pile-up on the tight 180-degree turn after the restart, and that’s when the chaos known as Pro 4 began.
Henderson got a nose on the back of Anderson’s truck, which then spun out and collected several trucks, including CJ Greaves and Andrew Carlson, for the second race in a row. Henderson would take over the lead, followed by Johnny Holtger and Paul Wolff. A low tire, topped off by a black flag for the incident off the restart, would put Henderson in the hot pit and Holtger in the lead. That lead only lasted a lap as Holtger caught a rut, and Wolff slid into the top spot.
Wolff, who entered the day without even a podium in the class, would have to deal with the defending champ Greaves as both he and Carlson had clawed back into contention. Carlson and Wolff would get temporarily tangled coming through the sand section, and that vaulted Greaves into the top spot with four laps to go.
With fiberglass flapping over his rear tire, Greaves was driving the cleanest truck on the track but also had air in all four tires and clean air out front. He would stay atop the leaderboard, driving to his fourth win of the season.
“It came down to never giving up,” said Greaves. “There I was again, day two, parked in the 180 the lap after the caution. Andrew and I were the last two sitting there, and we took off. I was looking around. I didn’t even know who was leading this thing or who was even left, and then I saw Wolf out there and then nobody. We had a shot, and Andrew and I caught him at the same time. It was just gloves off all day.
With three laps to go, air began leaking out of Carlson’s right rear tire. It would eventually let go with two laps left, but Carlson was able to drive in on its rim, securing his first Pro 4 podium since round one.
Wolff straightened his lines out after the contact with Carlson and nearly caught the runner-up on the final lap. He fell short but secured his first career Pro 4 podium in third. Holtger got back on track and finished fourth, while Johnny Greaves was the last truck on the lead lap, crossing the line in fifth despite missing a right front tire.
Beat Guts Out Painful Pro 2 Win
One week ago, there was serious doubt that Ryan Beat was even making the trip to Minnesota, let alone strapping into his Pro 2 and heading home with a pair of podiums. Last weekend, Beat crashed while riding his dirt bike. He suffered broken bones in his shoulder, back and pelvis.
Most racers would call that chip in and stay bed-ridden, but the points leader buckled down and, through gritted teeth, took home a flawless win on Saturday.
Beat started on the front row and wasted no time getting ahead of the field. Without having to bang doors for position, he drove with a clear vision, leading from start to finish for his third win of the season.
“This is the gnarliest one of my career, for sure,” said Beat. “Seven days ago, I broke my collarbone, my tailbone, and my pelvis. I just told myself I’m going to be dumb enough to get hurt during race season, and I need to be tough enough to race hurt. I just had to click off clean laps and only push when I absolutely had to.”
Beat had to push more than he let on because Cory Winner and Mickey Thomas were battling for the runner-up spot behind him. Winner maneuvered into the second spot on lap three, but Thomas applied constant pressure throughout the 17-lap feature. When the proverbial dust settled, the defending class champion, Winner, had control of second place, with Thomas rounding out the podium in third. Thomas and Beat will head to Lena, separated by only nine points.
Gibbs Back on Top of Pro Lite
Friday’s Pro Lite race was bumpy for points leader Trey Gibbs. While Gibbs did finish second, he spent the majority of it dealing with thick traffic, contact, and even an unwanted pit stop.
Gibbs didn’t mess around with any of that on Saturday as he put a stranglehold on the top spot two laps into the contest and ran one of the cleanest races of the day. It marked Gibb’s class-leading fifth win of the season and extended his points lead to 49 over Johnny Holtger.
It wasn’t as calm for Travis Milhausen, Jr.’s second-place effort on Saturday. Milhausen moved into the runner-up spot with four laps to go but then started dealing with a tire over the final two laps that gave way after the final finish-line jump. Milhausen made his season debut in Crandon and picked up a pair of podiums at ERX.
Friday Pro Lite winner Carson Parrish earned his third straight podium by finishing third.
Parrish Earns Third Win in Pro Spec
In the Pro Spec class race on Saturday, Christopher Parrish made a pass on Friday’s winner, Chris Van Den Elzen, and points leader, Nick Visser, on lap three when the two got tangled and spun in front of him. Parrish quickly took the lead and drove to his third win in the last four races.
Dylan Parsons, the round six winner, moved up from fourth to second due to the incident and then held off Van Den Elzen over the final laps to finish second. Van Den Elzen finished third, just 3/10ths of a second behind Parsons, earning his sixth podium.
Bernloehr Goes Wire to Wire in Pro Buggy
On a track that proved to possess multiple lead changes over the weekend, Cole Bernloehr was the rare exception, leading from start to finish for his first win of the season.
Dave Mason Jr. was equally solid in his role on Saturday. The round five winner started second and finished there for his third straight podium finish.
Billy Buth came off the start in fifth but slotted into third on lap two and kept pace with Mason before finishing third.
Carlson Excites Hometown Crowd With Pro SXS Win
Friday’s Pro SxS showdown featured a tightly contested contest between race-winner Andrew Carlson and runner-up CJ Greaves. At the finish line, the two were separated by just two-tenths.
Saturday’s tilt brought the same two to the front of the pack. Still, Carlson ran a nearly flawless race, going wire-to-wire for his fourth race in the past five rounds and sweeping the weekend on his hometown track.
Greaves, meanwhile, had a lockdown on the runner-up spot throughout and finished second for his fourth podium finish this year. Jeb Bootle bounced back after a tough outing in round six to finish third.
Greaves Sweeps Pro Stock SxS
CJ Greaves used the mid-race restarts to his advantage all weekend, including Saturday’s Pro Stock SxS race.
Jake Kosmecki led early before giving way to Owen VanEperen. Greaves was able to move past Kosmecki for the runner-up spot just before the mandatory caution. Off the restart, Greaves timed it perfectly and vaulted into the lead with VanEperen in tow.
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