Adversities thrown at Armin Schwarz and All German Motorsports at the Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Laughlin/Nevada (USA), 17 January 2012. The season-opening round of the 2012 US SCORE Championship did not run to plan for Armin Schwarz and All German Motorsports. At the two races of the Laughlin Desert Challenge, they aimed to earn as many points as possible with their brand new AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck to set themselves up for the rest of the season. But things turned out differently. In the first race on Saturday, Schwarz had to throw in the towel. In Sunday’s second race, teammate Martin Christensen faced several difficulties, but managed to bring the Trophy Truck home in tenth place.

“We actually experienced the same difficult start in Laughlin as we’ve had every year. We’ve never had much luck here,” explains Schwarz. “We’ve never achieved a good result to start the season, but then we’ve gone strong for the rest of the year with good results. So obviously that’s what I’m hoping for now.”

The difficulties already began in the days leading up to the race when Schwarz and AGM went testing in Mexico. The team made great progress in the set-up of the Trophy Truck, but an oil leak caused the vehicle to catch fire. “Luckily we were able to limit the damage and not lose the entire vehicle in flames,” said Schwarz. AGM worked day and night to repair the Trophy Truck in time for the race weekend and lost crucial time in preparing specifically for the Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Moreover, during the tests it became apparent that the springs were still too short. Partner Eibach is now working on supplying longer springs – but in the limited time to the race this was not possible. “The shorter springs have the effect of kicking the back of the car up strongly and this is a major disadvantage on the bumpy track around Laughlin. But that was just a minor aspect, because our goal was actually to finish the race,” explains Schwarz.

But this was not to be for the team in the first race on Saturday. After just two miles the halfshaft – the shaft that goes from the rear differential to the wheel – broke. “Then we only had one-wheel drive, so you may as well park the car on the side of the road. Otherwise you have many small components flying around that would pulverise everything else,” describes Schwarz. The damages were fixed in time for Sunday’s race. AGM team boss Christensen piloted the Trophy Truck for the second event. For an as yet unknown reason, he lost second gear but managed to fight his way through to finish tenth.

“Through this defect we’ve learned a number of things when working with our brand new car. For instance, about the life expectancy of individual components like the halfshaft,” says Schwarz positively. “The whole week was anything but good, other than our very promising test results. But we can utilise the negative feedback to prepare for the next race, the Baja 250. Like last year there, we’ll try to bring home another good result.”

The Baja 250 runs from 9 to 11 March in the Mexican city of San Felipe. The squad now conducts a detailed analysis of individual components with partner Fortin. In addition, the crew will be looking at why the second gear didn’t work on Sunday. Based on the test results, Eibach are developing springs of the needed length. Just before the Baja 250 heads off, AGM will again go testing in San Felipe.

Armin Schwarz and All German Motorsports take off into their
first SCORE season with the Trophy Truck: Season-opening
at the Laughlin Desert Challenge in Nevada
Laughlin/Nevada (USA), 8 January 2012. The new year has only just begun, and already things get serious for Armin Schwarz and the All German Motorsports squad. The Laughlin Desert Challenge (13 to 15 January 2012) in the Nevada desert kicks off the 2012 US Score Championship. It marks the first season where Schwarz and his teammates compete with the brand new AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck. Last November, All German Motorsports put the 725 hp desert monster through its paces at the Baja 1000. Now, the preparations are done – it’s time to go for victory and the title.

“We will be going for the championship title, but our main focus is on the Baja 1000 this year. Our objective of this season is to win there,” says Schwarz. The legendary Baja 1000 is run for the 45th time in November, an anniversary that will be hugely celebrated. Four races in total make up the SCORE season: the Laughlin Desert Challenge, the San Felipe 250 (9 to 11 March), the Baja 500 (1 to 3 June) and the Baja 1000 (14 to 17 November).

The season-opener promises to be a true test of grit. At the Laughlin Desert Challenge, ten laps are turned on a sandy seven mile circuit. “Because all classes drive in this sandpit, the circuit becomes extremely rough. Towards the end you get these massive bumps that are so deep your car virtually disappears into them. On top of that there are differences in altitude of up to 250 metres. That’s often underestimated and it’s why the retirement rate is so high,” explains Schwarz.

To prepare for this, Schwarz and the AGM crew are testing with the Trophy Truck in Mexico prior to the race weekend. These tests include working on the suspension set-up. The Baja 1000 in November showed that the more lightweight AGM Truck performed better than its heavier opponents on the twisty passages but not on the long straights.

One of the special characteristics of the Laughlin Desert Challenge it that there is the usual draw for starting positions, but this only applies for the qualifying. This qualifying determines the start positions for the actual race. Moreover, at the Laughlin, two cars start alongside each other. “So it’s important that you get a good starting place and you get away at the start cleanly. Otherwise you end up driving in the dust of the guy in front and afterwards it looks as if you’ve been playing in the sandpit,” states Schwarz.

The Laughlin Desert Challenge motto: Many enemies, much honour. In addition to the usual championship points, extra so-called start and finish points are awarded. Each participant receives further points for each vehicle in his class that starts, and even more points for the vehicles that reach the finish line. This means, the more competition you have in your class, the more points there are to be earned.

And what is the goal of Schwarz and AGM at the season-opener? “The time for testing is over, now it counts,” says Schwarz. “We don’t necessarily have to win in Laughlin, but we’d like to earn as many points as possible towards the championship.”

One thing is already certain: The AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck has again made headlines in the US scene. The press are champing at the bit to see the car up close – and are even more eager to get a ride in this innovative vehicle. For this reason, in the lead up to the race, the team runs a special day for the media on Thursday (12 January) close to Las Vegas.

AGM/Jimco X6 Trophy Truck #15 (Photo Credit: Art Eugenio)

The All German Motorsports #15 AGM/Jimco X6 Trophy Truck was 19th off the start line with a total of 32 Trophy Trucks in class. Driver Armin Schwarz and Navigator Bryan Lyttle took on the first 401 miles of the race with Driver Martin Christensen and Navigator Tyler Irwin finishing the remaining miles of the course. The race started off a little different this year. A local construction big rig truck jack-knived, rolled and blocked the course about 2 miles in and caused the SCORE officials to stop the Trophy Trucks that had already started and restart the entire class at RM 5.

AGM Pit Stop

The remainder of the race seemed to run smooth with the exception of a few minor issues. Early into the race we lost air from two tires due to our rims being bent. A few hundred miles into the race, we heard noise on and off coming from the gearbox. For safety reasons and because we wanted to finish the race, we decided to change the transmission at RM 570 before the course went up the mountains and over to the Pacific Side. This was the first time our team as a whole had changed the transmission and the pitch black night only added to the excitement. The change put us out of the race for almost three hours but from then on the truck ran like clockwork. The AGM/Jimco X6 Trophy Truck finished 15th in class and 20th overall! We are now taking everything we learned and moving forward in preparation of the 2012 SCORE racing series.

All German Motorsports 2011 SCORE Baja 1000 (Photo Credit: Art Eugenio)

[Show as slideshow]

Question: “Armin, the time has now come for the AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck to be unleashed. How exciting is that?”

Armin Schwarz: “Unbelievably exciting. But I’m even more looking forward to testing the vehicle. The truck runs very quietly, just like the WRC cars I used to drive. We did a great deal of work on the geometry and on the pivot points of all axles. It seems almost like a hybrid between a buggy and trophy truck. It’s very agile and manageable, but still it demonstrates excellent resilience in tough terrain – and that’s exactly what a SCORE Trophy Truck should have.”

Question: “How long did it take from the first drawings to the premiere of the Trophy Truck?”

Armin Schwarz: “Martin and I drew up the first plans back in mid-2009 when we were both feeling frustrated at having to start behind all the SCORE Trophy Trucks. In June 2010 the first drawings were completed. We then developed the first components. But only when we sold our very successful Class One Buggy to Australia after clinching overall victory at the 2010 Baja 250 and a superb racing season could we concentrate totally on our Trophy Truck project. That was in November 2010.”

Question: “When can we see the Trophy Truck in action for the first time?”

Armin Schwarz: “Our first race is in November this year at the Baja 1000. But, we don’t have any race strategy whatsoever. For us it’ll be more a major test outing, perhaps the biggest test that you can possibly put a race car through. Martin, our team and I all think that we can conduct test kilometres in a competition environment. Our partners support us wholeheartedly and they know that we’ll be going for victory in 2012.”

Question: “What will now become of the AGM Buggy with which you were so successful in the US SCORE Championship to now? And how does your crew line-up look for 2012?

Armin Schwarz: “Martin sold the Buggy to a successful racer from the Australian Offroad Championship who is very happy with the car. For 2012 we are obviously planning some important steps in further developing the truck. And we will also work on the reliability because that’s the most crucial factor if you want to win. And we have many other innovative ideas in mind, but we won’t share these ideas for the time being.
Moreover, AGM still has another Class One Buggy with which Armin Kremer was so successful in the last years. I don’t want to say too much about that either – but I will say this: Armin is in the AGM team and he’ll be staying there. We have a great time together and Armin is a fighter. He complements our team very well.”

Question: “What are your goals for the 2012 season?”

Armin Schwarz: “We aim to finish all races and win as many as possible. Martin, the team and I have one very clear goal and that is to win the Baja 1000 – regardless of whether it’s in 2012 or 2013. The main thing is to win this awesome race! In all the years that Sal Fish has run the SCORE Organisation, and all his helpers have found unbelievably beautiful and tough tracks, never before has a non-North American won. Only in 2010 did a Mexican, let’s say an ‘almost’ North American, manage this feat – and that was our friend from the Vildosola team. We want to be the first Europeans to do this and that is our aim.
I want to express my thanks to my friend who has virtually ‘carried’ me after my active WRC time: Wilfried Eibach, whose company celebrated its 60th anniversary a fortnight ago. Dear Wilfried, you really sorted out a wonderful “post-WRC” activity for me. And man, is it fun. There are very few of these types – people like Wilfried Eibach, Sal Fish, Yves Morizot and of course my friend and team mate Martin Christensen. To you all, and my family of course, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support and patience.”

Information on the AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck

All German Motorsports built the Trophy Truck in the USA in close collaboration with Jimco, the most experienced and best chassis manufacturer in the international offroad scene. Jimco is responsible for the chassis and the construction of the vehicle. TriStar Metals, a US subsidiary of AGM partner Stammcut, supplied premium quality material for the new chassis under the BMW X6 silhouette.
The design of the new Trophy Truck was developed in close cooperation with the creative team of Achim Storz. DESIGN STORZ based in Zell am See (Austria) developed the silhouette of the Trophy Truck with the body of the BMW X6 as an inspiration.
Another partner is Meziere Enterprises, a long-standing supporter of AGM that specialises in machined and lathed parts for racing. Team boss Christensen worked with the engineers from Meziere to develop calculations, drawings and CAD data. An incredible amount of machined parts feature on the Trophy Truck, made Meziere from lightweight material like aluminium, magnesium or titanium. All carbon-fibre components on the vehicle, for instance the internal parts that are exposed to strong vibrations, are supplied by partner Lynx Composites.
With the suspension, All German Motorsports places it trust in partners Eibach (springs) and Fox (shocks). Powering the AGM-Jimco X6 Trophy Truck is a 725 hp V8 Denzio BMW engine. The filter system and the air ducting were set-up by K&N in Riverside, California. Partner Remus built an ultra-lightweight exhaust with a multi-flow 4-in-1 exhaust system – giving the unmistakeable sound that fans so love to hear. Liqui Moly is the supplier of all lubricants which have been specifically developed for the hot, sandy and difficult conditions of offroad racing in the desert. Fuel comes from the long-standing partner F&L Fuels that delivers virtually all high-performance petrol to the SCORE Series.
Fortin delivers the gearbox: A four-speed sequential shift automatic gearbox. At the rear axle All German Motorsports works with Drexler Motorsport, experts in the field of differentials. The team selected a differential which gives considerably better vehicle handling on the twisty and rolling tracks than a rigid drive. And the tyres are supplied by the reliable partner, BF Goodrich. AGM now use an Alcon 6-piston brake system.
All German Motorsports get all the safety systems, like the Recaro seats, the Schroth harness system, race wear, helmets and the Stand21 HANS system, as well as all the small parts like switches and so forth, from their partner Off Road Warehouse ORW. The monster features a Powerstride battery system. With the software, the team has launched a development project in conjunction with B&M Tricon. IT solutions were found that are intended to contribute to simplifying and optimising the set-up of the vehicle in the future.

Dear Friends,

I am very happy and proud to present the following press release to you, that we sent out to the international media just a few hours ago. Our AGM-Jimco X6 Trophy Truck is rapidly taking shape, and we are looking at conducting first test runs in August. It’s all very exciting. But read yourself:

For months now the offroad scene has eagerly awaited the premiere of the AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck. Now it’s all go: In late September the new desert monster will be presented in Germany, with which rally ace Armin Schwarz and the All German Motorsports team tackle the US SCORE Championship. Here are the first impressions and technical description of the vehicle for those who simply can’t wait any longer.

Team boss Martin Christensen and his crew are working flat out round the clock on the new vehicle. All German Motorsports assemble the Trophy Truck in the USA in close collaboration with Jimco, the most experienced and best chassis manufacturer in the international offroad scene. Jimco is responsible for the chassis and the construction of the vehicle. TriStar Metals, a US subsidiary of Stammcut, supply premium quality material for the new frame under the X6 silhouette.

A real stunner – we all can’t wait to fire up the V8 for the first time

The design of the new Trophy Truck was developed in close cooperation with the creative team of Achim Storz. DESIGN STORZ based in Zell am See (Austria) developed the silhouette of the Trophy Truck with the body of the BMW X6 as an inspiration. The team found the greatest challenges in realising the idea of this special shape while incorporating the technical features of a Trophy Truck.

Another partner is Meziere Enterprises, a long-standing supporter of AGM that specialises in machined and lathed parts for racing. Team boss Christensen spent many nights with engineers from Meziere, developing calculations, drawings and CAD data. “There is an incredible amount of machined parts on this Trophy Truck. We rely on the lightweight construction – whether it’s aluminium, magnesium or titanium – that Meziere has made for us,” says Armin Schwarz. All carbon-fibre components on the vehicle, for instance the internal parts that are exposed to strong vibrations, are supplied by partner Lynx Composites.

With the suspension, All German Motorsports places it trust in partners Eibach and Fox. They equip the Trophy Truck not only with springs and shock absorbers, but also contribute to the planning. In conjunction with Eibach and Fox, team boss Christensen calculated what the suspension must withstand and provide taking the weight of the vehicle into consideration.

The cockpit: on the dashboard the positions of the instruments are marked. Between the seats you can see the front mid engine and gearbox and the special AGM desert jack (red/blue cap)

Powering the AGM-Jimco X6 Trophy Truck is a 725 hp V8 Denzio BMW engine. The filter system and the air ducting were set-up by K&N in Riverside, California. Partner Remus built an ultra-lightweight exhaust with a multi-flow 4-in-1 exhaust system. “This provides the unmistakeable sound of the Trophy Truck. That’s exactly what our fans love to hear,” said Schwarz. Liqui Moly is the supplier of all lubricants which have been specifically developed for the hot, sandy and difficult conditions of offroad racing in the desert.

Fortin delivers the gearbox: A sequential shift automatic gearbox. “At the rear axle we work with Drexler Motorsport for the first time. They are experts in the field of differentials. We selected a differential which gives us considerably better vehicle handling on the twisty and rolling tracks than a rigid drive,” explains Schwarz. “And as far as tyres are concerned, we are sticking with our good and reliable partner, BF Goodrich. Their rubber is a must.”

All German Motorsports get all the safety systems, like the Recaro seats, the Schroth harness system, race wear, helmets and the Stand21 HANS system, as well as all the small parts like switches and so forth, from their partner Off Road Warehouse ORW.

Weighs close to nothing, can take close the everything: the super rigid tubular frame made by Jimco. TriStar Metals, a US subsidiary of Stammcut, delivered the special steel tubes

But it’s not just about hardware in the AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck, it’s also about the software. In conjunction with B&M Tricon, the team launched a development project. IT solutions were found that are intended to contribute to simplifying and optimising the set-up of the vehicle in the future.

For August, All German Motorsports plan comparison tests with the new vehicle, which stands out from other Trophy Trucks through its low weight and substantially better aerodynamics. In September, the AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck will celebrate its public launch in Germany. As part of the presentation, new partners will be announced.

The men behind the project: Jimco’s Mike Julson (l.) and AGM boss Martin Christensen

“Our first race with the AGM-Jimco Trophy Truck will be in November at the BAJA 1000,” says Schwarz. “We’re regarding the BAJA 1000 more as a test run and as a good preparation for the 2012 season in the US SCORE Offroad Championship. That’s when we want to secure our first wins.”

Tech Specs: AGM-Jimco X6 Trophy Truck

Chassis:          Tubular frame, AGM-Jimco design
Body:               AGM/ BMW – X6 carbon body
Total weight:   2,200 kg (without fuel)
Engine:            V8 Denzio – BMW special engine, 7.0-litres, 725 hp, 780 Nm torque
Engine mounting: Meziere bulkhead for motor and aggregates like lightflow-water and oil pumps
Exhaust:          Remus multi-flow 4-in-1 sound system
Electronics:      Motec engine and control electronics
Gearbox:          Fortin 4-speed sequential automatic
Rear axle:        Drexler Motorsport variable limited split differential
Wheelbase:     314 cm
Wheel travel front:    80 cm
Wheel travel rear:    100 cm
Shock absorbers:      3.5 inch FOX Bypass – TT Shocks
Springs:            Eibach special offroad springs linear
Anti-roll bars:    AGM special anti-roll bars
Brakes:             Alcon 355mm inner-vented discs/ 6 piston callipers
Rims:                Method Offroad Racing rims, 17 inch, 6.5 x 17″
Tyres:               BFGoodrich KRT 37/13.50×17″
Suspension:     Meziere special offroad, upright, suspension & hub
Seats:              Recaro Profi SPA
Safety Equipment:    Stand21, HANS system, Schroth harness, ORW Racing equipment
Special:                     AGM hydraulic jack, Soltec lights

Armin Schwartz & Bryan Lyttle Off the Start Line in Ensenada

AGM #111 Jimco Class 1

The All German Motorsports #111 Jimco Class 1 race car (better known as the “Chevy Car”) was 11^th off the start line with a total of 27 Class 1 cars in class. Driver Armin Schwarz and Navigator Bryan Lyttle took on the first 230 miles of the race with Driver Armin Kremer and Navigator Sam Osman finishing the remaining miles of the course. As is typical with Baja racing gremlins always seem to appear when least expected.  At RM6 the Chevy car lost its first of 2 serpentine belts forcing Bryan Lyttle to exit the car before fully getting into a groove on course. At RM60 the car would lose its second belt. From there the race was on, with plenty of cars and trucks to chase down AGM team drivers Armin Schwartz and Armin Kremer did their best to put the AGM #111 Jimco Class 1 on the box. While they would fall short of a podium finish the team’s never give up attitude carried the car through to take a 10th in class finish in just over 12 hours.

 

AGM Team Owner Martin Christensen Being Filmed For The New 3D Show w/ Langley Productions

A highlight of the weekend was the 3D filming of a new Langley Productions special to air on a Discovery Channel owned 3D network.  With 3D camera crews following the team throughout the weekend in Baja and throughout the race both in-car and above in helicopters AGM is very excited to be apart of this new feature show to be aired sometime in the future.  Coming up this month on June 23rd at 8:00 PM Pacific Standard Time on Spike TV will be another Langley Productions show featuring AGM called “Road Warriors”.  This show was filmed throughout the 2009 SCORE Baja 1000 race. Make sure to tune in to catch all the action from that memorable event!

 

All German Motorsports would like to thank our all volunteer team for their hard work and dedication that allowed us to make it to the finish. AGM would also like to send a big thank you to all our sponsors that help make this happen:

B&M Tricon – Stammcut – BFGoodrich – Jimco – Remus Exhaust – K&N Air Filters – Bilstein Shock Abosrbers – Meziere Enterprises – Fortin Transmissions – Lucas Oil Products – Eibach Springs – Stand 21 – Recaro Seats – Collisions Plus – All German Auto – Off Road Warehouse (ORW) – Danzio Performance – Method Race Wheels – Alcon Braking System – Schroth Racing Belts – Baja Designs / Soltek Light Systems – Spy Optics – F&L Racing Fuels – Powerstride Batteries

 

All German Motorsports 2011 SCORE Baja 500

All German Motorsports teams up with Pistol Pete Sohren to take on the 2011 SCORE San Felipe 250.

Mad Media Wednesdays are back with a vengeance! It’s one thing to be able to drive a car on two wheels, but it’s completely another level when you can put a 6000lb trophy truck on two wheels at will and drive it around! Check out this clip we shot a couple years ago in Germany at Powerdays of off-road bad ass “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin driving his trophy truck on two wheels! Enjoy!

Dear Friends,

Here’s my short report about a magic journey I made thanks to Pistol Pete:

We’re off! I slam my foot on the throttle, the eight cylinder roars like a wounded T-Rex and here we go. It’s 12 March, and 30 degrees Celsius. I’ve just come from my fabulous winter training in Finland (minus 30 degrees) and now I’m catapulting myself in Pete Sohren’s Trophy Truck over the first metres of the 25th San Felipe 250. The houses of the town on the east coast of the Baja California seem a blur as I fly by. I hear Bryan Lyttle’s voice in the intercom, we quickly find our rhythm. At Race Mile five we reach a field of rocks. I hesitate for about a millisecond: Take them between the wheels or under the tread? A fraction of a second is too long: Both left tyres punctured, brake discs destroyed.

Bryan and Taylor rush out of the truck – one of the specialties of the Trophy Truck is that you have a co-driver and a mechanic in the cockpit. The driver sits in the middle.

Cozy cockpit: navigator, driver and mechanic in a Trophy Truck

They rip the wheels off, remove the remains of the brake discs and disengage the brakes on the left. Fit two new wheels (a wheel weighs around 40 kilos). Bryan and Taylor spring (possibly now five kilos lighter) into their seats, rocket start and onwards. Without left brakes we go full bore – until at about 115 kilometres a rear right tyre rapidly loses air – as if a valve has come off. At the service point we get a new wheel and ranking 15th we hand the Trophy Truck over to my partner Pete Sohren – aka Pistol Pete – after around 230 kilometres.

Flat out through the desert with 800 hp and endless wheel travel

Now, what you have to realise about Pistol Pete is that he’s extremely quick and doesn’t even know how to spell the word “fear”. With all his routine and driving genius, Pete brings the bruised and battered truck home to San Felipe after 250 miles in 16th place. An incredible performance.

See for yourself: Pistol Pete is simply the greatest!

What is left for me to say? First: a huge thanks to Pete for giving me the chance to drive his truck, for his trust and for the great time we had racing. And thank you to AGM and Martin Christensen for the perfect back up – as usual. Martin does it right: He doesn’t get bogged down in nostalgia about our sensational overall win at the San Felipe last year. He looks ahead to the AGM Trophy Truck. And you’re right Martin – let’s go for it!

Maybe you had already heard: Around four weeks ago I tore my Achilles tendon playing sport. Normally I wouldn’t have been able to race. But Dr. Martin Poell as my doctor and Sigi Hornikel my physiotherapist performed what seems like a miracle. I drove the San Felipe 250 without one twinge of pain! My sincere thanks to you both. And above all I want to thank my wonderful wife Petra and our two children for their support. They were so incredibly wonderful and kept me bolstered and supported and looked after me – without their help I would never have managed in San Felipe. Now I’m very happy to be heading home again.

And what’s coming now? Well, as they say, there’s no rest for the wicked. Preparations for the Baja 300 Powerdays Germany are running at high revs. After missing many appointments because of my injury I need to get going to catch up with what’s my team have been doing – in the last weeks they’ve been flat out.

I’ll be back with more news in four weeks. Until then,

best wishes,

Armin

Set your DVR’s “The Baja 300:Powerdays” begins airing on FUEL TV February 23 at 9:00pm ET/PT.

Produced By Mad Media

Directed by The Martelli Brothers

Additional Air Dates:

This groundbreaking event took place in Germany and brought the worlds of off-road and rally racing together. “Powerdays” is the brainchild of rally savant Armin Schwartz and features four classes of off-road vehicles racing on the same course, at the same time. The half-hour program showcases rally drivers Ken Block, Petter Solberg, and Gigi Galli, along with off-road racers Jesse James, “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin, Gustavo Viladolsiva, and Danny Sullivan. Powerdays, which was sanctioned by SCORE International and viewed live by more than 50,000 German race fans, includes some of the most intense off-road racing action ever captured on film. Highlights of the show include BJ Baldwin jumping over Ken Block, while a freestyle motocross team executes tricks over BJ, in the midst of a massive fireworks show! “Powerdays” begins airing on Wednesday February 23 at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT on FUEL TV.

Produced by Mad Media

Directed by The Martelli Brothers

Race-dezert.com coverage of the 2011 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.  Day 3, Sunday’s Class 1 and Trophy Truck race.

Dear Friends,

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas celebration and a perfect start into the New Year. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who supported us during 2010 and helped make the year so successful. With our sensational overall victory at the San Felipe we turned heads in the USA and really stirred up the media. For this and all the night shifts I want to say a very special thanks to my teammates at All German Motorsports! The outright victory gives us incredible motivation for 2011 and our huge project – the AGM Trophy Truck!

Stirred up some dust: our outright victory at the San Felipe 250

The Trophy Truck for 2011 is already taking shape. Our AGM team with Martin Christensen at the helm is working closely with Mike Jules, the owner and race car designer at Jimco chassis specialists. Both Mike and Mark are geniuses in their fields and Mike is always willing to listen to our ideas.

The AGM Buggy was great. The AGM Trophy Truck will be an even greater challenge

We have a somewhat unusual concept for the desert races: ‘The bigger the weight, the less the handling.’ We want to build a relatively light Trophy Truck. In the USA they say about this class: ‘More weight means more stability.’ I can’t wait to come face to face with the old-hands with our Trophy Truck. Until the season starts we’ll have some surprises ready. Just wait and see!

But before that it’s going to get really cold. From 20 February to 25 March I’ll be presenting the “Subaru Ice and Action Winter Training” in conjunction with Wallenwein Rallye Sport and Subaru Deutschland. This will be the sixth time for our driver training to take place up in Arctic Lapland (Finland) on ice and snow passages as well as over real special stages.

Sideways is more fun: Ice and Action Winter Training at the Arctic Circle

For me, there are two things that make this ice training fabulous: I always meet nice, enthusiastic people, who are coincidentally huge rally fans and tend to enjoy going sideways more than straight ahead. And secondly, I have the chance to pass on my expertise from more than two decades of rallying. You’ll find more information about this incredibly interesting event on www.iceaction.de.

Care to join me in Finland?

In any case, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas with your families and a great start to the New Year!

Armin

Dear Friends,

Lady Luck was not particularly on our side for the Baja 1000 (18/19 November). After 900 kilometres, I handed our AGM Buggy over to my friend and teammate Martin Christensen ranking third in our class. But, despite all his experience, Martin’s race ended abruptly with a “G-Out”. Basically, a “G-Out” is an ‘off’, but that doesn’t adequately portray the whole drama: The rear suspension bottoms out on a steep rock ledge, the Buggy kicks up its rear like a wild Mustang, which usually ends in a roll. Martin managed to avoid the worst, the crew and the Buggy were luckily not seriously hurt.

But, despite our bad luck the Baja is still my passion. It’s one of the last great adventures that you can experience in a race car. I wrote down my memories of two days during the pre-run. Let me give you a little idea of the desert’s fascination, and the adventures and of Baja California.

Have fun reading,

Armin

Wednesday, 10 November: Last night arrival in Los Angeles, drive south to Escondido. The team briefing was already in full swing. By 23.00 hours we had finished that and loaded eight service trucks, before heading out to grab some pizza. I fell into bed at 00.45 hours.

I spend this morning planning for 2011, above all the Powerdays in Germany. I talk with my friend Matt Martelli about video productions, lunch in an unpretentious but fabulous Sushi restaurant. I then organise the final touches, including two GoPro cameras for the pre-run. In the afternoon I go back to Martin’s and check my emails. At 19.00 hours we all drive to our headquarters in Escondido, prepare for our departure and wait for Andi Aigner who is driving down from Los Angeles with a rental car. USA custom procedures had taken three hours due to the terrorist warnings. Andi arrives at 22.30 hours, we stow his luggage. At 22.40 we head off: Andi Aigner and his navigator Pete Ostrana, Armin Kremer’s navigator Sam Osman, my navigator Bryan Lyttle and me. We cram ourselves into a service truck, with our Prerunner Buggy on a trailer. Armin Kremer comes later. We will write his pace notes for the race. The only shut-eye we get, if any, is in the truck.

We’re off, the Pre-runner on the trailer, five men in a transporter

Thursday, 11 November: We stop to refuel at 00:45 hours in Plaster City. This is a real ghost town: Two houses, one service station. But still, a coffee! Shortly afterwards we cross the border into Mexico in the town of Mexicali. At the beginning of the year this town was hit by an earthquake and there are a couple of deviations because of damaged streets. At three in the morning I take the wheel, everyone’s asleep. At four we come across a military checkpoint near San Felipe. The soldiers are looking for drug smugglers. But they know that many drivers are out and about for the pre-run. Everyone’s relaxed, the men ask for a sticker – every race team sticker is like gold here.

Great atmosphere: A new day starts, more adventures ahead

At 05:45 hours we’re on the highway to San Felipe. This is part of the route: Race Mile 243, directly at the beach. We stop and wait for sunrise. We deserve it. In spite of our tiredness, the mood is great. At 06.30 we reach Race Mile 248. This is where Armin Kremer und Andi Aigner swap. From here Andi will be driving the same stint as me to Race Mile 563.

At 06:40 hours we unload the pre-runner. It’s cold and windy, but the sun is shining. The final preparations: GPS data upload, water, stow headphones and equipment in pre-runner. Ten minutes later we’re on our way: Andi, Pete, Bryan and me. The first 35 miles are ultra fast, lots of long straights with crests, several G-Outs and huge rocks. Only at this time of the morning are we able to see the track this clearly. During the race it will get dark and very, very dusty. 08.15 hours: The Gonzago Bay section runs along the beach. We stop at a little place and have breakfast.

Ultra-fast and ultra tricky: the long straights of the Baja

10:00 hrs: We reach Cocos Corner. At the junction lives a man in a wheel chair. He’s famous in Baja California. His place (he sells drinks and cigarettes) is plastered with photos of Baja legends, with stickers and dedications (here is the Col de Turini of the Baja California). He has decorated the crossroads with beer, cola and huge monster energy cans. All hung up like a chain of piñatas. They sparkle and shine in the early morning sun. Slowly the temperatures start to rise.

11:45 hrs: The Car Wash: a canyon full of water holes. We plough through with spraying water everywhere, and the navigators hoping that their pace notes survive. The canyon narrows and narrows and then opens out again. We then come out on a high plain with endless cacti bushes. It looks like in a John Wayne Western, unbelievably beautiful and endless. We drive and drive with no end in sight. It’s 15.30 hours by the time we reach the Bay de Los Angeles and find a good place to refuel during the race. 40 minutes later we hit the road again. Another 140 kilometres of gravel. Endless straights, sometimes five, sometimes seven, sometimes three kilometres flat tack. But I have to watch like hawk because the route is full of G-Outs. It’s the full programme: large stones, fine gravel, deep sand. All at full tilt.

The landscape here is stunning and you get glimpses of the deep blue ocean. We’re now in the middle of the Peninsula, breathtaking scenery, especially the coastline. At 17.40 hours we reach State Highway 1, the main route from south to north, Race Mile 505. We look for Sam who is waiting for us at a service station with the truck and trailer. We load the pre-runner and head north as there is nowhere to stay the night here. But we’re all starving. So we stop at a tobacco shop. At 20.00 hours we’re all back in the car. By this time we’ve been on our feet – or butts – for a good 35 hours, and we’re having trouble keeping our eyes open. Every 20 minutes we change drivers and go like a bat out of hell.

After about three hours we’re in Catalina only to find that all the beds are occupied. We hadn’t booked any accommodation, because in the pre-run you never know where you’re going to end up. Two years ago we spent the entire night digging our vehicle out of mud. Around midnight we find a little place, a “Mini Hotel in Pink”. Very Spartan but who cares. With luck we can get four hours sleep. We’re all exhausted but pleased. Here we are in the middle of the Baja in this unbelievable atmosphere that makes it so special.

The day ends here: Mini Hotel in Pink, and we sleep like stones

Coming Tuesday, 18 November 2010 the flag drops on the 43rd edition of the infamous BAJA 1000, the world’s oldest and most popular offroad race. Running amongst the leaders is the highly-respected All German Motorsports Team (AGM). Sharing driving duties in one of the two ca. 640 hp “Unlimited” Class1 AGM Buggys are German rally ace Armin Schwarz and teammate/team owner, Martin Christensen. We simply go hell for leather – for victory!” Manning the second orange/black offroad vehicle is the former German, European and Asia-Pacific rally champion Armin Kremer, the world rally production car champion of 2008 Andreas Aigner from Austria, and Baja specialist from California, Jim Mihal.

Race-dezert.com event coverage of the 2010 SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300.

We spent the day with Armin Schwarz and Norman Motorsports during qualifying day for the 2010 Vegas to Reno race. Watch the highlights of Armin’s first race in a Trophy Truck.

Dear Friends,

Perfect days in the desert around Las Vegas: Martin Christensen, together with our crew chief and navigator Bryan Lyttle and me conquered the class win for Class 1 Unlimited Buggies at the Primm 300 last weekend and conquered third overall.

Flight to victory: It’s easy to take off with 640hp behind your back

The marathon sprint went over four laps of 67 miles each in cozy temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius. Our AGM Buggy was just great to drive. We had found a new set up for the shocks together with Bilstein – and it worked wonderfully. I turned the fastest race lap (1:11 hrs), and our Buggy ran absolutely smoothly. We had some misfiring for a short while, but the problem was quickly solved.

Lucky three: Third place overall and last podium sport for Martin, Bryan and me (l-r)

Again our pit crew contributed hugely to the success. Refuelling and wheel change just took 50 seconds, which is seriously fast in SCORE racing. Bryan stayed in the car and did the entire race. The only factor that held us up for a while was a nother Buggy ahead of us. It had 200 hp more than we. Through the twisty bits we were under his gearbox, but on the straight lines he pulled away. Our pit crew solved the problem with a lightning fast pit stop.

Armin Kremer and Andy Aigner in the other AGM Buggy put in an impressive performance and drove on third place for a long time before they were slowed down by a faulty intercom and some problems with the steering. They haven’t raced too much this year but showed lots of routine and cool, when they managed to bring the car home in eighth place. Great job, boys!

Andy Aigner (m): Brought the car to the finish line despite some technical trouble

Maybe everything went so well because we had lots of support from friends: BF Goodrich Germany brought 12 guests to witness the action, and our friends from Switzerland, Value Add Group, were there 15-strong to cheer us through the hot race. Last but not least I have to say thanks to my family. I think I heard the kids scream even through the thunder of the engine!

It’s good to have friends in the desert: BF Goodrich Germany supported us with 12 guests

Well, we are fourth in the championship now, and clinching the title is unfortunately not a serious consideration, 65 points behind the leader. But there’s this great, great goal: We are super keen and concentrate all our power to win the big one, the Baja 1000!

At present we are working on a very interesting project for next year. I hope I can tell you the news very soon. Give me two, three weeks and I’ll be hopefully back here.

Until then
Best wishes,
Armin

Escondido, CA, 9-14-10 The Score International Primm 300 race is a very special race for driver Armin Schwarz; its where the obsession began for him. In 2006 he was invited to the race, as a spectator, by partners of AGM; Armin was immediately hooked. Since then, Armin and Martin have won 1^st in class in 2008, 2009 and now 2010. The back to back to back wins are unheard of in this level of racing.

Armin Schwarz started off in the #107 BMW powered JIMCO with navigator Bryan Lyttle.  Armin Kramer and navigator Sam Osman would go off the line four minutes later in the #111 car. Both Navigators would stay in for the duration of the race, while both drivers would run the first two laps before handing the cars over to teammates Martin Christensen and Andy Aigner, respectively.

Its important to note that in a lap race such as this, the course tends to degrade and the bumps become more severe as the race goes on.  Both AGM Jimco cars are equipped with Bilstein shocks and BFG tires, so they are setup to handle the punishment. “It takes more than just a big budget, the best equipment and the will to win. You need a solid team.” Bryan Lyttle said after the race at the team dinner “ I have to say a big thanks to all the crew, we put in more hours than I care to mention getting the race cars, chase trucks, trailers and logistics ready for this race. Everyone is a volunteer and I think it’s huge to see the amount of hours spent by each team member every week so we can compete at the level we do.”

The BMW Jimco performed awesome all race. By the 3^rd lap, Armin & Martin had stretched their lead on the competition to 11 minutes. The pit relayed this information to Martin, who had gotten into the car a lap earlier.  At that time, the decision was made to back off a bit and drive a safe final lap and bring the #107 BMW powered Jimco home for the win. Martin had this to say after the win “We are really fortunate to have the best components available on our cars; BFG tires, Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, Pro Am hubs, Recaro seats, Schroth belts, Lucas Oils and SolTek lights, it’s almost like cheating when you are driving a car with all of these components. I would like to give a big thanks to all the local sponsors as well, Off Road Warehouse and Meziere Enterprise, they help keep our team going.

Car  111 also ran a great race with Armin Kramer and Andreas Aigner sharing the driving duties. They brought the car home 8^th place in class and 19^th overall. I was able to talk with Andreas after the race. He had this to say “This was my 3^rd race in off road and I really enjoyed it. The car worked really well with the new Bilstein shocks. I am happy we were able to finish. I really love the experience in off road racing. It’s very different compared to the rally racing I am use to. I am looking forward to the next Baja race.” All in all it was great weekend for ALL GERMAN MOTORSPORTS.

’09 podium-R. Gordon, MacCachren, Schwarz/Christensen-back this week
As SCORE Desert Series visits for SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300

S/F line area is only spectator area; Limited vehicles start -6 a.m.,

SCORE Trophy-Truck & Class 1 at 1 p.m.
Live vehicle tracking at www.racetheworld.net; live race updates at www.dirtnewz.com

PRIMM, Nev.-It won’t be a mirage alongside Interstate-15 this weekend as desert racing’s brightest stars illuminate the Southern Nevada desert with 11 of last year’s top 15 overall finishers, led by podium finishers Robby Gordon, Rob MacCachren and Armin Schwarz/Martin Christensen all being part of the glistening lineup for the 15th annual SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300 desert race. Round 4 of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be held in Primm, Nev.
The SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300 will feature 21 Pro and 2 Sportsman classes for cars and trucks from 15 States, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and Mexico in Primm, located 45 miles south of Las Vegas at the California border. This year’s starting grid is expected to reach nearly 125 vehicles.  Late entries will be accepted up until race morning.
For the ninth consecutive year, the race is split into two groups with the open wheel, slower truck and VW baja bug classes starting at 6 a.m. The featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division, which has 31 entries (second-most in race history) along with the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars, which has 20 entries, will start at 1 p.m. One vehicle will start every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race. The faster classes will be required to cover four laps of the 68.6-mile loop course to become official finishers within the seven-hour time limit.
The main pits and start/finish area for the 68.6-mile loop course is located behind Buffalo Bills Resort on the North side of the property. The race course, which runs again in a counter-clockwise direction, is virtually the same layout as last year, although weather and use has altered the terrain.
The course will have one designated spectator area, the parking lot behind Buffalo Bill’s Resort adjacent to both the Start/Finish line and the straightaway that parallels the eastside of the parking lot.  Admission is free to the designated spectator area.
Pre-race festivities on Friday, including tech and contingency and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. behind Buffalo Bill’s Resort. The post-race awards celebration will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday in the conference center at Terrible’s Primm Valley Resort.
Eleven of last year’s 17 class winners in the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300 have entered so far, led by the star-studded 31 SCORE Trophy-Trucks, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks.
NASCAR Cup team owner/driver and defending overall race and SCORE Trophy-Truck winner Robby Gordon is entered again this year. Gordon, of Charlotte, N.C., who drives the No. 1 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500 SCORE Trophy-Truck as the reigning SCORE Overall point champion, is a two-time overall winner in this race, having won both the inaugural race in 1996 as well as last year.
Like he did last year, Gordon is scheduled to have a replacement driver behind the wheel of his NASCAR Toyota Camry in Richmond, Va., while he competes in his SCORE Trophy-Truck in the Southern Nevada desert.
Starting after SCORE Trophy-Truck will be the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars.  In the first 14 years of the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300, SCORE Trophy-Trucks have 10 Overall race wins while Class 1 has four. SCORE Trophy-Trucks have won seven straight overall titles.
In an extremely close race last year, Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren ended up second by just over one minute to Gordon. MacCachren, an eight-time SCORE season class point champion who has four class wins in Primm without an overall victory yet, returns in the No. 20 MasterCraft Ford F-150.
Among the entries in Class 1 is the international team of Germany’s World Rally Championship veteran Schwarz and Denmark’s Christensen, who lives in Escondido, Calif. Schwarz/Christensen have teamed up to win Class 1 in this race the last two consecutive years and were third overall last year in their BMW-powered Jimco. Driving the second All German Motorsports entry in Class 1, a Jimco-Chevy, will be the veteran WRC team of Germany’s Armin Kremer and Austria’s Andreas Aigner.
Besides Gordon, MacCachren and Schwarz/MacCachren, the other four top 10 overall finishers from last year who have entered this year are Harley Letner/Kory Halopoff, Orange, Calif. (Class 1-Alpha-Chevy, fourth overall in 2009, second in Class 1), Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif. (No. 78 SCORE Trophy-Truck, Ford F-150, seventh overall, fourth in class), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (No. 1000-Class 10, Lothringer-VW, eighth overall, first in class) and Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif. (No. 23 SCORE Trophy-Truck, Ford F-150, ninth overall, fifth in class).
Among the other entries in the field is Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., who is a seven-time SCORE season point champion, has six wins in Class 3 in Primm in a Ford Bronco.  This will be his first race in 2010 in the SCORE Desert Series.
Live vehicle tracking during the race will be available at www.racetheworld.net, live race news updates will be available at www.dirtnewz.com.
The highly-competitive 2010 SCORE Desert Series has 20 racers separated by just 65 points in the Overall standings after January’s 16th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, March’s 24th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 and June’s 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert races.
While November’s season-ending 43rd Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 race in Mexico will finalize the individual class and overall point champions for the 37th year of the world’s foremost desert racing series, the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300 will surely determine the final group of contenders for this year’s titles.
With two wins in three races this year, third generation desert racer Andy McMillin of National City, Calif. leads the SCORE Overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck point standings with 249 championship points so far in the No. 31 McMillin Realty Ford F-150, but with all the points still remaining on the desert floor, his first SCORE championship is anything but secure.
Behind SCORE Trophy-Truck and Class 1, the classes with the most entries are SCORE Lite with 15 entries to date and Class 1-2/1600 with 10.
Besides Gordon and Schwarz/Christensen, the other defending class winners in this race entered as of today are Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif. (Class 1-2/1600, Fraley-VW), Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Norm Turley, Long Beach, Calif. (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn. (Class 8, Chevy Silverado), Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Jimco-VW), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif., (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Mike Shaffer, San Leandro, Calif. (Class 17, Jeep Cherokee), Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif. (Sportsman Car, Homebuilt-Chevy) and Joe Aguayo, San Jacinto, Calif., (Sportsman Truck, Ford F-150).
In addition to season point class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season.  Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 25th consecutive year, a total of 22 drivers remain eligible after Round 3 of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series. Racers are also competing for the annual SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards, including the MasterCraft Safety SCORE Rookie of the Year award.
Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull-official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, MasterCraft Safety, Blue C Advertising, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
Additional sponsor for the Primm event is Terrible’s Primm Valley Casino Resorts.
For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2010 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300

All-Time Overall Winners
1996–Robby Gordon, Orange, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1997–Curt LeDuc, Cherry Valley, Calif., Jeep Grand Cherokee (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1998–Ed and Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1999–Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford (Class 1)
2000–Steve Sourapas, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1)
2001–Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford (Class 1)
2002–Mike Julson, Santee, Calif./Bob Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1)
2003–Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2004–Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2005–Brian Collins, Las Vegas/Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz., Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2006-Bob Shepard, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2007-Garron Cadiente, Mesa, Ariz., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2008-Roger Norman, Reno, Nev./Larry Roeseler, Irvine, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2009-Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

Dear Friends,

Third overall, second in the Trophy Truck Class – my premiere in the top category of desert racing couldn’t have gone much better. Team boss Roger Norman had invited me to tackle the 540 mile race from Las Vegas to Reno in one of his Norman Motorsports 840hp Trophy Trucks. Roger took a lot of time explaining the giant rear wheel drive monster to me. Then I had about 20 miles to get familiar with the rear wheel drive racer.

840 horsepower on the rigid rear axle don’t leave many questions open.

Roger did the qualifying. His GPS played up a bit, and so we had to be satisfied with 26th starting place. Normally Roger puts his cars amongst the top five starters. But the multiple Baja 1000 winner and champion is not the man to get nervous if he has to start a little behind the top. Instead he just keeps the pedal down. And this is exactly what he did. When I took the car over from him at race mile 308 he was back in sixth position! During the first bit of driving at race speed I got used to the Trophy Truck as much as I could. To give you an idea: You don’t lift the throttle at 120 mph to tackle three or four feet high bumps! It’s just unbelievable. And at this speed we go sideways around the corners – which is an incredible feeling and makes the fans really happy.

Roger Norman: great team boss, great sportsman. I say: “Thank you!”

Well, there was one surprise waiting for me at around race mile 450: Over a crest I took off to the highest and longest flight in a car in my career so far. The landing was rough, and we bent our prop shaft. So we did the 25 miles to the next pit stop at around 40 mph. In the pits the crew changed the prop shaft and the tyres in no time, and we were back in the race – and on our way to the podium!

We made it! Podium result at the Vegas to Reno Race.

What can I say? A huge “Thank you” to Roger Norman for his immense trust in me. “Thank you” to the entire Norman Motorsports Team and to our AGM boys with Martin Christensen for supporting us so wonderfully.

I’ll be back here after the Primm.

Until then
Best wishes,
Armin

RENO, NV AUGUST 22, 2010 – Roger Norman started 26th and finished 2nd, third overall, in the Crystal Bay Casino #8 Trick Truck class with Armin Schwartz joining the team for the 2010 Best In The Desert Vegas to Reno race. After a bad qualifying run put them into the 26th spot to start, they overcame about 11 minutes of downtime working on the truck and still climbed up into 2nd out of 48 Class 1400 Trick Trucks registered for Friday August 20, 2010 race.
“We had a great race and everything went really well overall! I am glad that Armin was able to join us for his first experience in a trophy truck. It is tough because it is completely different to drive than a Class 1 car, but he did a great job!” said Norman.
Armin Schwartz, a World Rally driver from Germany, took the drivers seat at Race Mile 308 with his navigator and crew chief Bryan Lytle as his co-driver. “I have been looking for quite some time to drive in a trophy truck, and am glad to be in a good truck with a great team,” said Armin Schwartz. “For me it was unbelievable what you can do with a truck. It fly’s very well, especially when you have unknown obstacles,” laughs Schwartz. “It was very exciting because we tried to increase the speed mile, by mile, and not have any stupid mistakes. It paid off as we only had one flat.”
The Norman Motorsports team had great pit stops all day long, even the drivers change was only a minute and a half. “I haven’t raced in a couple of months, and it took me about an hour to get into the groove and start clicking again. I will say I felt much safer driving in the dust knowing the motorcycles and ATV’s had lights, and we successfully used our Pass Alert system a couple of times,” said Norman who was a leader in the recent safety movement.

As a reminder, Norman Motorsports in El Cajon, CA will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit FAST-Aid, Cruz Roja and the Emergency Services of Erendira this Saturday August 28, 2010, doors open at 2pm. The premier of Dezert People 8 will be at 3pm and will show continuously throughout the afternoon. Charity gaming, a silent auction and other fun activities will round off the evening. Admission to the fundraiser is $30 per person, which includes a copy of Dezert People 8. Become a Facebook friend of Roger Norman or Curtis Guise and RSVP to the event to attend this very special benefit event. Fans, Sponsors, and Friends are welcome, but must RSVP via Facebook.
Roger Norman Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1266109117&ref=ts

For More information on the Best In The Desert Vegas to Reno Race: http://www.bitd.com

Next Race:

Stampede ; September 8-11, 2010 http://www.kingofthehammers.com

Save the Date:

August 28th Fundraiser at Norman Motorsports Facility in San Diego, CA supporting FAST-Aid, Cruz Roja Mexicana and Premier of Desert People 8

December 4th Fundraiser at Norman Motorsports Facility in San Diego, CA supporting Multiple Orphanages

Photo Credit: Doug Hayduk – Wicked Gravity Photo
###

Norman Motorsports Partners: Crystal Bay Casino, BFGoodrich, KMC, Vision X, K&N Filters, Mastercraft, Fire ETC, NEO, CMI, Big Ass Fans, Safety Klean, Cruz Roja, Baja Fools, AutoVac, Fluidyne, Rod End Supply, Summers Brothers, High Angle Drivelines

Dear Friends,

Forgive me for not writing here for a while. I was simply swamped with work and trying to keep up with all the meetings and things I had to do. But today I’ve got some great news: Together with Roger Norman I will tackle the Vegas to Reno Race next week in one of his Trophy Trucks! On Tuesday I’ll fly to Las Vegas. On Wednesday there will be the Qualifying race on a five mile course for the best starting times. And on Friday the big race is on! The distance is 530 miles, I’ll take over from Roger at Race Mile 308. There’s a very interesting challenge in this race: We have no recce or pre-run. The only way we know where we’re going at race speed is by the organiser’s road book and GPS data. The race is a round of the “Best in the Desert” (BITD) championship.

Roger Norman on the rocks: we met during my winter training in icy Ivola/Finland

I’m really confident, because as usual I’ll have my navigator and our crew chief Bryan Lyttle at my side in the cockpit at our Trophy Truck premiere. And All German Motorsports is going to work together with Roger’s team for the pit support. That’s additional motivation.

Roger Norman is one of the true greats of our sport. Already in 1999 he won the BITD Championship. In 2001 and 2008 Roger and the Norman Motorsports Team clinched wins at the Baja 1000 – to name just a few of his countless successes.

Roger and I met during the winter training that I organise up in Finland’s Ivalo in February. We started talking about our sport … and sometimes things just turn out fabulously! I’m immensely looking forward to racing with Roger, and I’d like to thank him and his team for their trust.

On 11 September I’ll be back in the AGM buggy for the Primm 300 …

After the Vegas to Reno Race my family and I’ll spend a few days in the USA. On the 28th and 29th August I’ll be testing with my friends and colleagues of AGM for the upcoming Primm 300 on 11 September. Armin Kremer and Andy Aigner will join us in the second AGM Buggy for the race, so our team will turn up at the Primm 300 in full strength.

… I am already looking forward to the pre-run – and some night shifts in the desert

But before the flag drops for the Primm 300 I have a very special and pleasant date in my calendar: BF Goodrich Germany will arrive in Nevada with guests on 9 September, and I’ll do my best to show them the fascination of our sport. They’ll see the technical scrutineering before the start, the race – and they do a trip into Nevada’s desert. I have the feeling this is going to be an unforgettable journey for the guests of BF Goodrich. I say to them all right now: “Welcome to the All German Motorsports Team!”

I’ll be back here with all the news at the latest after the Primm 300.

Until then
best wishes,
Armin

Dear Friends,

now my wealth of experience of desert racing at its toughest has increased by another four and a half hours. That’s how long my stint at the Baja 500 lasted until I handed the car to Martin. The route was absolutely rough and crazy after rain weeks prior to the start. But we had a great starting position with starting number 103. Just 26 miles after we took off in Ensenada, we’d already overtaken 15 vehicles.

Promising opening phase: early lead after the start

Then came a real test of patience when we got stuck behind a rival until Race Mile 130. There was no wind, so the dust was like driving in thick, brown fog. At times we couldn’t even see our GPS monitor in the cockpit. It’s useless to stop and wait for the dust to clear. Because first there’s a very good chance you’ll sink in up to your axles, and secondly you can guarantee a opponent will come from behind, and then you’ll be cought behind the nex one …

But eventually we overtook the guys and picked up speed. At the half way mark we handed our Buggy to Martin as leaders of the overall classification. As usual, Martin put in a fantastic drive and extended the lead – which lasted until Race Mile 328 when we think the gearbox shaft broke. We could change all gears but there was no drive. And that was the end of what could have easily turned into another brilliant day.

Four drivers, 1,200 AGM-hp: Martin Christensen, Armin Schwarz, Armin Kremer, Boris Said (l-r)

I’m certain that we’ll find a solution to the problems with the power transmission by the next race (SCORE Terrible’s Las Vegas Primm 300, 10 to 12 September). To be honest, I’m not holding much hope for the title anymore, which is a shame. But it also means we can pull out all stops when we go to the SCORE Terrible’s Primm 3000. And when we tackle our big goal – a win at the Baja 1000.

Primm 300 and Baja 1000: here we come!

Our teammate Armin Kremer put in a great performance holding second place for a long time. He shared the cockpit with NASCAR ace Boris Said who is a good friend of AGM and did some races already with us. Boris put in a great and spirited drive. Unfortunataly he ran very wide in two corners and it took them a total of five hours to dig themselves out, but they still managed to finish in the top ten. I congratulate you two!

I’ll be back here in four weeks with more news.

Until then, all the best,
Armin

Dear Friends, Partners and Sponsors,

Our sensational overall victory at the San Felipe 250 was a fabulous confirmation of the work done by our entire AGM team. The developments on the technical side proved to be effective: thanks to the modified air ducting the cooling now works even better. We also improved the suspension and power train. The result was that Martin and I could pick up our pace without risking damage.

Just keep the throttle down! On the way to our overall win

And that also meant our race strategy worked well: We drove fast but not too aggressively. And our car coped beautifully with the high speeds. So it was success all round.

But don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten just how tough the SCORE Series races are and the thousands of possibilities there are for small but decisive mistakes – and how important Lady Luck is in being successful. So we’re not getting overly confident. Our feet are firmly on the ground – the traction is much better there anyway.

Before the start: every little detail needs attention

“After the race is before the race” – that also applies for a championship with just five races. They are really tough and a DNF hurts. The next race on the calendar is the 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 500 from 4-6 June. The “500” stands for almost 500 miles or 800 kilometres through the desert of Baja California in northern Mexico. It’s hard graft driving a 640 hp vehicle through this unbelievable countryside. The route runs from Ensenada on the Pacific with 150,000 inhabitants through Baja California direction southeast to San Felipe with a population of 15,000 on the Sea of Cortez.

If that sounds like an adventure to you, then you’re dead right. At racing speed we experience just the vastness of the desert and the heat. During practice we have a little more time to enjoy the incredible nature.

Baja California desert: heeps of space for SCORE racing – and for a great vacation

One day I want to come to Baja California as a tourist. Then I’d make a stop in our starting city Ensenada on the Bahia de Todos Santos bay and enjoy a drink, perhaps visit the world famous surfing spots, maybe go out deep sea fishing (the yellow fin season has just started). Or I would watch the migration of the grey whales which are abundant here between December and May. Or perhaps I would take my wife and kids, a tent and loads of water and drive out into the desert to experience the silence and the unimaginably starry night.

San Felipe is a small fishing village on the Sea of Cortez. Around 15,000 people live there. In springtime, several thousand visitors arrive from the likes of California, Canada and Australia to enjoy the wonderful Mediterranean climate. There are lots of things to do other than strolling along the gorgeous beaches. In the Valley of the Giants are 1,000 year old cacti. Many divers come to witness the bounty of huge fish. Whale lovers are drawn here as are deep sea fishermen and people who simply want to see the amazing desert.

Sea of Cortez: one day I’ll come as a tourist

So you see, it’s not only racing fever that has me in its grip in Mexico. One day I have to come here and see everything at a more relaxed pace. But first we tackle the Baja 500. On 24 April we receive our starting number by lottery. From 22 May we can pre-run.
I’ll get back to you at the start of May with the latest news of our preparations.

Until then
Best wishes,
Armin

Race-Dezert.com event coverage of the 2010 MasterCraft Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250.