For this years SCORE Baja 1000 my assignment was to chase the McMillin Racing team.   My usual cohort was the legendary Scott Smith of Paradigm Productions, and our buddy Johnny “The Slayer” Rukkas. We headed down Wednesday morning to get down there before contingency started so that we made sure we caught them rolling through tech. Luckily for us, around 5:45am Scott got a text from Beau of McMillin Racing asking when we were headed down. Beau was already sitting in line waiting for tech to start in the #31 Trophy Truck, so we knew first thing when we got there we’d be able to catch them.

One of the first things we came across when we got there was a local security guard. He also doubles as a photographer.

Our main goal for Wednesday was to get a few shots of all four vehicles (Andy/Scott #31, Mark #23, Dan #103, and Luke #1648), and a few lifestyle shots of the team and the overall atmosphere of the day.

Here is Beau enjoying his time down in Baja. Beau is a hard working part of the McMillin team who spends countless nights at the shop prepping and fabbing.

Here is a shot of Mark, Dan and Luke’s cars going through town. I got up on the PCI Race Radios trailer to get a higher vantage point so that you can get a good feel of the crowd.

While walking through contingency admiring all the T-Shirts with my stolen photos on them, we came across a life size driver cuttout for people to take photos with. Scott wanted in on the action so he made his best Tom Selleck impression.

Johnny gave it a try but he is a little height impaired, but luckily they had a pink and yellow plastic stool for kids to use.

A lot of the drivers and team members get asked by the locals for autographs, stickers, and posters. For some reason a little boy came up to Scott to ask him for an autograph, I’m pretty sure he signed it, “Thanks for liking the mustache.”

With all our clients through tech, and after strolling through a few times we decided to head back to the Hotel Coral so Scott could get all McMillin’s incar cameras inline, and relax before a long day ahead of us.

Our game plan for race day was to follow the lead group and catch them three times before the sun went down over the mountains.  It would be a tough thing to do in the first part of the race course because it basically paralleled the highway for the majority of the first 145 miles before they turned down and headed towards Diablo Dry Lake. After we caught them a 3rd time we were going to head down to San Felipe and meet up with our friends who were pitting for some friends.

Race morning came around and the first thing we did before heading out was to get some footage of the McMillins getting ready before they headed over to staging, and then go to the start line to get some more shots before the start of the race.

Legend Larry Ragland teamed up with Jesse Jones and was good to see him out in a trophy truck again.

McMillins crew chief Greg Williams talks with Mark McMillin before heading over to staging.

Over at staging near the start line we caught up with the McMillins to get a few more shots before we had to head out to the course. Our plan was to leave about 15 minutes before the start of the race so that we could beat the leaders to the road crossing at Ojos.

Here is an overview shot of the staging area.

A racer taking a breather before the start of the race, preparing for the long journey ahead.

Team McMillin nice and relaxed about 20 minutes before the start of the race.

Here is a shot of Andy and Dan. Dan the camera is over here.

Andy is one of the more popular drivers down in Baja, a lot of the younger fans of the sport look up to him and he always takes the time to sign autographs and receive kisses on the cheek.

11:15am hit the clock so it was time for us to get on the road towards Ojos. We wanted to get to the road crossing before the leaders went by because once they do they stop traffic for a while to let racers go by. If we were to get caught there we would miss both Andy and Mark there since they started 4th and 9th respectively, and also run the risk of missing them at our next planned spot. Luckily we timed it right and didn’t hit any bad traffic and were able to catch the leaders pass by.

We knew the photos we’d get here wouldn’t be anything spectacular, our goal was to catch them hear early because they’d still be clean, and it was at a spot where we’d be able to catch them again down the road. For this spot I just wanted to show the crowd at the road crossing to get the feel for a Baja race.

Roger Norman was first off the line and first car to go through Ojos.

Andy McMillin gets on the gas after crossing the pavement at Ojos.

After the first 10 trucks went by, we hurried back to the truck and headed to our next planned spot which was where they get back on the dirt after getting on the first pavement section after KM77. Here is a Google Earth shot of where we went. We didn’t know what the spot would be like so we just walked down the graded road until we hit the right hand turn marked by the blue dot.

It turned out to be a pretty good spot as the turn was a little soft and already grooved out from prerunning.

Roger Norman

Vildosola Racing

BJ Baldwin

We could only stay there for the first 4 trucks so that we made sure we beat them down to near San Matias for our third spot on the course. At this spot we were able to catch the leaders, and stay through the Class 10 cars. We originally planned to head towards Checkpoint 2, but the only way to get back to the highway would be to back track on the course, so instead we decided to shoot near the highway before they make the turn and head towards Diablo Dry Lake.

You can see in the Google Earth shot that the course is literally next to the highway, and that there are a few washes that the course crosses making a few good bumps and whoops.

The cars and trucks were coming at us head on at a pretty good pace, and with the highway on one side, and bushes on the other it would be hard to get a side shot, so I decided to shoot this area head on. It was another shot that you could show the spectators in the shot to get a feel for Baja.

Specators look on as Robby Gordon makes his way down the course. Some spectators didn’t know it was him after he went by because of the new Specialized, Speed Energy paint scheme. Apparently they don’t read RDC.

Troy Herbst flies down the course with Jimmy Cook of Sinister Films hot on their tale videoing the action.

Mango Racing making a clean pass on the AGM Class 1 car.

By this time the sun was getting lower in the sky, and the next spot would be in the dark. Once Dan McMillin went by us, and after the 10 and 12 cars started to pass by we hit the road another time to try and beat Luke McMillin to the Puertocitos area south of San Felipe where we would meet up with another group of friends. This was another spot where we didn’t really know what the area would be like, but since it was at night it wasn’t as important because the background would be irrelevant.

We unfortunately missed Luke there, but I was working with two other photograph friends of mine to trade out photos so not all was lost. Both Brian from Bink Designs and Art from Art Eugenio Photography were able to catch him earlier in the race.

For my setup I used Pocketwizards to fire a Canon 550ex flash. The flash was set to manual at 1/2 power, and my camera settings were ISO 400, Shutter Speed 1/160th, and Aperture 7.1. Because the flash isn’t as powerful as a full strobe, I had to set it right next to the side of the course, but I actually prefer the look it gives lighting up only the car.

Here car #1608 has some mechanical problems, so the co-driver sits on the front passenger side to keep weight off the rear.

The benefit of firing a flash remotely instead of having it on the hot shoe is that it gives you a more realistic shot, but more importantly it gives you the freedom to walk around.

You can shoot it from the driver side.

Jesse James

Eco-Boost Ford Raptor

You could also shoot from the passenger side, giving you a little more dramatic look.

And finally you could shoot from the driver side again, but this time from behind the vehicle.

As time went on we decided to call it a night and head back to our friends house south of town. After a few fish tacos near Miramar, and trading a few stories from the day with friends we called it a night. Overall our game plan of catching the lead group three times worked out great, we didn’t have any problems, and made it home safe. Congrats to not only everyone who finished the Baja 1000, but also those who braved to attempt it.

Before our drive home Friday morning we were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise on the beaches of San Felipe. It was a great way to top off another great Baja experience.

Story and Photos by HighRev Photography

Pro4 – For Sunday’s Pro4 race survival was the name of the game as less than half of the field managed to finish.  At the start, there were twelve competitors, and Huseman, Renezeder and Cenni lead the pack.  After only a couple of laps, Curt Leduc, Daugherty and Johnson were finished.  Johnson’s vehicle caught fire causing a full course stop.  Kyle Leduc had a flat and limped into the hotpits a lap down.

Meanwhile, the Lucas Oil Racing Series points leader, Rick Huseman, was running away with the race until he suddenly lost his rear drive shaft and had to rely on only front wheel drive to try and finish the race.  Most of the remaining field rapidly passed him with Carl and Cenni taking the lead.  On the final lap, Carl’s truck pulled off in turn seven with heavy smoke and Cenni cruised in for the hard earned win.  He was followed by Travis Coyne, who has managed to podium the last three races in a row, and amazingly Rick Huseman managed a third place finish as his vehicle limped through the checkered flag. In the end only 6 vehicles managed to finish the race.

Top 3:

1.     Adrian Cenni

2.     Travis Coyne

3.     Rick Huseman

ProLite –Unfortunately the ProLite class has lacked excitement this season as the racing has suffered from a lack of competition.  Deegan, Brandt and Hart are the main competition for the podium every race, and this race got off to the usual sight of the three of them in the lead at the start of the race.  Brandt ran into electrical issues and eventually had to pull out of the race.

That left it up to Deegan and Hart to race for the finish.  Deegan opened up a sizeable lead, as he ran a flawless race, and Marty Hart never had an opportunity to catch up.  Corey Sisler, who started on the poll for the race, did an admirable job of staying out of trouble and finished in third.

Top 3:

1.     Brian Deegan

2.     Marty Hart

3.     Corey Sisler

Pro2 – The Pro2 class has been the highlight of the LOORS series with competitive races and serious talent to be found throughout the field of 18 competitors.  Only problem is; if Rob MacCachren is on the poll he runs such tight lines and makes so few mistakes that it’s almost impossible to get by him.  That’s the way the race set up with MacCachren up front and the rest of the pack battling for second and third place.

Brian Deegan, racing in only his second Pro2 race managed to hold down second for a good portion of the race with Carl Renezeder and Robby Woods hot on his heels.  Deegan showed a bit of nerves as he cut too much on turn seven and lost momentum allowing Renezeder and Woods to pass.  Further back in the pack there was some serious banging going on as Rodrigo Ampudia and Rob “Fig” Naughton got into it several times.  There was some excitement at the end of the race when Woods went up on two wheels and Deegan shortened the distance for third place.  On turn seven Deegan went to the inside and banged into Woods, but Woods had more momentum coming out of the turn and managed to hold down third place.  An exciting end to an exciting day of racing in Las Vegas.

Top 3:

1.     Rob MacCachren

2.     Carl Renezeder

3.     Robby Woods

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Pro4 – The 4-Wheel drive Pro4s kicked off Round 13 of LOORS with the usual suspects except one at the head of the pack.  Points leader Rick Huseman, who had issues in qualifying, started in 13^th place, while Renezeder, Kyle Leduc and Adrian Cenni started the race on the poll.  Renezeder ran into some early issues, as he was spun from behind and found himself in the back of the pack.  At the same time Huseman managed to pick up around 6 spots before the end of the first lap, as he ran the fastest lap time by over a second.

Mike Johnson was the next to run into problems, as he crashed into the wall near turn one, and eventually had top pull out of the race.  Huseman managed to pull into third-place by the end of the 4^th lap.  At the mandatory caution it was, Cenni, Husman, and Kyle Leduc.  Unfortunately for Kyle, he had to pull off the track to fix a flat and never got back into contention for a podium finish.  Shortly after the restart, Cenni rolled in turn 4 and Huseman had clear sailing for the remainder of the race. Karl Renezeder managed to make up a ton of ground from his earlier issues and finished in second, while Travis Coyne held on for 3^rd place and his second straight podium finish.

Top 3

1^st – Rick Huseman

2^nd – Carl Renezeder

3^rd – Travis Coyne

Pro Lite – This race looked to be a runaway win for Brian Deegan, but the crafty veteran Marty Hart managed to reel him in towards the end for an exciting finish. The race was marred by a number of accidents, and points leader Chris Brandt got caught in the carnage and only managed to finish in the middle of the pack.

Under the white flag, Deegan and Hart traded positions as they raced side-by-side, unfortunately a final accident slowed down the action with Deegan slightly ahead and finishing the race under caution in front of Hart.

Top 3

1^st – Brian Deegan

2^nd – Marty Hart

3^rd – Jimmy Stephenson

Pro2 – The final race of the day featured solid racing and a little controversy.  On the poll, Rodrigo Ampudia and Robby Woods started at the head of the pack, and as the green flag waved it appeared that a few drivers may have jumped the gun to get an advantage.  Woods and Renezeder got off to fast starts, while Ampudia, who later claimed that the racers jumped the start, found himself in third place.  Rob MacCachren, the Pro2 points leader, found himself mixed up with a few other drivers and could never get himself going to get in contention for the race.  Brian Deegan, racing in Pro2 for the first time, showed his considerable racing skill as he managed a 4^th place finish.  Another newcomer to short-course racing, Clyde Stout displayed something he is well known for in desert racing, as he launched over the K-Rail and into the hot pits to end his racing day. Now Short course racing has a second “Wild Man”.

The Woods versus Renezeder battle was the most compelling racing of the day as Woods handled the pressure time and time again to keep himself in the lead.  The large crowd on hand in Vegas was cheering loudly for the local boy Woods, but Carl managed to make his move as the white flag was waving and managed to pass Robby.  That’s the way it finished, making the Lucas Oil and General Tire sponsors very happy to have their racers finish at the top of the podium.

Top 3

1^st – Carl Renezeder

2^nd – Robby Woods

3^rd – Rodrigo Ampudia

Photos by HighRev Photography

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Today marked the end of the 2011 SEMA show, and the start of Rounds 13 and 14 of the Lucas Oil OffRoad Racing Series. Carl Renezeder qualified fastest of the day in his General Tire Pro 4 race truck with a time of 1:07:793. Here are a few interesting facts from today.

- Kyle Leduc will be racing a Superlite for the remainder of the year along with his Pro 4.
- Brian Deegan debuted his new Pro 2, but only qualifying less then half a second faster then his Prolite.
- While Renezder qualified the fastest, Rick Huseman would lay down the fastest lap of the day in the practice session with a 1:06:891, and the only one to break the minute and 6 second mark. A rollover in qualifying would not let him complete a full lap.
- Another dual classer, Austin Kimbrell is entered in Prolite and UTV, and like Deegan qualifyed a little less then half a second faster in his Prolite versus his UTV.

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Rounds 7 and 8 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series is about to unfold this weekend in Tooele, UT. Utah? Yes, it’s a first for short course off-road racing and hopefully the beginning of a lifetime of Off-Road Races in town.

Miller Motorsports Park is the host of the race and the recently completed facility is beyond the wildest imaginations of what off-road racers are used to. Spotters get to overlook the track from the upper level of the timing control tower in an air-conditioned look-out room. Hopefully those guys won’t get spoiled from this, because this is the only track in the series that offers this level of luxury.

The track layout is rather technical with one very fast straight section in it. Turns are followed by immediate jumps and the fast guys set-up their trucks so that they land sideways with the nose pointed in the direction of the next turn.

The “mogul section” turned out to be too extreme as Kevin Probst in his Pro2 went for a wild ride first time around. LOORRS made a quick call and leveled the section into a “light-mogul” section any race car can now hit wide open.

We talked to some drivers after today’s practice and the reaction to the track was mixed. Some didn’t care much for it while others felt it suited their style of driving.

Tomorrow’s action will consist of qualifying in the morning followed by fender-to-fender racing.

Follow our live audio stream from the track all weekend long.

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The first weekend for LOORRS is now in the books, and I think everyone would agree that it was a great success. The turnout was great, the racing was epic, and there were some great battles all weekend.

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Here are some photos from todays racing action. The new track at LVMS is proving to be a challenging one as a lot of racers came away with a DNF. As I’m writing this thunder is roaring in the background, and rain is hitting the ground. Tomorrow will be interesting if the rain decides to hit!

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Here are some photos from todays practice and qualifying rounds. Tomorrow should be an excited day with a huge turnout in all classes!

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After a long fought day BJ Baldwin would walk away with the overall win at the 2010 BITD Parker 425. The weather gods were on the racers side this year, even though the course would get some rain, it was nothing like last years mud fest. Here are some photos for your enjoyment, and stay tuned for full results!

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Qualifying was this morning and a group of over 70 Trick Trucks and Class 1500′s showed up to try and start Saturdays race on the pole. Andy McMillin driving the #6 Corona Trick Truck looked to be the fastest of the day, but in a rookie move got high centered 4 feet from the finish and had to settle for a slower time. Tough luck Andy, maybe one of these days you guys will get a break your way.

(That was a joke, he really did get high centered though)

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The first race of the year for SCORE is now officially in the record books. Today was another great day of racing, and here are some highlights from todays action. Enjoy!

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Today was a day of great racing. From Andy and Tavo battling it out in Trophy Truck, to Dan McMillin getting 5th place in his first SCORE race in Class 1, Justin “Bean” Smith swapping motors in his 16 car to race class 12, and Pistol Pete turning his Trophy Truck into the ugliest Class 1 car ever, today was filled with good times.

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The agenda for today at the 2010 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge was to see who is top dog in Trophy Truck, and see who could fly the farthest of the Laughlin Leap. Andy McMillin took the pole position beating out Vildosola by about 7 seconds. Rounding out the top 3 was Cameron Steele.

For the Laughlin Leap it was Josh Daniels winning with a distance of 111′, taking away the title from the Trophy Trucks.

Stay tuned all weekend as we’ll have more photos up after each day!

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After a long fought 4 laps battling it out with all that the Primm desert could throw at them, McMillin Racing not only came away with the overall win, but walks away the 2009 Trick Truck point champions.  Jesse Jones would finish second in class.

To view full results check out the link below!

Full Race Results

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The Baja 1000 marks the finale of the SCORE season and champions are either made or eluded with slim points margins. In Trophy Truck Andy McMillin won the race after looking strong and fast all day long at no surprise. Robby Gordon simply had to finish the race in order to be crowned champion. Easier said then done as lots of contenders never finish the race.

In class one the championship was up for grabs for any of the top 5 points positions going into the race. Armin Schwarz of AGM dominated the class all day long but wasn’t able to beat Jerry Penhall for the win. Randy Wilson finished 3rd in class and that gave him the points he needed to be declared Class Champion.

Follow our forum for post race drama stories. For official complete results follow this link to Baja 1000 race results

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LOORRS Saturday Results!

UNLIMITED 2
1. Leduc
2. Menzies
3. Ampudia
4. Adler
5. Evans

UNLIMITED LITE
1. Deegan
2. Brandt
3. Loerwald
4. Person
5. Wik

UTV
1. George
2. Vanbeekum
3. Anderson
4. Dempsey
5. Stokes

SUPERLITE
1. James
2. Harrah
3. Kirchner
4. Granatelli
5. Ward

LIMITED BUGGY
1. Fitzgerald
2. Fraley
3. Geiser
4. Quinn
5. Geer

UNLIMITED 4
1. Renezeder
2. Leduc
3. Cenni
4. Herbst
5. Pflueger

UNLIMITED BUGGY
1. Halliday
2. Morgan
3. Cheek
4. Job
5. Ronco

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