The best thing about desert racing?

[btshannon]

Okay, I don't know if this subject has been discussed before, as I am a relatively new to this computer stuff, so here it is: What is the best thing about desert racing? Is it getting up too damned early? Is it sleeping in sleeping bags inside of a pickup truck cab (or bed if the weather is nice)? Is it those unpleasant desert boogers? It can't be cleaning all of those empty beer cans out of the back of the truck. Is it the sunburn?

I say it's the food! There is nothing better than a well marinated cut of meat cooked over an open flame. I'm hoping to try something new at the Cal 200 next weekend. Maybe a beercan chicken or two? Besides cooking and drinking, I will also be out and about chasing, and repairing the Uff Da 2.0 Grandma hauler, and if I can find the time I may go visit Randy on the top of "his" hill and tip a few of his silver cans.

These are just my plans for the weekend, I'd love to hear what everyone else has planned (for dinner and beyond). Things have gotten a little boring lately, so, let's stir it up a little.

My own taste for the hops is very powerful, and I had no intention of spending a beerless weekend...

 

[Gabe Lara]

The sight and sound of a TT floating over 3 foot whoops, doing 90mph....
A 10 car flying off a 6ft drop without the driver lifting...
Protrucks within seconds of one another in a race...
The smell of the fuel...
Everyone willing to give a helping hand when its needed...
The look on a drivers face when his car crosses the finish line for the checkered flag...
Cold cervezas and fish tacos in San Felipe...
The look on my co-workers faces when I tell them what I did over the weekend...

All of the crazy friends I've made over the years that are as passionate as I am to drive 100's of miles to see the magic that is desert racing!

-Gabe

 

[martininsocal]

Re:best thing?

The best thing? Besides beating a tough course and finishing has to be the people. You can take a car with a flat tire and people you have never seen before in your life are willing to give you the spare tire off their girlfriends hyundai if it will get you to the finish. Really. Peopel will go out of their way to make sure the racer gets fixed, helped, fed, etc... It truly brings outthe best in people. One of my all time favorites involves the Checkers at Lucerne. After a particularly long day with so many flats we ended up driving abouy 20 miles with only to good tires, the Checkers, who had no spares to fit our truck, did the next best thing and fed us. Total acknowledgement that they were out there to make sure everyone who was trying their best to finish a race would in some way be taken care of by those guys. Didn't matter if we were Checkers or not, they were desert racers first and foremost. Said it all. That is why this sport is so great, average people trying to do extraordinary things and sometimes being successful. Everyone is approachable and everyone understands the sacrifices being made to participate. That is what is best about this sport.

If your gonna go, go BIG

 

[Kritter]

Re:best thing?

The big HPs roaring by, the huge roost thrown by a TT, the hot sun, big groups and families, bonfires, all the people out there enjoying the dez, the feeling of a victory, agony of defeat, and the all the beers drank with friends.. both new and old. KNowing that no other motorsport can match desert racing!

Kris
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dmsrace.com>www.dmsrace.com</A>
"Jesus loves you, everybody else thinks you're an A-hole"

 

[Steve_HKmtrsprts]

Re:best thing?

Sitting in the hot desert and the waiting for the sight of a helicopter chasing a TT. The anticipation of seeing the TT or buggy dancing over the whoops and the roar or scream of the motor as it passes and the calmness and wind blowing the dust out of the way after it has passed, looking at your friends with a huge smile on your face as you take another bite out of that lunchmeat sandwich and take a swig of water and start bench racing with others near until the next racer blows by.

 

[erikh]

Re:best thing?

I love seeing the class 11's getting ready for a long 1000 mile beating knowing that they don't have the most high tech, fastest ride but are going to give it their best no matter what. That's impressive. That type of devotion and passion makes me want to get a bug and jump into racing.

I also like seeing how people can find so many ways to spend their money. $200,000 for a truggy you're just going to beat on? Wouldn't it be nice?

Oh, and the Super Burritos in Ensenda or the fresh, homemade tamales from some woman on San Telmo Road. You can't beat good Mexican food.

erik

 

[havahockey]

This also applies to just going out in the desert, but the best thing about offroading in general is sitting around a fire at night in the middle of the desert talking for hours on end about which shock is better and why we all have credit card debt but don't care!

 

[ntsqd]

Re:best thing?

Reading thru all of these I find I'm agreeing with each. So, you're all right. The best thing about Dez racing is Dez racing.



TS

"It only seems kinky the first time"
-- Bumpersticker seen in Lost Wages

 

[schafer]

well i say its a few things

1. the smell of race fuels in the morning while sleeping in the back of your truck.
2. the sight of a truck driving so smoothly over such hard terrain,
3. (slow motion vids) the suspension cycleing giving away its beutiful secrets (you know what im talkin about)
4. the crowd, i havent really been apart of anything with the race series, however a few ppl know me for different reasons, and i gotta say this crowd is one of the most helpful i have been around yet, everyone is willing to give advise or help another person out when in need, and thats just TOO COOL.

Corey Schafer
tmcorey@ttora-socal.com

 

[John Bitting]

For me its the people. There are tons of people I only see at Tech for Score races. People live all over the states but you know at tech everyone will be there. To take half a day walking up and down saying hi to everyone that you only see every month and a half is great. Then on race day, being with the boyz, you seem so far away from civilization and nothing else matters, its just you your close friends watching a race with no worries. I dont care if it is a 9 car or a TT, they are all killer to watch. There is something to be said about a calm quiet moment when it just laughter and good times to all of the sudden be drowned out by a helicopter and a roaring Trophy Truck bringing everyone to there feet cheering like crazy, giving thumbs up, high fives and asking who got it on video and just like before the truck came everyone goes back to laughing again. Dezert racing rules.

 

[Marshall]

I have to second " the smell of race gas" oh so sweet. And shared interest, just the fact that everone who is spending there weekend in the hot,dusty, middle of no were, is there because they love to go fast in the dirt. And last but no least, I love to build and tweek, not to many sports that you can build,build, and build and still go break it. God bless America and the Dez!

 

[rdc]

LIKE: the feeling like you've escaped from everything and have left all your worries behind! Hangin out with people who wanna wrestle or messin with all the guys that are on their 3rd 6 pack. Exploring uncharted territory and camping out underneath the stars or even occasional fireworks. DONT LIKE: getting lost for hours on end or ranger visits ! I could picture everyone on this board still going out when they're around 80, with canes and electric scooters, false teeth and beer bellys b/c everyone knows there is no cure for desert addiction!

 

[JCA]

Oh yes I love everything mentioned above but my favorite thing is the first after race beer. I love talking with everyone right after the race, no matter if I finished or not. If I did not finish I am pissed but I know I gave it my best shot and hopefully (and always have up till now) learned something to make me that much better. I absolutly love the after race beer when you sit and talk to everyone about their race and how their day went as well as talk about my day..

J.C. Andrews
Andrews Racing
www.andrewsracing.com

 

[shrek]

The feeling after you just made someones day, weekend, month, or season because you were quite unitentionally in the right place at the right time in the middle of nowhere with a couple of hundred dollar welder. Then he offers you money and you just scream at him to get the hell out of here and win!! And, the fact that when you are that guy in the middle of nowhere broken that he would stop and see if you were ok.

Sitting around the campfire telling the same stories that you have told for as long as you can remember and your friends that are truly interested in your story not because it is so great, but because you love to tell it so much...............
Waking up to the first hot lap down main pit at barstow...................
That first beer after a win........................


Hearing that everyone has come home safe and sound after a weekend of doing what they love to do so much.........................

I love this sport!!

Racing isn't everything.............it's the only thing!!!

 

[kurt]

Yes - the after race beer, there is none better! Sitting, relaxing, talking with everyone, it doesn't get better then that. The people make the sport, because we all have the 1 common goal of beating the elements, whether your racing, chasing, pitting or spectating, everyone has a story to share!!!!

 

[Mike_McCluskey]

The sweet sounds of Scat V-4's, big hp V-8's, high strung class 10 & 1600 motors. Getting pummeled by rocks when the TT's go by and their BFG's are digging trenches as they go. The desert makes a PBJ&D (peanut butter, jelly and dirt) sandwich taste good. They "Red Neck" tan you get from working the pits or being a "pro spectator". And probably most of all the people. Best bunch of folks anywhere.

 

[Tom_Willis]

Standing between the TT's at staging, directing trucks worth more than my house into starting order, smelling the race gas, talking to guys who are willing to roll the dice and see if they make it to La Paz, listening to the RRRRumble of an engine that can pull a tree out of the ground, being able to see the technology up close, getting to see myself on RDC (thanks guys!) it's all pure woody to me! I miss seeing the cars at speed, being at Start/Finish, but I get to see how huge the crowd is, how significant the event is to a city like Ensenada.