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There were a lot of memorable stories that came out of the 1997 Baja 1000. Larry Ragland's record setting "3 in a row", Johnny Cambell's 2 wheeled desert dominance, the untimely death of Dave LaPraik during pre-running.......the list goes on and on. This is one of those stories, but this one is different. Really different. "Picture if you will, two men in the state of Maine. They have a vision. Drive a early Ford Bronco across the country to the Baja peninsula, enter it in the most brutal racing event the world has ever seen, run the race, and drive it home again". An episode of "The Twilight Zone"? No it really happened, and many of us who bore witness to this display of raw determination are still shaking our heads in amazement. The experience drew many in the racing community together, and took them back to a simpler time. A time when the trophy meant more than the Trophy Truck. A time of a true family sport. A time long behind us, yet one that could be again if only we would try. Brian Carver & David Irving became far more than an obscure team from Maine, they became the talk of the 1000. At the Award ceremony on Saturday night, as Larry Ragland took the podium to accept his well earned trophy, He asked the crowd if anyone had news of what became of the young men in their old Ford. His was a question on the minds of many, for word had spread through the event like wildfire after the pair appeared on contingency row Thursday morning. Few people thought they'd make it, others swore they would, but all admitted these guys had an abundance of "cajones". When Brian and Dave finally arrived at the awards, they were greeted with an ovation that topped Raglands, and Larry wasn't the least bit offended. I had the pleasure of spending a little time talking to these two brave souls from their homes in Maine, and it was a truly enlightening experience. 1976 Bronco Brian & Dave spent considerable time and money preparing the old Bronc for the long and torturous miles ahead. A rebuilt 289 C.I. Ford mill bored .040 over, and rebuilt drivetrain ensured solid, reliable power and durability for most any off-road excursion, but then, this was Baja. Having spent their share of time around the local drag strips, Brian & Dave know well the benefits of additional power, and went after a "little extra" without sacrificing that all important reliability. All the power in the world does little good when it leaves you broken down alongside the course. " We passed a few of those on the side of the road, and Ivan Stewart was one of them. It made us feel really good passing him!" The 289 sported 10-1 compression, roller-rocker arms, Crane cam, Edlebrock 600 cfm carb mounted to an Edlebrock intake. For the long haul, a 32 gallon fuel cell made the pairs fill ups few and far between. "A week before we left for Baja, we blew the engine. We put this one in a couple days before we left. It was brand new and didn't have any time on it. We broke it in on the way across the country. We like this engine, and we're going to run it again." Underneath the all stock body work, BFG Mud Terrain 30 x 9.5 x 15 tires provided the traction, and were bolted to the stock Dana 44 and Ford 9 in. axles. 8 RS9000 Rancho adjustable shocks and a 2.5 inch lift, via National Springs, provided the Bronco with a solid suspension. "We had the shocks set on 4, and we probably could have gone softer in a lot of areas. We were worried about bottoming with the small tires. We wanted to go bigger, but we had 3.54 to 1 gears. Next time we'll go with lower gears and 35 in. BF Goodrich tires. We didn't have any flats with the 30's, and we won't use anything but BF Goodrich." A 10 point roll cage and 1 3/4 inch - 5 point safety harness and window netting kept Brian and Dave safe in the event of a collision, but did little to protect them from the elements. Heater? What heater? In true pioneer fashion, Brian and Dave set out across the country, and into the unknown. With winter already upon the north east, the guys were faced with a long cold ride to the warmer climes of the west. The fact that the Bronco's heater was non-functional, and the truck being devoid of weather stripping didn't help their predicament. As the saying goes, "That which does not kill you, makes you stronger", and by the time they got to Vegas, driving and riding in their sleeping bags, these two men could only be considered "Bionic". "We drove with one leg hanging out (of the sleeping bag) for the throttle, plus we had extra blankets. We woke up one morning in Tennessee and the inside of the windshield was covered in ice. We had to wait for the sun to come up before we could leave" The trip to and from Baja was far from a direct route, as Brian & Dave took advantage of the trip to do a little sightseeing. Stops at the Air & Space Smithsonian in Washington DC, The Grand Canyon, Petrified Forrest, and the Hoover Dam gave them a chance to experience some of our country's national treasures. Loving Las Vegas The glitz and glamour of the Vegas strip has attracted people from across the world for a goodly number of years, and Brian and Dave were no exception. A stay at the luxurious "Excalibur Hotel and Casino" provided the pair a warm bed, a much needed break from the elements, and the last "good nights sleep" they expected to see for some time. While in Vegas, a stop at noted Bronco specialists KbarS for a replacement driveshaft left the guys with the needed parts, and a few new friends. "KbarS are great people. Real down to earth folks. I highly recommend them", said Dave. It had been quite some time since KbarS proprietor and Baja veteran John Karp had worked on a Baja 1000 bound Bronco, and it did his heart good. Patti and John from KbarS were likewise amazed and impressed. "These guys have a lot of guts" , said Patti. Mike could only nod his head in agreement. "When the factories got involved, off-road racing lost something" , said John, "These guys are doing something I haven't seen done in 10 or 15 years. It used to be a family sport, but what family can afford $300,000 to compete? It's just not the same." . With the Bronco back together, many words of advice, and a lot of encouragement, Brian and Dave set out on the last leg to Baja. Trouble in Mexico When the guys arrived in Ensenada, they ran head-long into the language barrier. Many veteran Baja racers speak at least some of the language, but Brian & Dave were not so fortunate. The simple act of getting the Bronco onto the starting line proved to be a major hassle. "SCORE didn't send us any info, so we went down there pretty much blind. When we finally found contingency, one of the Mexican Police refused to let us onto contingency row! I Tried to explain to the guy that we were racers, and we needed to be there, but he refused to let us go in". Eventually the problem was resolved, by Bob Bower, who escorted Brian, Dave, and the Bronco onto Contingency without further incident. It was an unlikely way to begin a friendship, but in Baja, anything can happen....and usually does. Good Sam's Dan Newsome and BF Goodrich took the guys under their wing, and went on to cover the pairs accommodations at the luxurious Estero Beach Hotel. "We had our picture taken with Dan and the truck, and he asked us where we were staying. We were camping in our tent, so he asked us if we'd like a room. We said sure! The room we got was more like a suite. It was great! We stayed there the night before the race and the night after. Dan Newsome is a really great guy, and we really appreciate everything he did for us." Brian & Dave returned that generosity, and spread their share of good will in Baja, pulling several stranded racers out of some pretty hairy predicaments, Dick Sasser, the "King of the Class 3's" among them. Along the way, Brian & Dave encountered very few (for Baja) problems.
. "After a while, the cactus began looking like people. We knew it was just from exhaustion, but it sure does get your attention!" Back on contingency, several members of the BFG Pit crew had placed side bets on Brian & Dave's ability to reach Checkpoint 1. There was a lot of money lost. "When we got to check 4, the BFG guys were psyched that we had beaten Ivan Stewart! They really cheered us on." "At one point, we were running 3rd in Class 3. Not 3 Sportsman, but 3 Pro. In the end, we "timed out" (didn't reach a checkpoint in the allotted time) and it resulted in a DNF., but we finished second overall in the points for 1997 Class 3 Sportsman. You cant beat that for our first time out!" Pikes Peak & Beyond With the Baja 1000 behind them, where will Brian & Dave go from here? Why, Up of course! The thrill of the Pikes Peak hill climb is next on the dynamic duo's agenda, and Dave's Jeep is in the final stages of completion foe an assault on the summit. "Pikes Peak is by invitation only, and fortunately a good friend of Dan Newsome is on the Pike's Peak Hill Climb Challenge committee. If the Jeep will pass tech, He'll make sure I'm invited." And what about another run on the peninsula? "BFG has agreed to give us our tires, and we're looking for more sponsors. We want to approach Rancho. We used their shocks, and they worked great all the way down, all throughout the race, and all the way home again. We're also going to approach a local radio station for a "call in" deal all the way down and back, with progress updates during the race as it happens." A big part of Dave's future involves the Peace Corps. Dave was scheduled to enter the Corps this fall, but had to pass up his chance in order to take part in the 97 Baja 1000. Like many jobs today, there are only so many positions to go around, but Dave is hopeful that another opportunity will present itself soon. "I spoke with the recruiter on the way home. There's nothing definite yet, but there's a good chance I'll be able to get in at the next availability. Joining the Peace Corps is something I've always wanted to do", Says Dave Taking the time to say "Thank You" From Brian & Dave ..."We'd definitely like to thank Dick Sasser & the Becker Brothers, Bob Bower, BF Goodrich & Dan Newsome. There's a lot of people who helped us, and we don't even know who they were. We'd like to thank the pit orgs. like MAG7 and Baja Pits, who gave us a lot of help even though we wern't paying them. They told us if we needed anything to just stop. They were all really great guys". While they may not have won, or even finished the Baja 1000, Brian and Dave accomplished something very special. They've shown us that with enough determination, willpower, and maybe just a little bit of luck, you can achieve your dreams, no matter how big or small they may be. |