2002 SCORE Tecate Baja 1000 MEYERS MANX TEST RUN IN LUCERNE VALLEY IS A SUCCESS!

The legends themselves, Bruce Meyers and Vic Wilson, years since the beginning of the long tradition known as the Baja 1000, were both on hand for the testing of the Manx project car. Aging only a few years, they will both drive the new Meyers Manx off-road car in a few days as they celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Baja 1000 off-road race.

SOGGY DRY LAKE - LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIF. - In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the SCORE International Baja 1000 off-road race, Bruce and Winnie Meyers launched a last minute project in hopes of competing in the historic off-road race. With the idea embedded in the minds of many, the Meyers' dream came together as they debuted the just completed Meyers Manx off-road editon of the famous dune buggy of yesteryear. Beginning in the 1960's, Bruce manufactured the famous Meyers Manx for reaching the remote surf spots of the Baja Coast. As an avid surfer and once again an auto manufacturer, this 76 year-old Baja legend has help lead the resurgence of the fiberglass dune buggy. The recreational fun vehicle is making a huge comeback, in this, the early years of this decade.

Company founder Bruce Meyers not only invented the fiberglass dune buggy in the early 1960s, but in 1967 also used his first Meyers Manx to break the existing Tijuana to La Paz motorcycle record with partner Ted Mangels. Their feat not only catapulted the dune buggy craze into an international phenomenon, but it also became an important catalyst in the creation of the first Mexican 1000 later that same year. Together with Mangels, Vic Wilson piloted a factory-backed Meyers Manx to victory at the inaugural Mexican 1000 in November of 1967, winning with an overall time of 27 hours, 38 minutes. Mangels would eventually become the designer and engineer of the Toyota PPI factory off-road truck team before passing away in 1999.

This personalized license plate just about says it all. Mr. Manxter, aka Bruce Meyers, although a legend, is one of the nicest guys I've had the fortune to meet. His ideas for light weight vehicle travel changed the path of off-road recreation. Throughout the world the Meyers Manx is popular.	Here, side-by-side, is the new and the old. The original Manx dune buggy driven by Bruce in the 1967 Baja 1000 on the right, and the new Manx 2+2 off-road version on the left, piloted by Vic Wilson. Parked on the ever so flat Soggy Dry Lake bed at dusk, it was a great way to end the day.

Spearheaded by Marty Fiolka of the The Rennsport Group, the off-road community joined forces to complete this factory project. Both SCORE International and Meyers Manx Company are excited about the factory Meyers Manx entry in the 2002 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Marty garnered support from many of the leading off-road manufacturers in support of this project. But, Jeff Quinn, the owner of McKenzies Performance, set the pace and offered everything and anything he had available to him. Rumor has it that Winnie has driven back and forth between Valley Center, California and McKenzies Performance, located in Anaheim, California, so many times she can do it in her sleep. Well, no more parts runs as the testing was about to begin.

The yellow Meyers Manx was spotted atop a car trailer enroute to the popular Lucerne Valley OHV area known as Soggy Dry Lake. With the temperatures in the high 60's low 70's, it was a beautiful clear day for the testing. Bruce and Winnie were joined in the desert by longtime friend and race partner, Vic Wilson and many from the Manx Club.

Originally set for Friday, November 10, 2002, the test date at Soggy Dry Lake was rained out. Yep, it even rains in the high deserts of Southern California. But by Monday morning, all signs of the inclement weather were gone and this was about to become a historic day.

Shortly after exiting the freeway for the jaunt to the Lucerne Valley, I spotted the brand new bright yellow Meyers Manx off-road vehicle on the car trailer being towed into a gas station. It wasn't very long before I was admiring what the off-road community had been waiting for. Wow! She was a beauty.

All the way down to the minor details, Bruce and his Meyers Manx crew had built a gorgeous car. What they had accomplished was a race car that would be a street-legal version of the fourseat Manxter 2+2 unveiled by the company this summer, and truly the first new dune buggy design in decades. In tribute to the company's early influence on the sport of desert racing and its most significant event, legendary pioneers Bruce Meyers and Vic Wilson will be listed as drivers of record for Meyers Manx at the upcoming race, along with a select group of journalists and members of the worldwide Manx dune buggy club.

The drivers, mechanics, and members of the Meyers Manx club who worked fervisherly to prepare for this day, ran the beautiful car through the paces attempting to "dial" in the car and test it before attempting to win the Baja 1000 in less then 2 weeks.	Jeff Quinn, the owner of McKenzies Performance, drove the vehicle several times in attempt to perfect the suspension for the factory Manx team. Jeff has extensive racing experience and was a major factor in the success and completion of this Manx dune buggy.

After some prepping by the Manx crew, Bruce was the first to sit behind the wheel and put the car through the drill. Bruce climbed over the short fiberglass driver's side wall, and after some adjustments, he was strapped in with the new style Crow Enterprise aircraft style racing seatbelts.

He fired up the fresh 1776cc motor and was down the road. Ten minutes later, he returned and said, "I'm delighted, it's better than I expected." Bruce commented that the suspension was stiff, but the steering was awesome and he had no oversteer. Of course, this car was set-up with only the best in performance race power steering.

Sporting a Howe Power Steering pump, the race set-up was the perfect match for the blazing yellow machine. After exiting the car, Mr. Manxter said the car had fabulous balance. Just what they will need to tackle the 1034 miles of tough Baja 1000 race course.

Project Manx team members, Joe and Fillmore, from the Manx Club, ripped off the front coil overs and replace the spring with a softer spring supplied by Marty Fiolka who was a huge help in this project. After the switch of these springs, the Manx sucked up the hits of Mother Earth more efficiently, allowing for faster speeds and better control.

This day provided the Manx Project Team with the much needed run in the dirt. After a couple hours of testing, they soon discovered that the shock towers were slightly twisted inward, possibly indicating the suspension was too stiff.

After a change in the front coil over springs and a re-charge of nitro in the shock, the softer spring seemed to put the machine on a better ride. Although, once back in the shop this week, as they finish preparing for race day, support brackets will have to be welded into the shock towers to provide the bracing needed to beat the Baja 1000 race course. The team of builders, led and watched by Bruce and Winnie Meyers, consisted of Jon Steinhilber and Joe Lowery with serious back up from Fillmore and several others from the Manx Club.

This team has given endless hours during the past two months while building this off-road legend in Jon's garage in Escondido, California. They have truly provided the spirit of success as they march toward November 20, 2002, tech inspection for the SCORE Baja 1000 in Ensenada, Baja, Mexico.

There the vehicle will be inspected by SCORE officials to determine it has been built to safe racing standards and regulations enforced by SCORE. However, with all the input from the off-road community, deep thought has been poured into this project by the experts from an array of off-road racing's finest.

Chances are, these guys will complete this race and triumph across the finish line in the same fashion that scribed them into the history books some 35 years ago. To join them at the finish line will be a list of legendary Baja veterans from the inaugural race, guys like the Jim Smith, the legendary Grinning Gargoyle.

Smiles, long hours, and much work have gone into this effort. Jeff Quinn summarized the effort by saying that he is happy to be involved in something of this size with the well-known legends that he has only read about. He said, "Seeing these guys working this hard at this project is why I'm involved and having them to run this race is what it's all about. Anytime you can bring back the history of the sport, that's where it is.

Being out here with these guys is just great." Jeff Quinn and McKenzies Performance are a huge part of the desert racing scene. For years they have been providing SCORE, BITD, FUDD, MORE and MDR race organizers with the much needed support to run these races. Without people like Jeff Quinn, these types of efforts would be much more difficult. Hats off to Jeff Quinn and McKenzies Performance for an awesome effort in all you do for the desert racing series.

The dedication and hardwork of all involved in this project will pay off in just a few days as the start of the 2002 Tecate Baja 1000 begins in Ensenada, Baja Mexico on November 21, 2002. This Manx entry will sport #1967 commerating the first year of the Baja 1000 and the beginning of a tradition that will last forever, thanks to legends as Bruce Meyers and Vic Wilson.

Off-Road.Com would like to take the opportunity to thank all the pioneers of the off-road desert racing series across the West. Names that ring a bell are names like Rod Hall, Larry Miner, Ivan Stewart, Jimmy Smith and of course, promoter and director of SCORE-International, Sal Fish, as well as many others not mentioned here. But they're all honored with the respect due them after 35 years of serious desert racing. Not only have they pioneered the way to desert race, but they led the way for the Baja Peninsula to support all those decades of safe and outstanding racing. Thanks to you all!

Stay tuned for the results and a wrap-up of the Manx Project complete with race commentary and interviews from the finish line in La Paz, Baja Mexico. In the next article we will provide you with a complete list of sponsors and manufacturers involved in this concerted effort of success for the Baja Manx machine.