Contingency brought on the strong winds of the west,
creating a dusty scene for all those who braved the wind-swept rows
of the Laughlin Desert Challenge contingency and technical
inspection. With the scene we witnessed, there's no doubt that
off-road racing is alive and well in Laughlin. And with the heavy
entries that have amassed for the season opener, the stage is set
for a weekend to remember.
ORC and the Trackside Photo crew will be waking up at
the crack of dawn to bring you the action. Stay tuned for updates
of all the action throughout the day tomorrow. Who knows, we may
even have some video clips at the end of the day for those of you
aren't fortunate enough to be here. Until then. . .
$10,000 SCORE Pit Crew Showdown
Open Wheel Division
Pos. Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Time, Purse
1. Ken Stroud, Alpine, Calif., Raceco-VW, :48.35 seconds
($3,000)
2. Jason Lakin, El Cajon, Calif., VW Baja Bug, :57.22 ($1,500)
3. Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford, 1:00.43 ($500)
TruckDivision
Pos. Driver, Hometown, Vehicle, Time, Purse
1. Rick D. Johnson, Barstow, Calif., Ford F-150, :56.66
($3,000)
2. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 57.22 ($1,500)
3. Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, Chevy Silverado, 1:12.50 ($500)
The Rick Johnson
Protruck crew cranked up the heat on the Laughlin Desert Challenge
Pit Crew Competition, earning a first place and some $3,000 in
loot.
And you thought
the days of Class 11 were numbered. NOT! A handful cruised through
contingency and tech inspection today. The Tecate-sponsored VW of
Mario Flores hopes to bring his championship ways from the CODE
series and apply them here in SCORE. He's already clinched several
SCORE Baja victories, but he wants more. His hope is to end the
reign of Eric "El Rey" Solorzano and bring honor to the Red
Can.
I'll tell you
from experience, you've got to be crazy not to have a set of
Bilstein Shock Absorbers on whatever it is you drive. And for those
who are just that crazy, Bilstein debuts the shock that's going to
rock the off-road world. Although the bypass shock has yet to
actually be named, we're hearing that the 5100 Series-based shock
should wear the 5150 name plate. Because, you'd be crazy not to
have a set on your rig.
Anyone up for
some Steamin Hot Cow Pie??? Believe it or not, the shack had some
good grub on the menu and kept a hefty line of hungry race fans
satisfied all day long.
The PCI Race
Radio trailer was a hot spot for lively conversation today. Among
the big news items of the day was the rumor of a top secret and
totally new BFGoodrich project tire to debut tomorrow. We'll be
sure to keep you posted.
Among the
wind-swept scene on contingency row this afternoon, Howe
Performance Power Steering stood center stage to those looking for
power steering units or simply snooping through some of the
autographed posters by such off-road racing stars as Damen
Jefferies (above), Mike Julson, and the rock crawlers of UROC's
World Championship SuperCrawl.
It was tough to
get in a shot of the Fabtech Ford F-150 without a huge crowd in
front of it. Clad in some sweet seats, an incredible sound system
and four KC HiLites HIDs for those raging nights in Glamis or the
long haul in Baja.
We won't mention
the name of the person we believe to be the model and inspiration
for this Racers Only T-shirt, but it was epic and it took place
right here in Laughlin several years ago. No doubt, Rory Ward of
Racers Only is one of the greatest off-road racing lifestyle
artists of our time.
Remember the
Mint??? There are a number of those in the off-road race world who
hunt down old race related memorabilia. Bill Thompson of Carrera
photography had these on display and is hocking them for some 70
bucks a piece.
The Laughlin Desert Challenge brings out the best,
including the world famous Fentons, some of the most hardcore race
fans to roam the desert. Here, Mom and Dad Fenton are seen with
granddaughter Fenton, who's modeling the all new state-of-the-art
Dirt Bagz off-road race stroller.
This ain't just
an ordinary stroller, this is the Dirt Bagz Desert Racer stroller.
Although it's not sporting BFGs or massive 9100 Bilsteins, it does
sport an ice chest and a huge storage compartment for all those
desert racing needs, including diapers. Remember, this is only a
prototype.
The hill has been called many things. But one thing
it's never been called is closed. You may know it as Poor Man's
Hill. It's the hill overseeing the pits and start/finish line. The
view and opportunity to catch the latest race action is tough to
beat this vantage point, but this year, it seems that it may be
closed, certainly disappointing thousands of off-road race fans who
made the trek to Laughlin. This evening and last, law enforcement
officials have been patroling the hill. Why? They're siting safety
concerns and are towing away all those who attempt to take the
hill. As we understand though, it may be open for race day.
It's just the way of life. Off-road race fans, such
as these we found wicking it up in the elevator of the Flamingo,
converge to Laughlin for the time of their life. The casinos, the
bars, the off-road race stars and some seriously fast off-road
racing is much to their delight.
Off-Road Videos - Check out over ten years of extreme 4x4 action, product testing and the Off Road Nation at play. Baja racing to rock crawling, ATVs in the sand to motorcycles in the dirt, it's all here. Rate them, share them and upload your own.
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