Troy Herbst (pictured here with his daughter after their Nevada 2000 win), isn't resting on his laurels. He'll be back to defend his championship throughout the 2001 season, amidst growing levels of competition.

Walk softly, and carry a 785 horsepower stick. That sums up the philosophy of Troy Herbst. One of the brightest stars in the sport today, the Las Vegas businessman does his talking at the wheel of his Class 1 Unlimited Buggy, otherwise known as, "Truggy". And actions speak louder than words.

Herbst had a lot on his plate coming into the 2000 season. Not only would he have to defend his SCORE Class Championship, he was faced with two of the longest races the sport has ever seen; The BITD Nevada 2000, and SCORE Baja 2000. If that wasn't enough, brothers Tim and Ed would be campaigning an all-new 4WD Trophy Truck throughout the year, adding immensely to the workload of Mike Smith and the guys on the crew.

But then, Terrible Herbst Motorsports has never shied away from a challenge.

The season got off to a rough start in Laughlin, where ultra-rare parts failure kept both vehicles out of the winners circle, but it wasn't long before the well oiled Herbst machine was back on track and racking up win after win going into the Nevada 2000. With it's long, smooth sections, and seemingly endless silt beds, many felt Truggy was out of it's element.

"We didn't know what it would do," said Troy, "Truggy was designed for the rough stuff - the deep whoops, and the rough courses. That's where it shines."

With Hella HID's leading the way, Truggy entered Cabo San Lucas as the Class 1 winner of the SCORE / Tecate Baja 2000. Piloted by Troy and Jimmy Smith, the Terrible Herbst crew overcame several problems along the road to victory. Said Troy, "We've got the best crew in the desert!"

He needn't have worried. When the race was over, Truggy went on the trailer with the Class win, and the 4-wheel Overall to it's credit. Troy had taken on the worst Nevada had to offer and emerged victorious.

With the Nevada 2000 under his belt, Herbst set his sights on a "2'fer" - winning both the Nevada and Baja 2000's. Unlike the Nevada race, Truggy and Troy would be in their element. Both were seasoned vets of the peninsula, having won their share of south of the border events.

Teamed with another Baja veteran, Jimmy Smith, Herbst began pre-running the peninsula.

"We didn't have as much time to pre-run as we would have liked," Said Herbst. "We're opening a new Casino here in Vegas, and had a lot of business to take care of, so it really cut into the time we had down there.

"Once the pre-running got underway there were problems as well.

"Jimmy nailed a cow in the truck going about 90 MPH and just launched it. He picked the biggest animal in Baja and drove straight into it! We call him "Mr. Bull" now and the guys have been giving him all kinds of hell about it!" he laughed. " Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it screwed up the pre-runner pretty bad."

Once the incident was resolved, Jimmy and Troy were back at it prepping for the race.

Troy's co-driver Jimmy Smith is no stranger to the left seat, and played a big part in the success of the Herbst' Class 1 victory. Rumor has it that Mike Smith will be beefing up the bumpers on the pre-runner for the 2001 season. . .

"We wanted the Overall," said Troy, "and we knew that Ivan would be running balls out. We figured he'd hit it hard early and establish a solid lead. We were out to run a solid race and keep it together. As it turned out, Ivan's pace cost him the one thing he couldn't replace - the motor. We had a few problems as well, but our guys worked hard, and they never gave up. We cooked a couple rotors and lost 2nd gear after LaPaz.

"I have to give a lot of credit to our crew. These guys did an incredible job prepping the car, and keeping us going down the peninsula. There's no doubt in my mind that we've got the best crew in the desert."

Going into the Baja 2000, both Troy and fellow Las Vegan Bekki Freeman were tied in the points battle for the Overall championship. In the end, it was Troy and Terrible Herbst Motorsports that came out on top.

"I've got mixed feelings about that," said Troy. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled, and very grateful that we won the Championship, but I don't want to take anything away from Bekki. She did an outstanding job all year long, and we were tied right up to the end. It came down to points in class, and we ended up with a few more when the 2000 was over. It was really close, but then, that's what makes this fun!"

With wins in both 2000 events, the Class Championship, and the Overall Championship, he's won it all. There are those who'd call it "good to go" and hang it up on the highest of high notes. NotHerbst.

You'd be hard pressed to find a happier group of people on the Baja Peninsula. Wrapping up the the year 2000 with two class championships, an overall title, and victories at both the Nevada and Baja 2000 races, the Terrible Herbst Motorsports crew made the season one to remember.

"We do this because we enjoy it. We're very fortunate that we have the means to come out here and enjoy a sport that we love, and we're going to keep doing it just as long as it's enjoyable. I think Class 1 is really where it's at, and there's a lot of great drivers here to compete against. It used to be there were four or five guys at the top all the time. Now, there's any number of us that can win any given race. Plus, there are a lot of new cars being built for the class right now. It's going to get even more competitive over the next couple seasons. Then look at Trophy Truck. There were more Trophy Trucks in the Baja 2000 then there has been in a long time. I'd love to see that at every race. The trucks are out there. We can make it happen."

Troy's enthusiasm for desert racing is contagious.

"You'd be surprised at how many of the pavement guys would be out here in a second if they could make a living doing it. They just cant get over it - they love it!. I've taken a few out, and so has Robbie (Gordon). Who knows? One of these days...."

As he looks back over the B2K, Troy has a lot to say for the man who made it all happen - Sal Fish.

"You know, Sal takes a lot of flack from just about everybody, over just about everything. But the bottom line is that he's been there putting everything he has into these races. I'll tell you what, I wouldn't want his job for anything. The fact that he pulled off a race like the Baja 2000 just goes to show the dedication this man has toward this sport. He did a hell of a job."