Spend any amount of time in off-road culture and you are sure to hear about the big boys of the sport, be it Robby Gordon, Carl Renezeder, Tracy Jordan, Johnny Campbell, etc.  We are regaled with tales of their epic rides across the desert or their crawls over mammoth boulders.  What we don’t hear is how they started out, how they broke into the sport, what it was like in the beginning, what it was like when that little bug in the back of their brain that kept screaming “Dirt! Dirt! Dirt!” finally got so loud that they could ignore it no longer and they HAD to be out THERE (wherever “there” happened to be) every minute possible.

While not yet mentioned in the same company of those illustrious names mentioned above, “RumbleGoat Racing” has begun its life in the same way many of the stars of our sports have—at the grassroots level, from the bottom up, by a group of friends dedicated to a singular cause.

The RumbleGoat itself is a mythical, sombrero-wearing gila monster that spends its time chowing down on the better known Mexican Chupacabra, and a fitting title for an upstart desert racing team looking to take down larger and more accomplished organizations.

The name itself is the creation of RumbleGoat Racing’s Jose Ybarra (crew chief), who along with Don Healy (primary driver), Jim Moss (marketing manager), and Steve Walters (mechanic) make up the core of what is formally known as RumbleGoat Racing, LLC.  These four Eastern Washington-based off-roaders came together at their local off-road club (Tri City Peak Putters).  It quickly became clear to all of them that not only did they each possess a unique part of the puzzle that it takes to put a quality desert race team together but they each had the determination necessary to make it happen.

While all of the core members have extensive off-road experience (short course, motocross, BMX, mountain bike, etc.) it was desert racing that provided the biggest attraction to the team.  Throughout 2007 Don, Jim, Jose and Steve could be found at Best in the Desert races helping pit for virtually anyone who needed their help.  Driving 2,000 mile round trip in the span of a long weekend was a typical trip for these guys who never seem to sleep. 

Just how hardcore is this team?  Try this on for size: After agreeing to purchase the first vehicle for their newly incorporated race team, the core group of RumbleGoat Racing hopped into their Ford Excursion, drove non-stop to San Diego from the Spokane, WA area, picked up their Ford Ranger race truck, drove straight to the recent BITD race in Parker, AZ and set up at the midway pit, ready to help out Team Xterra Racing and anyone else who asked.  They worked the pit all the following day despite Team Xterra Racing’s early DNF, then, at close to midnight, packed up all their stuff and drove all the way back to Washington non-stop.  That’s Washington to San Diego to Parker and back to Washington, all in the span of 48 hours. Now that’s hard core….

Jim Moss and Don Healy (primary driver) resting at one of the pits they worked in '07 - running a race team is hard work!

Race teams (especially ones just starting out) unfortunately don’t run on just sweat and desire.  So, in order to make their dreams a reality, RumbleGoat Racing has had to be just as serious about the “work” end of the racing business as they are about the “play” end of it.  In fact, ask what RumbleGoat Racing actually is and you will be told that it’s actually a marketing company first with a severe racing addiction second.  To that end RumbleGoat Racing has chosen to run itself like a business from the very beginning.  From legally creating RumbleGoat Racing, LLC to acquiring adequate insurance coverage, not everything is fun and games. However, the view is that putting in the proper work now can avoid conflicts or problems in the future.  In addition to the mandatory cash contributions required of each founding member, everyone is given a specific roll that fits with their unique skill set and held responsible for getting those tasks done.  If any internal conflicts arise, the team defers to the individual in charge of that area, no questions asked.  RumbleGoat Racing, LLC is a real marketing/racing company and all involved intend to run it that way—efficient and professional…

It was with this background in mind that I sat down to talk with Jim Moss, the official “mouth” of RumbleGoat Racing, LLC to talk about the initial formation of the team and where their plans might take them.  What I hoped to take away from the conversation was a bit of insight into just what occurs during the initial moments of a racing team’s conception.

Now that's a face only a mother could love! Jim Moss, the voice of Rumblegoat Racing, gives us a brilliant smile and some insight into building a desert racing team.

Off-Road.com (ORC): What has been the most difficult part of forming a brand new team like RumbleGoat Racing, LLC?

Jim Moss (JM):  Waiting for the right things and people to come into line. Our team has great chemistry, but external factors like finding the right truck are very difficult.

ORC:  How did you end up selecting your Ford Ranger as the truck you wanted to race?

JM:  This was a tough one for us and it took nearly a year to get it nailed down.  We knew we didn’t want to race in an “open” class because we didn’t feel like we had the budget or experience to compete there.  Also we know we’re truck guys at heart, so we wanted to stay with something that had a body…That left the stock truck classes and Jeepspeed.  Jeepspeed is a great organization that has done a lot for entry level racers but we wanted to stick to the BITD races and be able to run for points in 2009.  We also decided against running a class 3100 (stock mini-SUV) because we didn’t want to be competing against Dave Blakely’s #3112 Nissan Xterra [as we] share pits with Dave’s crew.  That left us with class 4100 (stock full size SUV), 8100 (stock full size truck) and 7300 (stock mini-truck).  We simply evaluated the trucks available at our budget level that also met our needs for workmanship, safety, relevance and curb appeal.  The truck we ended up with had a few issues to work out in the drivetrain and electrical areas so we were able to come in under budget.  At the same time the fabrication work is spectacular and the equipment is top notch.  We also wanted to stay with a Ford product because of their extensive support system for race teams…all these things came together in this one truck—a 2006 Ford Ranger Sport 4x4.

ORC:  OK, so you’ve got your race truck - why race it in the Best in the Desert series?

JM:  This was truly a no-brainer.  Best in the Desert is the best organized, best run, sanctioning body out there.  Casey Folks has done a great job of publicizing the series to make sure that everyone gets exposure.  We also wanted to run long-format desert races exclusively.  Don’t get me wrong, other sanctioning bodies do a great job but BITD has everything we were looking for in one place.

ORC:  Prep work - is there a team boss that makes sure prep and testing is done on schedule?

JM:  Yes.  Jose is in charge as the crew chief.  We try to have prep and testing completed 3 weeks before a race to leave time for unexpected occurrences.  Right now, we're going testing in a couple of weeks.  We will then re-prep and make sure all of our ducks are in a row for the Terrible's Town 250.  Jose is a very thoughtful crew chief.  He is a perfectionist that makes sure things are as they should be.

ORC:  Anything surprising about the process so far?

JM:  So far, all our surprises have been positive.  For example, we didn’t realize how much attention the truck would get locally [despite being] 1,000 miles away from the closest race…

ORC:  So you don’t feel that being located in Washington versus the “normal” desert racing areas of California, Nevada and Arizona is any sort of disadvantage?

JM:  Disadvantage?  Heck no!  We love the drive.  We have a great time on the road and its always a new adventure.  We feel like our location is a huge advantage [as] we are a rolling billboard for our sponsors…we are introducing the sport of desert racing to a huge off-road market…People here love our truck [and] the community and local sponsors are behind us 100%.

ORC:  What locations are there in Eastern, WA for testing your race truck and how does it compare to the terrain found in Nevada or Arizona?

JM:  The terrain in Eastern Washington is very similar to the Nevada and Arizona deserts.  Sand, rocks, whoops…Most people don’t know that the Eastern half of Washington is primarily a desert complete with cacti and rattlesnakes.  We have both short course and open desert testing venues within twenty minutes of our shop.

ORC:  How do your significant others deal with your dedication/time away from home?

JM:  Speaking solely for myself, my wife, Lori, knows this is the realization of a lifelong dream.  She will go to around half the races and is very patient with the hours I put in.  I really try to put my family first and maximize the time I have at home to spend with my two kids.  I telecommute for my day job so when I am in town, I am generally at home or with my family.  It works out really well.

ORC:  Assuming no one on the team is independently wealthy what has the team needed to do to fund itself??  Is there a budget that has been created?

JM:  Our cash funding has all been out of pocket, but there are four of us that share expenses so it makes it a little easier.  We also are starting to work with marketing partners (sponsors) that are providing some products and services.  Goodyear, for example, is our tire sponsor and has been GREAT to work with.  State Transmission in Pasco, Washington, is also helping us out with the five speed auto in the truck.  We do have a budget, but it has to be pretty flexible because of the very nature of this business.

ORC:  Does the team expect to be able to turn this racing venture into a full time career?

JM:  Who knows what the long term holds, but we are very dedicated to the idea of marketing through motorsports.  Racing, in and of itself, will not pay the bills.  On the other hand, we will show that we are dedicated to promoting the brands of our sponsors and providing real return-on-investment to their companies through advertising, testing, promotion and our unique attitude about the sport.  However, nobody is quitting their day jobs any time soon!

ORC:  So how much time on average does each team member spend on the vehicle and team?

JM:  Right around 20 hours a week per person.  Along with our buddy (and pit boss) Kevin, we put in about 100 total hours a week on the team.

ORC:  Any recommendations for others who might want to form a desert racing team?

JM:  Yeah. Plan – and then plan for your plan not working. Reach out to people who have skill sets that you don’t have.  Be patient.  Do not cut corners even if it means sitting a season out.  Above all, be professional in your actions and attitude and expect the same from your fellow team members.

ORC:  What are the team expectations for ’08, ’09 and beyond?

JM:  ’08 should be a year to get some experience on the track under our belts. We expect to win the 7300 class points championship in ’09.  Longer term, we just want to keep racing as long as we can.

ORC:  Care to share the team’s famous Carne Asada recipe?

JM:  Are you kidding?  Don would kill me!  We always have plenty though, and there is an open invitation to come by our main pit for a tortilla full of it.  We cooked five pounds at this year’s Parker 425 and we’re planning on at least seven pounds for Terrible’s Town 250 (in April).

For More Info, visit:

Best in the Desert Racing Association (www.bitd.com)
Ford (www.ford.com)
Washington State Tourism (www.experiencewa.com)
RumbleGoat Racing (www.rumblegoatracing.com)
Goodyear Tires (www.goodyear.com)
State Transmissions, Pasco, WA (509-545-6625)