"Hey Carlos, when are we going to get to the course? This access road sucks!"

While many off-road VW enthusiasts have visions of climbing into the seat of a SCORE 5-1600 or Class 5 car, not many ever get the chance to realize that dream. Imagine my utter shock when Carlos Irib? invited me to co-drive for a lap in the brand new I.S.R.T (Irib? Superior Racing Technology) 5-1600 at the 1997 Parker 400. (For the full story on Carlos, take a look at An Interview With Carlos Irib?). Having more than a couple trophies from my career in snowmobile racing, I'm no stranger to competition, but, to put it bluntly, there's no comparison. Off-Road racing is in a league of its own.

What's it like? That's a question I have often wondered myself. While MTV, ESPN and others all have their extreme sport shows, perhaps they should spend a little more time covering Desert Races. This is as "Extreme" as it gets folks. Good old pulse pounding, white knuckle adventure at its finest.

In the last couple months since the invitation, everyone from ORC's head honcho, Pat Chicas, to the BFG (BF Goodrich) Relay team have been warning me about what I was in for. I've been asked, or told:

• "You're riding with WHO your first time? Do you know how fast he is?"

• "You must like pain."

• "Do you have any idea of how punishing those cars are?"

• "You DO realize why they call 5-16s "Desert punching bags" don't you?"

• "Take a couple Dramamine? first!"

• "Don't tense up when it gets rough, or you'll regret it later."

• "What time is the wake?"

• "Is your insurance paid up?"

• "You're a braver man than I!"

• "Where do we send flowers?"

• "Do you have any kids?" (yes) "Good, 'cause you won't be able to after this is over!"

Thanks guys! You're ALL heart.

The adventure began at the BF Goodrich pit, when Carlos and Gerrardo came in for fuel. I had been scheduled to get in the car on this lap, but a broken CV joint earlier in the race changed that. In an attempt to make up for lost time, a couple of front torsion leafs had been snapped. As a result, the car dropped its nose, and the rear was kicking up violently, over rough terrain. Gerrardo and Carlos were still trying to get the compression and rebound settings back in order, and I was moved back to the last lap.

Having my adrenaline level up so high resulted in my being "wired for sound" until the car came back on the last lap. Just as I was starting to mellow out and relax, the radio squawked. Carlos and Gerrardo were 15 minutes out from the pit, and I quickly got the helmet, gloves and kidney belt back on. With Danny Ledezma nearly an hour ahead in 1^st and Red Burgin hot on his heels in 2^nd, it appeared we would finish a solid 3^rd, with Frank Omboli over a ? hr behind us in fourth. Assuming of course, nothing happened.

When the car pulled in, Gerrardo jumped out and I jumped in. As you know, a VW isn't the roomiest car in the world, and when you add two men in full race trim to the mass of seats and roll cage, there is considerably less. Gerrardo strapped me in and climbed over me to attach the radio wire and fresh air hose*. The now 3 fully grown men in race gear made for tight quarters in the cockpit, reminiscent of the "how many people can you pile into a VW" games of old. With all systems in place and ready, I (and Off-Road.com) made our first foray into the wild world of SCORE Desert Racing!

*Editor's Note:

The air hose in question is attached to a "Parker Pumper" type, air filtration system. The Parker race has always been notorious for being dusty, and this system provides filtered air to the drivers and co-drivers helmets. The system is very effective, and has been incorporated into everything from Class 11 cars to Trophy Trucks. While the immediate benefit of fresh, clean air is realized, there are others to consider. Driver health and safety are improved due to less dirt getting into the eyes and lungs. A driver who can see and breath better is a safer, and healthier one.

The system consists of an air filter, electrically driven fan type "pump", air line (to helmet) and a specially made helmet (with an air hose coupler and distributed venting). They are mounted in the car, so as to be shielded from as much dust as possible, providing for continuously clean air flow.

After clearing the 45 mph "safety zone" of the pit area, Carlos gave me my first lesson in racing a 5-1600 car. Even with the car at 80% of its full capability, I'm here to tell you that they are awesome. Of course, the skill of a driver like Carlos makes all the difference in the world. Shortly into the course, we were passed by a Class 10, and Carlos' "car preservation" instincts clicked off. Pushing the car to its "currently limited" limits, the Bug held solidly with the 10 car for over 3 miles of moderate terrain. When the terrain turned into 4 foot deep ruts and whoops, however, the 10 car walked away from us. You can't argue with 20+ inches of suspension travel on a much lighter, and supposedly more powerful car. Oh, I guess you probably could, but it wouldn't do much good.

Although limited to 1600 cc, and geared for maximum overall performance and not pure "top end", Irib?'s 5-1600 is far from a slouch. On several smooth sections, the car hit speeds of 80+ mph. The Hatz built motor is a tractor at low revs, and holds the power well into the 6000 rpm range. It's hard to believe that a little 1600 could make that kind of power, but there it was. It's obvious why Don Hatz is legendary for his engine building prowess.

Back into the rough, we quickly overtook a Class 7s truck and a Class 9 that was a lap down. Carlos finessed his way through ruts that the big boys had carved into the course. Even with its 31?" BFGs in the back and its 27s in front, the car was dragging its skid plates much of the time. I began to pity the Class 11 drivers with their considerably less clearance, but only for a second, as my full attention became focused on a drop off, marked with 3 down arrows*, directly in front of us.

*Editors note:

SCORE uses arrow markers to signify the degree of difficulty of any given turn, hill or obstacle. 1 arrow is mild, 2 arrows are moderate and 3 arrows signify extreme caution should be exercised. You must also consider that when the course was marked initially, it was fresh and in good shape. With the continued passing of vehicles, an originally marked "1" can degrade into a "3", and an original "3" can (and often does) become something that will haunt your dreams for the foreseeable future.

It is said that there are two kinds of drivers: "those who lift" (off the gas in these situations) and "those who don't". Carlos is a "Don't". Being familiar with the course, he was aware of the sand wash on the other side. I however, wasn't, and I made my first mistake. I tensed up, and braced for the coming impact, which is something I'll never do again as long as I live. Rather than letting the harness and the Beard seats take the brunt of the impact, I transferred it directly through my spine. Next time I'll listen to the guys at BFG Relay.

Once in the wash, it was 3^rd and 4^th gear territory. The walls of the ravine whipped by in a blur, until we powerslid sideways onto a graded section of road leading to the check point. In my interview with Carlos, he had told me about checkpoints that he wouldn't take a 4x4 into, for fear of getting hopelessly stuck. This was one of them. While the road leading up to it was graded, the checkpoint itself was anything but. The hundreds of cars skidding to a halt, and then accelerating back onto the course*, had left the area "challenging" to say the least. Once again, Carlos' skill behind the wheel got us in and out unassisted.

*Editors note:

SCORE checkpoints are set up with stop and go lights (just like a normal traffic light). When the vehicle comes to the checkpoint, the red light is on and the vehicle must stop so that their number can be clearly seen and recorded by the checkpoint staff. Once recorded, the light turns green, and the vehicle continues on to the next check.

No two racers will see any given course in exactly the same way. As the race went on, I began picking lines through the course, mentally comparing notes on my "lines" vs. Carlos. It was obvious that Carlos and I saw the course quite differently. About 75% of the time, Carlos took the line I had pictured, but my "virtual" shift and brake points were off in comparison. As I said, this is nothing like racing on snow. While some principals are similar, their application varies widely. Roughly translated, I'd have got my clock cleaned. Not that this surprises me. (Or you <grin> ) but it provided a valuable lesson for me, none the less. Most rookies never get such an opportunity. I was fortunate.

There are many things one -can- do to get through any given area. Knowing which one gets you through the fastest, is the difference that only experience will provide. For example, over the course of a race, the track will develop a high middle ground as the tires dig deeper into the dirt. While many drivers stay in the ruts that are created, the faster route may actually be to ride the higher center and edge. Though softer, this route is often smoother, and allows for faster passage. Again, experience determines when to do it, and when to follow the beaten path.

Passing the crowds of fans at the Shea Rd. spectator area, we were greeted with waves and encouragement. The words and cheers were all but drowned out by the Hatz built 1600 singing its mechanical song. It's a great feeling to see people enjoying themselves that much, but it's safe to say that I enjoyed it a lot more. The fans' reactions renew your sense of purpose, and add immeasurably to the drive to keep going and win. It sickens me to think that the Environmental fringe wants to take it all away from us, but that's another story.

When we passed the "Baja Pits" pit stop, they radioed us to say that Danny Ledezma had won, and Red had finished second. In another few miles, we would cross the line in a solid 3^rd. Jokingly, I said over the in-car radio, "Hey Carlos, when are we going to get to the course? This access road sucks!" As quick with wit as he is on a throttle, he replied "Oh 8 or 10 miles". Those last few miles crossed us under AZ highway 95 and along the Colorado River. About 5 miles from the finish, we nearly hit the Class 10 car that had passed us earlier. He was broken down on the wrong side of a blind corner, and parked squarely in the middle of the narrow track. A quick left by Carlos into a heavily rutted area, saved us from a spectacular crash. It also saved the 10 driver's life, because for some reason. he was casually standing on the side of the car. I cannot believe he didn't hear us coming in time to move to safety.

The last 3 miles of the course were lined with more cheering fans. Some people say that the 80s were the heyday of off-road racing, but with the consistent increase of fan attendance and entries over the past several races, It's making a rapid comeback. It appears to me that the greatest days are still ahead of us. The finish line itself was a great example of that. We were greeted by several hundred people, including a few of Carlos' sponsors, who braved the chilly evening air, and the impending storm to watch the racers finish. Bear in mind, this is LONG after the "fan favorite" Trophy Trucks and Class 1s had finished. Cameras flashed, video whirred, hands were shaken, and congrats were freely given. After a couple of minuets of taking it all in (and loving every minute of it (grin)), we were then escorted to tech, where the car once again checked legal. Although the Irib?s were the 96 champions at Parker, It looked like 97 was to be a 3^rd place showing. That is until we were told that the #2 car had been DQ'ed. We had finished the Parker 400 in 2^nd place! After tech inspection, and back out into the crowd, Irib?'s long time friend and SCORE C.E.O., Sal Fish brought over some "liquid refreshment", as we were photographed in the winners circle.

Overall, it was the experience of a lifetime. The literally "inside" view into the world of off-road racing alone, was something I'll never forget. The real surprise however, came on Sunday at the awards presentation. When Carlos and Gerrardo went up to accept their award, they took me with them, presented me a trophy and announced me as the newest member of the I.S.R.T. - Irib? Racing team ! This wasn't just symbolic, I'm now an active and functioning member. Who would'a thunk it ?

With any luck, I'll be back in the car for the San Filip? 250, and you can read all about it here in the virtual pages of Off-Road.com!