ESCONDIDO, CA – The SCORE Desert Challenge off-road race was held this past weekend in Plaster City, CA and Team All German Motorsports put the pedal to the metal and kicked up dust with the best of the best in the SCORE trophy truck class.
Starting off the line in 6th place, driver Armin Schwarz and navigator Bryan Lyttle battled fierce weather conditions on Saturday where the dust and wind literally had them racing blind. In addition to the weather conditions, this race which was a “short course” format, which required a different race strategy. Armin and Bryan decided to play it smart rather than just drop the hammer and hold on. This strategy proved to be a good choice as track conditions worsened as the race progressed. Armin and Bryan drove at a steady pace, where their consistency allowed them to hold their position and finish in the top five with a fifth place finish. Driver Armin Schwarz later commented “The poor visibility and changing terrain on a short course made this a challenging race. Thanks to the performance of our BF Goodrich Tires, Fox Racing Shocks and the excellent vehicle prep done by our team, made this top five finish a great achievement.”
Due to such poor visibility, SCORE officials decided that the second heat of the race be postponed until Sunday morning at 6:30am, hoping that the conditions would improve. During an interview Saturday after the race, navigator Bryan Lyttle commented “Unlike racing in Baja, there are no large objects like trees, cacti or boulders out here to use as reference points to aid you when racing in blinding dust. You really have to use your experience and trust your instincts.”
After reviewing important race data, the team discovered an electrical issue late in the race that cost them precious minutes. Team principal Martin Christensen said “Aside from this minor issue, the truck is running strong and I am confident that we can come away with a top five.” Needless to say, Martin’s prediction was right. On Sunday morning, Armin Schwarz and Bryan Lyttle took the AGM/Jimco X6 trophy truck and resumed battle. Unfortunately, track conditions did not improve as competitors were once again plagued with poor visibility. AGM’s rally racing style of navigating with pace notes allowed the duo to push hard and clock off consistent lap times, regardless of the track conditions and visibility. Continuing with the keep it steady and play it smart strategy, Armin and Bryan held their position and finished in fifth place.
With the trophy trucks new engine and suspension setup, the team looks to finally have their trophy truck dialed in. In a later interview, navigator Tyler Irwin commented “This race was used as a shakedown for the Baja 1000 and allowed us to further test our new equipment.” Was this recent performance a prelude of what we can expect to see from All German Motorsports? We’ll just have to wait and see. The team is back in their Escondido headquarters as they start to put all their efforts and focus on the next race…the Baja 1000.
About All German Motorsports
All German Motorsports strives to be the preeminent organization in every field we are involved in, through hard work, determination and a structured scientific approach. Whether it is racing in the desert, repairing vehicles or adding to our ever growing line of high end products designed specifically for racers. We are committed to providing to our team members, partners, customers and fans with the very best we have to offer. More info at: www.allgermanmotorsports.com.