Highest Rated Blog Posts
-
I don't have enough!?
- From: Younggun95
-
Description:
" What happens if we dont have enough?" That was the question we just found ourselves asking the attendant at a toll booth in northern New York.
When we went through the first booth we were utterly confused. We pulled up to the attendant in the little box in our semi, leaned most of our body out the window to reach them, they handed a small ticket sort of thing to us, and said have a good day. We took that as our clue to take off. That was it, no directions for what to do with it or anything. We were left to ponder the next few miles what the hell we were supposed to do with that ticket. All we new is that it said something about being in trouble with the law if you lost the ticket. When we finally exited the interstate we went through another toll booth and luckily we saw the person in front of use hand them their ticket so we knew what to do with it. This time they asked us for about $9. We had enough cash to handle that. The next morning though we went a lot farther down the interstate. When we finally got back off almost 5 hours later we thought we had heard the person wrong. They were asking us for $40! They wouldn't even take a credit card from us. We dug around in our pockets for a while, and only came up with $26. They ended up taking our money and our license plate number, and sending us off with another ticket saying how much we owed. Luckily they gave us directions this time.
You would think chargin people that much the roads in NY would be amazing. But nope. They've been just as crappy as IL, OH, PA, MI and all the other states weve been through.
Lesson: Never travel in NY without a buttload of cash!
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 501
-
Dillon Zimmerman involved in s
- From: PowersportsEditor
-
Description:
I spoke to Ty Zimmerman of Motoworks this morning regarding Dillon (Ty is the team manager & father of Pro-AM rider- Dilon ZimmermanBakersfield, Ca- 6/16/09: Dillon Zimmerman the #49 in WORCS ATV Pro-AM was involved in a horrible accident at Speedworld this past weekend at Rnd #4 of the ITP Quadcross series. Dillon pretty much suffered all major breaks to his right side of the upper body.
"Dillon had a bad one for sure. He broke all 9+ ribs, scapula, completely deflated & collapsed his lung and suffered major damage to his right kidney. He is still in ICU and here in Phoenix and we will know more later on his situation this week. He had some internal bleeding as well and they are trying to control that at this time with blood transfusions. He is short breathing, so they will be doing an epidermal which will freeze around the lung which will allow him to breathe more instead of taking these short breaths. Please keep my boy in your prayers as this is a difficult time for the family and team" Ty Zimmerman of Motoworks
Cards can be sent to the following address:
John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital- Att: ICU- Dillon Zimmerman: 250 E. Dunlap Ave. Phoneix, AZ 85020-2914
Jason Reed- WORCS Public Relations
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 1084
-
Blog Your Summer
- From: Ultimate Off-Roader
-
Description:
Wanna be a blogger?
We want to hear where you went this summer, see what you did, feel those rocks and mud beneath our own toes. Share some new trails you found for the first time, thank people that helped with a tug when you needed it, write down those memories before you get old and forget them.
Right here in the My.Off-Road Community, set up your profile, talk about where you are going to go, what you have planned; then come back and tell us how it went. You can easily include photos and video too.
Here's the most important tip -Be sure to "tag" your blog, photos or video somehow. Join a Group and tag them there, select a category, enter specific key words or tags in the description. Something. Otherwise, your blog and photos end up unsorted and they eventually disappear.
Include the tag Trail so they'll be picked up in our Share the Adventure section (brought to you by Goodyear and the Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar, thank you very much!).
You can also post your favorite photo and tag it with MyRide, so it gets picked up by our 4x4 Readers Ride gallery.
Then tell all your friends and family where your Blog lives (if you want us to help you figure out how to get a list of only your Blogs or photos, we can do that.) Let them follow along with your adventures, your summer fun. Make us all jealous!
Hint - Blogs are opinion or editorial pieces, about 100 - 300 words long. They are not a quick, short question. Post those in the Discussion Board.
Ready, set, BLOG!
- Blog post
- 5 months ago
- Views: 232
-
Baja Mission Control
- From: jburns
-
Description:
So, this has been my home today since 6 a.m. It will be my home until probably 6 a.m. tomorrow. It is the command station. Mission control. The war room. Whatever. It looks pretty fancy, right? It's actually really, really cool that BFGoodrich put this room together for the Baja 1000, because we have more access to information and data than arguably ever before. We also have WiFi and direct LAN Internet connection, so we're able to bring stories, updates, photos, videos and more live and direct from here in Ensenada, Mexico. Anyway, I figured it was about time to show y'all what's going down on my end. This is my home. I'm glad they feed me.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 575
-
A Letter of Best Wishes to Tea
- From: DirtSports1
-
Description:
Dear Greg Foutz and Steve Olliges:
It is my understanding that that you will be inviting my Off-Road.com colleague, Craig Perronne, to ride with you in the racing version of the new Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, which you have built to tackle the mother of all off-road races, the 41st running of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.
First let me say that I am very impressed with your endeavor, which I understand involves a certain degree of backing from Ford Motor Company. You are certainly going to demonstrate the abilities of the F-150 SVT Raptor, which I’m told is basically little more than a thinly disguised Full Stock truck set up to race Class 8. I think it is incredibly noble that you have retained all of the production body and powertrain in the race truck, which tells me that you must have a great amount of faith in the performance and reliability of the componentry that Ford has incorporated into a vehicle that is for sale to the public. The new 6.2-liter V8 must make solid power, and with a track width that is seven inches wider than on the stock F-150, and with the position-sensitive Fox internal bypass shocks found on the production truck, I – as well as others, I’m sure – will be watching with great interest to see how well the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor performs in your capable hands.
But my concern is not the capabilities of either the truck or your proven abilities in the Baja racing environment, but rather the capabilities of my, ahem, friend Perrone, who has drawn the task of riding with you in the Raptor. And I’m not the least bit bitter about that. Oh no. Not me.
It is in the spirit of not being bitter or envying Craig’s “assignment” in any way that I feel it incumbent on me to warn you about the following tendencies that I’ve noticed when traveling with Craig. Knowing these things ahead of time may help you in your quest for a solid finish in the world’s most watched off-road race.
1. Craig has a bladder the size of a raisin. He will be constantly asking you to stop so that he can tinkle.
2. Craig screams like a girl on rollercoasters.
3. Craig will ask you to stop several times so that he can photograph hot Asian women.
4. Craig constantly whines about being hungry and then cannot make up his mind about where or what he wants to eat.
5. Craig is a very savvy mechanic, but he likes to break things just so that he can show people how good he is at fixing them.
6. Craig has gas.
7. Bad gas.
8. Craig is a backseat driver.
9. Craig constantly needs to be told not to play with the GPS.
10. Craig is very unwilling to “flip” to see who pays the traffic ticket.
Let me reiterate: I’m not at all bitter that Craig has been selected for this assignment rather than me, your humble, humble servant and friend to the end. I would’ve thought that the bribe … er … contributor checks that I floated to you through our editorial budget would have afforded me the opportunity to ride with you, I see now that was not money well spent. Um, so can we please keep that between us? After all, that is why I have sent you this communique via our top-secret messaging system. God knows I don’t want anyone to see it, least of all my good buddy Craig.
Please take along my sincerest best wishes for good luck in Baja with the new Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. I will be embedded with another team, but I will be watching your effort with great interest. Honestly, I hope that you kick major ass in your class. However, if you should feel the need to pull off the road, throw Craig out, strip him of all his garments and beat him senseless with your crash helmets, I say just go right on ahead. I don’t think anyone will miss him much.
On second thought, don’t beat him up. Someone has to write about how well you guys are doing.
All the best,
Scott Rousseau
Bucket Brigadier
Off-Road.com/DirtSports
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 831
-
Rick Sieman - Don't Ask
- From: PowersportsEditor
-
Description:
Every month, our dirtbike section burns up the line with Rick Sieman's "Don't Ask" column. If you haven't read it before, you are missing out. 2 parts grouch slapping people for not using proper grammar, 2 parts grouch slapping people for asking stupid questions, amid a whole lot of technical motorcycle expertise, stirred together with a healthy dose of vintage nostalgia and bench racing.
This month, it has spilled and overflowed, so we thought we'd bring you a sneak peek here first - look for the full column on the Off-Road.com Dirtbike Editorial site April 1. But for now, enjoy. And beware!
DON’T ASK!
QUESTIONS ANSWERED, INSULTS HURLED, LESSONS LEARNED
***
DIRE WARNINGS AND THINGS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW
If you choose to email a question to this forum, then you must conduct yourself accordingly. Therefore, the following rules are in order
1. Do not write your email to me IN CAPS. If you do so, I will print out your question and do terrible things to it.
2. Do not request a personal email response. Since I get thousands of questions each month, trying to answer them all would cut deeply into my leisure time, which I value more than your current state of confusion.
3. Try to spell at least in a semi-correct fashion. If you choose to mangle the English language, expect no mercy from this quarter. You might be mocked severely.
4. Do not ask for me to send you copies of my many manuals and literature. I am not in the library business, nor do I want to spend the bulk of my day at the copy machine just because you're too lazy to ask your dealer, or look around a bit.
5. Don't bother me with truly stupid questions, like how to get 50 more horsepower for a buck and a half
6. Now that you know the rules, think carefully and have at it!
Oh yes … I’ll leave your email unedited, for what it’s worth.
***
SUBJECT: BUILDING YOUR OWN DIRT BIKE
Im a 10 year old boy who loves to ride dirtbikes. I have a project Im working on. I have an old dirtbike frame and I have an old leaf blower that runs. I want to put the leaf blower in the dirtbike frame and I cant figure out how to rig up the throttle. Do you have any sugestions that might give me an idea for this project?
J. Ryeley
This called for some comments from Matt Cuddy, who has built more weird dirt bikes that any person alive. The fact that he's still alive is mute testimony to his skills in this department. Read and learn:Very good idea there my 10 year old friend, but you didn't mention what type of frame you have, so I will have to think it's a standard mini-bike frame.
The big problem with leaf blower motors is they are very small (about 30cc) and once you get the fan cage off, you'll see that the crankshaft end that's sticking out of the case is tiny, about the size of your pinky finger, and almost impossible to mount any type of clutch or sprocket to.
Also, there are no "motor mounts" on the tiny motor to speak of, and the best bet would be constructing a motor mount that bolts to the case halves, and the bottom of the frame. Too much work, for too little power from that itsy-bitsy motor.
I suggest you find a five horsepower Briggs & Stratton laying around somewhere (a 3 & 1/2 horse works too) and your problems will be solved, as there are thousands of places where you can buy parts for the Briggs, and even more places that sell clutches, throttles, hop-up kits, etc.
While your idea on using a weed-blower motor is sound in thinking, in practical application it would be almost impossible to mount, and the low horsepower from the tiny little two stroke would hardly move you and your bike at the same time.
Go with a Briggs & Stratton, or if you're really into technology, an over head valve 4 HP Honda. Please keep us updated on the project, and maybe we'll run a full report on it, in the dirtbike section of Off-Road.com.
***
SUBJECT: REMEMBER MUNTZ CYCLE PARK?
Hey Rick!
I called you a few years ago. What a phone bill! You were still in Mex. Just wanted to thank you for Dirt Bike Magazine. I bought the first few issues, then here and there bought more. Shouda kept those first ones. Hope you are doing well. Remember Munts Cycle Park? Did it become Valley for a while? I rented some s**tbox Suzuki one time. ran like a...well...a rental dirt bike! Handled like wheelbarrow with a flat and only one handle!
I would have "ghost rode" it down that gnarly hill climb, but it couldn't make it up the back way. Wasn't the first bike to make it up that hill a dirt bike with a Kawasaki H500 triple in it? I heard the first bike to make it up was going to get $500 (the rider) Remember any of that? Right across from the Simi Drive-in used to be a Dunecycle rental track. Got kicked out 'cause my friend and I got to the very rear of the course and stayed there too long shooting around instead of just making the lap.
Well, I've read "MONKEY BUTT" at least 5 times, now. A very educational read. All dirt-bikers should buy it! All true, too! (?) I grew up in Thousand Oaks, California from '57 to '73 when I graduated H.S. and went into the Army. What a great time to be off-road! Also, I heard someone was looking for info on the Chris Cycle. A friend had one. It was cool! not quite a Hodaka powered Bonanza, but it still ran good. Had a long, chrome gas tank, a real clutch and i think a 4 speed. Made in Italy, I think.
Well, hope to hear from you and/or read your answers in "DON'T ASK". By the way, was my grammar and/or spelling okay? Take notes, mini-riders, It can be done. My skool musta ben gooder then yurs.
Dave Fruhling
Gold Hill, ORWow, your email brings back a lot of memories. Muntz Cycle Park got renamed Valley Cycle Park and it used to be a great place to ride. Hang on to that first copy of DB, as it's going for around $200 now. Your spelling was "way gooder" than normal.
***
SUBJECT: WHICH BIKE SHOULD HE GET?
Hi Rick,
I was wanting a newer kx 500 kawasaki, I like them alot ,but i dont know if i can get on one as Im 5'10 but 30in, in the seam,? do i get an oplder bike and fit on it rick or do i get the kx and have it adjusted if its possible,? I was looking at the older 73 maico 400's in orange and the older 74 yamaha 250,360 mx's,too, I mean if i could fina an older maico id get it but ive heard about the thing on parts and pieces falling off but i still like them they were really something and handled really good, please help me Rick on this ok, im 48 and getting back into riding ok, thanks alot
kirk c.
Alton, KSIf you're just getting back into riding, then consider a KDX 200, most any year in the last decade. They're great bikes and very reliable. If you want to race vintage and reliability is the prime issue, consider a CZ. Stay away from the KX500. In my opinion, it's a poor bike.
***
SUBJECT: ELSINORE OR PURSANG?
Rick
I have found a one owner 79 elsinore $2500,,, Also, a 75 Pursang, same price , this is 175cc frame with 250 top end... whats your opinion? Both within driving distance, im a novice mxer although I have ridden them for a lot years (not lately) .
Rohn Ussery
Robins AFB, GAForget the Pursang and go for the Elsinore, although the price seems high for a 79, unless it's perfect.
***
SUBJECT: NO GAS TO A 1985 CR500
I just bought a 85 cr 500. I took the carb apart, cleaned it and the reeds and rad valve and put a new spark plug in it. It fired right up with the old gas still in it. then I drained the remainder out and put new gas in and now it wont start. Can you help?
Brad
Paso Robles, CAFrom what you described, it sounds like the gas is not flowing into the carb. Float level might be grossly off, or the float needle might be stuck. Check this first.
***
SUBJECT: LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT BIKE
Hi Rick
kirk c, from kansas here, still looking at bike,s I still like the TM 400 suzuki , I mean the 74 model Is this one better than the 71's that were hand grenades? I hope so as i cant find anything that i like as much or the looks of than a TM 400, maicos are ok kinda crude looking, buls are neat if you worked on them first,
Yamahas are nice if you can find a good one,I like the 360 MX, 74 mod, I think the older yammies and suzukis are kinda in the same league, good quality, or as good as anything out there if you got good shocks, and redid the forks, and jet the carbs right than youll have a sweet bike, Plus,,,, they fit me alot better than the newer stuff that looks like puddle jumpers,
I m sure glad your doing good Rick, and i heard that you guys are moving back to Az, good move, Im not nuts just looking and not buying but i have to be sure like you in what im gettingI know you said the older Elsinore 250M's were really nice too and id like to have one if people didnt think they were made from gold, and were asking wayyyy too much for one, or the old thing where pour all your money in it but get nothing out of it,
Im sure glad your there rick to help and guide guys like me that know better than to be swayed by anything trendy and then it dies out, hope things are going good with you guys,
cordially
Kirk C,
The 1974 TM400 was actually better than the original beast. If you want to race an older (and lower) bike, the best pre-75 bike you can get is a Maico. Period.
***
Want more? Check out past editions of "Don't Ask!"
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 5499
-
YFZ450R Tuning Upgrade
- From: Younggun95
-
Description:
This is a very simple upgrade, slightly expensive, but a very important modification for any Fuel Injection quad. When you start making changes like adding an exhaust, modifying the air box for a new filter, and especially changing up the motor you have to change the air/fuel ratio. I am running the DynoJet PCV Powercommander. They also have a PC3, but the 3 has a lot less adjusment available for it. If you want to make sure that you are running the optimum ratio, or you like to play around with your fuel injection to change how it runs, get the PCV. Most of the major exhaust companies will have a map for their specific exhaust that you can download to your programmer.
Dynojet also has a set of maps that you will get on a CD with your programmer, and can also download more from their website. I am currently running a custom map for my modifications. When tuned just right I was able to get 3-4 more HP from my quad. But dont trust just anyone to do this for you. Many people can tune your quad for you to get max HP, but you could be putting your motor in serious danger. I could get more power from my programming, but Im running a safe fuel to air ratio.
You can see I have a bag over the programmer. You DO NOT EVER want to get water in it. Water can ruin your programmer pretty easily. Always cover it somewhow when washing your quad, and if you ride XC races, leave it covered permanetly. Mine stays covered in the bag, and it also gets foam packed around in so it doesnt move around, and the foam soaks up water..
- Blog post
- 2 months ago
- Views: 194
-
Justin Waters Scores First Pro
- From: hotseat
-
Description:
After only six Pro starts, 19-year old Yamaha rider Justin Waters continued his march up the WORCS leaderboard, finishing his best-ever tenth in last weekend’s ATV Nationals in Lake Havasu City, AZ. With a strong start again this weekend – fourth to the holeshot turn in a field of nearly 30 – Waters knew he had to ride strong, push himself hard but also pace himself in the nearly 90-degree heat, battling extremely rough, sandy conditions. Suspension would be key.
“I just got my new Teixeira Tech A-arms and it was the first time I really had them on with the Fox Shox. We could have used some more [practice] time.”
But when the gun went off for Sunday’s final so did the Yamaha, and it was a solid result at the end of the two hour event.
“I went out fast again. I knew some of the riders behind me were strong enough to probably come around me but it’s also about staying ahead of trouble as much as you can, so you can’t just let off. And I’m not going to just ‘let’ someone around me anyway. If they are faster than me, they’re going to have to come take it.”
“I did crash once – went off a jump next to Timmy [Tim Shelman], but there was only enough landing room for one of us, so I went off the side of the landing. Got back on and going as fast as I could. Didn’t feel it when I did it, but I guess I hamburgered my elbow pretty good. Think I ruined my new MSR jersey!”
If the only thing Justin has to worry about is a new jersey, he’ll be in good shape for the next round in Milford CA, the first weekend of May.
xxx
Justin Waters # 95
Professional ATV Racing with the support of: Hot Seat Powersports, Yamaha, Teixeira Tech, Fox Racing Shox, Precision Racing Products, AC Racing, G4-Graphics, Rekluse, Spider Grips, Powermadd, GYT-R, MotoX Nutrition, MSR, Scott USA, Gaerne, DP Brakes, DWT, Maxxis, Motion Pro, Spectro Oil
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 263
-
They’re getting closer…
- From: DezertScorpion
-
Description:
March 4, 2009 Off-Road.com Update
Stage: Pevek—UelenThe Goodyear Expedition team is getting closer. They are on the Pevek–Uelen stage. The progress might not seem like much at times, but one must take into consideration the extreme weather conditions and harsh terrain they are traveling through. Soon they will be crossing into Alaska.
Here are some messages and pics from the Paris-New York Expedition camp to keep you informed while you rest in your cozy, warm little chair at home:
March 03, 2009: 34th short message (05:45 p.m. MEZ)
We made it. We reached the mine of Valonisti. The small community, built due to the situation of being stuck in the snow just started to prepare for difficult days (food was gathered und divided, we provided the pot/the men of the other team melted snow, we cooked together, and so on) as it was already disbanded again. We respectfully bid farewell keeping in mind that everyone managed this situation very good. We covered the last 18 km which separated us from civilization in 9 hours. Meter after meter. 2m forwards = clearing of 1-2m snow height... sometimes the CAT crawls that deep into the snow that his roof was totally covered. I pulled Kaspars Jeep and trailer with F1 and trailer over appr. Half the distance. The rest of the track he tried to manage it on his own somehow, every time marginal below the red area. He is a really good and reasonable driver. Luckily, the weather has meanwhile also improved a little bit. It is still windy, but comparably weak with moderate snowfall. We are looking forward to a shower now after 6 exhausting days and nights in the car.
GPS cords: N 66 24´55" / E 177 34´59"
March 03, 2009: 33rd short message (12:01 p.m. MEZ)
The fuel reserve of the bulldozer is getting scarce. The dozer team decided to decamp. After 20 hours of stagnation we started again. F2 is permanently getting hot due to the damaged fan. We removed the isolation at the radiator grill, but it will be difficult to manage the pass like that.
March 03, 2009: 32nd short message (08:23 a.m. MEZ)
Still no progess. No movement for the last 12 hours. Force of storm has increased once more. We needed to refuel. Therefore we have 2 full main tanks appr. 200 l reserve at the moment, which means one additional refueling of the main tanks + rest for driving. Enough fuel for 96 hours, food reserve ok, beverage is getting scarce. We are melting snow. We just built an emergency tent out of Russian canvas, which we brought with us for worst cases. We mounted it over the vehicle bonnets as there is more and more snow getting into the engine compartment and passenger cabin.
March 03, 2009: 31st short message (00:49 a.m. MEZ)
The expedition got stuck in an intense snow flurry together with other people. The driver of the D10 tried the whole night to break through the snow masses and gave up at 7 a.m. Even these experienced drivers have seen such a storm only once in their lives. It was and still is unbelievable strong. Now it seems that the wind is only blowing fallen snow around rather than new snow. They came from a mine which is located 20km away and informed us that they cannot tell us how long we have to wait until they try to continue. There is no visibility at all. Everything really everything is white. "White out" is the name of this frightening situation.
There were some unbelievable situations yesterday night. One of them was that the truck bus, in which we assumed 20 people, was left behind. We do not know if there were people in it. It was not able to rescue it out of the snow masses. Another 8x8 truck was pushed out of the snow. In order to cross the huge snow crater which it left with this action, the D10 drove a loop through the deep snow. There, he also towed his sledge and behind of it a Ural truck 6x6, which fell onto its left side. I was running, falling, and crawling forward through the channel in order to literally feel by touching if we could manage to come through. Luckily the broad sledge of the snow clean dozer made so much space on the right side, that our vehicles were falling in the channel, which was the fatality for the Ural truck. As we totally strained tried to follow the cat - which was only possible in gear reduction and in first or second gear, our engines suddenly became hot. During the storm we opened the bonnet and realized that the engine compartment - although especially isolated from all sides - was totally covered in ice. As through our doors, the storm pushed into the engine compartment. The accumulated ice was responsible for our frozen electronic fans. We continued in order not to lose contact to the Cat, always on the edge to the red area. Currently my fan is working again, in contrast to the one from F2. That's just about the limit.
Current position: estimated 4-6 km behind the last position in direction towards Valonisti. Total amount of people locked in at this point: 10 in 5 vehicles, no injured ones or similar, fuel reserve of the Jeeps in total 320 l, food reserve of Extrem Events team for 7-8 days, existing communication with the mine which is 20km away through the Cat driver, existing satellite communication to head office through own system.
GPS Cords: N 66 29´20" / E 177 23´13" - Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 454
-
Making Friends in Cold Places
- From: DezertScorpion
-
Description:
March 9, 2009 Off-Road.com Update
Stage: Pevek—Uelen
Making friends can be challenging, especially when you don’t speak the native language and are in a foreign land. The Paris-New York Expedition team shows us how on their journey they have faced many challenges, yet have been able to overcome them with the help of new friends.
It’s amazing what humans will do to help a complete stranger under extreme circumstances. Might there be hope for humanity after all?Straight from the road, here are some journal entries from the 2009 Paris-New York Expedition team as they complete their journey through Russia:
March 08, 2009: 39th short message (07:14 a.m. MEZ)
We thank all Russian friends who we were able to meet in the mine and who helped us wherever possible. Starting with the possibility to sleep in the rooms of the workers, further the donation of the last available 300l fuel in the mine (it was from the vehicle of the director!), further the ladies who stitched our tattered clothes and so on and so on...Nevertheless it was time to continue. We had to leave this white mountain area as fast as possible, which kept us in a gilded cage in this gorgeous region in the snow.
It was a struggle against time and decreasing fuel reserve until we reached the roadcamp 20 hours after our start from Valonisti. Due to the fact that we received the warning from the German Weather Service, that a strong-wind-area (hurricane) will hit us (Sunday 12 p.m.), we had a time frame of 24 hours to escape there. That means continuous winching, driving, and shoveling from yesterday 12 p.m. until today morning at 8 a.m. Fast driving in order to reach the destination before the storm meant a higher fuel consumption, slower driving meant led to a decreasing time limit. Basically we had the rule: We have to escape, the show must go on.
And we succeeded. We reached the camp (app. 100km in front of Egvekinot) with the beginning of the increasing wind intensity. We should not have arrived any 2-3 hours later as there is such a storm right now again, that you cannot see your hand in front of your face. If we would not have managed it, all tracks of the convoy would have been gone and we would have been trapped to wait another week in the mountains.
We decided to wait here until the storm is over and to prepare the vehicles and trailers for the upcoming last 1000km on Russian ground. We were kindly offered two small rooms with bed in the camp and given the possibility to use the big garage of the cleaning dozers.
On our way towards Egvekinot, we also crossed the 180th degree of longitude! Now we are in the West and GPW-wise everything is the other way round.
GPS cords: N 67 01`21" / W 178 56`00"
--
March 07, 2009: 38th short message (10:32 a.m. MEZ)
We started and try to reach Egvekinot.
We already wanted to decamp yesterday, but after a scouting at the first mountain with a chain-driven vehicle we realized that there was no chance. Today morning at 10 a.m., we noticed the first D10 bulldozer arriving at the mine. We were told, that 2 out of 3 bulldozer left the convoy appr. 35km away in front of Valonisti, due to insufficient fuel for another night. We started immediately in order to use the brand-new cleaned track. Now after 10 hours of driving we are appr. 45km away from the mine. The snow masses are unbelievable stirred. The trucks broke more than 1.5m deep into the snow surface. Extraordinary hard work for us to come through.
Team in good health, vehicles ok, fuel reserve low - only 350l left. We turn down the engines at every stop, heating with the Webasto Thermo-Tops as they only need 0.5l per hour. Outside temperature appr. -30°. Food reserve for appr. 6 days. We have to escape here. It is really a fight against time and a decreasing fuel reserve.
GPS Cords: N 66 39`22" / E 178 19`16"
--
March 06, 2009: 37th short message (05:05 a.m. MEZ)
Engine fan is working. We built one by our own out of several Jeep and non-Jeep parts as well as Russian wrapping technique. It is spinning in the wrong direction but that doesn't matter. Main point is a non overheating vehicle and that we can continue our journey with F2. We will see if it provides the same performance with full load and trailer.
Furthermore, more or less catastrophic circumstances. Snowfall and winds are hardly weakening. We are not able to leave. Got stuck. A second convoy from the direction of Pevek also got stuck somewhere between 50 to 150km away from here. That means there are 12 trucks, 3 crawlers and 1 chain-driven scout vehicle with 30 people in total have to wait for improvement in the weather somewhere in the wilderness.
In terms of the situation, we currently have double risk. Insufficient fuel and too extreme track. We currently have 600l prepared fuel mixture. Normally that would perfectly be enough for the 300km to Egvekinot. But as we assume to be trapped in snow again, that could become scarce. Therefore we decided to wait for one of the convoys. If the one from Pevek is arriving first, we will refuel another 400l and start on our way. Then there would still be the risk of being trapped in the snow, but we are able to wait in warmth. If the convoy from Egvekinot is arriving first, we will start with the fuel reserve we have right now. As crossing of the pass must be possible, that reserve should be sufficient. Either way, we have to leave here. It is really blatant. The men told us, that last year was hardly any snow in whole Tschukotka. This year there are really huge amounts of snow masses - even for experienced ones.
--
March 05, 2009: 36th short message (11:57 a.m. MEZ)
Trapped between mountains
It is really stressful. On the one hand we are trying hard to find and modify a 12v fan engine, one the other hand the weather conditions appr. 30km outside of the mine are such extreme, that we are not able to continue. A convoy consisting out of 2 D10 bulldozer, one chain-driven vehicle in front and 7 trucks, which is on its way to the mine of Ewekinot, is trapped in snow masses since several days. Nobody knows where they are. They assume them to be appr. 32km away from Valonisti in valley in front of the dreaded pass. There is no radio contact with the trapped people and no dozers are starting due to safety reasons. It is simply not possible. Even a scout car which intended to start today came back. Sh**. - Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 551
-
Rick Sieman: A Tear Jerker
- From: PowersportsEditor
-
Description:
Recently an Off-Road.com reader wrote in to our Dirtbike Columnist Rick Sieman:
"I am a long time fan of your magazine column work. I have even begun writing stories of my own riding experiences, attempting to do it in your style, that I liked so much. One of my favorites of all time was the "Tear Jerkers". The routine, painful things that happen to us out in the garage working on the bike. I would love to read it again, any chance of getting to see it?
Thanks.
Mike"
Here you go:
TEAR-JERKERS
(Whenever I hear about a baseball player not playing because of a sprained knee, or some other pussy injury, I just read this column and figure I must be a hell of a man. Or in a really stupid sport.)
By Rick Sieman
Tear-jerkers. We're not talking about when Ramone leaves Belinda for an under-aged goat brander from Seville and gets hit by a train and a bus. Nope. We're talking about real life tear-jerkers … the kind that can bring a grown man to his knees, eyeballs moistened, hurting too much to even curse. Let me explain:
A short time back I was working on my bike, quite peacefully, mind you, getting it ready for the weekend. Now, I have a habit of sticking the screwdriver I'm using into the footpeg. That way I can find it easily. Anyway, I had just put the shiny new Craftsman straight-slot screwdriver into the peg and turned my attention to removing the airbox cover and the filter, when the phone rang.
I got up from the milk crate and drove—literally drove!—the tip of the screwdriver into my left leg, right above the knee. Using my lightning-quick racer-trained reflexes, I immediately fell to the floor, moaning like a kicked poodle, tears welling up in my lagoon-blue eyes. Tear-jerker.
A friend of mind was fixing a cracked pipe on his Yamaha by carefully welding along the spider-webbed damage, taking his time, doing it right. He set the welding rod down, removed the welding goggles, studied the weld, then put the goggles back on to weld a bit more. When he picked up the welding rod, it was by the hot end. Tearjerker.
Once I was in a desert race, doing rather poorly, if memory serves correctly, and I smashed my right foot into a rock that was hooked directly to China. The pain was blinding and caused white dots to swirl in front of my eyes. However, it was not a tearjerker. I was only five miles or so from the finish, and I had no choice but to ride in.
After picking up the bike, I got back on, found neutral, and gave a boot to the kickstarter, with the swollen toes pointed out. On the third kick the bike fired, but the kickstarter slipped up and slapped me on the back of the leg, just above the boot. Serious pain, but still not a tear-jerker.
Rather carefully, I rode back toward the finish line, with the entire right limb throbbing like a wounded tuna. After a few miles, the foot hurt so much that I could no longer keep my heel on the footpeg. So I held the foot in the air and rode even slower. About one-quarter mile from the pits, I rode through a little gully, and the suspension gently bottomed out. This lowered the injured foot just the correct amount, and it made contact with a grapefruit- sized rock, toe first. Real tear-jerker!
My friend George was racing at Saddleback one fine, clear Saturday, and he related this tale: He got off the line a fraction late and had to gas it hard to get to mid-pack. As he neared the top of the long start straight, a rock lazily left the rear knobby of the bike in front of him and arced through the air. He tilted his head to one side to play it safe, and the bike moved over slightly with his body. The rock then dropped gently right into his groin, hitting him in ... how shall we say it?... one of the family jewels.
The pain was intense enough to make him suck in his breath, curl up into a ball and make no attempt whatsoever at trying the first turn. He merely rode through the turn, fell on the ground at one mile per hour and lay there, feet in the air, whimpering. Tearjerker.
Recently I ran into a series of minor cuts and scrapes that were more infuriating than anything else. First off, I cut open my right thumb on a sharp-edged hose clamp while removing the carb. After a few minutes, I forgot about that. Then, a bit later, a screwdriver slipped and my left palm got a nice little gash. I sucked on that for a few minutes to cleanse the wound and then proceeded. A half hour later, a wrench slipped, and I gashed open the backs of two knuckles on the footpeg.
This was getting monotonous. Twenty minutes later, I got a three-inch white-meat cut on the back of my left hand while trimming a zip tie with a dull razor blade. Not much time passed before my right hand got pinched in the toolbox lid. I more or less wrote off these petty injuries and went about the business of shaping up my bike for the next day.
At 11:15 that night, I was just about done, with only the air filter left. It had been hanging up all day to dry, so I grabbed it and got out a bottle of filter oil to wrap up the job. With the filter in my left hand, I poured a liberal amount of Maxima filter oil on the foam and began to work it in really well.
At this point, I realized that my hands had no less than ten open wounds! People have received medals for less serious injuries. Well, what could I do? My hands were already covered with the filter oil, and the cuts were thoroughly saturated. With tears in my eyes, I squeezed the oil through the foam, then stumbled into the laundry room and turned on the hot water and squeezed liquid soap into my greasy hands. And washed them. King of the tear-jerkers!
*** - Blog post
- 1 month ago
- Views: 1109
-
Sombreros & Tequila: Baja 1000
- From: jburns
-
Description:
Tomorrow at 6 a.m., I will be on the road en route to Baja, Mexico, for this year’s Baja 1000, the 41st running of the world-renowned race. What’s more challenging than Baja? I guess only Dakar could enter the discussion.
This will be my first time covering the race, as I will be posted up at the start/finish line in Ensenada during the event to provide updates and news on what I hear and see. We will have a team both in Mexico and back in California to help provide updates on what’s going down during the race.
Instead of being a point-to-point race this year, the 1000 will cover a loop that runs over 631 miles across the rugged Baja terrain. Other than the overall SCORE point battles in each class and the prestigious battle for the overall win, there’s also some notable vehicles in the race this year, including the VW Toureg the company has put a ton of support behind, as well as the Ford F-150 Raptor team that Ford is supporting.
What’s really cool is our staff will get to follow these vehicles up close. Scott Rousseau will be following the VW all race long, at times in helicopters, while Craig Perronne will actually be jumping into the Ford for a section of the race. Expect to see some awesome stories from them over the weekend.
Well that’s it for now. You’ll be hearing more from me over the weekend. Until then, Vaya Con Dios amigos!
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 427
-
Machine Guns
- From: jburns
-
Description:
Getting down to the start/finish line this morning was about as interesting a moment as I've ever had at any race event I've even been involved with. With the Trophy Trucks firing off the line at 10:39 a.m., the crowd had grown considerably since the morning when the bikes took off from the line and were filling up every spot around the road. The small breaks in the fence that I squeezed through earlier in the day were closed up with barricades and fences. I walked down right near the start line and came upon an area that I could hop ... then I noticed a soldier. For the safety of everyone at the event, soldiers were posted up about every 10 feet or so on each side of the start line. I walked up to the fence, looked at the soldier and asked if this was a good place to hop the fence. He looked at my badge and saw the media credentials and waved me over.
I set down my camera and made the jump. Once I landed, I offered thanks and he nodded and moved aside so I could squeeze by, and I made my way over to the finish line. Moving closer to the where the first Trophy Truck was posted up I noticed even more soldiers in the area. I quickly realized how glad I was that the dudes with semi-automatic rifles are on my side ... the clincher of it all when when I made my way from the start back to the media room and saw a full-blown military truck with a handful of soliders inside and a machine gun atop. I don't claim to know much about guns, but these guys are all packing some serious heat. Iit's really good to know the Mexican authorities are doing everything they can to make the event safe. Did I mention how happy I am these guys are on our side?
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 433
-
Reaching Alaska--Not So Easy
- From: DezertScorpion
-
Description:
April 1, 2009 Off-Road.com Update
Stage: Pevek--Uelen
It has been a few days since our last update. Much has happened, including broken axles and other mechanical problems with both Jeep Expedition vehicles. The weather has been extreme, and some of the “McGuiver” repairs the team had to make to keep moving forward have been amazing.
It seems as though the only things holding together at this point are Matthias Jeschke and his Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs.
The team has yet to reach Uelen, and if they don’t soon, their chance of crossing the frozen Bering Strait will have been lost. Warmer weather is on the horizon.
Please show your support by posting comments. The team needs all the encouragement they can get to keep fighting their way to Uelen and successfully crossing into Alaska.
FROM THE ROAD
We share with you some of the most riveting journal entries from team leader Matthias Jeschke:
March 26, 2009: 60th short message (11:50 p.m. MEZ)
In the last night, we reached Egvekinot with front drive and a missing back wheel. It was an amazing "strange handicap run".
We met two Ural truck drivers on the way, who stayed and helped us. One of them let me cut of his dirt trap of one the wheels in order to build a sledge surface under the wheel, the other gave me his fender and some wood to attach it. At another spot one organized a damaged wheel out of thin air in order to bond it below the axis. Many thanks to you two super truckers.Now there is the task to quickly organize spare parts for both vehicles. Juergen Graf and his team is busy working on it and they try to make everything possible. I hope we will manage it in short time. Together with the team I am currently working on further solutions. We have still a maximum of 8 weeks left to reach Uelen. After that, snow and ice will melt and it would be impossible.
--
March 26, 2009: 59th short message (06:39 a.m. MEZ)
The tire made it, but after 60km the whole thing broke apart again. We used a wooden piece as runner - 90km left.
--March 26, 2009: 58th short message (06:39 a.m. MEZ)
Marco and Konstantin on their way to Egvekinot in the truck. Ulli and Matthias try to break through with the Jeep. Meanwhile lost tire and linchpin rear-left. We provisionally blocked and mounted the tire with belts. I am curious how a Wrangler MT/R manages to be pulled over snow, ice and stones in blocked mode. Will it manage 150km?--
March 25, 2009: 55th short message (02:07 a.m. MEZ)
What a drudgery. Team to some extent 46 hours awake - reaching personal limits. 24 hours and 100km with "two-step". 2m forward, 1m backward in order to take a run-up. Continuous shoveling due to snow drifts. We just slept some few hours because we necessarily had to leave the deep snow. We did not catch up with the trucks, so we have to struggle on our own. Food reserve 8 days. Fuel reserve 240l plus full main tank. Visibility worsens. Only minutes between sunhine and maximum 10 meters.
GPS cords.: N 67 24`47" / W 177 24`01"
--
March 22, 2009: 49th short message (01:59 a.m. MEZ)
Perhaps it is the right time for news I normally do not write, but it reflects our feelings.
Certainly the expedition is currently in a difficult situation. Due to the global economic crisis we have to bare big losses. Exhausted of many technical backlashes and the fight against snow masses (more intense than for a long time), we are mobilizing every possible motivation to stand up against the difficulties. We try to fight with all power and emotion for continuation and hope that history is on our side.
Thanks to all who currently work for us, believe in us and keep their fingers crossed. Thanks to my team in Limburg, explicitly to you, Jürgen for you tremendous amount of good work and invested time.
The upcoming storm is taking our breath. If we do not manage to escape before it arrives, we have to stay here in Vacarem for another week. We try it and decamp. We informed nuteplement, we have left a note to a driver who is on his way to Vacarem. If necessary both can come for help.
Matthias Jeschke
--
March 21, 2009: (09:16 p.m. MEZ)
Many things happened which not only engrossed but also upset me. With unbowed will, we stick to the continuation of the expedition. On the day after tomorrow we will try to reach the Bering Strait (which is appr. 400km behind Vancarem) with the remaining vehicle.
What happened:
We had a perfect start after some hours sleep in Vacarem. Immediately we found a welder who quickly welded two small things and after some little time we found a guide who will accompany us to Uelen. We completed the formalities with administration and drove off as the rear axis of F2 did a suspicious snap. Again a differential out of order. Nobody could imagine our swearing. Nevertheless, the team demonstrated strength again in regards of that backlash. Everyone was sure: "The show will go on tomorrow; it has always been like that". Together with 2 men of the village, I changed the differential in an exhausting 24-hours day/night action under unimaginable conditions. The respect of life and the standing of one's ground of those people is reason that I do not go into further detail, but it was very extreme.
When I woke the team, one of the darkest days of the expedition began. At first, I realized that F1 was not running anymore (it was supposed to run the whole night). As this was the case for hours in an environment of slightly above -40°C, everything was frozen. I warmed the engine for ours with burning lamps, recharged the batteries with F2, tried to open the doors. Success after 4 hours and F2 was running again. Accordingly we decamped again, jumped into the vehicles and drove off, when the unbelievable happened. In the middle of ice and snow, the differential of F2 broke down again.
Kaspar new - although he had not known the upcoming diagnosis (differential out of order due to a weak axle box which could not hold the bearing shells due to multiple welding) - that we were not able to easily continue like that. He was sure, that F2 was irreparable and took me aside. He explained me in an emotional and confidential talk that he is sure, that F2 has no chance and that we have to continue with F1 alone. As we were 6 people, but only space for 5, he resigned and went back home to Switzerland. It was much more than a sad moment. An unbelievable coincidence, but for him a confirmation: No 5 minutes after our conversation - we were still standing together - a M8 helicopter flew above our heads, turned around and landed directly beside us. On Kaspar's demand, we asked the pilot to give him a lift.
Kaspar, at this point again my greatest respect and esteem for you as buddy and team colleague! It was great to have you with us. When Kaspar was flown out, the team strength totally changed.
It was an unexpected situation and therefore certainly difficult for the team to bear it. We dismounted F2 again in order to find out the real reason and what can be saved if applicable. As we could not have left the vehicle there, we rescued F2 in a tremendous action and brought it - together with both trailers and after uncountable phone calls / e-mails - back to the road camp via the 200km very difficult track. There, an expedition enthusiastic helper from Egvekinot - who especially made a more than 4 hours drive - took over F2 and brought him into the city. At this point, again, a huge THANK YOU to all involved helpers, especially to Alexander, his brother, and the manager of the road camp.
We returned to Vacarem yesterday night, after nearly 3 days and nights without sleep. On the difficult way back, a part of the chassis of F1 broke, which we are currently welding.
The trailer is ready packed, the vehicle as well. As soon as the part is fixed, we decamp. Unfortunately the good weather is coming to an end now. For the next week the forecast is snowfall and storm. Great.
Matthias Jeschke - Blog post
- 7 months ago
- Views: 465
-
Stuck in Bilibino, Russia
- From: DezertScorpion
-
Description:
Paris-New York Expedition (PNY 2009)
February 17, 2009 Update
The Goodyear Expedition team is getting closer to making their crossing of the frozen Bering Strait.
Soon they will be in Uelen, Russia where they will make their final stop before crossing the Bering Sea into Wales, Alaska—a little town with population of about 152 people (2000 US Census).
There have been some unexpected challenges along the way, but that is part of the excitement of an expedition. So far all the team members are doing good and the vehicles are standing up to the harsh Siberian winters.
The Goodyear Expedition team is currently in Bilibino, Russia making some repairs to the vehicles after their last leg where they had some problems.
Here is an exclusive update from the team via Telex:
Team reached Bilibino after difficult and exhaustive track / intense troubles en route / one PNY-Jeep with trailer in snow flurry in the ditch / trailer tumbled down / nevertheless nothing crucial destroyed / no injuries / team in good health / very friendly welcome of all in Bilibino / report follows.
The team will finish repairs on the vehicles, stock up on supplies, and leave in the next 2 days—continuing its route to Alaska.
Check back regularly for new video, photos and updates. - Blog post
- 9 months ago
- Views: 472
-
Ask your Tech Questions!
- From: PowersportsEditor
-
Description:
With the economy in the toilet, we know a lot of you - and us - are having to stretch your recreational dollar. Heck, if you even have one left! You may not be shopping for a new Jeep, ATV, dirtbike or snowmobile this year. You may be hitting the Nickel or the Trader and looking for a killer deal on a hopefully-slightly-used one, or grubbing around in your neighbor's old barn for a hidden treasure. Or you have one already in your garage that you just are going to have to make last one more year.
We feel you.
As a result, and in recognition of the hugely popular "Don't Ask" dirtbike column that Rick Sieman has written for Off-Road.com for year, we have brought back our ATV Answer Man column and added a Snowmobile Ask the Snowman column. These guys have been around forever, have breathed life back into models that have been on the trails longer than some of you have been alive. And often test ridden last year's too -
But be warned - your answer may just be found in an owner's manual; look there first! Otherwise, jump on and join in.
Dirtbike - Don't Ask
ATV - Answer Man
Snowmobile - SnowMan
Jeep - JeepCreep - Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 551
-
Cool Land Rover Crawler
- From: CraigPerronneatORC
-
Description:
I have never been that big on Land Rover's personally but this one is pretty cool. Built for some serious use on the rocks and trails, it looks like it can take on pretty much anything. Making it even cooler is the fact that is it powered by a small Land Rover TDI diesel. While fairly cut up it still remains true to its Rover heritage and is not a full tube frame rock buggy. It is on display here at Off Road Expo along with plenty of other cool vehicles.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 635
-
The State Of Arizona Off-Road
- From: PowersportsEditor
-
Description:
As seen from the eyes of the Class 1 Champion.
The 2008 Whiplash Off-Road Racing season started out in Wickenburg , Arizona on Friday, February 29th. For the truck and buggy program it was a disaster. No one wanted to race on Friday and they let Whiplash know by not showing up. The low car count had us all down and not really looking forward to this season.
That’s when it all happened for me. My name is John Martensen. I have spent the last four years focusing on Whiplash and it has brought me back to back championships in the last two years. I’m not trying to build myself up but who better than me to help the car program get back on its feet.
After the Wickenburg race I had the opportunity to talk to Jay before the awards ceremony. He didn’t look too positive when he told me, if he could not get the car count up he was considering dropping the whole car and truck program all together. That’s right folks, no Arizona racing for the car and trucks. That would mean that you would have to drive to Baja , California or Nevada in order to race. It would also mean that without an off-road racing presence in Arizona it would be easier and easier to close our lands and harder and harder to ever get another racing series going again.
This could not happen! Where would my kids hone their off-road skills? Where would they start their racing careers? I grew up racing ADRA and then Whiplash. My first desert race was Rocky Point in 1995. My parents, aunts and uncles and cousins all raced here in Arizona . My uncle Larry Ragland started racing in ADRA and look where it took him. To allow Whiplash and the Arizona off-road scene to disappear into the night was just not acceptable and I was not going to stand for it.
So I told Jay that I wanted to be involved. I wanted to help. He said alright young man, let’s see what you can do. Now, I had really done it. There I go again putting my mouth in front of my brain. I already run three businesses, how in the hell am I going to have time to do this? Well, you know what? If I didn’t help, it didn’t seem like anyone would. The question wasn’t why I wanted to help it was how am I going to get this done.
The next race on the Whiplash car and truck schedule was Firebird. Because Firebird is a short course event I knew it was going to be harder to get more desert guys to show up. So I decided to focus my attention towards the short course guys. I posted a thread on race-dezert.com about the event. The first reply was that CORR was having an event on the same weekend. We were dead.
Luckily a local racer named Jeff Knupp who I had once had a falling out with saw my post and responded. He had said that there were some buggy guys who were not really happy with the state of things in the CORR series. We were able to put our differences aside and I was able to get eight short course cars to show up. Yippee! Eight whole cars, that’ll keep us going.
Well even though we all know that those eight cars and the other 22 desert cars and trucks that showed up would not be enough to put Whiplash on the map again, it was a start. Jay saw that I was serious and he took a chance on me and we pressed on. Those eight cars also started what is to come at the next Firebird race. More on that later.
The next event would be Snowflake. This is always the crown jewel of Whiplash and it usually does pretty well. I also had almost four months to promote it. That would help. I started by waiting until it was really hot in Phoenix and used the cool weather angle to get people to think about coming to Snowflake. That was working well, but the raising gas prices and falling economy were not helping.
I had to come up with an angle that made the race different than in years past. So I started asking people what they wanted to see at Snowflake and the answer was simple, a longer race. How could we do this? There just isn’t enough hours in the day to do what we had been doing and make the race longer. We were going to have to run the race into the night. That was fine. We’ve done it before, but how late into the night was the question. How could we put on a 250 mile race and not race all night with all the other events going on that weekend?
Then it came to me. We’d have to combine the sportsman and the pros into one race. I knew that some of you would hate it and others would like it. That was a chance we’d have to take. There was just no other choice. It had to be done. With a combined race we could start earlier in the day and have more daylight racing and then go into the night in order to get a longer race. Now I’d have to convince Jay that this was a good idea.
Luckily, even with some apprehension, Jay listened and agreed with me on the idea. Now the pressure was really on because it seemed like I was able to get everything the racers and I wanted. I worried that sticking my neck out for the racers was a bad idea, because if no one showed up I’d look like a fool.
So I decided to go out of the Arizona race base and started talking to people in California , Nevada , New Mexico , Texas and even Mexico . This turned out to be very interesting because the guys in New Mexico were looking for somewhere closer to race. Snowflake was it and they came to the race in herds.
We had people from California , Texas , New Mexico and Mexico race with us at Snowflake. We also had our first Trophylite (thank you Bruce and Fawn Finchum) and a record 16 class 1 cars, 8 class 10 cars and 27, 1450 trucks. Way to go 1450 truck drivers. You guys will be featured at Firebird this time around!
Luckily for me, for Whiplash and for the Arizona racing scene, the racers showed up. Snowflake was a huge success this year with 80 car and truck entries. That’s just two cars short of the all time high mark. Because of the great attendance. “we” being Whiplash, are able to put on bigger and better events. Congratulations to all the class winners at Snowflake! Especially class 1 driver, Mike Szlauko for his overall win with a time of 4:35:35 . Way to go Mike! Great drive.
Here’s what is coming. While I was contacting people about Snowflake I spoke to Ivan Stewart (one of the most successful off-road racers in the world and owner of the Pro Truck Series). He told me that even though he had an agreement with BITD and SCORE that he would not race any other desert races, he would come to Firebird. So at the next Firebird race Ivan will be there looking over our event. He has assured me that if he likes what he sees, the Pro Trucks will be racing with us at Firebird in next years schedule. This is great news for Whiplash. The credibility that the Pro Truck series and Ivan Stewart bring to us is fantastic and will go a long way to bring more drivers to Whiplash.
Next I have also spoken with Matt Scaroni, the owner of the Trophylite series and he is very interested in making one of the Whiplash events a points race for the Trophylites. This will bring more exposure and different drivers to our series. As a race car driver that excites me.
I know winning the Whiplash class 1 championship is not the most prestigious off-road championship out there. It is to me however, because it is my home town and home state championship. My choice was to go race somewhere else, as I have done and abandon Arizona in an attempt try to win a championship, or build up the Arizona championship series and try to win it again with much more competition. That’s what I am doing.
Those of you Arizonans who think you need to race in Baja and Nevada ought to look at what we are doing here and ask yourselves if you care about Arizona and if you care if there is a place to race in this state. The answer is yes you should care and you can help and you ought to.
Now that that’s said, lets talk about next year. The racers have spoken and Whiplash has listened. WE ARE TRYING TO GO BACK TO MEXICO ! There are many issues that have to be overcome, but let me assure you we are doing all we can to have a Rocky Point Mexico race next year!
Next, we are currently working with the BLM at Quartzsite to put on and event there. Our competitors are doing everything they can to stop us so you’ll just have to wait and see what happens. But rest assured that Whiplash and myself are working very hard to make the 2009 Whiplash series one to remember, one worth competing in, and a championship worth winning!
Last but not least, we were finally thrown a bone by the cancellation of the CORR event one week before Firebird. This has given us a tremendous opportunity to get CORR guys to come to Arizona and race with us. This is a great thing for Arizona and Whiplash because it also brings credibility to our series and championship.
I know some of you might think we are forgetting about those of you who have been supporting us for so long, but we are not. We are giving you all a chance to see what the CORR racers can do in our backyard and not from the grand stands but from the drivers seat of your race vehicle. It cost $45 dollars to go to a CORR event and sit in the stands. Whiplash brought them here for $15! This is a great opportunity for us all. Enjoy it!
If it were not for those eight drivers who boycotted CORR and came to the last Firebird race, we would not have the “in” that we currently have with other CORR drivers. Hopefully we can get even more to come to Phoenix this time around. So even thought it looked bleak early on this year the future is bright on our series. SEE YOU AT FIREBIRD!!!
If you want to help, please contact me at john@jonre.com or Whiplash.
Thank you Whiplash!
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 1070
-
Miss Mint 400
- From: Ultimate Off-Roader
-
Description:
CHARLOTTE – (February 6, 2009) – The desert won’t be the only spot for competition during the upcoming General Tire Mint 400. Do you think you have what it takes to be the next Miss Mint 400? If you do then, upload your photo and get your friends to vote for you! Go to www.generaltire.com to register.In its heyday, the Race was famous for celebrity drivers and the Mint 400 Girls, and each year Miss Mint 400 was crowned. Over the years, the title was given to a number of famous models, including Linda Carter (Wonder Woman) and “Wheel of Fortune” letter-turner Vanna White, to name a few.
Miss Mint 400 finalists will attend the Mint 400 kickoff party on Thursday, March 26, 2009, where the winner will be crowned. Miss Mint 400 will appear at the Mint 400 Tech Day on Friday, March 27th and will help start the race Saturday March 28, 2009. In addition to being the centerpiece of all Mint 400 activities, the winner will receive $1,500 and a personal photo shoot.
Contestants must be 18 or older, and must be able to attend the General Tire Mint 400 March 26-28, 2009.
“The General Tire Mint 400 is one of the most exciting off-road racing events, so this year, we’re bringing back the famous Miss Mint 400 to kick off the race in style,” said Travis Roffler, director of sales and marketing, General Tire. “It’s just one way we can make this event even more exciting, and to give the new General Tire Mint 400 a solid place in the racing circuit.”
Roffler added that the race is a perfect showcase for the General Tire Grabber® off-road competition tires, and is a continuation of General Tire’s triumphant return to desert racing.
- Blog post
- 9 months ago
- Views: 1182
-
Moab 2009: Trail Ride with Wal
- From: Ultimate Off-Roader
-
Description:
The time is getting close when the red rocks of Moab UT will be crawling with off-road vehicles of all types, for the Easter Jeep Safari.
10 days
31 trails
114 guided runsIf you are already planning to go, here's a rare opportunity for you - RIDE ALONG WITH WALKER EVANS! Goodyear is hosting an invitation-only trailride on Friday, April 10. Guiding this ride will be the one and only Walker Evans. Wanna come along with us and spend the day with a legend?
Drop us a note about why you want to go - we'll pick three to five lucky wheelers to join in. We aren't paying your travel there - you must already be planning to be at Moab, bringing your own vehicle.
Note - we can't tell you which trail yet, but THIS WILL BE A HARD CORE RUN! Your vehicle must have:
Minimum 35" tires
Locking Diffs
Winch
And of course run Goodyear tires.It's a great opportunity to see how Walker does it, get some driving tips, and score some action photos of yourself on the trail by Off-Road.com. Couple select print mags will be there too. Make your friends back home jealous, get a shot for your 2009 Christmas card!
Drop us a note here by COMMENTING on this Blog, or send an email to EDITOR@OFF-ROAD.COM
Make sure you give us your email address so we can get back to you asap -
Hurry! We need to hear from you by MARCH 30!
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 3262