Bruce, you are half right.
In the modern racing world speed does not come without money,
but money does not always bring speed.
(we used to race the 1000 and the 500 in a $4000 truck and a $2000 budget, and place in the money---- hooeee those days are long gone)
Baja Arriba!!bajaandy - 2-1-2005 at 02:13 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
Money equals speed in the racing world.
The only question is, how fast do you want to spend?bajalou - 2-1-2005 at 06:26 PM
Both Herbst vehicles failed to finish the SCORE Laughlin Challange in January so money doen't always wil (or even finish)
TMW - 2-1-2005 at 06:58 PM
bajarunner a $4000 vehicle and $2000 budget won't even work for a motorcycle. When I sponsored Tim Morton and John Flores in class 21 in 92-94 we had
an annual budget of $75000 for all races. We spent $3000 just to prep a bike for the 1000.
Laughlin 05
LaTijereta - 2-1-2005 at 10:20 PM
This is what makes offroad racing the best tim40 - 2-1-2005 at 11:07 PM
Tim and family need more money like I need more sand in my shoes....surfer jim - 2-2-2005 at 09:54 AM
$$$$ for racing
thebajarunner - 2-2-2005 at 07:00 PM
TW, your numbers are outtasight, but I believe you, just hard to compute that high (and, in my deep dark past I am a CPA---- true story)
Anyway, my numbers were correct, as well, and I am looking at my second place trophy in the 1972 Mexican 1000 as we speak. In those days the real
cost was in time spent, both in the pre-runs and in the prep, every night out in my garage, working on the truck.
There are more trophies on the shelf, but that one is the best, the Moctezuma warrior with the spear guards me day and night.
Baja Arriba!!David K - 2-2-2005 at 07:25 PM
Dick, can you post a photo of that trophy???TMW - 2-3-2005 at 08:44 AM
bajarunner, I believe your numbers too. I've raced on very low numbers but it was for the fun of racing. Tim and John's effort was for championships
and class wins. I read somewhere (maybe on this board) that the Hersbt spend about $30,000 per race to prep one of their trucks, that could be just
for the 1000. I had a friend who lived next to one of the McMillins machanics and he said that they spent $20,000 per race to prep Scott's class 8
truck when he raced it several years ago, and that too could have been just for the 1000. Off-Road Mag. did a piece on Robby Gordon following his
winning the 1997 Trophy Truck season and they said Ford paid him someything like $750,000. To build the truck and race Score. That's what I'd call
serious money. Pops - 2-3-2005 at 02:51 PM
The secret to making a small fortune in off-road racing is to start with a large fortune!
1972 1000 trophy
thebajarunner - 2-3-2005 at 11:13 PM
David,
There is a picture of the second place trophy from the 1972 1000 on page 79 of our book "Racings Real McCoy"
Chuck is holding the trophy and I am holding the trophy girl...
Anyway, I am still in digital limbo, will have one of the kids take a photo of the trophy with me, and get it posted soon.
TW.... in those days you could race for fun and for wins, on a budget. One of my other partners, Darold MacDannald, took our pickup, Old Blue to the
Parker race and won the Class 8 for trucks in about 1975. (I hated Parker and tried to just race in Baja) He was 70 at the time, Old Blue was
probably maxed out at a $2500 total investment and Darold never spent more than $1000 per race including the entry and the gas to and from the event.
Baja Arriba!!David K - 2-4-2005 at 08:05 AM
Here you are... There are three photos on that page... I got two here, the one you mentioned and the one of you taken just after the race. Good stuff!
The book is available from McRacebk Publications, P.O. Box 3606, Modesto, CA 95352 for about $48 (that's with tax and shipping included... it is a big
heavy book!)tim40 - 2-5-2005 at 10:35 AM
the secret... There is no fortune to be made in off road racing...well less Sal that is. Not for the big dollar or smaller dollar folks. The
biggest purses still do not cover total expenses for those 'honest' enough to count all expenses...wife would cut many of them off from racing if they
did...LOL
thebajarunner was one hot dude in his youth
BajaVida - 2-5-2005 at 10:40 PM
David K--how about posting a photo of Dick's Mercury pickup from the booK?
