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SF250 06 Race reports
CLASS 8
The once-premier truck class was all bovine as the Holstein-splattered ?Got Milk? Chevrolet of the Vanderweys roared to a twenty-first overall class
win, as necessary: Nick HAD to win as he had a lecture scheduled at the Phoenix chapter of the SAE the following week. The Greers, JR and Tommy,
tried to get back-to-backs in the refurbished ?Walker? Dodge -- which had languished for so long in Foddrill?s back lot -- but that was not to be,
finishing an hour-and-a-half back. (The Tucsonoids are having a mid-engined T-T being built by Danny Porter.)
Newbie Noah Ostanik selected a rear start: ?All of the advice, all the stories, and all the instructions in the world cannot prepare a driver for
making the run down the Power Line Road. The bumps are bigger than SUVs, the holes are deeper than swimming pools, and the crowd is absolutely crazy.
This all comes to a boil at the famous Zoo Road crossing where over 25,000 fans pack an area no bigger than a 4-way stop in a quiet neighborhood with
people impersonating matadors within inches of the race car is the best way to sum it up. They call it the parting of the Mexican sea, and that is
just what it is. When you come to the crossing, the course is completely blocked.
We had clear sailing until RM26 where we dropped a drive shaft that took us forty-five minutes to replace . Our plan of running at speeds up to 120
MPH along the dry lake was ruled out due to the rain. The road was like driving on a sheet of ice, preventing us from ever seeing anything higher than
70. We took on 40 gallons of fuel at RM104 and had the rear tire pressure brought down to 25 psi for Chanate and Matomi Washes. Some people will say
that Matomi is the hardest part of the ?250?. I am here to say that Matomi does not hold a candle to the Chanate. The only way I can explain Chanate
is to ?Put on a fire suit and a helmet. Get in your car, drive to a laundromat, put $58.00 worth of quarters into the washing machine, hop in, close
the lid and hang on. When you get to spin cycle, you are about halfway through.?
After getting through Chanate and the upper half of Matomi, we came upon the Ampudia #805 truck that was being towed out. We attempted to go around
and got cut off. After about 60 reverse-to-first maneuvers, we finally got the BFGs to bite and we were on our way. Another 40 gallons of fuel at
RM197, the tires aired back up, and we were set for the run to the Arches. We knew we had at third place locked up and were thinking about second.
Fifteen miles from the finish and the truck began to make sounds and emit smells that were never there. This was all in the driver and co-rider's
minds, of course, but you convince yourself the truck is falling apart in your hands. But the driver?s front tire did when we went through the dump;
our only flat all day. We changed it within a ?-mile of the finish. Fifteen minutes later we crossed the finish line in 8:08:40, 240.34 miles from
where we started. Now we just need to figure out how to be the first guys there.?
The Geiser ?CWI? of Dave Raimonde was on a tear until he tore of the right A-arm that then tore off the starter solenoid. After setting up a ratchet
strap for a limp-out the truck could not, of course, be started. Rickey G. petitioned the Weatherman for permission to airdrop a starter into the
upper reaches of Chanate Wash and was, indeed, grated absolution. The Patelli Blazer never reached the RM17 point ? after an ?interesting? jack knife
blockage of Pete?s Camp road with the flatbed semi. The rookie Jamie Galles Guys learned the hard way that enthusiasm is no substitute for
experience. After immediately twanging an upper ?J? arm on a Power Line Road rock they limped out to Highway 5 via an El Dorado access road and
quietly sipped cervezas at the ?Un Rancho de Otra? Tecate outlet, with their helmets off, out of radio-reach of a possible McDoherty repair effort.
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TMW
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2006 SCORE San Felipe 250, Class 7SX
#740 Rich Severson, Flamingo Racing
San Felipe has always been one our favorites spots to visit and race since discovering it in 1981. Our ol? Ford Ranger was given a new coat of yellow
paint and ready to defend our 2005 class championship. This year will be much harder as the class has grown in both numbers and quality of
competitors.
Race day we wake to dark clouds off to the west and rain falling on the course, for sure. My windshield and wipers that we take so much teasing about
now seems like the hot ticket to have. Eight trucks leave the start area with us second off the blocks. I want to send a message to new competitor
Heidi Steele (#741) that this ain?t the buggy class anymore and pass her quickly. And just as quickly, as we whoop our way north, John Holmes (#759)
and Doug Siewert (#746) send me a similar message as they fly by.
We pace ourselves with a couple of other competitors through the deep sand.
Heading west on the course, spectators are dressed in rain gear and lots of warming fires are visible. We make the hairpin turn at RM60 in 4th place.
Heading south, the Diablo dry lake is now a real wet lake. We slip-n-slid our way along the muddy course.
Jeff Lloyd (#743) is off to the side with a flat, into 3rd place we go. A gas-n-go at Checker Pit 2 and all is well.
Down the high-speed Morelia Road and east into the Huatamote Wash. Even with the extremely cold weather this deep sand sends our tranny temperature
soaring. It gets to the point we must stop to let it cool. This minor problem allows both driver and rider to also vent some fluids. On opposite
sides of the truck, of course! A few minutes and we?re back in operating range and off.
We stop for gas again at RM130, Checker Pit 3, all is good and we?re back on it. 29 minutes behind the leader (#746) and 9 minutes behind 2nd (#759).
But also only one and three minutes ahead of 4th & 5th, respectively. We pick our way through rocky Chanate Wash. The tranny would again get hot
and I?d back off a little to put less stress on it, but keep moving. This temperature spiking would plague us the rest of the race.
At the top of the Matomi Wash the rain is coming down sideways and a huge rainbow fills the sky. Pat Neveau pulls out the ever-ready disposable camera
and captures the view on the run. Ya gotta luv Mother Nature?s beauty. Into the wash we plow; as we pass a downed buggy they point out a flat rear
tire. Sometimes you can?t tell if it?s the course or the wheel until it actually tears up the fender. A quick tire change has both of us a pretty
muddy from touching anything on the outside of the truck.
Out of the wash and a gas-n-go at RM196, Checker Pit 5. The team calls on the radio that we?re still down to the leaders 40 and 20 minutes,
respectively. We zip along at a steady pace but not wanting to hurt ourselves due to the large time difference. At RM222 another one of our chase
teams waves as we cruise by. Shortly afterwards it feels like a rear tire is again flat. I stop on a hard-packed area to check it out before diving
into the next soft wash. PatN says we?re good to go, so I must have been delirious. We haul butt towards the finish hoping to make it in before dark
but we end up running the lights. Third gear and top speed the last few miles are always a kick after the great run we?ve had. Under the arches to
cheers for a third place finish. Finishing is good and always the goal. Winning is better.
The next day at breakfast I found out that we were only two minutes down to #746 and he was limping along when my crew saw us. But no one had a radio
to tell us. Obviously we could have charged even harder and possibly overtaken him. And I didn?t realize that we had officially finished only four
minutes out of second (a trophy and payback) until returning to the states. So if you?re reading this make sure all your chase vehicles always have a
radio in them.
Knowledge on the race course is power.
Thanks to our new major sponsor Guzman Construction and BFGoodrich, Xochitl?s Cholla Caf?, Squaw Peak Exxon, and Checkers Off Road. And as always the
entire Flamingo Racing Family for your all help prepping and support at the races.
I want to dedicate our finish to my brother Checker Alex Long whom I first met in the Huatamote Wash many years ago. He died from leukemia just
before this year?s race. Thumbs up.
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surfer jim
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Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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Good reports....I was following my friends in the #747....Sand Hustler....from what I heard they dropped out with "fuel problems"....(gas mileage was
down to about 2 MPG)....
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