Yeah, DirtNews, RDC and ORC are all getting flooded and there is huge lag and the trackers are hardly working.

EDIT: FUCKING HOLY HELL! I can't get anywhere on RDC. ODC , Or DirtNews. My head is going to explode.

Even though it is good for the sport and its popularity, it annoys the shit out of me that I have been folling it on line any year I haven't been down there with zero delays or issues.

I think that it says a lot about the popularity of the sport and how it needs some form of live or same day TV coverage for the big races.

I don't know if you saw th is, but when you hear people talking about how it's going to be wet and muddy it's because they have been there. This years edition is going to be ugly for a lot of people.

Check out these pre-run pics:

http://www.desertbaja.com/foros/viewtopic.php?t=141

http://www.desertbaja.com/foros/viewtopic.php?t=87

First fatality reported.....

"Accident reported on HWY 5 south of San Felipe between chase truck and quad. 1 fatality and 3 serious injuries. No further details."

That's what you get when you get chase trucks running backwards on a live course with race traffic coming towards you. Every year you seem to hear about some team that thinks that they are more important that a human beings life.

Not saying that's what happened or that's the story here but it just seems all together too common that it's happening.

Sad.

I also heard something somewhere about a Trophy Truck or 1 Car Vs. Pedestrian. Rumor or anything on the boards about it?

No...hadn't heard anything about a pedestrian yet...but it looks like RG/Andy McMillan and the 83 truck will be the first TT to cross the finish line...and appears as if they have a big enough time lead on the other trucks to secure another Baja victory for Robby...Great for Andy too...Damn...to be that young and that good...

Yup...RG and Andy are the confirmed TT winners...what a huge boost this should be for the sport...probly the two most marketable individuals in the sport (other than perhaps Pastrana...) And this ENDS BFG's run as champ of the B1K...gonna have to redesign those posters now...and how long before you see the TOYO posters and ads up featuring RG and Andy?? Oh...and check out the travel on this Rhino...think it has more travel than my poor truck!!

And with $40k you too can build a suspension like that for prtty much anything. That Rhino racing is getting huge. And way out of hand already with costs. You can run a competitive 9, 5, 1600 or maybe even 10 car for what those guys are putting into those things. i'd take a race car that will be still racing in 10 years over the latest and greatest trend.

...and that rich with a family that has been racing his whole life. He's a great driver but being a McMillion has it's advantages.

As much as I dislike Robby's racing persona, I'm glad he finally won won after some frustrating outings at the Mil in recent years.

5,000 Trophy Truck Vs. idiot standing too close to the course.

TT - 1
Idiot - 0

http://www.dirtworksfilms.com/videos/ojosinsanity.wmv

Thats why I'm a big fan of the Jeepspeed classes...though it allows some modifications, you can still buile a 1/2 way decent race truck for under 10K...

It's closer to 20k but yeah, it's still expensive as hell to pre-run, travel and race. Especially SCORE.

Well, I'm not talking a competitive machine...just one that qualifies per the safety guidelines and would be allowed to enter the race....

I in now way want to start any argument here but if that's the only criteria, why bother?

I would guess that the Full Traction Jeepspeed has 40-50k in parts and labor into it if you or I were building it. I think that it's going to get even ore expensive with Jeepseed allowing Grands, Honchos and other V8 trucks into the series' open class.

Honestly, my nature would only allow me to be competitive or not do it at all. If I wanted to go trail ride the course, I could do that when there isn't a race going on. You could do that in anything. But if I did it, I would have to build something that I knew would wtihstand the rigors of racing and put me towards the front of the pack in my class.

There is a huge difference in the wear and tear on a vehicle when you are comparing merely driving a course and racing it. And it takes a huge toll. You also have to consider your personal safety and just barely getting it done might get you killed.

I would never want to spend just enough to be an alsoran.

but with a attrition rate of near 70%...just being consistent and finishing can go a long way...but I do defer to your deeper knowledge of this and would say that I was only figuring in the base cost of the vehicle--say $3K for an old Cherokee, and say $7K for the cage, fuel cell, and other safety stuff...but if you say its more that that I will gladly agree with you--I just didn't realize how much it cost just to get a vehicle up to spec....

Let's use that Cherokee.

Say you buy one for $3,000 that's a junker.

It's probably running a tired 4liter that you want to at least refresh or replace with a less tired 4.0. Unless you are leaving it bone stokc, you at least want to juice it up a little: Cam? Headers, exhauset and intake as a start.

So there is $1,500 on your stock motor plus upgrades and labor?

If you are lucky you are into your motor program for $3,500-4 for a runner.

What tranny are you going to use? Eventually you are either going to burn up the one you have and get it rebuilt or get yourself a new one and build it to withstand the rigors of racing.

You aren't going to leave the suspension stock but there are plenty of options that will run you from $1,500 to $5,000. Call RE, SkyJacker, Full Traction or any of the other XJ suspension manufacturers what a long arm suspension system that will get you about 12-13 in ches of travel will cost you.

Are you planning on keeping the stock rear end, gears ect. ? Even if you are you still want to take it apart, replace the axles wtih something a little beefier and truss the hell out of it so it doesn't snap like a twig.

A new rear end? Ask these guys what they are into their junkyward D44 after everything is said and done with cleaning it up and gears? and no one is welding a truss on theirs.

You'd be lucky to escape only spending $1,000-$1,500. and don't even think about calling Currie and getting one of their $3,500 race ready jobbers.

Then you have to get shocks. Bilstein 7100s will get too hot over the long haul so at a minimum you are looking at at least one 9100/wheel. At a minimum, with their racer prices you are looking at at least $500 a corner. Probably closer to 6+ if you plan to get a 2 or 3 check bypass.

Now you have engine and suspension.

And you can tie it all in with your cage. If you don't build it yourself, you are looking at at least 3-4k for someone to gut your interior and build you a legal race cage. Your fuell cell has to be built and tied into the structure and you are looking at 500 or so for that plus add-ons and plumbing.

Then when that's all done you can get the whole thing wired up.

Then you start spending money on other crap:

fiberglass
Seats
Harnesses
window nets
dash/guages
communications
GPS
air pumper
wheels
tires

Paint because you don't want it to look like crap.

Which is why you buy used. Your best move is to always buy a racecar from some other poor schlub that folloed his dream straight into bankruptsy after multiple refinances. It's a cynical approach but you will often get yourself a competitive racecar for less than half of what it would cost to build it yourself.

All of this is why I envy the guys who do it so much. Because there is no money in desert racing. For most guys like Dave, there is such a sacrifice of time and money and setting aside so many other things to prioritise your racing program. And I have one too many wives and three too many daughters and only so much money to go around to make that kind of sacrifice. Those lucky ones are those that are able to ballance everything and pursue their dreams more often than not for one race or one season at a time.

The rest of us poor slobs become fans.

I give!! I give!!

Well...maybe some more money will flow into it with the increasing exposure that Andy and Travis and JJ are getting it...Plus, with BFG losing its title to Toyo this year its put up or shut up time--either put some more sponsor money into their racers or conceed the title of best offroad race tire to Toyo or others....

Pastrana's race ended last night...
"#116
TP rolled it last night.
cought on fire, burned up
TP and Cassy ok...."

Bet he doesn't encounter rolling his vehicle, buring it up, and being stranded in the middle of the desert much in MotoX or rally racing!!

Oh he's wadded his Subaru in a big way. He just didn't get the stranded in Baja part.

Did you ever see this? :

http://www.vtcar.com/video/video_popup.htm

Was it a Suby he was driving or a "suby powered" class 1?? Didn't think he was driving the WRX down there...but yes, I had seen that video...the place that builds his cars is a couple hours north of here, as is the Rally school he and Andy McMillan go to in NH...

I don't think that CL-1 was subaru powered.

I believe it's an Ls-2 or Ls-7.

Thats what I would have thought...so who was it that brought the WRX out there??

I dunno.

I saw pictures of it and wondered how the hell it was going to cross the washes and the silt beds. That was balsy even trying it. I imagine on the wide open stuff they would be flying but the goat trails and the big washouts they didn't have the tire to just pound over anything and would have to finesse it a lot.

I'm really curious how far they made it.

Me too

I just read an unconfirmed report that someone saw it broken down at RM-45-50. I don't know if they got it going again though.

Check this video out of the beginning of the race....I just LOVE the sounds of the trophy trucks....unreal...

B1K vid...

Bad news on the only Nissan entered in the race--the Titan...broke down and out of the race at.....MM 77....They had none of the spare parts necessary to fix the truck...so they were done early...