Looking back~

NORRA, SNORE, Lucas Glen Helen, SCORE, Lucas Utah and various other assignments... I went back and looked at the last two months to see what what hell happened.

Going from race to race I often forget how much fun I had; the last two months have been pretty cool.

Below are a few of my favorites from May and June...

2011 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally:
Phil Peterson found a nice square edge in the silt near Santa Rita Baja Mx.

SNORE Dethrone SoCal 250:
Plaster City CA. My good friend Kyle MF Conlon ripping through the silt at the SNORE 250 at Plaster City. Kyle took 2nd O/A

Lucas Oil Off Road Series:
Pro 2 battle at Glen Helen CA.

2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 500:
Carlos Rivas wadded his 5/16 up right in front of me. I later talked to him and found out that not only was this his first SCORE race but they won...

Imperial Valley CA:
On an assignment for a client looking for empty race course and untouched sand dunes I went out to Superstition and shot the Sand Fingers at sunrise. It was an amazing sight...

Lucas Oil Off Road Series:
Tooele Utah. This last week was my first trip to Miller Motorsports Park and my friend Matt Loiodice was kind enough to show me what not to do during a race.

So from now until July 23rd I find myself with nothing to do. Well that's not entirely true, there are a few dozen side projects that need attending. Like working on my Jeep, my moto, the house in Baja and that case of cervesa that's been calling my name at the store...

Senate Bill SB-156

Can you please post on your forum, on your blog, on your Facebook wall, on Twitter and forward out to your racing email list.  This Bill is WHAT WE WANT to be able to successfully hold events on Private Land.  Residence from every state that enjoy any type of racing should participate.  The form generator only takes as long as it takes you to type in your personal information.  Thankyou for helping spread the word!  ~Charlene    (Please feel free to copy and paste the Entire Bill, Contact Names, Sample Email and youtube from the link below)

QUICK LINK for Social Media:  http://rogernormanracing.com/we-have-been-working-on-an-off-road-safety-bill-in-the-state-of-nevada-and-need-your-help


In a Personal Note from Roger and Elise Norman, they called the Off-Road community to Action:

We have been working on an Off-Road Safety Bill in the State of Nevada and we need YOUR HELP!
Please submit a Letter Immediately: http://www.sharetrails.org/letters-p4x4/letter.php?id=62 

We only have 2 days left to get the Senate Judiciary to Vote on It!!! We only have till Friday the 15th and all voting is over.
We would appreciate it if you could send an e-mail to Senator Valerie Wiener (D) and ask her to bring SB-156 to a vote: vwiener@sen.state.nv.us. She is sitting on the Off-Road Safety Bill and if she does not allow it to go to vote it will be dead. She is the chairman and can decide what bills will go to vote.

We are confident we have the votes to pass the bill through this committee.

This is about the future of off-road racing in Nevada and making Nevada the true home of off-road racing in the USA. We only have till Friday the 15th and all voting is over. If Senator Wiener is still sitting on our bill the Trial Attorneys have won and we have lost a secure future for race promoters and off-road racing in Nevada. Just as in baseball and hockey, spectators have an assumption of risk when attending events. With the passage of this bill, off-road racing will be protected by law in the same way.

The revised Senate Bill SB-156 and a video of Roger’s testimony in front of the judiciary committee is on www.RogerNormanRacing.com if you would like to review it.  If you would like to write your own letter, all committee contacts and an example letter is also available.  http://rogernormanracing.com/we-have-been-working-on-an-off-road-safety-bill-in-the-state-of-nevada-and-need-your-help

Sincerely,
Roger and Elise Norman

Coverage: Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series Kicks Off 2011 Season

Mar. 19, 2011 By Josh Burns, Photos by Art Eugenio and Josh Burns

A new season of Lucas Oil short-course off-road racing kicked off at the same location as last year’s season finale, Firebird Raceway just outside of Phoenix, Arizona. New sponsors were plastered on cars, a few racers changed classes, and new faces were seen in the pits. It was a new year of racing, and racers and pit crews were anxious to see if the off-season changes and updates on the trucks and buggies were going to translate into wins.

Rick Huseman earned the Pro 4 victory at round one.

Pro 4 UnlimitedAfter an introduction of the 2010 class winners, the Pro 4 Unlimited racers took the track. The class was intense as always, but whether it was rust or overly aggressive driving, there were a larger number of accidents during 2011’s first Lucas Oil race. Carl Renezeder jumped out to the early lead but Johnny Greaves gave him a battle and overtook him after a lap. Greaves only held the lead for a short time, however, as a tangle on the third turn in the middle of the track pushed Greaves sideways and into the k-rail. Greaves had to pull off to fix a flat but was able to return to finish the race in ninth. The next causality of the race was Steve Barlow (now running on the Metal Mullisha team), who was spun out in a turn and eventually finished just a spot behind Greaves in 10th.
With all the chaos going on, Renezeder was able to stay near the front of the pack, but he eventually was pressured by last year’s class champion Rick Huseman. Huseman traded lines with Renezeder and eventually took the lead and really never looked back. Just before the mandatory restart at the halfway point of the race, Josh Merrel lost control of his truck in turn three, riding on his two outer wheels before the truck caught and he flipped over the outside k-rail.
After the restart, Kyle LeDuc, who had been up near the front of the pack, also caught his tire and flipped over a number of times while battling with the leaders (spectators said his brother Todd might have accidentally bumped him forward, but it was hard to see from our vantage point). Kyle LeDuc appeared to be ok after the crash and plans to race again on Sunday … but he was unable to finish the Pro 4 race. After another restart, Huseman moved back out front ahead of Renezeder to take the first race win of the season.
“I was planning on being safe out there, you know, because I knew there were so many trucks out there, and it’s the first race and there’s going to be carnage,” Huseman said. “So my brother (Kevin, his spotter) said hang back and see what happens, and I did.” When asked if he has his sights set on another championship, Huseman humbly said, “I couldn’t imagine doing better than last year, but if I did that would be amazing.”

Carl Renezeder finished in second place in Pro 4 at Firebird Raceway.

Finishing in second place was Renezeder, who lost part of his front-wheel drive during the race but still managed a solid second place.
“We are totally stoked that we’re on the box today. We made a lot of changes in the off-season, did a lot of testing, and we still have a few things left to do,” Renezeder said. “Had a little issue with the front-wheel drive today, once again, but you know what, we’re going to fix that and I’m glad to be here.”
Rounding out the podium in third was Travis Coyne who, despite starting near the back of the 15-truck field, said before the race that he felt confident he could work his way up despite his bad starting position. Curt LeDuc finished in fourth place, while Aaron Daugherty finished in fifth.

Brian Deegan took the Pro Lite win at the season opener. Photo: Art Eugenio

Pro LiteA few fresh faces were in the 16-truck lineup for Pro Lite at Firebird Raceway, with Cameron Steele making the move into the class as well as Kyle LeDuc, and desert racer “Pistol” Pete Sohren made his debut as well. But Brian Deegan didn’t want any the new guys to get too much of the spotlight, as he picked up where he left off last year after earning a win at the final regular season race last December.
With last year’s Pro Lite Champion Marty Hart moving into the Pro 2 class, Deegan took advantage of his absence and jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Both Rodrigo Ampudia and Corey Sisler gave him a challenge during the first half of the race, but Sisler was later forced to pull off with mechanical issues, while Ampudia was able to finish fifth after surviving a few tangles that pushed him into the middle of the field just a few laps before the finish.
It was a pretty chaotic race in some regards with plenty of trucks trading paint while others were hit with mechanical gremlins that tend to show up at the first race of the season. In the end, Deegan earned the victory by staying out front and having clean air most of the race.
“For me, I had a great race,” Deegan said. “I knew Brandt was coming … I know we’ll have some great battles this year. I’m looking forward to it.”

Chris Brandt finished in second place in Pro Lite. Photo: Art Eugenio

One of the top racers in the class, Chris Brandt, worked his way through the field and was up near the front. Both he and Jimmy Stephensen were locked in a great battle for second place, with the two swapping spots a few times before the checkered flag waved.
“Yeah, you know he wasn’t giving up,” Brandt said of Stephensen. “I bounced off the wall over there and I thought I gave [second place] back to him, but luckily he had a mistake too so I got back in front of him and stayed up there.”

Stephensen was just happy to get a solid finish at the start of the season.
“Yeah, there was a little bit of mayhem,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of new drivers, but I’m just so happy to be on the podium first race.”

Pro 2 UnlimitedThe Pro 2 Unlimited field not only saw a number of new drivers, but it also had as huge field of 21 drivers taking the line. Marty Hart made the move from Pro Lite for 2011. Pete Sohren also tackled the Pro 2 class for the first time, as did off-road racer/celebrity/motorcycle builder Jesse James. Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath is racing Pro 2 in the Lucas series, as is freestyle motocrosser Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg who moved up from Super Lite after winning the class championship last year. MasterCraft owner Robbie Pierce also races the class, besting all of the aforementioned racers by finishing 10th overall.

Bryce Menzies (7), Brian Deegan (38) and Carl Renezeder (17) battle in Pro 2. Photo: Art Eugenio

Up front, the battle was fierce. Deegan, who is competing in Pro 2 full-time in 2011, used his spot on the front row to his advantage and jumped out to an early lead. Bryce Menzies, also starting on the front row, stayed on his tail while being trailed by Carl Renezeder in third, Rob MacCachren in fourth and Greg Adler in fifth.

Pro 2 Winner Bryce Menzies. Photo: Art Eugenio

For the first half of the race the top five didn’t change much, but after the restart Deegan was unable to retain his lead on the field. Menzies was the first to get by him, with Renezeder moving past him next. This left Deegan in a dog fight with MacCachren for third place, and neither racer wanted to give in. The two swapped spot and had some serious rubbing, and apparently this aggressive racing ended up having a major impact on the final standings. But none of this action could deter Menzies, who took win in the packed field and held off Renezeder for the remainder of the race.
“The guys worked so hard on the off-season and they put the truck back together great,” said Menzies, giving much of the credit to his team. “We did no testing with the truck, so to come out here with a win just shows that our guys are the best out there.”
Renezeder was happy to get another second-place finish on the day. The veteran noted that he tried to rattle the younger racer but couldn’t get him to flinch.
“I showed Bryce the wheel in as many corners as I could to try and get in his head a little bit,” Renezeder said. “I knew some of those weren’t going to be legit passes – [they were] just to try and shake him up a little bit. You know, he’s done it before, he’s solid and he held his line and stayed cool.”
After the top two, this is where things got interesting in Pro 2. Everyone waited for the racers to take the podium, but it was taking much longer than usual. We found out that this was because the battles between Deegan and MacCachren were an issue. Apparently some of Deegan’s moves during the race didn’t sit well with MacCachren, who gave Deegan a bump toward the end of the race that knocked him back a few places. Lucas Oil officials penalized MacCachren that then gave third place to Woods since he was the next vehicle across the line. This then left put Greg Adler fourth and Deegan in fifth. It was a strange series of events, and there’s no doubt more will come of it tomorrow.
“I don’t know how I got here but I’ll take it,” Woods said on his surprise podium spot. “Above and beyond racing today, I just really want to thank my crew and I’m really proud to be an American with all this stuff going on. It’s so tough right now for the people in Japan right now, so if there are any winnings from this I’m going to donate that money to the people of Japan.”

Super LiteThe spec-class Super Lite field saw 14 trucks take the line, with RJ Anderson jumping out the lead and never looking back. Anderson simply appeared to be the fastest in the class, and though he was given a good run by second-place finisher Patrick Clark, he never gave up the lead.

RJ Anderson earned the Super Lite win. Photo: Art Eugenio

“I don’t know where he came from,” Anderson said of second-place finisher Clark. “All of the sudden my spotter said ‘you got one on you, you got one on you,’ so I was just trying to keep running smooth and it ended up working.
Although Clark was able to catch Anderson in the race, he took away some knowledge that might help him down the road.

Patrick Clark finished in a close second behind RJ Anderson in Super Lite. Photo: Art Eugenio

“It’s the first time I’ve really gotten to battle with him,” Clark said, noting he now has at least a better understanding of his line choices and driving style after the race. 
Chad George was able to follow up his third-place finish in the UTV class with another third-place finish in Super Lite on Saturday.
“We couldn’t be more pumped,” he said at the finish line. “Judging by the start of that race, someone spun out … and we played catch-up the whole time.”

Pro BuggyIn Pro Buggy Unlimited, a tight battled ensued at the front of the pack for much of the race. Veteran Doug Fortin held the lead for much of the race, fighting off another veteran in Jerry Whelchel as well as class rookie Justin “Bean” Smith, who won the championship in the Limited Buggy class last year.
Another young racer in the mix was Justin Davis, who is fresh off his second straight Class 1 win in the SCORE desert series, which is especially impressive when you consider the two wins are also his first two races in a Class 1. Davis was forced to pull off near the end of the race with mechanical issues and was unable to continue. Mike Porter was also in the mix in the early going, and while he was able to finish the race he was pushed near the back of the finishing pack in 10th. 

Doug Fortin likes the Firebird Raceway track. Photo: Art Eugenio

Fortin kept his lead on the field to earn the win.
“It’s a great way to start right where we left off last year with a win here,” Fortin said, regarding his big payday in the Pro Buggy vs. Pro Lite race last December at the Lucas Oil Rockstar Energy Cup Challenge. “It was perfect it was fun. It was fun running with the guys up there, Mike Porter and Justin Davis, they ran clean. I just waited for the right time. “
Smith was able to hold on for second place in his first race since stepping up from Limited Buggy.
“I didn’t know what to expect stepping up next to these competitors, but to be on the box the first time out I’m pretty excited about it,” Smith said. “We tried to stay away from the trouble, and there was a little bit in front of us and it helped us out a little bit maybe, but I’ll take it.”

Justin "Bean" Smith finished in second place in his first Pro Buggy race. Photo: Art Eugenio

Whelchel was also able to stay out of major trouble and hang near the front of the pack to finish on the podium in third place.
“I started fifth so it was a pretty wet in the beginning, but it was a good race,” he said. “I mean, everybody raced clean, it was just a good race. I had fun out there.”

San Felipe 250!!!!

Here is a write up I did for Off-Road.com

Link to ORC

Rob MacCachren earned the overall win at the Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Amazingly, it was his first win as the driver of record.

The San Felipe race isn’t the longest SCORE race south of the border, but it is known for being the absolutely roughest, most punishing Baja has to offer. At 250 miles, a “sprint” as some would call it, the Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 is an all-out mad dash for the win. With miles upon miles of shock-killing whoops, waist-deep silt, rock-infested washes and canyons, this year would prove to be the toughest yet.

Colton Udall and Jeff “Ox” Kargola earned the Pro Motorcycle win.

This year marked the 25th running of the San Felipe race and it was run in remembrance of Pepe Limon, the SCORE Mexico liaison who passed away late last year. “Tore up!” is how Roger Norman described it just days before the race, and “rough” is the word almost every driver and rider blurted out at the finish. The fastest man in the desert Saturday was Rob MacCachren driving the Rockstar Mastercraft #20 Trophy Truck. Everyone knows MacCachren has a long list of wins and is probably the greatest desert racer of all time, but surprisingly this was Rob’s first overall win as driver of record.
 
“We took off with just a real conservative pace and they started dropping one by one,” said MacCachren. “When we dropped into Matomi Wash, Jesse (Jones) was first on the road, (Gary) Weyhrich was second and I was third. Jesse Jones had a flat right at the beginning of Matomi and we got by him. Right at the end of Matomi we got by Weyhrich, and then we had the physical lead all the way in. We were really struggling with the power steering, and Jesse was pretty much on my bumper the whole way in. I knew he had to get by me and put 30 seconds on me to win and we were going to do everything we could to keep that from happening. There were absolutely no problems at all with the truck (other than the power steering), and we didn’t have any flats. I really needed this win; it’s great.”
Jones was last year’s Trophy Truck season championship winner and was on a good pace to do it again, but one mistake took it all away bringing him in for a second-place finish and second overall. “Once we got first on the road, I had to kind of back the pace down a little bit to save the equipment,” Jones said. “Our rear end was running a little hot and then I made a mistake. We had a flat tire going into the wash and when we stopped to change it, we got stuck. It’s my fault – I threw the race away. That cost us about 10 minutes. I wish I could blame it on somebody else, but I can’t. Good job for Rob (MacCachren). What a great day anyway; we all got to race really, really close and that’s what it’s all about so that’s more fun anyway.“
Andy McMillin flew through the pack after starting from the 22nd position and landed in the 3rd spot on the podium.

 Jesse James had a solid race the SCORE San Felipe 250, finishing eighth overall and eighth in class.

“It was a really, really fun day,” Andy said. “About three miles out from the finish, the truck started bobbling at like 110 miles an hour, so I backed it down to about 80 and it quit bobbling and we kind of ran consistently. And then there’s a hard left and another hard right on the very last straightaway, and it came into the corner and it died. My heart sank – I knew we were leading – and then, luckily, we were only down for maybe 30 seconds and we got it fired up again and got here (to the finish).
“It was close at the finish line. That was the only problem I had and I have no idea what it was. I just cruised off the start, stuck to my game plan all day and we’re here. It was so rough out there. I’m going to be so sore tomorrow but it’s worth it, that’s for sure.”

He’s only 17 years old, but Justin Davis has now won his first two Class 1 SCORE races to kick off 2011.

Taking the Class 1 honors was 17-year-old Justin Davis. His rookie year in Class 1 had been perfect so far, as he took the win at Laughlin and now San Felipe. “We had no flats, no problems,” Davis said. “We just cruised in and had a good race. It was a perfect day. It was definitely rougher than last year but we made it to the end. We passed most of the cars (that started ahead of me) before the end of Zoo Road and then just got behind the SCORE Trophy-Trucks and had a clean run.”
Steven Eugenio (check out video of the team's Laughlin SCORE start) and Adam Pfankuch had an amazing run in Class 12.  Starting last in class, the team drove their way through the pack and took the class win with more than 20 minutes to spare, landing 19th overall amongst the four-wheeled racers.

Adam Pfankuch and Steven Eugenio earned the win in Class 12 after starting last in class. They kicked up some dirt along the way.

“We had an almost perfect day,” said Eugenio. “Adam started and drove the first half but had to get out three times because the brakes kept locking up. We finally got it sorted out and I got in at race mile 120, passed McNeil about a mile after I got in and cruised in from there. It’s great to finally win the 250 after being so close the past few years!”

Cody Robinson earned the Class 1600 win at San Felipe

Taking home the win in Class 1600 was “The Great” Cody Robinson from El Centro, California (Roberto Romo started and drove to mile 100 and Robinson drove from mile 100 to the finish).

The team of Cameron Steele, Cody Stuart, Justin “Bean” Smith and Pat Dean finished 14th overall at the San Felipe 250.

“When I got in the car, I think I had a 10-minute physical lead and more on corrected time,” exclaimed Cody. “From there, I didn’t really have many problems until I lost a (CV) boot at mile 180 so I was stopping and greasing it. But besides that, the car ran good. It works great in the rough stuff; this is my second win in a row here at San Felipe.”
The heavy metal trucks of Class 8 had a great race going on with Noah Ostanik edging out the competition. “It was extremely rough but it was a good day,” Noah said. “We had minimal issues – we just had a driveshaft issue about mile 115 and took care of it. Other than that, it was a flawless day. We’ll take the win any day.”
With the conclusion of the San Felipe 250, SCORE racers will turn their attention to preparing for the SCORE Tecate Baja 500, which will start and end in the seaport city of Ensenada on June 3rd-5th. Don’t miss it!
MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 Results:
Pro Cars & Trucks1. Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 4:17:45 (58.68mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
2. Jesse Jones, Litchfield Park, Ariz., Ford F-250, 4:18:29 (58.52mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
3. Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, National City, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:18:53 (58.43mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
4. Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix/Larry Vanderwey, Litchfield Park, Ariz./Michael Vanderwey, Phoenix, Chevy Silverado, 4:26:53 (56.67mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
5. Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Ford F-150, 4:27:07 (56.62mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
6. Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 4:28:38 (56.31mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
7. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:32:41 (55.47mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
8. Jesse James, Austin, Texas, Chevy Silverado, 4:35:56 (54.82mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
9. Mark McMillin, El Cajon, Calif./Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:36:18 (54.74mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
10. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas/Larry Roeseler, Boulevard, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:41:07 (53.80mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
11. Justin Davis, Chino Hills, Calif., ESM-Chevy, 4:44:42 (53.13mph) (Class 1)
12. Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:46:15 (52.84mph) (Class 1)
13. Damen Jefferies, Apple Valley, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 4:47:06 (52.68mph) (Class 1)
14. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Cody Stuart/Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif./Pat Dean, Las Vegas, GMC Sierra, 4:52:49 (51.65mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck
15. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Jeff Quinn, Irvine, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 5:01:41 (50.14mph) (Class 1)
16. Dave Crinklaw, Reedley, Calif./Mike Thurlow, Kingsburg, Calif., Ford F-150, 5:03:25 (49.85) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
17. Gus Vildosola Jr. /Gus Vildosola Sr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 5:03:57 (49.76mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
18. Ken Losch, Tempe, Ariz./Greg Nunley, Tulare, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 5:14:58 (48.02mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
19. Steven Eugenio, Alpine, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Oceanside, Calif., Prill, 5:33:08 (45.40mph) (SCORE Lite)
20. Jesse Ashcraft, San Marcos, Calif./Adam Ashcraft, Oceanside, Calif., Ford F-150, 5:34:01 (48.02mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)
Pro Motorcycles1. Colton Udall/Jeff Kargola, San Clemente, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:36:51 (54.63mph) (Class 22)
2. Shane Esposito, Lake Elsinore, Calif./Bobby Garrison, Hesperia, Calif./Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., Kawasaki KX450F, 4:58:10 (50.73 mph) (Class 22)
3. Mike Johnson, El Paso, Texas/Steve Garnett, Carson City, Nev., Honda CRF450X, 5:27:46 (46.15mph) (Class 30)
4. David Gonzalez Jr/Carlos Casas, Chula Vista, Calif., KTM 450XCW, 5:31:24 (45.64mph) (Class 21)
5. Adam Neuwirth, Los Angeles/Salvador Hernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda CRF450X, 5:34:31 (45.22mph) (Class 21)
6. Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico/Jason Trubey, Henderson, Nev./Noe Ibarra, Banning, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:36:43 (44.92mph) (Class 30)
7. A.J. Stewart, Jamul, Calif./Bryce Stavron/Donald Stanley, San Clemente, Calif./Kyle Corfman, El Centro, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:52:04 (42.96mph) (Class 22)
8. David Kleiman, Carlsbad, Calif./Mike Gress, Anaheim Hills, Calif./Chad Earl, Huntington Beach, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:55:47 (42.51mph) (Class 21)
9. Jim Dizney, Alpine, Calif./Doug Smith, Upland, Calif./Eric McKenna, Loomis, Calif./Steve Williams, Tehachapi, Calif./Paul Doebereiner, La Quinta, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:55:54 (42.50mph) (Class 50)
10. Trevor Insley, San Clemente, Calif./Matt Eddy, Barstow, Calif./Bill Gilbert, Ladera Ranch, Calif./Morgan Crawford, 29, Sanger, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 6:07:13 (41.19mph) (Class 21)
Pro ATVs1. Mike Cafro, Bonsall, Calif./Beau Baron, Atascadero, Calif., Honda TRX450R, 6:19:37 (39.84mph) (Class 25)
2. Craig Christy/Andy Lagzdins, Burbank, Calif./Dave Scott, Belen, N.M./Garren Fuller, Santee, Calif., Honda TRX450R, 6:20:48 (39.72mph) (Class 25)
3. Roberto Ruiz, El Centro, Calif./Rodolfo Navarro, Mexicali, Mexico/Carlos Apdali/Ivan Mejorado, Tecate, Calif., Honda TRX450R, 6:20:59 (39.70mph) (Class 25)
4. Travis Dillon, Spring Valley, Calif./Jeremy Gray/Robbie Cockrell, Barstow, Calif./Mike Sorchy, Lakeside, Calif., Honda TRX700XX, 6:24:20 (39.35mph) (Class 25)
5. Christian Vera, Lemon Grove, Calif./Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 6:25:13 (39.26mph) (Class 25)
 

Time's a flyin!

Man, It's already been weeks since I posted anything here, it's been a busy month or so.

So since the beginning of February it's been go go go starting with the BITD Parker 425 straight into the King of the Hammers, the CODE Class 11 Challenge, the SNORE Battle at Primm, then a short break and right into the SCORE San Felipe 250. Somewhere in there I moved but that's another story.

PArker is always a great race to kick off the year as its the first true open desert race of the year. This was my 12 years photographing the 425 and I was dying to get something new and different from previous years. My good friend and also my competition Mike Wilson and I went on a photo mission the night before the start and mapped out a good spot to shoot. We ended up camping for the night at the location to avoid anyone turning us away on raceday.

The spot wasn't the greatest for action but showed to be a beauty for scenery.

The best action of the day was over at an old reliable spot were I caught Jeff Quinn doing his best lawn dart impression.

Parker ended up being a great race and a good start to the 2011 photo season. I also wrote a story for Off-Road.com on the race. Clicky the link for the story.

So a quick run home, slam though an edit and up came King of the Hammers and the CODE Class 11 Challenge in Mexicali.
This was my first time out to the KOH and I was excited to see what my bothers in the rock crawler photo world have been talking about. So repacked the bags, kiss my girl goodbye and drove off to YuccaValley to meet up with Curtis from RDC. Curtis and I met up and made the trek together up to where the event was held. Curtis remarked on how big it was from previous years, I just did my best to take it all in as I was going to run a story for RDC by the next day. Some of the rides we saw were pretty crazy, MAd Max style stuff.
A small city literally sprang up over night on the dry lake near Lucerne Valley.  So we checked in for media creds and set out for a prerun. We found a couple of good spots and called it a day.
Race morning we set up and what we thought would be a "ok" spot turned out to be MF'n awesome! I had never thought I'd get a shot or rock buggies flying but there it was.

We went on from there to get some real rock crawling. These guys seriously make it look easy over what is some just plain retarded terrain.

 

 Did I mention there were thousands of spectators at the event? Surprisingly for as many that were there the crowds were very calm, stood back and respectfully allowed the racers through. The rest of the off road world should take note and act accordingly. 

So did I mention the KOH and the CODE race were the same weekend? So as soon as the winner was announced we shot a few photos and hauled ass to Mexicali to catch contingency. We hit Mex about 8pm that evening, just in time to check in, start writing my KOH story and then head to contingency. Every CODE contingency is like the Baja 1000, the people in Baja love off-road racing and it really shows. The party continued into the night but we headed back to get some work done and chatch some sleep. Somewhere in the night (3am) after battling the intermittent web service I finally got the story up and made it to sleep. 

5a.m. wake up for CODE, man I was draggin ass but a quick stop at an OXXO, a couple of Monsters and we were off.  Over 30 class 11's took the land rush start and all I have to say is Wow, badass. If you weren't there to witness it then you missed out. No video, photo, or tall tale can accurately describe seeing such a sight. If it ever happens again you have to make a point to be there and see it.

The class 11 regulars laid down the law as expected, I asked one Trophy Truck driver the week before the race if he was gonna run the challenge. His response "Hell no! I'll get my ass handed to me." He was right, he would've put down like a dirty old dog. Those class 11 guys are badasses! 

So we wrapped it up there and headed home, busted out another story, slammed another edit and prepared for Battle at Primm.

BAP is always a good race and I was really looking forward to a fun weekend at Primm; unfortunately the schedule I had been running finally caught up with me. Friday morning qualifying went well but by that night I was sick as a dog with fever. 

My whole work plan to shoot heavy on Saturday then spectate and ride with Michelle Bruckmann on Sunday went out the window. Saturday I missed the whole first three races and then was so sick missed the last race with the 1450 trucks. I was bummed, but I feel I've paid enough dues to skip out on a few races; so I loaded up on cold meds called it an early day and tried to prep for Sunday.

Sunday Sunday Sunday, I feel much better and get out there for a few choice pics. Got some great shots but had to cut it short because for once I was going to ride instead of being on the sideline. 

Best part of the day was getting to ride with Michelle in her class 5 car again. Michelle is a great driver and I had the pleasure of ridingwith her at Rage at the River last year.

We jumped off to an early lead and had a great battle going right from the start with Jim Anderson. It was an awesome race until we got on an open straight and Jim's 5 speed took over. We had a clean race going until one of the carbs linkage let go. Fortunately we were only a mile from the pit and got it fixed quick enough to retain 2nd place. 

 The icing on the cake for the weekend was my buddy Kyle MF Conlon took the overall win for the weekend. Kyle has been flirting with taking the gold home for almost a year, but minor bugs in what is still a new car had been keeping him down. Now that the teething problems have been worked out Kyle is a threat whether the competition knows it or not. Kyle will definitely be in the winners circle again soon.

 

So that was February and now going into March we have the SCORE San Felipe 250, the LOORRS season opener and the SNORE Mint 400.. Another busy month on the road

Oh, and as you might have noticed -GETSOMEPHOTO- is the new off-road division of AEugenioPhoto

More to come on that subject!

A statement on the California 200 Lawsuits

California 200 tragedy.

The results of a recent study conducted by a panel of experts was released today. The finding states that those killed and injured at the MDR Cal 200 should shoulder the major responsibility for the mayhem caused by the rollover of a race truck. The panel found that the spectators violated common sense safety standards by choosing to stand on the race course as the vehicles flew by at speed.

Statements that the driver should have slowed because of the proximity of the crowds were deemed to hold no bearing and were dismissed as reactionary. It was determined that the reason the mass of spectators gathered at that particular location was because of the thrill of watching the racers fly by at speed.

Furthermore, had a speed limit been in effect at that location or had the racers slowed voluntarily, the crowd would have gathered elsewhere. The truck that rolled and inflicted the injuries was NOT the first race vehicle through the incident site so the victims should have realized that their vantage point held the inherent dangers associated with spectating in such close proximity to high speed offroad racing.

Opinion that the driver should be held accountable were also dismissed as his actions were part of the racing competition and completely accidental while the spectators chose through conscious thought to stand in harm's way. While the driver was following all the rules set forth by both the BLM and the race sanctioning body, the spectators were not. Notices posted at the race course and on the promoter's website instructing spectator to remain at least 150 feet from the track went unheeded. Since the race course is defined as being 50 feet wide from either side of the course centerline, the spectators should have been much farther away than the five to ten feet shown on video of the incident.
The investigation panel, chosen from staff at the Center for Desert Activities was convened independently of any involved parties. The panel is made up of racing industry experts and media and have a combined 1000 years of experience.

In conclusion, the panel also found that because of the widespread coverage of this tragic event the likelihood of it being repeated in the US has odds of about a million to one.

2011

Saludos Amigos!

Well what can I say, I went a whole year without posting in my blog. I know I know, total fail but this year will be different I swear.. lol
A lot has happened this past year, there were a bunch of ups and downs with the new business, my life, and in the off road world I live in.
In the early part of 2010 I went on one of the greatest adventures I have been on to date - The NORRA Mexican 1000. I went with a crew of friends chasing the race, drinking beers, eating tacos and taking photos. It was indeed the best time I had at a race in many years and to top it all off it landed me my first cover shot for my new company.





Near the end of the NORRA trip I picked up my keys to my- new to me- house in Baja west of Colonet. This was a dream come true as I always wanted a place of my own in Baja and now that I have it I plan to spend as much time there as possible.

 On the down side of 2010 was the California 200 - I would've been there but fate and a hectic schedule turned down the job and said go to Baja and take some time off to enjoy the new casa. I woke the next morning and did my once a day check of messages to find many people worried that I didn't answer phone calls or texts. A sad day indeed for all those involved and a day that unfortunately changed our sport forever. Many opinions of that day are reactionary and unfounded, being an off-road photographer and attending 40+  events a year I feel I have a solid opinion on the subject, but doubtful that many would want to hear what I think of it. I will leave that for another day.

A great high for my family last year was the total domination thrown down by my cousin Steven Eugenio at the Baja 500. Steven and his co-driver Adam Phankuch put down a clinical run finishing two hours ahead of the competition and 12th O/A. Then Steven repeated the feat at the Jacume GP with his very first 1st O/A win, our team expects to repeat these finishes routinely throughout the 2011 season.

From there we had what seemed to be a long summer, I spent time with my girl and hit a few short course races here and there. If you know me at all you know short course off-road is not my favorite venue. Short course off-road is intense and for a lack of better words- completely awesome- but their media policy simply takes all the enjoyment out of it and if I can't enjoy what I do I'll leave it behind. I will have to evaluate it once again to see if I will take on this next season.

The rest of the year ended well, as always the Baja 1000 was epic, I had a great crew for that one and we came home with some great images and had a good time. Sadly we didn't have the annual Dash race which I had been going to for the last 15 or so years but it left me time to spend with family and my girl which I don't get to do as much as I like. But most importantly I celebrated my one year anniversary with Karin, she's been incredibly awesome and understanding of my crazy schedule.
Thank you baby!