Newbies at a Desert Offroad Race

[dustymojave]

Over the weekend, I attended the M.O.R.E. McKenzie's 250 Offroad Race at Lucerne Valley/ Johnson Valley Offroad area of Southern California.

I took along 3 people who had never attended such a thing before. 2 of them had never seen it on video either.

It was like fishing...Cast the line, reel it in slowly...And BANG! They're hooked!

Rulo Solano of our team took 1st in 5/1600 Baja Bug class, while Ruben Garcia Jr. also in 5/16 driving his dad's car that the team used to win the class in the 2019 Baja 1000, was doing well for the 1st lap and 1/2, before his clutch failed.

Lucas Knecht drove the LoneKid Racing 1066 buggy with Brian Johnson riding Ironman in the right seat, and Rulo Solano taking the driver's seat for a couple laps, and Danny Garcia finishing the driving. They had some troubles, with the Ecotec engine needing oil a couple of times. They had put a hole in the cast aluminum oil pan. That got a temp fix with a drill and a tap to make the hole round, then putting a bolt in with a cap from a water bottle to serve as a gasket on the bolt to plug the hole. The car then went a couple more laps for a finish. They said that a skidplate bolt poked the hole, so that will be revised before the next race.

One of our Class 11 cars with the Ventura brothers took a 4th in class.

All that provided some pretty good excitement for the newbies. Although they don't get to work on a pit crew as things USED to be, they still got to meet the drivers, car owners, pit crew and all and to be welcomed as if they were long-time team members. All that is VERY different from how it is at a NASCAR race, or Indy cars, or most any other form of motorsports.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Scott SD]

Awesome. That is how people get hooked. Now they will be dreaming of VW parts. Are you going to the Baja 500 this weekend? Only (4) 5/1600 cars entered so far.

[dustymojave]

Not going this year.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Matt Wilson]

I really like that water bottle gasket fix - will have to remember that!
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1972 Standard Beetle
1969 Baja Beetle