Desert Dingo Racing

Category: 2008 Baja 1000

  • Desert Dingo Racing featured in Gearbox Magazine

    Get a haircut, hippie

    Someone needs a haircut.

    Gearbox Magazine editor Brian Driggs got it in his head that it might be interesting to do a piece on Desert Dingo Racing. We bounced emails back and forth and this is the result. I love my Stig shirt.

    Desert Dingo: A True Story of “Dust to Glory”

    For those who haven’t seen it yet, “Dust to Glory” is an epic movie about what it takes to run the Baja 1000 in Mexico. There probably isn’t a gearhead on the planet who hasn’t watched that flick and thought, “OMG. I wanna do that.” Jim Graham is one such gearhead, and OMG. He actually went out and did that.

    Read the rest of the story…

  • Feature on Desert Dingo Racing in The Sporting Life

    Brett Svatek did a piece on the team and I spent most of my time talking about eating.

    INTERVIEW: Jim Graham – Desert Dingo Racing
    The Sporting Life, February 24, 2010
    Jim Graham and his Desert Dingo racing team set out to conquer the Baja 1000 in a car that most people wouldn’t feel safe driving to the 7-11…they are truly living The Sporting Life.

  • Desert Dingo Racing, now in HD

    An extremely early birthday present from Roxanne came in the mail today. A custom Flip HD camera with a photo of 1107 printed on the front. We’ve been using a standard Flip for several years with decent results. We’ll test it at the SNORE 250 in early October and at the World Diabetes Congress later in the month. And, naturally, at the Baja 1000.

    Thank you Roxanne 🙂

  • Sleep deprivation at the Baja 1000

    You think you know a guy…

    So Travis here was a first timer with us at the Baja 1000. Totally unflappable. Can-do attitude. Attacked the dirtiest jobs with gusto. Sometimes he attacked them with verve.

    So most of the team had been up for more than 24 hours when we crashed out of the race after the car hit a tree. And then the transmission failed. And we pulled the engine and tranny to replace it, only to realize the replacement tranny wouldn’t fit. So we pack everything up and make the long drive back to Ensenada.

    Everyone, exhausted, crashes. And Travis, and some wristwatch-wearing accomplice, wanders from trailer to truckbed, from RV to crew cab, photographing sleeping people with our 1102 pit sign, which, I’m assuming, he used for perspective.

    Here now, is his gallery of images.

  • Airborne at the Baja 1000 redux

    Scott qualifying for his pilot's license at the Baja 1000 2008

    Scott qualifying for his pilot’s license at the 2008 Baja 1000.

    Just ordered a couple of print copies of these photos from Trackside Photo. Jim Ober and his team are some of the best shooters who cover all the major races.

    I’ll be out of town, but the team meets on Sunday to continue prep work on the car for the Mint 400 coming up March 26-29 in Vegas.

    Here’s what’s on the to do list, courtesy of Busboy Bob:

    Spare for trailer -Skid
    Shock sent back to Bilstien – Richard
    Tie Rod repair and improvement – Scott
    2x new rear tires – Richard
    Move transponder bracket – Scott/Richard
    Repair front fender mount – Bob & Scott
    Oil Change – Bob
    Valve Check – Bob
    Air Filter Check/clean – Creech
    Make all hardware metric – Creech/Scott
    Skid plate made into 1 piece/fix – Scott
    Move air pump switch – Shawn
    Inspect/replace/ grease wheel bearings –
    New Zerts – Bob
    Lower front seat – Creech/Richard
    Cheap shock spares – Bob
    Blue/Amber lights – sCary
    Spark plug check – Bob
    Power wash car –
    Paint fenders – Shawn
    Clean seats –
    Ball joint replacement –
    Tool Bag – Bob

    With Scott’s additions:

    Portable power washer for track
    Portable air compressor for track
    Fix the brushes on that damnable angle grinder
    Gaffer tape for in-car toolbag
    Rear-facing camera mount
    Appoint camera czar
    Source half-axles and bus CV spares.
    Wire brush for toolkit
    Source spare studded drum
    Fab & weld footbrace for navigator

    Our own version of Dust to Glory at the 2008 Baja 1000