Desert Dingo Racing

Category: Photos

  • We’re (still) in it to win it


    Technically, Charlie is old skool Desert Dingo, but he’s just so darn enthusiastic, we gave him all the crappy jobs.

    Let’s face it, we’ve had better weekends at Prairie City. First moto the driver’s door popped open, we got black flagged and finished the course just for the points. Second moto we hit a tractor tire, bent three rims and flatted once. Finished the race just for the points. Third moto the engine lost power and we just finished for points.

    With one race left in the season, we’re in second place behind Two Larrys and a Megan Racing. By about eight points. It doesn’t sound like much but in the final race we’ve got to win or The Green Booger has to be hit by a meteorite (while it’s parked off by itself, of course).

    We’ve got two weeks to go. We’ll rebuild the engine to boost the horsepower. We’ll figure out the door issue. I’ll probably find an opportunity to give my favorite Henry V speech.

    We’re not going down without a fight.

    Here are photos from this past weekend’s racing, courtesy of Don Carlson.

  • Prairie City on my mind


    OMG! OMG! Two Larrys and a Megan Racing will pay!

    The last of this season’s short course races start this weekend at Prairie City, just outside Sacramento. 1107 is mechanically sound, which is code for “The car is in 100 pieces in the front yard.”

    We (ok, Crusty) power washed about 100 pounds of dirt out of the car this week. I pulled out everything that wasn’t bolted down. Richard hammered out dented stuff. It really just needs fenders put on.

    Some photos from this weekend’s work.


    Richard autographs his masterwork.

  • We pass 10,000 downloads of the Desert Dingo Racing iPhone, iPad and Android apps


    We blew through 10,000 downloads sometime Thursday night..

    I’m still sending out hero cards to folks (Jeff I swear yours goes in the mail Monday) who send me a photo of themselves holding their mobile device with our Desert Dingo Racing app on it. So shoot me an email at jim@desertdingo.com and include your first name and snail mail address.

    With the passenger door un-pranged, the only major work left to do on 1107 in advance of our Oct. 9-10 VORRA race at Prairie City is to sort out why we’re getting a leak in one of the valve covers.

    As previously mentioned we’re red-shirting the Baja 1000 this year to do a body off rebuild in preparation for the 2011 race season. We’ve got something cool in the works that I can mention for fear of jinxing it.

  • “Whatever you do, don’t roll the car”

    This won't buff right out
    VORRA organizers felt so sorry for 1107 they awarded it a finishing pin.

    Before we did our first Baja 1000, I asked Eric Solorzano, nine-time Baja 1000 winner, why he had his auxiliary oil cooler mounted to the roof, and wouldn’t it get crushed if he rolled the car. His advice to me was “Don’t roll the car.”

    Naturally, we rolled the car this weekend.

    It started with pre-running on Friday. We (Richard driving, me co-dogging it) rolled out of the pits around 1 p.m. figuring two hours on the course, back to the pits, then driving into town for tech and contingency.

    Right.

    Just past RM45 we hit the climb people had been talking about. A mix of rocks, silt, berms, a hairpin turn and more of the same. We made six runs at it and couldn’t get over the top. I turned to Richard and said “I’m man enough to cry right now.”

    Then, backing down the hill, we high centered 1107 on the side of the road. Making a long story short, using a folding Boy Scout shovel, a few rocks and a dessicated lizard, we built an offramp that would make Caltrans proud. We backtracked on the course and found a road that got us back to the pits.

    Race morning. It’s down us and The Green Booger, as Bob Messer (1177) threw a rod during pre-running. (Note to self, never drink a bottle of rum and pass out in a camp chair around people with access to colored Sharpies and video cameras).

    Following the first eight miles of rocks, sand, silt and whoops, we settled into a pace with us in the lead, followed by David Oram’s 9 car and The Green Booger right behind. About RM15 things went to hell in a handbasket. The Booger apparently missed a turn in the dust and went into a ditch. In a show of solidarity, we promptly rolled 1107 on a sweeping left turn and I ended suspended above Richard in my five point harness. I was halfway out of the car when David Oram got to us.

    Making a long story short, Oram and his co-driver got us back on our wheels, we pulled out the bent fenders as best we could and were on our way. The VORRA team cut down a berm on the RM45 climb and we were good to go.

    Pitting after the first lap we removed what was left of the two front fenders, took fuel and  little bit of oil and were on our way. We figured we didn’t have any chance to catch The Booger, so spent the next two laps kvetching about the trucks and Class 1s chewing up a perfectly good course.

    Congrats to Boogers Gary and Megan on the win and taking over first place in season points for Class 11. Thanks to everyone who helped us in the pits and on the course (“Can you help a brother out with a quart of 10W-40?”) and of course thanks to the entire VORRA team for all their dedication and hard work to pull off another great event.

    This morning Roxanne said “How did you get bruises on your back?”

    A gallery of photos from the Hawthorne 225 weekend here. (The good ones were taken by Megan’s mom, Marsha. Thanks for letting me post them.)

  • Two rims, rusted

    I've become quite adept with the grinder
    Every office cubicle should have a pair of rusty VW rims.

    Remember those two rusty rims that Larry Zimmerman donated to us? Now they look like this:

    I've become quite adept with the grinder

    A few minutes with the grinder and another few coats of Rustoleum gloss white and they are race ready. Thanks again, Larry. We really appreciate it. (FYI, Larry drives the bright yellow Baja bug around Felton, so wave if you spot him).