Desert Dingo Racing

Category: Photos

  • Men at work

    Shawn and Bob work on the co-driver side front drum brake.

    In advance of our first logistics meeting for the Baja 1000 on June 21 at Seth’s place, the team put in time doing advance prep on the car. Crusty continued stripping out the car, eliminating rust and painting any bare metal. Shawn and Bob worked on the brakes, replacing some bits that kept the passenger side wheel from rolling relatively freely. Richard pulled the fuel cell, power washed it in preparation for pulling the bladder and sponge, which apparently needs replacing every couple of years.

    We may have some interesting developments in the communications department. Photos from last weekend’s work are here.

  • Food, folks and logistics

    An army marches on tri-tip, salmon bruschetta and wine.

    The team gathered at Scott’s place earlier this week (he totally has a custom-built motorcycle displayed in his living room) to celebrate our third place finish in SNORE’s Caliente 250 and to start mapping out logistics for future races and the Baja 1000.

    After a phenomenal dinner prepared by Scott & Carrie, we settled in to talk our way through the car from front bumper to exhaust pipe, mapping out what we need to do to improve the car, what spares we need and map out what we’ll be doing between now and the KC Hilites Midnight Race to up our game. A.J. updated everyone on the progress on AWACS and Francis (more on this later).

    A photo gallery of us eating is here.

    I haven’t mentioned this to Roxanne yet, but I’ll be entering separately to reprise Mouse’s 2003 solo ride on the course. Creech gives me my first lesson.

  • Everyone loves a parade

    We are having no luck in the fender department.

    Crusty and Charlie took 1107 to the lumberyard parking lot Saturday morning, joining the Lompico Ghost Mountain Riders, military vehicles, fire trucks, bands and horses for the annual Felton Remembers parade.

    The staging area is something out of a Fellini movie. Not sure whether the Big Foot guy was there, or the 4H kids who shaved their sheep to look like giant poodles and dyed them pink and blue, but there’s always a tow truck with a totaled car on the back and a “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE” banner. And the last entry is always the local Honey Pot truck.

    Can anyone tell me whether that’s a real falcon on that guy’s head? Parade photos are here. (Thank you Monica).

    We have some time til the next race, the KC Hilites Midnight Special race.

  • Countdown to Caliente

    You can’t see the rain in this photo.

    Work on Sunday focused on getting the engine back in and getting the fenders attached. The team will be working throughout the week to button up 1107 and pack before departing for Vegas Wednesday night.

    Photos of Sunday’s work here.

  • Less than a week to SNORE’s Caliente 250

    Hi, I’m Bob and I’ll be your driver today…

    We’re starting to button up 1107 for SNORE’s Caliente 250 next Saturday. The front and rear bumpers, now with reinforcement so that they don’t crumple like tinfoil when you try to use them as a jack point, are installed. Richard returned from Bradford Racing Products in Prunedale with our rebuilt transmission and Bob and Scott got it reinstalled.

    Shawn hammered out the one usable fender salvaged from where we were sideswiped by a Trophy Truck No. 91 at the Mint 400 (thanks for that, multimillionaire racer and Aria casino president Bill McBeath) and we’ve got four good ones for the race.

    Once we’re back from the Caliente, Steve Bradford will build us a second transmission and give a “Transmission 101” class for all of us who want to see what goes into putting one together.

    Today, the engine goes in and more buttoning up. In the rain.

    Photos from Saturday’s work day here.

    P.S. Oh yes, the driver line up for the Caliente. Bob will reprise his role as driver from the Mint 400, with Creech as co-dog for the first 100 mile leg. Crusty will make his triumphant return to the car (not having been in it since the 2007 Baja 1000) with Cary as co-driver.