Desert Dingo Racing

Category: SNORE

  • Waiting on a bowden tube

    This should be a walk in the park. A rocky, silt-filled, multi-water-crossing walk in the park.

    “Busboy” Bob Russell reported in just now with an update on car preparation. First thing they had to do was purchase a disposable phone (just like the terrorists use!) because Caliente doesn’t have cell service for AT&T.

    With that out of the way, they mounted the new BF Goodrich 7.00×15 tires, which give us an additional 1.5-2 inches of clearance in the back. We’re now approaching Monster Truck levels of ground clearance. Thanks to everyone at Skip’s Tires, one of our sponsors, for mounting those for us.

    A serious issue for us is that technical courses like Caliente have a tendency to chew up tires, primarily by sharp rocks cutting into the sidewalls. These new tires have six-ply sidewalls and Bob reports it will require an act of God to puncture one of them.

    They’re holding off on installing the skid plates until receiving a new bowden tube from a VW shop in Vegas. Once that’s done, they’ll install everything and run the car through contingency this evening.

    #1111 (Felipe Neri-Sanchez) and #1101 (Robert Johnson) are also on site in Caliente.

    You can check out a larger version of the Caliente 250 map here.

  • Pre-running is essential

    Creech practices his pre-running at the outlet mall in Primm, Nevada.

    Richard’s out of cell phone range, so an update on how today’s car prep and pre-running will have to wait.

  • On the road to the Caliente 250

    Technically, the car is buttoned up.

    Richard, Creech, Bob and Crusty departed Ben Lomond Wednesday night around 9 p.m., took turns driving and pulled into Buffalo Bill’s in Primm, Nevada around 7:30 this morning.

    By 9 a.m. it was 80 degrees and forecast to top out at 102, prompting a trip to the outlet mall for shorts and (hopefully) SPF 60 for Bob’s chicken legs.

    Shorts in hand, they’ll meet up with Jason “I’ll finish my Class 11 some day” Mace in Vegas to pick up fuel jugs and spare tires, then head to Caliente where they’ll install the fenders and a longer throttle cable and align the front end. Then bomb around the course a bit.

    The new BF Goodrich 7.00×15 tires give us a full 15 inches of clearance on the back. This will come in very handy on this technical course.

    Tech inspection is tomorrow and the Caliente 250 is Saturday. Updates as they occur.

  • 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.