Category: Sponsors

Nick installs the big red button (also known as the push-to-talk button).

I made a rocket run to our sponsor Rugged Radios in San Luis Obispo Monday for installation of a radio in 1107 Chase.

Rugged CEO Greg Cottrell has supported us pretty much since we started racing. His help has been invaluable and it’s bee great watching his business expand. Each time we come by, there are more Rugged branded vehicles.

The goal for this install was to have a chase radio I can use at the 1000 with a push-to-talk button on the steering wheel with the option of using the headset normally reserved for the short course spotting radio (which I also picked up from Rugged).

Greg recommended we go with a Vertex VX2200 50 Watt VHF car-to-car kit with push-to-talk. Nick, who handled the install, ran the headset wiring to a hanger attached to the B pillar roll cage bar between the driver and co-driver. Perfect place to hang the headset when not in use.

Naturally we had to do a photo shoot for the Rugged website and I had to shoot the photo shoot. So meta.

We’ll be taking 1107 down to Rugged Radios on the way to the Baja 1000 for a comm refresh as well. We’ll also be pulling audio off the radio and intercom and feeding it into our GoPro cameras. Mostly we talk about what’s for lunch.

No blog post would be complete without a shot of 1107 Chase parked someplace.

Scott Sebastian doing what he does best.

Crusty and I did a rocket run to Sanger by way of Selma (because I am an idiot) to visit Scott Sebastian of Metalcraft, who does all our transmission work. We took down two race transmissions, two gift transmissions we’d found at various junkyards and one transmission case that I have no idea where it came from.

Crusty is on the case. (That’s a joke).

I don’t think there’s anyone who knows VW transmissions better than Scott. It requires an understanding of VW history, because SCORE rules allow you to run what was “stock” in Type 1 Bugs. Lucky for us, there were variations in what was stock at various times. And certain year transmissions had better quality gears than others, so we’re constantly on the lookout for specific year transmissions at junk yards, just so we can take him the parts to put in our race transmissions.

While they worked, I did a lunch run to the La Mexicana food truck. Great burritos.

The first of two race transmissions completed.

March 4, 2013, Watsonville, Calif. — Dixon & Sons Tires, Inc. announced today that it is sponsoring Desert Dingo Racing’s 2013 off road racing season, including the Baja 1000 in Mexico in November 2013.

“Off road racing is the ultimate test for a set of tires,” said Dixon & Son owner Dusty Dixon. “We like what Desert Dingo does, on the race course and in the community and we’re proud to support their race program.”

Desert Dingo Racing campaigns a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle in off road races in the U.S. and Mexico. The team is the official World Diabetes Day off road race team and works with the International Diabetes Federation to raise money for diabetes education and awareness programs. The team makes the car available for public events and distributes thousands of hero cards with the warning signs of diabetes printed on the back in English and Spanish.

“A flat tire can mean the difference between winning and losing a race,” Graham said. “The team at Dixon & Son has already helped us on our previous attempts at the Baja 1000 and we’re looking forward to working closely with them during our 2013 race season.”

The team was Class Champions in the 2011 Valley Off Road Racing Association series in 2011 and first runner up in 2012, including first place finishes at the Fallon Night Vision 250 and Prairie City short course racing. After a three-year break, the team will return to race the Baja 1000 in November 2013.

About Dixon & Sons Tires
Dixon & Sons Tires, founded in 1972, has been a Yokohama, Toyo and all major brands service center to customers in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties. They can be found online at http://www.dixonandsontires.net.

About Desert Dingo Racing
Desert Dingo Racing is a team of high tech professionals based in Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley who campaign a 1969 VW Beetle in off road races in the U.S. and Mexico. They are the official World Diabetes Day off road race car and the team raises money for diabetes education and awareness programs sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation. To learn more, visithttp://www.desertdingo.com

February 11, 2013, Felton, Calif. – Desert Dingo Racing announced today that Rare Parts Inc., a leading provider and manufacturer of rare and hard to find parts for classic automobiles will sponsor Desert Dingo Racing for its 2013 season.

“We race a 44-year-old VW Beetle and it’s getting harder to find some parts without having to scour a lot of salvage yards or pay high prices,” said Desert Dingo Racing co-founder Jim Graham. “Rare Parts has a fantastic inventory and the design and manufacturing capabilities to turn out whatever we need.”

Desert Dingo Racing competes in off road desert racing in California and Nevada and is the official World Diabetes Day race car in the Baja 1000. The team took Second in Class in Class 11 during the Valley Off Road Racing Association (VORRA) 2012 season. For 2013, the team will race the full VORRA series and the Baja 1000. The team raises money to support diabetes awareness and education programs sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation.

“We started Rare Parts Inc. in 1981 to help auto enthusiasts get the obsolete steering and suspension parts they needed to rebuild their classic cars,” said President Danny Burgess. “We’re a family-owned business that shares the same passion for maintaining classic cars that Desert Dingo shows in racing one. We’re looking forward to extending our support to the off road racing market.”

About Rare Parts Inc.
If you are looking for heavy-duty USA-made steering and suspension components, then look no further. Rare Parts has manufactured rare and obsolete suspension parts for 30 years and has a full testing facility for destructive and cycle testing. Our inventory consists of more than two million steering and suspension parts – all guaranteed to meet or exceed OEM quality. For more information call 800-62102005 or visit online at http://www.rareparts.com .

About Desert Dingo Racing
Desert Dingo Racing is a team of high tech professionals based in Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley who campaign a 1969 VW Beetle in off road races in the U.S. and Mexico. They are the official World Diabetes Day race car and the team raises money for diabetes education and awareness programs sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation. To learn more, visit http://www.desertdingo.com.

January 14, 2013, Felton, Calif. – Desert Dingo Racing announced today that MAXTRAX, a global provider of innovative, lightweight vehicle recovery devices for off road racers, adventure travelers and the military, will sponsor Desert Dingo Racing for its 2013 season.

Desert Dingo Racing will use MAXTRAX’s patented and award winning vehicle recovery devices in its off road desert races as part of the Valley Off Road Racing Association (VORRA) and at the Baja 1000 in November 2013.

“Getting bogged down in silt can mean the difference between winning and losing a race, particularly at the Baja 1000, where it seems to go forever,” said Desert Dingo Racing co-founder Jim Graham. “MAXTRAX came out on top for light weight, ease of use and user satisfaction. We’re very thankful for their support.

Desert Dingo Racing competes in off road desert racing in California and Nevada and is the official World Diabetes Day race car in the Baja 1000. The team took Second in Class in Class 11 during the VORRA 2012 season. The team raises money to support diabetes awareness and education programs sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation.

“I came up with the idea for MAXTRAX in 2003 after nearly losing my 4×4 on a remote north Queensland beach. Now they’re being used from the dunes of Chile’s Atacama Desert during the famous Dakar Rally, to the silt beds of the Baja Peninsula, and everywhere in between,” said MAXTRAX founder Brad McCarthy. “Racing a stock VW off road is challenging enough without having to worry about getting stuck. And besides, what Australian wouldn’t support a team of Dingoes?”

About MAXTRAX
Brad McCarthy, author of Dirty Weekends “The Essential 4WD Guides”, devised the idea for MAXTRAX in 2001 after a particularly stressful incident on a remote north Queensland beach where he almost lost his bogged vehicle to the incoming tide, despite being equipped with all of the traditional recovery equipment. MAXTRAX came from Brad’s idea to develop a foolproof and fail-safe quality Australian made product to make extracting or recovering a stranded or bogged vehicle a safe, simple, quick and easy procedure. For more information, visit http://www.MAXTRAX.com.au or email sales@MAXTRAX.com.au.

About Desert Dingo Racing
Desert Dingo Racing is a team of high tech professionals based in Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley who campaign a 1969 VW Beetle in off road races in the U.S. and Mexico. They are the official World Diabetes Day race car and the team raises money for diabetes education and awareness programs sponsored by the International Diabetes Federation. To learn more, visit http://www.desertdingo.com.