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So you want to go
desert racing?
Tony McCarens Class 10 car in Yerington
Photo by Walt Bryant
By Jack W.
Peters Photos by Jack & Company
Ever notice
that every form of racing claims theyre the best and most extreme? Actually
the adrenaline junkies that go desert racing can make a pretty good argument.
Why?
They race for hundreds of miles, (250 to 1000), over terrain that
easily takes out almost half of the starting vehicles. In many other
forms of motorsports, (no offense), the race is over in seconds, or spectators
wait for a crash to keep their attention. Desert racers go all day and
sometimes all night to find that elusive blurry checkered flag.
Desert racing
is nothing less than heart-pounding, balls out, adrenaline pumping racing
requiring the driver and co-driver to be hyper alert for hundreds of miles.
They race as if their lives depended on it because in a way, it does.
Crashing, breaking down or injury on a lonesome desert dirt road sucks.
Even with chase crews, adequate medical attention can be hours away.
Teams spend tens-of-thousands of dollars, race all-day and night, risking
life and limb for $15 trophies. Reasonable people may ask why these racers
would spend their childrens college fund to scream down nameless dirt
roads? The answer is simple--once you go off-road racing, everything
else is boring.
The Good, the Bad and the Costly
First the
good news. The great thing about desert racing is that everyone can participate.
Anyone can enter (with a class legal car) and race against the worlds
best. Not exactly possible at NASCAR or Indy. In most forms of motorsports
there is one driver, one elite pit crew, and the rest of us are left to
watch and buy overpriced souvenirs. Not so in the desert, all of your
pals can bring their trucks and cash to actively participate in the stunning
victory or defeat. Here is a breakdown of the job descriptions:
Driver:
Two are needed, maybe three for long races like the Baja 1000.
The driver is usually the cars owner who spends most of the dough and
gets to call the shots. Their job is clear, drive consistently fast long
enough to get the car to the next driver, or finish the race without crashing
or breaking.
Co-Driver:
Cool name for passenger with lots of responsibilities. Being the
navigator and mechanic, they keep a sharp lookout for traffic far ahead
and in the rear view mirror. They make repairs, change flat tires as
well as operated the radio. They even get the horn button. It was
in this position that I first learned about GPS. GPS is ideal for this
form of racing because it provides a great deal of useful information.
Besides providing location, it will also display current and average speed,
as well as time and distance to the next waypoint.
Crew Chief:
Runs the show in the pits. He orchestrates the crew members during
pit stops to help make sure tire changes, refueling and repairs go smoothly.
Pre-Runners:
Vehicle crews run the race course prior the to the event to evaluate
the conditions of the track. They map out special interest areas of the
course. This includes high speed and hazardous areas as well as access
roads and checkpoints.
Chasers:
Vehicle crews run access roads during the race to intercept the
race car as many times as possible. They are prepared with tires, fuel,
tools, and parts to quickly repair any damage, and keep the race car running
smoothly. Ideally each chase vehicle makes a loop on a section of the
race course to allow the race car to be covered multiple times by each
chaser.
Mechanic:
Usually hangs at the main pit ready to diagnose and repair anything
necessary.
Radio Man:
Operates the FM radio from the main pits. Intercepts and relays
messages from the race car, chase rigs, and race officials.
Pit Crew:
They spring into action when the car comes in. There is enough
for everyone to do including; dump fuel, standby with fire extinguisher,
change wheels and tires, check lug nuts, clean air filers, assist with
driver changes, and look for and repair damage.
Team Mates:
Do not exactly fit in anyone of the above categories? Not to worry,
there is enough to do for anyone who shows ready to help out. Other talents
nice to have around include: photographer, paramedic, parts chaser and
cook.
Heres the
bad news. Unless youre a big-time pro, there is no money in it. Unlike
roundy-round racing, there is no ticket sales, big dollar sponsors or
merchandising. This means no big purses other than a portion of the entry
fee coming back for placing in pro-class. The only real money following
is the endless cash-out requirement for entry fees, parts, fuel, and repairs.
Most organizers offer both a sportsman and pro-class. Sportsman entry
fees are lower, pro racers pay double, but have a chance at winning some
money back if they place. Established teams can get sponsorships to help
cover some of the basics. There are also contingency sponsors that if
you win, will give you stuff, if already using their products and displaying
their stickers.
It is a serious
time and money commitment because it is a serious sport. Off-road racing
by its nature has to be one of the most difficult, challenging, and rewarding
forms of motorsports anywhere. It is also one of the most fun and exciting
team building sports that friends and family can participate in.
Racing by the numbers We are
not in it for the money baby
Sportsman Class buggy or truck $10,000 to $35,000
Pro-Class buggy or truck $20,000 to $100,000
Race trailer, tools and accessories $5,000 to $20,000
Tow, pre-run and chase trucks $15,000 to $100,000 +
Helmet, firesuit, gloves & gear $600 to $1,200
Entry fees $250 to $1,250
Race tires $140 to $250
each
Race fuel $4 per gallon
OK
so this is like one of those Master Card commercials, but it is true.
The opportunity
to test man and machine and finish a major off-road race, let alone win,
is truly priceless. Strap in to the five-point harnesses, bring your
checkbook, and have the best weekend of your life.
Team Profile: Dan
Nutt Racing
Dusk at the 2000 Yerington 400
Dan Nutt
grew up in Ventura County, California allowing him to check out the SCORE
Mexican races resulting in a serious, incurable case of off-road fever.
Like most off-roaders, he is an accomplished dirt biker and learned how
to drive a buggy from building an impressive Baja Bug. He moved to Oregon
where he was eventually introduced to the local race team that raced an
unlimited buggy outside of Bend, Oregon. These guys are well seasoned,
and had been making trips down to Baja since the 70s. The partnership
that owned the car at the time split, with one partner buying out the
other, then taking the car to Mexico. We found ourselves a team without
a car.
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Captain
Dan in Yerington, Nevada
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Drivers
change for the last 100 mile lap
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Dan
Nutt saw the opportunity to step up to the plate and buy a car of his
own. After much searching on the Net, he bought Gary Wise former unlimited
two-seater Chenworth buggy. It did not include a motor, so it
was down to San Diego for a custom Type Four by Major Performance.
Driver training in Central Oregon
So now there
was a team and a car, only one more minor problem. Dan had never raced
before. In fact, he no seat time in a desert race car at all. It was
off to the Millican Valley, near Bend, Oregon to break in man and machine.
A few months later, the team entered its first race in Nevada, the VORRA
1999 Yerington 400. Everything clicked, and the group enjoyed a flawless
run for a Sportsman Class first place finish.
Dan and company
went on to enter other VORRA series races located around the Reno area
of Nevada. They finished and placed in nearly every race.
Team Nutt invades Casino West Motel
Driver Kelly Smith takes the stage
after bring the car in for a 4th place finish.
ACER TRAVELMATE 5623WSMI REPLACEMENT LAPTOP LCD SCREEN In 1999,
the team entered in Pro Class One in the Best in the Desert, Vegas
to Reno race. This is the longest American race, over 500 miles of
dirt roads running from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada. Feeling confident
from their resent Sportsman Class win, they agreed to enter the car in
the Pro, Unlimited Class. With no limits on suspension travel or engine
size, this is typically the fastest class. With a race of this size,
all of the major names were there. This group of newbies with an outdated
car and a rag-tag chase rigs found themselves competing against teams
with semi-trucks and helicopters. One of their chase trucks might cost
more than our race car and the support vehicles combined. After nearly
14 hours of brutal racing, Dan Nut and Kelly Smith with co-drivers Tony
McCaren and Wayne Langseth, brought the car in for a perfect day of racing
with a 4th place finish.
In 2000,
the team took first place in the Pro-Unlimited class in the VORRA Lovelock
race, In 2001 things got off to a disappointing start after blowing an
engine on the first lap of the VORRA Yerington 300 race. Now it is back
to the engine builder as Dan decides what race to enter next.
Nutt Racing
is a good example of a privateer team with one owner trying to pay for
almost everything himself. Despite having lots of help and contributions
from co-drivers, covering the bill for racing is tough. A team can get
sponsors, but unless the drivers are seriously professional, most of the
benefits are in products or a few hundred dollars here and there. Not
nearly enough to cover the tens of thousands of dollars it takes to go
unlimited racing, especially in Class One. To go racing on this level,
it takes hella serious dedication, cash and friends to help with more
cash and dedication.
Airport Lobby Inspiration
Dan had a
Garmin GPS 3 that I helped mount into the car. At the time, I
had never used GPS before, but was intrigued by the high-tech features,
and potential usefulness of this small, black plastic box. I wasnt going
to be in the car on in this race, so I accepted the responsibility of
figuring out the GPS unit that was still in the box. My job was to install
the equipment, learn how to use it, and then teach the two co-drivers
how to figure it out.
How hard
could that be? After all I was equipped with a how-to videotape and an
owners manual. Due to being busy and distracted, I barely got past the
intro on the video. I was running out of time with the 1999 Vegas
to Reno desert race a week away. No problem, I still had the manual,
but my eyes glazed over and I found it as perplexing as the video. I
do not consider myself a complete idiot, I know how to use computers and
electronics, but there must be a better way. I found myself at the airport,
waiting for my flight to Las Vegas, like a hung-over college student for
the next days exam, I was cramming as much information as I could before
meeting the rest of the gang.
With my caffeine
intoxicated brain spinning, I pondered a couple of concepts. One, the
GPS equipment is not that complicated, there must be an easier way to
learn how to use it. Second, there must be lots of people like me who
want to learn how to apply this technology to their application, who was
struggling, or didnt have the time or patience like me. Looking at my
briefcase stuffed with the latest off-road racing publications, I wondered
if there was anything being published for recreational GPS use?
My studying
paid off. I set Reno as a Waypoint that provided the co-drivers to count
down the 519 miles until finish the race. The GPS receiver also provided
luxury information we never had before like, current MPH, and ETA based
on the current speed. Nearly fourteen hours later, we crossed the finish
line in Reno. The drivers had access to more information than we have
ever dreamed about having before in a race car. I would like to think
it made the trip a little easier. Some may get their inspiration in the
shower, mine was in an isle seat to Vegas. Less than one year later,
primarily from this experience, GPS Navigator Magazine was born.
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