I just can't figure out why I don't hear any of this stuff until I get home and read it on the internet. It's awesome none-the-less.
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| Parker 425 Race Recap http://www.rumblegoatracing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=976 |
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| Author: | RGRMarketing [ Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:41 am ] |
| Post subject: | Parker 425 Race Recap |
It was a dark and stormy night. . .wait, that comes later. RumbleGoat Racing's first Bluewater Casino Parker 425 started off on a beautiful Arizona morning. The 7300 class was slated to run 2 laps for a total of 300 miles. The RGR 7302 Ford Ranger FX4 was piloted by Don "Squirrel" Healy and I was in the co-dog seat for the first lap. We started third in class out of four. Our Goodyear MT/Rs strained against the pavement on California Street and surefootedly launched us into the Sonoran Desert past throngs of spectators lining the sandy course. It was to be an epic battle against the competition, the course, and mother nature. After descending the sand hill at RM3.5, we entered Osborn Wash. The Ranger's 4x4 was engaged and helped pull us through the sand and pea gravel through the heavy traffic. Some of the more adventurous Jeepspeeds were passing us and we were reeling in other cars and leaving a few others rolled over or broken in the wash. Our class remained in the order we had started. 7399 of Rick Johansen, Southwick's 7330, our own El Chivo #7302, and Kellon Walch (of Dakar fame) in his 7384 Ranger. Toward the end of the wash, Andy McMillin's Trick Truck blasted by us just as we caught sight of the 7330. I think that Southwick got a mirror full of RGR and jack-rabbited out of there. Walch was in our rear view and then, suddenly, a broken 7399 was blocking the 2-track climb out of the wash. Squirrel dropped El Chivo into Low Range and Blasted over a dune to get by. We stopped to put the truck back into high range and Kellon snuck by. A few miles later, the Speed Technologies Class 1500 car (second overall leader at this point) screamed by us. When he did, we took the opportunity to slide in behind him and pass 7384 to retake our position. The crew at Midway radioed that we were 4 minutes behind the 7330 and probably in 3rd place even though we were second on the road. 7384 was fully in our mirrors and there he stayed through the rough, silt, sand and rocks until we finally got on the graded roads. Squirrel was full on rally car master drifting the truck at 80mph and reeling in slower trucks. A few class 1500 cars and Trick Trucks passed us. Overall, they were very good about not hitting our truck. As soon as we saw them, we'd put the blinker on and look for a place to dive off of the track. This worked GREAT until a Red and Black Trick Truck caught us on the powerline road after the course turns back toward Midway (RM70 +/-). We were clipping along at around 70 and making a lot of dust so we didn't get much warning when an 800HP Rototiller was on our tail. Most of the time we heard the horn, but this particular Trick Truck must have had a quiet horn. I glanced in the mirror only to see him a few feet off of our bumper. I think he lifted, but he nailed us anyway. HARD. There was NO place to get off of the track. 4x4 really paid off again when we jumped the sand burm to get out of the way. After a few choice words, we were back on the track again. In hindsight, he probably had no idea that he was catching a stock truck based on the amount of dust and by the time he saw us, it was too late. We took damage, but no foul. Rubbin's Racin'. AFter some more very rough sections, we made it back to the graded roads and on to Midway and our scheduled pit stop. By this time, the weather had started to turn and it was sprinkeling a little. El Chivo was flying on the hard pack. Squirrel put about 30 seconds on the 7384 and we looked good coming into our stop. The crew got us in and out with a fuel and go in less than a minute, but 7384 didn't pit. We kept our heads down and ran our own race. We knew what it was going to take to win and we have a really good idea of a pace that would kill a stock truck. . .so we were off into the desert and the 60 remaining miles toward the Parker Python. The rain was really picking up and the track was getting a lot rougher. It looked like a race car junk yard out there. Just after Pit 4 (we only stopped at Midway) we caught a little 5100 car and were able to play cat and mouse with him for the rest of the day. We'd pass him when it was smooth and he'd pass us back in the rough. Fun times and good pace. A few more miles down the track, we spotted a wounded 7330 truck and then we caught and passed 7384. We were leading the Parker 425. We held the lead and lengthened it out over the rest of the lap. By the time we got to the CRIT land under the Highway, there was MUD everywhere. We love the mud. Heck, we're 4x4 guys from the Northwest. We OWN the mud. We were through the start/finish in less than 4 hours and made it back to our pit for the driver change in a total of 4:28. Fozzie would say, "We was steppin' and fetchin' like our tails was on fire and our asses was catchin'". The driver change and full fuel, stop check took less than 3 minutes and El Chivo was off into the distance, howling like a demon escaping from the fires of Hell. Jose was in the saddle and Fozzie was co-doggin'. Walch passed by about 6 minutes later driving like he had something to prove (he did) and then the 7330 came around about 25 minutes back. In the motorhome, we watched the battle unfold on the satelite tracking as the clouds opened up into an epic downpour. Back and Forth through the wash. Back and Forth through Pit 1, Pit 2 and over the high speed sections at the far end of the track. Neck and Neck through Midway. Another PERFECT stop. Jose was ignoring 7384 and running our pace. The biggest competitor on the second lap was the desert itself and the whole RGR team knew it. We knew if we ran our race and minimized down time, we would win. The other Ranger didn't exist and Fozzie convinced Jose that 7330 was already parked on the trailer. The weather was horrible. They guys couldn't see, the mud was getting deep and the track was littered with broken and stuck race cars. They were everywhere. Eventually Walch got by us and put about 3 miles on El Chivo. It was painful to watch the IRC tracking. We knew we had to keep the guys on our planned pace, but to see our chief competitor stretching out a lead when we knew that El Chivo could run harder made my physically ill. But, we had to stick to the plan. Stock truck racing is all about prep and strategy. The finishers win. . . Then, from out of nowhere, the sun came out in the main pit and the biggest double rainbow you have ever seen came out of the desert. My dad said, "Do you know what this means? It means that we're going to win!!" The rainbow faded and we went back into the motorhome to check the tracking. Walsch stopped. We went by. 20 miles to go and we had the lead with Southwick pushing HARD to catch up. Still, we ran our race. The crew was flawless, the truck was perfect, and the choices we made were paying off. 10 miles to go and 7330 is only 3 miles behind. Checkers. Victory. I can't explain it. The reality was better than the dream. That doesn't happen often. We were shaking, quivering, soaking wet and dead tired. Last man standing. Last man standing. 7330 was second. 7384 eventually crossed the line about 5 hours later. They were great competitors and really nice people. My congratulations to them for finishing the race. 7399 had a tough day and I hope they come back to play again. That day we were perfect. Everything just came together. To all the people that said that we don't have enough experience. To the ones that said our truck was "too stock". To the very few haters out there: BRING IT. RumbleGoat will show you the horns. That's right, you've been called out. See you at the T250. We'll be there with our Ranger and our Goodyear tires. Thanks to all that support us, our family and our fans. Our crew is the best volunteer group in the business. . .bar none. Pasco Auto Wrecking, Radio Service Company (http://www.bizrad.com), Fastenal, http://www.4wheelingplus.com and the teams for 1066, 1099, 8115, and 7118 are all in our debt. Whatever, whenever. We've got your back. |
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| Author: | TrophyGirl [ Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:57 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
I just can't figure out why I don't hear any of this stuff until I get home and read it on the internet. It's awesome none-the-less.
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| Author: | CAPTAIN POPPY [ Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
We don't need to read it, we lived it. |
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| Author: | RGRMarketing [ Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
TrophyGirl wrote: I just can't figure out why I don't hear any of this stuff until I get home and read it on the internet. It's awesome none-the-less. Honestly, I can't remember most of it until I start writing. I guess, my fingers remind me? I don't know, but my brain is just mushy until I kinda regroup. |
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| Author: | prerunnerinidaho [ Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:55 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
Jim you should put this in the blog |
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| Author: | RGRMarketing [ Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
HA. . .that is where it was supposed to go. . .I just got a little excited and forgot. |
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| Author: | Danny [ Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
Great recap....It was like racing it all over again. Do a spell check before you do anything else with it.....like me instead of my???? And Walsh is spelled differently in a couple of places. Just thought those fingers would like to know. |
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| Author: | RGRMarketing [ Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Parker 425 Race Recap |
Yeah, I just typed it on the forum without my usual formatting. I don't know why. I usually do a schpel czec on everything. I like my mis-spellings and my grammar errors to be intentional. |
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