Fresno, CA-Team Trail-Gear Racing took home top honors at the NorCal Rock Race in Prairie City, California on Saturday, September 29, 2012. Driver Matt Messer and co-driver James Schofield beat out more than a dozen drivers in the 4400 class to stand at the top spot on the podium.
Team Trail-Gear started off strong by beating out the entire field in their first heat and running a close second to Alex Hardaway despite a flat tire in the second heat to earn a front row start position in the main race. The main race lasted only 17 minutes but provided a lot of action for both the racers and the spectators. “Alex Hardaway had a clean shot from his start position, but he got hung up on the first rock section,” describes Messer “I rammed him to get him off the rocks. He rolled in the next rock section opening the door for us. James [Schofield] gave me the thumbs-up so I hammered it. We stayed out front all the way to the checkered flag.”
“We are thrilled to claim a second win this year,” adds Messer. “This is the first year we have driven this vehicle and thanks to our wonderful sponsors: King Shocks; Kirby Racing; Advance Adapters; Tom Wood’s Custom Drive Shafts; Artec Industries; Simpson; Griffin Radiators, Racers for Christ; Turnkey Engine Supply; BF Goodrich; Low Range Off-Road; Olympic 4×4 Supply; Superior Off-Road; and Frontier 4×4, we have had the opportunity to really test it out in a variety of races and against different obstacles.”
The challenges on the NorCal Rock Racing course were intensified for the final race of the season with bigger rocks, bigger holes and a more extreme “whoop” section. The 1.5-mile course incorporates multiple rock sections, high-speed open components, tight turns and at least two places that can launch a vehicle into the air if encountered with enough speed. “This is such a fun course to run! John Goodby has done a great job developing this series. We are so excited to be the title sponsor for the 2013 series,” said Messer.
This was the final race of the 2012 series. Series high-point earners JP Gomez (#4482) and Gary Ferravanti, Jr. (#4475) each qualified for spots in the 2013 King of the Hammers race taking place February 8, 2013. Team Trail-Gear will also be prepping for the 2013 KOH race as they qualified in May this year with their first place finish in the Cinco de Baja race that took place in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
For more information about the NorCal Rock Racing Series, log on to www.norcalrockracing.com. To find out more about the 2013 King of the Hammers, log on to www.ultra4racing.com.
Trail-Gear, Inc. recently announced their title sponsorship of the 2013 NorCal Rock Racing series. Team Trail-Gear Racing, a division of Trail-Gear, Inc., is sponsored by the following: King Shocks; Kirby Racing; Advance Adapters; Tom Wood’s Custom Drive Shafts; Artec Industries; Simpson; Griffin Radiators, Racers for Christ; Turnkey Engine Supply; BF Goodrich; Low Range Off-Road; Olympic 4×4 Supply; Superior Off-Road; and Frontier 4×4.