Crawlorado Racing headed to Grand Junction motor speedway for the last race in the mountain series. The new venue would test drivers ability to learn a new course. On Friday afternoon our prerun was cut short due to a charging issue, after 3 trips to the parts store we were sure the issue was solved
August 24, 2015 – Durango, Colorado – Team Four Corners 4×4 returned from the final regular season Dirt Riot 4×4 Endurance Racing event with the hardware they were seeking, a first place finish. The patience and skill of driver Jason Kaminsky and co-driver Rick Jenkins was tested for over an hour in temperatures nearing 100-degrees at the Grand Junction Speedway. Starting last in their class, the pair completed a total of eight laps on the dirt course consisting of steep terrain, jumps, and tight turns to advance to first place with only a ten second lead. Overall, the #4678 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited turned in a respective 2nd place finish amongst all competitors in the three classes racing that day.
Scott Doughty, Owner of M.O.R.E., joined the team on-site.
“The whole team was energized to be wrapping up their 2015 Dirt Riot Endurance Racing season with the last event in the Mountain Series recently held in Grand Junction, Colorado. The location change ended up working out great because we were able to host Mountain Off Road Enterprises (M.O.R.E.), one our primary team sponsors,” reflects Kaminsky. “It was great for them to be able to come out and watch us earn a first place finish in our class and second overall. Supporters like M.O.R.E. are the only reason we can get to so many racing and recreational four-wheeling events throughout the season. Please support the vendors who support our sport.”
“It was great to bring home a win this past weekend on a course that was very challenging for us. Jason and I were communicating very well. When you’re navigating in the dust and only ten seconds determines the winner, seconds count and our navigating as a team, particularly in the dust, paid off,” said co-driver Rick Jenkins.
We want to thank everyone that makes this possible, from our fans and crew and their families to our marketing partners and suppliers. We are working diligently right now on planning for the next year!
– All Photos Owned by Four Corners 4×4, LLC.
Reno is the like the neglected stepchild of off-road. Home to the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and its founder Rod Hall, Reno holds many gems for off-road and the spectacular track at Wild West Motorsports Park is one of them. Originally designed by Tony Vanillo of Off-Road Management Group (OMG), the track boasts severe elevation changes allowing fans a view of the entire race track from the stands. Meant to be the new “Chula Vista”, the track at Wild West Motorsports Park is one of the fastest in terms of top speed. LOORRS Rounds 13 & 14 August 22nd & 23rd will showcase the racers that love this track and punish the ones that fear it. On this track, when failures occur, they are severe. The racing is guaranteed to be intense in every class!
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Gates open at 11:00am Saturday, August 22nd and Sunday, August 23rd.
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Race-Dezert.com was created by off-road enthusiasts, giving off-roaders a place online to share information about the sport and culture of off-road racing. Based in Southern California, Race-Dezert.com highlights the off-road disciplines of desert racing, short course off-road, stadium truck racing, rally raid, rally racing and rock crawling.
Our goal is to connect the world of off-road racing globally, bringing people together through the common denominator of off-road culture. Whether you are a racer, a promoter, a chase team member, a casual fan, or just interested in learning about off-road, Race-Dezert.com is a place where you can learn about the sport and culture of off-road racing.
AUGUST 13th, 2015 – STURGIS, KY: While ULTRA4 veteran Jason Shipman #4414 is no stranger to the podium, up until last weekend’s Sturgis Off Road Blowout a first place trophy had alluded him. After a day of back-to-back racing action, in a short course format that included rocks, jumps and a narrow woods section, Shipman emerged with his first ULTRA4 first place finish. Clay Gilstrap #26 who was also on the podium last year in Kentucky took 2nd, and Sturgis’ own, Bill Baird #5252 claimed third after close battle throughout the race with Levi Shirley #81.
More than 45 cars were in attendance representing the UTV Class, the 4500 Modified, the 4800 legends and the 4400 unlimited 4 wheel drive vehicles known as ULTRA4s. This was the 2nd race in the 4WD Hardware Eastern regional series. All classes qualified on Friday for their starting position in Saturday morning’s prelim races. The limited classes raced twice on Saturday in a prelim and a main event, and the 4400s raced a prelim, a semi- final and a main event. 21 cars took the green flag for the main event.
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Nitto National Championship points leader, Derek West#20 had been the man to beat all day. When the final race began, West jumped out to a quick lead with Shipman on his heels. Half way through the race, West experienced a mechanical failure that caused a roll in the narrow tree lined section of course, and Shipman was the first to emerge from the woods and maintained his lead throughout the remainder of the race with Gilstrap close on his heels.
Sturgis saw some of the highest car counts to date for the limited classes in the 4WD Hardware Eastern Regional series.. Duane Garretson #26 took home the win in the 4500 modified class, with Lindsay Gilstrap #450, in 2nd, and Rob Matzell #4573 in 3rd. Interesting to note, the husband and wife team of Lindsay and Clay Gilstrap both took home 2nd place finishes in their respective classes.
This was the first time that the 4800 legends class has raced west of the Mississippi. Newcomer, Jeff Caudill #513 took home his first win in his first 4800 race followed by Robert Daly #775 all the way from Silver Springs, NV, and another newcomer Richard White #4878 came in 3rd.
Currently Derek West is leading for the Nitto National Championship in the 4400 class 120+ points ahead of Wayland Campbell #3, who is only 11 points ahead of Levi Shirley #81. ULTRA4 Rookie, Doug Jackson #61 has the lead for the 4WD Eastern Regional Series, and 2014 Nitto National Champion, Loren Healy #67 is leading the points for the Trail-Gear Western Regional series.
HCR Racing sponsored a $1000 purse for the UTV Class, and 10 UTVs came out to race. Brian Strane #490 who also took home the win in Indiana lead most of the race followed by Paul Nagele #8 who also made the podium at Badlands. In 3rd place was local favorite and newcomer Tim Marshall #731.
The next race in the Nitto National Championship is the final race in the Trail-Gear Western Regional series, the VORRA Fallon 250, August 28th and 29th in Fallon, NV. The final race in the 4WD Hardware Eastern Regional series is taking place in Arkansas at the Hot Springs ORV Park. The final race in the series will be the Nitto National Championship taking place October 16th and 17th in Reno, NV.
For the past five years, Best in the Desert has led off-road racing as the premier race series in the sport. With entries growing each year, BITD has held strong to a six-race format with the addition of The Mint 400 in 2012. However, their staples in the Parker 425, Silver State 300, Vegas to Reno, Blue Water Desert Challenge and Henderson 250 have gone relatively untouched in these years.
Announced today by BITD Race Director, Casey Folks, in front of hundreds of media, sponsors and industry leaders, the 2016 Best in the Desert race schedule looks everything but standard. Folks has spent years working to better not only Best in the Desert but the off-road racing community as a whole. Here’s a look at the new 2016 Best in the Desert Racing Association race schedule. (more…)
Cole Mamer and his team were prepared as they could be as they went south of the American border and pulled into the new Lucas Oil Off Road Race Series course at Estero Beach. The new course was located just miles outside of Ensenada, Baja California.
LOORRS added in the new race course to this season race schedule and as many teams were nervous about taking the series to a new stop, Mamer Motorsports was excited for the change of pace, new fans and a new course to race the #35 Mamer Motorsports Pro-Lite on.
It wasn’t long before the trucks were on the course running down four practices just in one day. The course provided the drivers with nearly a mile long of door to door opportunities to attempt a pass. The key to this course was to stay out of the dust, keep clean through the turns and keep on the gas you went through the rhythm section.
When race day came Saturday, fans were lined at the gate waiting in anticipation to see a new form of off-road racing that hasn’t been to Baja since 2002. The thrill of meeting new drivers, seeing crews work on the trucks and witnessing first hand the carnage that can go into short course racing had the fans on their feet all day.
The Pro-Lite race was the second race of the day and Mamer had to line up at the back of the stacked class after qualifying didn’t go his way. This didn’t stop Mamer though as that green flag dropped he immediately made 3 passes right out of turn one. When a wreck on the first lap brought out a full course yellow the trucks had to restart the race and Mamer had to go back to his original starting position.
The 15 trucks took on the restart and once again Mamer went for multiple passes and pulled it off, this time passing 4 trucks on the restart lap. This was great momentum for Mamer as he let the race come to him.
A dusty course didn’t distract the driver as he battled with Creed looking to take over the 6th place position. The 10 lap race was ticking down and once Creed crashed it moved Mamer up to that 6th place. He was on the tail of DeBerti as they were coming through the rhythm section when he found himself and DeBerti both getting sideways and with a quick reaction Mamer steered out of the way as DeBerti was spinning through the air and wrecking.
Even though Mamer managed to avoid a major accident, his truck didn’t make it out alive as he fell to the back of the pack with broken front end of the truck. Mamer pushed through the rest of the race with a limp truck in 10th, but still was able to salvage some points.
Mamer rounded out the weekend with a 9th place finish in round 12 and will be heading to Reno, NV for rounds 13&14 sitting 10th in points. Reno will provide the racers with many elevation changes, high speed sections and one last chance to really fight for a higher points standing before they head into the final stretch of the season.
