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Tag: Vegas to Reno

Andy McMillin Puts Dougans Racing Engines Atop the Podium at Vegas to Reno

Dougans Racing Engines Now 4 for 4 in Major Off-Road Desert Races in 2016

Andy McMillin earned his first overall win of 2016 in his TSCO Racing T1 Trick Truck at Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno, solidifying his place in the top five Best in the Desert overall standings with two races remaining in the 2016 season. With Justin Matney’s win at the Parker 425 in the Geiser Brothers RPM Off-Road Trick Truck, Justin Lofton’s win at The Mint 400, Tavo Vildosola’s win at the Baja 500 and now McMillin’s win at Vegas to Reno, Dougans Racing Engines has checked off four of the top five elite races in off-road desert racing, with the notorious Baja 1000 up for grabs later this November. McMillin battled through dust all weekend and finished +00:08:09 over Rob MacCachren, a feat he says has him comfortable heading in the Baja 1000.

“My confidence level is extremely high headed into the Baja 1000,” says McMillin. “I had an amazing race. With so much dust we just had to sit in line behind Rob Mac and Voss on Day 1. Then we picked it up pretty good on Day 2 and were able to get some clean air going for the win.”

McMillin patiently finished Day 1 +00:03:32 back from the leader. He had a trouble free day but was forced to hold steady in the dust. He knew that with a flawless truck, 347 miles on Day 2 would be plenty to make up the lost time if he could get around the leaders in to open air. McMillin was able to do so later on in the race and from there he was pinned to the finish. McMillin finished first on day 2, earning the overall win by over eight minutes on Rob MacCachren on corrected time.

“The TSCO Racing T1 Trick Truck was on point. The team was on point. It all just came together and I am so pumped to give everyone involved in my program our first win of 2016!” commented McMillin at the finish line.

In the debut of the brand new Smiley Motorsports #2 Trick Truck, Jeff Geiser and Tony Smiley finished 11th overall and 9th in class in a trouble free run all weekend. After finishing +00:18:02 on Day 1, Geiser and Smiley put the hammer down and moved up fourteen spots to finish the race top ten in class.

In his best showing of 2016, Todd Pedersen of Space Monkey Racing finished 14th overall and 11th in class in the #75 Trick Truck. Dougans teammate #46 Troy Vest finished behind Pederson in 15th overall and 12th in class. With a 19th place class finish at the Parker 425, an 11th place class finish at The Mint 400 and now a 12th place finish at Vegas to Reno, Vest sits in seventh place in the overall points standings with two races remaining.

#38 Eric Hustead earned his first finish of 2016 in 21st place overall and 14th place in class. Hustead qualified 36th and climbed to 22nd place +00:17:50 off the lead pace on Day 1, where he remained at the end of the race.

The two YouTheory Racing Trick Trucks powered by Dougans finished side by side in 26th/28th overall and 16th/17th in class. #55 Anthony Terzo and co-drver Beau Mortin finished 33rd on Day 1 and hammered home for a solid finish. Three flat tires and with a broken jack plagued Jeff Terzo and Brad Beintema on Day 1 but the duo were able to run clean on Saturday for a 17th place finish.

#27 Steve Olliges and #16 Cameron Steele had solid finishes with their 18th and 20th place finishes in class.

Despite his 21st place class finish, #17 Geiser Brothers RPM Off-Road Trick Truck of Eduardo Laguna remains in second place in the overall points standings, just nine points behind Jason Voss. Laguna’s race didn’t go as expected and adjustments made to his truck on the fly contributed to a crash at over 100mph. Laguna’s team was able to put the truck back together and get to the finish line, a key to earning valuable points towards the overall points championship.

#58 Tracy Graf was one of the final finishers at Vegas to Reno but earned valuable points to keep himself in the hunt for an overall points championship. Graf was rewarded 87 points for his finish which puts him in third place overall, 14 points behind current leader, Jason Voss.

Dougans racers now fill six of the top twelve spots in the overall points chase in the Best in the Desert Series including Eduardo Laguna (2nd), Tracy Graf (3rd), Andy McMillin (5th), Troy Vest (7th), Justin Lofton (9th) and Justin Matney (12th).

The brutal nevada desert got the best of #95 Scott Whipple, #62 Ryan Poelman, #4 Justin Matney, #41 Justin Lofton and #60 Cole Potts and they did not finish the race.

Next up for Dougans Racing Engines will be the Best in the Desert Blue Water Desert Challenge on October 6th-9th.

About Dougans Racing Engines
Dougans Racing Engines (www.dougansracing.com) specializes in high performance engines for the top off-road competitions including the Best In the Desert and SCORE racing series. With over thirty-five years in the industry, Dougans offers high quality engine packages for trophy trucks, Class 1 trucks, and prerunners. We build complete engine packages that have gained a reputation in the racing world as consistent, powerful, dependable winners. Along with our engine packages, we provide dyno testing and personal track support to ensure that our customer’s needs are met all the way to the finish line. At Dougans Racing, customer satisfaction is our top priority and we strive to keep you running hard and winning races mile after mile.

About Mad Media:
Mad Media (www.madmedia.com) is a San Diego based marketing and creative agency, with in-house film and television production. We craft authentic, culturally engaging brand messages, and deliver them across print, web, photography, and film platforms. Mad Media has been leading the online content revolution since 1995 producing major commercial, television, online content and viral film projects such as The Gymkhana Series and XP1K Series.

October 3, 2016
Banning Motorports wins class 2400 at 2015 Vegas To Reno

Banning Motorsports returned to the grueling BITD Vegas To Reno to take home another win!

Phoenix, Arizona (September 10, 2015)– Banning Motorsports does it again as they return to the 2015 Best In The Desert “Vegas To Reno” and claim yet another win at this grueling race. The team is always ready for this race and with previous wins, they knew they had what it takes to put the throttle down and get to the finish line. The 550-mile course provided the drivers with many tasks and moments of frustration but they stayed mentally fresh for the terrain at hand.

The race started as expected for the #2488 Banning Motorsports car that had Bryan Folks in control. The dust, the traffic and the course had all been to be expected but the team did not plan early on in the race to be plagued with brake problems. Pulling over in pit 4, the team went to work on fixing the brakes as well as changing a damaged rear axle.

Rick Graf took over driving responsibilities and had well over an hour to make up to get back in the lead. Graf put his head down and took the task as a challenge and drove his best.

“Just as in all of racing, fortitude and tenacity paid off.” Stated Folks.

Pulling into pit 13 they saw the lead car and decided to skip the major light bar so that they could get out in front of the leader. This paid off and the #2488 car was able to beat the odds of part failures and still managed to win in their class and grasped that points lead.

Another Banning vehicle off the line was the #6155 truck. A stacked class and starting position of 13th, they knew that they would have their work cut out for them. A strong start set them up for opportunities to pass even in the thick of the heavy dust that competitors stirred up ahead of them. Making their way to the top 3 in their class by race mile 150. It wasn’t long after that they started having issues with the truck. Vapor locking had took over and had them on the side of the course not just once, but twice.

“I hiked back nearly a half a mile to a camp we had passed and borrowed 5 gallons of gas just so we could poor it in the tank and try to cool off the rest of the fuel.” Stated Lee Banning Sr.

A minor flat tire set them back on time again but they didn’t let this stop them from pulling into pit 5 for the next drivers change where Gary Williams Jr. would take over driving duties. Gary and Co-Rider, Chris Godfrey, started out the next portion of the course aggressively. The vapor locking issues would creep up again and another flat tire put them back from the time they had made up. They didn’t let this stop them from passing competitors and getting the truck to the last drivers change of the race.

A quick top off with fuel, a fresh driver, Lee Banning Jr., their KC HiLites bar to guide them through the night and just like that they were back out on the course making their way towards the finish. The night sky and the cooler air temperatures really helped the truck run better. Heavy traffic and dust did not stop them from making it across the finish. The #6155 truck finished 6th in class after fighting issues all day. The relief to have finally crossed the finish line was well worth celebrating.

“A huge Thanks to the whole team for staying in the fight all day getting all the cars to the finish. A great statement for our team battling this very tough race. Thanks to all our sponsors, partners, and fans for standing with us and helping achieve so much success.” Stated Lee Banning Sr.

Another car under the Banning pit is the #1023 of Melton Motorsports. Leaving the line 23rd they knew it would be a long day. Hayden battled closely with Jason Coleman throughout the morning but after pulling into pit 2 Hayden would get passed by Coleman. He trailed Colemans dust till the next pit where he got back around him.

The back and forth between the two race vehicles would go in well into the race. Flat tires and drivers change would always keep them neck and neck. Steve Melton jumped behind the wheel was continued the battle when he finally got right on Colemans bumper and went for a solid pass. After completing the pass they gassed it to the finish line with their KC Pod lights guiding the way. The rocky course and back and forth battle lead the team to a 2nd place finish.

“The success of our Vegas to Reno finish is directly due in part to the prep by Chris, Andy, Rick along with the pit support by Banning Motorsports. Thank you to all the crew and to our sponsors: Melton Off road, Banning Motorsports, Select Glass, KC Hilites, Wiks Racing Engines, Weddle Industries, Neo Oil, BFG Tires, Method Wheels, JTech, and Foddrill Motorsports.” Stated Steve Melton.

Be sure to follow Banning Motorsports on Social Media for event day updates.

September 14, 2015
Alcon celebrates podium domination at Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno

Alcon Specialist Brakes and Clutches would like to congratulate Jason Voss and BJ Baldwin on their podium places at the recent Vegas to Reno race. Running his Alcon-equipped truck, Jason Voss powered to his third consecutive victory at the longest off-road race in the USA, finishing a whole 30 minutes before second place. Alcon-equipped BJ Baldwin finished third, just seconds behind Luke McMillin.

Jason Voss leading the way in his Alcon-equipped truck at Vegas to Reno.

Alcon has a long history in US motorsport, supplying winning brake systems to F1, Indycar, NASCAR, and Grand Am series. Alcon’s off road systems have been used by champions across the US, whether it’s driving 1,000 miles down the Baja peninsula, tackling the tough Vegas to Reno course, turning heads in Global Rallycross, or dominating the American Rally Championship. Not only that, Alcon has been a major player in NASCAR for over 10 years, and counts over 30 World Rally Championships to its roll of honour.

Desert racing trucks tackle the harshest terrain, creating additional challenges for all components, not least brakes. Alcon uses its experience, coupled with the latest design software, to optimise the available package space and ensure the best product design is achieved. Expert engineering knowledge allows Alcon to create the strongest, stiffest caliper for the lightest weight possible. The seal-in-bore design of the seal means it is further from the heat source to prevent warping or melting. Pistons are also stainless steel for improved durability and reduced thermal conductivity.

BJ Baldwin finished third to give Alcon two podium finishes.

Key considerations when developing products for this form of racing include vehicle weight, the length of the race, and the unique way brakes are used. The bespoke nature of all Alcon products means that they have been specifically designed with these needs in mind, from the optimised durable caliper housing and internal fluid pathways, right down to the recessing of the bleed screws and off-road-specific piston sizing. This design is the product of market research, extensive collaboration with drivers and engineers, testing, and extensive off-road experience to create a championship-winning brake package.

The culmination of this knowledge and experience is the winning brake systems used by both Voss and Baldwin, as well as other Trick Truck competitors, giving the world’s top drivers the confidence to push their limits.

About Race-Dezert.com
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 26, 2015
Dirt Will Fly as Yokohama Tire Digs in for Two Tough Races

SANTA ANA, CA (Aug. 12, 2015) – From the dry desert heat in southern Nevada to sweltering humidity on the East Coast, Yokohama Tire Corporation’s (YTC) motorsports teams are ready to roll in two different race series: the Red Bull Global Rallycross (RBGRC) competition at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on August 15 and the Best in the Desert’s “Vegas to Reno” off-road clash, August 13-15.

“These are two challenging races that will definitely prove our tires can compete in the most extreme conditions,” said Duane Sampson, YTC manager of motorsports. “At RBGRC, the track combines the technical variables of pavement, dirt and a jump into less than a mile. Vegas to Reno is a 545-mile desert battle fought over conditions that include everything from high-speed runs through the sand to low-speed cornering around boulders. Both races will clearly highlight the versatility and durability of our tires.”

RBGRC blends the best of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. Specially designed Yokohama ADVAN^® race tires are the series’ spec tires fitted on all the heavily modified, 600-horsepower production-based cars.

In the Vegas to Reno race, Yokohama technical partner and off-road veteran Cameron Steele will compete in an 860-horsepower race truck, which was completely rebuilt over the summer with extensive chassis upgrades, suspension modification and a new motor. All of this will be transferred to the ground on off-road-race-engineered 40-inch GEOLANDAR A/T-S^® R tires.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing an extensive sales network throughout the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s broad product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.

Connect with Yokohama Tire Corporation:

www.facebook.com/yokohamatirecorp

www.twitter.com/yokohamatc

www.youtube.com/user/yokohamamotorsports

www.instagram.com/yokohamatire

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tire Care & Safety” section at www.yokohamatire.com.

August 13, 2015
BITD Vegas To Reno returns and Banning Motorsports is ready to dominate two classes

Phoenix, Arizona (August 10, 2015)– We all know that Vegas to Reno is one of the big desert races of the year here in the states. Banning Motorsports is lucky enough to have numerous years of experience racing this brutal race and also being victorious. Now its time to see if they can do it again in Class 6100 as well as the 2400 class.

Banning Motorsports will make their way to Vegas Wednesday. They will be taking the same qualifying position they received at The Mint 400 so that means they will line up 13th in the 6100 class to take on 24 other trucks. Lee Banning Sr., Lee Banning Jr. and Gary Williams Jr. will all be ready for their shot behind the wheel during the race with Chris Godfrey sitting co-rider calling out the terrain.

The 550 mile course will have the racers making some serious elevation changes as they make their way from Northern Las Vegas all the way up to just South of Reno. They will find themselves at nearly 8,000 feet. On top of those elevation changes they will also encounter parts of the course that were washed away due to flooding and even possible dry lake beds that are still a mini lake. The heat of the desert can play a major roll on the race vehicles as well and drivers will have to be watching their gauges non-stop to be sure they don’t overheat in the middle of nowhere Nevada.

Bryan Folks and Rick Graf will be powering the 2488 Banning Motorsports car and will switch co-riders between Adam Warren and Tim Sullivan. This is a strong team and they are leading in the class points. The class may not be the largest but it is a very competitive one. One minor error can mean that the competitor in your dust can take over your position. These guys will be taking their General Tires all the way to Reno unless major catastrophe takes over.

Best In The Desert has done a great job at marking the course and all its dangers and Banning Motorsports looks forward to this race every year as it can bring much success.

Events start on Wednesday with qualifying. You can find the teams at contingency on Thursdayat Aliante Station and race day will start before the sun rises just North of Las Vegas.

Be sure to follow Banning Motorsports on Social Media for event day updates.

August 10, 2015
Baja Designs – Jonesin’ for a Win

August 21st, 2013 – San Marcos, CA – Baja Designs would like to congratulate competitors of the 2013 General Tire Vegas to Reno, with a special thanks to Team Enlightened and their chase crews.

From the lights of the Las Vegas strip to the high desert of Reno, Nevada, this year’s General Tire Vegas to Reno challenged some of the best drivers the off road racing industry has to offer. Five hundred and fifty miles across the Mojave Desert at temperatures reaching upwards of 108 degrees gave everyone a run for their money. The longest off road race in the United States, Vegas to Reno claims its fair share of casualties. (more…)

August 21, 2013