Pit stop help

[THEHEAT]

Hey guys I know the old horse racing website gets a crew to help chase early broncos in Baja and the drivers of the early broncos helps pay the way for the crew members down there.Is there that kind of help for other class 3 trucks in Baja or here in the US thanks?

[AngerIssues]

Unfortunately, not on my little team!

When we do have a hotel, it's not uncommon for me to sleep outside and let someone else take the room.

Since I got involved in this crazy sport, over 20 years ago, I'd have to honestly say I've maybe had three or four trips total where I received help with gas, rooms, or other expenses. Frankly, I would have been there either way, so I didn't really care. When chasing/pitting/pre-running for another team, I usually end up paying for my own way. I'm not saying it's that way for everyone, but if I get an extra 200 or 300 bucks, it goes into the truck!

In my opinion, staying in a tent at race mile 870 is much more fun that staying at a hotel, getting your crap ripped off in Ensenada. that is just my humble little team, however. I know Raffo is loaded. :o)

[straightaxle]

As for the actual "pit stops" themselves, we use BFG. They are at all the SCORE and BITD races that actually require stops for fuel in the US and Mexico. Their only requirement is that you use BFG tires. They also had a limit at the 1000 race this year on the total number of teams they would support, however I believe they took more than the limit in the end. This also comes with GPS course files, and map books with a ton of information including access roads to the course.

BFG provides people to dump fuel and usually have welders, tools and some supplies like oil and sealants. They are set up in fixed locations, usually accessible with an 18 wheeler. Unfortunately for us, they have been getting further and further apart, and we now have to add fuel between some of their stops. It sucks to run out.

As for fuel itself, the pit groups do not haul fuel, it has to be hauled by you or the fuel supplier. You pay for delivery, and Class 3 trucks typically use a LOT of fuel. BFG will haul your spare parts (typically tires) out to pit and back to a central location afterwards.

There are a number of other pit groups that provide the same kind of support, but most require a membership or money up front. Checkers, Baja Pits, etc. are but a few examples.

For service or repairs between fixed pits, you are on your own. There was a story on RDC where two guys raced in Class 8 at the Baja 1000 with only their parents as the crew, and they finished it without even having radios. Some guys do it with less than this, but obviously most have more. We get by with chase trucks that are not really set up (ex: stock F350, HD 2500, etc.) to get out on the course to retrieve the race truck, but sometimes you have to do what needs to be done.

Your crew is typically made up of like minded individuals as yourself, and even up through most of the "big" teams, it is still on a volunteer basis. So far with us, it is the same with the chase trucks. Guys don't usually lay their OWN trucks in a ditch off the side of the highway. We started out camping on the sidewalk on a side street in Ensenada, but the crew now prefers to kick in some money to at least get a place with a roof and possibly a shower. If you stuff enough people into a house, the price per person is very reasonable. To get around the security issues of the stuff in the chase trucks, we gravitate towards places that are WAY out of town. Inconvenient to get to the bars, but so far we have been able to bring all of our tools and trucks home.

[retroblazer]

Unfortunately, not on my little team!

When we do have a hotel, it's not uncommon for me to sleep outside and let someone else take the room.

Since I got involved in this crazy sport, over 20 years ago, I'd have to honestly say I've maybe had three or four trips total where I received help with gas, rooms, or other expenses. Frankly, I would have been there either way, so I didn't really care. When chasing/pitting/pre-running for another team, I usually end up paying for my own way. I'm not saying it's that way for everyone, but if I get an extra 200 or 300 bucks, it goes into the truck!

In my opinion, staying in a tent at race mile 870 is much more fun that staying at a hotel, getting your crap ripped off in Ensenada. that is just my humble little team, however. I know Raffo is loaded. :o)

Loaded with what? Broken parts and bills. For this year's race we had one night at Estero Beach in Ensenada and we stayed a couple of nights down in the bay of L.A. at one of our guy's beach house(which was the best), on the way back from Baja Sur.

[Tazz]

Not sure where to go with this, but OHR doesn't pay anything to get people to Baja.

The basis is, if you will come to Ensenada on your own dime, put you and your vehicle at risk at your own expense, then the race vehicle owners will cover the cost of the fuel you use in Baja, pick up a couple of rooms in Ensenada and the cost of the food. Some of the guys have purchased their own race radio and GPS's.

Over the years I have accumulated 8 race radios and 6 Lawrence GPS's that we dole out to vehicles that need them. Other team owner have extra's to that we use, depending on who shows comes. I have every program available for GPS's that I know of and start every year with an upload for all of the makes, so whatever someone has or can borrow to bring we can get them to there locations.

The idea was to spread the cost of fuel, housing and food to do the race between team owners. Making it more reasonable :) for someone that had an early bronco to race Baja. This is the first year that I had an entry in the race, but to make this work I have picked up either 1/2 or 1/3 of these costs each year for the last 4 years. To help give it a jump start. Each race team is responsible for their own race fuel, required to use BFG pits and have their own spare parts to give to the crews.

The only reason for the Early bronco's qualifications was that we all started as Early bronco enthusiasts and our volunteers are also. With it being Early broncos, we have some of the same components so if we all bring a few spares then we have great coverage by having duplicates to spread out between the crews.

Between drivers, co-drivers and support people we had 29 at this year’s race. Vehicle count was 9, 2 F350 for driver transport vehicles that also doubled as pit vehicle, 1 F350 for driver transport pit/chase,1 F350 that was a pit/chase vehicle, 2 F350 Pit vehicles, 2 early bronco’s for chase and 1 abortion of a suburban that is chase/pit. Any teams designated as chase have to be able to go off-road and either extract or fix a race vehicle any where we need on the course. Pit vehicle are just that, moble pits that leap frog a long the course, tooled to fix whatever as long as the race vehicles can make it to them.

With this much coverage we can make it so not everyone has to cover the entire course and most don’t have to try and be awake and on the road for upwards of 40 hrs. We send some of the support south a day or so before so they can be down course and get some rest before the race gets to them.

Not sure how this ports over to all of Class 3, but if OHR is at the race they will help anyone that needs it. If you see one of the teams and there not currently fixing an early bronco that is. Well of course some do have bit of sensitivity to the bow tie world. Not sure that they would have all of the needed parts, but there all very creative and would give it a try.

Dan

[retroblazer]

I'm glad to hear that you would be available to anyone in class, including us cheby guys. We have offered to do the same.

[chuck]

Hi Chris, I stopped and offered your driver a fuel pump before I saw you and let you know where your truck was. They decided that 40 PSI was too much for your carb.
Ever thought about racing a ford? That would get you the front coilovers EFI and a C6, just a thought:)

[THEHEAT]

So Dan how well do you think it has work out for you guys by doing it this way?

[straightaxle]

...............and 1 abortion of a suburban that is chase/pit.


I thought that was a "Trophyburban"

I heard it did more miles on course than some of the class 3 entries.

[mp_tx]

I thought that was a "Trophyburban"

I heard it did more miles on course than some of the class 3 entries.

We got jokes!

[Tazz]

I thought that was a "Trophyburban"

I heard it did more miles on course than some of the class 3 entries.

I can confirm that it did put quite a few miles in on the race course, but it could take years to finalize the analysis of the gps and rally logger files to get a true confirmation on which vehicle in fact had more actual race course miles.
We have our best people on it, a committee has been formed and is currently in guarded seclusion debating the validity of using race highway miles in the final total.
Given the current state of affairs though, this very important piece of information may take time to get to a final debate, as more pressing matters have recently come in to play and resource will have to be diverted.
When conclusive consensus can be reached, I will update. Until then, it would just be conjecture on my part to make any more of a definitive statement to the true facts on this subject at this time.

:)

[Blanco]

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/224360/fullsize/confused-smiley-014.gif

[straightaxle]

You cracked my ass up, Tazz (and confused the hell out of Cam). I was in no way pointing any fingers at any particular Class 3 entries, just that the Trophyburban may actually be a chase worthy vehicle, and that use of the term "suburban abortion" may have been a pre-maturely harsh classification for said vehicle.

[Tazz]

You cracked my ass up, Tazz (and confused the hell out of Cam). I was in no way pointing any fingers at any particular Class 3 entries, just that the Trophyburban may actually be a chase worthy vehicle, and that use of the term "suburban abortion" may have been a pre-maturely harsh classification for said vehicle.

:) I knew you would enjoy it Don, thought I would take the oppertunity to add a bit of levity to the program and take an off hand pot shot at some of the fees we pay.

My appologies to Cam, my sense of humor is usually a bit confusing for most people.

[Blanco]

You cracked my ass up, Tazz (and confused the hell out of Cam).

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[Broncodawg]

The reason Burburitto ended up with so many race miles is Jack made a wrong turn when we all left "Rice and Beans" in San Ignacio and before he new it,
it was morning and they were in Lapurisima. I'm hearing it was a hellish night, what with the Class 11s and Rhinos nerfing him all the way!!! LOL ;)
Greg