In the desert racing world, both SCORE and Best in the Desert rule the roost in terms of famous races and big-name racing teams. If you want to see Team Herbst battling Riviera Racing, tune in to the Baja 1000 or Vegas to Reno. If you want to get off the sidelines and into the driver's seat, check out the MDR series.
MDR, aka Mojave Desert Racing, is headed up by Patricia Williams. Patricia's interest in promoting desert races came not from experiences in the driver's seat, but from an equine saddle. As horseback riding areas became scarcer, she saw the same trend in off-roading spots. "We put on these races to keep the areas open ... to make use of the land so that it doesn't become closed off," says Williams. This approach benefits racers and non-racers alike, since the off-roading areas are devoid of race traffic on most weekends. Want to test out your new Sway-A-Way shocks and Camburg suspension in the Mojave? Better thank MDR for helping to keep the land open. MDR offers races and entry fees at a level that encourages would-be racers to jump in and enjoy the races from behind the wheel instead of behind the fence.
MDR's eighth season kicked off in California's Mojave Desert with the Lucerne 250. With the snowy slopes of Big Bear shimmering in the distance, racers made their way around a 50-mile high-desert loop that included full-throttle dry lake sections; deep, sandy whoops; and the occasional rock garden. Chilly winter air meant no overheating worries.
Carolyn Hines hammers the throttle of her V-8-powered Ford Ranger. The 302ci crate motor is connected to a C-4 tranny equipped with a manual valvebody. The power is then transferred into the simplest, most durable traction device around a spool.
Is Lucerne smoother than MDR's rocky minefield of a course at Barstow? Yep. Easy? Absolutely not. Do you want some numbers? Seventy-one entries took the green flag at Lucerne. How many survived to take the checkered flag? A wispy 26. At Lucerne, the Prerunner class had the most crowded entry list. Why? Where most traditional classes have a restrictive set of rules, the Prerunner class has minimal rules beyond the required safety equipment. This opens up many avenues for designing and building a race-bound prerunner. Since many prerunners remain street registered, driving to the race, racing, and driving home afterward is a viable option -- no trailer required.
Matt Langan took his Desolate Motorsports F-150 to the top Prerunner class finish. The two-wheel drive began life as Matt's daily driver and still uses the stock V-6 and five-speed manual tranny. Langan's final 2003 race ended with the red Blue Oval wounded on a trailer after a rollover at the MDR Stoddard 250. Fortunately, the damage wasn't that bad. "We didn't have to do that much body work -- we just jacked up the roof in a couple of spots."
Langan Racing avoided flats and "drove a little smarter" to outdo the Prerunner class competition at Lucerne. What about future goals? "We want to get into Class 8 in SCORE and Best in the Desert." That sounds like a plan, Matt. Congrats on the win.
Building a race truck is a lot like opening Pandora's box. How so? Carolyn's Prerunner-class Ranger uses a three-link rear suspension to put the V-8 power to the ground. The three-link's performance outdid the frontend. Camburg was called on to pump up the front suspension. Enter Camburg custom I-beams, radius arms, Bilstein coilover and bypass shocks, and Bilstein airbumps. The resulting front suspension now outperforms the rear suspension. Carolyn's day ended early when the rear wishbone failed on the third lap. | 
We'd quote Eric Berrios's thoughts as he waited for impact, but they're not fit to print. Matt Langan caught Eric's V-8-powered Ranger at Mile 4, and the battle was on. Around Mile 10, Berrios gassed number 1487 too hard into a "double down" -- two downward-pointing arrows advising a tricky section ahead -- and the rear end rebounded with a violent kick. We're happy to report that both Berrios and his codriver came through just fine, thanks to a rollcage, safety harnesses, and helmets. The truck was a different story. | 
Here's the reason that safety fuel cells are required to race: The Fuel Safe cell is mangled, but does not leak. Both the front and rear of Berrios's Ranger sustained major damage as the truck tumbled. The last thing a racer wants is to have the truck catch fire on impact. We're guessing Berrios will choose another Fuel Safe cell to take the place of this one. |
Austin "Fishdood" Farner is spelling his nickname Pfishdood these days, thanks to a spot on team Pflueger. Farner affectionately refers to his Toyota as The Piece, hardly a compliment. It's a piece in name only. After the frame ripped during the Stoddard 250 last November, The Piece underwent surgery at ESB Fabrications. The frame was patched up, and beefy new upper and lower control arms were created by the talented hands of Mike Clark. | 
Wondering where to find Darrell Herman during the week? He's most likely putting in some of the 100 hours spent on prepping number 740 for its next race. Race prep follows a checklist that includes changing all the fluids, servicing the suspension bushings and Heim joints, and sending his Deaver leaf packs to Santa Ana, California, for its magic touch. | 
A crumpled skidplate shows the domino effect that mechanical failures can have. Fleming lost a front brake line, which was pinched off by the crew. Three brakes were adequate to stop the truck, but three brakes do not a stable truck make. When the stop pedal was leaned on, it sent the truck off course, launching it off a big-screen-sized boulder. The truck landed on its feet and continued the race. Perry was rattled and sore, but survived the mishap in fine style. His codriver and father-in-law, Kevin Addison, suffered "not one, but six compression fractures in his spine." Guess what, everybody? Kevin Addison, aka Pops, will be back out there as soon as his back is OK. Did we mention that racing can be addictive? |
While Langan Racing's F-150 was being repaired from last season's rollover, Greg Gilbert and the crew at Desolate Motorsports deleted the rear leaf springs in favor of this King-damped four-link. While the blue coilovers, bypass dampers, and pneumatic bumpstops are topnotch in the quality department, overall suspension performance depends on proper tuning and a well-designed suspension system. Desolate knows its stuff. | 
Stressed? Ken Keegal suggests desert therapy. Calling nearby Yucca Valley home, Keegal says if he's had a bad day he can "go out and rack up some miles. Then it's like 'oh yeah, life is good again!'" Keegal took the Blue Coyote Racing Toyota to Third in Class 7s. Similar vehicles made fast friends out of Keegal and Perry Fleming, who now pool resources and share pits. As with Fleming, Keegal did much of the fabrication to his Toyota himself. The truck is pushed along by an admittedly undersized 22R four-cylinder motor. Since the truck is low on power, King bypass shocks maximize suspension performance and work in tandem with Deaver leaf packs. This puts the thimbleful of power to the ground as efficiently as possible. Number 797 is run in two-wheel drive most of the time, but the transfer case is engaged if the vehicle gets stuck. Keegal finished Third in Class 7s. | 
Few things in the racing world have been so anticipated as Perry Fleming's first official finish. Fleming has flogged his straight-axled 7s Toyota 4x4 across the finish line several times, but always over the time limit until Lucerne. The father of four from Big Bear, California, has a big list of family and friends who donate their time and talents to the red-and-yellow 'Yota and its pilot. |
Long-time readers may remember the BK Brawler from the pages of the March '98 issue of Off-Road. That truck met a sudden, violent end during the 1999 SCORE Primm 300. The Brawler caught a rain rut in the middle of the track, pitching the Toyota sideways. Before Barry could get the truck pointed in the correct direction, Team Herbst plowed into the back corner, followed by the Duralast Trophy Truck. The BK team patched up the Brawler enough to run in that year's Baja 500, but it was time to build a replacement. Number 700 hit the track after three years of work. | 
Pssst. Bob Miller needs some competition. The Pure Stock Mini entry was the lone contender in its class. Before you write off the class win as an easy victory, keep in mind that Bob's red-and-white 'Yota actually finished the race. | 
They say it ain't bragging if you can do it. Dan Vance isn't shy about his driving prowess, but he has the walk to back up the talk. Dan bought and built the truck shown in motion here. In place of custom components, Vance now relies on a Total Chaos bolt-on front suspension kit and rear leaf packs from Deaver Spring. After the stock rear axle DNF'd more than once, a Ford 9-inch took its place. |
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