Rolling rubber donuts are the primary link between an off-road vehicle and the nasty terrain it traverses. A high-output motor and finely tuned suspension are worthless if the tires don't provide the needed traction to move forward. A few weeks before the '06 Laughlin Desert Challenge, Larry Roeseler and Troy Herbst celebrated their second overall Baja 1000 win in a row on BFG tires, while BFGoodrich reveled in the company's 20th consecutive Baja 1000 win. Much of the pack in the Laughlin Desert Challenge was rolling on BFGs, including TT and Overall winner B.J. Baldwin.
In this writer's opinion, the desert's biggest allure is the element of surprise. Expect the unexpected. Limestone caverns carved into shape by seeping water are about the last things one would expect to encounter in the arid Southwest, but they're there. Shaped primarily during the much wetter Ice Age, Mitchell Caverns are a modest drive from Laughlin and make for a good side trip. The caverns are 16 miles off I-40, northwest of the Essex Road exit. They are part of the Providence Mountains Recreation Area and the California State Parks system. Guided tours are offered.
For more information, check out: www.parks.ca.gov
Coyne Motorsports was out in force with not one, but two Pro Comp Trophy Trucks. Marty's extensive stadium racing experience played into his hand on the fender-to-fender Laughlin infield until he nosed hard into the face of a deep whoop. The resulting tumble looked worse than it felt; both Marty Coyne and codriver James Ornelas were sore but otherwise unhurt. Travis Coyne shares his father's skill behind the wheel and is not afraid to nerf slower trucks to clear the course. Both Pro Comp trucks were shod with a KMC wheel/BFGoodrich tire combo. "KMC has long been recognized as a leader in performance street wheels, and it's great that they chose Coyne Motorsports as their platform to show they will dominate in the off-road racing arena," Travis commented. So far, so good, as the rolling stock on both Coyne Motorsports/Pro Comp trucks held up against the abuse dished out by the Laughlin course. | 
Traditional grandstands make watching the Laughlin Desert Challenge as easy as sitting in a stadium watching stick-and-ball sports. |
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