Shawn Giordano and his Toyota are becoming familiar sights on the top of the 1450 results sheets. There's something about four cylinders, a pair of leaf packs, and a self-fabricated front suspension that makes you want to cheer him on. | 
Someone has to win overall, and at Ridgecrest that someone was Class 1's Jim Tucker at the wheel of a Jimco. The Ridgecrest resident played his home-field advantage into a convincing win with sub-43-minute lap times averaging 48.4 mph. |
Yeah, we're a truck magazine, but desert racing is also home to more than a few fast buggies. With a short wheelbase and a tall center of gravity, a 5-1600 Baja Bug is tough to keep rubber side down but works extremely well in the rough. | 
The trail guys all tout the benefits of a straight front axle, but usually admit that their beloved straight axles are second-string when the terrain opens up. Robert Klaus proved that with the right setup, a straight axle can go fast too. Klaus toughed it out for Second in Class 7S. |
Pro Trucks have done it all, and so have early Broncos. While many an early Bronco has conquered the Rubicon and been the basecamp for a fishing trip, we guarantee you'll never find a Protruck anywhere other than a shop or a trailer when it's not on the racecourse. Kurt Larmee stopped briefly to have a mangled fender removed and went on to finish Second in Class 3. | 
Eric Tadeja is one of the few drivers who field a Chevy in the desert. While the ever-present Ford and Toyota trucks have their own set of advantages, the award for the best overall powertrain goes to the Bow Tie. Chevy's 4.3 V6 is readily available, power parts are effective and easy to come by, and equally effective transmissions bolt right into place behind the potent Vortec engines. |
The Santa Barbara Church is one of many "living" parts of Randsburg. | 
This old mine building is one of dozens that are home to mice and rusting equipment weighing hundreds of tons. Mining equipment isn't lightweight in the first place, and the manufacturing methods of a century ago were that much heftier. It was tempting to take a closer look, but there were several "no trespassing" signs on the fence, and sights aplenty remained in the rest of the town, so we moved on. |
A classic, authentic Old West, false-fronted building is now an antiques dealer. But for the giveaway electrical conduit and the power company meter, this photo could've been snapped a century ago - just not with a digital camera. | 
Current residence... or historical landmark? |
Randsburg's old jail is as bare-bones as it gets. As with most Old West boomtowns, debauchery and crime were common. The jail was an oft-used Randsburg building. The town's desert location means hot summer days and frigid winter nights - all the more uncomfortable when spent in a bare room with a steel-barred door. | 
Yes, we can see the horse's rear end aft of the saddle, but the real sphincter was the rider, who yelled from afar, "Y'all look like ya never seen a goddam horse before!" Thankfully, most of the locals seemed friendly, and we'd still recommend a visit to Randsburg. |