High-end trucks should come with high-end customer service. This one does. The C&D crew dove into the engine bay to change an expired alternator. Mechanic's gloves are vital for working around a hot engine.
After a short discussion on the etiquette of proper helmet vomiting (we decided the best thing might be to pull down the helmet and aim down, if possible), I got strapped in and awaited those first few minutes of sheer terror before getting used to the controlled chaos that is off-road racing. Funny thing is, it never happened. The terror, I mean. Sure, we were racing through the desert at a speed that will remain nameless (mostly because I couldn't see the gauges to save my life), and I could barely make out the rearview camera to see if someone was looking to nerf us, but I felt a lot like I used to when my family drove cross-country on vacations when I was growing up: comfortable. That's not to say that it was boring - far from it! I wanted to yell, rollercoaster-style, the entire time. Matt kept apologizing for the terrain being "squirrely," which I didn't understand at all, since it never felt like we were driving over hundreds of bushy-tailed rodents or having them flung repeatedly through the windshield like a cheesy horror flick. I suppose it helped that my inaugural off-roading experiences had been in a stock '81 Toyota, basically sans suspension.
Sitting in the codriver's seat, I understood why racers spend months (or in Kevin's case, years) building and prepping their trucks for the privilege of roaming across the rocky, silty, muddy terrain, sitting at the helm of that powerful machine. You might not think the middle of an off-road race would be a likely moment for a philosophical realization such as this, but in that 50-minute lap, gazing shakily through the dusty shield of my helmet, I felt I could truly appreciate the symphony of horsepower alongside the gorgeous desert panorama.
I have to hand it to everyone who puts in the kind of effort, time, and devotion to racing and is still willing and able to maintain his or her relationships with loved ones. I have a feeling when we get our race truck finished, the payoff will be worth the effort - for both of us. After all, the list of female off-road racers over the years still pales in comparison to that of their counterparts.
We'll have to remedy that.
Jay Arnold's Fabtech-backed Toyota took home Third in Class 1400/Pro Prerunner. | 
Collette traded the codriver's seat with Leif Homme on Lap 6. On Lap 7, my turn came. I've ridden in several race trucks by now and have experienced a wide spectrum from the smooth fury of a Trophy Truck to the utilitarian pounding of a Stock Full machine. Every truck feels a little different, and it takes a few miles to get acquainted. |
Claiming First in Class 8 and Ninth overall, Towery Off-Road Racing celebrated for a few minutes and then started the road trip back to its Bakersfield, California, home base. Left to right: Ernie Viray, Kevin Webb (George Webb's son), Paul Diebel, Joey Diebel, Justin Hopfe, Leif Homme, Barry Hopfe, Matt Towery, Paco Hernandez, George Webb, Kevin Webb (George Webb's brother). | 
Corey Mendoza took his F-150 to the top of the 1450 food chain. Congrats! |
A.J. Rodriguez: First in Class 7 and Seventh overall. | 
Battered, but not broken. Norman Turley claimed top honors in Class 7S. |