There is nothing in the world like off road racing. Where else do 800 hp trucks share the track with 90 hp buggies over rocks and silt and sand? Where can you find family teams out racing with factory teams? Off road racing is addictive, and this past weekend I got to feed my habit with my gal, #1617 at the Mojave Off Road Enthusiasts Slash X Duel in the Desert in Barstow, CA.
The race was a two-heat format, with the slower cars racing in the morning and the faster vehicles off the line in the afternoon.
We started the afternoon race side by side with my pal and teammate Martee Burke in 1602. My co-driver Journee Richardson and I beat them off the line and took off on our 160 mile race through some of the roughest terrain the California high desert has to offer.
Class 1600 is a limited class. Engines must be air-cooled 1600cc with 4 forward gears. They have a VW front end with limited wheel travel. They are light weight, nimble, and they beat you up to no end. Horsepower and torque numbers are both below 100, so momentum is key. The only way to win is to keep it pinned and pray for the best.
The 20-mile course was a good mix of fast and technical sections. Journee and I flew up the wash for 5 miles until we reached the rougher section of College Hill. After that it was downhill to the road crossing and through the area known as Barstow Main. We then touched a bit of Mile of Danger into what I like to call G-Out Central. From there the course was new to me, full of rough and rocky whoops, sharp turns, and even more rough whoops.
Our first two laps went really well. It’s easy to get a little keyed up at the beginning of a race. Adrenaline is running high and nerves are twitchy. I’m getting better at keeping it in check, but it’s easy to overdrive the first few miles. Still, we averaged 41 mph on the first lap and kept ahead of the pack.
Going through Barstow Main on lap three, we came off a whoop and lawn darted hard. Think of just pointing your front end straight into the ground with the throttle wide open and you get the idea. We hit so hard that our air hoses came out of both our helmets. Journee even lost her radio connection.
We both were wearing neck restraints, but we were still dazed. We didn’t stop and somehow managed to get our air hoses secured back into our helmets before the next really rough section.
Things were moving right along after that. We passed a few people, some of the bigger trucks passed us…but things were about to get dicey.
We were coming in to pit row, and the crew had called us in for a quick splash and dash of fuel. The course took us down a small hill and then into a left hand sweeper to pit row. We were pitted close to the sweeper on the right hand side. The idea was for me to take the turn wide and come in to pits. This put me on a different part of the track just before the left hand sweeper. And THAT put me ass over teakettle!
Yes, I rolled the car. In the infield. In front of everyone.
And it couldn’t have happened at a better place. Within seconds there were 10 guys flipping us back over. 1617 started right up and we were back on our way.
The pit stop was a little longer than anticipated as the team needed to add half quart of oil and do a thorough walk around. Nobody asked us if we wanted to get out of the car. They all knew better. Journee and I were in it to win it.
We continued on for the remaining 75 miles without a problem. By the time we got to the last lap I was so tired I had to break the lap down into sections in my head. “Just get through the wash, Hall….okay, now up and over College Hill….” The roll over had taken out radio communication between Journee and I so I was completely in my head. This can be bad for me, but I was able to keep my focus on the course ahead.
Coming over the final rise and seeing the start/finish line was the best feeling. At the beginning of the race you never know if you’ll actually finish, and when you see that checkered flag….well, it’s just an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I never feel as proud of myself as when I finish a race.
We crossed the finish line in second place, and fifteen minutes later, teammate Martee took the checkered flag for a solid third place finish. I was hoping to have an adult beverage when we got out of the car, but to be honest I was so knackered it was all I could do to down a Gatorade, accept my trophy, and fall right into bed.
Next race for us won’t be until July. It’s going to be hard to go without my fix for so long.
Check out the raw in car footage of the roll over!
Emme is a driver, reviewer, rabble rouser, and Gazelle who can be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and either one of her blogs.
