Silver State 300 Race Report

New report on my trip posted at http://durkadurka.net/blog/

All race photos now up at http://www.DurkaDurkaPhoto.com

Excerpt.

Saturday, September 26, 2009 4:02 PM; I am squatting in a shallow stream that more closely resembles a bog. I have been waiting for a racecar for about 30 minutes and I can hear the sweet sounds of a race engine approaching in the distance but the swamp scene from Stand By Me is on my mind. While I have not seen the movie in well over 15 years my paranoia keeps returning me to when Gordie finds a leach on his wiener. This day could take a major turn for the worse at any moment.

Bryce MENZIES SLATED for Double Duty at Best in the Desert’s ‘BILEK 300’ Next Week in Class 10 and Jesse Jones Trophy Truck

PRESS RELEASE:

Las Vegas, Nevada, (September 18, 2009) Bryce Menzies, the Las Vegas off road racing phenom, is slated for DOUBLE DUTY in next weekend’s Best in the Desert BILEK 300 Desert race to be held in the desert surrounding Mesquite, Nevada. This event features some of the most beautiful terrain in all of Nevada, as man and machine will be put to the test over 321-miles of daunting Nevada desert.

The 22-year old off road racer will pilot both the Menzies Motorsports single-seat Class 10 car before switching and racing the second half of the race in the 800 horsepower Geiser Brothers built Trophy Truck owned and raced by Jesse Jones.

Bryce Menzies has had an incredible start in his desert racing career after a grand victory at this year’s longest race in the United States, Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno 1000-mile race. Bryce shared time behind the wheel of the Menzies Motorsports single-seat Class 10 racecar with Larry Job and earned the victory after 3-days of incredible challenges that faced the toughest off road desert racers in America.

“The Vegas to Reno race certainly helped guide Bryce to the next level. Racing day-to-day was good for the entire team and we’ve come a long way. Bryce really shined and had three perfect days of racing. I’m very proud to see him learn the important aspects of desert racing each and every race. Transitioning into a trophy truck is the next level and we’re moving that way,” said a smiling Steve Menzies.

Heading into the Best in the Desert’s BILEK 300 race, the young off road racer will join one of desert racing’s most veteran off road racers, Arizona’s Jesse Jones. It was only a few years ago that Jones captivated the entire world of off road racing when he was crowned the Best in the Desert Trophy Truck Champion.

Jesse Jones has long been a top contender in any race he’s entered. With the debut of his new Geiser Brothers built Trophy Truck, Jones is poised to climb back into the winner’s circle. Rick Geiser and his Geiser Brothers race crew will provide support for the combined Jones/Menzies race effort. Rick explained, “This might just be a perfect match for both Menzies and Jesse. Geiser Brothers is really happy to put these two teams together and I can’t wait to see what they can do in the dirt.”

In addition to racing in the desert, both Bryce Menzies and Jesse Jones have been racing in the Lucas Oil Off Road Series (short course) both racing in the Unlimited Pro 2 class.

Jesse explained, “Joining forces with Menzies Motorsports team is a great move for our team. I’m stoked that Geiser, Menzies and I could put something together for this race and hopefully turn it into something for the future. I’ve watched Bryce race and he’s definitely talented. I’m looking forward to putting this truck in the winner’s circle again.”

Menzies Motorsports brings with them to the Best in the Desert BILEK 300 race a host of sponsors, which continue to support them in both desert racing and short course racing. They include AHERN Rentals, BFGoodrich Tires, FOX Racing Shox, KMC Wheels, KARTEK and Super Clean.

Menzies Motorsports will be set up at the CasaBlanca Events center so please stop by and take a moment with both the drivers and crew at Menzies Motorsports. Please visit www.menziesmotorsports.com

DIXON BROS. TAKE OVER CLASS 7100 POINTS LEAD WITH ANOTHER WIN AT ‘SILVER STATE 300’

Mesquite, NV - September 27, 2008: Driving the #7101 Dixon Bros. Racing Ford Ranger,
Aaron Dixon and navigator Ed Ramirez soloed Best in the Desert Racing Association’s ‘Silver
State 300’, to win their third consecutive race this season. The win moved the #7101 Dixon Bros.
Ford into the Class 7100 points lead with only the ‘Henderson’s Fabtech Desert Classic’ left on
Best in the Desert’s 2008 racing schedule, December 5-7.
Aaron started the race in 3rd position, behind the #7102 and #7114 Fords. There was a
mild breeze, but dust was still hanging in the valleys. The plan was to settle into a moderate pace
and see what competition materialized. Around mile 15 they began to close on the #7102 truck,
but attempting a pass was not worth the risk. Five miles later they encountered some thick dust,
when suddenly the #7114 Ford appeared out of nowhere, lying on it’s side in the middle of the
course. “We almost scraped our door on their roof but made it around the outside of the corner”
Aaron said. “A few miles later the #7102, who was not running on Goodyear’s, was pulled over
with a flat rear tire.” Now in the lead, the #7101 Dixon Bros. Ford found some clean air and
quickly started to catch up to some of the race traffic that started in front of their class. So far the
course had been tight and technical with no room to pass because of the rocks lining the road’s
edge.
At mile 85, bouncing in and out of some silt ruts, the steering started to get tight. Aaron
was having flashbacks of the previous race where we lost our power steering due to a cracked
rack and pinion housing. “As my face shield was showered with what seemed to be power steering
fluid, I kept driving only to later see our engine coolant temp. quickly approaching 280
degrees. We pulled over to find the serpentine belt missing and an empty radiator. We quickly
installed a new belt, as we were being passed by a convoy of vehicles that started behind us.
Moving forward again, we limped into Pit #2, a few miles across the valley, and filled the radiator.
I really thought the engine was cooked, but the temperature held and we were back in the race
in second place behind #7104”.
For awhile Aaron took it easy on the truck, to check the engine temperature, before turning
up the wick through Pit #3. They passed #7104 who was parked in the pit with no one working on
their truck. The #7101 Dixon Bros. Ford Ranger was now back in the lead headed into what they
knew were going to be tough miles. During the pre-run, this area developed some pretty deep ruts
filled with powdery silt. “As we crested one area, what was once a single line had turned into a
giant silt field littered with stuck vehicles trying to dig their way out by hand”, Aaron said. “We
mashed the throttle down and gave it everything we had. I headed left at the beginning and, as our
truck bogged down, I quickly downshifted to first with the engine screaming at full throttle.”
200 East Laurel Avenue ❑ Lompoc, CA 93436 ❑ 805.570.3685 (Office) ❑ 805.736.5513 (Fax)
The Dixon Bros. Ford was moving slower and slower as the relentless silt-beds got deeper. Aaron pointed the
truck downslope toward the left more and more, inching their way along, finally reaching some hard pack. Knowing
that was only the beginning, he slowed a little to keep out of the dust spewing from other vehicles. “Sometimes, it’s
more important to see where you are going, than to try to be fast”, As Aaron would later say. “Our next test was a
small hillclimb we could see in the distance. One truck was stuck halfway up, then another to the left, and another...
I didn’t feel like joining them, so we took a quick left up the side of the hill, narrowly missing a stalled buggy and
clawed our way over the top. At this point, I knew that if we stopped for anything, we could easily get stuck and lose
hours trying to get out. We repeated this at the next hill, just barely getting over the top having to dodge trees, cars,
and people. Miles later, a buggy stuck around a blind corner franticly waved at us to go left. It was too late, there was
nowhere to go as the track was lined with trees and thick mesquite brush. Reacting, I turned the wheels all the way
left and headed directly toward a huge 6' Mesquite tree. The truck jumped up and over the old dead branches as I
heard the driveshaft grinding away at the limbs. We quickly got blinded by the cloud of dust and I kept the throttle
down as we hit another huge tree. Somehow, we made it around the buggy and several other racers buried in the silt.
The race was quickly turning into a quest for survival, not just a finish.”
Somewhat beyond the halfway point of the race, the course began to clear up but Aaron knew that many racers
behind him were having problems. Time splits from the pits indicate that what was once a 6 minute lead, is now a 45
minute lead!!! It becomes apparent to Aaron that everyone else is stuck and the race is ours to lose. The #7101 Dixon
Bros. Ford had no troubles driving over the narrow mining roads into Pit 4 for the final gas stop. Long washes with
tight first gear corners and power robbing loose sand lead the way into Caliente at race-mile 228. “It’s wide open
from Caliente to the finish, was the talk among drivers on Friday”, according to Aaron. “I’m not sure what some
people think this means, but the course remained very technical with plenty of places to end your day, but the Radflo
Shocks never let us down. Up and down, tight corners lined with pine forests, loose gravel roads, occasional rain
showers, and dust from a vehicle ahead of us made the last 60 miles seem an eternity. As day turned to night, we
turned on our KC Hilites just in time to shine on the checkered flag waving at us. It was a long, hard 300 miles, but
was easily soothed by the sense of accomplishment in winning one of the toughest races we have ever entered”.
The #7101 Dixon Bros. Ford took the win after just under eight hours on he race course beating the second
place #7102 Ford to the finish by 2 hours, 12 minutes. The win moves the Dixon Bros. into the Class 7100 lead by
nine points over Heidi Steele, in the #7114 truck and put them on a path to win their second consecutive Class 7100
points championship in Best in the Desert’s Silver State Series with only one race remaining on the 2008 racing
schedule. This would be their fourth Silver State Series Points championship in the past six years.
The final race of the season for Dixon Bros. Racing is Best in the Desert’s ‘Henderson’s Fabtech Desert
Classic’, scheduled for December 5-7 in Henderson, Nevada.
- grt -
To learn more about Dixon Bros. Racing visit our website at www.dixonbrosracing.com. For more information about Ford vehicles, go to www.ford.com.

LUGO\OLLIGES\SWIFT RACING ROARS TO TRICK TRUCK VICTORY AT BEST IN THE DESERT SILVER STATE 300

Mesquite, Nevada (September 27, 2008). Over 300 miles of awe inspiringly scenic but brutally unforgiving terrain, Team Ford #1 drivers Steve Olliges and John Swift out ran some of fastest off road racers on earth to capture their first win of the year in the unlimited Trick Truck class. The reigning Best in the Desert Trick Truck champions held off a furious charge from class points leaders Jerry Whelchel and Chet Huffman, whose lone flat was likely the difference in the win, as the Lugo owned, Stewart Raceworks built and prepared Ford F150 finished less than 3 minutes ahead of the Huffman Motorsports entry. Despite running at a blistering pace for 6 hours and reaching speeds of over 120 mph, Olliges and Swift had another flawless day in their BF Goodrich shod, Patton Motors powered truck, which has finished every mile of every race both this season and last.

“What a great race we had with everyone this weekend,” said Olliges, who owns Team Ford in Las Vegas. “We had our best qualifying effort ever with a second in class on Thursday, finishing a few seconds behind Jerry Whelchel, who everyone knows is super fast. We were feeling really good about our chances for a first place finish in Trick




Truck in the race, and thought with our “secret weapon” John Swift driving the last portion, we might even be able to chase down the buggies for an overall. We just missed and ended up with a 5th overall.” Sam Berri in a Class 1500 Unlimited Buggy claimed the best 4 wheel overall time both in the race and in qualifying, and won the Team Ford Pole award, pocketing the $1000 cash prize for the second time in his career. Berri and Olliges are both in contention for the 2008 BITD King of the Desert Championship, awarded at the end of the year to the driver who is the fastest to finish every race mile of the season.

“I am just so happy that John is racing with us again. He is not only one of the fastest and winningest off road racers ever, but also he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.” Olliges’ and Swift’s last win together was over 10 years ago, when they were teammates on the legendary Ford Rough Rider team. During those years, Olliges became the winningest stock full driver in history and Swift compiled a record as one of the best off road racers ever, capturing countless wins and multiple championships in both his Ford Rangers and the dominant Ford Explorer. Under the Swift Racing banner (http://www.swiftrace.com) John, along with son Jonathon and Andy Waters, is the reigning unlimited minitruck champion in BITD class 7200 and their team currently leads the points chase after another win the Silver State 300 in their identically painted Team Ford Ranger.

“I want to first thank Wayne and Steve for giving me the opportunity to race with them this year. There is nothing like driving a 700 or 800 horsepower Trick Truck, and this one that Craig Stewart built is really a rocket,” said Swift, who is no stranger to the podium. “We made a couple of changes during testing in preparation for this tight, technical and fast course, which this really truck likes. Steve’s driving style is well suited to this type of course, and I really liked it too.”

Based on their qualifying positions, the #1 started three minutes after Whelchel in the #40. “Steve had a great race all morning with Whelchel and they exchanged the lead a few times. When I got in, we were leading slightly but were second physically on the course. I got stuck for awhile behind a buggy that was a little slower than us, and after I got around him, I decided to stay within a couple minutes of Huffman all the way to the finish to ensure the class win,” Swift reported, abandoning any chance for the overall. “My son Jonathon got a chance to ride with me at the end and he was a great help too. I had a blast in the truck with him and after I found out that our Ranger won too with Andy driving to the checkered...well…It was a really good weekend for all of the Team Ford trucks.”
Watch the in car video of the #1 Trick Truck winning at the Silver State 300 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNaeXNNj_Zo

Lugo\Olliges\Swift Racing is proudly sponsored by Team Ford (www.teamford.com), BFGoodrich Tires (www.bfgoodrichtires.com), King Shocks (www.kingshocks.com), and Stewart’s Raceworks (www.stewartsraceworks.com)

SPEED TECHNOLOGIES BRINGS HOME A SECOND PLACE CLASS 1 FINISH AT THE BILEK RACING SILVER STATE “300”

Reno, NV (October 2nd, 2008)--Speed Technologies, one of the largest off-road race teams in the United States and Mexico, had plenty to celebrate last weekend at the Bilek Racing Silver State “300” in Mesquite. The HMS Avenger, driven by Chuck Dempsey and John Herder, took home a second place finish during the race --- the best ranking the team has achieved since they began their off-road journey two years ago.

“What a great day,” said team owner John Harrah. “We are finally making some serious headway with our car – our drivers are on target, our pit crews are in top shape and the entire team is really coming together.”

The race started off a bit bumpy for Dempsey and Herder after spending a day of hard work getting the car back on track after it had over heated during the qualifier (in which they ranked 7th). But once the team took to the track on race day there was no stopping them.

Herder ran the first part of the race hard and fast in typical John Herder racing style and managed to get the car into 4th place when he handed it over to Dempsey.

“When John got to the pit and handed the car over to me he told me that the car was running great, but you’ve got no brakes so do the best you can,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey was a little nervous because the course is very mountainous and challenging, but this seasoned driver is no chicken when it comes to challenges and jumped in the car ready to bring it home.

Although not having any breaks during the race certainly made it a challenge, it literally didn’t slow them down one bit. By the time Dempsey reached the pit in Calliente, he had passed two other cars putting them in second place. With the first place cars’ dust in sight, the race had ended with the HMS Avenger finishing only 2 minutes behind the wining car. A victory for any team and a win for Speed Technologies.

“Over all I think the whole team did great job and we were all winners because we are getting closer to a 1st place win,” Dempsey said.

The Jimco class 10 car, driven by Mark Levrett and Casey Currie, got off to a bit of a rocky start. It began with an electrical glitch and a dead battery at the start line. Their problems were solved with 30 seconds to spare before the green light thanks to the help of crew members and helpful spectators.

“By pit one,” Levrett explained, “we were breathing down the neck of first place, but they decided to make a quick stop at the pit to do a rolling visual check on an oil leak they had repaired the day before. This gave the car in first place a slight advantage on the Speed Technologies team.”

Within 10 miles they had caught up to the leader and were looking for a break which would allow them to take the lead and by mile 60 they had caught the leader.

“We had no dust and clear sailing to the finish in our Speed Technologies / Exotic Engine class 10 car,” Levrett said.

Unfortunately, the victorious feeling didn’t last long. By mile 80, in a long silt covered section of the course and with the second place car only 10 or so minutes behind, the motor blew up ending the race for Levrett and Currie, but not ending the drive and force behind the Speed Technologies team to be number one.



About Speed Technologies

Established in 2006 Speed Technologies is owned by John Harrah and headquartered in Reno, NV at Rancharrah. The team operates an off-road car and motorcycle team as well as developing cutting edge off road and aquatics products and designs. Competing in the SCORE Desert Series, Best in the Desert and Championship off Road Racing, Speed Technologies is a full-time operation supported by a full time staff as well as additional chase and safety crews. Speed Technologies is committed to safety both on and off the track. For more information on Speed Technologies please visit www.speed-technologies.com or call 775-851-7492.

BITD Silver State 300 Photo Jihad!

All photos are now up at DurkaDurkaPhoto.com


Early discount for the next 10 days.

Thanks to all the drivers that put on a show.

Sigal Racing continues her First Place lead in Points at Silver State 300

Sept 27, 2008:
Best in the Desert held the Silver State 300 Race in Mesquite, NV

Sigal Racing extends her lead in first place in CLASS 1100. There were 200 entries and only 67 vehicles finished the race. The race was extremely challenging with 300 miles of difficult track, heavy silt in places and 180 degree corners. One might have thought it was rally racing, but indeed it was an off road race!

Justin Bradley Smith, Sigal Racing's main mechanic and one of Sigal Greenberg's co-drivers, drove the first half of the race. He had a clean day except an over shot at corner MM42, which put him out of the race for 45 minutes. Up and going again, within 25 miles, he put himself back into second place in Class 1100.

Sigal Greenberg climbed into "Pinkie" around 2;30PM. Less than an hour into the course, she and her crew chief Lee Creiglow, got stuck in a huge silt bed for a good 45 minutes. Best in the Desert pulled them out and even after losing 45 minutes, Sigal made up the time and finished the race with no mechanical issues around 7:20PM, taking a SECOND place victory!

Talking to Sigal about the final upcoming race in Henderson, she said, “I feel very confident going into this race. My team is top notch. Our race car "Pinkie" is in great condition and we are very familiar with this course. This will be a good race and a great finish to an exciting year with Best in the Desert.

Sigal Racing LLC
www.SigalRacing.com
SigalRacing@aol.com
623-465-0005
623-466-4956 cell

Sam Beri wins the BITD Silver State 300

Short photo update.

SPEED TECHNOLOGIES READIES TO RACE IN THE BILEK RACING SILVER STATE “300”

SPEED TECHNOLOGIES READIES TO RACE IN THE BILEK RACING SILVER STATE “300”

Team Prepares to Bring Class 1 and Class 10 Cars



Reno, NV (September 25th, 2008) – Speed Technologies, one of the largest and foremost off-road race team in the United States and Mexico, is gearing up for another Nevada race this weekend. The Bilek Racing Silver State “300” in Mesquite, NV is a 297 mile race through the Nevada desert and promises to both challenge the team and give them a bit more practice before the grueling Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The team plans on racing both their HMS Avenger Class 1 (#1528) car and their Jimco Class 10 car (#1055). John Herder and Chuck Dempsey will be driving the HMS Avenger with Herder starting the race and Dempsey finishing it out. Mark Levrett and Casey Currie will be driving the Class 10 car with Levrett starting out the race and Currie wrapping it up.

“Our pre-run went really, really well and we the cars performed exceptionally well,” said team manager Phil Johnson. “We have a solid team of drivers behind the wheel of each car and hopefully their experience can help bring us across the finish line”

The team recently competed in the Terrible’s PRIMM 300 and managed to bring both the HMS Avenger and The Dominator across the finish line – it was the first time The Dominator has finished a race and the team is currently working on getting the car in perfect shape for the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The team plans to bring at least two cars and a full motorcycle team to that race.

About Speed Technologies

Established in 2006 Speed Technologies is owned by John Harrah and headquartered in Reno, NV at Rancharrah. The team operates an off-road car and motorcycle team as well as developing cutting edge off road and aquatics products and designs. Competing in the SCORE Desert Series, Best in the Desert and Championship off Road Racing, Speed Technologies is a full-time operation supported by a full time staff as well as additional chase and safety crews. Speed Technologies is committed to safety both on and off the track. For more information on Speed Technologies please visit www.speed-technologies.com or call 775-851-7492.

ROD HALL RACING - BILEK RACING SILVER STATE 300

ROD HALL RACING - BILEK RACING SILVER STATE 300

Hello Race Fans!

This weekend - Rod Hall Racing heads to Mesquite, Nevada for the Bilek Racing Silver State 300. Rod, Josh and Chad compete to maintain their class leads in the Best in the Desert Series Championship. The first truck leaves the line at 9:30 am on Saturday.

Course -
After pre-running last week, the team described the course as having plenty fast graded road, several miles of narrow, winding mountain roads with cliffs and sharp turns. But typical of Nevada racing, visibility will be an issue. Rod noted that "passing could be difficult. If we get some dust free racing, it will be very enjoyable - if not, it will be a long day."

Follow the Team -
Log on and follow the team with live race tracking at www.rodhallracing.com. Blog postings on the status of all three teams will be updated regularly throughout the race.

Next Race -
Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 - November 19-23rd. Check the website and blog for regular race news and updates beginning November 1st.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions by emailing media@rodhallracing.com.


Thank you again to all our fans, sponsors and friends who make it all possible.
Let's go racin'!


Subscribe to Rod Hall Racing on YouTube -
Sign up at www.youtube.com/rodhallracingoffroad and you will receive updates when new videos are added.

BITD Silver State 300 Time Trial Results and Photos

Racers attacked a tight course full of deep sand ans 180 degre corners during qualifying today. Sam Berri came out on top followed by Hovery and Daniel. Chet Huffman was 1st in Truck Truck followed by Ollegis.

Best in the Desert Announces the New Bilek Racing SILVER STATE “300” for 2008

Las Vegas, Nevada September, 2007
The rumors that a new racing event was to be announced by Best In The Desert
are true, Casey Folks announced today, “I have been working for more than a year to
announce a ground-breaking new event. It will be held in eastern Nevada, take place
October 10-12, 2008, replacing the “Las Vegas 300”, and will be named the
Bilek Racing SILVER STATE “300”.”
Sponsored by Mike Bilek Racing, this will be an exciting event for racers and spectators
alike, with several new and challenging twists to be included in the course. It will be a
single 300-mile loop, based out of the Mesquite, Nevada area, and features some of the
most scenic country in the USA. Racers will find plenty of accommodations at the
beautiful headquarters hotel, the Oasis resort and casino, which also features a golf
course and spa.
Mike Bilek Racing, who drives a class 1500 Unlimited Buggy, is the sponsor of this new
event. Bilek said, “I’ve enjoyed off-road racing for years and this was my chance to help
give back to the sport I love so much. Next year my 16-year old daughter, Alexa will be
vying for rookie of the year in her class 1100 car. It’s truly a family sport.” More
information about Bilek is available at Bilek Racing’s website: www.bilekracing.com
Folks continued, “With the miles of red tape it takes to create a new venue, it’s been
years since a new course has been announced. Our goal was to enhance the off-road
racing world with an entirely new 300-mile off-road adventure - and this event will
achieve that. The American Adventure Continues.”
Recognized by racers and fans alike as the best-run off-road racing series in America,
stay tuned to Best In The Desert for more details.