BITD Terrible's 250 Photos

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A few personal favorites.

"2653 miles to Primm"

Starting at 8pm from Sausalito CA on Friday March 10th I set of to meet Tim from TCR in Tucson AZ. I drove through the night so I could meet Tim at his shop to Dyno tune the Toyota and finish the race prep. Other than 14 hours straight driving and no sleep things went well. Arriving at 10am I handed the truck off to Tim and grabbed some shut eye in the truck and walk the dog.
Tim and I finished up around 6 pm, I loaded the truck on the trailer, grabbed some food from Boston Market and proceeded to head to San Diego. I stopped to check the strapps around 8 after another nap, all seamed good. I got about 12 miles from TCR when a strap broke on the trailer. I imedietly merged into the center divide on highway 15 and jumped out to see what the f happened. I didn't notice right away but my dog Rocket (a 12 year old Ridgeback mix) had jumped out of the truck and was somewhere on the freeway. I was so panicked and hysterical. From home wife Wendy called every hospital, humane society etc. checking if anyone had found Rock while I walked back and forth on the freeway for 20 hours with only 2 hours of sleep. Sadly I found him. He had been hit and killed less than 100 feet from where the incident happened.
Balling my eyes out, shaking and throwing up I took Rocket to the humane society for cremation and headed to a hotel to wait for Wendy and my friend Kevin who were flying in to Tucson. They were amazing.
On Monday I stopped at TCR again with a fueling issue. I had used the Toyota with its Soletek HID's to look for Rock both nights. The Highway patrol, after a lot of arguing on my part, let me drive the perimeter at night to look for him. That was when I discovered my fueling issue. Turns out it was just an old fuel line deteriorating and clogging the fuel pump. So in a way Rock helped me test the truck for the race.
Having that solved the three of us headed out. Kevin Hopper took the wheel just outside of Tucson while Wendy and I morned the loss of Rock.
Arriving in San Diego around 9:30 pm Monday the 13th two days late to meet Micah Newton with ORW we all hooked up and grabbed some food and went to bed.
On Tuesday the 14th Kev, Simon from Suspension Pro's and myself drove back out to Plaster City to set the suspension up. Simon is a suspension wizard. Completing that we drove back to ORW in El Cajon and did our final shopping for the day and finish some work on the truck. Can't thank ORW and there awesome staff for making this all happen.
Wednesday the 15th we headed to Racer X for the race radios and to Soletek for some last minute supplies and t-shirts for tech. Having everything we needed Kev and I drove to Primm.
Every one showed up on Thursday and friday including my parents that drove from Canada to help in the main pit and pit 2. That was awesome. Still sad not having my buddy with me it sure helped being surrounded by friends and family. They totally took over and made sure everything was handled especially the guys from ORW that supplied a kick ass e-z up for us to work under. Thanks for setting that up Micah!!!
5:30 am. Micah and I got suited up, Reviewed with everyone what the game plan was, reviewed the "danger notes" and preceded to line up. It was cold as hell!!! good for the motor bad for us....
It was a drag start, of course we got pitted against some monster V8 so we just eased off the line and let him be macho. We caught him and passed him in the first mile. The TC gen 2 kit was locked in to 4wd and made us fly over the sandy rough stuff and the cornering was amazing with the new Goodyear Kevlar MTRs. We passed 6 trucks and 4 buggies in the first 20 miles. We had to stop at mile 29 due to some weird engine noise but quickly decided "screw it, if it goes it goes". So we had to do some passing again. We came upon a flipped 7 truck that we stopped to help right as we were one of 2 trucks on the course that had 4wd and we were not racing for points so I figured what the hell, stop, help, get free beer's later for the crew. It worked. Off we went again.
Passing pit 1 and 2 at full speed of 89mph we got some good video by Ben Snead with his Canon HD camera we casually waved at them and wend by....
On the second lap we definitely hit some stuff really hard. Our lap time was almost 15 min faster due to no stopping and our f' it attitude. We bent some stuff up front including smashing the high miss spacers so we had to take the lake bed a little slower as the front drivers wheel wanted to shoot off into the desert. We decide to not fuel up at pit 1 which was almost disastrous as when we entered the short course section we started to sputter. Too funny. We still got some great air off the table tops, nursed it back to the finish which was only a mile away but damn it was close.
We finished 4th in class, helped a truck out, got great air and laughed our asses off.
Special thanks to ORW, Soletek lighting, Johnny Franklin mufflers, Total Chaos and LC Engineering. Not to mention Kevin Hopper who flew to Tucson AZ on his own dime to help a friend out and get me to the race. I love this sport
Jay St Claire

Team 71 Racing Overalls BITD Terrible's 250 at Primm!

Rick D. Johnson and Brian Sallee Earn Class and Overall Win in

Team 71 Racing General Tire Trick Truck at

Best in the Desert's Terrible's 250 at Primm





Just a few weeks after earning a hard fought third place finish at the General Tire SNORE Mint 400, the Team 71 Racing Trick Truck was back in the Nevada desert for the second round of Best in the Desert's 2009 desert racing series. After running a nearly flawless race, a dramatic twist of fate earned driver, Rick D. Johnson and co-driver, Brian Sallee the Trick Truck and overall win at Best in the Desert's Terrible's 250 in Primm Valley, NV this past weekend.



Running steady and strong throughout the day, Johnson quickly moved up from the 11th place starting position to battle it out with "Pistol" Pete Sohren for a third place podium in the final lap. "It was a drag race from start to finish and we found ourselves in the middle of a battle for third and a spot on the podium. As we all know in off-road racing, it's not over until it's over and things happen. In a dramatic change of events we went from fighting for third to suddenly fighting for first place overall," commented Team 71 driver, Rick D. Johnson.



While competing for the checkered flag the two lead Trick Trucks, driven by Jerry Whelchel and Andy McMillin, were involved in a pile-up taking each one out of contention for the lead. This late-in-the-race series of events opened the window for Sohren and Johnson to battle it out for the highest position on the podium. Racing towards the finish, Sohren was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop to change a flat tire thus clinching the class and overall win for the driving team of Johnson and Sallee.



Shortly after crossing the finish line, Rick D. Johnson was quick to give credit and acknowledge a few of the key elements of his race success. "Casey Folks and the entire Best in the Desert staff put on a great race. The course was fast and we knew it was going to be a sprint race with a lot of great talent. We needed every ounce of horsepower from our Ford F-150. Leon Patton himself took a last-minute private plane to give the truck one last shakedown and make sure every base was covered prior to the race start. Because of the dedicated support of Leon Patton Engines we were able to run at the highest competitive level."



Completing all three 72-mile laps, the Team 71 Racing Trick Truck finished the 216 mile course with an average speed of just over 58mph and a finishing time of 3 hours, 43 minutes and 18 seconds. "I know Brian and I could not be as successful out on the course if it wasn't for the consistent commitment, loyalty and hard work of the entire team before, during and after the race. Our remarkable finishing time is a great indication of how smoothly our pitting strategy was and the organization of each pit crew. I probably don't tell the guys how much I appreciate their efforts from race to race, but it definitely does not go unnoticed," remarked Johnson



Team 71 Racing owner and General Manager, Myrl Akerman, is extremely happy with the successes the team has experienced in the 2009 season stating, "General Tire continues to support Team 71 and off-road racing with an excellent Grabber tire and this overall finish would not be possible without that support. The win this past weekend and last year's overall win at Vegas to Reno had a lot to due with the competition changing flats at critical moments in the race. Rick and Brian's consistent pace and smart driving, coupled with the durability of General Tire's product truly is our winning combination."



"Best in the Desert puts on many great events and the Terrible's 250 is an extraordinary and memorable race. We all know it is a privilege to run our trucks through the desert and be a part of such a great tradition where everything has to fall perfectly into place come race day. None of this would be possible without the efforts of the various desert and short course sponsors that contribute and believe in this unrivaled form of racing. Off-road racing has to stay alive and it is up to everyone involved to work together and make that happen. Team 71 Racing is proud to carry the Lucas Oil logo as well as the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series logo on our General Tire Ford F-150 desert racing Trick Truck. We want to see all areas of the off-road racing sport continue and grow, whether it is desert or short course racing," commented Myrl Akerman on Team 71's commitment of running the Vegas to Reno race and supporting all forms of off-road racing.


The Team 71 Racing Trick Truck will be back to defend last year's Vegas to Reno overall win at Best in the Desert's 2009 TSCO Vegas to Reno "The Long Way" race. The three-day staged event begins with contingency day festivities on August 19th at the Sunset Station in Henderson, NV and commences with the awards presentation in Reno, NV on August 23, 2009.


Special Thanks to the Team 71 Racing Sponsors:

General Tire
Sol Tek, AEM, King Shocks, Hostyle, Motion Tire, Ford Racing, Leon Patton Engines, North American Off-Road, Compdoor, Zoom Factor, Light Racing, Slime and Proudly Supporting
Lucas Oil and The Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series

Crash in Blinding Silt Dashes Bebo's Effort Late at Terrible's Race Ending Win Streak at Three

San Diego, California (April 21, 2009) The age-old saying, "they come in threes," spelled out the end of McMillin Racing's three-race win streak. It was a disappointing outcome for McMillin Racing at the Best in the Desert's Terrible's Town 250 desert race after an unfortunate crash in the blinding silt ended the hopes for the team's fourth consecutive victory.

bebott250Poised for the opportunity to make history in one of the most competitive classes in off road racing, the unlimited truck class, McMillin Racing strategically had planned for Andy "Bebo" McMillin to race the 207-mile sprint race alone, without changing drivers.

Scott McMillin explained, "We felt Andy could easily run the entire race on his own and we could save seconds from completing a driver's change. The southern Nevada desert offers very challenging terrain, however we knew that we needed to run a fast pace to stay up front."

Spring boarding off of three consecutive wins, the young McMillin racer was poised to make history by claiming his fourth consecutive victory in the unlimited truck class. The #31 McMillin Homes truck was second on the starting grid after a stellar qualifying effort. The strategy was to run fast and wait for the leader to make a mistake.

After two 69-mile laps, the unofficial timing in the McMillin Racing pit showed the #31 truck ahead on time by a mere 30 plus or minus seconds. The main pit was abuzz with anticipation as "Bebo" began his final lap.

Only minutes later, as the crew began to gather up the fueling equipment, the race frequency came alive as Andy reported they were involved in a crash with the physical race leader, Jerry Whelchel. In fact, Whelchel, who was only seconds in front of the McMillin race truck, had crashed into a limited class truck that was stopped and buried in the deep Nevada silt. While Whelchel attempted to get his truck out of the cloud of silt, the #31 unknowingly drove at speed directly into the path of the trapped race vehicles.

bebott250"We're relieved that no one was injured. Unfortunately, racing incidents of this nature do occur from time to time. Andy and his co-driver, Brady Thompson, did a great job at getting out of the accident and back in the race as fast as they could. Once they were out of the jam and back in clean air, they raced hard for the final 62.5 miles of the race," explained team manager Greg Williams.

Bebo drove across the finish line in third place among the Trick Truck class and finished fifth overall with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes and 3 seconds. The #31 McMillin Homes truck was less than 5 minutes off the winning time of 3:43:18. This important podium finish earned Andy McMillin the point lead for the 2009 Best in the Desert Series championship in the elite Trick Truck class.

Seated in his truck Andy said, "Wow! That was crazy! We never saw the stopped trucks in the blinding silt. All of a sudden, they just appeared and by that time it was too late. I'm really glad that no one was hurt. I'm surprised that the front of our truck was not more damaged. After finishing the second lap, we felt we were in the right spot for this 3-lap race. The truck was running perfect and we had no flats all day long. Then out of nowhere appeared the #40 truck and well the rest is history. That mishap cost both of our teams the chance to race to the finish."

Off road racing is the ultimate modern adventure that pits man and machine against the rigors of the barren deserts. When you sign up for a desert race, you can't imagine what obstacles and challenges you may have to overcome. Champions are sculpted from the experiences they endure while racing towards the checkered flag. Andy McMillin, from the legendary bloodlines of American desert racing icons, will return to the desert for America's longest off road desert race, the Best in the Desert's Vegas to Reno 3-day rally style race on August 19-23, 2009.

About McMillin Racing
With over three decades of racing experience, the McMillin family represents three generations of accomplished championship racers. Founded by the late off-road racing legend Corky McMillin, McMillin Racing continues to be respected as a one of the most successful desert racing teams of all time. They are supported by a long list of dedicated family, friends and employees of McMillin Companies, all who make up an incredibly talented group of steadfast supporters. Since 1976, they have raced at the highest level of competition in the deserts of North America. Together as a family, they have multiple series championships, along with significant race victories in both the United States and Baja California.



McMillin Racing symbolizes the ultimate passion in off road racing.



Media & Web Management
ROMM, Inc.
Tim Sanchez
tim@rockonmotorsports.com
714-514-7450

News from Banning Motorsports

Terrible's 250 at Primm
Banning Motorsports was bringing the heat to the Terrible's 250 at Primm for the Best In The Desert points series this past weekend. There was 3 class 11 cars fielded by the Banning race team with hopes to fill the podium. Buggy 1156 was driven by "The Wild Cowboy" Tom Shaw with Co-Pilot Danny Foddrill. Buggy 1178 had "The Super Shoe" Rick Graf and Bryan Folks scheduled to drive with Alan Dillemuth and Chris Godfrey to share the Co-Driving duties. The 3rd buggy 1123 had Lee Banning and the "Ace" Lee Jr. piloting the hot rod with Clayton "The Ironman" Buttle taking care of the Co-Pilot duties all race.

1st Ever Qualifying For Class 11
April 16th 2009 the class 11 cars were set to qualify for the event for the first time. There always has to be competition and not just against other teams, but within Banning Motorsports. There was a HUNDRED dollar bet between the 3 buggy's to see who will out qualify one another. With that being said The Wild Cowboy Tom Shaw qualified 1156, The Super Shoe Rick Graf qualified 1178, and The Ace Lee Jr. qualified 1123. When the qualifying was over the Banning motorsports cars all qualified in respected spots starting 4th, 5th and 6th for the start of Saturdays Terrible's 250 race. The man with the bragging rights on the team for the next 2 days with cash in hand would go to Tom Shaw who was the quickest of the group followed by Lee Jr. and Rick Graf.

April 17th was contingency for the event and the cars were shinning and represented all the partners that make each event possible and went very well.
Terrible's 250 at the Primm Race Day
5 a.m came early but the Boys and Girls that make Banning Motorsports possible had the cars stagged and were ready for go time. With the cars starting side by side that set up for a Tom Shaw/ Danny Foddrill and Lee Jr./Clayton Buttle row 3 start, with Rick Graf/Alan Dillemuth starting in the 4th row. At 6 o' clock am the flag drops and Lee Jr. got ahead of "The Wild Cowboy" and took off in the dust and sunrise.

The first lap was looking strong with all 3 buggys running strong and battling for position amongst themselfves, and with the other cars running in the front. Rick was leading Lee Jr. and Tom Shaw by the end of the first lap. Rick and Bryan Folks had a driver change at the start of the 2nd lap as well as a Co-Pilot swap between Alan and Chris Godfrey. Heading into the 2nd lap of the race at mile marker 48 the black cloud was over buggy number 1123 when motor problems struck down and ended the race for Lee Jr., Lee Sr. and Co-Pilot Clayton. With 2 buggys remaining that black cloud came back around and found another Banning Motorsport 11 buggy. This one driven by Tom Shaw and Co-Pilot Danny Foddrill in the 1156 buggy. Another issue with the power plant ended the day for them as well. It does not seem to be the same issue with the 2 motors, just an unfortunate turn of events that happend only 10 miles apart on the race course. With Buggy 1178 the only hope for a strong finish Brian and Chris did a great job running hard the entire time. When the 3rd lap concluded it had Bryan Finishing in the 3rd position.

Great Job to the entire crew for Banning Motorsports which includes Team Captain Andy Megaw, Tim West, Cooper Ericson, Chris Miller, Tim Williams, "Scoop" Godfrey, Danny Foddrill, Big Denny, Amy, Kathy, and Gail. You guys again work your tails off and make this organization profesional and a first class operation.

Honorable Mention goes to Ali Banning who drove with everything she had in the Trophy Kart class till a drive belt came off. Great Job! and keep it up.

After the races concluded the traditional Carne Asada cook out started and the bench racing continued. We celebrated a few April Birthdays with home made ice cream. YUM! Happy Birthday to Tom Shaw, Lee Jr., Cooper Ericson, Clayton Buttle, and Tommy Brown.

The guys and girls that make up Banning Motorsports allow for great finishes and great friendships thanks again for everything that every person/company has done for us.

Banning Motorsports