My wife and I had not planned to go, but were talked into it at the last minute. We pitted in the north pit. On the straight out of the CORR track, right under the power lines. As we have the last couple of years. We camped out there this time. In the 75mph winds in our tent trailer.
Kinda like a theme park ride...or an offroad ride in a Baja with no seat belts.We are really a very loosely affiliated group of racers. Somewhat like Checkers or the old Fair group or Locos Mocos or other pit support groups, and yet, there is no club, no organization, no membership, no dues, or rules or even stickers. Just a bunch of friends getting together at the races and sometimes away too.
The core of the group, I suppose, would be Art's own 5/1600 Baja. Last year he had both of his 5-1600 out racing. But this year after Art passed, then a down-the-peninsula Baja 1000, so his son Guy only brought one of the cars this time. Art's son-in-law Raul ("Rulo") Solano's ORAF shop seems to be about the best fab and prep shop for 5-16s around these days considering the result in the class at this race and others over the last 10 years or more. ORAF group took 1st, 2nd, 3rd in 5-1600. Ruben Garcia took 1st in a Bug built in the ORAF shop and Ruben used to work there. 2nd was Guy Savedra in the AGS Baja. Then in 3rd was Mark Winston in his bright green car over from Colorado. Mark brought his clean and pretty Baja that was built by Mark and a couple of friends to Rulo late in 2016 and Rulo made it WORK! Mark's been around hot rods and such before, but it appears he's hooked on offroad racing now! He went down to Baja in November and took his Bug for a chase vehicle for the AGS team. 4th in Class Chris Sarris does not pit with us, but had his car rebuilt by Rulo this past year. The 5th place car in class was also put together by ORAF, although I believe it's been sold since it was brought out to last year's race. That's almost total domination of that class!
Then Rulo drove one of the Lone Kid 1600 buggies. Lucas Knecht drove the other and they finished nose to tail. in 8th and 9th. Not as successful as in the Bajas, but they did alright. Mike Harvey is practically a family member and he finished 12th after rolling his single seater going around the little building down at the Hot Pit end of the course.
Another part of the group is the crazy Indians, Monte Tibbets and crew, who come down each year from North Dakota with the Class 8 truck they built and maintain themselves. They always pit with us. And win! And they now have friends with other trucks who join them to grow the group more.
Raul Yanez of our group took 3rd in Class 9.
As I said to Cameron in another thread:
I watched you! Did ya see me out front waving my hat at ya?
But we were getting our other cars ready to go, so I really didn't have much time to run over there to your pit, which I presume was in the same area as the last few years.
Billy Worthing had his Class 1 car out and broke the gear box Saturday afternoon. So someone was sent to LA to fetch another gear box overnight and it was replaced Sunday morning.