Anyone who’s interesting in coming out to the race to either help or watch give us a call at the office 951-672-992.  Go to Best in the Desert for all the details.

One week before the race our engine seized on the Dyno.  The timing gear shaft fell out and sheared the bolt.  After tearing down the engine Dave Whitehead also found the cam bearings were not in right.  He ordered new parts.  A few days later he called back and said it wouldn’t be ready for the race.

We have the old black truck but it’s been sitting in our yard for 3 years and is full of leaves, spiders, and who knows what.  We need to finish the season to get our points and we have a signed contract with BFG to race the whole year.  So, we cleaned out the truck and brought a new battery, and cleaned out the entire fuel system.

We started the truck Saturday and finish up a lot of issues.  Still needed seats, lighting, trackers, and GPS.  Monday before the race the truck would not accelerate.  It would only idle.  After 4 hours it’s just dirty parts in the mas air flow clean and it’s ready to go.

Race Day:

Getting ready for a start at noon.  This truck has been used too many times.  We started here in Henderson 8 years ago.  On the first lap we blow a oil cooler line it’s repaired quickly at pit #2.  Derek and Stewart complete two laps quickly.  Derek wants out and Stewart is set to drive the last lap.

Everything is going fine.  I get in at the main pit and we’re off to pit #2.  Just before the pit we lose 2nd gear.  No problem 4 gears left, nothing we can do anyway.  We check in at pit #2.  I want the crew to check for flats, all good.  We’re off again, just out of pit #2 we lose 3rd and 1st gear is locking up.  It sounds like a meat grinder full of steel.  We slowly move on 25 miles to go to finish the race.  There’s a trophy truck blocking the race track.  We have to go around in the deep sand.  We hit a large rock and broke a tie rod off pulling it out of the hime.  I fix it quickly but it’s not going to hold.  We’d need a welder to finish the race.

We’re timed out at 9pm.  We drive over to Stateline and Derek and the crew pick us up.  Henderson track beats us again.  24 trucks start the season, I think we still have 5th place for the year.

Big thanks to our crew!

Merry Christmas!

-Gary

Click the photo above for a full slide show.

We had a great time at the drags.  NHRA Winter Nationals, 80 degree weather, what else could you ask for?  How about VIP passes to the Lucas Oil Hospitality Tent?!  A big thanks to Lucas Oil and Andrea Black for making it all happen.

First lap at Blue Water Desert Challenge 2011.

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After seeing the first two races Derek and Stewart knew what they were in for.  We started off the line at 10:30 and started battling our way through the dust.  On the first lap four competitors had already fallen out of the race.  We caught a fifth car at MM 15 on the first lap after a little fender bender banging in the corner, we got by them and continued making our way through the dust.  On the third lap something happened that surprised us because it rarely happens… you got nerfed.   It was Cameron Steele.  Apparently, he has dust vision.  But we finished the day well and prepared for Sunday.

Sunday morning we started with the strategy to lay on the throttle and go for the mine, no spare tires, no tools… just gas and speed.  It worked the first lap.  It felt like a pitch black roller coaster.  We couldn’t see but we stayed on it anyway.  We blew by the Honda team like they were standing still and quickly made up ground on the others.  Our crew told us we had knocked 5 minutes off the previous day’s lap time.   We came through the python and everyone was excited… we were gonna get this one!  BUT in true Parker fashion, coming down the Shea Road on lap two, the engine started missing and we had to shut it down bringing an end to our weekend.

The nest quote I heard from a spectator on Shea Road was, “The quickest way to get a million dollars in desert racing is to start with 10 million.”

For those who were there thanks for coming and thanks for the support!  And to those who weren’t you missed out on a great weekend (seriously check the pics.)  Until the next one.  Boooyaaa!

Click on the photo above for a full slide show.

Click on the photo above for the full slide show.

LBR is sporting a new look, what do you think?

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Parade start from the bullring in Mexicali.  A wild ride through the streets in rush hour.  We re-staged just off the highway and are going to start 40^th or 50^th, just behind Rick Johnson.  Right off the start we are all lost.  Rick Johnson is just ahead of me and I hope he knows where the course is.  GPS is not loaded correctly and the course is not showing up.  Thirty minutes later, we are back on course.

The rear suspension is not working at all, the shocks are too stiff.  And why did I use three shocks per side?  It takes the whole day to loosen up the rear end.  Carlos, Lisa, and my Mom are at the end of the first section.  I am going to stop for fuel.  Carlos spots oil around the rear tire.  After a quick check, the valve cover is broken.  The first person over to help has an extra engine in his truck and gives up the valve cover.  I wish I knew his name so could thank him.  I am ready for section 2.  Just before the start, Jeff and Betsy are towed in to the staging area with no gas.  The AMC is not getting very good gas mileage.  We had changed the ring and pinion just before the race.

Day 1 ends in Bay of L.A..  The AMC is not here, Jeff shows up later with a broken upper control arm and a massive exhaust leak.  It’s a couple of hours to fix it but the welder isn’t working and I don’t think it will hold.

I can’t sleep so, I get up early at 5am to take pictures.

NORRA Day 2:

It’s an early start, 8am and  Jeff decides to start the race then return to  repair the arm again at a local repair shop.  It takes a couple of hours but they are going to take a DNF for the day.  I am off to a rough start, also something is clicking in the rear end and half way through the day, all three shocks break off the right side.  After a long stop at Mag 7 pit support, I weld them back on with a welder that doesn’t work again.  Just down the road all three left side shocks break off.  I stop during a transit section and weld them back on with an arc welder and $40 later, I am back on the road.  I am now at the last section with 120 miles to go for the day and all the shocks on the right side break off again.  I am going to finish the day with three shocks in my lap.  Rear suspension now works too good and the car is going metal to metal, with 120 miles to go I can’t keep this up and must slow down.  It makes for a long day but I finish.  I got to the finish line just before dark.  I will spend the next 3 hours fixing shock towers at a local repair shop.  Another $40, a bottle of Tequila given to a local for his help, and I am ready to race.

(insert pic 7797)

NORRA Day 3, Loreto Bay:

Just out of town the road turns to asphalt and goes straight uphill with blind turns, no lines, and a long drop off the edge.  The shocks are working but why did I put three back on again?  Albert Einstein said “Insanity:  doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  The sections are getting harder to run fast, rocks everywhere, and small whoops take me out.  And the hard pack!  Every bump is transferring into the car.  I have hit my head at least 100 times today on the roll cage.    This was a brand new helmet.

Almost to the end now and I hit the silt beds full speed.  It’s 3’ deep but the Hi-Jumper keeps going.  It’s 1 mile to the finish then it’s all over.  Two trips to the Mexican 1000 and two finishes.  A long transit section to La Paz and 2^nd place goes to Lost Boys Racing.  The AMC is not far behind, he’s having his own issues throughout the day but completes the race just after me.  Even after taking max time for day 2, he is still  awarded 2^nd place in his class for making it to La Paz.  Jeff and Betsy did the best they could, this car really took a beating in 2010 and the prep time almost 4 months.  It’s amazing just how much damage these cars can withstand, but this may be the AMC’s last year.

The awards are tomorrow at 10am then poolside for the rest of the day.  At dusk we are off at Papas & Beer then a nice drive to the Marina Hotel.  Dinner at Guillermo’s overlooking the bay, a great evening with music, Jeff, Carlos, Lisa, and Mom.

What next?  A 30 hour drive to San Diego with 6 people in an F350 Crew Cab.  How do you spell relief?  Well, it doesn’t start with “Ford.”