Before I get started I need to thank everyone who helped Lost Boys Racing get ready for the race. The truck as it sits now represents a total of over 4 years in the making. It was started by Dave Clark and Kyle Taylor. I purchased the truck about 6 months ago. And within a few days I knew I needed help. So, I asked the owner of Wicked Sand Toys to help. He didn’t have time because he was getting rails ready for Glamis; building one and finishing others. But all this would soon change. The economy came to a halt last December and he was looking for work. We agreed on an hourly rate and they began full time on the truck on January 5, 2009. Stewart also went to work at Wicked and this would be his new home for 4 months.
I picked up the truck 3 weeks ago. Rolling but not ready to go. After 4 days of prep and final wiring we were ready to start the engine. It wouldn’t fire. I made a major mistake. I added contaminated fuel from one of our race jugs. I changed all the filters and drained the complete fuel system and started over with new VP 110. It fired first time. Lots of leaks but we fixed everything quickly.
Our first test run was down Menifee Ave. and everything looked good see the video in the last post. The second test run we took the truck to an old housing tract down the street. It ran good and was really fast but we pulled the brake lines out of the rear calipers. Well, it looked like the rear arms hit the brake fittings and smashed the adapters. After 8 hours we got the calipers relocated to the top of the rotors and we tried again. Everything worked well so we called Brett at King’s Shocks and set up testing in Barstow.
On Wednesday, April 15th, 3 days before the race it was 35 degrees and 30 mph winds at 10am in Barstow and time to test the shocks. After five passes and a couple of changes things seemed to be on the right track that was until the trannie went out. We loaded up the truck and hit the road. I called Mogi from the road as we got on the freeway. And we were told that they needed it in the shop the same day in order to get it fixed. It was 1pm and we were since in Barstow and he wanted the trans out of the truck and in his shop in Riverside by 4pm. At 3:55pm we delivered the broken trans and Ken said he would have it fixed by 4pm the next day. Instead he stayed late that night and machined new parts and completed the repairs by 9am. Now it was our turn. We checked everything, reinstalled the trans, and were ready to race by 8:30pm and could probably make Vegas by 1 or 2 in the morning.
I need to thank King’s Shocks for set-up. Stewart Dixon, Jeff McCullough, and Butch for testing in Barstow. Kurt Mantwell for helping in the shop. Mogi Transmission in Riverside for awesome service. Shawn and Ronnie from Wicked Sand Toys in Riverside. This is just a small example of what it takes to get ready to race in a truck like ours. I will post a couple of completion photos and a complete update to Terrible Town’s 250 later this week.
We are no comtemplating entering Vegas to Reno: The Long Way. The dates of this race are August 19th-23rd. Here’s the catch though… we need one sponsor to cover fuel costs. More info to follow.
Leave a comment
No comments yet.
Lost Boys Racing 
Leave a Reply