Last year's race was half the distance (150 miles) and ran our cooling system to it's peak on a few occasions. Robby addressed that with a much larger radiator out of a Corvette. Problem solved.. Onto the next issue magnified by this years race.. Blown shocks.
BOR's 2010 Wendover 300 was a mean 275 miles of harsh terrain. Robby was building a new rear drive line about an hour before we were set to launch off the starting line, cutting it close on our departure. To the start line, green flag, and we're off. Somewhere around mile marker 15, the driver side shock broke in half and somehow managed to take with it the entire shock hoop; which in turn took chunks of the frame with it. Next to go was the passenger side shock. Que the massive pounding that the frame would now endure through the next 50 miles from the bump stops making hard contact with the frame. With material missing from the frame at the spot now undergoing repeated abuse from never-ending washes, whoops, and rocks, the frame started to crack all the way around. This caused the driver side motor mount to resent the truck and separate itself from our plan of finishing the race. Now that the motor had gained the ability to move, it did so about 3-4"s towards the passenger side - shearing the bolts off of the motor mount and squishing the oil filter between the block and frame. After assessing the carnage, and humoring Robby as he listed off how we would fix the truck at the pit - bottle jack and ratchet straps for motor mount, new filter, weld in material to patch the frame, it was decided that we would limp the truck to the highway and await our truck and trailer.
All in all a fun time! Sucks about the truck, but the desert doesn't care. You are on its terms, period.
Ben Hanks was achieving some amazing time until the motor blew just outside of the finish line on the last lap! Team Fred was at it hard, and I believe came in second, behind JAM.. I think that's right.. Hanks and Mountainyoats were DNF by the end of the day..
Our race ended a bit early, so i took off with my camera to document some action.. Here are some teasers, I'll try to have more up tomorrow..
Where's Jake Mecham!!??!?! Puking on the side of the trail somewhere...
BOR's 2010 Wendover 300 was a mean 275 miles of harsh terrain. Robby was building a new rear drive line about an hour before we were set to launch off the starting line, cutting it close on our departure. To the start line, green flag, and we're off. Somewhere around mile marker 15, the driver side shock broke in half and somehow managed to take with it the entire shock hoop; which in turn took chunks of the frame with it. Next to go was the passenger side shock. Que the massive pounding that the frame would now endure through the next 50 miles from the bump stops making hard contact with the frame. With material missing from the frame at the spot now undergoing repeated abuse from never-ending washes, whoops, and rocks, the frame started to crack all the way around. This caused the driver side motor mount to resent the truck and separate itself from our plan of finishing the race. Now that the motor had gained the ability to move, it did so about 3-4"s towards the passenger side - shearing the bolts off of the motor mount and squishing the oil filter between the block and frame. After assessing the carnage, and humoring Robby as he listed off how we would fix the truck at the pit - bottle jack and ratchet straps for motor mount, new filter, weld in material to patch the frame, it was decided that we would limp the truck to the highway and await our truck and trailer.
All in all a fun time! Sucks about the truck, but the desert doesn't care. You are on its terms, period.
Ben Hanks was achieving some amazing time until the motor blew just outside of the finish line on the last lap! Team Fred was at it hard, and I believe came in second, behind JAM.. I think that's right.. Hanks and Mountainyoats were DNF by the end of the day..
Our race ended a bit early, so i took off with my camera to document some action.. Here are some teasers, I'll try to have more up tomorrow..
Where's Jake Mecham!!??!?! Puking on the side of the trail somewhere...
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