MORE Freedom 250 Barstow Night Race - July 21, 2012

Engage Off Road Racing once again had a great race this past weekend at the MORE Freedom 250 out in Barstow California on July 21st 2012. Driver for the Engage Off Road Racing Team Vi Tang and New Navigator to the Engage Off Road Racing Team Robert Zone started the race at 6:27 pm on Saturday evening and had a good lead between them and 2nd place at the time by Race Mile 3 as he went over the Famous “Ant Hill” and gave the spectators a good show. Vi Tang said “it was nice to have clean air for once and simply have to worry about what I could see and not worry about what I couldn’t see”. At Race mile 21, Vi Tang had the sun set in his vision and in a tight right turn struck a rock with the Right Front Suspension which led to the Rack & Pinion to split, Driver Vi Tang and Navigator Robert Zone did a great job to get the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck to Race Mile 29 where Pit B was stationed. The Engage Off Road Racing Chase Team Lead by Mathew Teague assessed the situation, filled the Power steering pump with fluid, toed the truck and told Vi and Robert to get the truck to Main Pit and get it repaired.

Once the truck came into Main Pit, the Engage Off Road Race Team led by Crew Chief Jerry Allen took control and put the Rack and Pinion back together, topped off the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck with fluids and Driver of Record Hassim “Hass” Mendez and New Navigator to the Engage Off Road Race Team Bryan Blagg got under way to commence the second lap of the MORE Freedom 250. The Truck handled great up until Race Mile 23 where they lost the Front Right Tire and had a flat that put the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck into the cliff in the Hills of Barstow. Luckily “Lost Boys Racing” was there in the area with their 4x4 Chase Vehicle and gave Hassim and Bryan a hand Pulling the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck back onto race course and helping them change the Front Right flat tire. Once again the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck was back on the move and 7 miles before start finish, Hassim and Bryan felt the steering becoming hard once again. They radioed in to Main Pit and notified Crew Chief Jerry Allen that once again there were problems with the Rack and Pinion. Once Hassim and Bryan got the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck to Main Pit, Crew chief Jerry seen the Rack and Pinion once again Split into two Pieces. Jerry at that point told the team to completely remove the Rack and Pinion and they engineered a way to use the Towing Flat Bed Trailer (used to tow the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck to and from the races) and two ratcheting straps as a “Desert Press” and assembled the Rack and Pinion once again. At that point once again the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck was up and running and Driver Vi Tang and Navigator Robert Zone got in the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck and took off into the Barstow Desert night to complete their third and final lap for the night. Vi and Robert had no more issues that night and got the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck to the finish line after the 12:30 am cut off point set my MORE that concluded their Freedom 250 Race.

Once again the Engage Off Road Racing Team had the drive to get the truck up and running and get the points needed to stay in the Points Race for the 2012 MORE Class 1450 Champion Ship Race. Hassim said after the race “again the team showed that equipment isn’t everything, a good race crew can get you out of anything”. The Engage Off Road Race Team did a great job and we are all proud of everyone. Next Race is the MORE Chili Cook Off on Sept. 8th 2012 out in Lucern Valley California, and the Engage Off Road Race Team will be out there to put the DNA Energy/EngageOffRoad BFGoodrich Toyota Tacoma 1450 Race Truck on the podium and take the win!

 

This was probably the most TacomaWorld-involved race yet!:

Drivers:
Hassim Mendez (Engage Off Road)
Vi Tang (Vitang)

Navigators:
Bryan (Desert Guy)
Robert (Bluetaco80)

Pit/Chase Crew:
Mikesdoublecab
pimpintacoma
blackhawke88
hiatt1991
garcm329
MonkeyProof
Jasmine
nfs257
CSjumper2003
Anthony250
RecklessTaco
In2Nite
Taqoma
Ruler

That's 18 TW members! Awesome! I may even be missing a couple here and there too

 

I really want to go to one of these races

 

ruler and I were there! but I don't think either of us touched the race truck...

 

Fixed my post for ya!

 

The T.W. crew kicked ass!
And we have a really good race program lined up for 2013!! ( 3 trucks racing )

 

Sweet! Can't wait..

 

Glad you will be there. You and Jasmine were a huge help!!

 

Its the shit to be part of it and not just spectating and watching from the sidelines

 

And my birfday is the 9th! Haha

 

everyone did an amazing job and helped out tremendously, thank you to all that helped, and also cheered us on, the Sept. 8th race will be huge as MORE and SNORE are combining and bringing twice the amount of vehicle that this race normally gets, the turn out should be huge!!!!

 

FML I'll be in Hong Kong!!!!

 

well you can track us live via our new live tracking system...no not IRC....its a new system we tested last race and worked wonderfully thanx to a potential new sponsor we have in the works for late this season/next season...hopefully soon we will be able to announce it and provide the live tracking to everyone to keep up with the EngageOffRoad Race Team!!!

 

Holy Crap!! I just checked the sep. 8th race track lay-out on the M.o.r.e. website.
It will be an awesome track!! Lucerne course A and B combined for a 72 Mile loop.
Our class ( 1450 ) will be doing 3 laps. Race starts sat. at 3:45.
This will be a good one

 

Looks pretty insane! Can anyone possibly give me some gps # for possible locations to snap a few photos? Last time I made it out I didn't have enough time to scout a location and my old stand by was no longer part of the track.

 

Your best bet is prerun the course a week before the race and find some spots yourself. Also watch other people prerun and see how they go through certain sections.

There are usually gnarly jumps at crossings and across trails and washes

 

Thanks for the tip! Make perfect sence. Guess I was just being lazy/cheap, it's a bit of a ride for me so might just have to ride out early on Saturday and pre-run without getting in the way. Just wanting to watch the race and snap a few photos since its a evening race.
Thanks for the reply,
Brent

 

we might start prerunning as early as this weekend, so we can look for some spots for ya

 

That would be insane!
Thanks

 

I just posted this weekends prerun...

Also keep an eye out on the thread I started for the next race...