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Off the Beaten Path
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| Desert racing and off-road driving tips |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:08:56 |
| Rating |
 138 ( -18 -13.04% ) | | Author | Sue Mead |
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Description:
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Mash the clutch pedal, slam the gear shift either forward or back, pressure the throttle plate to speeds well over 100 miles per hour, throw the car sideways in the corners and wipe the dust from your helmet's visor. This was the 3-day recipe for motivating the potent V6 Camry engine and Fortin 5-speed tranny, with a dog-ring gear box, along a 922-mile-long desolate trail, with terrain that ranged from graded forest service road to boulder-littered, snaking single-track to soft sand, silt and dry wash. And, don't forget to sprinkle in hill climbs, mud holes, and radiator-deep water crossings. This was not your family's Toyota! Nor was it your typical desert highway!
It was the highly competitive world of off-road racing, and it was Day Three of the 2002 Nevada 1000, the longest point-to-point off-road race in the U.S. The Groff Motorsports Team was now simply steering for a finish, since the first two days of racing had already thinned the high-caliber pack of motorcycles, ATVs, cars and trucks, and presented the Groff/Toyota/BF Goodrich team with a wide variety of time-gobbling and drama-filled challenges that included flat tires, loss of power steering, and lengthy "stucks" in the mashed-potato soup of Nevada's silt. Add in 108-degree heat, along with making repairs in a nomex-lined race suit. It was 180-degrees from IRL racing, where a tow truck, your pit crew and team manager were just around Turn One.
Brothers Robbie and Mike Groff, former Indy 500 drivers who have garnered over 300 race wins--including 5 U.S. National Championships-- joined with desert veteran Marty Fiolka to campaign a highly-visible Class 1 open-wheel unlimited race car for the 2002 season. Sponsored for a 4-event season by Toyota Motorsports, BF Goodrich Tires and a long list of associated partners, the 2-seat race vehicle was built by Jimco, and is powered by a 3.2-liter Toyota fuel-injected powerplant, based on a Camry production engine. The powerful and blinding-fast race rig runs on 114 octane Union 76 race fuel, and boasts more than two feet of vertical wheel travel.
Midway through Day Three, as we approached the famous Area 51-the Top Secret military base and "alleged" Alien territory, near Rachel, Nevada, the sky went brown and the world suddenly turned upside down.
Off the Beaten Path
Desert Racing and Off-Road Driving Tips
---Sue Mead
"Are you okay?" Robbie Groff's voice punctuated the silence inside my helmet. "Yes, I'm fine," I responded, breathless from the shock. Still strapped into my 5-point harness, but now lying on my side, with a view of rocks and dirt out the open windshield, I pressed the orange call button to communicate with team race manager Don Tebbe, and veteran crew chief Barry Beachman. Just a half-mile before, I had called in to this pair: "This is Race Car 1525 passing Mile Marker 712, gauges are good and we're running clean," I reported cheerfully. "10-4, Sue, we copy, " returned Tebbe. "Keep up the good work, you two" he added.
Suddenly, the wind shifted. On point to overtake a Class 3 (short wheelbase, minimal modifacations) racer, a bow wake of billowing dust filled our roll-caged cockpit. Groff rode the brakes hard, but as dry dirt began to filter daylight back into the equation, the road dropped away from our 122 inches of wheelbase and its Baja T/A race 35-inch tires struggling to keep purchase. Nearly 3,000 pounds of racecar tumbled sideways down a rock-littered gully, rolling over one and a half times before coming to a jolting halt.
Struggling to pull the belt release, I pushed in the radio control.
"Don, Don…this is Sue…we've rolled and we're on our side in a gully," I called out, trying to put the brakes on my rapidly beating heart, and locate oxygen for my lungs… "We're unhurt." Tebbe's calm voice read the drill. "Remove the fire extinguisher, get out of the vehicle and then report back on your condition," directed the storied off-road veteran.
An hour later, using the jack, spare tire and rocks-- along with the assistance of three other racers, who helped us drag, tug and rollover the racecar one and a half more times--Robbie jumped behind the wheel and pushed the ignition switch, as I gathered tools and gear and loaded us up for another go. The Camry's V6 roared to a start, and we headed out once again across the Nevada terrain to make a podium finish of one of the toughest off-road races on the planet.
Desert racing isn't for everyone, but for those who love it, there is a passion to compete in some of the most beautiful landscapes our country has to offer, such as the desert tracks, forest service roads and backcountry trails used as the course for the Nevada 1000. While off-road racing involves high speed--and four wheeling in everyday SUVs and trucks doesn't-there are many driving tips in common:
1. Drive with your hands at the 9 and 3 (or 10 and 2, if that's you preference) position on the steering wheel with your thumbs out. This helps prevent your hand or arm from being pulled to the inside of the steering wheel, in the event that a rock or obstacle jolts the wheel. Keep a firm grip and shuffle or slide the steering wheel through your hands when cornering.
2. Make sure you memorize the topography of your vehicle's undercarriage. Know where your differentials, and any other low-lying parts, are located. This will help when you approach rocks and other obstacles to know how much ground clearance you have and where it's located. If you are interested in four-wheeling on trails that are graded "4 and above" and don't have skid plates over your oil pan, fuel tank and other vulnerable parts, consider getting them.
3. When driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission, use your gears. Engage first gear for steep downhills and use first or second gear for uphills. In slippery conditions, such as in mud, snow, or ice accelerate in second or third gear to prevent wheel spin. The same applies to manual transmission.
4. Engage 4Low before you need it. It will help prevent getting stuck and sometimes can be difficult to engage when you are stuck.
5. Always drive straight up and down hills. Never travel across hills at a sharp angle-you run the risk of rolling over.
6. Whenever you're in doubt, can't see the trail or evaluate an obstacle clearly, get out of your vehicle and walk the trail to get a better look.
7. When driving over a log or hump, take it at an angle. Approach it slowly until one front wheel comes to it, then slowly apply power to get up and over.
Always Remember:
Check your vehicle before and after going into the backcountry. (Battery, brakes, tires, hoses and belts and fluids, including fuel.
Leave information about your trip behind and always travel with another vehicle, so you can send someone for help, if needed.
Remember to Tread Lightly! and stay on marked trails. Carry everything out that you carry in.
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About Sue Mead
Sue Mead works as a photojournalist and features writer for more than two dozen publications. She has written for Parade, Popular Science, Open Road, the Road & Track Buyers Guide, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics and Diversion and she has worked as an auto editor for CNN/fn. Sue has co-driven in two of the world's toughest off-road races, the Baja 1000 and the Paris-Dakar Raid. She attended four Camel Trophy adventures for Land Rover North America and has participated in several long-distance adventure drives. She recently completed her first book, "Monster Trucks and Tractors" published by Chelsea House. Sue lives in New England. |
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