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12/5/07. Henderson 400 Review. TrailReady Motorsports loaded up for Henderson NV and the final stop on the Best in the Desert Calendar with high hopes. After winning our first race of the year, we've endured a rollercoaster of highs and lows while completely rebuilding our Ford Ranger. During 2007, we changed to a V-6 Engine program, rebuilt the chassis complete with new body, and upgraded the suspension at all four corners. We've overcome engine gremlins, burned up gears and a broken rear end housing and still managed to finish in the back/middle of the pack at the last three races by progress made over some of our less prepared competitors. We hoped to return to our winning ways in Henderson. In fact the truck was mechanically flawless. It rained all Friday afternoon and night, promising to be a sloppy and dust free race on Saturday. We started 9th in a field of 11 in our class. This was Larry Trim's first start, having usually filled the relief driver role. He charged through the infield and was surprised to catch the three trucks ahead of him by the time we hit the worst mud of the course by RM 7. So began a frantic effort to keep our visors clean for the next five miles. We had prerun on Friday and had planned to run one section where there are two lines along a graded road on the higher line due to the water. Problem was when we got there, visibility was so bad we missed it. As soon as we realized where we were, we went right for it narrowly missing Andy Waters in the Swift Racing entry who was right behind us. We got in line and passed three trucks on that section. Everything was happening fast in the mud and poor visibility, too fast!! Heading for pit one behind Swift, we had Randy Sorenson right on our bumper. Swift and Sorenson both run the Busch motors and they made some distance on us heading to the first rock garden. We pushed 7238 through that section with boulders coming into our laps. We were told by our Pit 2 that we were now 6th on the course. Larry turned left onto the graded road determined to keep the others in sight thru the canyon. In hindsight, Larry says heading up the canyon is were he should have settled into the 330 mile race and let the guys out front come back to us over the next couple of hundred miles. Instead he drove into the second corner heading up the canyon a little too hot, slid into an off-camber bermed corner, getting the Ford up on two wheels. He gave it a little right turn to get it back down but it wasn't happening. Where the berm ended, we went off the road passenger side down, slid off the bank and did a half roll over the nose of the truck coming to rest on the drivers side, 15' down the bank. The damage was purely cosmetic, not even losing an antenna. We discovered the right rear was flat and never even touched the ground during the roll, giving Larry cause to believe that this aided in his loss of control. Yea, right!! Larry and co-driver Jared spent the next three hours jacking the roof of the truck up on a stack of rocks that eventually grew to 4' high!! We were ready for the first Good Samaritan that happened to be Todd Neely in the McBeath 10 car who had broke just up the road and was walking back to pit 2. The four of us were able to right the truck with one push. NEVER GIVE UP! We dumped two quarts of oil, changed two flats and charged back into the fray. We finished lap 2, three and a half hours behind the leaders but getting some much needed seat time for Larry and Jared. Driver Rich Blunk got in at 3:30 pm to start Lap three knowing we couldn't finish the race in the allotted time but with a chance to pass some of the other trucks on distance that were struggling. We ended up finishing where we started, 9th in class. Be sure to check out our web site for race videos that will post the week of 12/10. | |
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10/8/07.
TrailReady Motorsports Digs for 7th Place Finish in Las Vegas 300 With the help of our newest sponsor, Superior Axle, TrailReady came to Vegas loaded for bear with our new Superior Axles and Gears after melting down the rear end of our well prepped Ford Ranger in the epic Vegas to Reno Battle. We drew 5th off the line for the 245 mile Las Vegas 300 and 1st half driver Rich Blunk moved the truck to 4th position in the first 135 miles even after making two quick stops to have the front end looked over in the pits, and having no communication with navigator, Dave. Larry Trim and new co-driver Jared Bradley got in at course mile 135 and had moved the Ranger up to third, the truck was running well and second place was only a couple of minutes ahead when disaster struck on the last lap at about course mile 164 where the rear axle housing broke in two pieces. Our progress in the race resulted in a 7th place finish. We'll be ready for the final race of the season, the Henderson 400, Dec. 1st with a new Cone Industries Rear Housing and looking for our second win in 5 races. |
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8/29/07. 8th Place Finish a disapointment in Vegas to Reno Battle. After months of preperation that included a new engine, new front suspension, rear suspension upgrades, on board cameras and satilitte tracking systems, new radio, and so on, it was a 8 dollar pinion seal that took us out of the contention for a Vegas to Reno win. TrailReady Motorsports drew first off the line in the longest desert race in the United States. A great position to be in, in our first test against offroad powerhouses such as John Swift and Andy Water's Swift Racing Team and Larry's Roeseler and Mike Ruane's Orbit Team. From the start, in spite of a lean running engine, we ran with the Swift entry and the 7223 of Boulton after the Orbit and Camburg entries ran into mechanical issues, we came into pit 5, second on the course. After taking on fuel, driver Rich Blunk headed back into the battle third on the course and within a few minutes felt the truck slow under the load of it's dry and self destructing rear axle third member. Count on the TrailReady Team to return with a vengence to the Las Vegas 300. Special thanks to Eagle Alloy Wheels, A.L.L. Roofing and Building Supply, Hardacker Roofing, TrailReady Beadlocks, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires and King Shock Technology. Special Thanks to Brian Fremal of A Piece of the Rock Granite and Marble of Las Vegas. Pictures from Vegas to Reno | |
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6/15/07. Check out TrailReady Motorsports TV at www.youtube.com/trailready. We'll be adding new video clips after each event, along with other great clips we come across. |
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6/1/07. TrailReady Motorsports teams with Kincaid Racing Engines in new hipo V-6 Ford Engine program. Combining Ford V-6 motors and the expertise of Gary Kincaid, we make our final preperations for the August Vegas to Reno Race, the longest desert race in the US. V2R will also mark the debut of our new graphic treatment on the Ranger. |
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4/30/07, Parumph, NV. TrailReady Motorsports manages a tough fourth place finish. In our ln our last Sportsman Class Race in the the V-8 Ranger, we were hoping to repeat after our win in the Parker 425. Rich started the 250 mile race and quickly put the Ford 2nd on the course. A quick driver change had Larry Trim behind the wheel. An hour and a half later, the Ford Crate Engine began to have carb problems which we fought for the next four hours. Oddly, it was a round house blow with an open hand that cured the problem and we cruised on to a 4th place finish. Click here for Gallery. |
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2/3/07. Parker, AZ.TrailReady Motorsports Victorious in Parker 425. In their first "Best in the Desert" race, Richard Blunk and Larry Trim, along with AJ Blunk, piloted their Ford Ranger to a First in Class, and 3rd overall in the Sportsman Division of what turned out to be one of the toughest desert races in recent memory. Out of a record 237 entries only 81 managed to finish the course in the 17 hours time limit. The Parker course, in its 35th running, offered an amazing variety of terrain including silt, sand, rocky trails, gravel washes, desert two-tracks and graded gravel roads. TrailReady Motorsports wishes to thank BITD for putting on a terrific event. This outing is our third race on our Mickey Thompson MTZ Radials without a single flat. Special thanks to Ford Racing for the 1st Place Ford Performance Award, TrailReady Beadlock Wheels, The Roof Doctor, Mickey Thompson Tires and ALL Roofing Supply. Next Race is Terrible's 250, April 27th. |
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