Incredible Baja 500
Desert Assassins #16 Unbound Energy Trophy Truck driver Cameron Steele rolled the dice for the Baja 500 and nearly came up Yahtzee!
Yes the planets almost aligned for Steele and the DA as they took possession of a Trophy Truck originally built by the Geiser Bros. and owned by Jesse Jones just over a month before the race. The truck was collecting dust and in disrepair but it was a Geiser Bros original and everyone involved knew they could breathe new life into her.
31 days before the second toughest challenge of the SCORE desert series, the 39th annual Baja 500, Cameron called Jesse and said “I want your truck!” With no hesitation Jesse handed her off and she headed for Geiser Bros. It was determined that everything could be changed and replaced except the front suspension before Baja and the front would get the Geiser package it needed before the following event, SCORE’s Terribles Cup this July in Las Vegas.
Head techs for the DA ‘Bluebear’ and ‘Bean’ (2006 SCORE Mechanic of the year nominee) moved to Arizona to make the dream become their nightmare. Working out of the Geiser shop the planets started coming into order. Living at ‘Pistol’ Pete’s house and getting home cooked meals the guys were on the charge.
The biggest hurdle was a power plant, the old one was ‘junk’ as was the tranny but Geiser had one of those. More cosmic parallels were found and an uncles, sisters, brothers, nephew new a guy that built NASCAR motors….yeah we were holding our breath.
Somehow Cameron landed in front of Clay Andrews of Hype Manufacturing and Clay Andrew Racing Engines; actually it was Jamie Campbell who made it happen along with their mutual buddy Nate. Clay builds for the world of NASCAR and won as builder and team owner in the Busch series in 2006 with David Gilliland, yeah the pole sitter for this years Daytona 500. This was the real deal.
Clay picks up the phone and makes the call to the North Carolina Engine shop, the poor guy on the other line thought he heard Clay wrong when he said “in less that 2 weeks”! From call to install in just 13 days…..this was too good to be true.
Also in the mix were Lake Elsinore Casino and Alloy USA who offered to step up their support of the program to make the new monster live and growl fire at all takers. A team effort was needed and the crew rallied around the seemingly impossible dream.
The effort was perfect; the truck actually rolled through customs and was in Mexico a day early! The stickers went on and the test up the highway said all systems were a go! Subsequent dirt tests told us the boys at Geiser, the DA mob and Clay’s crew all had it together.
We knew our astrological signs were firing on all cylinders when the people at Bosch Power Tools became the official power tool of the Desert Assassins while we roared the truck to life in a lot in the center of Ensenada shaded by the giant Mexican flag the waves over town.
Race day was awesome with some splits early giving the DA team a glimpse of what is to come in a Geiser/Clay Andrews/Yokohama/FOX/ATX set up truck. Although it was the front of the truck that put her on the trailer it was something the team knew was a possibility of happening.
The Monday after the race Bluebear, Clay Andrews crew at Hype Manufacturing and the Geiser Bros. already had the wrenches turning and the torches going as the new baby doll will be 100% when she rolls into the smash up derby know as The Terribles Cup.
…….. much more DA news in Baja that we will get to you soon.
- Darren Hardesty and Mark Randazo race their class ten car with 140hp against the 600 and 700hp monsters of class one and finish 4th out of 54 starters.
- Heidi Steele and Chris Vano move to 2nd in the 7sx championship points
- Kash Vessels turns up the speed in SCORE Lite and Cameron and co dog Cody spend 12 hours going 170 miles to salvage a finish after a broken rocker arm and a broken trailing arm.
- SCORE Lite car continues to lead class points at half way mark in the season.
- Open pro bike team comes back from 2 broken ribs, a blown out knee and a dislocated shoulder to finish 7th of 26 bikes.
- The Desert Assassins welcome the Golden Nugget back as their sponsor while in Las Vegas for the Terribles Cup for the 3rd consecutive year.
Trophy Truck #16 would like to thank…Unbound Energy Drink/Yokohama Tire/Lake Elsinore Casino/Clay Andrews Racing/Hype Manufacturing/Alloy USA /FOX Racing Shox /ATX Wheels/Geiser Bros./Ketel One Vodka/UNI/Alpinestars/Blue C Communications/Richardsons RV/Jayco//Lucas Oil/Hardesty Racing/Lightforce/Etnies/The Bay of Dreams/Ogio/VP/Dirt Bags/Graphix Pimp/Donahoe Racing and the Metal Mulisha
The official SCORE drawing for starting positions party will take place at the Lake Elsinore Casino for the 3rd consecutive year on Sep 22nd weekend hosted by the Desert Assassins, book now.
Cameron can be heard co-hosting SCORE radio bi weekly through the Baja 1000 and this week he can be heard from 6-8pm Wed on Totally Off Road Radio.