Dovetail96
Well-Known Member
Quite the year for us this year. Being our third year of running this amazing race it has changed and grown more then anybody could have guessed I think. Our team has grown and changed the same way. This years story was more amazing then ever and here it is.
3 weeks before Koh 2010 my tow rig engine failed. with no time or money to fix it and already telling Hammerking I would be there it was on to find another mode of transport to Johnson Valley. will rentals, and even driving the race car to KOH mentioned my friend and 2 year KOH supporter "no crew Chief" Steve Holice offered to tow my truck and trailer to KOH. With that out of the way we focused all of our efforts alongside last years co-driver and our buggy fabricator Steve Peterson of Xtreme Motorworks to get the rig tech and race ready.
Heading to KOH a week early we figured we would have plenty of time to pre run for the LCQ event and work any bugs out. LOL were we wrong. Adam Phister and I alongside our team got dialed in and ready for Tuesday. We did the LCQ in amazing fashion. We were one of if not the fastest team to the backdoor trail. We had one shotted the main fall the day before with 7lbs less air in my tires. We took 5 or 6 trys and got the back over far enough to get up the main fall. with the window nets up and doors on my vision was impaired a bit form the previous day and I missed one of the ledges we needed to make the left side. In doing so we rolled going up hill and sheered off all of the wheel studs on the passenger side front wheel. With the wheel broken we were out of the race and spectating with all of the other folks sitting in the canyon. Awesome view however and with all the cameras in one area we were bound to get some press and video time maybe. Tom Beebe and I chatted for a few hours as my team and strangers repaired my broken front axle and other teams winched and ran their rigs up the waterfall of Backdoor. It was amazing all the people that heckled the hard working teams trying to finish the LCQ and get a spot in the main event. heckelers will always be there when you are struggling and your best friend when you succede, just part of the game. With 3 wheel studs in each side we drove out of the there up the second ledge with little effort and back to camp to asses the situation.
we still had a chance for the PSC Lucky dog opening. Working away the team fixed the car as I went from camp to camp trying to find wheel studs. jimmy's 4x4 came to the rescue and donated 6 new wheel studs to us. Amazing team and effort they had with Loren winning the King of the Hammers coming from the LCQ. Fixed and on the trail to watch the 2nd LCQ event I heard a bad sound coming from the chassis and engine. Turning out to be a bad rod bearing and a ring and pinion going away. With a whole new set of issues and a never say quit attitude we went to work. ROD BEARINGS IN enclosed trailer the night before the possible race if we got it. Well Skuba Steve, Gene, Bill, Al, Donny, Darrin, Adam Phister all stepped up and we got going on it. Currie Enterprise got us going wiht new ring and Pinions while Steve replaced rod bearings. Thanks to the Marlin Crew for the torque wrench. "sorry for scaring you in the canyon John but that was pretty cool..LOL" Dave Cole walks in the trailer with a bit of interesting news that the Canadian team of Chris Pook's could not get their car down there in time and if we wanted to team up. well since we had not been choosen for the lucky dog spot we said yes and now it was a bigger rush to get the car ready to tech and race Friday.
So all day Thursday was a tech inspection and pre race day. Having issues with the fuel tank firewall tech rule we had to make a few trips to Rockstomper scott before he passed us. with our stickers in place and team in order it was pre race night. all the Canadian's and our team made a huge effort to get all the race gear on the truck. Race day Chris Pook driving to mile 12 and me riding. For the first time in my own car. BFG I am out Bernie is in and they are off for a few hours all the way out around the big loop and back. Loosing a few panels along the way they were hauling ass getting up to 30ish place or so. Adam and I jumped in and we were off for Elvis, resolution, back door, main pit. I think in hindsite were were supposed to stop and trade at main pit but we were haulin and passing so we kept on all the way to 13th place up the top of Jackhammer where I made a wrong turn and put the rig on its side. Right before that having a little battle with John James and Jason Sheere being highcentered like a turtle watching both go by me. LOL. So we are oin our side and I get out shut down the fuel and fluids. Tell Adam to get the high lift off. We jack it up and flip it over. Without looking it over very well we turned the gas on and were on the roa#&##.. Wait we have no steering. we broke the front ram mount with the hard slam to the side as I tryed to save it. Also we find a broken front shaft as we ratchet straped the ram down and continued down Jack. Making almost all the way to the next check at bottom of Sledge we broke the rachet straps. With a few ideas gone bad we turned the hydro ram down where the fittings couldn't move and installed vise grips for spacers and taped the handles with a good ratchet strap for down pressure on the ram. We were off again and still in the race with this being 7pm now. 10pm deadline we would winch the rest of the hard areas in Sledge and finish the race. Making it half way up Sledge our power cut out and we discovered a electrical short or dead alternator. With no power we were finished and in short time being used for traction on the first climb of Sledge. Forgeting our survival pack and glow sticks we walked in the dark back to the checkpoint and radioed for help from the crew.
116 miles we traveled and ended up driving to the finish out of there later that night after the 10pm deadline. We sure gave er hell though and thanks to all that helped it happen. Not bad for a small team with a hell of a lot riding against them. Thanks to Brian H for helping us out, Masterpull, Pitbull Tires, FOA shocks, all the people that helped us along the way. Thats life in the Hammers. Tough love and no forgiveness. Our team was glad to be there and very excited for Loren Healy that won this year coming from the LCQ event. Awesome job Loren. You will all see Gipson Racing at KOH 2011:awesomework:
3 weeks before Koh 2010 my tow rig engine failed. with no time or money to fix it and already telling Hammerking I would be there it was on to find another mode of transport to Johnson Valley. will rentals, and even driving the race car to KOH mentioned my friend and 2 year KOH supporter "no crew Chief" Steve Holice offered to tow my truck and trailer to KOH. With that out of the way we focused all of our efforts alongside last years co-driver and our buggy fabricator Steve Peterson of Xtreme Motorworks to get the rig tech and race ready.
Heading to KOH a week early we figured we would have plenty of time to pre run for the LCQ event and work any bugs out. LOL were we wrong. Adam Phister and I alongside our team got dialed in and ready for Tuesday. We did the LCQ in amazing fashion. We were one of if not the fastest team to the backdoor trail. We had one shotted the main fall the day before with 7lbs less air in my tires. We took 5 or 6 trys and got the back over far enough to get up the main fall. with the window nets up and doors on my vision was impaired a bit form the previous day and I missed one of the ledges we needed to make the left side. In doing so we rolled going up hill and sheered off all of the wheel studs on the passenger side front wheel. With the wheel broken we were out of the race and spectating with all of the other folks sitting in the canyon. Awesome view however and with all the cameras in one area we were bound to get some press and video time maybe. Tom Beebe and I chatted for a few hours as my team and strangers repaired my broken front axle and other teams winched and ran their rigs up the waterfall of Backdoor. It was amazing all the people that heckled the hard working teams trying to finish the LCQ and get a spot in the main event. heckelers will always be there when you are struggling and your best friend when you succede, just part of the game. With 3 wheel studs in each side we drove out of the there up the second ledge with little effort and back to camp to asses the situation.
we still had a chance for the PSC Lucky dog opening. Working away the team fixed the car as I went from camp to camp trying to find wheel studs. jimmy's 4x4 came to the rescue and donated 6 new wheel studs to us. Amazing team and effort they had with Loren winning the King of the Hammers coming from the LCQ. Fixed and on the trail to watch the 2nd LCQ event I heard a bad sound coming from the chassis and engine. Turning out to be a bad rod bearing and a ring and pinion going away. With a whole new set of issues and a never say quit attitude we went to work. ROD BEARINGS IN enclosed trailer the night before the possible race if we got it. Well Skuba Steve, Gene, Bill, Al, Donny, Darrin, Adam Phister all stepped up and we got going on it. Currie Enterprise got us going wiht new ring and Pinions while Steve replaced rod bearings. Thanks to the Marlin Crew for the torque wrench. "sorry for scaring you in the canyon John but that was pretty cool..LOL" Dave Cole walks in the trailer with a bit of interesting news that the Canadian team of Chris Pook's could not get their car down there in time and if we wanted to team up. well since we had not been choosen for the lucky dog spot we said yes and now it was a bigger rush to get the car ready to tech and race Friday.
So all day Thursday was a tech inspection and pre race day. Having issues with the fuel tank firewall tech rule we had to make a few trips to Rockstomper scott before he passed us. with our stickers in place and team in order it was pre race night. all the Canadian's and our team made a huge effort to get all the race gear on the truck. Race day Chris Pook driving to mile 12 and me riding. For the first time in my own car. BFG I am out Bernie is in and they are off for a few hours all the way out around the big loop and back. Loosing a few panels along the way they were hauling ass getting up to 30ish place or so. Adam and I jumped in and we were off for Elvis, resolution, back door, main pit. I think in hindsite were were supposed to stop and trade at main pit but we were haulin and passing so we kept on all the way to 13th place up the top of Jackhammer where I made a wrong turn and put the rig on its side. Right before that having a little battle with John James and Jason Sheere being highcentered like a turtle watching both go by me. LOL. So we are oin our side and I get out shut down the fuel and fluids. Tell Adam to get the high lift off. We jack it up and flip it over. Without looking it over very well we turned the gas on and were on the roa#&##.. Wait we have no steering. we broke the front ram mount with the hard slam to the side as I tryed to save it. Also we find a broken front shaft as we ratchet straped the ram down and continued down Jack. Making almost all the way to the next check at bottom of Sledge we broke the rachet straps. With a few ideas gone bad we turned the hydro ram down where the fittings couldn't move and installed vise grips for spacers and taped the handles with a good ratchet strap for down pressure on the ram. We were off again and still in the race with this being 7pm now. 10pm deadline we would winch the rest of the hard areas in Sledge and finish the race. Making it half way up Sledge our power cut out and we discovered a electrical short or dead alternator. With no power we were finished and in short time being used for traction on the first climb of Sledge. Forgeting our survival pack and glow sticks we walked in the dark back to the checkpoint and radioed for help from the crew.
116 miles we traveled and ended up driving to the finish out of there later that night after the 10pm deadline. We sure gave er hell though and thanks to all that helped it happen. Not bad for a small team with a hell of a lot riding against them. Thanks to Brian H for helping us out, Masterpull, Pitbull Tires, FOA shocks, all the people that helped us along the way. Thats life in the Hammers. Tough love and no forgiveness. Our team was glad to be there and very excited for Loren Healy that won this year coming from the LCQ event. Awesome job Loren. You will all see Gipson Racing at KOH 2011:awesomework:
