In years gone by, fans and racers from around the country converged on the neon lights of Las Vegas for "The" Great American Desert Race, "The Mint 400". The smell of race fuel was like a drug; Fresh paint, and new hardware a visual tour de'force, and the 24x7 party atmosphere led to everything from "I ain't never gonna' drink again" hangovers to a quirky little book called "Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas". Ever hear of it? If Hunter S Thompson were writing that book today, he might just tell his lawyer to take a right turn at Barstow before the drugs begin to take hold, and head for the 2000 SCORE / Laughlin Desert Challenge.

Hosted by the City of Laughlin and kicking off the SCORE season, the Challenge has grown in a mere 6 years from a traditional desert race into a desert / short course hybrid that offers punishing terrain, ultra-high speeds, plenty of ariel action, easy spectating, a festival atmosphere, and over $400,000 in prizes and contingency (yes you read that right) harkening back to the days of great races gone by. It may not be "The Mint", but the Laughlin Desert Challenge has become a spectacle all it's own.

If You Build It, They Will Come

When SCORE first made the switch from a "long" to "short" course format, reaction was decidedly mixed. A number of racers decried the new format stating, "This isn't desert racing!". Others loved the idea, embracing the 12 mile loops from day one. Fans of the sport thought they'd gone to heaven.

Today, you're hard pressed to find a racer not looking forward to the January event with stars in their eyes, and an itchy right foot. The tight racing, stadium like "infield", and high speeds of the Challenge have won converts in even the most die hard open desert warrior.

With a record number of entries this year (over 200 pre-registered alone), the action was more intense than ever. Add to that the 2 at a time "drag race" start, and you've got a drooling fanboys dream come true. At times, the infield looked more like a CORR event than a desert race, with trucks and buggies swapping paint and dropping body panels as they fought it out over the jumps and turns to be the first to hit the air of the open desert. If that doesn't get your adrenaline a'pumpin', see your doctor.

When You Least Expect It

That the world of professional motorsports is a dangerous place to be, suprises no one, least of all the people who make it their life. Of all the motorsport disciplines, perhaps off-road racing is the most dangerous of all. Triple digit speeds, narrow coursed over remote, broken terrain, and all the hazards mother nature can throw at you add up to the ultimate thrill, but also the ultimate in risk. Drivers, co-drivers, photographers, course workers and yes, even spectators risk death each and every time they go out on the course. Even with that knowledge, it doesn't make it any easier when death claims one of your own.

On Saturday, Nor-Cal Class 1racer Larry Deaton died from injuries sustained after an accident that seemingly has more questions than answers. At this time, the investigation into the incident is ongoing, with no official report issued. Rather than add fuel to the fires of speculation here on the how's and why's, we're awaiting the final report from SCORE. We can only hope that for the sake of the family, the powers that be will issue the report soon, and allow the family's much needed healing to begin. What we know for sure is that before the Life Flight helicopter arrived, The Herbst helicopter landed, and went above and beyond in thier efforts to revive Deaton. While thier efforts were unsuccessful, it should be known that a great many people are greatful for thier actions.

Services for Deaton were held on Jan 28, with over 500 friends, family, fans, and fellow racers paying their last respects. Those wishing to make donations in Deaton's memory can contact

Poverello House
P.O. Box 12225
Fresno, CA
93777-2225

Strange Days Indeed

In addition to the Deaton investigation, another investigation is currently underway, but this time it's between SCORE and the Competition Review Board regarding a mysterious equipment failure on the #100 car of Troy Herbst. During day two's Class 1 race, "Truggy" blew all 4 shock reservoir lines, leaving Troy, co-driver AJ Martin, and the multi time championship winning car bouncing their way slowly around the track.

While this would otherwise be nothing more than unfortunate stroke of bad luck, threats of "getting even" had been made against the Herbst team the previous day, placing the incident under the watchful eye of the Competition Review Board. In his official report CRB Marshall Reese King said ,

"Here's what I think . . .
One hose severed? OK . . . sure, even the best screw up on occasion. Two? Wow! All four? At once? No way! Here's what I promise . . . The CRB will always deal in facts. If the Board ever has enough facts to find that someone has vandalized or tampered with someone else's vehicle, that person will be banned from SCORE racing for life.

Anyone with knowledge pertaining to this matter are urged to contact the CRB at IDRACRB@aol.com.

Tim & Ed Herbst toned down thier high flying antics from the 99 Laughlin event, but just a "little bit". The Brothers H sewpt both days to walk away the undisputed Trophy Truch Champs.	Mark Post floated the 2nd road crossing to the delight of the media, but mechanical gremlins continue to plague the Riveria Trophy Truck. Will the ex-gordon racer survive the San Felipe 250?

On With The Show

Team Mac's Larry Roseler now in the PPI / Toyota camp, Jerry McDonald had a pretty big Trophy Truck to fill. There were no end of volunteers for the job of course, but in the end, McDonald looked to the buggy ranks, and rafted one of Class 1's brightest stars - Doug Fortin jr.

Fortin's prowess at the wheel of an unlimited car is well known, but this would be his first race in a Trophy Truck; One that has over the years proven to be "temperamental" even under the best of conditions. Could Fortin continue Roseler's winning ways in the "Beast"?

Tim, Ed, and the "Terrible Trophy Truck" had other plans, taking the win on day 1 and 2 with a combined average speed of over 53 MPH. The Bros. Herbst once again put on a spectacular show, screaming the guts out of the nearly 800 hp Ford through the infield, and over the Laughlin Leap lap after lap.

Fortin on the other hand, proved to be as comfortable with the Big Chevy as with his Class 1, with a combined average just over 5 min, and 2 mph behind the SCORE Trophy Truck champs.

And he did it with almost no time behind the wheel? It's been an incredible reversal of fortune as of late, and things bode well for Team Mac.

Laughlin proved to be rough on the Trophy Trucks, with only Team Mac and the Herbst boys completing all the laps on day 1 & 2. Back in 3rd, Mark Post and the Riveria F-150 continued battling the gremlins that plagued the team throughout the 99 season. Even the 4th place Duralast F-150 of Dan Smith / Dave Ashley were forced to step down with mechanical problems before the day was through.

Troy Herbst & AJ Martin set a blistering pace on Saturday, but fell to mechanical problems that have raised more than a few eyebrows.	Larry Deaton left a lasting impression on those around him. There can be little doubt that he'll be missed by fans and racers alike.

Class 1 Capers

On day one, Troy Herbst & AJ Martin appeared headed for another 1-2 sweep of the Laughlin desert challenge. Unfortunately for the red racers, the stars would not align (see above). Saturday's win was overshadowed by Sunday's mechanical problems, and with Gary Weyrich and former Class 10 champ Andy Wehe hot on it's heels, Truggy began a slow decent down the point ladder.

Weyrich, far from an "also ran" on Saturday, truly shone on Sunday. Winning the Overall and Class 1 with a combined time of 2:22:39 and a speed of 54.679 MPH, he defeated Wehe by a mere 6 seconds over a 2 day period. Competitive racing? You could say that.

3rd place belonged to Damien Jefferies and the Danny Porter built buggy. Jefferies was as hot as the flames on his paint, turning a combined time of 2:27:52 at 52.75 MPH.

Being the "Unlimited" buggy class, Class 1 goes through periodic shifts in technology - the shift from VW to 6 cyl Porsche power - beams to A arms - air to liquid cooling, the list goes on. The 2000 Laughlin challenge solidified the "truggy" concept as the next evolution of the class, with no less than 5 entries that could justifiably be defined in that category. Along side the Red Reptile were total ground up fabrications, as well as converted "traditional" buggies complete with 4 link suspensions and front mounted powerplants.

Will the traditional buggy go the way of the dinosaur? If it does, it's not likely to be any time soon. Considering the fact that the Laughlin Champ Gary Weyrich took the checkered flag in a traditional buggy, and the "truggy" concept is very much an evolving science, good old fashioned buggy fans will be cheering their heroes for many years to come.

Another "Lightening Larry?" Protruck wondurkind Larry Plank continues earning a name for himself in off-road racing's "Spec-Truck" class. Out-driving the limits of his body panels, Plank racked up times that would have won supposedly faster classes!	"He Done us proud" Scott Stienberger and the PCI/ORC Protruck took a solid 2'nd place against some stiff competition. Day two saw Stienberger save a bad hop that could have brought a very ugly end to the day. Next stop? Baja!

Protruck

Once again, the Protrucks proved themselves to be ultra competitive, and ultra reliable. I had the chance to take a lap of the Laughlin in the Scott Stienberger - PCI / Off-Road. com Protruck for an up close and personal look at just how far Ivan's creations have come over the years.

With about 400 HP on tap, well over 20 inches of wheel travel at all four corners, and a chro-moly chassis, Scott's Protruck utterly swallowed up, danced across, and generally flattened one very chewed up piece of real estate. The course that was rumored to be "much smoother than last year" was in fact as rough, and possibly rougher. It would tax the reliability of the Protrucks to new levels.

This year's event was payback of sorts for Scott and the crew. After a Saturday win, a blown transmission on day two in the 99 event left Stienberger with only reverse to move him, but rather than throw in the towel and park the truck, he continued on, backing his way to the pits.

When the Protrucks left the line in 00' it was clear that the crowds were in for a hell of a ride. Over the next 2 days, Larry Plank, Stienberger, and Steve Scaroni led the way and held it together, while one by one the Protrucks fell to mechanical failure. The extremely rough course, coupled with the "sprint race" nature of Laughlin took their toll.

Out front, Larry Plank drove the fiberglass bodied F-150 like a man possessed, quite literally loosing body panels through the pounding he was dishing out. Stienberger later commented "Drive it like stole it? And then some!".

Plank combined for a time of 2:38:29, at over 49 MPH - a time that would have been good for 8th place in class 1's 35 car field, 3rd in Trophy Truck, and would have won Class 8. Impressive Indeed.

In Second place flying the Off-Road.com logo, Scott Stienberger combined for a time of 2:47:03 at over 46 mph, with no reverse needed. The Yellow and Black Ford held off Steve Scaroni by the narrowest of margins - a mere 5 seconds. With the rest of the field DNF'ed, Plank, Stienberger, and Scaroni all have the advantage going into San Felipe in March. The question is, will the extra laps at Laughlin add up to a win at Felipe?

James Hall and the guys from Ecology Auto Wrecking were among the competitors in the newly revived Class 8. The monster F-150 put on an awesome showing before the desert gremlins sidelined the crew 'till Felipe.	After all these years, Manny Esquerra is still one of the most feared men behind the wheel. Currently at the helm of the Beaver-Built 79 F-150, Esquerra continues cutting a swath through the Stock-Full ranks.

Class 8 Comeback?

for most of the 98/99 seasons, Brian Collins stood nearly alone as the reigning king of Class 8, but it was a hollow accomplishment. The once mighty Class 8 had been usurped by the Trophy Trucks as the fan favorites, and what few teams remained raced only sporadically at best. As a result, Collins would often move his dominant C-1500 Chevy into the Trophy Truck class, and go heads up against the bad boys. Laughlin was one such race, but this time, it was to get class points for the upcoming Collins / White Lightning Trophy Truck race program.

Murphy's law being what it is, 8 Class 8 trucks came out to play in his absence. Laughlin was harsh on Class 8, with only Billy Goerke hanging in till the end. It was a bittersweet comeback for the once populous class, but there's no question the trucks are out there.

There were some old names & trucks, and some new among the Laughlin alumnus. Jim Patelli, Ari Kreiss, Craig Corda, Kelly Johnson, James Hall, and Beny Canela. Is it the steady climb in racer turnout across the board that brought them out? Is it practice for the Upcoming 2000 races? Is it something else entirely? Who Cares!!! They're back, and that's all that matters.

Class Lewis....er...ah....Mac Pherson.....er.....7...yea 7!

Jeff Lewis, and Team MacPherson winning Class 7 shouldn't suprise anyone these days. Larry Roseler began a dynasty with the "old" leaf spring truck that continues in the more than capable hands of Jeff Lewis and the 4.5L coilover monster known as "Lil' Mac".

While Class 7 has had a decent turnout as of late, no one has been able to mount a serious challenge to the red, white, and blue S-10. While 2'nd place Finisher and Dirt Pilot Magazine publisher (Check it out!) Craig Turner appears to have the shills to give Lewis a solid run for his money, the converted Class 7s Ford Ranger is lacking. None the less, Turner has the heart of a desert warrior, and battles it out with Lewis to the ragged edge of the ranger's limits.

For over a year now, Greg Foutz, Steve Wheeler, and the guys at Foutz Motorsports have been quietly working on the answer to the "MacPherson Problem". Still some months from completion, the coilover equipped Ford Ranger is being built with a singular purpose. Return the Class 7 Championship to the Ford camp. Will they succeed? Considering that they made an F-350 Super Duty into a competitive race truck, it's entirely possible.

Former Class 1/2-1600 champ Bekki Freeman recently inked a deal with Herzog Motorsports involving some major horsepower.The First Lady of off-road racing is poised to take that championship caliber driving up against the big boys!	Class 10 superstar Danny Anderson started of his fight to retain the championship with a bang. Back to back wins over the weekend put the 99 Champion in the lead onc again, as the SCORE/Laughlin Desert Series heads south to San Felipe.

Class 10 - The Way of the A-Arm

Just as Team Mac has developed a lock on Class 7, Danny Anderson is developing his own in Class 10. Finishing at or near the top of most races in recent memory, Anderson took the 99 points Championship, the Toyota True Grit Award, and began the 00' series with the fire to do it again. Combining for a time of 2:10:47 to 47.713 MPH, Anderson led the pack, finishing up a close but comfortable min. 45 sec. over his closest rival, Chris Harrold.

In third, Mark Huchins kept in the hunt, posting a time of 2:15:56 at 45.905 MPH, holding off 4th place Don Hatch, and 5th place Ron Brookshire.

Attrition took it's toll in the 10 class as well, leaving over half the pack by the wayside before the fall of the checkered flag on Sunday. Class favorites Rick Ellison, BJ Baldwin, and Clay Flippen were among the dispossessed, making both days of racing, yet failing the test of the Laughlin sands. With Felipe around the corner, look for a re-energized class of racers to take the battle to Baja.

Score Lites Are Still On!

While Art Bell may bemoan the utter failure of the Y2K Bug, and the stubborn refusal of the Lights to go out, Fans around the country Love the fact that the SCORE Lites continue to grow in popularity.

The beam cars, once feared "uncompetitive" in a world of 20+ in travel A-Arm cars, regularly equal the times of their long legged brethren, but that wasn't to be the case at Laughlin. Regardless of that minor detail, the Lites posted a 25 car turnout, solidifying the class into this season, and beyond.

While 99 Class Champ Bruce Penhall may have been the odds on favorite for the Laughlin win, it was Mark Fodor who took the win, a mere 31 seconds over 2'nd place Tom Jandt with a time of 2:16:48 at 45.614 MPH.

Back in 3'rd, Penhall held his own with a time of 2:19:39 at 44.683 MPH, keeping him well in the hunt as the season moves south in March.

Class 1/2-1600 - The Swarm

If the rest of the world experienced a shortage in VWs over the weekend, it's likely because they were all in Laughlin. The 1/2-1600 class boasted a full 32 entries, once again making the limited buggies the most populated class at the event. Interestingly enough, the attrition rate split the 16 cars down the middle, with 16 finishing the race and 16 DNF's. An Omen? A sign of Alien invasion? Nah, just your typical day in the desert where anything can happen (and usually does).

he big news in Class 1/2 1600 is Bekki Freeman's move WAYYYY up the horsepower ladder into a Herzog Motorsports Trophy Truck. Look for an upcoming interview here in the virtual pages of Off-Road.com with the multi-talented Miss F, laying out the full scoop on what's in her racing future.

On the ground in Laughlin however, it was Dale Ebberts who stole the show, outpacing the #2 Vic Bruckmann by a combined 1 min 58 sec. In a class where 1st and 2nd are often decided by less than 10 seconds, Ebberts victory was particularly noteworthy. Bear in mind that Ebberts and Bruckmann finished the Saturday leg in a literal dead heat, with both drivers turning in identical 1:08:06 times. With wins in both the pit crew competition, and the overall 1/2-1600 LDC title, Team Ebberts "done good" indeed.

Just over 30 seconds out, 3rd place Sammy Ehrenberg rounded up the top 3 spots, boasting a time of 2:18:15, at 45.136 MPH, holding off Cindy Grianke in 4th by less then a min.

The reshuffling of classes at the 00' LDS had the 1600 cars running mid day, and provided the fans with a look at just how competitive desert racing can be. 30 cars, affordability, ties for 1st place, 2 incredibly talented female drivers mixing it up with, and besting the majority of the men.....1/2-1600 has it all!

A Man, A Class 5, and His Sofa?

Sofa Dude! The mere name strikes fear into the hearts of Class 5 racers around the world! Well......Maybe not, However the name George Seeley carries enough weight to make the competition prep their cars just a "little" more carefully. The Class 5 Champion Checker ( say that 5 times fast!) continued adding to the win column at Laughlin, Covering a total of 8 laps in a combined time of 2:23:52 at 43.373 MPH.

In 2'nd place, Randy Ross followed Seeley to the podium by a mere 3 min., while holding off 3'rd place Hector Ledezma by an even scantier 2 and a half.

In 4th, Mike James and the Outlaw Racing VW proved to be the last of 7 competitors to cross the finish line, giving Class 5 an over 50% finishing rate. With their nightmare foray into Protruck racing behind them, James and Kalicii have refocused their efforts on Seeley's title, which will doubtlessly make for a season to watch in "Trophy Bug".

Son-of-a...Leduc! Kyle LeDuc overpowered the 7s ranks, showing much of the talent his Father Curt is noted for. With time and experience under his belt, the young 'Duc will likely prove every bit the threat the old man is.	What's up Doc? While my lame jokes leave a lot to be desired, the good Doctors Talents do not. Dr. Macree Glass dominated the Stock mini ranks, leaving all comers broken on the way. Now about that little back problem of mine.....

Sins Of The Father? - Class 7s

If winning is a sin, then Kyle LeDuc is Officially "guilty". The son of SCORE and CORR Champ Kyle LeDuc came out of the gate swinging, and has proven he has what it takes to win in SCORE's highly competitive Class 7s. With 7S Champ Bruce Landfeild electing to run specific races in preparation for the "Baja 2000", the throne is up for grabs, and Le'Duc intends to be sitting on it come the 00' SCORE awards.

LeDuc pounded the competition, posting a combined time of 2:12:59 at 35.192 MPH, a full 14.5 min. over 2nd place Bill Markell. Competition between 2nd & 3rd was considerably closer, with 7s veteran Doug Siewert hounding Markell a close 1.5 min. behind.

With 8 of 11 trucks DNF'd, 7s joined the ranks of the heavily broken. By now it should be pretty obvious that the earlier rumors of a "smooth" course were started by someone who hadn't seen it, much less driven it.

Gasping For Breath - Class 5-1600

Someone better tell Dave and Bill Gasper that 5-16 cars aren't Trophy Trucks. would you believe a 40 MPH average? Would you believe multiple 60 foot jumps off the Laughlin Leap? Believe it. These boys were hauling an entire crate of ass! This is of course, to take nothing away from Victor Orellana, whose 2:41:24 at 38.66 are certainly nothing to scoff at. on any other day, it could easily have been good enough to win. But that wasn't today. The 00' Laughlin Desert challenge belonged to the 99 SCORE Champs.

One very noticeable absence from the LDC was 99 winner Carlos & Gerrardo Iribe. The motivated Mexicans have had a seemingly endless string of parts breakage disrupt their hopes for the big trophy, but Laughlin was won more often than not. We don't know where ya' went guys, but we hope to see ya' back soon!

Stock Full - Truly Heavy Metal

Back in those Mint days, you'd often see Manny Esquerra take a Ford into the winners circle. 15 years later, things haven't really changed much. He's still in a Ford (but it's an F-150), he still wins a lot, and he's as comfortable with a 460 as he is with a 2.8L.

Built by the Parker Boys, Esquerra's F series sports a massive 460 and enough ground ripping torque to make a Protruck jealous. It served him well in Laughlin, carrying the desert veteran to a close win over Ford Factory driver Greg Foutz and the massive V-10 F-350 in a time of 2:09:39, at a rapid 36.097. Closing in third, Dave Sykes and the stock full formerly raced as "Andataco" kept Foutz & Wheeler watching their rear view mirror with a time of 2:14:41, at 34.748 MPH.

With each passing race, Foutz Motorsports has made the big dog F-350 a little faster, a little smoother, and a little more reliable. There's little doubt in anyone's mind that Win #1 will come in the year 2000. Manny Esquerra being the exception.

Stock Mini - Anyone Know A good Back Doc?

Conveniently we do, and he sat in the drivers seat of the winning Stock Mini at the LDC. Dr. Macree Glass. The sole finisher in the Stock Mini class handily put down the competition in his Ford Ranger, leaving him with a considerable point advantage going into the 2000 season.

Glass was smooth throughout hid combined 6 laps (sorry, couldn't resist), finishing with a combined time of 2:44:08, at 28.513 MPH. Back in 2nd, Bob Land and the Isuzu Amigo finished 4 laps, as did 3rd place Curt Duffield. Mark Turner was shut out both days, with day 2 resulting an a particularly obnoxious landing over the #2 road crossing.

Bounce 1 caused audible breakage. Bounce 2 caused even more audible breakage. Bounce 3 required extraction via Tahoe from the center of the race course.

Kreg Donahoe, currently truckless and hating it, ran out to offer assistance. Shortly thereafter, he pronounced it done for the day, the tow strap came out, and Mark Turner went home with an expensive repair bill in his future.

Class 9 - Trading Days

With a win by Brian Sallee on Saturday, and a second place finish by Forest Creasy, the two racers swapped finishes on Sunday just to make life interesting. When the numbers were tallied, it was Forest who took the marbles home, just under a min. ahead of Sallee. Back in 3rd. Andy Kisner was held to just under 4 min. out of the top slots with back to back 3rd place finishes.

Class 11 - Get Macree Back Over Here!

Class 11 was the sole province of Chris Woodward at the 00' LDC. With Class Champ Eric Solorzano out on Saturday, the battle of the bugs came down to Woodward, and Greg Horr, but it was a battle Woodward was destined to win - and by a wide margin. When the weekend had ended, Woodward had built a nearly half hour lead on Horr - a considerable margin in any class.

On to Felipe

When the sun went down on Sunday night, we had a lot to reflect on, not the least of which being the tragic loss of Larry Deaton. The caliber of talent in the SCORE / Laughlin Desert Series continues improving at a dramatic rate, along with the quality of the machines that come in tow. The City of Laughlin provides a top notch venue for a race like the LDC, with businesses on both sides of the river going out of their way to accommodate the thousands of racers, fans, and families that flock to the banks of the Colorado every January to get their fix of "Haulin' A$$ & Horsepower".

We'd like to thank the City of Laughlin, The Laughlin CoC, The Flamingo Hilton for some exceptional accommodations, and of course, SCORE International for making the Laughlin Desert Challenge the premiere off-road race in America. Because of the combined efforts of all involved, the Challenge has evolved from "another cool desert race", to a "must go" for fan's or racers alike. While the Mint 400 holds a special place in history that can never be taken away, it's not hard to imagine a few guys sitting 'round a campfire in the not too distant future saying "Hey, were you at Laughlin when...."?

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