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Arnold's "Dad", Jon Nelson, designed and built him to "terminate" the competition in the SCORE Trophy Truck series. Under the Nelson & Nelson Racing banner, and heavily backed by Chevrolet, Arnold went about his mission with machine like precision, bringing home several victories, including back to back wins at the Baja 1000. Many called it "The Ultimate Chevy".
"That was the scariest thing I've ever
seen in off-road racing", said Chad Ragland, "Larry had no
idea it was coming. It immediately took the shocks to the bump stops
and then tore them off".
After several days in the shop, Arnold was once again ready for
action; a testament to the ruggedness of Nelson's design.
Click
Here for 320x460. When Chevy pulled out of the Trophy Truck ranks, Arnold continued
on as an "privateer". joining forces with Dale White &
White Lightning Racing,
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1997 is a learning year for the team, with Arnold competing in the
3 Mexican events. At San Felipe, Larry was forced to watch an enormous
lead evaporate as a rock-bent driveshaft limited his top speed to
"only" 85 mph. None the less, he missed the victory by the
narrowest of margins. The Baja 500 went on to teach a few lessons of
it's own, with mechanical failure ending the day early.
Before going further, we must warn our "sensitive"
readers that on the day we visited Arnold at White Lightning's shop in
Las Vegas NV., he was.....well,.... "unclothed". Bare
naked Trophy Truck unfettered by the confines of fiberglass, or social
convention. It was, needless to say, a very impressive sight.
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Here for 600x400 Dale and the White Lightning crew were hard at work reassembling
the truck after a complete dismantling and inspection. After each
race, everything is inspected and critical parts are magnafluxed.
Bushings are inspected for wear, and replaced as necessary, and static
parts like the chassis and mounting bracketry visually checked for
cracks and other signs of fatigue.
Major parts like the engine and transmission are removed and sent
out for rebuilding. The engines original builder, Shaver Specialties,
continues to handle those duties, as does transmission specialists,
Hydra-Matic Motorsports. Arnold's Kuster shocks, Chrissman Rear end,
and V-Drive (yup, more on that later) are gone through after every
event by the skilled mechanics in-house.
All told, it takes between $25 to $30,000 and well over 300 man
hours to prep the truck for each and every event. Definitely not
inexpensive, but this level of racing, nothing comes cheap, especially
considering that construction costs for Arnold exceeded $250,000!
"That's what you have to do when you want to better your chances
for a win" says White, "Nothing can be left to chance."
Wheelbase: 125 in. Arnold's top speed varies. On "open" courses, he's
capable of speeds over 140mph. On tighter tracks, the gear ratio is
changed to make better use of his power. The mid-engine chro-moly tube
steel chassis sports a front A-arm - rear "3-link"
suspension configuration. Mid engine? Yes, Arnold's big V-8 is mounted
midship, resulting in a 48% front - 62% rear weight distribution.
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The"offset" A-arm front suspension is built from thick wall
chro-moly tubing and large diameter Hiem joints. The offset
configuration spreads the suspensions load over a wider area of the
chassis, reducing unwanted flex, and adding overall strength to the
assembly. One Kuster coil-over reservoir shock per wheel translates
its 14 inches of shaft travel into 28 inches of useable wheel travel.
To avoid harsh metal to metal contact under full compression, Kuster
pneumatic bump stops dampen the last several inches of travel, acting
as secondary suspension. Out back, the 3-link rear suspension utilizes 2 - 14 in. travel,
and 2 -18 in. travel Kuster coil-over reservoir shocks attached to
massive boxed steel lower control arms. The upper control arm is a
boxed design, and is built to accommodate the engines position
(wrapping around it) as the suspension cycles through its travel. Hiem
joints are used to mount all three arms to the chassis and Chrissman
axle housing, allowing for maximum unrestricted wheel travel. As in
the front, Kuster pnumatic bump stops control the 28 inches of travel
in its last few inches before bottoming occurs.
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Here for 409x600 Suspension sag varies with different courses. The big Chevy's
center of gravity is kept low for better cornering, while maintaining
ample ground clearance for the wildly varying terrain.
Providing the "Go!" for all that "Woah!" is a fuel
injected 431 C.I. aluminum block Rodeck / Chevy, building 12 to 1
compression. The resulting 630 HP and 600 ft.lbs. of torque isn't
suprising. In fact, the combination is capable of much more power. "In the beginning, Arnold's engine put
out over 785 hp., but the Transmission just couldn't take it. We had
to de-tune the motor. Even de-tuned as it is, it's still one of the
fastest trucks out there. Larry's driving ability more than makes up
for the loss in power.", said
Dale..
Cooling for this monster mill is provided by a massive 4 row
radiator, with cooling for the transmission provided by a "nearly
as massive" plate unit. Keeping it all clean is the job of
K&N filtration.
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Here for 600x400. As you can imagine, a motor like this can get quite thirsty. About
3 mpg. thirsty! A 60 gallon fuel cell, mounted at the rear of the
chassis, supplies the big Rodeck with a steady diet of VP Racing Fuel
via dual electric pump, plumbed through braided stainless steel line
with AN fittings. Getting fuel into the big tank can be a chore, but
the dual fuel inlets minimize the time lost during pit stops.
Protecting the fuel system from desert damage is the job of a custom
formed aluminum skid plate that bears the marks of having done its job
well.
Exhaust chores are handled by custom headers, dual canisters and
Supertrapp discs, built to exit above the bodywork. The high clearance
exhaust is further protected (as is the entire powertrain assembly) by
1/2 in aluminum skid plates. In fact, the engine is so well enclosed,
it was impossible to get a clear picture of it. Now that's protection!
Click
Here for 600x390. Twin alternators provide power to the Delco Electronic Ignition, KC
lighting, and Competition Data Systems complete suspension &
powertrain data acquisition system. The CDS system is similar to a
"Black Box" used in commercial and military aircraft, and
provides a record of powertrain and suspension performance. This data
is later used for evaluation, adjustment and modification in the
never-ending search for increased performance.
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Here for 600x253. A race prepped Turbo-Hydro 400 transmission feeds a V-Drive
originally intended for use in a drag boat! Power is transferred to
the (offset and highly reinforced) Chrissman rear axle assembly, by
way of 3 separate driveshafts. This unique assembly was required to
direct the transmissions output around the engine, and allow the
suspension to achieve it's full range of travel. So far, the V-Drive /
multi-shaft assembly has proven reliable, and proves to be an elegant
way of solving what could have been a nearly insurmountable design
problem.
Hubs and knock-offs from Advanced Machine Dynamics provide secure
attachment for a set of 37x12.50x17 BF Goodrich Baja T/A tires mounted
to Ultra Custom Wheels. The 37 in. Goodrich tires are specifically
designed for racing, with extra thick side walls capable of
withstanding the brutal desert terrain, and the torture Arnold is
capable of putting them through.
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Here for 600x410, CNC calipers mounted to 14 in. brake rotors have replaced the dual
Corvette units originally installed to stop the 5000 lb. truck. The
increase in braking force is incredible.
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The Trophy Truck's interior is reminiscent of a jet cockpit with a
full compliment of gauges, switches, warning lights, safety, and fire
suppression equipment. Clearly labeled, all controls are readable at a
glance from the drivers seat. Gauge panels and interior molding are
fabricated from aluminum to lessen weight, yet provide secure mounting
for the many instruments.
Click
Here for 600x400, Arnold's bodywork is a mostly fiberglass replica of a Chevy C-1500,
though it's doubtful the factory ever intended to flare the fenders
"quite" that far! The metal roof panel and grille are in
fact original Chevy items, and along with the transmission housing,
are about the only "production" parts on the truck.
Larry was happy to report that Chevrolet has just renewed their
sponsorship of the Trophy Truck, to the tune of $100,000! Arnold's
longtime sponsors, BF Goodrich, Ultra Custom Wheels, and Oakley, along
with the team's newest sponsor Trail Master Suspensions, are giving
their all to make sure the truck is well prepared for the long and
lonely road ahead.
With such outstanding sponsorship, one of the best support crews in
off-road motorsports, and the world class driving ability of Larry
Ragland, Arnold is ready for an all out assault on the Baja peninsula.
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