Alameda, CA – Shaffer Motorsports has been busy since the Baja 500 in June. They’ve used the time to yank out the Ecotech engine in the Transfer Case Express car and replace it with a Honda power plant. Shaffer’s Offroad, Mike Shaffer’s day job, specializes in offroad parts sales, installation and fabrication including complete ground-up builds. For them, the engine swap was business as usual. They made changes to the chassis and completed the wiring harness that utilizes the factory ECU. They performed the necessary dyno tuning and put some miles on the new combination at a local short course track without any issues. All that’s left now is to finalize the logistics, do some pre-running and then complete the race.

The crew plays a critical role in a race as long and demanding as the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and the Shaffer Motorsports team is second to none. This year’s course has some new sections and includes areas that will be inaccessible on race day. Some of the pit crews will be dispatched to these remote locations where they will remain for the entire race. The team will have ten crews in Baja ready to lend support if needed.

On race morning Mike Shaffer and navigator Andy Ferris will take the Transfer Case Express car to race mile 350. John Bowers and navigator Bob Roggy will then continue to race mile 567. John Cantrell and navigator Berne Strom will take the longest stint from 567 to the finish line. “We will have ten trucks but that still doesn’t feel like enough,” said Mike Shaffer, “Thanks to our sponsors Instone Inc. and Rocky Mountain Baldor we will be using BFG pits as well for fuel and tires. Our Honda engine swap was helped by K-Tuned products and Hondata Tuning. Both of them are real excited about competing in the Baja 1000.”

The Baja 1000 is a huge undertaking and without the support from crew members  Andy Farris – Amber Strom –  Andy Stone – Dan Bergin – Ray Swanson – Big Rich – Shelly Krehbiel – Josh England – Hunter Cantrell – Hector Miguel Maymes Candolfi – Edwardo  Maymes Candolfi – Randal Morrison and Kim Morisson the race would not be possible. With great support and more horsepower from the Honda motor the team is hoping to achieve another Baja 1000 victory.

For the lastest up to date information, photos and sponsorship opportunites visit:
www.shaffer-motorsports.com.

Photography By Brian Binkert