Once known as Stateline Nevada, the casino bordertown now known as Primm, once again played host to the 5th stop of the SCORE / Laughlin Desert Series, the "Primm 300". It's close proximity to Las Vegas (40 miles). and the LA area (150 miles), makes it one of the most popular stops on the tour, and with the Primadonna, Buffalo Bill's, and Whiskey Pete's within a 1/4 mile of the starting line, there's always something to do. Roller coaster, Ferris wheel, water ride, Factory outlet center, gambling; Primm has a lot to offer

Contingency Row was as usual, a "who's who" of the off-road industry's vendors, with Chenowith, Carrera, McKenzies, PCI, King, Bilstein, Rancho, and others all adding to the festivities and drool factor. The unseasonably cool temps (if you can call 90 deg. "cool") played a big factor in bringing the people out the casino's and into the action, and they sure got their money's worth.

As the temps rose, people gravitated toward the "Red Bull" booth where desert racing's newest sponsor handed out free cans of the new energy drink. Non traditional sponsors are gaining a foothold in dez racing, and hopefully the trend will continue. More sponsors = more coverage = more sponsors = more racers = ...well, you get the idea.

Several new vehicles debuted on contingency, including the new NGM sponsored " Jimco 2000" Class 1 desert racer of Johnny PhillipsM (featured this month on Off-Road.com). Johnny's car was sportin' a beautiful new "Wally World" paint job, as were several of the other vehicles in attendance, providing a plethora of eye candy and photo op's for those who race, and those that want to. Business must be REAL good in the paint booth ;-)

With over 100 vehicles signed up for the event, contingency saw a steady parade of the latest in desert tech. The Herbst brothers Trophy Truck and "Truggy" made a quick appearance before getting back to high-speed testing and preparation for the coming race. As usual, they were mobbed by fans wanting a closer look at two of the fastest vehicles to ever cross the desert.

1997 Trophy Truck champ Curt LeDuc made a return to the desert in his Grand Cherokee Trophy Truck, much to the delight of fans of the four letter word (Jeep). LeDuc had sat out several of the earlier races, but kept in practice by competing in the CORR series. None the less, it was good to see him back, an we're sure glad to have him.

Dave Ashley & Dan Smith, along with the Duralast / Rough Rider Ford were geared up and ready to go, much to the delight of Ford lovers everywhere.

The bug & buggy ranks saw some new faces, along with the vets, including Carlos & Gerardo Iribe, whose CV joint troubles have kept them from the winners circle for many a moon. Upgraded to stronger equipment, the mad Mexicans, smiling as always, were ready to take on the world.

Conspicuous by their abscense were the 97 Champion Ledezmas. Fierce competitors and always a threat to win, Danny & Mario left fans wondering "Where dey at"?

The Arizona contingent was well represented with Class 1's John Herder and Class 5's Lee Finke (among others) in the line-up for Saturday. Former Stock Mini champ Greg Foutz sat the race out, having just begun construction on the new Ford / Foutz Motorsports F-250 V-10 Stock Full desert truck. Yup, you read it right, V-10. Methinks things are about to get real interesting in the Stock ranks.

In 1/2-1600, Bekki Freeman was wound up tighter than a drum, and ready to rock. The Primm 300 is considered Bekki's home course, and expectations were high that she'd be going home with the big trophy.

Gentlemen, Start yourEngines

Shortly after dawn, Primm Valley was filled with the sound of growling engines and applause as Ed Herbst pulled the Terrible Trophy truck to the line, and promptly left it in a cloud of dust. The so called "2 position throttle" was most definitely "on", as he launched the big red Ford nearly 90 feet before the grandstands. It was a beautiful jump, the crowd loved it, but his front skid plate didn't. The 5 foot jump was a "kicker", and Ed came down hard nose first, narrowly avoiding an endo. What a way to start a race!

As the day wore on, there were several points of interest. First, our friend, the BLM refused to let chase crews out on the course to retrieve vehicles. As a result, several people breaking on lap 1 spent a long day with front row seats deep in the dez. There's a progression here and we better do something about it ASAP

No spectators on the course (a safe distance from the track of course), No prerunning, no chasing / retrieval.

How long till it's no racing??? Summit? Are you paying attention???

Trophy Truck

Ed Herbst took top honors with 1st in Trophy Truck, and the overall, besting 97 Primm Champ Curt LeDuc by over a half hour. LeDuc in turn finished a half hour ahead of 3rd place 98 Barstow winners, Dave Ashley & Dan Smith. McPherson's Jeff Lewis and independent Lonny Helmbolt rounded out the top 5.

Lewis had completed lap 1 neck and neck with Mike Tieman's Chevy S-10, both well ahead of the field, but later problems dropped Lewis considerably in the standings. Mechanical troubles dropped Tieman out completely.

Protruck

Welcome back Steve! Steve Barlow returned to the Protruck wars after an extended absence, and with a new sponsor (Red Bull). for his troubles he was awarded a first place trophy. Averaging over 44 mph, Barlow showed tail lights to second place' Gary Magness, who finished up the 4 laps nearly an hour behind.

Protruck hotshoes Jimmy Nuckles and Rick Johnson finished 3 & 2 laps respectively, while former Class 10 champ Andy Wehe was out of action before 1 lap was completed.

Class 1

The Class 1 ranks swelled to 21 at Primm, and the fierce level of competition was evident, with less than 8 min separating the first 3 finishers. When the dust settled, Dale Ebberts stood victorious, completing the 4 laps in 2 hrs, 22 min., 46 sec. The brothers Herbst, despite some serious breathing difficulties were next in line, but a later CRB ruling left them DQ'd and Mexican driver Gus Vildosola in the second slot. Nick & Josh Baldwin split 3rd & 4th positions in under 6 hrs. 45 min, and a half hour back, John Gaughan finished out the top 5.

Fast lap went to Arizona's John Herder and his Jimco 2000, with a blistering 1:25:33, but a broken CV joint took him out after 1 lap.

Class 10

Damen Jefferies walked away with Class 10, putting well over a half hour on 2nd place Rick Romans. In 3rd, Rick Ellison turned in a 46 mph average, a mere 2 min. ahead of Jim Tucker. 5th place, and the last Class 10 to complete all 4 laps belonged to John Phillips Sr. in the NGM car.

SCORE Lites

Bruce Penhall was wide awake in dreamland, winning Class 12 with a 46.6 mph average. Consistency won the day for Penhall, leading to a 2nd place showing for Dave Callaway, whose final lap snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Ryan Herzog was next up in 3rd with a 45.5mph average, with SCORE / SNORE crossover artist Danny Anderson hot on his heels in 4th. Less than half an hour behind 1st, Steve Grienke finished up the top 5. Want to see close competition? Keep an eye in the SCORE Lites. Who needs A-arms?

Class 8

A mere 3 trucks showed up to battle in the heavy metal Class 8. Dave Westhem & Randy Salmont combined to take the win in the stepside Chevy.Randy took the driving chores on the lead laps and Dave hopped a plane and flew in from NorCal to take the final 2. Business meetings wait on no man, but the cockpit of a race truck has an immediacy all its own!

Second place went to Brian Collins and the White Lightning Chevy team 20 min back. Tire difficulties cost Collins time he didn't have. Ever the professional, Collins took it in stride, and is already gearing up for an all out assault on the Baja 1000. Ya' can't keep a good man down.

Back in 3rd, Newcomer Chris Wilson fought an ill handling truck, and soldiered on to a 9 hr, 54 min. finish time. Wilson suffered from the "new truck blues", with shock bugs, and other minor gremlins, but made a determined debut in the Class 8 big leagues. Class 8 needs more guys like him. Just where ARE all the Class 8' guys anyway?

Class 7

Break out the Tecate! Bob Land's Ford Ranger came home a winner! Averaging 35.5 mph, Land spanked the competition in high style, being one of 2 drivers to finish the 300 mile course. 2nd place went to the Toyota of AJ DeNunzio, averaging 31 mph.

Steve Wisniewski (I dare ya' to say that 5 times fast ;) Completed 3 laps for a 3rd, and believe it or not, Larry Roseler was a 3 lapper as well, finishing back in 4th place. Truly unfamiliar territory for the many time Baja champ. Come to think of it, 2nd place is unfamiliar for the McPherson S-10 pilot as well.

Back in 5th, the Best Western Ranger of Gary Mecham managed 1 lap before breakage sidelined the coilover truck. Mecham has been plagued by breakage for 2 seasons, but if he can get it together, he'll be in the thick of things come November.

Class 7s

Craig Turner's 7s turned in a stellar performance with a 36.6 mph average speed, winning the class, and besting the Class 7 times in the process! Somewhat off the pace, Tim Braden captured the second slot, being the last of the 7s trucks to complete all 4 laps.

3rd and with 3 laps was Doug Siewert, with 4th going to Sean Mecham. Sharing a 1 lap race with Mecham, Cody Swanty finished off the top 5 in 3 hrs 5 min. 8 sec.

Stock Full

Keeping it in the family, Mark Stein held off brother Dave Sykes, putting him that much closer to defending his 97 Stock Full championship.

We'd love to tell you about 3-5 place, but apparently the battling brothers have scared their competition senseless. They all stayed home.

Stock Mini

Tim Casey Stood alone in the 3 lap category, finishing the race in just over 10 and a half hours to take the win. Rob Rinerton's Ranger, despite sportin' a shiny new Off-Road.com decal, suffered mechanical damage and was forced (unwillingly I assure you) to drop out after 2 laps. Mark Turner and Frank Suzbart finished 2 laps respectively.

Class 5

Mike Dondel was at it again, posting a 44.7 mph average on his way to yet another Class 5 win. Consistent and fast laptimes placed him over 2 hrs. ahead of the 97 champ George Seely, who finished the Primm course in just under 10 hours.

Mike Nix and Randy Ross, despite some impressive Arial acrobatics, dropped out after 3 laps, While Ron Satter and Lee Finke had a lot of trouble on lap 1. Finke, owner of Race Shock Co. Lost an engine within miles of the starting line, and had a front row seat for a long day of racing he couldnt get back into, thanks to the BLM.

Class 5/1600

Victor Herrera & Dave Gasper went neck and neck all day long (a little over 9 hrs. worth) with the victor being ....who else? Victor. With a 36.1 mph average Herrera led a 6 car field, adding to his bid for the 98 season championship.

Dave Fresh and Jim McKay finished 3rd and 4th with less than 15 min. separating the two. Less than 3 min back, "The New Kid" (you read it here first) Eric Deen put on a damn fine showing, with a 10:13:51 time and a 32.7 mph average. This one bears watching.....

Carlos! The re-mustachioed Carlos Iribe combined with son Gerardo to finish a mere 3 laps in 6th place. It's been a while since this dynamic duo has graced the inside of a winners circle, with breakage plaguing the little silver bug throughout the year, but the 1k is home turf, and they're hungry....oh they're hungry.

Class 9

Marty Christensen took Class 9 honors, posting a 9:33:19 time and a 35 mph average. 2nd place belonged to Jimmy Messick, who followed shortly thereafter with a 9:50:59. Just over an hour back, Ed Mclean averaged 30.6 mph, to round out the 4 lap club. Bill Rodriguez was good for 2 laps posting some impressive times, but mechanical difficulties left him high & dry at the midway point.

Class 11

Bug Warfare! Eric Solorzano and Victor Barajas were all alone in the crowd pleasing VWs, but the 97 champ fell victim to the rugged course, and the skill of Solorzano. The battle for the 98 crown will come down to the Baja 1000 in November. will Barajas retain his crown? Not if Solorzano has anything to say about it!

Sportsman Buggy

All alone in Sportsman Buggy, Denis Nuckles took his Funco single seater 2 laps to an uncontested victory. Will he stay lonely at the 1K? It's a long road to LaPaz!

Race Notes

• Lots of conflicting reports. Some loved the course, some hated it, some called it fast, some called it brutal. Well, ya can't please all the people all the time!

• Several rollovers, including a grandstand area loop by Andres Dennington in Class 1/2-1600 resulted in a few scratches, but no serious damage
  
  Bob Gordon- rollover
  John Herder-rollover
  Tom Kotch - rollover
  Rich Boyle - rollover
  Fortin- blown motor lap 4
  Rueben Wood - tore off left front a arm 

• Word has it that Lonny Helmbolt set a record with 11...count'em "11" flats! Perhaps a change in brand may be in order? None the less, he has some crowd pleasing, photogenic jumps to go along with a 5th place finish.

• Shades of Simon & Simon! The Duralast Trophy Truck entered the pits engulfed in flames, after an electrical short ignited a leaky tranny line! Quick thinking, a couple extinguishers, and a new tranny put Dan smith back on track for a 3rd place finish!

• Johnny Phillips had a few new car bugs, completing 3 of 4 laps before a blown motor ended the day early. With less than a 1/2 hour on the car pre race, "The Flyin' Phillips" considered it a good day.

• Speaking of Smith & Ashley, the rumor goes that the new tube framed Trophy Truck, based on the Bill Savage "Baja Truck" chassis is nearing completion! With the success of the converted Class 8 truck, one can only wonder what the "ground up" factory truck will be like. With a growing number of entrants to the TT ranks (including Krieg Donahoe in the former Walker Evans truck - now undergoing final testing for the 1000), it appears that 1999 will see a resurgence in Off-Road racing's premier class.

• 5/1600 newcomer Eric Deen was well on his way to his first SCORE win, leading the class, and turning in the fastest lap. Unfortunately, minor gremlins struck for major damage, relegating the Pure Effect Racing Team to 5th.

• 5/16 vets Carlos & Gerardo Iribe snapped a rear trailing arm in half....again. Apparently "14 in." of rear wheel travel - on a 5-1600car aren't enough. Can you say they "drive hard"?

• Robby Gurevera & Bekki Freeman mixed it up all day long, with Robby coming out on top. Despite a flat tire and the loss of power steering, the fabulous Miss Freeman held Gurevera in sight, finishing less than 2 min. back. Said Bekki, "That's racing"!

• Tim & Troy Herbst made a heroic (some would say "crazy") effort to bring the ailing Truggy home to another 1st place finish. The cracked header and resulting Carbon Monoxide poisoning had other ideas. Coming in to a 2nd place finish, paramedics were ready, and administered oxygen. While Tim was given a clean bill of health, Troy was taken to a Vegas hospital for further treatment, then released.
  
  Sadly for them, it was all for naught. Later in the day, Truggy was DQ'd for an "illegal air support" violation by the CRB (competition review board). This marks round 2 for the "Great helicopter controversy" of 1998. Calls are going up for a "no air support" rule, and it's gaining in popularity. Off-Road.com will keep you advised as the situation develops.

• Dale white has finished up repair work on his Class 8 truck after last years horrendous rollover at the 1000. White and teammate Larry Ragland are heading down to the wilds of the Baja peninsula for some intense prerunning in preperation for the 98 La Paz run. Will Ragland make it 4 Baja 1000 wins in a row?

  ---

Perhaps the highlight of the entire weekend came from Tim Scalzo, and a 9 yr. old boy named Chase Wilson. Tim was watching a story on a SoCal TV station about Chase, who had been diagnosed with cancer at age 3. The piece went on to chronicle how despite a very poor chance for recovery, Chase had beaten the odds, living well beyond their best estimates, with his disease going into full remission.

As the TV reporter spoke to Chase, she asked him if he wanted to be a NASCAR or Indy Car Driver. "No", said Chase, "I want to be an Off-Road racer"!

Shortly thereafter, Tim tracked Chase down, and treated him to a weekend at the Primm 300. With a front row seat, Chase and Tim spent the day loaded down with hot dogs, Cokes, and some of the best off-road racing in the U-S of A. but the best was yet to come. When Ed Herbst crossed the finish line, He invited Chad to have a sit of the Terrible trophy Truck, where the poor kid nearly ripped his lips smiling.

No, Chase may not be ready to take it for a lap just yet", but thanks to a couple of off-road racers, a little boy's dream is a lot closer to coming true.

Primm 300 Results by Class