Rory Ward and Jeff Furrier recently purchased Mark Stahl’s vintage 1977 Chenowth 1000 desert racing buggy with plans on racing it in the NORRA 1000 vintage off road rally next spring. The buggy has a well decorated past, having won Class 1 in the infamous Baja 1000 three times, including twice overall. Stahl also received the Ironman award for driving the Baja 1000 solo. He first raced the Chenowth buggy in the 1977 Baja 500 and his last race was the 1981 Baja 1000. The car was sold to Jim Travis, followed by a few other owners until Ward and Furrier picked it up. Follow along on Race Dezert as the rebuild this vintage off road race car from the frame up.
Classic Broncos.com member My69Pony has posted some vintage photos of the off road race Bronco that his dad used to race in the 70’s and 80’s. He will be starting to restore the early Ford Bronco in the next few months. Of course, we are super excited to follow along on the progress as well as see vintage off road racing photos! The race Bronco was originally owned by Charlie Erickson from California. My69Pony’s father brought the Bronco north to Wyoming in 1970 and the rest is history!
25 September, 2010: The National Off Road Racing Association announced today that the 2011 Mexican 1000 Rally will take place from May 4th through May 8th 2011. While the afterglow of the 2010 rally still continues with magazine articles, YouTube videos, and a great buzz that resonates throughout the off road community, those that are looking ahead have already begun preparations for 2011.
According to Alex Plewniak, NORRA’s director of operations, “the organization receives daily emails inquiring about the upcoming 2011 rally and many are awaiting the opening of registration. Participants will receive their starting positions according to their registration date.
The 2010 Mexican 1000 has marked a new era for the off road world. NORRA’s pledge to “honor the past and forge the future” has dropped the green flag for the roots of off road to re-emerge and sparked great interest in the introduction of alternative fuels to the Baja peninsula.
While the 2010 Mexican 1000 rally hosted some of the most renowned off road racers of all time, the dynamic course with its logistically pleasing rally format, full support pits, reasonable costs, and a unique sense of camaraderie, opened the door for any newcomer of the sport to participate with ease. The spring weather provides favorable driving conditions and the multi-day format allows participants a rare opportunity to get acquainted with their peers and build friendships that can last a lifetime.
Off Road enthusiasts throughout the world are cleaning out their garages and scouring Craigslist and Ebay in search of the perfect ride for next May. Returning participants are tuning up their iron and making plans. The rally is open to pre 1989 vintage automobiles and motorcycles. There is also an alternative fuels category which is open to any year vehicle that runs on non-traditional fuels such as diesel, propane, ethanol, E-85, electricity, etc.
Gentlemen, start your wrenches!
Do you remember the Orange Blossom Special pulling truck? It was probably the most popular pulling truck from the 80’s and 90’s. I remember seeing the photo above in a magazine and falling in love with it. I guess even back then I loved the old school trucks. I am not sure what it was about the truck that made me love it so much. Since it was one of the few pulling trucks that had toy versions, I imagine I was not the only one that adored it. They now have a new Orange Blossom Special Facebook page and are posting old photos and videos of the 2wd and 4wd pull trucks, along with the train tank monster. What is your favourite memory of the Orange Blossom Special?
Jeep trucks have always been one of my favourites, especially the desert racing Jeep Honcho’s! I remember reading the off road magazines when I was a kid and daydreaming about Roger Mears red Budweiser sponsored Jeep race truck. Thanks to the members of Race Dezert for posting these photos up!
From what I can recall, John Baker was the first off road racer to be sponsored in full by Dodge in the Class 8 Two Wheel Drive class. Baker was a well rounded driver that had decent success in his Ford Bronco before switching to the Dodge truck. He ran this truck for two years before the Dodge sponsorship was transferred to Walker Evans. At this point, John Baker moved to a Class 7 D-50 mini truck. Does anyone have more photos or information about Baker and his Class 8 dodge desert race truck? It is currently being restored and the owner would like more information.
Dave from Ewillys.com always has some great articles, but he has outdone himself with his new article about Pacific Northwest off road races and playdays from the 70’s really hit home for me. I grew up attending the same events in British Columbia and Washington with my family in the 70’s and early 80’s. Of course, the obstacle course and sand drags were popular, but some of the most loved events were things like the potato stab, blindfold driver race, and the backwards race. One of my favourite stories is when my parents were at a playday Calgary, Alberta. One of the events was where the co-driver would hold a bowl full of water while the driver tried to navigate the off road course as fast as possible. The team with the most amount of water left in the bowl was the winner. My parents were making great time until they came to a rough section. For some reason, my Dad forgot to lock in the hubs and they were stuck with only the rear tires spinning. My mother proceeded to dump the bowl of water on over my Dad’s head. Of course, the local city news was there to capture the moment and it was blasted over the local news for a few days. Do they still hold events like this in your area? What were some of your favourite events?
It is with great sorrow that I announce that off road racing legend Frank “Scoop” Vessels has passed away after a plane crash in Oregon at the age of 58. Vessels is one of the pioneers of desert racing and was known to be one of the most friendly “big name” off road racers around. Stories are starting to pour in on this thread on Race Dezert about his generosity and willingness to take the time from his busy schedule on race day to talk to kids, fans and other racers.
We are looking for older Dave Shoppe photos? He raced desert races for a number of years and drove both Chevrolet and Ford Class 8 race trucks. Can you help us?
We are looking for more photos of the Miller Lite Oldsmobile Cutlass that Chris Robinson used to off road race in Class 6. Can you help us out?
