BFG Jeep Race
Report
The weather gods didn't disappoint for the 4th annual Powder Puff Race. The lows never dropped too far into the 50's and the highs never raised themselves much above 75. If you were to sit down and custom order weather for a desert race weekend, this was it.
The ladies chosen to pilot the BFGoodrich JeepSpeed Jeep were each chosen for their own talents, and together, were gonna be a force to be reckoned with. Crystal Shackleford, known for her pedal-to-the-metal style in the stock car world, would start the race for the Rough Riders. After around mile marker 8, Crystal was able to settle the Jeep into a comfortable 3rd place spot. Midway through lap 2, however, communication problems forced the Jeep into a remote pit stop. Although they were no longer than a few minutes, that was all it took for the rest of the pack to catch up.
For those not familiar with off road racing, a pit stop is almost always a few minutes long, so to get the Jeep out in under a minute was strong work from our remote crew on the other side of the course, especially when you consider they were trying to diagnose an electrical problem! Strong work, guys!
When Crystal and Emilie pulled back onto the course, it was just in time to be in front of the remaining pack of Jeeps by seconds. Crystal had to go to work again, distancing herself from fourth place, and had once again built a substantial lead back in to 3rd place.
Crystal then handed over the Jeep to Barbara in good position, but with failing clutch --no fault of the drivers. The clutch was old and should have been replaced -- Barbara's years of off road experience would pay off big when it became painfully evident that it only took a few hours for the course to go from bumpy and dusty to rocky, silty and chewed. Quick shifting was to become a huge part in getting around the course for the remainder of the race, and it just wasn't there.
A half-mile long stretch, 6- to 12-degree uphill narrow canyon with deep gravel and littered with already stuck vehicles was the second dagger in the heart of the Jeep. After getting stuck and unstuck twice themselves, slammed from behind with bumpers hooked, it took a pull from a tow strap to get them out and back on their way. By this time, the already worn clutch was almost non-existent.
Another half dozen miles down the course, the already deep sandy wash had become nearly impossible to pass through with a 4100-pound, two-wheel drive vehicle of stock power and torque. After the 15 minutes of trying to unstick themselves, Barbara and Ellen slammed into the wall of time and had to call it quits -- this was two timed races; one in the morning and one at noon. The time for our class to continue on safely was over and the call was made to end it. Barbara had, however, nursed the Jeep the few extra miles needed and the ladies captured 3rd place in our class.
All the ladies came back without any injuries and no major damage to the Jeep.
Considering the experience the other ladies in the race had, this was a huge accomplishment and a victory in its own right!