Fresno, CA-Team Trail-Gear Racing took home top honors at the Ultra4 Western Regional Series*Cinco de Baja race just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Driver*Matt Messer and co-driver James Schofield beat out more than 50 drivers across 12 classes to*achieve the overall fastest time and the unofficial fastest lap speed of the [...]Team Trail-Gear Triumphs at Cinco de Baja is a post from: RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine
Fresno, CA-Team Trail-Gear Racing took home top honors at the Ultra4 Western Regional Series*Cinco de Baja race just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Driver*Matt Messer and co-driver James Schofield beat out more than 50 drivers across 12 classes to*achieve the overall fastest time and the unofficial fastest lap speed of the race.
The race began at 1:00 p.m. (MDT) in the desert of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Team Trail-Gear,*in pole position number one for the Ultra4 class, crossed the start at 1:02.30 p.m. “We were*thrilled to have an early start position but we came prepared to fight,” said Messer. Team*Trail-Gear crossed the finish line at 3:52.15 p.m. At 4:10 p.m. Shannon Welch of Ultra4 Racing*reported: “It appears Matt Messer has finished the race! First off the line and first all day!” on*www.coveritlive.com which broadcast live race coverage.
“We pushed the car to the very end of the race,” said Messer. “We bicycled it four or five times*on the 90-degree turns the course served up and the power line towers provided an exciting*challenge. By our second lap we were speeding through them at about 80 miles per hour. Our*pit strategy was to push it on fuel and distance. We ran 3 laps, pitted, then brought it home.*The car died as we crossed the finish line. We couldn’t start it after.”
Schofield saw the engine failure coming but remained quiet to clench the win. “We started*losing oil pressure around mile marker 13 on the fifth lap. I knew if I told Matt he’d back off,*but I didn’t know if we had the win locked. [Jason] Scherer [vehicle # 76] was still in it at that*point and I didn’t want to risk it,” recalls Schofield. “I figured it was better to keep the engine*spinning so it wouldn’t lock up. I finally told him right before we crossed the finish line.”
Messer dedicated the trophy to the employees of Trail-Gear at an impromptu ceremony at*Trail-Gear headquarters Monday morning, saying “If it wasn’t for each and every one of you*and all of the hard work you do here, Team Trail-Gear Racing would not be possible. This trophy*is yours. This win goes to you guys. Thank you.”
This was the third race for Team Trail-Gear’s independent front-suspension, LS7 race vehicle,*designed and built by Kirby Racing and Trail-Gear, Inc. The first was the 2012 King of the*Hammers race which resulted in a crash at mile marker 53. The second was the Mint 400 which*resulted in a 4th place finish. Next up for Team Trail-Gear Racing is the 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen*Grand Prix in San Bernardino, California.
Trail-Gear, Inc. is the title sponsor of the 2012 Ultra4 Western Regional series.
Team Trail-Gear Triumphs at Cinco de Baja is a post from: RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine
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Fresno, CA-Team Trail-Gear Racing took home top honors at the Ultra4 Western Regional Series*Cinco de Baja race just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Driver*Matt Messer and co-driver James Schofield beat out more than 50 drivers across 12 classes to*achieve the overall fastest time and the unofficial fastest lap speed of the race.The race began at 1:00 p.m. (MDT) in the desert of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Team Trail-Gear,*in pole position number one for the Ultra4 class, crossed the start at 1:02.30 p.m. “We were*thrilled to have an early start position but we came prepared to fight,” said Messer. Team*Trail-Gear crossed the finish line at 3:52.15 p.m. At 4:10 p.m. Shannon Welch of Ultra4 Racing*reported: “It appears Matt Messer has finished the race! First off the line and first all day!” on*www.coveritlive.com which broadcast live race coverage.
“We pushed the car to the very end of the race,” said Messer. “We bicycled it four or five times*on the 90-degree turns the course served up and the power line towers provided an exciting*challenge. By our second lap we were speeding through them at about 80 miles per hour. Our*pit strategy was to push it on fuel and distance. We ran 3 laps, pitted, then brought it home.*The car died as we crossed the finish line. We couldn’t start it after.”
Schofield saw the engine failure coming but remained quiet to clench the win. “We started*losing oil pressure around mile marker 13 on the fifth lap. I knew if I told Matt he’d back off,*but I didn’t know if we had the win locked. [Jason] Scherer [vehicle # 76] was still in it at that*point and I didn’t want to risk it,” recalls Schofield. “I figured it was better to keep the engine*spinning so it wouldn’t lock up. I finally told him right before we crossed the finish line.”Messer dedicated the trophy to the employees of Trail-Gear at an impromptu ceremony at*Trail-Gear headquarters Monday morning, saying “If it wasn’t for each and every one of you*and all of the hard work you do here, Team Trail-Gear Racing would not be possible. This trophy*is yours. This win goes to you guys. Thank you.”
This was the third race for Team Trail-Gear’s independent front-suspension, LS7 race vehicle,*designed and built by Kirby Racing and Trail-Gear, Inc. The first was the 2012 King of the*Hammers race which resulted in a crash at mile marker 53. The second was the Mint 400 which*resulted in a 4th place finish. Next up for Team Trail-Gear Racing is the 4 Wheel Parts Glen Helen*Grand Prix in San Bernardino, California.
Trail-Gear, Inc. is the title sponsor of the 2012 Ultra4 Western Regional series.
Team Trail-Gear Triumphs at Cinco de Baja is a post from: RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine
Link