ATRacing March 2007 Newsletter
ATRacing March 2007 Newsletter
With thanks for your continued support: Sponsors: you are our #1!!!:

ATRacing wants to express their gratitude and honor for the opportunity to continue to represent our sponsors in the 2007 season. We are very fortunate to count on sponsors that make the best off road race products in their field, and the shine not only in their products but in their service and attitude that they always treat us with, as they do their clients. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your team, and for being an essential part of ours!

Class 6 grows:

It is nice to see that Class 6 is growing, with various contenders such as Antonio Cazarez V8 Explorer and "El Gallo" Olegario in his fully floating Maverick taking their rides from Class 8 Open to Class 6. We look forward to seeing this fun and competitive class grow and look forward to seeing new and familiar faces out in the dirt!

1st Race of the season:

Racing… We love it. I guess that we have to admit that it is an addiction, a disease. It doesn't always make sense, it doesn't always add up, but there are few things that can plaster a smile on our faces like a day of racing in the dust! Except for those days when racing decides to deal you a spiteful hand… There are those days when absolutely EVERYTHING goes wrong and you kind of wish that you had picked Golf instead of something with so many nuts and bolts!!!

To start of the season of 2007, we had decided to move it up a notch, and have a V8 5.0 built in the US to give our FORD EXPLORER some extra Horse power. However, due to some delays with the builder, ten days before the first race of the season, we were advised that the engine was not going to be ready. Everything had already been set up for the V8 modification, including engine mounts, a brand new transmission and torque converter, so we had to resolve to buy a used stock engine from a junk yard. Simple right? Find a stock 5.0 H.O from a Mustang with its stock 225HP, which should be plenty to get us going. Three engines later, we figure out that it is not as easy said as done! To find an engine in a junk yard in La Paz, easy, but to find a good one that isn't smoking or that can be rectified… Not that easy!

The hard working crew got REALLY good at taking these engines apart and putting them back together, until they had to come to terms with the fact that we will not find one of the high output engines in decent shape. So, in comes Plan B. There is a late model Explorer V8 engine, with only around 200Hp stock, but it looks real good. With bigger manifold and a little change in the cam, we should have something to give the guys a run for their money. It is in, and the crew calls me to tell me that it sounds great, and is ready for me to test it as I get back to La Paz Friday night before the race. At our 7.00pm, I go to test the truck straight from the airport, and the engine sounds and responds fantastically, for about 5 miles before it starts blowing smoke. Two pistons are broke…

All the parts stores are closed, so the next morning, the crew has to rebuild and modify the engine and some of its components. Never willing to give up, the work until 4.30am on the day of the race, at which time I take it to the highway to test. Feels ok, but lacks power. We decide to line up outside of the track at 6.00am to at least try the track once before the race, as "officially", there is no testing allowed on the day of the race. We get one test lap, and our worries are confirmed. We lack power. The mechanics change combinations of carburetors and manifolds until the get it. The engine is roaring! Half an hour before the race, we decide to warm up the engine… but the brand new starter motor is on strike. They quickly borrow another from one of the crew's vehicles… Ok, the new truck is looking & sounding GREAT as we make our way to the line up for the one presentation lap to the start. As we make half way through the lap, the brand new race transmission blows, and we manage to limp to the start line just in time to default!!!

So, no points for our first race, and just long faces seeming ready to burst into tears in the pits as the truck has to be hauled away from the course. I get into my personal pickup to my head in my hands for a minute… just to find that one of the tires has a puncture. I guess that there are just some of those days!

I cannot express enough thanks for all the crew's hard work and determination, proving that they are never willing to give up, no matter what. Special thanks to Quaker State too for doing their utmost to get us all our parts even after the store was closed on a Saturday afternoon.

And even though it saddens us to start off the season on a bad note, it has given the team more determination to go all out for the rest of the races!


ATRacing teams up with Toyo Tires:


ATRacing is honored to team up with Baja 1000 winner TOYO Tires for the 2007 season, giving the team what is undoubtedly the best dirt tire available. Even more so, what we are stoked about is that Toyo's race tires are exactly the tire that you can buy at your local tire shop. No prototypes, no "racer only US$600" tire, but the tires straight from the store. What you see is what you get, and what you get, is the best! http://toyo.com

ZAMP is on our heads!:

The fairly new helmet company ZAMP is making itself known for producing some high end products at an incredibly reasonable price. Its rage is very wide from parker pump prepared helmets, to carbon fiber helmets to motorcycle helmets. Look out for our forthcoming product reports. www.zamp-racing.com

Morfo Racing grows to cover more of your racing needs:

Our wonderful racing Mexican sponsor Morfo Racing is covering a wider range of racing services, not only covering intercoms and radios, but there own line of safety equipment such as shoes, gloves and race suits at very reasonable prices and great designs. They are using us as a testing ground and sound board for the off road race orientated products, and we can see that they are going to do great.

Morfo is also offering their own helmet painting service which is first class. Look out for the new ATRacing design!

For those of you in Mexico don't forget that you don't have to hassle with importation or complicated shipping…

Change of date for Circuito Bronco:

The challenging race Circuito Bronco that will cover 3 laps of the technical 16 kilometer course on Saturday, with another 3 laps on Sunday was postponed from the scheduled 11th of March to the 24 & 25th of March. It will be inaugural race on this circuit, promising a huge party and mechanical revision on Friday. It's going to be a LONG race week end so get your coolers ready…

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