Baja 1000 from the driver's seat of a DragonFire Racing Kawasaki Teryx

By Reid Nordin, Kawasaki Team Green

I’m finally home from the 27^th annual Baja 1000 after nearly 10 days south of the border and boy does it feel good to be home. This year’s event would be one of the toughest Baja 1000’s ever. When the elite Trophy Truck class can only muster a 46MPH average you know it must have been tough. Just like any trip south of the border I have endless stories to tell from the trip down and back to the pre run let alone what happened during the race.

Let me start off by saying thank you to those who made this such a memorable trip this year. The entire Dragonfire crew of Todd, Jack, Seth and Darren put together and outstanding program, Todd and Ross at Fox for a great suspension setting. Everyone at ITP for the bullet proof wheels and tires, Mike Lasher for being a great pre run partner and our communications expert and to my teammates, Hans Waage, Todd Ramano, and the Baja Legend, Larry Roeseler. Thank you all for making it happen!

The pre race activities and prep were running along smoothly when we developed an issue with the ITP car during our final tuning session. The Nessy 1 was already tuned and ready to go but now we needed to change our attention to fixing the issues with second car before we did any more prep or pre running. Luckily the team was fully prepared and we installed a new bullet in the 1801 ITP car and set off to tune the car a final time. Just when we thought the tuning was finished a second problem occurred. This meant another rebuild and another day lost to prep.

The ITP car was finally up and running and we ran the start section in the 1803 car as a final shake down. We decided that night to do a visual on the valves just to make sure and we found the problem that caused the failure on the ITP car before it ruined our day. The valve spring retainer developed a crack and would have failed for sure had we left it alone. I wasn’t too worried as we still had about 18 hours before the start of the race.

Darren and Seth did a great job of swapping out some engine parts and we were back up and running the first thing the next morning. During the final assembly we didn’t fully tighten an oil line and when we ran the car down the highway she sprung a leak. Good news and bad. Good news, we found it before the race and bad news because staging was a mere 30 minutes away. How much more could go wrong before the race? That thought entered my mind for sure but I stayed calm and knew we could make it all work in the end. As it turned out we made the start with plenty of time to spare and my blood pressure and heart rate could return to normal in time to take the green flag.

To say this race was brutal would be a gross understatement. The dust was so bad at one point I was forced to make forward progress only using my GPS to guide me. It sucked to be limited on Laguna Salada to a mere 30-40 MPH but when visibility was zero that was the best I could do. I drove the first 200 miles and I passed more broken and stuck ten cars than you could imagine. Other then severe dusty conditions things seemed to be going smoothly for the Monster Energy DragonFire Teryx Nessy. Both Todd and I got stuck in a bottle neck but he really got the short end of the stick as he had to sit motionless for over 30 minutes at RM573. My bottleneck was early and only lasted 5 minutes tops although it did seem like an eternity.

Hans drove the second section flawlessly and gave the car to Todd in perfect condition. We had already decided to do an air cleaner swap and a belt change at RM395 but as it turned out we did not need to do either but we did just to make sure. Todd finished the Mike’s section just as the sun was coming up and gave the car back to me. Lasher installed a new GoPro camera while I changed the pedal location (it's hell being short). I handed the Teryx over to my hero, Larry Roeseler, who had already finished the race in his Norman Motorsports Trophy Truck. LR had his pre runner down there and needed to get it back to Ensenada so I jumped at the opportunity to get behind the wheel. We jointly decided that I should follow him up the course in case he ran into any trouble so I followed him to Santo Thomas before he headed east back to Ojos Negros and our final pit.

LR ran a solid anchor leg with zero troubles and brought the car home for a class win and a finishing time that puts us in a great overall position. Not only did we finish well but we were faster then many classes that started before us. As it goes in Mexico, anything can happen and it is never over until you take the checkered flag. It could have been a disastrous event if we weren’t as prepared as we were. The Nessy has again proved her toughness and agility in the worst Baja could throw at her.

This could not have been possible with out the following supporting cast: DragonFire Racing, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green, ITP Tires and Wheels, Fox Racing Shox and the entire hard working crew that put it all together.

Photos courtesy of Mike Lasher.

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GBC Motorsports Tires Give Winning Traction to Historic Sweep of Baja 1000

GBC Motorsports Tires Give Winning Traction to Historic Sweep of Baja 1000

LONG BEACH, Calif., December 12, 2008 -­ GBC Motorsports is thrilled to announce that its tires supported the historic victory of the Bi-Polar Extreme Racing Team/Arctic Cat win at this year’s grueling Baja 1000. This historic win is remarkable in that it was the first time that a UTV completed the race.
The number one finisher was an Arctic Cat Prowler XTZ 1000 driven by Jim Creagan. Featuring 10” of ground clearance and fully independent suspension, the victorious Prowler XTZ 1000 was outfitted with GBC’s new Grim Reaper™ performance tires. Grim Reaper™ combines an aggressive tread pattern with deep wrap-around shoulder lugs to give you uncompromising performance and traction. This 8-ply rated all-terrain radial with up to 1,045 lbs. max load is constructed with a zig-zag center ridgeline, for superior puncture resistance and enhanced rider comfort. GBC Motorsports carries a wide line of ATV/UTV tires for all types of terrains and riders.

The number two finisher was an Arctic Cat Prowler XTX 700 EFI driven by three sets of drivers. Featuring 12.5” of ground clearance and full independent suspension, the second place finisher was equipped with GBC’s new Dirt Commander™ tires. GBC Motorsports Performance ATV tires are built to get you over tough terrains to your destination. Dirt Commander™, GBC's new all terrain tire, is a super tough 8-ply rated bias tire radial with up to 1,045 lbs. max load that gives you excellent puncture resistance. Its siped tread design also gives additional biting edges for better traction in mixed terrains.

“We put everything into designing the Grim Reaper and Dirt Commander as tough challengers capable of taming the most hostile terrain. The Baja 1000 was the perfect venue to showcase the endurance of our all-terrain, high-performance tires,” said Randy Tsai. “We’re extremely proud to be part of such an historic race and to work with the incredible Bi-Polar crew. Our congratulations go out to Jim and all the team members.”
The world’s longest race, the 41st Annual SCORE Baja 1000 took place November 19 - 23. Totaling 631.35 miles, the brutal race promises an array of machine-breaking hazards for most brands. Arctic Cat and GBC broke with the majority and not only survived the race, but overcame all odds to win.
GBC Motorsports fuses technical expertise with broad motorsports experience to produce performance tires for ATVs, including ATV/UTV, Sand and Motorcycle. To learn more about the GBC Motorsports and its lines of performance tires, visit http://www.gbcmotorsports.com/.

About GBC Motorsports
GBC Motorsports is a division of Greenball Corporation dedicated to the powersports industry. For over 30 years, Greenball Corporation (http://www.greenball.com/)
has been providing high quality for a variety of applications. GBC Motorsports sells ATV/UTV, sand, and motorcycle tires through a dealer network in North America and Europe. GBC Motorsports tires are distributed through six regional centers located in California, Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

RANGER RZR Captures SCORE Championship for Fourth Series Championship this Year

RANGER RZR Captures SCORE Championship for Fourth Series Championship this Year
RANGER RZR wins championships with SCORE, BITD, GNCC and WORCS for 2008

Minneapolis, December 11, 2008 –Mark Lindsay and his RANGER RZR captured the SCORE “UTV Sportsman” championship leading the class with 204 points, 40 points ahead of the second-place finisher. The championship is the fourth for the RANGER RZR in 2008.

“Polaris is extremely happy with the success of the RANGER RZR during the 2008 racing season and we congratulate Lindsay on his championship,“ said Craig Scanlon, product line sales manager for the Polaris Side x Side Division. “The RANGER RZR continues to show its versatility and endurance in Side-by-Side racing and with the addition of the RANGER RZR S, we look forward to a successful 2009.”

Earlier this season, Lindsay made history in SCORE racing by being the first Side-by-Side to finish the Baja 500. His four-man team including himself and Phil Holdsworth as drivers, and Jason Spiess and Derek Tungmala as navigators, finished third in the Baja 1000 despite a couple accidents and challenges. The finish made Polaris Side-by-Sides the only vehicles to finish the Baja 250, 500 and 1,000; with a RANGER RZR finishing the 500 and 1000 this year, and Matt Parks’ 2007 history-making finish of the Baja 250 in a Polaris RANGER XP.

“The vehicle handled the silt, rocks, whoops and sand like a dream,” said Mark Lindsay. “Being the only Side-by-Side brand to finish the various SCORE races proves Polaris vehicles are more rugged than any other Side-by-Side.”

Lindsay’s team was sponsored by Afraidium Racing, FST, BS Sand Seats, Maier MFG, Maxxis, Iron City Polaris, King Shocks, ATVonics, TireBalls, DriFire Clothing, RE/MAX Lindsay Group, HMF Exhaust, Clif Bar, OMF and Vision X.

Lindsay’s SCORE championship is the fourth for the RANGER RZR in 2008. Jagged X and their No. 1919 RANGER RZR took their second Best in the Desert Points Championship in 2008 starting the season with two second-places and ending it with a dominating five consecutive firsts. Multi-time Pro and Pro Production GNCC Winner, William Yokley raced the Polaris RANGER RZR in GNCC’s ”UTV Open Modified” class and went undefeated taking the GNCC UTV Championship. And, Polaris/Lone Star/Eichner Racing’s Doug Eichner captured the top spot for the WORCS Side-by-Side title on his RANGER RZR with six podium finishes.

About Polaris
With annual 2007 sales of $1.8 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Polaris RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use. Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships. Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index. Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

Arctic Cat Prowlers Sweep Baja 1000

Arctic Cat Prowler 700 XTX

Arctic Cat Prowler 1000 XTZ

Arctic Cat Prowlers Sweep Baja 1000

Minneapolis, Minn. – The finish line at the 41st Annual SCORE Baja 1000 was as dramatic as it was historic. Racing a pair of stock Arctic Cat Prowlers, the Bi-Polar/Arctic Cat team beat the brutal conditions to finish first and second place in the world’s longest, continuous off-road race. It was the first time in race history a side-by-side UTV vehicle has finished what is widely regarded as the most grueling off-road race in the world.

“We were the first-time finishers and first-time winners in this greatest of all races because of a total team effort,” said Bi-Polar team co-owner and driver Jim Creagan of Yacott, Wash. “From start-to-finish, every person fulfilled their role perfectly and each Prowler performed magnificently.”

Finishing first in the 634-mile race with a time of 27 hours and 57 minutes was a stock 2009 Prowler XTZ 1000 driven by Creagan and co-pilot Tim Wagner for the first 409 miles, followed by driver/co-driver Chris Fallon and Aaron Bahner for the remainder of the course.

Taking second place at 28 hours and 13 minutes was a 2009 Prowler XTX 700 EFI driven by three driver/co-driver combinations: Shane Morgan and Tabor Cresap, Scott Sorenson and Justin Serface, and Casey Squires and Mike Connors.

It was just the second attempt at the Baja 1000 for the Bi-Polar/Arctic Cat team. In 2007 they made it to mile-810 before succumbing to a broken suspension bolt. They returned this year, ready to prove the Prowler’s durability and to support their sponsors: Arctic Cat, Wired Energy Drink, Vision X Lighting, GBC Motorsports, TrailReady Beadlock Rims and King Shocks.

“These were stock Prowlers except for the required roll-cage, extra night lights, King shocks and tires,” said Creagan. “Nothing broke on either machine during the race and we had only one flat tire on the 700. Our support crew never even had to put a tool to either machine. It was just gas-and-go at the pit stops, which is a testament to their durability and performance. ”

The Bi-Polar Racing Prowler 1000 XTZ has been chosen as the UTV of the Month for November 2008 at www.UTVGuide.net