Parker 425 Off-Road Race

Sorry for the long (6 weeks or so)lapse since the last blog. Computer problems!!!!!! Old one died, it was XP, new one is Vista.... and the two aren't always compatible. So, much of my older software (picture editing and email) didn't work on the new one. Replacing all my accumulated software was cost prohibitive, so I am slowly getting back to speed on what I can find as freeware or that which I can borrow or steal.

But, that's not the topic for this blog. How about the Parker 425 Off-Road Race? 425 miles across rugged desert terrain. And it was a sight to behold......

Here we see the main entrance to the racers registration and tech check area. The off-road machines were lined up for a half mile. The atmosphere was a almost party like, but all polite and friendly. The drivers and crews mixed with the fans and everybody chatted about the latest in shocks, tires, or transmissions.

If you wanted to be a racer you could buy a kit to put a car together. However, this one is a toy compared to the big boy race machines that cost several hundred thousand (plus another $200K for spare parts).

The big boy cars sported 800 horsepower engines (and pretty navigators).

And look at this cockpit. Talk about complicated, and the navigator has to be able work all those devices while bouncing high and hard.

The ladies like to race too! Here's is a nice looking driver taking her car through the tech inspection area.

And this is the same lady on the track.

Take a careful look at the three tires that you can see on this off-roader. None of the three are on the ground. A typical situation for these vehicles.

Unfortunately for this driver and navigator, the tires are off the ground because of a mechanical mishap. Flat tires are a standard hazard for these guys and most carry two spares. This, however was a two hour stop for repairs to suspension parts, and it has to be fixed right where it breaks down (no tows to the pits).

This type of racing is open to drivers and all classes of vehicles. Even this old VW bug got into the fray. But these little guys have few stock VW parts left in them, preferring to be beefed up in order to handle the pounding they get.


Although I have more fixing to do, I will try and get back to a little more regular schedule. See y'all again soon.