Desert Pre Run

[MojaveRacer208]

Hi! I am a 52 year old guy who has been around motorsports all of my life. I live in the southern California Mojave Desert where most of you have seen scenes on TV from. My father went to work for Toyota USA in 1970 as the Emissions Lab Supervisor and Corporate Spokesman to all American government agencies. He was also heavily involved in Toyota Motor Sports before the advent of TRD. He retired from Toyota and has since passed away. After growing up involved with sports car road racing and being around hot rods, dry lakes racing, sprint cars and midgets, I have been involved in desert off road racing since the early '70s. I have won a Championship in my 2-seat buggy and have raced in a number of other cars, including racing in California, Nevada, Arizona and Baja. Most recently in a friend's 5-1600 Baja. I have owned a fabrication and race prep business and operated it on and off since the mid '80s. Cars I have built have won their classes in the Baja 1000, as well as in other off road races. This list includes a Toyota 4x4. My own daily driver is a '90 Xtra Cab with a 22RE and a 5-speed. It has a FabTech LT kit with subframe, engine cage, tube a-arms and Fox Reservoir CoilOvers, with a Total Chaos steering beef kit. 4.88s turn the BFG 33x12.50s on American Eagle 186 15x8 wheels. Plans include a bumper to bumper cage of 1-3/4" x .120 DOM. It has Hanneman "Late Ivan" fiberglass (no carbon - it is too brittle for off road) which is painted to match the original Toyota metallic red. This truck chases groceries and jackrabbits, as it gets off roaded often. Off road trails start just 30 feet from my driveway. It has been airborne many more times than I can count, although I don't jump for the sake of jumping, just go fast off road. See you folks at the newly revived Mint 400 in Las Vegas the last weekend of March. Tech Inspection will be on Fremont St. and I will be one of the Tech Inspectors.