We finished 20th, but hey, we were happy to finish!

First, congratulations to every competitor,especially the owners of the cars that competed whether you finished or not. Believe me I know the massive amount of time and monetary sacrifices you made to be able to participate in this race. Preparation was insane.

I'm not going to preface our lack of a better place finish with "would of, could of or should of". We, like everyone else, did the best we could with the circumstances that unfolded.

We started 58th and I personally, couldn't be happier. Unlike last year where we started towards the front of the pack and quickly had clean air, this year we got to actually race with other cars. which was absolutely the high light of the KOH experience for me. (I'd love to see the time split at ck.1 :D)

The start of the race was fantastic as we drag raced with Brad Lovell and his 347 stroker Ford Ranger. It was Ford against Ford but ultimately my extra cubic inches got the hole shot and we won the drag race only to be overtaken by him about a mile into the race when we hit traffic in the whoops and Brad overtook all of us!

Things were looking good though as we passed plenty of cars and I believe we caught up to Brad again. Though I could be wrong, it could have been Roger Lovell. It seemed like I was passing or being passed by a Lovell all day long. I was starting to think that maybe there were more than two of them!

After miles of fast desert sections, it was easy to hit the first rock section a little too hot. While still battling with one of the Lovells, (I'm telling ya, they were everywhere!) on Aftershock and then Sunbonnet, two or three times I banged into a rock harder than I was comfortable with. (there is a rock going down Devil's slide that always surprises me as it seems to come out of nowhere)
Anyway, the result was fatal to both front and rear ram capture bolts.
Luckily, the front capture mounts still had three of the four bolts (albeit stretched and bent)so they were just re-tightened.
The rear didn't fare so well as three of the four bolts were sheared off.
Without a welder, it was time to break out the ratchet straps.
It took several attempts to secure down the rear ram as the straps provided little defense against the tires wanting to turn willy nilly. The 4 miles to the remote BFG pit area took about 1-1/2 hours.
Here's what it looked like when we pulled into the pit:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii206/JRsBronco/P2270134.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii206/JRsBronco/P2270136.jpg

Thanks to Frank and my pit crew, we simple welded the rams to their saddles.
I'm glad I didn't spring for the aluminum bling!


http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii206/JRsBronco/P2270143.jpg

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii206/JRsBronco/P2270159.jpg

With sheared off bolts, we didn't see the need to weld on the caps.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii206/JRsBronco/P2270155.jpg



This worked well and after another 25 minutes, once again I had control over the general direction of the car.
But we had another problem. The power steering cooler was leaking, I mean "consuming" oil. ( note to self: rubber mount all coolers) We had various stops to add fluid until it occurred to me to tighten the threaded bolts on the stacked row cooler. Duh! The extra "consumption" was almost completely stopped and good enough to finish the race!

Thinking I was out of podium contention, I just started focusing on finishing the race by pulled the pace back.

The mysterious vapor lock reared it's ugly head once again on Fissure Mountain. It hasn't happened since last year, I thought I had it licked for sure :confused: I had Rob, my co-driver, blow on the gas tank vent hose to pressurize the gas tank and after a few minutes, the car started.

About 2 miles from the finish the car started running on 7 cylinders. I don't know what that's all about except that one cylinder is now void of compression.

All in all, I had the best time and an experience to remember!
It's always great to see friends I know and people I don't know but have heard of.

Thanks to my crew of 13, they were awesome! We had a pit meeting and dress rehearsal the day before the race to make sure everybody knew what their job was.
The crew:

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii206/JRsBronco/P2260084.jpg

Jeff and Dave did a heck of a job putting all this together and everyone I talked to was happy with the course lay out.
Finally, thanks to Pirate4X4.com (Lance, sorry I never got to do an interview with you :( ) and the rest of my support listed below.
The BFG tires worked awesome and I would not run anything else!

Congrats to Jason for the win!

Looking forward to KOH '10!

Congratulations JR! I was checking out the scuffs on your rig after the race but didn't see you around. I was wondering what the "story" was. Great that you finished!!

thanks for sharing the experience. It's cool to see the details of what happened to each competitor and what they had to contend with throughout the race.

As far as the racing traffic, the pictures hardly ever show single vehicles as there always seemed to be passing and racing all along the course. Some pictures show 5 or 6 vehicles nose to tail.

grats on just finishing

Good write up JR...We were pulling for you guys...


Now we can get back to normal wheeling....:D

Did you have any brake fade issues this year or did the blowers you install solve the problems.

You're a class act man.......:smokin: I will meet you sooner or later.

Thanks for putting on such a great show for us!

congrats on finishing and doing it safely. glad ya had a great time!


:smokin:

would love to try this sometime, just not sure if I have the $$ to do so.

Congrats on finishing!! Still one of all time favorite rigs!!:smokin:

Congratulations JR! I was checking out the scuffs on your rig after the race but didn't see you around. I was wondering what the "story" was. Great that you finished!!
You must mean this scuff,lol.
Totally my fault.
Two or three times during the race I was in a situation where I needed to punch it to save from rolling. This scuff happened in one of those situations only this time,I didn't have enough time to stop the car before tapping a rock.
It was a split second decision that maybe I could have avoided but oh well, it'll buff out! :laughing:

BTW,Steve, thanks again for the posters, they turned out great!

:golf clap: Good show old man, Good show.


I've gotta tell you, after reading about you last year, and seeing you put into more of the spotlight this year, I have enjoyed following along and hope to see you continue in a long a fruitful racing career.

Congratulations on a good showing.

Did you have any brake fade issues this year or did the blowers you install solve the problems.
Other than the issues I discussed, we had no other problems. The brakes worked fantastic.
Also, this year we never got lost or veered off course. Rob and I did a lot of GPS practice together.

Great job JR. Always a pleasure sharing the desert with you.

Great job JR, sorry for your tough luck, and I can't wait to just wheel with you for fun!:)

Then we can do this all over again in 2010.:smokin:

Rick.

You must mean this scuff,lol.
,Steve, thanks again for the posters, they turned out great!

I never got one :( Always to busy networking...

Anyway, congrants on the finish, we were wondering what happened to you, as we moved from Pit to pit and never saw you.

i noticed that "scuff" right away when you pulled into the finish line and thought damn he hit some rock hard! lol

Congrats JR and Rob! :smokin:

Good Christ the wheels on that rig do seem to have mind of their own, don't they! :flipoff2:

Thanks for the stroy.

You're a class act.

Happy to hear the brakes worked well.

Sounds like you and Ready Welder need to talk about a partnership :grinpimp: You are an awesome competitor and seemed very nice after the race just hanging out.

What determination after 2 races with some serious bad luck.

It was Ford against Ford but ultimately my extra cubic inches got the hole shot and we won the drag race only to be overtaken by him about a mile into the race when we hit traffic in the whoops and Brad overtook all of us!

That pass was awesome! There were only a handful of spectators at that point in the course but the action was so intense that for me it was the highlight of the day.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gallery/files/6/1/0/IMG_0102.JPG
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gallery/files/6/1/0/IMG_0103.JPG

Congrats JR, you know it was only because Me and Madram helped you "clearance" that hood . Thanks for the pic's and it was very nice to meet you sir !

P

( car # 62 , the dood that brought the little Honda Generator over to you to nip the front edge of your hood )

Thanks for the writeup, I was wondering how your day went. Get 'em next year.

Does this have anything to do with it running on 7?

Just past Check Point 1:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a399/dlddesign/Trips/KOH09/DSC_0851.jpg

JR,
Did the Alum. rocker arm brake or the stud mount?

Great you finished,
Brent

Good job JR. Was back in Outter Limits to watch you come through. You were having troubles with yourcar their. Well be back to see you next year

CW

Thanks for Update JR. I had been curious about you the whole time during the live broadcast. 20th aint bad for that kinda damage.

Id like to know whos ass is in my photo :laughing:

http://tracktabs.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=486

http://tracktabs.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=488

Does this have anything to do with it running on 7?


Errr, I'm no expert, but all them thingeys say 1.72 except the one that I can't read. Maybe that was the problem?

great story.

you're the 2nd competitor i heard about that lost a ram mount this year. any ideas to strengthen/redesign the mount?

Damn, you didn't want to get the hood.....you got the hood :eek:

I have a signed poster :smoking:

I've been anxiously awaiting your report. It was almost odd to not have you and your rig as part of the pre-race hype. It sounds like you walked away with a much bigger grin this year. It's nice to know the Bronco wont be sitting in a time out for the next few months. Congrats on the finish. I wish I could have picked up a poster.

Sorry to hear about the tough luck but the way you deal with adversity is what makes you such a cool dude.

I'll never forget pulling into Las Cruces, NM for the Warn/Pro-Rock event and seeing your Bronco. It was WAY ahead of it's time. Then, last year over the holiday's I spend a few days reading the build on your current rig. It was the total inspiration for building my new car. You made KOH cool, some luck on your side and I'm sure the scepter will be back in your hands before long:)

JR,
Did the Alum. rocker arm brake or the stud mount?

Great you finished,
Brent

Looks like the stud broke.

Where those ARP studs?

congrats on teh finish....

you definitely were gettign it off the line....everyone watching the streaming feed could see that....

sorry that you had some steering issues...and dammit if you didnt gouge up that beautifully made suck down capture for the winch rope......

Saw JR rip out from the start line and man that rig was hauling. He was hauling when they run through checkroom 4 as well. Rig looks good. Sucks on the ram clamp bolts, Rock Runner Racing car 001 (Joshiem sp?)had the same issues and cost them ~ 1hour on sledge till the Ballistic Fab car was able to run parts to them.

JR and Brad Lovell at starting line

YouTube - koh '09 drag race (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6ee931df4)

JR,
Did the Alum. rocker arm brake or the stud mount?

The 7/16" stud broke. I talked to the engine builder about why it happened and he gave me a few possible reasons. I just summed it up as "one of those things".
For now, I'm just going to replace it as I want to go to TDS next weekend.




you're the 2nd competitor i heard about that lost a ram mount this year. any ideas to strengthen/redesign the mount?
The rams I used were an older POS design. It's flaw is that it does not have key ways for the ram mounting clamps. But still, I had no idea they would fail. It caught me off guard.

I want to upgrade to lighter rams that are machined for clamps and clamps that have 4 bolts each.

I'm carrying some kind of welder next year, too.





I'll never forget pulling into Las Cruces, NM for the Warn/Pro-Rock event and seeing your Bronco. It was WAY ahead of it's time.
Thanks Jason, funny thing is that that was the same event Tiny was revealed. I suddenly thought I was driving a dinosaur! :laughing:

Thanks for the video, Matt!

JR and Brad Lovell at starting line

YouTube - koh '09 drag race (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6ee931df4)

:smokin:

My favorite picture I took of your Bronco

http://www.rockmidgetphotography.com/photos/484529459_mSzJd-L.jpg

So, what did you think of the Brawlers?
Will you use them for recreational wheeling or switch back to the Krawlers?

So, what did you think of the Brawlers?
Will you use them for recreational wheeling or switch back to the Krawlers?

Search Noob!

I'll use the reds for trail use but switch back to the KRTs for next year's race.

We ran KRTs. at 12 and 14psi.
No spare, no flats.

And yes, the KRTs have that magic traction almost as good as the red's.
However, they are a little slippery and hard to direct in the sand.

It was nice to see JR come across the finish line. When we passed him on aftershock/Sunbonet it was a bummer to see him down. Just glad he wasn't out.

Congrats on the finish, truck looked so good green and black. Seems like your list of upgrades after this race is pretty short, gotta like that.

I have always tho about this. How about if you lose a ram on your steering. Just unbolt the steering links and have a tab/bracket to tie does steerings links the the housing so the tires would be soild and would not move. I think it would of help for you last year to. if you would have put does front tires soild from moving from side to side and just use your rear steer. I dont know if that made sences

Eric

Didn't this same failure happen to Dan Dibble in TTC 05? By the looks of your field repair a new cylinder is inevitable, so now you can go anyway you want, Seans (POS) new desighn looks pretty good, you going to go that route or do you have something else in mind already, I know you said lighter, you want to give any secrets out yet?

Didn't this same failure happen to Dan Dibble in TTC 05? By the looks of your field repair a new cylinder is inevitable, so now you can go anyway you want, Seans (POS) new desighn looks pretty good, you going to go that route or do you have something else in mind already, I know you said lighter, you want to give any secrets out yet?

Yep, caused me to roll in the tank trap:flipoff2:

2006

I know how JR feels

http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/standard?pictid={B6B60881-88B9-4398-8B6B-E7B4E8F3817C}&exp=f&moddt=38883.4370105787&ssdyn=1

Dan

Without a welder, it was time to break out the ratchet straps.
It took several attempts to secure down the rear ram as the straps provided little defense against the tires wanting to turn willy nilly.

Sounds like you and Ready Welder need to talk about a partnership :grinpimp: You are an awesome competitor and seemed very nice after the race just hanging out.

What determination after 2 races with some serious bad luck.

Hey JR-

First and foremost, congrats on your finish!

Second, it was great meeting you out there at KOH. Thanks for taking the time to stop by the booth, and for running the sticker! I had mentioned to ya about talking about getting our welder on board with ya for the race, and it sounds like it could have come in handy out there for you!! :(

If you're still interested, let me know. Not sure what your schedule is for the year, but either way we can work together on getting ya a hang! :smokin:

PS - It turns out if ya would of picked one up out there, you would have won the contingency offer! Gotta love ironic situations!!! :laughing: :laughing:

The 7/16" stud broke. I talked to the engine builder about why it happened and he gave me a few possible reasons. I just summed it up as "one of those things".
For now, I'm just going to replace it as I want to go to TDS next weekend.


I had a stud snap this weekend. I am concerned I have a bad batch of studs so Im gonna replace them all. Are you gonna add girdles?
I also noticed that roller rockers call for longer studs, could you have the shorter studs?

I had a stud snap this weekend. I am concerned I have a bad batch of studs so Im gonna replace them all. Are you gonna add girdles?
I also noticed that roller rockers call for longer studs, could you have the shorter studs?
Yeah, the studs don't seem long enough and so they will all be replaced.
I'll look into a girdle.

Hey JR-

First and foremost, congrats on your finish!

Second, it was great meeting you out there at KOH. Thanks for taking the time to stop by the booth, and for running the sticker! I had mentioned to ya about talking about getting our welder on board with ya for the race, and it sounds like it could have come in handy out there for you!! :(

If you're still interested, let me know. Not sure what your schedule is for the year, but either way we can work together on getting ya a hang! :smokin:

PS - It turns out if ya would of picked one up out there, you would have won the contingency offer! Gotta love ironic situations!!! :laughing: :laughing:

I will not be racing again without a welder. :shaking:

shot you a pm.

Does this have anything to do with it running on 7?

I'd consider going to one piece chromo pushrods too, I had the ball seperate on one of mine (new less than a year ago) and luckily it stayed in place, but made a lot of noise.