Bigburlynakedguy
03-05-2009, 11:35 AM
We pitted 7 cars at the King of the Hammers and I was impressed beyond words at the tenacity and professionalism of the crews.
My friends, Wayne Israelson, Brian Ellinger and Jack Graef overcame incredible odds and setbacks to finish one of the toughest offroad races in history. My hat is off to them and their teams.
Wayne, like me, is a family man first and built his rig in his backyard shop. Many late nights and long hours payed off as he finished in the top 20, sealing a spot in the 2010 King of the Hammers. Wayne came by Interco main pit after the first desert section with no brakes and a few minor issues. We removed a smashed brakeline and a spare link, re-routed the brake lines, bled the brakes and sent him off.
Coming down the wash after back door he punched a rock sticking out of a wall and wasted a tire, we changed it and sent him back out. He was 'our' top finisher.
Brian Ellinger showed up after a 15 hour drive from Northern Colorado with an F-toy that doesn't have $15 grand in it. We loaned him a race suit and about midnight on thursday pulled the race radio out of my wife's rhino so he could communicate with us. He defines the grass roots racer in every sence of the term. He represents the little guy on a shoe string budget with an iron will. He pulled into Interco main with a brake problem, just behind Wayne. His was a little harder, the flare pulled out of the master cylinder for his rear brakes. We couldn't replace it due to the fact that it was a 10mm-3/8" adapter line. With the tenacity of a seasoned racer, he said, "Don't worry about it, we'll just drive it!" He finished on the same 37" Trxus tires he started on.
He accomplished his goal to 'finish' the 2009 King of the Hammers!
Jack Graef has a rig built with left over parts from a few ex-comp rigs. Jack is a great person with a built in drive to compete. He rolled in to Interco main believing he had a flat tire. He had hit a rock at speed so hard he 'knew' it was flat. We saw him coming in and the tire was fine, a testament to the 42" Iroks. He never got a flat. He hit the rock so hard it had bent the Dana 60 high steer arm, messing up his toe in. We fueled him up and sent him out.
The second time through he called us on resolution and was coming in for a splash of fuel only. We waited and waited then finally heard from him. His rear winch failed and shorted out. The wire burned and started a fire under the dash. It took out a bunch of wires including the starter wire. We built a toggle switch before he got there, wired it in and zip tied it to his windshield bar. He overcame a lot and finished 33rd! One of the OG 16, with the determination and will to compete and finish one of the toughest races in the world.
Congratulations to the Winner and all the finishers of the race. You are all winners in my book.
Scott Hartman
Interco Tires
Dust Junkie Racing
My friends, Wayne Israelson, Brian Ellinger and Jack Graef overcame incredible odds and setbacks to finish one of the toughest offroad races in history. My hat is off to them and their teams.
Wayne, like me, is a family man first and built his rig in his backyard shop. Many late nights and long hours payed off as he finished in the top 20, sealing a spot in the 2010 King of the Hammers. Wayne came by Interco main pit after the first desert section with no brakes and a few minor issues. We removed a smashed brakeline and a spare link, re-routed the brake lines, bled the brakes and sent him off.
Coming down the wash after back door he punched a rock sticking out of a wall and wasted a tire, we changed it and sent him back out. He was 'our' top finisher.
Brian Ellinger showed up after a 15 hour drive from Northern Colorado with an F-toy that doesn't have $15 grand in it. We loaned him a race suit and about midnight on thursday pulled the race radio out of my wife's rhino so he could communicate with us. He defines the grass roots racer in every sence of the term. He represents the little guy on a shoe string budget with an iron will. He pulled into Interco main with a brake problem, just behind Wayne. His was a little harder, the flare pulled out of the master cylinder for his rear brakes. We couldn't replace it due to the fact that it was a 10mm-3/8" adapter line. With the tenacity of a seasoned racer, he said, "Don't worry about it, we'll just drive it!" He finished on the same 37" Trxus tires he started on.
He accomplished his goal to 'finish' the 2009 King of the Hammers!
Jack Graef has a rig built with left over parts from a few ex-comp rigs. Jack is a great person with a built in drive to compete. He rolled in to Interco main believing he had a flat tire. He had hit a rock at speed so hard he 'knew' it was flat. We saw him coming in and the tire was fine, a testament to the 42" Iroks. He never got a flat. He hit the rock so hard it had bent the Dana 60 high steer arm, messing up his toe in. We fueled him up and sent him out.
The second time through he called us on resolution and was coming in for a splash of fuel only. We waited and waited then finally heard from him. His rear winch failed and shorted out. The wire burned and started a fire under the dash. It took out a bunch of wires including the starter wire. We built a toggle switch before he got there, wired it in and zip tied it to his windshield bar. He overcame a lot and finished 33rd! One of the OG 16, with the determination and will to compete and finish one of the toughest races in the world.
Congratulations to the Winner and all the finishers of the race. You are all winners in my book.
Scott Hartman
Interco Tires
Dust Junkie Racing