By Bill "BillaVista" Ansell Copyright 2009 - Bill Ansell
(click any pic to enlarge)
Introduction
It has been said that in Japanese there is no difference between the word for business and the word for war. Well, at Joint Force Racing there is no difference between the word for racing and the word for war...total commitment, no surrender!
And the first principle of war is:
"Selection and Maintenance of the Aim"
With that in mind, we formed the team with the aim of winning the King of the Hammers crown. Now, wars aren't won in a day, and neither is this crown. The first campaign was to qualify for the big race, and our opportunity came with the inaugural east-coast qualifier - the 2009 Rausch Creek Qualifier (RCQ) held at Rausch Creek Offroad Park in Pennsylvania, 15 May 2009.
First objective - build a winning team. You can read about the origins of the team in our first press release.
With the team formed,next thing we needed was a rig that could win.
Originally conceived as a 4-seat family trail rig, complete with full aluminum tub, we knew a few modifications would be required to turn it into a winning race car.
Building a multi-purpose rig can be an extreme challenge - especially if you expect it to be competitive at the very top levels of the rock-sports world.
No problem at all for the wizardry of Dave Kemner though - with his amazing talent...
... and just as important his ability to carefully design, engineer, and custom-build each part...
... we knew early on we had made the right choice and our rig would be an ass-kicking monster.
Because of the all-capable design of the rig, early on we christened it the "SAK" - for Swiss Army Knife - able to do anything!
Of course we didn't do it alone - along the way we were fortunate to team up with some great names in the industry, all of whom made significant contributions to our efforts, and to whom we are extremely grateful.
So, the team was formed, the car was being built, all we needed was a plan...
Race day was set for Friday May 15. Since the team comes from the U.S. and Canada, some logistics would be required. The plan was for me to drive down to Charlie's in New York on Monday. Tuesday we would drive the three hours to Dave's and pick up the rig. Wednesday we would test the rig at Dave's, make any last-minute adjustments, and then head for Rausch Creek where we would rendezvous with the pit crew coming down from Canada. Thursday we would pre-run the course and complete tech inspection and then Friday morning - game on! Sounded good!
Well, the second principal of war is:
"No plan ever survives contact with the enemy"
...and sure-enough, our plan need a little, ahem, revising!
When we arrived on Tuesday, the car wasn't exactly ready to go!
No matter - our team philosophy is "Hustle. Loyalty. Respect." so we rolled up our sleeves and dived right in.
Tuesday passed in a blur of flying wrenches, whirring mills, and Dave's CNC plasma burning up a storm.
Sometime during the day Charlie sat in the car for the first time ever and the look that came over his face was indescribable. It fit like a glove, and he just looked at me and said "We're gonna be alright, everything's gonna work out." I replied with a brave smile that was probably more grimace, and on we soldiered.
Wednesday found us still with much to do and we made another early start.
Sometime that day the motor fired for the first time in a couple of years - she ran a little fat but the sound was incredible - 600+ hp and she was angry, very, very angry! We celebrated this minor victory and had to get right back at it.
Late in the day, the master list seemed to be having items added as fast as we were clearing them and I was beginning to get a little worried - and then the cavalry called. It was the gang from Canada invading from the North!
Of course, they were 50 miles out from Rausch Creek and expecting to meet us there for a beer before next day's pre-running.
"Uh, change of plans guys - we need you at the shop" I said.
True to form, they didn't bat an eye, and before long the whole crew - Adrian, Justin, Andrew, Mike, and Big Jon rolled into town and got right to work - which was a damn good thing as we had just discovered the inner beadlock rings no longer cleared the bigger brakes.
An assembly line formed to break down, mill, and re-install the inner lock rings on all four wheels, plus the two spares!
We worked late into the night Wednesday and packed it in to get a little rest before the sprint to the finish Thursday morning.
Many hands were making light work, but we were still plugging away as lunch came and went on Thursday.
Late Thursday we finally had the car almost ready and we put it in gear for the first time ever.
About that time Hammerking Productions Inc's Dave Cole, promoter of the race, called to check on our progress and to invite us to the pub that night.
"Umm, we're still a little ways out, Dave", I admitted. "But don't worry - we'll be lined up tomorrow morning, no matter what it takes." I boldly proclaimed.
Dave signed off with instructions to call him if there was anything he could do for us. Silently I whispered "Pray, for a miracle" as I punched <end call>.
The next call was to Team Manager, Jack Bettio, already in place in Rausch Creek. With a bunch of work still ahead of us, and the sun marching west at a furious pace, we got our man on the ground, Jack, to hold the fort at the race site. Now, Jack knows everyone, and everyone knows Jack - not surprising since he's been on the scene since the first ARCA days of 1999. So we passed him a SITREP (situation report) and asked him to sniff around the event site - find out what's going on, who's there, get as much detail on the course as possible, etc. With Jack on the job, we could concentrate on our own tasks. Third principal of war - time spent on reconnaissance / intelligence gathering is seldom wasted!
And then the miracle occurred. We got the rig out of the shop and Charlie began to rip it up in Dave's yard. With no time and not much terrain to work with, Charlie laid into it mercilessly.
Those of us used to building our own junk cringed - how could you hammer a car like that first time out?
But Dave hadn't let us down - the car was fast and ready for anything - and Charlie was grinning like a fox in a hen-house.
Here's a video clip showing pretty much the sum total of the pre-race testing of Car 69!
It was getting late in the afternoon, so we decided to make a few post-test adjustments and then load up for the drive to Rausch.
Car 69 was ready - it was time to head for the race.
We arrived at Rausch Creek after dark on Thursday - hadn't seen the course, no time to pre-run, and with about 15 minutes time on the car. But we were feeling really good - the car was ready, we were sure of it, and the crew was all together. Things were pretty quiet in the pits, so we turned in early to get some rest for the big day ahead tomorrow.
Heading out of the hotel early friday morning we finally caught up with Team Manager Jack Bettio, holding court as usual. For Charlie it was old friends reuniting, for me it was new friends becoming old friends in the blink of an eye. Jack filled us in on the intel he had gathered, and we were off, headed for the event site.
Dawn broke at Rausch Creek a bright blue to find us joined by the last member of the team, U.S. Pit Boss Ricky Brosinski.
Ricky jumped into action with the rest of the crew to check the car and make sure we were ready for tech inspection, and we were headed for line-up.
JT Taylor teched us in, but not until after he, Dave Cole, and Pirate4x4's Camo gave me a good grilling over the number of threads required to be protruding through each nut ...I guess I had that coming!
I guess word had gotten around about our mad scramble to finish the car, and as we lined up in our starting position the car drew quite a lot of attention.
It was hard to concentrate on the start with so many old and new friends to greet, but the crew never stopped checking and double-checking the car to make sure we were 100%
Crew members Adrian "fire-bug" Weber and Andrew "Sasquatch" Charlebois share a reflective moment amidst the chaos just prior to the start.
The clock ticked away towards our start and we began to focus - remember the first principle of war!
Dave Kemner arrived to watch his baby run, and Ricky acted as bouncer to keep back the fans while we got in the zone.
This is it, in the zone, total focus.
At this point we're 100% ready and 100% focused.
We were 13th off the line in a field of 33 - not a bad draw at all.
Time to race, nothing left to do but win.
The green flag drops and we're off with a tire-spinning roar as Pirate4x4's Lance Clifford brings all the action to the viewers from his tower.
Joint Force Racing leaves the line - man, what a feeling!
The first lap was insane - we had no idea of where the course went or really of even how long each lap would take. We did know there were five 12-mile laps to complete, and that was about it.
The first half of each lap was the "fast section", and we were flat-out hauling ass right off the bat. We reeled in a couple of rigs on this section before coming to the first brutal climb.
When we pulled up to the first climb, "Jotters Way", there were already a few rigs struggling and others waiting for a line to clear. We had a quick discussion in the cockpit as we watched our good friend and expert driver Doug Bigelow struggling a bit on the huge, slick slabs, and I said "I think we can make the right [line], just do it, let's go!" A good team has trust in each others instincts, and Charlie jammed it in gear and just took off. Here's a video of the climb:
Climbing "Jotters Way".
Climbing "Jotters Way".
After Jotters, there's a bit of tight, twisty, bumpy woods course and then you're facing the other brutal climb on the course - "Hill 5".
Once again, there were rigs all over the place and we paused a second to consider our options. It didn't take long, total commitment remember, and up the left we shot:
JFR Climbing "Hill 5"
We nailed the climb and kept on rolling. We didn't know it at this point, but our flat-out assault on these two climbs had put us on track for the second-fastest lap-1 time of the day.
Cresting the top of "Hill 5".
But Bruce and the RC crew weren't done with us yet - after several miles of pounding course we were greeted by the infamous "Rock Creek".
This time we didn't even slow to consider - Charlie dove right in and I hung on for dear life as we bombed through this brutally rocky section at race pace.
In the Rock Creek
Then it's back into the rough, twisty woods to finish the lap...or so we thought.
We were hauling ass again and loving it!
The final test came right at the end of the lap...after nearly an hour of flat-out hammer-down racing we had to shift gears and tackle the technical challenge of the man-made rock-crawling competition course at Rausch Creek.
The final obstacle was a tricky off-camber climb and drop-off that would give many competitors heartache throughout the day.
The drop off had a nasty undercut hole on the right, which can be seen in the lower left of this picture.
Charlie's skill and experience behind the wheel combined with our awesome car and its rear-steer allowed us to handle the challenge with ease...
..and head for the start/finish and the end of lap-1 with no delay.
Over the last hump, and we're down one - only four more to go!
A quick checkpoint check-in with Dave Cole at the start/finish and Lance captures us heading out for lap-2.
We had started in 13th position, and had no idea where we were at the end of lap-1, although we felt pretty fast.
After ripping through the fast section on lap-2, we bypassed the pits and headed again for the climb at Jotter's Way.
As we pulled up at the bottom, we found twice the chaos and carnage we had seen on lap-1. Just then our crew came rushing over and yelled that we were now in second place...11 places in the first lap in an "untested" car on an unknown course - dayum - we were FAST!
Things were about to change though - as is the way in racing and war! Eager to not loose the time we had made on lap-1, and seriously constrained by broken and struggling rigs littering the climb, we made a mental mistake. We allowed the pressure to force us into a line we wouldn't have otherwise taken, a brutal line from which there was no backing out.
Charlie drove hard, and we were nearly to the top when an unlucky hard bounce on a huge slab took out the rear driveshaft - not a part failure - simply operator error.
Oh well, no use crying, out we hopped to survey the damage.
In our rush, we hadn't packed the spare driveshafts, and so since this was a no-chase, no outside-assistance race, one of us would have to go back to the pits on foot and get one. Fortunately it wasn't far to the pits so I took off in helmet and boots thinking, "Damn, I haven't run in helmet and boots for 20 years, since basic training". It's funny the things that occur to you. The crew had seen the carnage and were outstripping me back to our pit. I was sucking wind, coming over the hilltop when I saw Justin heading out of our camp towards me with driveshaft and tools in hand.
"STOP!!" I screamed. "DO NOT bring that to me!" I bellowed, terrified we may fall afoul the rules if Justin carried the parts even just a little beyond our specific pit. Fortunately he was switched on and froze before leaving our pit. I grabbed the parts and headed back, seriously sucking wind and regretting the 20lbs that have somehow glued themselves to me since basic training 20 years ago!
When I got back and climbed the hill, Charlie had managed to winch the car to the top and out of the way by himself and was waiting. I was beat, so Charlie went under the car and got cracking on replacing the shaft.
While Charlie changed the shaft, watched by friends and fans, I set to work fixing a valve cover breather leak.
Turns out the breather had bounced loose and was MIA. I fashioned a plug from duct tape with shaky hands and a racing mind, all the time thinking "Damn, the clock is running, we got get back in this thing NOW!"
Charlie had the shaft out and in in no time and was ready to go before I was finished frigging about under the hood. Boy can drive, and boy can wrench too! Glad he's MY teammate!
Fixed and back in the game we ripped over the course, trying to make up for lost time, until we arrived at Hill 5 again. It was pure insanity - rigs, winch lines, and roll-overs all over the place and Hammerking Productions Inc's Jeff Knoll doing his best to herd the cats and manage the scene.
Chaos on Hill 5
Last time we went left, but with three rigs abreast struggling we tried right.
No go. A hop, a slide, some bad luck, and we were on our side.
JT Taylor looks on as JFR demonstrates how NOT to make up lost time.
The recovery was a bit of a dog's breakfast as we rolled and slid and scrambled trying to get the wheels under the rig.
Camo requested and got the "Pirate salute" as we work to get back in it.
Charlie obliges too!
With the help of fellow competitors and spectators we manage to keep our spirits up.
Special thanks to fellow competitor "Bigsilly" from Camco Rock Racing for the winching!
News had gone out on the Pirate4x4.com live coverage blog that "Car 69 has barrel rolled down the hill.", just as my wife, who had been following along online, had to leave work and her computer.
She sent a frantic e-mail to Camo to ask if we were ok, which he got on his phone, right there in the woods next to us.
He snapped this pic of me and sent it flying back to Laurie to show we were OK. How cool is that?!
Thanks Camo and Pirate4x4.
Finally on our wheels again we had no idea what would happen - we'd been on our side or lid for a good half-hour or more. Would she fire? Would she hydro-lock? Was our day done?
But she fired, in a great cloud of smoke, and we were back in the game again.
With the rig running again, and still only half-way up, we decided to winch up and get the hell back in the race. Camo had some encouraging words for us and off we went!
JFR winching out of the chaos on Hill 5:
Back in the car after the chaos, we proceed with caution for a few moments as we check safety gear and the car, and then we're off...only three and a half more to go!
The rest of the race passes in something of a blur...a torturous, unrelenting, beat-down kind of a blur, that is.
We keep hauling ass, no idea where we are in the race, but unrelenting in our pursuit of the checkered flag.
We get faster and faster as we go, putting our awful lap-2 behind us, eventually posting the fastest lap-4 time of the entire day.
Along the way we notice tons of cars are broken and out, including big names like Ken "Doc" Mercer and Adam "That Damn Big" Woodlee. On we push. We pit for fuel twice and the crew keeps the rig fuelled and together.
On the final lap, Woodlee, who has been cheering and waving us on every time we pass his breakdown, is yelling and giving us the "slow down, don't break it now' signal. Great guy that Adam Woodlee.
As soon as we finish, the news comes in - we're 5th!!
Jeff Knoll and Camo are there at the finish to interview us.
We're stoked - after our awful lap-2 we've run hard and qualified with ease for the main race in California.
Charlie's face and reaction says it all!
Taking congrats from the crew - Big Jon, Mike Lorint, and "Sasquatch", as well as rig builder Dave Kemner.
The car wasn't as shiny at the end as it was when we started!
A great moment!
The cockpit after a day's work!
Moments like this are what all the blood, sweat, tears, and $$ are all about!
But they don't come without a lot of help, a lot of sacrifice, and a lot of teamwork.
Our thanks to:
Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll for inventing the whole damn show and making it happen!
Bruce and crew at Rausch Creek for setting a hell of a course and running an awesome race.
All the volunteers for their tireless and often unsung efforts, without which nothing would happen.
Pirate4x4.com - Lance and Camo for bringing the action to the world and supporting and encouraging us.
Special thanks to:
Radflo Suspension Technology - for keeping the rubber firmly in contact with the road, where it belongs, under the most brutal racing conditions.
Yukon Gear and Axle and Tom Wood's Custom Drive Shafts - for keeping the 600 angry horsepower feeding the wheels under the insane stress of racing conditions
Poly Performance Inc. and Badlands Off Road Park - for all that you do to support us.
Mahopac Marina - for helping to pay the bills!
Big Horn Graphics - for making us look so damn good doing it!
Very, very special thanks to:
Team co-owner Jack Bettio
Our families - Stephanie, Hanna & Charles Jr; Laurie, Mitchell, and Jessie - we love you and could never do this without your support.
Our crew - Ricky, Justin, Adrian, Andrew, Mike, & Jon - together, we are unstoppable!
All our fans and friends.
A filthy, exhausted, but very, very happy BillaVista post-race rappin' with Jeff and Camo.
In the end:
33 started, we started in 13th.
By lap-2 we were in 2nd, having reeled in 11 places and posting the second-fastest lap-1 of the day.
Lap-2 dealt us some setbacks, we broke a driveshaft and rolled, eating valuable time, but we never quit and got back in it.
We pushed harder and harder after lap-2, posting the fastest lap-4 of the day.
The race was so brutal, only 11 cars finished the race at all.
We place 5th, comfortably qualifying for KOH 2010 in California,
We're going to the big show next - California, here we come!
We're coming with a plan, we're coming and we're hungry.
We're coming to win that race and take that crown - selection and maintenance of the aim - we are coming!!!
Joint Force Racing - RCQ 2009.
No better friend, no worse opponent.
Be polite, be professional...and have a plan to beat everyone you meet.
