King of the Hammers 2009

[heath_ster]

we were sabataged! water in our race fuel

[highsociety]

Here's a video of Brandon and I going up backdoor during the lcq.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF_XOv8P7T8

[LibertyPatriot]

we were sabataged! water in our race fuel

I read about a lot of fuel problems out there.  Did you buy fuel in CA or take some from here?  Was Brandon running a fuel cell with the foam in it?

Sucks man!  I was rooting for you guys to get to the big race.

[highsociety]

NO WE BOUGHT FUEL IN YUCCA 2 55 GAL DRUMS AND had no problem with 1st drum.  Brought drums from here and they were dry.  Used 1st drum for fueling everything all week long and then the second drum for DWest race day and that is when we had problems.  Derek had water in the fule after we filled him up after the second pit stop.  Never thought that would have been the problem. 

Brandon and I  twisted the front axle tube after the rock section in the video coming down the mountain to the desert.  Lost front tire and threw the steering belt all at the same time.  Guess 35mph average through the sections we ran was a little fast.  Live and learn we will be ready for next year and redeem oursleves.  We had the lcq in the bag.

[OJTV8CJ]

NO WE BOUGHT FUEL IN YUCCA 2 55 GAL DRUMS AND had no problem with 1st drum.  Brought drums from here and they were dry.  Used 1st drum for fueling everything all week long and then the second drum for DWest race day and that is when we had problems.  Derek had water in the fule after we filled him up after the second pit stop.  Never thought that would have been the problem. 

Brandon and I  twisted the front axle tube after the rock section in the video coming down the mountain to the desert.  Lost front tire and threw the steering belt all at the same time.  Guess 35mph average through the sections we ran was a little fast.  Live and learn we will be ready for next year and redeem oursleves.  We had the lcq in the bag.

I read that today on Pirate and thought WTF?  Who would have thought that there would water in the fuel that you bought? 

That sucks about you and Brandon's luck in the LCQ!  I heard that if you would have finished on the pace that you were on, it would have been a lock for the race.  I am sure that Brandon will put it through it's paces in the coming year tho.

I also read about Heath getting to copilot and thought - Whata chance of a lifetime!

I can't wait to here some of the stories!

[highsociety]

Well let me tell you a story about a little blue liberty buggy number 96x.  I got this wild hair to apply for the KOH lcq and what do you know I landed a spot.  After some research I figured it would be the death of the TJ so I called Brandon and dangled the carrot infront of his nose and he jumped at the chance.  I gave up the drivers seat to sit co dog and scream like a banshee as we flew threw the desert.  Brandon spent several months working till wee hours in the morning trying to meet all the rules and build a competitive car.  I spent alot of nights out there giving moral support and running tools back and forth.  We left Johns 4x4 Friday night at 11:00 PM and still weren't done.  We ran into some trouble in New Mexico at a flying J as one of the team (heath) was picked up by a rent a cop and harrased for a simple mistake of being a brain dead and half asleep walks out to check a phone charger to make sure it would fit.  Damn rent a cop got to go home and tell his hoochie momma that he tackled a giant and held off his six buddies till the manager got involved.  ANyway back to the wheeling we get to the Hammers Sunday around 11:00 and we begin wrenching on the liberty more.  Finally Monday evening we make the trek to the backdoor to run up it and we play a little.  Tuesday we head to the first section of the big course race and run across the desert at 75 mph what a rush and Brandon is saying he still has more but we can't see cause we are behind Derek and eating sand.  As we are playing on this 23 mile section we start having fuel pump issues and blow a rear brake line.  So now we have to address this for the next 2 days and end up loosing 1 fuel pump and a rear cutting brake for the lcq.  Brandon and Travis go out Wednesday at night and practice on a new line up the backdoor and he comes back all stocked ready to rock.  We sit in start line up for 2 hours and then its our turn.  No nerves just ready to go and the flag drops Brandon drops the Hammer and we are off I am calling out the turns through the desert canyon and laughing cause this is the best time of my life.  Brandon switches from high to low side as we enter the rock bed flawlessly and we ace the rock section with the fastest time.  After this section there is a 200 foot sand hill climb with about a 45 degree drop on the back side we fly up and over the top and Brandons goes back to high as the rear is air born.  At the bottom of this hill everyone has turned right to go run the back door again creating a nice sand brem but for qualifier we have to head out to the desert for 2 miles of sand and speed well the berm, tire and brakes don't mix and twist the front axle tube int the rock jock housing this lets alll the links on that side shift and causes us to loose our hydro streeing belt so thus ends the lcq run.  I climb out of the buggy with tears in my eyes and a look of shear dissapointment as we had travled 1350 miles one way to end like this.  Brandon is over on the other side laughing and says look at our average speed on the gps and it says 35 mph and then I relize that we are at the Hammers and have just been part of one of the biggest offroad events in the nation so its all good. 

The KOH is a blast and I will go back as long as they will have me. The friends we made and the memories will be with us long after the dissapointment of not finishing is gone Johnson Valley is awsome and I would jump at any chance to go and just wheel.  The views are great and you wake up every morning seeing what god created and trying to find a line to get futher into the desolation.  Now enough story thets go wheel.

[OldYJ]

nice story telling there wild man.

[highsociety]

video clip from the front we come in around the 3:26 mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCIebLdaOyk

Here's a link to the photo's we got for the week


http://rides.webshots.com/album/570381684EiQAWC?vhost=rides