02/12/2026
Can’t wait to watch you next year!
Big changes this year for our team this year as we have stepped up to the 4400 class with a new to us 2 seat Jimmys IFS car. Not knowing the car mechanics yet was definitely a challenge to get prepped and ready to go mis judged it by about 3 days. Thanks to good friends that came over to help push thru and get us to the lakebed, a few days late but we got there. We started off straight to shock tuning with Liberty Mountain Fabrication even with it out of tune I could already feel the potential thanks to ADS shocks. We were able to take the car from ehh to OH MY this is going to be amazing. Not knowing all the weird quirks with IFS I mis measured from coil bind on the front and destroyed the sliders but thanks to AGM products getting us new sliders. I am going to need to still play with some spring rates and math to get the front end higher. By mid week we were ready to go get some pre running in. And what can I say “IFS is cheating” desert section is amazing, Rock is definitely different but once I learn it gonna be awesome. Phil worked his magic and we quickly got the car gathered up allowing me to push harder then ever.
Qualifying day and we line up having never driven the car in a short course setting the goal was to take it easy and just get thru it clean. Stickie Mickkeys dig in and dirty life rims hold on green flag drops I peel out first jump car felt great, time to let the Holley managed Renegade Race Fuels & Lubricants pumping into the twin Precision Turbo & Engine Brian Tooley Racing LS peel out our Hughes performance built 400 taking every HP to attack the uphill climb like nothing. Dop back into the shortcourse and up the rocks , across the ridge and shoot the downhill section I missed my line a bit jumping downhill kicked the car up on probably the furthest bicycle I have driven out of the car is a beast. By the time the dust settled we ended up 34th.
Spent the rest of the week making sure everything was at the best it can be for race day. Nerves are a thing here I am lining up for the Race of Kings. Green flag drops and we tuck in behind the car next to us the goal was to run a nice calm predictable pace. Get out into the desert and the car just cruises at 60 – 80 mph no big deal. I believe we were passed by only a few cars until I threw a belt charged in hard to a turn on the Wilwood Disc Brakes and full lock Howe Performance Power Steering. Put the belt back on, found cv boots had come loose got them ziptied on and back we go. Roll into main pit the guys get to work and top of with renegade fuel, resecure and grease the cv’s, once over and off we go again. Lap 2 we get into spooners and outer limits where I learned that I definitely need some more time in the rocks to get used to the difference. James was on point helping fix my bad line choices thankful we have our warn winch ready to go. We make it to pit 2 and found I mis installed one of the turbo drain hardware bolts wrong allowing it to come lose and pushed out the gasket the guys got it tightened and with hopes it would only drip. We take off and get to the first loose rock climb and in the process the oil drip turned into an oil spray and started a small oil fire SPA Technique got us taken care of thanks to James Spiteri for co dawg jumping out putting the fire out quickly and safely. Knowing what it would take to make a full repair we decided to call it and protect the car. Came back to pits and had some great tri tip thanks to Sierra rock crawlers. Definitely bummed about the outcome of race day but I still feel as an overall success for what we accomplished in such a short time and with minimal seat time.
Don’t worry though I already have solutions in place for some of the “new car” blues solutions and plans to get more seat time before our next race.
Thank you so much for everyone that has helped get us here.
