The Great American Desert Race returned to
Race activities started for my team on Thursday afternoon in Old Downtown Las Vegas. This was always the traditional tech and contingency parade location on
Race day came quickly after a free day of preparation and a one lap prerun on Friday. Aforementioned there were thirty one starters in my class and I started six off the line. SNORE started the cars two abreast at one minute intervals and I pulled my guy off the starting line. I was on my way to chase down some more gallons! By the end of lap one I had made it by all the cars in front of me except one. However just after we left the main pits at the conclusion of lap one the lead car was pulled over and out of the race. This now put us first on the road and we held the top spot until I clipped a rock and blew the sidewall out of a tire halfway through lap two. While Jake and I were out of the car changing the tire one car slipped by us. The one thing this car didn’t know was the fact that we were just finishing our job and were hot on his trail in less than thirty seconds. By the end of lap two we had worked our way by and we were back out front.
Everything was going just as planned on lap three with Matt Niles now navigating for me but the electronics in the car started acting up? First we lost our intercom/radio and then the GPS. What we figured out via hand signals was that we lost our alternator! Unfortunately we had used up much of our batteries and we had quite a ways to go to make it back to the main pit. What this meant was the fact that we had to pull into the next outlying pit for a change. I had my derelict pit crew stationed at FAIR pit C and they all did a great job changing out the alternator in about eight minutes.
By the time lap four started we were still holding on to second place and I was feeling good and in the groove. We had a great fourth lap despite having to pass many slower cars and we brought the Croc home in second place AGAIN! Shucks…
The biggest surprise of the weekend came on Sunday when I showed up at the awards ceremony to give my second place speech and to hand out the “one” and only gallon of Slime… When I arrived at the grand ballroom at Whiskey Pete’s I was informed by SNORE the promoter of the race that they assessed me with a five (5) minute penalty for not completely stopping at one of the first stop checks! This penalty now dropped me back to fourth place officially. There are quite a few pieces to the puzzle that didn’t fit at the time and to be honest still don’t but there was no changing anybody’s mind because they already started the festivities.
Thanks to Joe Bowman from Slime and everyone on my team for supporting me! I look forward to having another chance with all of you next year when we try once again to win the Great American Off Road Race!
April 11th, 2008 at 5:35 pm Will, thanks a million from Slime. Team-work wins and you have a winning team. Thanks for your class act at the awards - you did not have to stay but you did and represented your team and Slime in a professional classy manner. Your second place on Sat. saved us over $900 in Slime give-aways. My story: Joe Bowman, Slime Marketing Director, was on the scene of the unplanned pit stop: “We expected Will to fly by and I had my camera ready. Instead, I witnessed what a winning team does when facing a break-down. Will coasted in and stated that the alternator was out. I saw myself handing out gallons galore at the finish line. I had not told anyone, but, I only had one gallon left. We had sold out the day before. Suddenly, 16 guys jumped into action like bees on honey. A new alternator appeared after the front hood was taken off. Access to the engine was made ready at the same time. A complicated wrench and extension was also ready - like a surgical team doing a procedure for the 1000th time. A crowbar was used to force the new alternator and belt into position for bolts to fit. Also, Will had busted a tire on a rock and needed a new spare. His only flat of the day. After 7 to 8 minutes Will was off and running. Wow.” The Hutchins Class 10 Champs won the race many hours later. Bowman handed out his last gallon of Slime and crossed his fingers. When Will Higman came across the finish line in 2nd place a few minutes later, Bowman stated: “Now I know how it feels to win one of these things. Team-work wins!” The next day at the awards ceremony, Higman and Bowman handed out the one gallon to the winner, after demonstrating to the 500 winners at Buffalo Bills how Slime instantly seals punctures, using the demo tire and ice pick. Bowman announced, “Next year the challenge is on again. Beat Will and win a season’s supply of Slime! Will and Slime, there’s no stopping you!” ( Note, it takes only 2 gallons of Slime to protect all the tires, including the spares, for one race vehicle)