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Here is the Raptor Expeditions "General Tire Land Rush 1000" post report written by our very own Matt R. We also took along Ryan Divel an action sports reporter so we can get a first had prospective of a first time on the run that has racing experience. Please read and enjoy....R.E.
Land Rush 1000 Post-Run “Raptor Expeditions”
We have concluded the first Land Rush 1000 event, and it was every bit as exciting and challenging as we had imagined. This post run report will give you an idea of what we all experienced, and things that people will surely be talking about for years to come. The R.E. crew did an amazing job taking care of all the issues on the trail.
The event kicked off on Friday afternoon, with most truck arriving at Borrego Springs around 2-3PM for truck prep, driver’s meeting later that night, and getting checked into their rooms. Luckily for all that participated, the entire event experienced beautiful weather the entire time. The R.E. crew assisted drivers with getting their GPS units ready for the run, as well as offering some extra protection on the A-pillar for those that wanted it, as we knew there was some tight squeezes ahead on day 1 of the run. The driver’s meeting was held that evening, highlighting the entire run on Google Earth to the drivers. The drivers were able to get an idea of what was ahead for themselves and their passengers, and ask any questions they may have. This time was used wisely by all, and the group had a great picture of what was ahead, and what they should expect to see over the next 2 days.
Day 1 – 4:00 AM
The R.E. crew and all drivers met bright and early at 4AM for last minute truck prep, loading personal belongings into the R.E. box truck, and a quick bite to eat! Soon after, we were in the dirt. The first 4 miles of the trail were relatively challenging, considering this was the first section of the day and we were all still half asleep! I’m sure most people realized fairly quickly that this 2-day course was not simply open dirt roads, but would be filled with challenging terrain, like the trails we were currently navigating in the dark!
Once hitting a service road by the train tracks, we could finally open the trucks up and get some distance between trucks. It was a memorable morning for all, getting the nerves shaken out, and traveling at high speeds through the open desert as the sun was rising in the distance. We re-grouped and headed up a few short canal roads into the town of Brawley.
A quick top-off in Brawley, and contact with the R.E. support crew in the box truck, and we were on our way to Glamis sand dunes. The group made it’s way to the Osbourne Overlook for a quick group photo, and was soon back on track headed north up more canal roads towards Slab City. Slab City is a “Land of the Free” for anybody that is strange enough to call it home! The group once again made a quick stop for some pictures at Salvation Mountain, a man-made mountain that Leonard Knight has been working on over half of his life, as a way to share his love of God.
Back on track… on the trail headed north towards Blythe. These TIGHT and very high speed sections were some driver’s favorite for sure. Technical trails mixed with beautiful scenery and the chance to really open the trucks up. This enjoyment was soon followed by the first official flat tire of the day (aside from RSV3 early on). Luke didn’t just get a flat… he shattered his rim into 100’s of pieces! RSV4 was lucky enough to find him a nice large section of rim they had encountered on the trail, returned to its rightful owner as a souvenir. After a quick flat repair, all trucks continued to roll up through the Bradshaw Trail towards Blythe.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------
As the truck reached Blythe, a few rarely used farming roads were used to connect our route. After missing a turn in some very soft sand, Gordon Brown found himself “sunk” and in need of rescue by Gary Fries, who was able to yank him out… only after we all took pictures and got a good laugh, of course. A short stop in Blythe, a splash of gas, and we were on our way to “Crazy Land” as Connor and I had dubbed it on the pre-run… little did we know how appropriate this name really was.
Crazyland, as we called it, is basically an old dumping ground for double-wides, unwanted vehicles, and any other trash you can imagine. In an attempt at grabbing a souvenir from the trash heap, this soon upset the lady living in a nearby trailer. We found the group of 15 $50,000+ trucks scrambling to leave the area as rocks were thrown towards the group! The radio chatter and events will be remembered by all, as it was part panic, part disbelief, and multiple parts laughter by all.
The next section of tight yucca tree lined trails was tight and challenging, as we had mentioned in the driver’s meeting. The protective tape on the A-pillars soon showed it’s worth, as low hanging branches and tree limbs wreaked havoc on a few windshields for those not dodging them well enough! A few steep ditch crossings later, and the group was headed towards the high speed sections of day 1.
The next hour was full of super flat, well-groomed, high speed roads. This really allowed some owners to push the speeds of their trucks for the first time, with little worry of road cautions or road crossings. Making great time, we only stopped for a few mechanical issues, flat tires, and high temps a few times. The roads went from wide open to narrow once again, for a small technical section on our way towards the re-grouping location in Needles.
Truck 1 with driver Rick Rickman experienced a front differential issue, braking a ring gear which was to be worked on by the R.E. support crew in RSV3. RSV4 led a small group of trucks towards Needles over the “Camels Back” section of gas line road, testing everybody’s mental endurance and the co-drivers abilities to call out the cautions! As RSV4 and the group of trucks waited in Needles, RSV2, RSV3, and the R.E. support crew did a great trail repair job, and had Truck 1 up and running in good time! The crew all re-grouped in Needles, ready to head into Arizona.
The first challenge leaving Needles, finds the group approaching a large, steep, soft and sandy hill! This hill climb is best done in 4x4, although it’s possible in 2WD given the right run-up and speed. With Rick’s Raptor having it’s front differential removed, the truck was going to have to make it up the hill in 2WD. After a few challenges and failed attempts, Raptor 1 finally made it’s way to the top, allowing the rest of the group to follow suite (most all using 4x4 high after witnessing Truck 1’s attempt in 2WD!). From there, a short series of powerline roads and wash trails had the group entering Oatman, AZ for another photo opportunity as the group rolled through town.
Land Rush 1000 Post-Run “Raptor Expeditions”
We have concluded the first Land Rush 1000 event, and it was every bit as exciting and challenging as we had imagined. This post run report will give you an idea of what we all experienced, and things that people will surely be talking about for years to come. The R.E. crew did an amazing job taking care of all the issues on the trail.
The event kicked off on Friday afternoon, with most truck arriving at Borrego Springs around 2-3PM for truck prep, driver’s meeting later that night, and getting checked into their rooms. Luckily for all that participated, the entire event experienced beautiful weather the entire time. The R.E. crew assisted drivers with getting their GPS units ready for the run, as well as offering some extra protection on the A-pillar for those that wanted it, as we knew there was some tight squeezes ahead on day 1 of the run. The driver’s meeting was held that evening, highlighting the entire run on Google Earth to the drivers. The drivers were able to get an idea of what was ahead for themselves and their passengers, and ask any questions they may have. This time was used wisely by all, and the group had a great picture of what was ahead, and what they should expect to see over the next 2 days.
Day 1 – 4:00 AM
The R.E. crew and all drivers met bright and early at 4AM for last minute truck prep, loading personal belongings into the R.E. box truck, and a quick bite to eat! Soon after, we were in the dirt. The first 4 miles of the trail were relatively challenging, considering this was the first section of the day and we were all still half asleep! I’m sure most people realized fairly quickly that this 2-day course was not simply open dirt roads, but would be filled with challenging terrain, like the trails we were currently navigating in the dark!
Once hitting a service road by the train tracks, we could finally open the trucks up and get some distance between trucks. It was a memorable morning for all, getting the nerves shaken out, and traveling at high speeds through the open desert as the sun was rising in the distance. We re-grouped and headed up a few short canal roads into the town of Brawley.
A quick top-off in Brawley, and contact with the R.E. support crew in the box truck, and we were on our way to Glamis sand dunes. The group made it’s way to the Osbourne Overlook for a quick group photo, and was soon back on track headed north up more canal roads towards Slab City. Slab City is a “Land of the Free” for anybody that is strange enough to call it home! The group once again made a quick stop for some pictures at Salvation Mountain, a man-made mountain that Leonard Knight has been working on over half of his life, as a way to share his love of God.
Back on track… on the trail headed north towards Blythe. These TIGHT and very high speed sections were some driver’s favorite for sure. Technical trails mixed with beautiful scenery and the chance to really open the trucks up. This enjoyment was soon followed by the first official flat tire of the day (aside from RSV3 early on). Luke didn’t just get a flat… he shattered his rim into 100’s of pieces! RSV4 was lucky enough to find him a nice large section of rim they had encountered on the trail, returned to its rightful owner as a souvenir. After a quick flat repair, all trucks continued to roll up through the Bradshaw Trail towards Blythe.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------
As the truck reached Blythe, a few rarely used farming roads were used to connect our route. After missing a turn in some very soft sand, Gordon Brown found himself “sunk” and in need of rescue by Gary Fries, who was able to yank him out… only after we all took pictures and got a good laugh, of course. A short stop in Blythe, a splash of gas, and we were on our way to “Crazy Land” as Connor and I had dubbed it on the pre-run… little did we know how appropriate this name really was.
Crazyland, as we called it, is basically an old dumping ground for double-wides, unwanted vehicles, and any other trash you can imagine. In an attempt at grabbing a souvenir from the trash heap, this soon upset the lady living in a nearby trailer. We found the group of 15 $50,000+ trucks scrambling to leave the area as rocks were thrown towards the group! The radio chatter and events will be remembered by all, as it was part panic, part disbelief, and multiple parts laughter by all.
The next section of tight yucca tree lined trails was tight and challenging, as we had mentioned in the driver’s meeting. The protective tape on the A-pillars soon showed it’s worth, as low hanging branches and tree limbs wreaked havoc on a few windshields for those not dodging them well enough! A few steep ditch crossings later, and the group was headed towards the high speed sections of day 1.
The next hour was full of super flat, well-groomed, high speed roads. This really allowed some owners to push the speeds of their trucks for the first time, with little worry of road cautions or road crossings. Making great time, we only stopped for a few mechanical issues, flat tires, and high temps a few times. The roads went from wide open to narrow once again, for a small technical section on our way towards the re-grouping location in Needles.
Truck 1 with driver Rick Rickman experienced a front differential issue, braking a ring gear which was to be worked on by the R.E. support crew in RSV3. RSV4 led a small group of trucks towards Needles over the “Camels Back” section of gas line road, testing everybody’s mental endurance and the co-drivers abilities to call out the cautions! As RSV4 and the group of trucks waited in Needles, RSV2, RSV3, and the R.E. support crew did a great trail repair job, and had Truck 1 up and running in good time! The crew all re-grouped in Needles, ready to head into Arizona.
The first challenge leaving Needles, finds the group approaching a large, steep, soft and sandy hill! This hill climb is best done in 4x4, although it’s possible in 2WD given the right run-up and speed. With Rick’s Raptor having it’s front differential removed, the truck was going to have to make it up the hill in 2WD. After a few challenges and failed attempts, Raptor 1 finally made it’s way to the top, allowing the rest of the group to follow suite (most all using 4x4 high after witnessing Truck 1’s attempt in 2WD!). From there, a short series of powerline roads and wash trails had the group entering Oatman, AZ for another photo opportunity as the group rolled through town.
