TeamSRD News

SRD Wins the 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in Class 5-1600!

2011-11-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

This year’s Baja 1000 - the final round of a five-race SCORE Desert Series was held November 18-19, 2011 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The course covered 705 miles – both starting and finishing in Ensenada. There were 278 total entries in 26 different classes coming from 34 States and 16 countries. There were 155 total finishers for a 56% finishing rate.

The 4 man team of Drivers and Co-Drivers from Strategic Racing Designs was led by Jeffrey Smith, 49 from Oceanside, CAwho started the race and drove 370 of the 705 miles. Justin Herrmann, 27 from Vista, California drove the remaining 335 miles by alternating and leap frogging every-other leg of the race. Eric Sheetz, 27, from La Costa, California, fulfilled Co-Driving Duties for Justin and skillfully provided navigation and communication assistance throughout the night as their sections covered the South Eastern (San Felipe) portion of the course. Duwyane Harris, 28, from Valley Center, California filled the Co-Driver seat for the “Military Team” as both he and Jeffrey are former U.S. Marines. Duwyane was also responsible for much of the vehicle preparation and readiness and both he and Justin designed and fabricated much of the Team’s 1st place race vehicle.

There were 4 race vehicles in Pro Class 5/1600 and 3 in the Sportsman 5/1600 Class. Only 2 vehicles in the Pro Class finished for a 50% completion rate and none of the 3 entrants in the Sportsman class completed the race for a combined vehicle type completion rate of 28.5 %. The team from SRD completed the 705 mile course in a time of 27 hours and 18 minutes, beating the second place team by 27 minutes. The team’s average speed for course was 25.8 MPH which included 9 scheduled pit stops for driver changes, refueling and tire changes and 5 unscheduled stops for minor vehicle repairs and or getting unstuck from mud-holes and silt beds. The team estimates 2 hours of total stopped time of the total time of 27:18.While the drivers and Co-drivers were alternating driving duties, they were transported to successive pit locations by a well-seasoned Chase Vehicle team led by Larry Herrmann of La Costa and Glenn Cunningham of Vista, California. Larry and Glenn met the race vehicle at each pit stop in order to refuel and repair the car for the next leg of the race. In total they covered 597 miles of Mexican highways and road ways during their 28 hour adventure.

Much of Team SRD’s success is due to the support they received from their single Chase team and team of “Dot Watchers” who were back in the USA. Heather Herrmann, 26, from Vista, California and Marie Smith from Oceanside, California took turns throughout the 28 hour event passing information they received from monitoring the SCORE and IRC webpages to the chase team via text messaging that helped them maintain situational awareness regarding the race vehicles location and rate of travel – as well as that of their competition. This information sharing capability proves invaluable as the VHF radio communication link between the race vehicle and the Chase vehicle is often inhibited by the rugged Baja topography.

The competition in this class included both this year and last year’s series champions which makes the victory for Team SRD significantly more impressive. Equally impressive is the fact that this was the first time Jeffrey, Eric and Duwayne have competed in a Baja 1000 event (Justin was part of a winning motorcycle class in last year’s Baja 1000). Jeffrey was quoted at the end of the race regarding his experience stating “It was a great race – other than I left the (starting) line and I got stuck in a mud hole two miles into the race and it was a dead stop. We had a whole bunch of people jump in there, knee-deep in mud, and push the car back. We also got stuck in the silt beds probably three times; they just come up on you in the middle of the night. We had a great time”.

Justin, in his speech during the 1st Place Trophy Presentation made sure to thank the team's sponsors. "We'd like to thank Baja Designs, when you leave the start line at 2 in the afternoon, lights are key! By race mile 90 we were already in the dark, we raced through the night, another day, and finished in the dark with lights again! Also big thanks to Jason at VW Paradise... brand new engine ran 27 hours without an issue. Big thanks to Mastercraft Safety, when you're sitting in a car with 9 inches of suspension for 27 hours, a good seat is a good thing."

The Team looks forward to future races with SCORE, Best in the Desert and SNORE in 2012 as they show case their racing products, vehicle preparation, race planning and passion for international off-road racing.

The 2nd Annual Offroad Show & Tell - Post Report

2011-10-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

The 2^nd Annual Offroad Show & Tell

After a successful and entertaining event last year, Strategic Racing Designs (SRD) was very excited to offer a follow up Offroad Show & Tell for 2011. By opening a “Jeep Class” for the vehicle display and adding a Beer Garden, SRD was proud to draw a large crowd to ultimately raise money for several charities. Vendor row provided a great atmosphere to mingle with industry members and learn more about the organizations receiving donations from the Beer Garden, Pit Crew Challenge, and all day Raffle.

The Castro-Limon Foundation was supported by Baja Pits and their incredible tacos, while Oceanside Ale Works and the Baja Cancer Foundation teamed up to raise funds with specially priced, and deliciously thirst quenching, beer. Vista High School’s Offroad Racing Club joined the vendors to show off their school project race car and sell refreshments to raise money for their group. They didn’t, however, forget to give back to their community in the Charity Pit Crew Challenge with multiple team entries. They represented their auto shop well with 2^nd and 4^th place finishes. “Team Cheap” took first place with a 45.2 second Trophy Truck tire change and was joined on the podium by “Chicas Locas”, the all-female crew who came in 3^rd.

All donation entries, as well as raffle proceeds, went directly to Fast-aid, who was on-site to answer questions and increase awareness about their cause. Local industry businesses stepped up HUGE this year, with remarkable contributions for the raffle including DVDs, hats, T-shirts, full sets of rims, tools, magazine subscriptions, and thousands of dollars in gift certificates.

With a higher number of much more diverse entries in the Show & Tell, there was plenty to look at! The contest, judged purely by the public, served to be a very close call, with single votes separating the winners of many of the classes. The battle for the People’s Choice Award ended in a tie between husband and wife, Russell & Shandra Fichtelman, who entered both their Ford F-150 Prerunner and Sand Car. Other victors included: Jeff Smith (UTV), Michael Carroll (Jeep), Will Janzer (Street Queen), Joe Mangles (Duct Tape Special), and Darren Southworth (Open).

“This was even more fun than last year and last year was awesome! stated David McCracken after the show. “I don't think I can wait a whole year...”

WE HAD SOOO MUCH FUN... THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID..!!! - Julie Dee Newell

“Had a great time at the event, thanks for a great time.” - Brian Espinoza

“Huge thanks to SRD for all the support! Thanks for asking us to be a part of your event again!” - Fast Aid

“Great time with great people!!!” - Amber Bevilacqua, Oceanside Ale Works

First place finish in First 4 wheel Desert Race

2010-10-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Strategic Racing Designs’ Race Team arrived in Plaster City Friday morning, wasting no time to get camp set up and prerunners on the course for route reconnaissance. After completing several laps around the track, marking lines and identifying dangerous obstacles, Heather Herrmann, driver of record, drove a final lap in the race car to determine realistic lap times, average speed, radio reception & fuel consumption. Pleased with their preparation, training and state of readiness, the team organized final details for the next morning’s start and enjoyed a good meal and the company of friends and family around the campfire.

Rising with the sun, SRD’s team prepared for victory – staging in the first group to leave the line – behind the other competitors in the 5-1600 class. Heather described, “waiting to start was nerve-racking, I kept telling Justin, (co-driver of record) my stomach is doing summersaults… I can’t breathe! He laughed and told me it would be fine, to flip my visor down and get ready for some fun. After the green flag dropped I forgot all about being nervous.”

The team coordinated pits based on the course map, keeping in mind BLM regulations, mileage and radio range limitations, a vital element to a successful team. Merritt Townsend, Pit 1 Captain reported, “We didn’t plan on pitting for maintenance or repairs, but it’s always nice to be there if something goes wrong.”

No pit stops were necessary for Heather, who consistently increased speed around the course each lap. “I wish I could say I didn’t get tired towards the end, fighting the car through very deep silt and sand… but my crew kept updating me on how much time was between me and the guy out front – which kept us going - when we caught up to his dust, it was on!” Heather’s husband and co-driver Justin adds, “I was so proud, Heather drove awesome! After we passed 2^nd place we set our sights on first. I told her, this might hurt (regarding the harsh terrain) but you have to catch him, he’s right there!”

SRD’s #562 vehicle raced their competition into the finish line, with only seconds of separation. “I was worked”, said Heather climbing out of the driver’s seat, “that was one of the hardest things I had ever done and I loved every minute of it.”

Competitor, Charles Guy, greeted the team at the finish with a handshake. “I don’t mean any disrespect”, he said, “but that is NOT what I was expecting. Girl, you are one hell of a driver.”

The race format consisted of a 14 mile course to be circumnavigated in 30 second intervals between competitors, in a 90 minute time limit. The race organizer set up in two heats per class, the first race determined the starting order for the second one. As part of their strategy, Heather and Justin switched seats for the second heat. Justin revealed, “It wasn’t until we arrived at staging that we found out we got to leave the line 1^st due to corrected time. Heather and I would have jumped up and down if we weren’t strapped in, we were so excited. She stopped me in the middle of screaming and yelled, “Wait, do you know what that means, I WON!” Leaving first is a huge advantage, clean air (no dust) makes a world of difference, and she made it possible for me to start that way.”

The course was a totally different ball game after the big trucks finished racing on it. The silt was at least a foot deeper and huge ruts and breaking bumps were carved out in the turns. “We picked our lines well”, Justin reported, Heather was a great navigator.” By the end of lap one, SRD was leading their class by 5 1/2 minutes and continued separating themselves from the pack as they progressed. “I reminded Justin that we had to finish to win, and that he could take it a little easy over the harsh stuff since we were so far ahead,” Heather said. After 3 laps, the checkered flag came out, and SRD claimed victory by over 13 minutes.

Duwayne Harris, Pit 2 Captain, added afterwards, “Our team put a lot of planning and thought into preparing the race car and mentally approaching the event. Racing takes strategy, and ours was obviously effective. It’s really cool to have the time, resources and hard work payoff – especially for our first race.”

Justin and Heather, of SRD, negotiated driving the 5-1600 car with its owners, Josh and Luke Smith. “It was nice that Luke was willing to take a day off of 2^nd grade to come out and watch his car win its first race”, said Heather jokingly about her younger brother, age 7. Josh, also co-owner of the race car and currently deployed with the United States Marine Corps, sent an online message regarding SRD’s triumph, “YEAH, that’s what I’m talking about sis! I wish I could have seen those guys’ faces!”

The Offroad Show & Tell, Fall 2010, Post Report

2010-10-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

SRD’s long awaited event finally came over this past weekend, and proved to be a success! The 1^st Offroad Show & Tell, brought together all facets of the offroading community to enjoy great events, great food, and great people. The Pit Crew Challenge attracted big crowds as teams raced to complete a Trophy Truck tire change. Team RPM took home the 1^st place trophy with a top time of 38.05 seconds, followed by Team Hangover in 2nd, and Tits in the Pits rounding out the podium in 3^rd. The all girls crew represented well, finishing both rounds in well under a minute. All donation entries went directly to Fast-aid, who was on-site to answer questions and hand out goodies.

Visitors had the opportunity to browse through vendor row, filled with local industry businesses. SRD was grateful for their contributions to the raffle, conducted every 30 minutes throughout the day – which included awesome prizes. Winners took home DVDs, hats, T-shirts, professional photo sessions, screen printing, coil-overs, Fox Shox, and thousands of dollars in gift certificates.

Vista High School’s Offroad Club joined the vendors to raise money for school events, selling beverages to go with the delicious street tacos served for just $1.

RC Racing, demonstrated to be a competition of attrition, the last vehicle standing in each class earning a spot on the podium. Other contests included “Most Interesting Podium Photo” and a “Vehicle Sound Check” judged by the crowds. SRD handmade trophies for each event, and awarded them to winners of each class in the show. (Top Tow Rig: Grant Gamble, Best Side x Side: Russ Fictleman, The Duct Tape Special: Matt “Chingas” Chase, Street Queen: Ryan "Bonzen" Lewis, Best in Open Class: James “Elvis” Taylor, People’s Choice: Russ Fichtelman)

“Overall the event turned out really well” claimed shop owner, Justin Herrmann, “when you put likeminded enthusiasts all in one place, you’re bound to have fun. We were well organized, gave out a ton of prizes, and can’t wait for the next Show & Tell to get more people out here to have a good time.”

“I would like to Thank SRD for putting on a really cool show and tell yesterday!!! I had a blast and won some cool stuff!! Thanks Again!!!!” – Tyler Crafts

“I'll second that for sure!!!!” – Natalie Schons

“SRD OffRoad Show Was a Success. Good People, Good Times.” – Dylan Lane

“HELL YA!!” – Ciara Silfies

”So we spent the day at an off road show here in Vista had a great day!” - Russell Fichtelman

“Had a great time at SRD's Off Road Show & Tell! My girls and I placed 3rd in the Pit Crew Challenge!” – Susan Johnson

“It was a great time. And next year I'm gonna be more prepared. Haha” - Jacob Andrew

“It was awesome! Great job! We had a lot of fun!” - Heather Townsend Bucaroff

“Great time At The SRD Offroad show this weekend!” – John Jones

“What a blast great job Heather & SRD.” – Tim McCreary

2010-08-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

OffRoad Show & Tell Coming Soon!!!

2010-08-02T14:10:00.001-07:00

Strategic Racing Designs is proud and excited to present the First Off-Road Show & Tell, on October 3, 2010 from 11am to 5pm. In an effort to provide a fun and interesting environment for our sport and to promote the cultivation of relationships between off-road enthusiasts, vendors, and sponsors, we have created an event that is sure to become a much anticipated semi-annual affair.

The Vision

After conducting some market research in the off-road industry, it came to our attention that there is a huge desire for the conglomeration of likeminded enthusiasts to network, consort, and "show off" their hard work and/or hard earned cash tied up in their desert toys. "We go to the races and drool over trophy trucks and attend every Expo to drool over the latest Luxury Prerunners, but we have more fun in the parking lot, where we get a chance to match up our regular rides against the regular guys." This quote in specific has resonated through our shop and is largely responsible for the founding of the Off-Road Show & Tell.

Designed around the foundation of a Classic Car Show, entries will be open to whoever would like to put their vehicle on exhibit. Separate classes are available for more specific judging – which will be done by the public according to a simple ballot system.

In the spirit of off-road racing, a dirt-course will be on site for remote control vehicles. Divisions will be organized respectively for all attendees to be able to participate. A Pit Crew Challenge is also scheduled, with simulated and timed re-fueling and tire changes. Entries for the Pit Crew Challenge will be collected on a donation basis – and 100% of the proceeds will be handed directly to Fast-aid!

Bringing yet another aspect of the desert scene to our event, we will host a Contingency Row, putting our vendors and/or sponsors directly in touch with the contestants displaying their vehicles. Paralleling a desert racing function, entrants in the show have the opportunity to be rewarded for representing their sponsors which include: RaceDezert.com, Richards Performance Muffler, Baja Designs, SignArt, Team Fastlane Racing, North County House of Motorcycles, RockHeavy, Fast-aid, BradleyLamont.com, Summit Steel, Douglas Wheel Technology, Crafts Printing, ORW, and Fox Racing Shox.

Spirit of Baja $1 Street Tacos will be available throughout the day to be enjoyed with music from our DJ. A raffle with prizes donated from the Offroad Community will be a highlight of the event as well as the Trophy Ceremony scheduled for the end of the day. We will present winners of each event with their awards on the Sponsor Named podium. Our team's Professional Photographer will document the Offroad Show & Tell in its entirety capturing the experience.

The Venue

The 1st OffRoad Show & Tell will be hosted by SRD at their primary facility in Vista, California. Vista is centrally located to San Diego County, North County, Orange County, and Riverside County. Here, in the middle ground of the off road community, we offer sufficient accommodations including parking, RC racecourse access, restroom availability, and city site approval.

Tuff Trucks 2010

2010-07-02T13:20:00.001-07:00

SRD had another fantastic year at the Annual Tuff Trucks Competition, held at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, California. Taking advantage of a new scheduling technique, SRD raced both the Street Legal Truck Class AND the Beach Buggy Class on Wednesday June 30^th, breaking the mold with the first ever Mother/Daughter Driver/Do-Driver team. Heather Herrmann, and her mom, Marie Smith piloted Heather's F-150, finishing in the top half of the class in the 11^th spot. Following the race Heather commented, "It's not first place, but it was all around progress from last year. Not only did we finish in a better overall position and navigated the course without time penalties or damage to the vehicle, but we did it in a way that's never been done! I think my mom and I represented well for all females in the sport and really hit home the idea of it being about family."

This race marked the first official entry for the 5-1600 vehicle that has been through quite an overhaul since its purchase. After the addition of new race seats, harnesses, storage and safety equipment, light rack and upgraded shocks – the next step was to see what it could do. Jumping out of her truck, Heather rode shotgun for her husband, Justin Herrmann, finishing 13^th in their class as the only husband/wife team. Justin reported, "We knew we wouldn't be much for competition against buggies made for stadium racing, but who could turn down such a fun event? The car did exactly what it was supposed to – everything worked great, nothing broke, and we proved it will annihilate some woops in the open desert."

Though neither vehicle is built for a short course format, they both did exceptionally well at proving versatility and strength. The team’s drivers got valuable time behind the wheel in a competitive arena and, according to Marie, when asked about her co-driving debut, “It was a blast!”

Also, a special thank you to our sponsors for helping to make our vehicles look and WORK great! SRI, Strategic Counseling, Mastercraft Safety, Summit Steel, RacerX Motorsports, Richards Performance Muffler, Baja Designs, Douglas Wheel, Fox Racing Shox, and VW Paradise.

More Photos

Action Sports Spring Expo

2010-05-03T18:19:00.001-07:00

North County's House of Motorcycles hosted their annual Action Sports Spring Expo May 1^st, of which SRD was happy to be a part. Throughout the day, the crowd enjoyed raffles, motorcycle auctions, a bikini bike wash, several streetbike and freestyle motocross stunt shows, and a BBQ to raise money for up and coming riders.

SRD enjoyed networking with various vendors, riders, and local offroad enthusiasts, as the event was in our backyard in Vista, California. Aside from the normal static display of race vehicles and prerunners, our crew also had a chase truck on an unplanned exhibition when the Freestyle riders from SRH requested its aid. While testing the launch ramp before the show, the riders realized that it was not secure on the asphalt, and slid several feet upon impact. Equipped for the tortures of Baja, SRD's F350 parked its custom prerunner bumper against the ramp – which afterwards, didn't move an inch!

SRD mingles at Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE Baja 500 Drawing Party

2010-05-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

The recent drawing party for race positions in the upcoming 2010 Mastercraft Safety Tecate SCORE Baja 500, was the perfect platform to celebrate a variety of things for SRD. Robby Pierce, C.E.O. of Mastercraft Safety Inc. personally invited our team to display our 5/1600 car at the event – as their newest sponsored team.

SRD began a personal relationship with Robbie when Justin Herrmann replaced a power steering belt at an unscheduled pit stop for the #30 Trophy Truck in the Baja 250 earlier this year. Robbie, the driver of record for the truck, attributes a large portion of his highest career finish, 4^th place, to Justin's swift and precise repairs – and is happy to partner up for future events.

Mastercraft Safety Inc. was an amazing host for the drawing party, which brought together a great group of vendors, racers, and fans. SRD, represented by Heather and Justin Herrmann, Duwayne Harris, Merritt Townsend, and Matt "Chingas" Chase, was happy to be a part of the well organized event. They were most excited to have the opportunity to show off a new lighting system, courtesy of Baja Designs and Strategic Counseling, a record 9 forward facing lights for vehicles in its class.

"All in all we had a great time." Matt Chase commented, "Mastercraft created a very upbeat and fun atmosphere – the people were cool, the food was good, the cause was important, and man, did the Race-Bug shine!"

For more photos please see link below:
http://teamsrd.smugmug.com/SRD-in-the-Community/2010-Baja-500-Drawing-Party/12056504_ALQqT#855966095_ioXMV-A-LB

1-27-10 A New Page for SRD

2010-01-28T11:37:00.001-08:00

Jeff Smith wrote:

We have some exciting news to share! The Racing Division of SRD procured an off road race car 2 weeks ago, which we are going to take it to the desert this weekend to get familiar with its capabilities and limitations before we start racing it later this year. The car was formerly owned and raced by Richard’s Performance Muffler, who held the Championship title for the 5/1600 class in MDR. The engine was built by Volkswagen Paradise in San Marcos, CA and currently holds the world record for horse power in its class.
Since its acquisition the car has been disassembled, by Justin and Duwayne, and gone over from top to bottom. Larry Herrmann assisted Justin in performing necessary body work, fiber-glassing, and all new paint. A new intercom system was installed as well as a revamping of the GPS and oxygen breathing systems for the driver and co-driver to breathe clean air while passing other race vehicles during a race. Most of the time there is a lot of dust so having an oxygen system is really important.
We do not anticipate racing this vehicle in Mexico in 2010 but we will be taking it down there in March and May to see how it does on the course before the B250 & B500. We plan to compete in some local races in the coming months to cut our teeth in the 4 wheel venue of off-road racing. This is a big step forward for us!
When I first started this venture with the kids, we targeted 2010 as the earliest we would be making the move from racing motorcycles (2 wheels) to racing something in the 4 wheel category - so, you may imagine that I am very pleased that we are actually on, if not a bit ahead of schedule. I have asked my son's Garrett and Josh to get more involved as we are all going to compete with each other to see who the best driver is among the 5 of us. I am very excited to be racing in a class where they and others on our team can get involved with the "family racing" activities.
We will be posting pictures and video of the car when it is back together, on the trailer ready to go out for its first run on Sat. The one down side is that it runs on race gas (110 octane) and that comes in a 55 gallon drum at $10 a gallon! So my racing budget continues to drain my savings account, but we are having a lot of fun and building some really great memories.
Thanks for letting us share this with you -
Expecting the Best!
Jeff

SRD

2010-01-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Post Race Report - Tuff Trucks

2009-07-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2009

A beautiful summer morning provided a picture perfect backdrop for the unusual collection of offroad trucks taking over the Del Mar city streets – all geared up for what promised to be a great day of racing. The much anticipated Tuff Trucks event was housed in the Chevrolet Arena as part of the San Diego County Fair – and amazingly, for a Tuesday afternoon event, brought in a full house audience!

Shortly after 9am, the SRD tow rig pulled into registration and backed expertly into a tight spot. Heather jumped out of the driver’s seat and hopped into her race truck to back it off the trailer and park it in line with what would later be twenty seven competitors in the street legal class. “So this is what it’s like to race in the late class.” She joked, referencing her previous experiences of starting at 4am to get the motorcycles on the line for SCORE events. Her pit crew, Matt “Chingas” Chase and her husband and co-driver, Justin Herrmann, made final air pressure and transmission shifting adjustments then joined Heather for a track walk.

It was shorter than usual, as this was the inaugural run INSIDE of the newly roofed building. It consisted of 1 ½ laps around a dirt track – with several jumps, a deep woop section, a tricky set of moguls into a 90 degree corner, a sweeping turn into the same section and a final big launch out of the stadium. There were several complaints about how tight the turn was into the final jump, as it would be difficult to get “crowd pleasing air” but SRD welcomed the challenge.

The driver’s meeting, led by John Borba of WGAS Motorsports, went smoothly – Justin accounted, “The event was well organized and the promoters were true fans of the sport. They understood exactly what the racers wanted and did their best to give it to them.”At 1pm the green flag dropped – and just moments later the first truck rolled. The crowd was instantly on their feet.

“Remember to talk to me.” Heather told Justin as they strapped in their harnesses and buckled their helmets.”Just go!” he replied, ...”you’ll do fine!” Several moments passed as they inched their way to the starting line, waiting for their turn to race the clock for the fastest lap time. “Here we go babe!” Heather shouted, as they pulled inside the arena. John took a minute to give her a smile and a thumbs up, then they were off. Justin coached her through the obstacles and after a flawless run – excitedly yelled over the finish jump – “That was awesome! That was awesome!” From over the in-cab radio came energized comments from the various family and friends acting as spotters in the stands. Merritt Townsend exclaimed, “You’re truck looked so smooth! That was rad!” Elated, Heather’s mom added, “That was 37 seconds! You’re in second!”

After the entire class completed their first run, Heather sat in a comfortable 4^th place. Proudly, Justin beamed as several competitors congratulated her, impressed with her performance and admittedly worried about being “beaten by a girl”. The next heat wouldn’t be for a couple of hours, so teams took the opportunity to look over their trucks, make repairs or adjustments, and mingle with other drivers. The suspension was tuned perfectly for this event, having been purpose-built and tested in the rough and unforgiving terrain of the Southern California and Mexican deserts. “We were so happy with the way our truck handled; it ate up the bumps that so many others had to slow down for.” Justin reported. During the inspection he detected a faulty bump-stop that leaked nitrogen. He was able to refill it, but knew that the proper maintenance would require internal repair for which there was not enough time. It would be suitable for the remainder of the event although it may have been cause for an interesting performance later in the day.

In the second heat, Heather and Justin modified their strategy a little bit, deciding to line-up differently towards the first jump and pick up speed in the corners. With more aggression off the line, SRD’s truck sped through the first section and, like before, soaked up the bumps without issue. Carrying a little too much speed into the following corner, Heather made the next turn turned wide, and hit a cone, resulting in a 5 second penalty. Quickly recovering, she made it around the rest of the course in great time – announcing on the radio upon her exit, “I can’t believe I hit that cone!” Heather certainly wasn’t alone in her penalty – very few trucks made it the whole race without receiving one, several earned many. It wasn’t rare for a couple of obstacles to be avoided altogether – but this didn’t excuse her mistake, Heather repeated again– “I just can’t believe I hit that cone!”

The last chance round was exhilarating! Midway through the lap, while making the big sweeping turn, the truck caught in the dirt and lifted a rear tire. Heather skillfully maneuvered back onto all fours and completed the lap in good standing. “I had to let off so we didn’t roll, the truck didn’t squat for the corner… but I was able to keep it shiny side up.” Her final time was 39 seconds – not what she was hoping for. The winning time for the street legal class was 34 seconds – which was followed by several in the 36 range. Only tenths of seconds separated most of the class – which was a good indication of the level of competition that showed up this year.

Overall SRD finished 12^th out of 27. Following the race Heather concluded, “I was thinking too much on those last laps. I kept trying to change things and I ended up making stupid mistakes. I had a blast today – but I know I could have done better.” Susan Johnson, reminding Heather it was her first race, said “Well, no matter what, more than half these boys will go home beaten by a woman today.” To which Heather laughingly replied, “But I wanted them ALL to.”

Tough Trucks 2009 – Heather drives for SRD’s First 4 Wheeled Vehicle Race

2009-06-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

Heather Herrmann, Co-Owner of Strategic Racing Designs, is making a proud switch from the Race Support sidelines to the Driver’s seat in the team’s 4 wheeled vehicle racing debut. The Tough Trucks competition, June 30, 2009, will officially mark SRD’s transition from 2 wheels to 4, having used the motorcycle racing experience to develop strategies, perfect radio communication, equip chase trucks, and fill the arsenal of spare parts, safety gear, pit crew boxes, utility lights, and geographical/logistical handbooks. Justin Herrmann, stepping out of the spotlight for this particular race says,

“I’m proud that she wants to do this! I’m lucky to have a wife that is so supportive and involved in the industry – she deserves to have (us) be her pit crew for once!”

Heather gathered up her crew and headed to Ocotillo over the weekend to test the truck. After an initial run in San Felipe earlier this year, Justin modified the front end – completely rebuilding the engine cage and re-mounting the coilovers. The pre-dawn run to the desert was used to ensure the geometry was correct – which was proven when Heather flew 60 feet over a motorcycle jump, and landed flawlessly. “Justin worked hard to get my truck ready for me, and it works great! Four guys followed me on bikes all over the desert in 113 degrees to go through everything – my family and friends are awesome!”

Though the official entry list is confidential, WGAS (the official organizer of the Tough Trucks and Beach Buggies events) released news that there are over 45 competitors signed up to race this year, between the Open and the Street classes. SRD’s prerunner, equipped with windows, carpet, heating, and a sound system, alongside the custom cage and dash, 5 point harnesses, bucket seats, dual race radios and Lowrance GPS system – will be racing in the street legal class. Heather uses her truck as a daily driver, primarily driving to school at Palomar College and as a “parts runner” for SRD’s fabrication shop. Justin shares: “It’s funny to get a text from your wife, who’s in class, saying: “Babe, you should have seen me slide into my parking spot!... and I can picture her doing exactly that.”

WGAS is sure to put on another great event this year – “John and Sharlene have helped our team immensely, answering a million questions and striving to keep the event fair and fun for every participant.” Heather reports. “…we look forward to an awesome time!”

SRD Joins Max's Ring of Fire

2009-06-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Press Release: June 1, 2009

Strategic Racing Designs visited Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, California for an outdoor family fundraising event. Max’s Ring of Fire Organization hosted Touch a Truck, a unique opportunity for children to see, explore, and learn about a wide variety of special-utility vehicles. Among the display were waste disposal trucks, fire engines, dump trucks, tow trucks, and lifeguard vehicles – all of which were open to climb inside to experience the driver’s seat. SRD added their fully outfitted pre-runner to the mix, in representation of off-road trucks – as did another local San Diego group with a Class 1400 Ranger, still under construction. Grant Gamble, who featured his “monster truck” at the affair, commented on SRD’s presence:

“It was great to see the desert racing industry represented by a local shop, obviously as excited about their sport as the kids. The children surely enjoyed the chance to strap into the 5 point harnesses and grab the wheel.”

Funds raised from this event will support the work of Dr. Giselle Sholler at the University of Vermont/Vermont Cancer Center, in efforts to find a cure for neuroblastoma, the 3^rd most common cancer in children. After Max died on August 31, 2008, his parents vowed to continue the fight against the disease that took their son away from them. In the months that followed his death, they poured their grief into action, forming Max's Ring of Fire and organizing the fundraiser.

Strategic Racing Designs, in conjunction with Max's Ring of Fire, enjoys strong relationships with many companies and organizations that share in its vision of giving kids with neuroblastoma a chance to grow up to be productive, happy members of society.

[More Photos]

For more information regarding this organization, or its upcoming events, please visit: http://www.maxsringoffire.org/

Video of Diesel Motorcycle in Baja 250 (257x)

2009-03-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

2009-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

2009 Baja 250 Race Report

Prologue

We have heard it mentioned, but never experienced it ourselves - When the plan goes as planned, “there’s no story to tell”! No big adventure this time or all night bike & rider rescue, just the execution of a well organized plan by a more knowledable and maturing race team.

A different venue – 175 lbs additional weight – a new rider on the team - finishing in the top 38% of our class – making history.

What a difference one race can make – going from the disappointment of not finishing the Baja 1000 last November to being across the finish line again well ahead of our anticipated class standing. We were able to test new tools & capabilities – 110 wt VHF radio & 50 foot omnidirectional antennae, adding a mobile F-150 Pre-runner to the chase team and having the new Husaberg chase the Diesel bike for the first 120 and last 40 miles of the course. We had continuous communication between race bike and chase bike.

The biggest improvement was having continuous pit communication coverage from Pete’s Camp (Base station) to the North at RM 55 & 68 to the West at RM 88, 93 & 120 and the South at RM 165 & 217.

All and all a beautiful spring day in Baja with a great group of friends and family and a great result!

Race Report

Larry Herrmann (Chase 3 team captain) got Bryon & the 257x bike from Pete’s Camp to the starting line – ready for the green flag. Bryon made radio contact with the team’s chase bike at RM 12 and they completed their intercept at RM 30. It was very difficult to join-up in the tall Sage, Ocotillo & Mesquite bushes and multiple open lines between Zoo Road and the narrows at RM 30. Once they joined up, the 257x bike took the lead. As the 2 bikes maneuvered around the mountain and turned west toward the Borrego Pit area, the top quads from the class starting behind us were rapidly approaching and looking for a way to get around the 425 lb motorcycle. Bryon held them off going up the hill at RM 46. This section of the course is very “green” and mostly single track and certainly a bottle neck for vehicles attempting to breach the crest of the rise down into the North end of Diablo Lake. Several lead changes occurred between the 257x bike and a top quad from the Sportsman class and Bryon was determined to stay ahead as the dust from the ATV created an impenetrable visual obstacle making the race bike ride totally blind for what seemed like hundreds of yards at a time. There was a point where the chase bike rider observed the 257x bike and the quad side by side going through several “S” turns in the course with the vehicle on the inside lane nosing out the other coming out of the corner. As they approached the power lines heading down the West side of the grade, the quad pulled away as the 257x bike slowed to transit the silt bed and mondo section of gargantuan woops.

Approaching RM 55 the chase bike radioed Merritt Townsend (Chase 2 team captain) to ready them for refueling the Husaberg. The Diesel bike continued solo to check point one and made the sharp left hand turn now heading into the morning sun and transiting southeast. The chase bike refueled and took Villa Del Sol road from RM 55 to RM 68, followed by Chase truck 2. Both the chase bike and the chase truck were in contact with Chase 4 (Justin & Heather Herrmann) who were transiting from RM 6 @ Zoo Road to RM 88. Passing RM 68, the 257x bike joined up with the chase bike and followed the course south along the East edge of Diablo Dry Lake hitting speeds in excess of 80 Mph on a bike that is big on torque & endurance and is short on suspension and brakes. It was impressive to watch from a few hundred feet behind – once witnessing the classic “flying W” as Bryon hit the concrete abutment of a water crossing and yelled out over the radio “big bump” – I almost fell off the chase bike for the second time laughing so hard – the first time being the battle with the quad in the single track area up North.

The chase bike took on another gallon of fuel at RM 88 – serviced by Chase team 4 as the 257x bike continued south, making the left hand turn and climbing the long grade toward Morelia Junction. The chase bike caught up and fell back into a trail position at RM 93 as both bikes turned right and rolled the throttles back to increase their speed on the good graded road down to RM 109. The next 15 miles were all natural “Baja” terrain complete with narrow trails lined by prickly branches and eager reaching cactus which Bryon made solid contact with at RM 118 as he was dodging in and out of a nasty section of deep sand and woops, which combined, put a good woopin’ on him - complete with a bloody polka-dotted riding jersey. Two long and very deep silt beds proved to be the next obstacle waiting for the race bike. From the rear trailing position it looked like an Mk82 500lbs high explosive bomb had detonated as the bike and rider hit the silt at some 25 mph. The silty dust climbed at least 100 feet into the air and made a great signaling indicator for the Chase team (1) waiting to conduct the rider change at RM 122.

Fatigue, dehydration and thick vegetation made it difficult to find the one & only pit location the team planned for the 257x race bike. It seemed easy to locate while pre-running, but my how things can look different on race day with added chase vehicles and numerous spectators parked randomly along the race course in the middle of the bottom section of Diablo Dry Lake. Finally eyeballing the frantic chase crew (seeing and hearing us but recognizing we did not see them), the diesel bike found itself parked backward on the pit carpet that was laid out for the refueling, air cleaner change, tire, oil & bolt check and rider change. Prior to Kirk mounting his steed, Bryon motioned to Kate Warren to read off the check-list to ensure nothing was overlooked. With a thumbs-up from Mike Warren, (Chase 1 team captain) Kirk dropped the bike into 1^st gear and spun a 180, roosting everyone within grenade range. Jae Kenney got a radio check with Kirk at RM 124 - he was doing this next 70 miles on his own.

Race-Dezert.com was filming the rider change and conducted a brief interview with Bryon regarding his experience on the 1^st half of the course on the big diesel bike. He also asked questions about the bike itself, who and where it is made and what our purpose was with racing the military bike in Baja. Bryon responded that first and foremost, this race adds continued credibility to the durability and functionality of the vehicle. Additionally, it adds public awareness to HDT USA’s eventual plan to offer the bike to the public after the military contract has been satisfied. Moreover, troops reading Military publications such as Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, and Stars & Stripes who are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and ride this bike in combat, will love to see that it not only competes on the battle field but also in Baja – a lesser battlefield of a different sort – more against mother-nature than the Taliban or Alkeida.

Following the interview, Chase team 1 broke down their pit and moved east to RM 193 to wait for the bike to complete the lower section of the course and have one final look before completing the last 40 miles of the race. Kirk maneuvered through Matomi wash, over the sand dune on the east side of the mountains and stopped briefly at RM 167 for a quick inspection from Chase team 3. Having given the bike a quick once-over, Larry Herrmann gave Kirk a thumbs-up and off he went into the next section of the course known as Azufre wash. Kirk had section a trio of times prior to race day and felt comfortable enough to open it up and pass several riders in our class. He managed his preplanned speed of 40mph throughout his entire 110 miles – most of which was all natural terrain with few hard packed roads to rest or recover on.

Kirk made it back to RM 193 and, according to an audible call by the chase crew, took on one gallon of diesel fuel just for good measure and forged ahead to complete the last leg of the race. Bryon and Jeff had gone ahead through Huatamote wash and waited for Kirk near check point 5 for all three of them to ride in together. Chase team 4 was also in place at RM 217 and did a quick visual as the bikes passed by. The entire team was now converging on the finish line. Chase 3 & 4 maneuvered to Old Puertecitos Rd and on to park at the arches, meeting Chase team 2 who stopped at Pete’s Camp to pick up Marie & Luke who had spent the day dutifully monitoring radio traffic and keeping the team connected and informed of the race bike’s location and status. The team celebrated at the finish line shaking Sal’s hand and answering a plethora of additional questions from the media, spectators and race enthusiasts wondering how we managed to race the 425 lb diesel bike into the top 38% of our class. Someone, please hand me a beer – it’s time to celebrate and eat some fish!

Epilogue

Hayes Diversified Technologies (HDT) USA, the maker of the world's only purpose built diesel motorcycle engine, competed in the 2009 SCORE International San Felipe 250 on March 14^th. The Marine Corps chose the KLR650 as the frame for the Diesel engine because it is a robust, utility motorcycle designed to transport a Marine with all of his armor, weapon, first aid, etc. as well as the possibility of a passenger. The world renowned off-road race was chosen as a proving ground due to the extreme conditions and harsh environment. HDTUSA is constantly striving to improve their motorcycle to give the US Military the very best product available.

Longtime motorcycle enthusiast Bryon Schmidt was the team's rider of record. Bryon (42), from Hesperia, California, serves as a chief diesel motorcycle maintenance consultant and senior testing specialist for HDT USA which is under contract with the Department of Defense for the production of the military version of the diesel motorcycle. Kirk Russell (46), from Bend, Oregon, rode the second half of the 232 mile race, starting at race mile 122. Kirk was a member of the 2008 SRD race team that made its first appearance on the podium in the Baja 500. Jeff Smith (46), from Oceanside, California, served as the team's mobile backup rider as he chased the 257x race bike from RM 6 to RM 120 and again from RM 193 to the finish line. Jeff also developed the training plan to support the riders in their preparation for the race, wrote the rider’s “Smart Pack” and chase team’s logistical “Chase Plan”. The team got to experience a rare “everything went as planned” event as they seamlessly and flawlessly executed their individual tasks and responsibilities.

Justin & Heather Herrmann (24 & 23), from Vista California provide the “logistical support” to HDT USA / Team SRD. Strategic Racing Designs (SRD), winners of the “Most Extreme Vehicle” award at the 2007 Del Mar Off-road show, tested the team’s new F-150 pre-runner by serving as a mobile chase vehicle and observing the 257x race bike at RM 6, 88, 217 & the finish line.

With SCORE International’s promotion of the use of alternative fuels and “greener” race vehicles, HDT USA / Team SRD is both proud & excited to continue the introduction of the capabilities, performance & endurance of the diesel motorcycle to the off-road world as they anticipate competing in future Baja Series off-road races.