February 10, 2013
Gutsy Texas Team Completes King of the Hammers
More than 150 teams showed up in Landers, California for the 2013 Ultra4 King of the Hammers race February 8. Presented by Nitto Tire, this year’s King of the Hammers was the largest since the race’s inception seven years ago. With 185 miles of treacherous terrain to cover, only 27 drivers were able to complete King of the Hammers 2013. One of this year’s finishers was #26 Clay Gilstrap, who traveled 1,500 miles to compete with his fiancé and co-driver, Lindsay Syler. Spending nearly 13 hours on the course and facing mechanical difficulties all along the way, Team Gilstrap came in 14th place overall.
“We thought the car was 100% ready when we left Lufkin, Texas for King of the Hammers,” Syler said. “We were planning on heading out to the lake bed, getting set up and then going to Turn Key for a quick motor tune-up. The tune-up proved to be quick and painless, but upon our return to the lake bed, the multitude of problems started to escalate into a domino effect. On the first day of pre-running, transmission 1 went out and a brand new transmission was installed. With hours left until the qualifying race, transmission 2 went out during our pre-run through Backdoor…”
November 11, 2012
Ultra4 Race Review
The PSC Motorsports Brawl in Blackwell November 10th brought the top 50 Ultra4 drivers from around the country to Texas in a battle for the title of Nitto Tire Ultra4 National Champion. “This event was the drivers’ last chance to qualify for the Griffin King of the Hammers race to be held in February 2013,” explained BRT President, Chris Leitner. “Off-road racers were competing for a substantial purse, as well as a minimum of 15 qualifying spots for the King of the Hammers race.”
Jason Scherer came through with a dramatic win, outpacing second-place Jason Shipman and Team Scrap’n by only a margin of two minutes after a grueling 175-mile race to the finish. Final race results were as follows: 1st place, Jason Scherer, 2nd Place Jason Shipman, 3rd place Chris Hoyt, 4th Place Mike Colville and 5th place. The Ultra4 Nitto Tire National Championship went to Nick Nelson.
October 14, 2012
BRT Announces 2012 Champions
BRT is proud to announce that scores have been totaled to determine the 2012 BRT Division Champions. Points were acquired at the Texana 250 in March, the Chupacabra 300 in October, and the Cinco de Baja in May, which was held in New Mexico through a partnership with Outlaw Desert Racing. Division Champions were named last Sunday at the awards ceremony for the Chupacabra 300.
Titles were awarded as follows: Class 3000 – Randy Watson, Class 7S – Greg Wells, Class 1900 – Lana Richards, Class 1 – Scott Schovajsa, Class 7U – Pat Sims, Class 12 – Dennis Sonnenberg, Class 4400 – Jason Shipman, Class 10 – Gordon Self, Class TT – Carl Beal. BRT Media Coordinator David O’Connor commented, “Not only did we have great performances by each of these teams in 2012, we were also able to capture many of the great moments of the season on film. Congratulations to all participating drivers for a fantastic year.”
October 7, 2012
Chupacabra 300 Race Review
Race fans braved blustery weather this weekend for the second annual Chupacabra 300 at Texana Ranch. Driver #1514 Jason Shipman brought home a win for Team Scrap’n, claiming the Class 1 first place spot and overall race winner. #1505 Scott Schovajsa and #27 Carl Beal came in second and third.
With 35 racers registered and several new opportunities available for spectators and drivers, the 2012 Chupacabra was an action-packed event. Spectators enjoyed the course from three all-new remote viewing areas that allowed access to overlook ten miles of the circuit. This year’s Chupacabra also featured a new race – the ladies-only Powder Puff competition on Friday morning.
August 10, 2012
VP Racing Fuels Named Official Fuel of BRT
Baja Racing of Texas is proud to announce that VP Racing Fuels will be its Official Fuel for the 2012 season. In its continuing efforts to support off-road racing in Texas, VP will be on site as the exclusive fuel supplier at BRT events. “We are proud to continue our relationship with VP Racing Fuels,” said Chris Leitner, President of Baja Racing of Texas. “Their support of off-road racing in Texas is confirmation that we are doing the right things for the sport.”
VP is recognized by many as the world leader in race fuel technology, with a growing roster of VP-fueled champions across the entire spectrum of motorsports. VP’s reputation for product quality helped secure its position as the Official Racing Fuel of NHRA Championship Drag Racing, as well as sponsor of nearly 60 other series and sanctioning bodies.
August 3, 2012
“Jake Youngblood” BRT Fun Run/Test & Tune Weekend scheduled for Labor Day Weekend
We are excited about the BRT Fun Run to be held at the Texana Ranch over Labor Day weekend. The entire 43-mile race course will be open for all participants to enjoy. A portion of the event proceeds from the front gate, food, raffle and BBQ will be going to support our very good friend Jake Youngblood (12 yrs old) who was involved in a very tough motocross accident a few weeks ago. Jake and his dad, Dave have been helping BRT since our first event and we consider them family. Jake is paralyzed from the chest down and in a wheelchair now and undergoing lots of rehab.
August 1, 2012
BRT featured in Off-Road magazine
An outstanding article about Baja Racing of Texas was published in the August edition of Off-Road magazine. The article showcases BRT’s contribution to off-road racing in Texas and highlights the advantages of moving Baja events to the area, including the state’s central location and large expanses of privately-owned land.
The article’s author, Jerrod Jones, concluded the article with these thoughts: “While every course is different, we can guarantee that racing in Texas will make seasoned off-road racers learn a few new tricks, and it will definitely give more people a chance to race that could not have otherwise. Perhaps your race truck and team will make it out to Texas to see what the new go-fast tracks of the Lone Star State look like. We’ll see you at the races!”
May 5, 2012
BRT joins forces with ODR for Cinco de Baja Race
Baja Racing of Texas partnered with Outlaw Desert Racing to host the Cinco de Baja race on May 4-6. 66 racers started the day which made for some great racing on the very fast 38 mile loop. Fastest lap in the Baja race was put down by the #57 Carl Beal with a 39 min lap with a top speed of 126MPH.
The event took place in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, which is located north of Albuquerque. The Cinco de Baja overall winner was Carl Beal, who finished with a time of 3:39:22. Matt Messer took second place with 3:52:15, and Gordon Self placed third at 3:56:15. Beal, Messer, and Self were among 58 drivers who finished the race.
April 15, 2012
BRT hosts first Ford Raptor Run
Racers hit the 43-mile course at Texana Ranch in Blackwell, Texas on April 13-15 for the Ford Raptor Run. The Raptor Run, a first for Baja Racing of Texas, drew more than 50 trucks over the course of the weekend. Racers were divided into four different categories based on amount of driving experience.
The Raptor Run took place at Texana Ranch, where BRT held the Texana 250 in early March. The ranch spans an area of approximately 5,000 acres and is home to a variety of exotic wildlife, including species from Africa and India. Of the Raptor Run, racer Dustin Turner commented, “Great event this weekend, guys. The Raptor made a believer out of me – one of the toughest trucks on the planet, for sure.”
March 3, 2012
BRT kicks off 2012 season with Texana 250
Twenty racers finished this year’s Texana 250 hosted by Baja Racing of Texas on March 3. The new and improved race course spanned just over 43 miles of rough terrain at Texana Ranch in Blackwell, Texas. Featuring ten classes of off-road vehicles, the Texana 250 was BRT’s first race of the season.
Scott Schovajsa took first place overall with a time of 6:40:42. In second place was Jason Shipman, who clocked in at 6:51:59, and third-place driver Clint Ellett crossed the finish line less than four minutes later. “We would like to thank everyone who came out to make the Texana 250 a great event to start off the 2012 season,” Chris Leitner said. “We are so grateful to have such an awesome group of racers and volunteers.”
October 2, 2011
Jesse James comes out on top in BRT Chupacabra 300
Jesse James in his #54 Geiser built Trophy Truck brought home the overall win in the first annual BRT Chupacabra 300 with a time of 8 hours and 5 minutes. Jesse spent the day competing against the likes of Roger Norman running “Wild Bill” Stuever’s #88 Trophy Truck, Zorba Racing & 9 other unlimited vehicles that started. Jesse, known for his shows such as Monster Garage and up coming Biker Build-Off duel against OCC and Paul Jr. Designs.
Chris Leitner of Baja Racing of Texas commented, “Our success of the 2011 season far exceeded our expectations. The support we received from our volunteers, racers, landowners and sponsors validated our vision for off-road racing in Texas. 2012 promises to be bigger and better and we can’t wait to get started.”
Click here for Brian Binkert’s race coverage on Race-Dezert.
Click here for the Chupacabra 300 reporting on the BRT website.
April 10, 2011
Brad Lovell captures the overall win at Inaugural BRT Race
The first event of the 2011 season for BRT is in the record books! History was made at the finish line of the Blackwell 250 when, for the first time ever, an Ultra 4 racer took an overall desert win. The #232 AMSOIL Ranger fought dust and traffic all day after starting at the back of the 4400 class to come out on top.
Perfect weather and a record number of desert racers and spectators were in attendance at the inaugural event. With the largest class of TT, Class One and 4400′s off the line in perfect conditions, the Texas desert racing community once again has shown that Baja racing in the Lone Star state is here to stay!
March 3, 2011
Baja Racing of Texas and International Racing Consultants (IRC) partner for 2011
Baja Racing of Texas, LLC (BRT) announces a partnership with International Racing Consultants (IRC) to offer a low-cost tracking system for off-road events. “This is a key component for our fundamental goal to allow the competitor and enthusiasts a chance to experience the world of off-road racing in an organized, affordable and safe environment” stated BRT President Chris Leitner. The new tracking device offers all of the features racers have come to expect from IRC:
- Monitor vehicle location and speed
- Alert sent if the vehicle stops or experiences an inclination
- Allow the driver/passenger to contact the IRC Control
- Provide Live Web Tracking
IRC is a specialist in advanced satellite communications in land, air and sea sports as well as well as commercial and personal logistics. www.racetheworld.net/ircstore/
February 1, 2011
Baja Racing of Texas announces New Off-Road Racing Series
Ft. Worth, TX. (February 1, 2011) Exciting news from the Lone Star state as a new off-road race series is announced today. Baja Racing of Texas, LLC (BRT) will be launching a new off road racing series for the upcoming 2011 season. The BRT was formed by Chris Leitner (BRT President) and is the next step in the continuing growth of off-road racing in Texas. The goal of the BRT is to provide safe, fun and challenging racing venues for the entire off-road community. Leitner stated, “When you look at the states that have the land to hold these type of events the list is very short and the fact that Texas land is privately owned, then Texas really is the next step for the off-road community. We plan to offer the ‘Texas Premiere Off-Road Racing Experience’ to the racers, fans and sponsors attending our events”.
Leitner has assembled a large staff to assist him in this project. This group has an impressive 100 plus years of combined experience in organizing, promoting and participating in off-road racing events. BRT will be offering familiar race classes, safety guidelines and has established a relationship with the rock crawling community to incorporate 4-wheel drive (Ultra 4) vehicles into the series. Chris Leitner stated “We are looking forward to our relationship with Cameron Chin with Krawltex Motorsports and Jeremy Dickinson who will be spearheading our new 4400 race class. We know these guys will bring some great competition and great viewing for the spectators.”
Visit the organization’s website www.bajaracingtexas.com and be sure to check out the BRT Facebook page.
