2003 Dodge Ram Baja Racer - A Tangible Dream

For most people, it's a fantasy experience, the unobtainable adrenaline rush reserved exclusively for the elite and super-wealthy to enjoy. Perhaps that was the allure that demanded my consideration, or maybe it was just the fact that it was the type of experience you just don't come across every day. Whatever it was, I jumped to my feet with excitement when I received the phone call from Kent Kroeker of T-Rex Engineering, insisting I be his co-driver in the 36th annual SCORE Baja 500. "Absolutely, count me in--as long as I can slide it past the Editor," I responded. My heartbeat quickened with the notion of navigating a race vehicle through the turbulent wilds that consume everything south of the border.

"What are we going to run in?" I asked eagerly, crossing my fingers in hopes that the words "trophy truck" would follow. Nope. "Stock Full," Kent replied. I paused for a moment, letting my shoulders settle, wondering if such a class even existed. But Kent insisted that the Stock Full class is one of the most competitive and challenging in all of the Southern California Off Road Enterprises (SCORE) racing circuit. Unsure, I checked the SCORE Web site (www.score-international.com) and confirmed it: Stock Full is a class for fullsize production vehicles.

It seemed wrong, though. I couldn't visualize a stock fullsize truck blasting through the desert in the wake of million-dollar Class 1 cars. How could a production vehicle stand a chance against unlimited horsepower and 4 feet of suspension travel? When I asked Kent this question, I learned what Baja racing is all about, and also that we'd soon be making some interesting modifications to the '03 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel truck we planned to race.

In Baja racing, the challenge is not against man, but rather against Baja itself. With ever-changing topography that ranges from pine forests to trackless deserts, the peninsula often stands triumphantly over inexperienced and over-zealous challengers. Kent stressed to me that especially in our class, it's more about wisdom than aggression, knowing precisely when to slow down, not indiscriminately holding the throttle wide open. Baja is too unforgiving for recklessness. Limited by our chassis stock suspension design, the T-Rex race truck would require both great care and some very specific modifications to survive the Baja 500. So follow along now as we explore what modifications we made to the Ram and as we make our pass into one of racing's most storied events.

Several changes were made under the hood to help increase durability and torque. For starters, the two OE batteries were replaced with the tried-and-true Optima blue-tops. A Banks Six Gun power tuner with the off-highway-use-only Speedloader was installed to help improve throttle response and low-end torque. A Banks Big Head turbo wastegate was added, along with a Piers turbo fan wheel, which helped the Banks High-Ram intake horn boost manifold pressure up to 35 psi. The exhaust system was done completely by Banks, utilizing that company's massive 4-inch replacement downpipe and stainless steel exhaust system.

To transmit the increased torque to the wheels, the stock clutch was upgraded with a South Bend clutch. The truck dynoed at 245 hp before the installation of the above mentioned items. Afterwards, the truck put out an impressive 360 hp at the rear wheels, all while never exceeding exhaust gas temperatures of 1250 degrees. That might not seem like all that much in Trophy Truck talk, but was plenty for racing in Baja with limited suspension travel.