mcmillin Prerunning With Pros - mcmillins Beagle Pilots - Photo 38368257

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Bill Allen and Robert Arce make up the aerial wing of the chase team. Flying the McMillins’ Beechcraft King Air, “Beagle,” they provide air support and an extra safety blanket should something go wrong. The McMillins specifically acquired a twin-prop plane that could land on dirt roads if necessary.

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The morning meeting at base camp prior to prerunning. Scott delivers the game plan for the McMillin Realty team, quoting his father and reiterating the three all-important Ps that Corky had taught him: Plan, prepare, and practice. Scott is just who you’d expect him to be. He’s quick to take charge of a situation should he see the need, but understands that a delegation of authority allows the most to be done and maximizes the race effort.

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Scott is very obviously proud of all his kids, and makes sure that they always enjoy what they’re doing, all while the race effort is taken seriously. Well, not too seriously, as you can see by Rhiannon’s bunny ears on Scott from the back seat.

Bill Allen and Robert Arce make up the aerial wing of the chase team. Flying the McMillins’ Beechcraft King Air, “Beagle,” they provide air support and an extra safety blanket should something go wrong. The McMillins specifically acquired a twin-prop plane that could land on dirt roads if necessary.

Morning prerunning started with Scott leading the way into Zoo Road at more than 70mph. He was followed by Andy and his friend, “AK,” in his F-150, and Jessica and PCI’s Rhiannon Freiley in her F-150. Going 85 mph through whoops with father, daughter, and son all within a few feet of each other in three different trucks is a family past time that I was not familiar with.

With this big of a race effort, everything is planned and well thought out. Race support manager, Tim Sanchez, sets up pit with the pit crew of Jim “Mr. Easy” Evans fueling up the prerunner, Ron James—Jess and Andy’s brother—shooting web video, and EMT Mike Groscup turning on the fuel to transfer into the prerunners. When Scott, Andy, or Jess pull in, there is fuel ready to go, snacks and liquids for rehydration, and an assortment of parts and tools should anything be wrong with one of the prerunners or race trucks.

McMillin Realty Racing runs two identical black Super Duty chase trucks with tools, welders, two BFGoodrich spares, fuel, and Baja Designs worklights that turn these trucks into mobile shops. They’re so nice that other teams actually contract the McMillins’ shop to built chase trucks for them!

Andy’s grinning because of all that black duct tape where a rear window used to be on his truck. I immediately liked Andy, or “Bebo” as his family as close friends know him. Here was a kid who had won the Baja 1000 before his 20th birthday, yet was still a fairly humble guy. Though Andy would probably tell you that they are as different as can be, you can see the same gleam in the eye of both father and son.

At only 24 years old, Andy is already a legend in Baja and someone who a lot of the local kids look up to. When word got out that he was in town to prerun the upcoming race, kids raced from school after class to get a pic with racer Andy McMillin.

McMillin’s prep team works late into the night to make sure the trucks are ready for a full day of prerunning the next morning. Their jobs start when the trucks stop, and they’ll work until the trucks are finished, no matter what time it is.

Mark Fagan and Hector work as quickly as they can to get one of the prerunners up and running after a part was flown in overnight from Santee, California.

To say this truck was impressive would be an understatement. This was Scott’s first time in his newly-acquired Stewart Raceworks F-150 that he recently purchased from Guns N Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. I rode in this truck through Zoo Road, closing in on 100mph with Scott behind the wheel. I’m not really sure how to properly express the feeling of being in a half-million dollar truck going faster than you ever thought possible over some of the worst terrain in the world.