throttle Down Crown - buggy Passing Buggy - Photo 37399333

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In a field of 135 racers the main event can be a traffic jam as leaders in the second lap come upon slower first-lap contenders. Passing isn’t always possible in the dusty desert over boulder-strewn trails, but that doesn’t stop competitors from trying.

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Desert, Dakar, and NASCAR racer Robbie Gordon decided to take at shot at the crown, but a blown engine had him out early. Hopefully he’ll be back and bring some of his professional racing buddies to see if they can compete on this twisted race course.

Larry McRae and his copilot, Shad Kennedy of Poison Spyder Customs, brought a gun to a knife fight. The Stock Modified class is a halfway point between the Stock class and the unlimited buggies of the main event, with portions of the factory framerails and mechanical steering required. The Poison Spyder crew built a buggy representing a Jeep JK with attached framerails and a cable steering setup (in addition to a hydraulic ram) to beat the rules and the other competitor in Stock Mod, but were not quick enough to beat Stock class winner John Currie.

Rick Mooneyham of Trick Toy’s Fabrication not only earned Second Place just 13 minutes behind the winner, but has been in the top 5 multiple times in this race. His persistence has kept him near the top, and we’re sure he’ll be gunning hard for the crown next year.

This Monster Energy buggy is driven by Casey Currie and his uncle John Currie. It has a mid-engine design, but what we really like are the tall skinny Continental truck tires on 20-inch Walker Evans wheels.

Rusty Bray brought his buggy out from Richmond, Kentucky, and showed that his Spidertrax Axle–equipped rock buggy can run with the big dogs by garnering an Eighth Place finish. Rusty demonstrated his smooth driving here on the second lap coming up the Outer Limits Trail.

Jason Scherer in conjunction with PSC Steering pulled off a feat of intestinal fortitude. They designed and built this high-tech IFS single-seat rock buggy in just two months. New-car gremlins resulted in an engine swap in the desert and some issues during race day. The team, sponsored by Trail Master and Nitto Tire, fought hard to a 19th Place finish.

John Currie and Gerald Lee pulled off a win in the Smittybuilt Everyman Challenge (also known as the Stock and Stock Modified race). This TJ Unlimited is very limited in its modifications, with just 35-inch Falken DOT tires and restricted suspension, engine, and steering upgrades. Currie axles and Savy Off Road upgrades plus smooth driving helped this Jeep not just win the Stock class, but also beat out the winner of the Stock Modified class.

In a field of 135 racers the main event can be a traffic jam as leaders in the second lap come upon slower first-lap contenders. Passing isn’t always possible in the dusty desert over boulder-strewn trails, but that doesn’t stop competitors from trying.

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