RACERS TACKLE WILD WEST MOTORSPORT PARK

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article and photos are by Tammie Wise. Still figuring how to get her name at the top where it says “author.”

On the weekend of March 28-29, 2015 the Valley Off Road Association (VORRA) began their 40th season of off road racing at the Wild West Motorsport Park outside of Reno, Nevada.

The enthusiasm and excitement at the event was amazing, many racers from the past were on hand to race as well as numerous newcomers. All were ready to get the new-year underway with a bang.

Racers charge downhill after the ski jump at Wild West Motorsports Park. Photo by Tammie Wise

On Saturday the cars would start their engines and tear up the track for qualifying.

Veteran racer Eric Verling was the first to get his timed run in, in his #102 class 10 racer, clocking a 01:05:425, this time would not quite make the top of the list. Max Baggett in #1042 set the time to beat in class with a 1:03.569, followed by Wes Harbor in the #1025 buggy with a 1:03.741.

In the Group T class the racers to beat were class pole winner Scott Sibbald in the #1467 running a speedy fast 1:05.405 and Roger Ceballos racing #70 with a hot 1:07.806 run.

Class 1 leaders were Tom Flattery in the #1805 with the pole winning time of 1:01.924, followed up by the ever quick J.J. Schnarr/Mark Levrett buggy #6061 with a 1:01.986 run.

The only Ultra 4 buggy that ran qualifying was Tim Preiss in the #4130 racer clocking a 1:03.846 time.

Sportsman racers would be following the lead of Brandon Blanco in the #01 buggy, who set a time of 1:08.867 followed by Frank Saum #77 who put up a time of 1:16.479.

As the day ended all the racers prepared for race day.

Sunday would begin with the drivers meeting and then off to practice. The format for the day would be 3 moto’s per class, two 6 lap moto’s and one 8 lap final moto to determine the winners of the day.

Saturday’s qualifying order would set the field for Moto but the finishing order would be inverted for Moto 2. And the final Moto would be lined up based upon the finishing order of Moto 2.

The day was beautiful and 30 race teams were ready to get out there and kick up some dust.

As the practice sessions finished up the racers took the grid, all anticipated the drop of the first green flag of the season. The beautiful singing of our National Anthem filled the race track, then the all famous words were said “Gentleman start your engines”….

The 40th anniversary of VORRA was a series of motos and the money round is about to start. Photo by Tammie Wise.

Sportsman class was staged and ready to get the 40th year of VORRA racing under way. Leading the charge was Brandon Blanco in the #01 racer, at the first turn Frank Saum #77 and Brian Hewett #1005 were neck and neck, as the race wore on it was clear to see that the racer to beat in class would be Hewett in the #1005 buggy who finally took the lead and would have the top spot in Moto 1.

Next to run would be the Class 9/UTV. None of the racers in this class had participated in qualifying the previous day.

The lead spot for Class 9 was filled by Jimmy Sheridan in the #911 racer. By the first turn the UTV of Dennis Jean #1959 would take the lead and keep it for the remainder of the race, the battle for the top spot in Class 9 would go to Sheridan #911 due to his competitor Kurt Schnell in the #942 losing a wheel and tire on the second turn of the race.

Up next were the class 10 buggies. Class 10 would be the largest group of the day with a field of 8 racers vieing for the days win.

Lead car in this group would be Max Baggett in his #1042 ride. The racers would have their hands full in this moto, Wes Harbor in the Fibercraft #1029 would take the early lead followed by J.J. Schnarr in the Coast Aluminum #1062 buggy.

As the laps clicked off it was clear to see that 1062 was the car to beat taking the checker flag and the top spot in moto #1.

As the class 10 racers were finishing up the next group to go Group T were warming up and staging for their moto. Pole sitter Scott Sibbald in the #1467 army green truck was ready for the challenge.

Coming into the first jump of the race local favorite Gary Hull #8088 looked like he would give Scott a run for his money, hot on their heals was Roger Ceballos in the #70 rig. The heart pounding power of the trucks could be felt a mile away as these high horse powered racers ran lap after lap. In the end it would be Sibbald’s #70 taking the checkered flag for the win in Moto 1.

The last class to run was the mixed class of Class 1 and Ultra 4. The excitement of seeing the unlimited racers hit the track was palatable.

Seven racers made up the grid including the 2 Ultra 4 buggies. Class 1 would line up behind the Ultra 4 class, with pole winner in Ultra 4 Tim Preiss #4130 in his Jimmy’s 4×4 buggy leading the charge.

The other Ultra racer Brad Falin #4457 was not able to qualify due to an issue with a brake booster, but today he was rearing and ready to go. Preiss would hold the top spot in the Ultra 4 class the whole moto coming out on top.

The pole position spot in Class One went to Tom Flattery in his space mobile looking #1805. When the green flag dropped it was clear to see that the high-flying #1805 was fast for sure.

Local racer Mark Levrett in the #6061 buggy also known as the punisher would be nipping at Tom’s heals almost immediately. In the end the moto would go to Levrett.

With the first Moto’s complete now it was time to mix things up a bit, moto number 2 for all the racers would be an inverted start, so that meant the winners went to the back.

As the Sportsman class took up their starting positions for Moto 2 Frank and Mark Saum would give Brian Hewett a run for his money in their two sportsman buggies. In the end it would be Hewett in the #1005 racer coming out on top.

Moto 2 for the class 9/UTV racers was a basic replay of the first round with UTV of Dennis Jean #1959 taking an early lead. Kurt Schnell #942 would give Jimmy Sheridan 911 a run for his money with a lot of back and forth racing it was clear that these two meant business, but in the end Sheridan would come out on top in moto 2.

Class 10 would take the field for their second moto of the day at the top of the first turn a roll over would take the field back to the starting grid for a second time, these guys meant business as the field restarted. With the inverted start, the quicker guys were in the back pushing to get to the front, as the teams rounded the first turn after the restart it was clear there would be no love lost this race with several racers making contact on the down hill heading into the first table top.

As the racers mixed it up and finally spread out the two at the top would be Max Baggett in the #1042 America sponsored buggy taking the top spot.

Group T hit the ground running in moto 2 John Wood #856 took the front spot at the start, Wood would be able to hold off the on coming storm for a bit but soon Roger Ceballos #70 and Gary Hull’s #8088 would be heading up a charge to the front. By the end Gary Hull #8088 would take the checker and the top spot.

Class 1/Ultra 4 took their starting positions, with the inverted start the number one spot was Brad Falin in the Ultra 4 #4457. The teams hit the ground running head long into the first turn, down the down hill and on to the table top jump, where John Preiss #4130 would pass Brad for the Ultra 4 top spot.

Jerry Wood #1556 swept his way to the front for Class 1 squeezing past Rob Parsons #111 buggy in the tight right hand sweeping corner.

The excitement kept growing at the teams made their way around the track, it looked as though it would be a seamless race until lap number two when in the sharp right sweeper John Preiss’s Ultra 4 buggy would get a bit too loose and roll right in front to Jerry Wood’s class 1.

John Preiss rolls his Ultra 4 in front of Jerry Wood, who was able to miss him. Photo by Tammie Wise

The amazing recovery team came to John’s aid and as is not surprising the Ultra 4 buggy was able to continue the race. As the laps clicked down J.J. Schnarr in #6061 would make his way through the pack and end the moto in the top spot. The Ultra 4 winner of this moto would be Brad Falin 4457.

After a quick lunch break that gave the teams a chance to do some much needed touch up and repairs to the their rides the final Moto was ready to be begin.

Next would be the Main events of the day. The racers would start based upon the finishing order of Moto #2 and would run 8 laps to decide the winners of the event.

Brian Hewett flies his buggy on the way to winning his final moto.

Sportsman took to the grid Brian Hewett #1005 sitting on the pole ready to do battle. The teams ran a hard race but the extra laps would take there tolls on the racers the Frank Saum’s #77 of ran a great race as did his son Mark, but in the end Hewett would hold the lead from start to finish taking the checkered flag and the win for the day.

As the Sportsman took their checkered flags the Class 9/UTV classes were staged and ready to go. The final moto of the day for Dennis Jean’s #1959 UTV was a smooth easy-going day on the track leading from the start to the finish of the race.

The #911 of Jimmy Sheridan would be at the front of the pack for Class 9 when the green flag dropped and would battle for the lead with Kurt Schnell #942. But in the end Sheridan won the race despite he buggy having a broken ball joint.

After fighting issues all day Kurt Schnell (right) comes out on top. Photo by Tammie Wise.

The Class 10 final race was one to watch as the cars hit the grid the pole would be filled by Max Baggett’s America Sponsored #1042, with J.J. Schnarr’s Coast Aluminum #1062 sitting in the number 2 spot. With the green flag the teams were off, Schnarr took the early lead coming around the first turn.

The racing was tight with a battle for second and third between Brian Hewett and Baggett at the beginning of the race but as the laps went on Hewett would drop back in the pack making room for another competitor Wes Harbor #1029, who ran a smooth consistent race working his way around the track. Mid way through the race Baggett came on strong and was able to pass Schnarr for the win. Schnarr would hold on to second place with a close third place finish by Harbor.

Max Baggett (left) passes another buggy on his way to winning one of the main events. Photo by Tammie Wise.

Group T took their positions awaiting their green flag. Gary Hull #8088 would start on the pole position with Roger Ceballos #70 taking the second spot. Roger would waste no time, as the field rounded the first corner it was apparent he would be the one leading the charge to the table top jump.

John Wood #856 was hot on Roger’s heals. As the laps clicked down Scott Sibbald in the #1467 would show his might, picking up spot after spot reeling in Ceballos. And Sibbald finally overtook Roger to go on for the win.

The third place spot was a battle between the pole sitter for the moto Gary Hull #8088 and John Wood #856 the two would battle back and forth for the remainder of the race with Hull coming out on top in the end.

Scott Sibbald slides his way to the lead as he heads downhill toward the finish line. Photo by Tammie Wise.

The final race in the first round of the VORRA racing season was the Class 1/Ultra 4 class racers. This race was a shoot out for cold hard cash, 500 dollars to be exact.

Pole position for the Ultra 4 cars would be none other the Brad Falin in his #457 spider mobile. Class 1 would see Jerry Wood #1556 at the front of the pack.

As the racers rounded the first turn Tim Preiss in his Ultra 4 buggy #4130 would be in the front of the pack followed by Jerry Wood. The racers held the pack tight through the first lap Jerry would take the front spot coming down the back stretch followed by Mark Levrett in the Punisher #6061 hot on his heals.

In the Ultra 4’s it looked as though Preiss would run away with the class, but the sleeper Falin was just waiting. Brad finally made his move towards the end of the race, taking the lead and holding it to the end.

The Class 1 finish was another story, the two veteran racers of Jerry Wood and Mark Levrett battled back and forth for most of the race, in the end the win would go to Levrett in a true photo finish, beating Wood by less then a car length.

As the day wore down the team all met up at the Hussong’s Cantina in the Silver Legacy, downtown Reno, NV. Many of the racers were not there as they had to hit the road but here are a few quotes from those that were able to attend.

J.J. Schnarr (left) who was second in Class 10 stands with his teammate Mark Levrett, who won the Class 1 shoot out and collected the $500 bonus. Photo by Tammie Wise.

After picking up his trophy and cash for his win Mark Levrett said, “Couldn’t have done it without Coast Aluminum and the amazing crew that supports them.”

A delighted Max Baggett holds his trophy for winning Class 10. Photo by Tammie Wise.

At the conclusion of the race the general consensus was how happy everyone was to be back in the desert. From all of the racers they expressed how thankful they are to the VORRA crew and “Vorrateers” for all they do.

Now on to the next event in just a few short weeks, Prairie City here we come April 18th.

• Tammie was notified the full results will not be available until seven days after the event.

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