Field Finds
Any interest in old iron out there? If you poke around a bit, you never know what you might find. A buddy of ours, Doug Kielian of Auto Kraft Body & Paint in Lincoln, Nebraska, sent us photos of two of his latest field finds, a Travelall that “followed me home for a couple hundred bucks” and a Scout he rescued from a salvage yard.
“I run across so many neat potential projects when I’m out and about,” he says. “I guess I go out of my way searching for them, knowing that in 20 years or so they will have all been crushed and sent overseas to make cheap toasters! So I save what I can.”
Got a cool field find or a nearby yard with some vintage tin just waiting to be saved? We’d like to hear about it. Send some info and high-resolution photos to 4wheeloffroad@sorc.com. We’ll share the neatest stuff.
Flying Dutchmen
Our coverage of desert racing is usually focused on the big-name teams, but a lot of racers out there gunning for glory also deserve face time in the magazine. One such team is the Flying Dutchmen—Nick, Larry, Johnny, and Michael Vanderwey—who have been desert racing for 21 years and campaign the No. 84 Trophy Truck. After a successful 2011 season, including Second Place overall at the Baja 1000 and Third overall at the Baja 500, the Dutchmen have their sights set on the SCORE Championship and an overall win in 2012.
To get there, the team plans to pay more attention to detail and prerace planning, including preparation of the truck and fine-tuning the pit strategy and crew plans to be use during the races. “Last year, except for a DNF at Laughlin, we finished every race with the leaders, just a minute or so off the overall win,” says Nick. “This year we plan to shave those minutes and collect the overall win.”
Their Trophy Truck is powered by an 830hp, 454ci Chevy small-block built by Dougan’s Racing Engines. It is backed by a Turbo 400 automatic from by Rancho Drivetrain Engineering and uses an underdrive unit, built by Tubeworks, to help turn the 42-inch BFG Baja Proven tires on TrailReady beadlock wheels. Other sponsors and contributors to the Flying Dutchmen are KC Hilites, King Shocks, All Start Electric, and the Got Milk? campaign.
We’ll keep you posted on how the Dutchmen do during the 2012 SCORE season.
Win an Alaskan Adventure
Yamaha has partnered with outdoor outfitters Cabela’s in a special sweepstakes where the grand prize (for three winners) is an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Alaska. Why Alaska? Yamaha’s Grizzly 700 FI EPS is the bestselling big-bore ATV up there. The adventure package, worth $9,200 per winner, will include Grizzly ATV rides, guided trips to Alaska’s best fishing spots, a $500 Cabela’s gift card, and much more. Act fast, as entries close March 31. Visit goo.gl/JXfqU.
Calendar
• Mar. 31–Apr. 8: Easter Jeep Safari, Moab, UT, by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers. Info: www.rr4w.com
• Mar. 31–Apr. 1: Schuss Mtn. Snow Challenge, Schuss Mountain at Shanty Creek Resort, Bellaire, MI. Info: www.griztekusa.com/snowchallenge.html
• Apr. 2: Easter Safari for First Timers, Moab, UT, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
• Apr. 3: Quadratec annual barbeque at Moab, Moab Area High School, Moab, UT. Info: www.quadratec.com
• Apr. 6: Disorder on the Border HDRA desert race, Plaster City, CA. Info: hdrarace.com
• Apr. 12-14: Cajun Jeep Jamboree, Francisville, LA. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Apr. 12-14: 8th Annual Wisconsin OHV Association off-highway vehicle enthusiasts workshops, Mole Lake, WI. Info: www.wohva.com
• Apr. 13-15: PCI Race Radios 300 desert race, Ridgecrest, CA, by SNORE. Info: www.snoreracing.net
• Apr. 21: Getting Started Off-Road Driving Clinic, Hungry Valley SVRA, Gorman, CA, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
• Apr. 22: Advanced Beginner 4WD Clinic, El Paso Mountains, Mojave, CA, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
• Apr. 25-28: Tennessee Mountains Jeep Jamboree, Oak Ridge, TN. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Apr. 26-28: Arch Canyon Jeep Jamboree, San Juan County, UT. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
• Note: If you have a 4WD event you want us to publicize, please send the date, location, a description, and contact info—phone numbers and/or email/website address—to Calendar, 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245; fax 310.531.9368; email 4wheeloffroad@sorc.com. Please submit your info at least four months in advance.
Coolest Fast Reading Place
Jess Willhite sent in this photo of himself sitting in Mark McMillin’s Trophy Truck the day before the Baja 1000. “Finished Fourth overall and Fourth in class,” he wrote. “Always have my 4Wheel & Off-Road magazine with me.”
Nissan Pathfinder Concept
We were excited to hear that Nissan planned to “reinvent” its Pathfinder as the “next-gen SUV” until we learned that the redo will make it a car-based crossover. Back in the day, Pathfinder won our 4x4 of the Year competition—twice. We don’t expect a three-peat anytime soon.
Happy 100th, GMC!1952 Willys M38
Chevrolet made a huge deal of its 100th birthday last year with special models, TV ads, and even an Internet radio station devoted to Chevy-themed music, yet we almost missed the one press release GM issued about GMC turning 100 in 2012. Here are a few factoids from that release, a list of “10 Little Known Things about GMC.”
GMC was launched in 1912 when the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company merged with two others, Reliance and Randolph. Before the merger, in August 1909, a Rapid F-406-B was the first truck to reach the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak. GMC built the 1941 Futureliners, which carried mobile auto shows across the country, and it also built about 584,000 military vehicles during World War II, including the CCKW-353 6x6 Jimmy deuce-and-a-half and the amphibious Duck. Happy birthday, GMC!