Say hello to 2005's Class 7S Baja 1000 winner, driven by Dan Fresh and navigated by Vince Demaio. And yes, it's still a solid-axle 4WD Jeep, but that doesn't mean it can't spank a 2WD through the rough stuff. Their ZJ will do 100 mph through the whoop-de-doos and still flex out and crawl over rocks when it comes time. To top it off, they can throw their tailgate on (where the license plate resides) and hit the highway, since this thing is still street-legal! The build started as something more mild, but turned into this go-fast truck at Dan's shop, DXR Motorsports in Mission Viejo, California. This '94 Grand Cherokee was originally supposed to be a prerunner, but it worked so well that it ended up being the racer when "Green Flag" time rolled around. In fact, the build was so successful that Vince and Dan are thinking of marketing turnkey race-ready (but still street-legal) Grand Cherokees almost identical to this one for around 50 grand. Too bad we don't make that much money, but we sure like the idea of having a Jeep we could drive to work during the week, and race or prerun with on the weekends.
 |  Pushing this truck through...  Pushing this truck through the desert, over boulders, and through whoop-de-doos is not what you'd think. It's a six-cylinder, not a V-8! For the class Vince and Dan race in, the engine size was limited to six cylinders and no more than 4.7L. So, of course, the I-6 was stroked and bored 0.060 over to just under the 4.7L limit. The 1.7-ratio roller rockers were also added to the stainless steel valves, along with lots of additional head work. All this juice is pushed through a 42RE auto tranny helped out with some Kevlar clutches. |  DXR Motorsports built a custom...  DXR Motorsports built a custom long-arm front end using H&M 3/4- to 1/4-inch rod ends and a radius-arm design to hold the Unitrax-built Dana 30 axle (which has been heavily trussed to withstand the blows). A 2 1/2-inch King coilover and a bypass shock reside at each corner, netting 16 inches of up and down at the wheels. Notice that they're not using front hydraulic bumpstops? When there's not enough room to place a bumpstop, the bypass shocks can be set up to take that last little bit of pounding. |
 Though the front Dana 30 was...  Though the front Dana 30 was kept, Unitrax built a custom Ford 9-inch rear filled with a spool and 4.88 gears to hold up during race time. It's located via a triangulated three-link, again using H&M rod ends and custom built by DXR. Just like the front, King bypasses and coilovers are used again, but this time with a pair of hydraulic bumpstops that keep the rear from slamming down too hard. The other link you see coming down to that rear axle is attached to the Speedway Engineering antisway bar that ensures this thing will still be on all fours after pitching it around a turn. |  Rollcages like this fully...  Rollcages like this fully chromoly job built by DXR take up a substantial amount of room, so lots of times the seating configurations of such a vehicle will have two front seats and a single mid-mount seat in the rear. The spiraled tube just in front of the Beard seat attaches to the Parker Pumper unit that provides fresh air to the helmets in dusty situations. You'll also note one fire extinguisher per side on this Grand Cherokee. Smart move if you like your truck. |  Spitting up all that dirt...  Spitting up all that dirt are 35-inch BFGoodrich Baja T/As that have been cut and siped to suit the Grand Cherokee's needs. Though this is a fully legal race Jeep that actually won its class in the Baja 1000 for 2005, it's still also street-legal, giving it the best of both worlds, and a choice if the trailer is nowhere near. The beauty of this Jeep is that from the outside, it doesn't look too extreme and you could probably drive it past The Law without him (or her) ever blinking an eye. |