ROUND 2 - MARCH 21, 2009

Round 2 of the Glen Helen Short Course Series started with a big surprise for us. We were the featured buggy on their flyer  Glen Helen Round 2 Flyer and couldn't believe it! As usual for us, we were working right up until the last minute, getting ready to head out. We arrived in sunny San Bernardino right at noon and had a couple hours to relax before practice was to start. And once again, our gate fees for the entire weekend was just $10/adult. We pulled into our pit and just relaxed for the next couple of hours until the scheduled practice time.

It was great to see Gary Williams in the 309 Gibson Performance buggy there again. Joe Whiteley in the 363 and Jim Sizelove in the 321 both showed up late and were only able to run the practice sessions on Saturday am. Friday afternoons practice was great and the sunset gave us some awesome photo opportunities. Jeff and all the competitors got a lot of track time and we were ready for the races Saturday afternoon.

Once again, there was a low turn-out, but our Pro Single Buggy class did grow by one along with the addition of 3 stadium-lites, that's right, Honda Pilot's and a true stadium-lite from the Mickey Thompson racing era were all on hand to thrill the fans. The amazing part about their races were 2 of the drivers are disabled; one is a paraplegic and the other a quadriplegic. It was amazing watching them in practice and their heat races! Along with the Pilot class, there was also a class 5 buggy, a class 10 buggy, a spec pro-lite, and 2 pro super buggy's. 

Saturday's line up in Heat 1 consisted of 4 Pro Single Buggy's that followed the Pilot race. Jeff Barrett lined up on the inside in the BRM OFFROAD GRAPHICS buggy, while Gary Williams in the Gibson Performance buggy, Joe Whiteley, and Jim Sizelove all lined up outside of Jeff. The green flag waved and they were off. Williams was pulling away with a slight lead by the time the field hit the first jump down the stretch. Jim Sizelove put the ole squeeze play on Jeff Barrett and drifted over to his left as they approached the first jump. Not knowing Sizelove's racing background, Barrett got off the throttle to give him room. It's a long race and there's no sense in letting someone take you out within the first 1000 feet.

Going into turn 1 the field was tightly packed with Williams leading the way on the outside, Sizelove on the inside, Barrett behind Sizelove and hugging it tight, and Whiteley outside of Barrett. Coming out of the big turn one banked corner, Williams was the race leader. Whiteley moved into 2nd when Sizelove pinched Barrett down low and neither could maintain their momentum coming up and out of the turn. The positions remained this way thru the remainder of lap 1.

Lap 2, Williams had a commanding lead with Barrett closing the gap on Sizelove for 3rd. By the middle of lap 2 Barrett made a move and passed Sizelove in the doubles, then quickly took 2nd place away from Whiteley in the next corner. Williams was well out in front by several buggy lengths only to have a rocker stud break and send him limping into the pits. This left 1st place open to Barrett, who gladly accepted it knowing his 1600 single-port didn't have the power to pull on Williams and his dual-port. Sizelove got by Whiteley and Barrett pulled away from from the field for the victory.  

Heat 2 for the Pro Single Buggy's had everybody back out there. The BRM OFFROAD GRAPHICS team happened to have a couple rocker stud nuts to help get Gary Williams and the Gibson Performance buggy back out there. The line-up was similar with Barrett in lane 1 at the drop of the green. And once again Williams took an early lead with Sizelove in 2nd, Barrett in 3rd, and Whiteley in 4th. It was a close battle with everybody just a few lengths apart for lap one, but as Williams came out of the final turn to head down the front stretch, his tranny once again, brought out disappointment for his team. This allowed Sizelove to move into first as they went in to turn 1. Coming down the back stretch Barrett was right behind Sizelove and the two of them put on an exciting battle thru the doubles and the next couple of corners. As they came out of turn 4, the action was close. Sizelove retained the lead down the front stretch for the start of lap 3. Going into turn 1, Barrett kept it tight and exited the corner in 1st place. Barrett had a very slim lead down the back stretch but opened it up a little more thru the doubles and the next few turns. Barrett held the lead on Sizelove, Whiteley was in a distant 3rd, and Williams limped around the track in search of the checkers for some much needed points. We have a great video clip of the action below, but the announcer was a little confused and didn't really know who was in the lead.

Barrett and Sizelove were running great out there, pulling away from Whiteley who was having troubles, especially in turn 4. Fatigue may have been setting in for him as he struggled thru turn 4 on the last few laps. With Barrett and Sizelove moving closer to lapping Whiteley, with just 2 laps to go, Whiteley again spun it out while exiting turn 4. He started tight, drifted wide, and then with Barrett right behind him, the back end of Whiteley in the 363 buggy came around and he lunged back towards the inside slamming the door on Barrett. Barrett locked up the brakes, but didn't have much choice but to slide into Whiteley's left nerf bar. With Whiteley's buggy sideways to the  front stretch, but his front wheels pointing down the straight, Barrett's front right tire was facing a bad situation. BRM OFFROAD GRAPHICS Crew Chief, Missy Barrett,  could tell that if Whiteley tried to go first he was going to pinch Barrett's front right tire and hook them together. She was radioing to Barrett to just put it in reverse, but it was too late. Whiteley was trying to keep from getting lapped and hooked them up momentarily. Sizelove was probably smiling from ear to ear as he came into turn 4 and saw the mayhem. Barrett and Whiteley were separated quickly, but the damage would prove to be done. As they came down the front stretch, Whiteley was slightly ahead and Barrett was given the white flag, with Sizelove moving closer. As the 3 of them went into turn 1, the field really bunched up. Coming down the backstretch Whiteley was trying to hold off Barrett and Sizelove as they fought for the lead. Barrett was doing all he could with a flat front right to get by Whiteley and hold off Sizelove, but Whiteley wasn't going to honor the standard 'blue flag' racing rule and move over as the leaders were coming by to lap him. Sizelove made his move in turn 3 and passed Barrett for the lead as Barrett fought to get the 334 buggy to turn. Coming out of turn 4 and heading to the checkers, Sizelove took the 'W' with Barrett a few buggy lengths behind and Whiteley a lap to go.

Congratulations to Jim Sizelove on a 2-1 finish and 1st overall! Jeff Barrett finished with a 1-2 and 2nd overall and the series points lead over Whiteley. Joe Whiteley finished in 3rd both heats for 3rd overall, and Gary Williams had another rough weekend with a DNF in heat 1 and 4th in heat 2... but at least he was able to salvage some points. Williams was by far the fastest in qualifying and we know he'll be ready for round 3 in June.

Hopefully more racers will start coming out instead of just sitting around wondering which organization they should race with or following the gossip on the forums. They are soon going to find out that they're really missing out on something great! There used to be 30+ Single Buggy's that raced with CORR in 2006 & 2007, but since that organization left a bad taste in everyone's mouth in '08, where are the racers? It's more than 50% cheaper racing at Glen Helen, only $300 for the Pro Single Buggy class, every person out there is treated with respect, not just the drivers or the pro's, but everybody. Every racer is given more track time than they know what to do with even after the races are over, the payouts are quite substantial, not to mention the added bonus that you actually do receive your check!

Race pix and videos from Round 2 are posted below. If you have a buggy or truck and would like to learn more about The Glen Helen Short Course Series, visit their web site.

stay young, have fun, PLAY!