General Tire Land Rush 1000. Drivers notes day 1.
Drivers notes day 1.
Listed below are the driver notes for the destination points we will crossing as we make our way North from out starting point on day 1 from Borrego CA to Las Vegas NV. Please pay close attention to the fuel stops and cautions listed. We are still currently mapping the complete trail from Las Vegas NV to Barstow CA. The section has been pre ran but some changes need to be addressed dew to terrain and no access Government Land. We will either go pre run again or find a new route via satalite map creation. So part 2 will be out shortly.
Here is a what is coming up the next few weeks in order to get ready for this Rally. This week all participents must have their Rally paid in full. if you have not done so yet please call in ASAP. All the General Tires will be ordered, Hotel rooms booked, Rally stickers and awards designed and sent to print, Outlaw Raptor RSV1 and RSV2 trucks will be under preparation status at the shop. We will also have RSV3 on stand by while the Rally is going on just incase we have a problem with a RSV support truck on the trail. Rally participates trucks will be coming in for prep and product already on order. If you have not spoken with Joey or Connor to set a install date please call the shop ASAP and they will set you up. We will start doing final prep to the chase truck and trailer on the week of the 19th. On the 28th all final logistics will be made from local weather, Hotel reservations checked, emergency trauma center notified, R.E. vehicles and crew prepped and all participants called for any last minute issues that need addressing.
On the Rally you will see some new faces on the Raptor Expeditions crew both on the trail and chasing on the road. We have a total of 12 R.E. crew guys going, 1 on stand by with RSV 3 and 1 emergency relay at home. Even though they are new faces to you guys I assure you they are 100% up to pair on the Raptor Expeditions procedures and I have personaly worked with them in the passed and they will all play a vital roll to a successful Rally. So please don't hesitate to ask any one of the R.E. crew guys to help you out in any way. That is why we are their !
Day 1 4:30am: aka " And here we go "
Leave from Borrego Spring to the start of the trail. Once we are start please leave a 1 to 2 minute gap between Raptors. Let the dust settle. We will head south bound toward Plaster City and then traverse over to the city of Brawley. We will hit paved road for only a few miles then we will be driving along side the irrigation canals so please use extreme caution. The canals might also have workers next to them so slow down and remember this is some ones farm land and we need to respect it. Once we come in to the city of Brawley please watch your speed the cops here are relentless. We will be fueling in Brawley at the Texaco gas station an the end of town on the right side. Their are several pumps so we can make quick work of fueling up. For the most part we will just be topping off the tanks through the day but please make sure you do.
Brawley to Glamis Dunes: aka " The Dunes "
Once we leave the gas station in Brawley we will head down the 78 and then make a left toward Glamis dunes. We will go down to the look out located about 20 miles down the turn off. This will give every one a chance to catch up on the main road. Please keep to the speed limit on the main roads. Once we reach the the look out we will stop for a quick picture ops the hit the road. You have an option to run the sand hwy back toward the turn off but please note you are normally required to have a flag on your truck and any truck that gets stuck is only going to waste time so use your own judgement on the sand hwy.
Glamis to the Canale: aka " The Water snake"
We will head back down the 78 until we reach the “right” turn by the canal water way. Here is were we will drive right next to the water canal. The road is very tight and the water canal is right next to you on the other side is a 4ft drop so please use extreme caution NO DRIFTING or aggressive driving on these roads. A mistake on a desert trail can be easy to correct, a mistake on the canal road could lead to very serious consequences!
Canale to Salvation Mountain: aka "Hobos and Hillbillies"
After the canal road is completed, we will be turning left into "Slab City" on our way to a quick stop at Salvation Mountain. Salvation Mountain is a man-made landmark that is the life's work of one man, who has formed the entire area out of clay and paint. We will stop here for a quick picture, then be on our way North towards the mountains.
Salvation Mountain to Blythe: aka " Drifters Dreams"
The road leading us North out of Slab City is a relatively straight trail in great shape. It is narrow, yet has few surprises, so you can ramp up the speed a little on this section. Eventually this trail will wind through a few wash roads, and lead us to the Bradshaw Trail. The Bradshaw Trail is a well-used trail by a wide variety of off-road enthusiasts. There is a high likelihood of other traffic on this particular trail, so please use caution. The trail is a wide groomed dirt road where you can carry a lot of speed. This trail will eventually lead us to some once used farmland, and a few sandy roads. After a few turns we will be in Blythe. We will once again top off our tanks in Blythe. There will be a gas station on either side of the road, so choose whichever you prefer!
Blythe to Rice: aka " Crazy Land"
The road from Blythe to Rice is an old trail that has NOT seen much use in recent years. For this reason, the trails can be tight in a few places, with low-hanging branches that are likely to make contact with your vehicle on the A-Pillar. For this reason, we will be providing protective tape for the A-pillars of all trucks on the run. Some of you may not want this, but others who are more picky about some desert pin-striping may want to add a few pieces! We highly recommend folding in your mirrors during this portion of the run for the same reason. We will be traveling through "Crazyland" as we affectionately named it on the pre-run, which appears to be double-wide heaven… along with a ton of other junk! A strange sight in the middle of nowhere. We will be crossing an old wooden bridge, made of railroad ties. This is NOT a nicely maintained bridge, but appeared plenty strong under the weight of RSV3 on the pre run! Those with long travel kits should be extra cautious of your width when crossing this bridge. We will cross through a small mountain passage, then onto some high speed well maintained dirt roads! From here, we hit the highway for a few short miles and pass through Rice… onward to the next turn-off on the right-hand side where we will regroup once again.
Rice to Needles: aka " TheCamel's Back "
This section includes more high speed roads where we can really make good time! Keep in mind to be careful at speed, and ensure the co-pilot is warning the driver of the upcoming marked obstacles. After traveling north for a good distance, the trail will make a right turn (Northeast) towards Needles. This is a gas line road, which will take us up and over MANY hills in succession. At the bottom of MANY of these hills, is a very sharp "V" shaped trench. Be very careful to slow down for these trenches! Regardless of your setup, hitting these too fast could cause some damage! If you can endure the relentless series of hills without stopping, we will eventually be taking the trail along the highway and up to an onramp on the I-40, taking onto the highway and into Needles. We will once again be topping off our tanks, and then heading into Arizona!
Needles to Oatman: aka " Power Plant Way "
We will be taking a short drive through town, and hit the dirt just after a power plant in Needles. This first climb up the hill is very soft and sandy. 4WD is required when climbing this section! Be sure to wait until the truck in front of you is all the way up (confirmed via radio) before you take your turn driving up the hill. If you get stuck, be sure to relay the info to the truck behind you, and back straight down the hill slowly. The key will be smooth, steady power with a reasonable head start. After that, we will be crisscrossing under the power lines and over a few hills towards Oatman. There are some great views on this road, and eventually it will dump us onto the highway where we will take a right-hand turn to the East, into Oatman.
Oatman to Laughlin: aka "Spurs and Donkeys"
Oatman is an old western town, with wooden sidewalks and original buildings from the wild west. The town is a very popular tourist destination, so driving through the main road will gather a TON of attention in our large group! Be careful for wild burrows that frequent the town, and walk down the streets. After leaving Oatman, we'll be taking a left turn onto another well maintained road which will lead us back into Nevada, to Laughlin. In Laughlin we will regroup for a quick group photo, and be on our way.
Laughlin to Searchlight: aka "The loop of Doom"
The sun will be setting soon (if it hasn't already) and drivers fatigue will be setting in as we travel into the night, the level of excitement and difficulty increases! The first leg will be an enjoyable high speed narrow trail through a tight maze of joshua trees. The second part of this run starts to become much more challenging, and will test even veteran drivers skills! A high level of concentration will be needed when navigating these tight trails, which contain wash-outs, trenches, large rocks, and VERY tight corners! You may dislike this section while you're driving it, but you'll be glad you were able to conquer it when all is said and done. This is a trail no other production vehicle would dream of driving at more than a snails pace. Once we finish this section, there will be a few short sections of power line road, taking us into Searchlight where we will regroup and top off once again.
Searchlight to Vegas: aka "All in Pedal Down"
This last leg is mostly high speed, and has some VERY enjoyable twisty, yet wide open roads where your drifting skills can be finely tuned! There are very few surprises on the trail, and we will once again be able to relax and make good time on this final leg into Vegas. After the trail comes to a head, we will be peeking over the mountain and into the neighborhoods of Henderson. From Henderson, we will regroup and travel as a group on the highway into Las Vegas.
Las Vegas:
We will stay in a group, and be traveling up the strip together to our final destination of the "Hard Rock Hotel" in Las Vegas. Some of the previous drivers will tell you, there's nothing like roaring down the strip with a dozen or more Raptors! We will top off the trucks, and then drive to the Hard Rock Hotel where the Valet's will be waiting to take care of our trucks for the night. We'll have a quick driver's meeting, and decide what time to leave in the morning, depending on what time we arrive that night. We recommend getting as much sleep as you can, although the allure of the casino can be hard to avoid!
Las Vegas - ???: TBD
I hope this puts a good prospective on what lies ahead. Please if you have any questions call or email me directly.
Rally notes on day 2 coming soon. :smileup:
Connor Gilmer
[email protected]
At least I'll be in the Guinness Book of World Records.
