24 Oct Brenthel Rebounds At BlueWater Desert Challenge
As the race season winds down, strategies are usually narrowed down to just two. Those who are in contention for a championship race for points. Those out of contention go for wins. When you throw a short course style event into the mix, strategy goes out the window. Such was the case at the Best In The Desert BlueWater Desert Challenge, (BWDC). BWDC is a two-day heat race event. Racers run three laps of the 26 mile course on each day. For championship points leaders like Jordan Brenthel, the race poses a dilemma. There is not enough time or miles on course to run a measured conservative pace. Points chase or not, you have to go for it.
“We got the hole shot off the start on Saturday, despite the truck with a full bore race engine in the next lane,” Said Jordan, “We run a basically stock engine that is tuned by CBM Motorsports. The torque curve they create is calibrated to work with our suspension design. It hooks up hard and gives us better forward drive. By the time we hit the python, we had clean air. I went into one of the big berms a little too aggressive and tipped it over on the roof. We lost 15-20 minutes before we could get going again. The truck was fine so we took off after the rest of the class that passed us but I just could not get in the zone.”
Jordan’s 7200 truck is capable of surviving a rollover without causing damage. The vulnerable coolers and fluid lines are tucked inside the cage and the components are mounted securely; nothing is sticking out from the chassis. After finishing the heat, the only work required to get ready for the following day was to change the body panels. The truck is the same one his brother Jonathan won the SCORE Championship in last year. This year, Jordan has held the Best In The Desert 7200 points lead all season. The truck has been over a couple of times with no significant damage to the chassis structure or components. It’s not that he was driving recklessly, it’s just a fact of life in desert racing; if you are constantly pushing hard, you will eventually go over. The sturdy chassis and intelligent design gives Jordan the confidence to run wide open.
With a lackluster day one in the books, Jordan was looking to turn things around when he lined up for Sunday’s heat race. “We started way back in the field, said Jordan,” The course was 3 times as rough as it was on Saturday. The unlimited cars and trucks tore it up pretty bad. The bumps were square edged, the holes were huge and the silt was deep. It was a challenge getting up the sand hills but we were making good time. We passed a lot of trucks, some on their roofs, others limping along with damage. We were flying; we never got out of the truck. I finally got in the groove; we were having fun.”
After his strong rebound on Sunday, Jordan got third place overall on the weekend. Despite a rollover, his Brenthel Industries 7200 truck ran flawlessly. It was the second race in a row with no flats to his Falken WildPeak tires. Jonathan Brenthel will be racing the 47th running of the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in his 6100 truck.
About Brenthel Industries
Brenthel Industries offers the finest in CAD development, engineering, R&D and fabrication. From ground up vehicles to Desert Racing vehicles such as: Trophy Trucks, Spec Trophy Trucks, Class 1 Race Cars, Class 7200 Race Trucks, Class 10 / 4 Race Cars and Prerunners. With expanded capabilities in Engineering & Prototyping for Military, Defense, Border Patrol & even displays for outside companies. From start to finish Brenthel Industries takes pride in each and every build.
For more information on Brenthel Industries visit www.brenthelindustries.com
