First The Grey Lady bit on our enduring pepper coverage, and now this! If the “Special Interests” editor wants to just give a shout, we’ll happily provide countless story ideas for only the cost of a few beers and attribution. Here’s one on the house that’s got crazy legs: Los Compadres suck eggs, probably are behind all the sketchily complex debt products and certainly are to blame for the global financial meltdown. Scoop of the news cycle - you’re welcome.
Professional courtesy gripes aside, it’s an excellent article on LeMons - a race that seems to have been designed for the Dukes of Flatbush. The Dukes know a little something about 24 hr contests - stay tuned for future DOFB beater racing supremacy.
I love kooky, old, weird, outrageous stuff & have long been a devotee of the sort of “make not buy” and ‘exhume the old” thinking espoused by the fellers behind MAKE, Boingboing and Hooptyrides. I also am particularly enamored by vintage electronics and all manner of mechanized contraption (the mo dangerous the better), so this here discovery really tickled my noodle.
Over on Hootpyrides I came across a hell of a fine Galaxie 500. In the course of investigation [read:drooling], I learned about a paragon of 60’s devil-may-care engineering, Turbonique. These crazy bastards made various after-market upgrades for speed junkies which generally boiled down to strapping as much thrust to a chassis as physically possible and hoping for the best.
Obviously this was at a time when it was still acceptable to sell wildly dangerous shit to the public. We’re not talking about NOS here - we’re talking about a genuine Jet engine! While some good has undoubtedly come from the intervening years of government mommying, I, for one, have a healthy yearning for a time like this. A time when the tools for rampant foolishness were readily availible and, if you wanted to risk life and limb by bolting a thrust engine to your ride, well then the more power to you.
Thanks for the brain-tickle Mr. Jalopy, excellent stuff as always.
Everyone’s particular taste in vehicles comes from somewhere, usually some amalgam of early childhood exposure, covetous teenage desire and you’re unique taste-triangulation point in the flash/esoteric/performance matrix. It’s safe to say that my own love for older vehicles which aren’t necessarily beautiful, but are long on character, started with this most beloved of rides: The Splat.
The Splat has been in my family since it was purchased new by my Great Grandmother at the Ford dealership. It’s probably safer to call it a 1928.5, since the chassis is from the original but just about everything else has been replaced with scavenged parts over the decades. For the last 60+ years it has been under the loving eye/wrench of my Uncle Wint who has kept it on the road and in our family’s heart. Generations have learned to drive stick on it’s tractor-like transmission and I can honestly say that there are too many stories involving this car to relate in 20 posts. Suffice it to say that I consider it a great honor to be the recipient of Wint’s knowledge and love for the car as we seek to ensure it continues to weave along the roads of NH for generations more.
Wint’s approach has always been one that emphasizes utility, humor and good old Yankee ingenuity over gloss and polish; myself, the splat and our big crazy family will happily soldier on under those governing principals for years to come.
This past weekend was July 4th and, as is our annual tradition, we loaded The Splat up with all the family member’s she’d hold and entered the parade. Everyone gets pretty excited about this annual rite; young and old alike.
I’m pleased to report that we suffered no serious mechanical issues along the way and we took home a gleaming yellow third place ribbon. The fact that there were only three cars entered in our class in no way diminishes our pride in the accomplishment. We never thought much of those priss gussied-up resto-jobs anyway!
18 Jun
Posted by Graham as Baja 1000, Cars, Gadgets, Motorcycle, Sports, Training, Travel
Just ran across this footage of trucks dealing with the silt during the 2007 Baja 1000. It’s the best video I’ve seen that illustrates the insanity of those sections. Also has some crashes that make a brother say “awoooooogah” - enjoy!
23 May
Posted by Birch as BBQ, Baja 1000, Cars, Electronics, Food, Gadgets, Misc, Motorcycle, Music, NYC, Run, Sailing, Sports, Surfing, Training, Travel, Uncategorized
Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do and, I guess, this is one of those times for our beloved admin, erstwhile coach, training partner extraordinaire and certified master of the grill Jeff. He’s packed up the shop, loaded what’s important and is redeploying to the left coast in search of fortune, adventure and cracked crab. As we all navigate the fog caused by last night’s sayonara wumpus, I’d just like to pause for the cause and give a hearty HUZZAH to our partner in crime.
Fare thee well sir. You’ll be sorely missed but we’ve every confidence you’ll quickly get to holdin’ it down out there and swelling the ranks of the Dukes West Coast Chapter. Write when you get work and we’ll come inspect your beachhead.
Vaya con dios y un gato en tu pantalones Amigo.
-mismanagement
Springtime is the time for the auto makers to show off their new cars and there is no better place then the New York Auto Show. Nick and I took a walk over to the Jacob Javitz Center to check out the cars that we hope and pray to afford one day. I also had the chance to catch up with my good friend Alex Roy who is displaying his Team Polizei M5 and promoting his book The Driver. If you go to the show I encourage you to go over to the south concourse and say hello and purchase his book, which I have written about in an earlier post.
Instead of boring you with descriptions of the cars which nobody wants to read, I figured some serious car porn is the only way to go.
Enjoy!
For those of you who are new to Formula 1 racing and the world of motorsports, Michael Schumacher was the king of the sport. He won the F1 championship 7 times including five consecutive titles and earned over $50 million a year, not a bad career and for a normal person the end to a career racing.
Well Schumacher had recently decided he wanted to compete at motorcycle racing and is course racing this year on a Ducati MotoGP, seen here.
So what happens when Michael Schumacher shows up at Pannonia-Ring in Hungary for a race that mixed professional and amateur riders. On his debut race he ends up taking the pole position from the amateur group only after a couple of practice laps. Not too bad.
The professionals started in the back of the grid as this was sort of a Pro-Am and Schumacher decides to start in the back with them (last row) on a 1000cc Honda Superbike. While he does not win the race, he does come in 3rd place, not too bad for his first year riding professionally.
A friend of the Dukes and fellow Baja 1000 nut, Jay Sherman, just started a new social network using ning. It’s called RacerSpace and is “for everyone who enjoys powersports, racing, and being a fan! Motocross, Racing, TT, bikes, quads, racers, fans, whatever!”
If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Also, visit the DOFB Racing section.
The 2007 F1 season was one of the most memorable seasons ever due to some of the most bizarre events off the track and some great driving. A spying scandal between the top two teams Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, a $100,000,000 fine, Lewis Hamilton, a rookie driver almost took the F1 championship and spent the whole season sniping with bitter rival and teammate Fernando Alonso.
Well this weekend brings us to the Island of Convicts, otherwise known as Australia, for the start of the 2008 Formula One season and a whole new year of driving and intrigue.
Some major changes this year are Fernando Alonso has left McLaren to race for Renault, Heikki Kovalainen is now racing for McLaren, the Spyker team is now Force India F1 and Traction Control has been banned. For those who do not know what traction control the simplest statement I have seen is “Any device or system which notifies the driver of the onset of wheel spin is not permitted.”
Below is the schedule for the 2008 season, which can be seen here in the US on Speed Channel.
If you are new to F1, it is never too late to start watching, myself being a late convert and if you think of auto racing as one big left turn, than get NASCAR out your head and set your DVR for the 2008 Formula Season.
We plan to use my 2007 FJ Cruiser as a support vehicle in our bid for the 2008 Baja 1000. I’m particularly excited because it affords the perfect opportunity to turn the truck into something out of Mad Max. Make it so mean, it’d make a freight train take a dirt road.
I decided to start with a K&N 77 Series High-Flow Air Intake System. It’s a cheap way to add 10hp to the truck and the design is resistant to dirt and sand. Let’s all take a deep breath together.
For those of you that are car enthusiasts, you must know of the UK series Top Gear. It started in 1977 and has exploded to become the most watched car show in the world with an estimated 350 million worldwide viewers.
Well the “new” season began airing in the USA last night, which means we are watching slightly stale episodes (about 4 months behind), but I highly recommend you set your DVR’s for Monday nights to record Top Gear.
One of the best parts of Top Gear is the host Jeremy Clarkson, whose one liners are abusive, racist, mean and hysterical. To celebrate the new season and to give you an idea of what Clarkson is like I found a list of Top 10 Jeremy Clarkson quotes, I think you will enjoy
1. About the Porsche Cayman S: “There are many things I’d rather be doing than driving it, including waiting for Bernard Manning to come off stage in a sweaty nightclub, and then licking his back clean.”
2. “The Suzuki Wagon R should be avoided like unprotected sex with an Ethiopian transvestite.”
3. “I’m sorry, but having a DB9 on the drive and not driving it is a bit like having Keira Knightley in your bed and sleeping on the couch.”
4. “The Maserati 3500 GT. Now this for me, when I was little, was like kind of like Jordan and Cameron Diaz in a bath together playing with lots of jelly.”
5. “Much more of a hoot to drive than you might imagine. Think of it if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under her tweed pants. I do, and it helps.”
6. “Tonight, the new Viper, which is the American equivalent of a sports car… in the same way, I guess, that George Bush is the equivalent of a President.”
7. On the Lotus Elise: “This car is more fun than the entire French air force crashing into a firework factory.”
8. On the Porsche Cayenne: “Honestly, I have seen more attractive gangrenous wounds than this. It has the sex appeal of a camel with gingivitis.”
9. “Koenigsegg are saying that the CCX is more comfortable. More comfortable than what… BEING STABBED?”
10. On the Vauxhall Vectra VXR: “there is a word to describe this car: it begins with ’s’ and ends with ‘t’ and it isn’t soot.
And a few more…
Illustrating the lack of power of a Boxster: “It couldn’t pull a greased stick out of a pig’s bottom.”
“This is the Renault Espace, probably the best of the people carriers. Not that that’s much to shout about. That’s like saying ‘Ooh good I’ve got syphilis, the BEST of the sexually transmitted diseases.’”
On the Mercedes CLs55: “Braking in this car is so brutal, it would be less painful to actually hit the tree you were trying to miss.”
“Now as you can see, I lost the battle to have two engines on the back because of three very important reasons. One - weight. This is 600 Lbs and that’s the same as having a whole American sitting on the tailgate…”
“In the olden days, I always got the impression that TVR built a car, put it on sale, and then found out how it handled. Usually when one of their customers wrote to the factory complaining about how dead he was.”
“Sure it’s quiet, for a diesel. But that’s like being well-behaved… for a murderer.”
06 Feb
Posted by Graham as Cars, Motorcycle, Travel
My father is a pretty hardcore distance rider. I spoke to him this morning and he was just outside Mexico City riding his bike, the Black Widow. He has a group of friends he rides with in Alabama. One of them is a great guy and motorcycle aficionado by the name of Landers Sevier. His son set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats last year in the 1000cc 4 cylinder production class. I just ran across these pictures today - wowee. Maybe after all of this Baja 1000 business is settled, the Dukes of Flatbush will set a land speed record? Looks like a lot of fun…
I’ve been holed up in my apartment fighting a cold, and have been watching any Netflix movie that has anything to do with the Baja 1000. If you want to experience the race from your armchair, here are some good selections. Dust to Glory is probably the seminal piece on this subject. It gives a great overview of the race, following a number of teams as they battle to win, or just complete the race. Baja Diaries follows one team so it gives more perspective on an individual effort. The others are historical films - show what the race was like without GPS or corporate sponsors.
Dust To Glory
“This action-packed documentary chronicles the infamously treacherous Tecate SCORE Baja 100 road race across Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. In order to capture the race’s true power and the majestic beauty of the desert, 55 cameras and four helicopters were used during filming. Join famous racing names such as Robby Gordon, Mario Andretti, Jimmy Vasser and Mike “Mouse” McCoy for an unforgettable look at one of racing’s most thrilling events.”
Travis Pastrana: Baja Diaries
“Join 11-time X Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana and his crew as they brave harsh conditions and fierce competitors while they race across 1,000 miles of unforgiving desert in this sports video. Pastrana and Team Nitro — motocross legends Rick Johnson, Andy Grider, Neil Grider and Gregg Godfrey, maverick CEO Gabrielle Mazarollo and truck racer Wade Kelson — take on the famous Mexican off-road race, the Baja 1000, by bike, truck and foot.”
Baja 1000 Classic
“Wes Brown (grandson of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Bruce Brown) and his partner, T.J. Barrack, go to the family vault once again and come back with another winner, capturing the second running of one of the most famous off-road races in the world: the Baja 1000. Covering more than 1,000 miles, a cadre of racers — including Larry Berquist and Parnelli Jones — speed across the grueling, unforgivable terrain of the Baja peninsula.”
On Any Sunday
“Without a doubt the quintessential motorcycle film, acclaimed filmmaker Bruce Brown explores this dizzying and intoxicating world of rugged road riders where cycles hit incredible speeds. Segueing into the grueling excitement of a muddy and murderous motocross race, we then move on to the tortuous mayhem of the Mexican 1000 off-track trial race down the Baja peninsula. It’s an exhilarating experience that puts you in the driver’s seat.”
If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment…
Holy sheet - the riding portion of the team is locked! Please excuse this lengthly post as we introduce the boneheads involved in actually manning the motorcycle in our bid. Ladies and Gents, without further ado, we introduce the Dukes of Flatbush riders who’ll do battle with the desert as DOFB Racing’s entry in the 2008 Baja 1000:
Graham “The Ram” Johnson:
Co-founder of the Dukes of Flatbush, GJ was born in 1971 in Birmingham, AL. He later moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles, before attending College in Connecticut and France. He went on to earn his MBA at NYU and has lived in New York ever since.
Graham has competed in over 20 New York Road Runner (NYRR) races including the 2004 and 2005 New York Marathon, and the 2005 New York Road Runners Half-Marathon Grand Prix. To get ready for the 2008 Baja 1000, Graham will continue to run, with plans to complete the 2008 Half-Marathon Grand Prix as well as the 2008 Montauk Lighthouse Triathlon & Relay.
Although Graham enjoys endurance sports, his first love is motorcycles since he got his first one back in 1993 - a 1982 Yamaha Seca. Today he owns a range of bikes and has ridden extensively across the Unites States and Canada. His favorite ride is the Blue Ride Parkway a week or two before the season starts. A winding road with no lights or stop signs, following the crest of a mountain range for 600 miles.
Graham is freaking out about the Baja 1000 as it combines his love of endurance sports with motorcycles. He is also an expert at multi-media production, recently serving as Executive Producer at MTV for all digital properties (mtv.com, etc). He is excited about using those skills to document the race and its preparation - a once in a lifetime experience!
Birch Shambaugh:
Born off the grid in New Hampshire sometime in the early seventies, outdoor pursuits have always been this guy’s first love. Distance running, motorcycles, back country trekking, skiing and surfing are all guiding passions. As a founding member of the Dukes of Flatbush, it’s also safe to say that racing is in his blood. With a grandfather who was a successful early open-wheeled formula car competitor, ice bike racer and engineer, speed and racing have always been a fascination. In his own life he’s generally been drawn to solo pursuits; formative years spent downhill racing, back-country MX, sailing, rock climbing and mountaineering have given way to more motorcycles, surfing, marathoning and the survival race of small business growth.
A partner in a fast-growing NYC IT company, Birch still carves time out of a hectic schedule to train, rebuild & ride
motorcycles and travel to remote destinations in pursuit of waves, beautiful riding and new experience. He regularly competes in NY Road Runner events here in the NY Metro area and has been known to travel for races in the North East. Birch’s first motorcycle was his grandmother’s abused 1958 BSA Goldstar Scrambler; his favorite ride is still the Kancamangus Highway in NH. He currently counts a mildly tricked out 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 the star of his stable of basket-cases.
While past years have seen him spearheading training & fund raising efforts for DOFB member charity runs in the ING NY Marathon, 2008 opens with all energies directed at DOFB Racing’s push towards the Baja 1000. He’s singularly committed to this lifelong goal and, with the aid & support of friends, professional contacts & partners, wife and company, Birch is convinced that the Dukes of Flatbush bid will be successful, interesting and worthwhile for all involved.
From their purpose-built NY Network Operations Center (NOC), Birch’s company [SpecialAI] will be architecting and supporting the multi-platform communications infrastructure that DOFB Racing’s Baja effort will rely upon.
Jesse Kimball:
Easily the most experienced MX rider on the team, and likely the fittest person to ever don a DOFB T-Shirt, Jesse was born in the fine year of 1976 in Orange County, California where he spent the first few years of his life. He then moved to Park city, Utah where he spent his elementary years skiing. At age 9 he moved back to California and by age 11 was racing with his father in triathlons and mountain bike races. Jesse ran cross country and track and field at Temecula Valley High School and continued for 5 more years of cross country at the University of California, Irvine.
Running always served as a great base, however it was never his passion. Jesse’s true passion had two wheels. Whether on the rode or in the dirt, Jesse loved riding and racing bikes…peddle bikes. Then in the summer of 2000 Jesse’s father bought him his first dirt bike. It was “Love at First Ride.” With years of bicycle experience under his belt, Jesse felt very natural on the motorcycle.
He kept his riding at a very recreational pace from 2000 to 2006, until one of his best friends invited him on a 3 day ride through the Colorado Rockies. It was an amazing experience that introduced Jesse to a whole new level of rider and made him realize how much he really didn’t now about the sport of motocross. From that point to present Jesse has been dedicated to improving his motocross skills and stepping up all levels of his riding, pushing himself ever harder to acquire and hone the skills needed to race motocross.
Some of Jesse’s Significant Races (Triathlon, Adventure Race, Mountain Bike):
2007 World Team Challenge Nice, France
2007 BG US Challenge Pocono Mountains
2007 Wulong Mountain Quest, China
2007 Saint George Triathlon
2007 Temecula Triathlon
2005 Desert Rampage MTB Race
2005 Cholla Challenge MTB Race
2004 MSOQ Borneo, Malaysia
2002 Hi-Tec Adventure Race Series National Champ (8 Races)
2001 Hi-Tec Adventure Race (2 Races)
2001 Desert Dash, Las Vegas
2000 Catalina Triathlon
2000 Ironman California
2000 Walk About Adventure Race #2
1999 XTERRA Bonelli Park
1999 Walk About Adventure Race #1
1999 Hi-Tec Adventure Race, Sacramento
1999 Catalina Adventure Race
1988-1998 Countless Number of Triathlons and Mountain Bike Races
Jon “9″ Goodrich:
Born and raised in New York, Jon is a true a true motor-head. The son of a car dealer, Jon was always fascinated with cars, motorcycles and boats. Growing up, he spent most of his free-time playing in junkyards, shops and showrooms. Before he could see over the wheel, he was already crashing cars at a local junkyard, where he pretty much had run of the place. At age 15, he got his first car, a 72′ Chevy Nova short block. He has since owned more than 50 different cars, including a VW Vanagon, BMW 2002, BMW 328, Mercedes 300SD, Jaguar XK-8, Fiat 2000 spider and his prized 1989 Porsche 911 Targa.
Growing up, Jon was also no stranger to motorcycles. Even before he could drive, he had a bike. His first motorcycle was a red. Clearly his persuasive nature and “go-to-dad-first” approach worked well, as he later progressed to a Kawasaki KX80 and before long a Suzuki LT-250R Quad Racer. His love of motocross has taken him to some great east coast riding locations including the Pine Barons in New Jersey and Stewart Air-force Base in upstate New York. Jon also has owned a Honda Hurricane 1000 and a Ducati 916.
Jon is an avid club racer, participating in local club and SCCA events throughout the country. He has raced on Sebring, Moroso, Homestead and Limerock, both in his Porsche 911 and in race-preppared cars generously provided by friends and colleagues. Jon has also attended Skip Barber Racing School and Justin Bell Racing School and is a die-hard Formula 1 fan.
In 2005, Jon participated in the world-famous Gumball 3000 Rally in the now infamous Polizei BMW M5. That year, known to be one of the rally’s best, took him from London to Monaco, through 12 countries in Europe in 8 days, including an overnight ferry from Croatia to Sicily and along the world-famous Mille Miglia route up the boot to Monaco.
This past September, Jon also participated in Player’s Run, another celebrity rally, dubbed the worlds most glamor poker run. Armed with an Aston Martin Vantage V8, and a supermodel co-pilot, Jon was consistently fastest and among the top three to every checkpoint from Calgary to San Diego. All without a single traffic infraction.
His love for all thing motorized led him to join the Dukes of Flatbush Racing Team in preparation for the 2008 Baja 1000. The Baja represents the culmination of a life spent loving and living racing.
In his civilian life, Jon lives and works in New York as a commercial photo agent for a well known agency
DOFB
