KORE Takes The Podium At Vegas To Reno

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – The 2007 Vegas to Reno was difficult for team KORE.  Plagued by flat tires, broken axles, overheating and eventually a seized motor, just finishing the grueling 500 mile course proved impossible.  2008 was better, but not without its share of challenges.

For 2008, KORE attacked Vegas to Reno with the latest generation General “Grabber” competition tires, a new XV Motorsports Hemi motor, a more refined truck and a much more experienced team.

Fourth off the starting line, Kent Kroeker and Sean Hyland held their position, driving conservatively to keep the truck together.  Soon after the first pit, an enormous “log jam” brought the race to a standstill.  At least 20 race cars blocked the course.  Passing was impossible.  After waiting several minutes, Kroeker and Hyland chose to take an old mining trail that was barely visible – and only passable by a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

“It was a risky move because it was a tight trail and we didn’t know where it would lead,” said Kroeker.  “Backing down may have been impossible.”

At Pit 3, KORE had the lead.  Sean Hyland took over at the wheel with Kroeker now co-driving.  Although the truck was running well, silt clogged the air filter several times, slowing the speed average and requiring Hyland and Kroeker to stop and clean the intake.

After 100 miles of flawless driving, Sean brought a perfect truck to Rudy Iribe and John Zambie.  A quick splash of gas and some preventative maintenance was all that was required.  But in less than 50 miles, silt began to clog the transmission’s shifting assembly, making gear changes difficult or impossible.

Swapping out the clutch master/slave cylinder assembly at General Tire Baja Pit 6 helped for a while, but shifting was still difficult, often forcing Iribe to stop the truck completely in order to change gears.   Then, just prior to pit 10, Iribe and Zambie snapped a stub axle at the U-joint.  KORE’s lead Chase mechanic, Joe Salas, threw in a new part and the truck was back in the fight in under 17 minutes.

Coping with a malfunctioning clutch, Iribe and Zambie were still able to get the truck across the finish line for a Third Place finish with a time of 14 hours and 34 minutes.

“We have yet to get through a race without incident – Vegas to Reno was no exception.  Breaking parts is to be expected as we develop this program and establish duty cycles.  Next year we’ll be more prepared and more competitive,” said Kent Kroeker.

See KORE’s General Tire Hemi race SCORE’s “Primm 300” in Primm, Nevada on 6 September – then the world famous “Baja 1000” in Ensenada, Mexico on November 21.