SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/485293
travel shocks mounted on bed- cages above the frame were being used. Drivers like Larry Minor and Parnelli Jones drove Class 8 trucks with long-travel trailing arms in many SCORE Baja races. Similarly, when Ford I-beams were bent and lengthened, longer shocks and springs were used, thereby yielding longer wheel travel. Longer wheel travel softened up the harsh ride and allowed the trucks to soak up more of the terrain, and speeds over ground increased. Shock fatigue, boiling shock oil and total shock failure was a concern that affected reliability, but it opened the door to the development of the larger and longer reservoir shocks with the bypass systems we see today. All three manufacturers offered sturdy V8 small-block and big-block engines that were supported with many aftermarket components, and engine builders who knew how to get horsepower. Although the increased horsepower was less than is available today, a truck engine ranging from 400 to 500 horsepower was considered wicked cool. Reliability was the goal, and finishing a 500 to 1000 mile desert race was a major achievement. But those engines were healthy, especially when they sounded off under a pickup truck; totally unprecedented in those early days. It was that combination of unexpected horsepower, visual appearance, and ability to move quick over desert terrain; in two-wheel drive, that captured the imagination of so many people, and manufacturers, that made Class 8 trucks so much fun to watch race. Likewise transmissions and rear differentials were solid, and could be made stronger. Even in today's state-of-the-art race trucks, some of these same small-block engines, differentials, transmissions, tires and fabrication techniques continue to be used, along with the technological advances that make them even more reliable in the 21st Century. CLASS 8 FROM A MODERN PERSPECTIVE In the years since the Class 8 glory days many racers and teams have moved on. But there are winds of change that may give many new drivers and race teams a practical reason to look at building an "eight" truck for desert competition. Modern Class 8 trucks can take advantage of all the wheel travel, horsepower, and reliability technology that is available to other classes of Baja and desert competition. But the main advantage is that Class 8 vehicles are less expensive to operate, making them a more financially practical way to race. No one knows this better than James Burman, who earned his first Class 8 win at the Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250. Piloting the #811 truck out of Heber, Utah, Berman took the Class 8 win after switching over from Class 7sx the previous year. "After 25 plus race wins and five championships in SCORE 7sx, I was looking for a more challenging truck class," says Berman. "Of course I want to race a trophy truck, but the budget just doesn't work out for me." For Carlsbad, California based Flatiron Racing co-owner and lifelong off-road driver, Bobby Shelley, the draw towards Class 8 came from his experience with the trucks back when he was younger. "I started going to race events in 1976 with my dad and family friends pitting for the McMillin family," Shelley said. This experience led Shelley and his team partner, and driver of record Tim Gabbert, to a second place finish at the Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250 in their #802 Class 8 truck. Along with the experience of working on a Class 8 truck back in the day, the team is a band of friends that have known each other since junior high school. Bobby "Beans" Shelley, Roland Saramento, Tim Gabbert, were all bitten by the Class 8 bug after seeing pro drivers race them back in the Seventies. Gabbert was driver of record for the SCORE San Felipe 250 Class 8 finish, yet when you realize these friends have been kindred spirits for decades, this team appears to be in it for the fun and love of desert racing. "We have been friends for 35 years and always shared the love of off- road. As kids we would sit and watch the Class 8 beasts shaking the ground as they thundered by us. We would always be dreaming we would one day race one." Both of these teams had raced other vehicle classes long enough to gain invaluable experience reading the terrain, and increasing driver and team management skills. For Burman and his Sidewinder team, moving from Class 7sx into Class 8 was a logical choice. "In researching classes to move into, I was attracted to Class 8 because I could race a big bad truck with lots of power and suspension. It SCORE 101 078 SCORE JOURNAL