Reinertson-Johnson Racing - Vegas to Reno Report

August 29, 2006
Woodside, CA

Reinertson-Johnson Racing Run Fast ? End Early

The tenth anniversary of the longest off-road race in the United  
States, the Best in the Desert - TSCO Vegas-to-Reno Event, was billed  
as the best yet with the racecourse running through the Ely BLM  
district. This gave the competitors miles of new race trails.

RJR has had success in this point-to-point race with the team winning  
the Protruck division 2003 edition of this grueling event.  After  
winning the Baja 500 and placing well at the Pike?s Peak Hillclimb  
(4th), everyone at RJR was very optimistic for a solid finish.

The start of the 600-mile event had Rob Reinertson driving with Mike  
Salimbeni riding in the co-driver?s seat.  Just past halfway Rick  
Johnson and Dewey Lamora would finish the trek to the finish just  
outside of Reno.

Rob and Mike immediately got into a rhythm and made great time heading  
into the first pit stop. About twenty miles before the first stop the  
#1234 Proline Accessories, RMR Construction, Motion Tire, Ford F-150  
Protruck caught another class competitor and began to look for a way  
through the dust and around the other truck. The first pit stop at  
mile 80 (Hiko Narrows) saw the RJR team work so quick that they got  
out in front of the truck they were behind coming into the stop.

With clean air on the trail, Rob was able to really pick up the pace.  
As the #1234 passed mile marker 132 at Pit 3, the team was the second  
Protruck on the course, but leading the class on overall time.

Suddenly at mile 139, the distributor gear failed, stopping the truck  
in its tracks. The crews located another distributor, quickly replaced  
it and send Rob and Mike down the trail. Unfortunately the replacement  
unit had also seen better days and failed a few miles later.

This ended the day early for the #1234 Proline Accessories RMR  
Construction Motion Tire Ford F-150 Protruck.

?The truck was awesome today, the crew was incredible, and to make up  
a position in the pits was like a NASCAR race. The distributor failure  
was something that rarely happens, it was just one of those things.  
The pace we were going and not have a flat says a lot about our  
Yokohama tires. I thought we could challenge for the Protruck win.? ?  
commented Rick Reinertson.

Next Race ? September 8-10 ? SCORE PRIMM 300 ? Primm, NV

Reinerston John Racing ? Pike?s Peak International Hillclimb  ?Race to  
the Clouds? Report

On the Fourth of July weekend, The Baja Protruck series competed in  
the 84th edition of the Pike?s Peak International Hillclimb. Rob  
Reinertson made to tow to Colorado and had the #234 Proline  
Accessories RMR Construction Motion Tire Ford F-150 ready for the  
mountain run.

The Protruck class was the only group of competitors that ran the  
entire 156 turn 12.42-mile course to the top of Pike?s Peak. The  
combination of snow and rain at the top portion of the course made for  
a very sloppy and treacherous trek to the finish. The Protruck winner  
of the event, Charlie McDowell, was able to make the sprint up the  
mountain before the precipitation hit the course. By the time Rob made  
his run up the mountain the upper section was wet and sloppy making it  
difficult to stay on the road.

In the end Rob came home in fourth place.

After the all the Protrucks completed their run, officials decided  
shorten the race and only use the lower portion of the road for the  
rest of the competitors.

Rob and Rick would like to thank the companies that support the  
Protruck series including: Yokohama Tires, Magnaflow Exhaust,  
Bilstein, MSD Ignition, Mastercraft Seats, K & N Filters, Wells Cargo  
Trailers, and VP Fuels.