Racer Profile: Dale Hodges Class 12 Desert Racer - Team Jackalope Racing 1201 Buggy
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Dale Hodges brought home first place in the air-cooled class at the Texas Desert Racing Association Lonestar 200.
He has been racing his Class 12 race buggy in the desert for several years and can't get enough of it.
"Desert Racing is a blast and I think y'all would love it. Come on down and give it a try," Hodges said.
TDRA is always looking for more competitors. Hodges said racers must be ready to handle some difficult conditions and outlast the competition.
"Desert Racing is physically demanding on both the car and the driver. Depending on the race we are in the car nonstop (except for fuel pit) for minimum of 4-5 hours for a short race," Hodges said. "Desert races generally range from 150-300 miles in Texas and 250-1000 miles in Baja Mexico. Some of which includes night time racing."
Hodges' Team Jackalope Racing number 1201 Class 12 race car has been built to handle the rough conditions of the desert.
Since he has gained experience racing the buggy he has made improvements to help the car power through the desert and survive endurance races.
The car has a 2074 Type 1 race engine behind a 091 6 rib transmission. Hodges said the car used to be equipped with a 002 bus transmission, but the team decided to upgrade to the built 6 rib transmission. "We started out with a 002 bus box, but have since moved up to a 091 with all upgraded internals including ring and pinion, super diff, and racing gears," Hodges said
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A strong and durable front end is also very important to survive off road racing. The Team Jackalope Class 12 car has 4 inch over arms and 7/8 inch link pins to gain ground clearance and take serious abuse.
Comfort and safety are also important during hours of racing. His car is equipped with Beard suspension seats full harnesses and HANS devices. Dust is a serious problem in the desert. Dust impairs racers' vision and even breathing. Hodges is prepared. His race buggy has air pumps sending fresh air to rider's helmets and dust skirts to keep the sand out.
Hydration is critical during an endurance race in the desert. Camelback hydration bags are in the car to provide water to the driver and co driver.
The car also has a GPS, race radios and race navigation software.
The combination of race car, driver and team has helped Hodges stay competitve throughout the racing season.
Comradery among all of the air-cooled TDRA racers also keeps everyone racing. Many racers tell us when they run into a problem during a race help is usually not far away, whether it's part or technical help.
DuneBuggyWarehouse.com is proud to be a contingency sponsor for TDRA and encourages anyone interested in their events or any other motorsports events to get out there and give it a try!
