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So this year I had a big inspection at work and was worried I wouldn't be able to go to KOH. Well, we passed the inspection Friday afternoon and I decided to fly down to Palm Springs and the guys picked me up Saturday afternoon. Didn't have the camera with me for the trip down there so the photos start on the lakebed Saturday evening.

Arrival at the lakebed looking at the sunset. Chad's Toyota tuning shocks. We 4-linked and coil-overed his truck after xmas and the welds were still hot when we loaded it onto the trailer.


The dust will be a common theme with this year, there were so many people and my camera can't fight through it.


Good shot of the sunset.


Someone tagged my brand new wheels and there was already some rock love on them.


The aftermath of changing the water pump on the trent fab. We stopped at 2 Napas in Palm Springs to get it. Probably the worst 2 parts stores in existence.

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Chad and Kevin finishing up shock tuning and getting them installed.


Pregaming for a night run up sledge.


View from my passenger seat on Saturday night. Yes, that is a rubber chicken on Josh's Jeep.


Headed into sledge.


Racer guys (Tom and Anthony) in the pre-ruinning car (Trent Fab). They wanted to run as many of the rock trails as possible.


My chauffeur for the evening trying to stay out of the dust.


Plaque rock.

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This year, we have a new and questionably improved 50 degree shirts off guy.


Breakfast burrito's anyone?


Anthony headed off to a photo shoot to keep the sponsors happy.


Finally able to go play by myself, I took a trip out of the dust and tried to get away from it. A few of hammertown below on Sunday morning. This was mild dust. The "big crowd" hadn't even assembled yet.


More dust anyone?


Shameless plug for my junk.


The obligatory "starfish mountain" photo from where we used to camp.


More shock tuning. How Chad holds his tools.

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Wonder what trails he was going to run?

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So Team Chirobody and Team Degenerate teamed up to pit and crew together to maximize our resources. This was us discussing prelim strategy.


I'd wheel it.


Dodge guys like it butt to butt I guess.


Sweet rig here.


Not sure if willys or tractor?




Sleepy, sleepy Dave. (PS. Don't anger the Dave)


Sexy, sexy Terry.


Ready for more shock tuning?

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Shock tuning.


Heading out to go play out of the dust.


Happy to be out of the dust.


With my new and improved front suspension, and new engine, I could actually compete in the drag races across the lakebeds.


Ron's toy.


Heading into the trail. Couldn't remember which one.


Last photo of my new rock lights working before the wiring caught fire due to a bad ground.


A toyota with the hood up on the trail? You don't say?

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Crispy wiring anyone?


Dave doing his best to fix my crispy wiring.


Trash flatty.


Anyone know these guys (lined up for qualifying).


Um.... yeah.


CJ 10.




Ruffstuff providing free services. Can't say enough for these guys. Racer or wheeler, they will weld and fab on your junk for free!

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Yup. I'd wheel it.


Found this TJ more beat than mine. I have a few photos later.


Applying the last contingency and sponsor stickers before qualifying.


Good luck shenanigans.


"In line" to qualify.


More beat than mine? You decide.


Probably more money in tires on this truck bed than my jeep is worth.

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The guys watching qualifying.


Filming for the livestream.


Our boys all lined up.


I need a better camera, they took the car off a sweet jump.


Coming back in. At the time we qualified 11th.


Anyone know these guys?


Digging the sticker.


These guys brought a Volvo.

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Random from Dennis' car.


Don't forget. New Howe steering parts inside.


Rock limo.


Little less dusty view of Hammertown.


About 2 miles and 180 degrees from where the above photo was taken. This is by backdoor.


Overlanders.


Terry took a great photo of Chad.


He then showed it to me.

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After installing new steering pump, we were trying to get the passenger side at full bump for testing.


After the engine hoist didn't work, we hung a fat guy off the car.


And had some more fat guys push.


Making a custom wrench to install the new steering.






Kevin and Terry approve of Tom's fab skills.


Filling up the new reservoir.

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Another random from Dennis' car.


The Ladies getting the SWAG together.


View from my drivers seat on Monday afternoon.


Looking down on the entrance to Chocolate Thunder.


Sunset Monday evening.




Car all fixed up, its time for some pitbike races!


Josh getting ready for his lap.


Go Josh go!

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Racecar all fixed up, we headed up to wrecking ball.


Rudi again failed on the waterfall.


But not due to a lack of trying. Wrecking ball waterfall has claimed ALL of the broken parts on my jeep in the years going down. Some year, someone will finally drive it up this marthafocker.


So we winched him out.


Josh got lined up.


And drove up it like it wasn't there.

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Getting ready to watch the backdoor shootout. In the past the crowds have been incredible so we stream it at camp.


Crappy photo, but you get the idea.


The only way to enjoy the backdoor shootout. Taco party!




Enjoying the show.


Assesing the damage to my jeep in the morning.


If you have ever wondered what it looks like from the underneath of my TJ, now you know.


Wonder if we can fix this?


Guys getting ready to pre run lap one.


Getting low on beer.


New wheels for Dennis' car came with these free hats.


Chad with his new hats.

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Pretty sure we can weld whats left of my driveshaft back together.


Chirobody Racing. Sponsored by Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Spears.


Dave says "lets go run some trails!". (Don't anger the Dave)


So we headed out to do so.


Rudi trying to mate with Josh's jeep I think?


Headed into a brand new trail called Her Problem.


Tom took the lead in my jeep 'cause he is good a picking new (aka dumb) lines and pulling them off like a boss.


Ron coming up.


Ron on Toms line.

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I always love reading your write ups, Karl. Good seen you and the whole crew again.

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Great pics Karl, that was another epic trip.

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MOAR!!!!

Tom and Dennis at the exit to Her Problem.


Crowd at Chocolate thunder.


There was a suburban choking up the main line and cars were trying to get around him on the left. Tom went right.


Chad looking like a bearded badass.


Tom mobbing out to Jack North. The new suspension kicks ass in the go fast stuff folks were trying hard to keep up.


On Jack North.


Ron.


Chad on a bonus line.

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Kevin and Gina brought washers.




Hanging around the fire.


Josh smiles when he sleeps.


Start of the UTV race.


Breakfast.


Spooling brand new winch cable.


More dust anyone?

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Chad's steering pump pooped it's big boy pants. He went to Howe and got new parts. :


Tom installing the reservoir.


Saw these tires for sail while walking around town.


Apparently the purple dinosaur brought booze with him this year.


Terry and I headed up to back door to watch the UTV race. Saw this while we were up there.


Got our sticker!


Our neighbors getting fitted for bras on the lakebed?

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Kevin's meat brings all the boys to the yard.


What's better than a taco party the night before? Another taco party!!!!


Complete with margaritas.


Terry hookin' it up.


Anthony's always happy when he has Kevin's meat in his hand.


Josh eavesdropping on chad's dinner.


This came out of chads steering system. Wonder why the pump failed?

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Full of delicious tacos, the guys went off to the drivers meeting. Josh, Kurt and I went to the belly flop contest at KMC.




Old dude pounding a beer before he jumped in.




The band and the judges.


They even had ladies jump this year.

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Race team/pit crew meeting. Chad handing out assignments and strategy.


I tried to get a shot of him knife handing people, but didn't get one. Closest I got.


Tom fiddling with Dennis' GPS.




We woke up early AF to get a good spot at pit one. Kurt looking like a bearded hero.


I'm glad we got up early. There was lots of space, but it didn't last long.


Sunrise race morning.




About 1/2 hour after we got to the pits.


Pit 1.

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Watching our boys mob through the desert.


The pilot of this helicopter is bad ass to say the least.


So this pit crew showed up in a rental car. They were FLYING down Bessemer Mine Road with the front tire flat, ruined and a "just ain't care" attitude. They came in with seconds to spare before their car got to the pits. A shot of them changing the tire.


Pit 1.


We were so excited to see Dennis and Anthony come through the desert side by side. Both teams we were pitting for were racing together. They were both in top 10 at this point.


After both our cars came through 1, my job was to go back to camp and man the big radio with the course map and relay checkpoints and race miles to the other crews at main pit, and both 2A and 2B.


Kurt enjoying his sandwich.


Well, dennis was down 2 tires, so I got the call to rally a spare out to pit 2B. I hopped in the jeep and mobbed out there.


Rudi tracking Dennis' whereabouts. Once he came in, we changed tires on the car, got him fuel, and got him out.

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Shot of pit 2B.


Looking up at the exit to wrecking ball I think?


Tiffany and Gina chillin.


So after Dennis and Larry came through, we noticed our car was moving slowly/not moving on the tracker. We couldn't get comms with them so I took a radio and went on a hike to get comms with the guys in the car.


I got way up there.




After getting comms and relaying down to the pit, I started my hike down. Look at all the tiny little people down there.


Back at camp after we threw in the towel.


Anthony and Tom arriving back at camp.


The only thing that broke on the race car all day. We just ran out of talent and timed out at race mile 118 of 137. It was such a bummer. The car was PERFECT all day, Tom and Anthony just ran out of steam on the rock trails. Out of 134 cars that started, only 12 finished.

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While we were gone at 2B and 2A Dave made stuffed baked potatoes.


Dave taking naptime. (Don't anger the Dave)


With the Race over, it's time to play pass the bottle.


We had a post race potluck with our teams and the Waterburys (car 444)


Josh proud of his hair styling skills.


For some reason at the campfire, I got this great shot of Kurt's beard.


Post race party at the campfire.

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Saw this on Friday morning.


I'd wheel it.


Cool artwork on this trailer.


Last view looking north from Starfish Mt. before packing up and heading home. There were easily 100,000 people there.


And looking south.


Some guys got into trouble and had a dead battery on Turkey claw. I ventured up to help them.


Getting close enough to jump this toyota.


While I was in there another group showed up behind me and I couldn't get out. I took bonus lines and drove around everyone. It was Tom worthy.


Cleaning up from the party the night before.

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Apollo ready to go home.


Tom hooking up what we have dubbed as the "Starship Enterprise"


Hard to see, but this guy has a "Texas Jesus" sticker on his RV.


We had to put narrower wheels on the trent fab to fit it into the Starship Enterprise. All we had lying around were these 42s.


Ron loaded up.


Someone put this race car in our living area.


Rudi loaded up.


Finally out of the dust and onto the highway.


Stopped to check the loads.


Anthony's brand new duramax on the left is super nice. But the engine isn't broke in so he gets crap mileage even with the 6 speed. Tom got about 7.5, Rudi and Ron averaged about 12 with just the trailers.


Apollo again.


In Weed, picture of Shasta. Usually this time of year there is a boatload of snow down there.


Chad taking a picture of a big dumb load we saw.

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It was really a great week.

We had ZERO issues with the race car. All the prep work and new steering pump really paid off.

For wheeler issues; My jeep with a broken coil spring and driveshaft; Chad's truck with a steering pump that we replaced on the lakebed, and cut a tire; Josh on race day was mobbing from pit 2B to 2A and hit a rock the size of a Volkswagen killing a wheel, tire, and lower control arm mount; Ron had a few steering issues that were no big deal and took out a brake line; Anthony killed a waterpump on the TF.

It was a great week wheeling. We get through so many trails it's hard to get out and take wheeling pictures when you are trying to run at the pace we do now.

For the race, we ran the desert section clean and were in the top 10. Once we got in the rocks, the guys were just exhausted from being hot and pulling winch cable all day. Tom got out and helped other teams instead of just sitting in the race car complaining. We made it to race mile 118 (top of spooners) before we threw in the towel. With only spooners and some desert to finish the race we decided it wasn't safe due to our headlights on the race car suck ass. We could have finished, but it wouldn't have been in time.

Thanks to the team for all the long weekends of wrenching on Chad's truck to get it down there. Rudi for towing my junk down and back, Dave and Kurt for picking me up at the airport. Kevin and Gina for the AWESOME food. Finally Dr. Anthony for making this all possible.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Beg borrow or steal to get down there. It's totally worth it.

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How did we not see each other?? That’s me glassing racers in this pic...

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