Herbst prepares to defend his crown

Friday, Aug. 4, 2000 | 10:31 a.m.

Second-generation racer Troy Herbst will attempt to defend his overall title in Saturday's SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300 off-road race at the Nevada/California border.

Herbst, the youngest of three racing brothers, will pilot his Ford-powered Smithbuilt open-wheel desert race car in the unlimited Class 1 division in the fifth running of the Las Vegas Primm 300.

Nearly 150 vehicles, from 12 states and Mexico, competing in 16 classes for cars and trucks, will begin taking the green flag at 6:30 a.m. Saturday in SCORE's only race in the Las Vegas area. Vehicles will leave the start/finish line area, located in the special events compound on the grounds of Buffalo Bill's resort in Primm, one every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race.

Nine of the classes will be required to cover four laps of the 69.8-mile race course within an 11-hour time limit to become official finishers in the 279.2-mile race. The seven slowest classes will be required to cover three laps for a total distance of 209.40 miles within the 11-hour time limit.

Among the top challengers for the overall title, Troy Herbst will have to beat older brothers Tim and Ed, who have won two of three races this year in the featured Trophy-Truck division.

Troy Herbst is the three-time defending Class 1 point champion in the SCORE Duralast Desert Series and has won the last two races in Class 1. Tim and Ed Herbst finished third overall and second in Trophy Truck last year in Primm. The eldest Herbst brothers won their first SCORE Trophy-Truck season title last year and lead again this year.

Brian Collins of Las Vegas drew the first starting position in the featured Trophy-Truck division and will be the first vehicle off the line. Collins, a veteran racer who won last year's Class 8 season crown, drives a new Chevy Silverado Trophy-Truck.

Besides Collins and the Herbst brothers, several other local drivers could be factors in the battle for class wins. Nearly 20 Southern Nevada racers are expected in the final starting field.

Henderson's Bekki Freeman, the only female driver to regularly compete in the SCORE Duralast Desert Series, is second in Class 1-2/1600 points in her Jimco desert race car.

Admission is free for spectators to grandstands at the start/finish line area in the special events compound at Buffalo Bill's resort.