Off-road vehicles roar into Henderson in advance of TransWest 250 race

By Dylan Scott

Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 | 4:55 p.m.

Pistons fired and engines rumbled throughout Henderson's Water Street District on Friday as racing teams underwent technical inspections for the TransWest 250.

Team members and pedestrian enthusiasts milled through a whole lot of horsepower as dozens of off-road rigs waiting for final approval for Saturday's race, slated to start at 6:15 a.m. Saturday in the Dry Lake Valley near Jean, lined the streets.

Opponents stopped to admire each other's handiwork and exchange stories before squaring off on the track.

"Tech is half the fun of the race," said Dr. Macrae Glass, a chiropractor from Kingman, Ariz. He was waiting at BF Goodrich's station as the tire team worked on his souped-up Ford F-150.

"This is my extended racing family," said Glass, 40. "I identify with people here. We all love the same thing."

It might seem a far cry from his day job, but Glass said his love for off-road racing began when he was a kid on a farm in Kingman, Ariz., watching motorcycles cruise down the highway. He bought his first motorcycle as a teenager and entered his first race soon afterward.

"It just blossomed from there," he said.

The crew at BF Goodrich shared Glass's enthusiasm as they tightened the torque on the truck's tires. John Tommila explained in technical terms that if the pressure is too tight, it could be "very bad."

The team hails from Yerington, a small town in Northern Nevada, coming to the TransWest 250 for a fourth year. Jack Sypolt, the crew's chief, said, "everybody's into this stuff" with a laugh and agreed that the inspections were as much fun as the race.

Classic rock rained down from the speakers, and performance parts vendors set up shop to tempt their target audience with steering wheel covers, fire extinguishers and more.

Charles Cook, with Bad Apple Racing, whose rig was custom-built from scratch in Santee, Calif., said having a chance to discuss racing with the public was his favorite part of Friday's event.

"It's a big party," he said. "It's a good chance for the public to see the stuff up close. Some people really love it."

Relations will be decidedly less cordial on Saturday, as more than 200 teams vie for top spots in the final race of the Best in the Desert racing series. Motorcycles, quads and all-terrain vehicles will take the first gun at 6:15 a.m. and custom classes will follow at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The 60-mile track is stacked with "big bumps," said an excited Glass, who is racing for the third time.

"It's just a lot of fun," he said with a smile. "It's not single-file racing."