Camburg Racing Digs Deep in Parker
Huntington Beach, CA – Having finished 2nd in the 2014 points Championship in their new KINETIK 6100 truck, Camburg Racing is focused on earning the class Championship for 2015 in this ultra-competitive class.
The BITD Bluewater Parker 425 is one of the longest, punishing and technical races throughout the year. It also signifies the start of the season with some new teams, faces, game plans and racing excitement. For 2015, this is the first year the 6100 class would have to qualify for race day starting positions.
The Thursday before the race, the 6100 teams along with the unlimited trucks and buggies had to qualify on a short 5 mile race course. Like with any racing, there is strategies for qualifying. Do you go all out and push the limits of the driver and truck or do you hold back a bit? The Camburg team wanted to set a conservative pace to see how the field of over 20 trucks measured up. Jason Campbell qualified the truck in 8th place. This was all rounded out with the Parker Downtown Experience for fans and friends alike to check out the race vehicles one on one and meet the teams and drivers.
With an early Saturday morning start after being paraded through the downtown streets of Parker, Arizona, Jason Campbell with Russell Hampton co-driving in the #6175 Camburg race truck were off the line at 8:03 am. Unfortunately a few turns into the race in a high speed sweeping right corner, Jason lost the horizon in the sun and rolled the truck. Stuck on their side, they had to wait for the BITD officials to pull them back over which took about 14 minutes. Once back on all fours and doing a quick look-over of the truck, they fired it up and got back under way. Not only were they dead last in the 6100 class but were also behind a majority of the slower buggies that started after the faster truck classes. Now it was going to be a fight to the finish over the next 400+ miles. Jason was able to make up time and at the end of lap one put the truck up to 11th place from being in 23rd at the start.
Coming into Camburg’s main pit for fuel and a driver change only, Jason got out and Alex Figge got in for his first off-road race. Alex joined the team this year coming from the professional road racing world. Alex fell into his groove and set a very fast pace, so fast that he had the fastest 2nd lap out of all the 6100 trucks. He did his lap in 2hrs 47 min and didn’t break a stride other than dislocating his thumb.
With the last stop of the day, Alex pulled the truck into main pit so that Jerry Zaiden and Craig Hall could get in and take it to the finish line on the last lap. With splashing fuel only, they were under way, still on the original General tires they started on. Jerry set a pace that the leaders were running and was able to gain not only time but positions in the class. Jerry crossed the finish line at 4:35 pm. and solidified a strong 4th place finish for the team. After everything that happened at the start, they were happy with the final outcome.
The upcoming Mint 400 will have some exciting racing in the BITD 6100 class and Camburg is ready to mix it up with the best of them.
Camburg would like to thank all their sponsors, team members and fellow racers for the opportunity to be racing in this class and series. Best in the Desert puts on the highest quality and well organized events out there today.
“Once we were back under way we were able to make up positions and work our way through the pack. It was great to see Alex behind the wheel for the first time and do so well.”
– Jason Campbell
“This was my first time racing off-road and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel again at the Mint 400. I’m really excited to be onboard with the Camburg team.”
– Alex Figge
“Not the start we were hoping for, but to charge from dead last to 4th shows we’d be running up front all day. The Mint is right around the corner and we’ll be ready for it.”
– Jerry Zaiden
For more information on Camburg products, race photo gallery and race team involvement; check out their websites www.camburg.com & www.kinetiktrucks.com
Photo’s by HighRev Photography