Luke McMillin Score Baja 1000 2011 class1-2/1600 Winner part1
Luke McMillin Score Baja 1000 2011 class1-2/1600 Winner part2
Alumi Craft Race Cars Perfect 10
November, 11th 2011 Santee, CA
Class 10 has always been a unique formula for a racecar. The intent was to have an unlimited car that was less expensive to race. The thought was that if you limit the engine size it would keep costs low but things did not go as planned. The engine rules that were intended to cap costs created an all out battle to squeeze every ounce of power out of engines that were never designed for such abuse. Instead of cutting costs, the exotic power plants were very costly to run. With the proliferation of reliable and powerful LS based engines it made more sense to race in class one, which many teams did.
With most sanctioning bodies now allowing the use of sealed Eco-Tech engines, class 10 is making a comeback. New cars are being built and a coalition of class 10 racers is taking shape. Teams that are happy with their engine programs can continue what works for them but there are many who are making the change to Eco-Tech power. Longtime competitors are excited about the revitalization of the highly competitive class and newcomers are anxious to get into unlimited class racing that until now has been unattainable due to the cost.
Someone who knows class 10 inside and out is Alumi Craft Race Cars owner John Cooley. John raced in class 10 for years winning the SCORE championship in 2005 and in a bit of irony, finished second in 2006 behind another Alumi Craft car. John is one of those who believe the class is on the brink of exploding in popularity and that the Eco-Tech engine package is one of the missing ingredients that will make the class into what its original creators intended.
In anticipation of this resurgence, John and the talented crew at Alumi Craft have designed and constructed the perfect 10. The chassis design is the culmination of years of hands on racing experience and demonstrates the meticulous craftsmanship Alumi Craft is known for. Each component on the car is top of the line in quality and function. The drivetrain uses ether the 2.2 or 2.4 Eco-tech engine mated to a Mendeola LQ, sequentially shifted, 6-speed transmission. The LQ uses dog gears so you get smooth, clutch less gear changes at any rpm. When combined with the wide torque band of the Eco-tech engine the result is a steady application of power to the rear wheels. At a mere 2100 pounds and with 20 inches of wheel travel front and rear the performance capabilities are amazing at a fraction of the cost of a class one or Trophy Truck.
Alumi Craft is ready to build a perfect 10 for you too. If you've been waiting for an opportunity to start up front and race a fast car in a competitive class without breaking the bank give Alumi Craft a call. The beautiful car you see here is currently available or they can deliver a race ready car in just eight weeks.
Alumi Craft racers Matt Cullen and teammate Chuck Sacks took their newly refurbished class 10 car to victory in the blistering hot and brutally rough conditions at the Tecate SCORE, San Felipe Challenge of Champions off-road race.
Matt started the race and ran at about 90% for the first 30 miles then put the hammer down. When Chuck got in at mile 108, it was an all-out sprint to the finish. The race was the first for the team running their new Major Performance Honda power plant. “We were not happy with the performance after the 500,” says Matt Cullen “We had planned to make the motor swap after the season but Alumi Craft owner John Cooley was on the phone with us on our way home from the race and assured us that we could swap the engine and get the car set-up in time for San Felipe. He and Andy DeVercelly really came through. They converted the car over to the Honda, adjusted the spring rate to compensate for the change in weight and upgraded the front spindles. The car was flawless and we picked up 20 mph on the top end. We were able to reach 115 on the dry lakebed and 75 through the whoops. “The car is still in perfect shape, we could run it again. We are so happy with the results and can’t wait for the thousand,” Says driver Matt Cullen.
Matt and Chucks story is amazingly similar to that of Roger Starkey Jr. and Sr. The Starkey’s took the class 10 victory at the MORE, Chili Cook Off race held in Lucerne Valley, California. With Roger Junior driving the team beat 11 other class ten cars in their Alumi Craft single seat beam car that was built about a year ago to compete in class 12. The team found themselves up dicing with the class 10 cars on a regular basis so they decided to have John swap in an Eco-tech motor so they could start with the 10 cars. Not knowing what the fuel consumption would be they planned for two stops but they could have made it on only one. “Roger Jr. drove a great race,” said Roger Sr. “He ran his own pace and didn’t have a single flat. Running in class 10 there is no room for error, we had a great day. We don’t know if the beam front end will survive at the faster speeds but the car is super light so we’ll run it a few more races to see how it does.”
Both Matt and Roger had great cars made even faster after an engine upgrades. In order to perform such drastic changes to a car you have to start with a chassis that has been well engineered and have a builder as skilled and dedicated to customer support as Alumi Craft. Alumi Craft has always stood behind their work and is committed to their customer’s success. Every car they build is the perfect blend of art and engineering.
Photography By Brian Binkert - San Felipe, BC
Bink Designs – www.binkdesigns.com
Photography By Corry Lewis / CAL Photo - Barstow, CA
Volunteers Needed For Upcoming SNORE Dethrone Socal 250
April 12th, 2011 - Santee, CA
Off Road Organizers SNORE is in search of volunteers for the upcoming Dethrone SoCal 250 located in Plaster City, CA on May 14th. The race will be the largest Plaster City has ever seen and SNORE need all the help they can get to keep the spectators and racers safe so we can have racers for years to come in the Plaster City area. Come Help Today!
Alumi Craft Posts Contingency for BITD Class 1500, 1000 & 1/2 1600
DESERT RACING
M.O.R.E. Chili Cook Off 200 9/11/10
Alumi Craft gets two wins at the M.O.R.E. Chili Cook Off 200. Matt Cullen wins Class 10 and 3rd overall. F & L team had a great race day starting 5thoff the line, moving up to first by the second lap. It was back to third after getting a flat coming in for the Driver change. Co-Driver Greg easily grabs second back after the pit, and then passed for 1st five miles from the finish line. Cullen has 4 out of 5 wins in the M.O.R.E. series securing the 2010 Class 10 Championship.
Star Racing a Father/Son race team wins their first race in their new Class 12 Alumi Craft just out of the box. Roger Jr. started the race by mile 11 he had already caught two Class 10 cars. Intent to pass the two cars ended up doing three quarter roll off the berm laying the car on its side. The mishap put the team down six minutes. Determine to make up lost time in lap two, Junior ran the fastest lap which included their only flat for the day. By lap three Star Racing team was back in the lead and trouble free for the remaining four laps. Junior handed the car over with a two-minute lead to Roger Sr. at the beginning of the fourth lap. Roger Sr. had a flawless day, taking that two-minute lead, making it a 23 minute 40 over the second place finisher.
SCORE Terrible's Primm 300 9/11/10
Luke McMillin in his Alumi Craft two-seater 1600 racecar has down time after tipping the car on its side at mile 19, the car worked great with no other problems. McMillin finishes 5th, dropping him 1 point behind Duran in the points stands. Finishing every mile of the race series to date, McMillin is still a contender for the Toyota Milestone Award.
The SCORE 1-2/1600 Class champion will be determined after the final race. The 43rd Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 will run the peninsula from Ensenada to La Paz November 16 - 20, 2010.
16th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
It's that time of the year again...the kick off to the 2010 Off Road Season started at the SCORE Laughlin two day desert challenge. Rob MacCachren took the overall win for Saturday and Sunday with a 24 second lead by Cory Boyer.
Luke McMillin debuted in his new Alumi Craft 2- 1600 at SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and placed a strong 5th place for the weekend.
