Freitas Off Road Motorsports Powers Through A Brutal Mint 400 Course

Simon | March 30, 2012

Las Vegas, NV – The Freitas Motorsports team knew it was going to be a tough race at the legendary Mint 400 but the weekend challenged both driver and crew beyond their imaginations. The team’s pre-race schedule was interrupted by rain on test and tune day so they showed up for qualifying without any shake down time on the car. It’s not that the team failed to perform due diligence in their normally meticulous preparation but the main reason for prerace testing is to weed out any potential problems that might present themselves on race day. Things move, adjustments go out and brand new parts sometimes come up short when subjected to full race speeds, it’s all part of racing.

As Garrick was sitting in line to qualify the #1572 Jimco built race car, he had already received word that several cars had crashed on the course. With this in mind he set out on his warm-up lap. In the first set of deep whoops the car bottomed out the suspension. Even though no changes were made to the shocks there was something amiss, the rear end was too soft. Not wanting to end their race before it even started Garrick adjusted his pace to get through his qualifying lap without crashing or hurting the car. His cautious pace was good for 40th place on the grid which sounds troubling until you consider there were 85 cars that qualified. Even at his conservative pace Garrick was better than mid-pack when the dust settled, pun intended.

Race day at the Mint 400 was interesting to say the least. The team’s troubles not only persisted, they were compounded. The suspension was still too soft; Garrick would pass cars on the smooth sections but when he got in the bumps those cars would come roaring back around. He pulled into the pits on lap two for scheduled service and a splash of gas. That’s when Danny noticed power steering fluid leaking from the front. A quick check found the same out back at the pump. They topped off the fluid and Garrick raced off again. Now the suspension was the least of their troubles. The power steering was leaking badly and gave Garrick fits as he struggled to stay in control. A few times he almost crashed when he went on two wheels and couldn’t correct. They continued on, stopping at each pit to top off the fluid even putting in motor oil to try and boost the pressure. On the next lap the team had assembled the spare parts needed by the time Garrick returned so they made a quick swap when he pitted. Co-driver Steve Shahan hopped out and Trevor Freitas got in for the last lap, which they ran in survival mode just to get to the finish.

This new southern course was thought to be smoother than the traditional northern route that the Mint is famous for but that wasn’t the case. The team had it rough all day but pulled together when it counted and never gave up. At least their General Tires were flawless; they didn’t have a single flat all day. The Freitas team never quit when many would have. The hard work paid off with a top ten finish against a huge field of the best unlimited, class 1500 race cars on the planet.

Race wins go down in the history books but it’s the difficult challenges that you overcome in racing that linger on in your memories. The 2012 Mint 400 will no doubt be remembered.

The Freitas Off Road Motorsports team will be headed next to the picturesque BITD Silver State 300 being held May 4th-6th. For more details see www.bitd.com

Photography By Brian Binkert
Bink Designs / www.binkdesigns.com

About Freitas Off Road Motorsports
Freitas Offroad Motorsports is a group of off-road enthusiasts who are committed to excellence and professionalism in competitive motorsports. The team’s success is contributed to a strong family based team that draws on the dedication and expertise of their many team members and volunteers. The team’s Jimco, Champion racecar can be found running at the front in Best in the Desert off-road racing series events held throughout the southwestern United States. The team receives support from General Tire, in their quest for race wins and championship seasons. Sponsors Include General Tire, Jimco Racing, Fox Racing Shox, Kroyer Racing Engines, V&T Cattle Co., Dan Freitas Electic, JC Lansdowne, Westside Choppers, SS Shirts, Cal State Distributing. www.freitasoffroad.com

About Bink Designs
Bink Designs is a premier graphic design company located in San Diego, CA. Since 2003, Bink Designs has been committed to providing cost-effective solutions for clients’ high-end graphic needs. Bink Designs will work with you to develop a strategy that matches your goals. Bink Designs offers a number of services, including: Identity, Print Design, Vinyl Graphics, Web Design, Photography & Apparel. For more information about Bink Designs, please visit www.binkdesigns.com