New Mex Express Rally Team

Guest Post

2012-01-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a series of guest posts on our blog. The subject of this post is the dangers present in the replacement parts we often handle doing maintanance on our cars

Terrible Dangers in Automobiles - By Brian Turner

Automobile garage workers face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos in automotive parts. Hood liners, brake pads, drums, clutch assembly parts, transmission boxes, valve stem packing and gaskets often contain asbestos. The asbestos laden dust created by such parts adversely affects the respiratory system. Some workers who breathe in the dust will later go on to develop mesothelioma.

The toxins n-Hexane, acetone, xylene isomers, ethyl-benzene and toluene are all found in automobile parts. An automobile's interior plastics often contain toluene, which has been found to impair the central nervous system. Ethyl-benzene and n-Hexane occur in the auto's plastics. Both chemicals pose a risk to the neurological system. Inhalation of xylene isomers used in paints and glosses can cause nose and throat irritation. Ongoing exposure will often cause headaches. Excessive exposure may cause miscarriage or severe birth defects, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Acetone is normally present in the glues used in the auto. Over time, it can cause severe mucus membrane irritation.

During the manufacture of an automobile, phthalates are often used to soften upholstery and plastics. Phthalates are a known carcinogen. Excessive exposure can also cause birth defects and intellectual delays in children. The chemicals have also been found to cause liver toxicity.

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) is often used in fire retardants that are used in automobile foam. The dust created by the PBDE can linger in the auto for years. The California Environmental Protection Agency states that PBDEs may cause developmental deficits, act as a reproductive toxin and disrupt thyroid hormones. The chemicals are also believed to be a carcinogen.

Even the best automobile exhaust system will not successfully filter out all exhaust. Minute amounts may still flow back into the auto's interior. The auto's exhaust often contains benzene, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Long-term exposure to benzene can decrease the bone marrow's function. Short-term exposure may cause headaches and gastrointestinal problems. Carbon monoxide affects the oxygen in the blood. If the exposure to the carbon monoxide is excessive or prolonged, the person will suffocate and die. Sulphur dioxide in large amounts causes skin burns or irritation. Polycyclic hydrocarbons exposure often causes shock in sensitive individuals.

All automobiles contain varying degrees of harmful chemicals. Older auto's often have higher levels of the chemicals and pose the greatest risk. Automobile garage workers still face the greatest danger from exposure to the excessive chemicals that go into the manufacture of the automobile's various parts.

About the author:

Brian Turner has been working with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance as an environmental health and toxic substance safety advocate since June of 2007. Brian brings a tremendous amount of research and awareness experience in environmental health risks, environmental carcinogens, and green building expertise. Brian is very interested in all types of cars; his favorites are classic, muscle, and imports. Brian is commonly found playing and watching various sports with his friends.
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/brian/

Big News! Guest Post Coming Soon!

2012-01-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

2012 will be a great year for Team New Mex Express and we are proud to announce that starting very soon we will be featuring guest posts from automotive enthusiasts and car nuts just like you.

If you have a topic or subject you would like to read about on our blog, send us a message or comment.

We look forward to a great year of automotive events and motorsports!

Thank you for your support of our blog! We are approaching our fourth year!

Great Write Up About the Gila Tour!

2011-06-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a great write up about the Dustball GilApache Tour:

May Tour de GilApache

Six Porsches, a '79 Mustang pace car and Trans Am formed this new event that some hope to become an annual tradition. Drivers met in the quiet town of Pinos Altos, NM and enjoyed each others company over drinks and fine dining at the Buckhorn Tavern. The cozy overnight quarters for the weekend was at the Bear Creek cabins. The combination of the active crowd at the Buckhorn and the serene scene of the cabins was a great experience. Saturday, drivers met up in Silver City for breakfast before heading out on the day's drive.

All of the drivers were looking forward to the planned route, which crossed everyone into Arizona to travel northbound on the intense Highway 666 from Morenci to Alpine. Driving this roadway can often lead to motion sickness, with over 60 switchbacks along a 60-mile winding mountain road. It looks as if the civil engineer dropped a Ramen noodle on his road development map and mistook it for new construction. The road was incredible and gave everyone a great workout - cars included.

After a needed stop for lunch in Alpine, drivers picked up the pace and headed for the historic catwalk for a quick hike. The catwalk was more than enough of a stretch for those that needed some fresh air, and some up-close scenery. Upon return to the Buckhorn that night, drivers once again enjoyed each others company, live music and a fine dining experience.

Sunday morning came and after meeting up for breakfast, the day's route was laid out and traversed the participants along a windy un-marked road near the (then) fire-line of the Gila wildfires. The scenic and shaded route featured plenty of wildlife and great views for everyone. Passing through the main fire camp of the 2500+ firefighters was a wake-up call for those of us that didn't realize the fire threat in the area. At the end of the road, drivers hung a left at the tee to cross through emory pass and pause in Hillsboro to regroup and say their goodbyes before heading home.

"Tour de GilApache" was sponsored by Zia Homes and Varwal Enterprises.

Dustball 2000 Teaser

2011-04-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

This got our mojo flowing...

You can win, but will you survive? from deanslist.us on Vimeo.

Vote and Comment on our Article

2011-04-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

We entered a article for a chance to cover the New York International Auto Show in May! You can view it here Thank you for your support!

Jemez Tour

2011-04-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

We attended the 2011 Racing Southwest Tour of the Jemez Mountains, it was a great event, to see photos and more check it out here

On the road

2011-03-10T10:26:00.000-08:00

We are taking to the roads for our first long distance trial of the season. This time we will be shoeing a 2010 Chevrolet HHR LT. We are excited to get back on the road. Keep an eye on our twitter page for updates.

Dustball Rall DVD - 2010

2011-01-23T14:08:00.001-08:00

We are eagerly awaiting our copy of the 2010 Dustball Rally 1500 DVD. Can't wait to see how this year's film turned out.

How Gimmick Rallies Can Make You a Better Person - by Matt Ruybal

2011-01-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Here is the video of the presentation team driver Matt Ruybal gave at the Ignite NM event!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-12-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support for the 2010 Season. We were able to reach some big goals this year and look forward to an even bigger 2011.

May you have a great holiday season and look forward to rallying again with you again next year

Crashing SEMA 2010

2010-10-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

We are making our way to Las Vegas, Nevada to check out SEMA 2010. We figure this will be a great venue to promote our team and get those much needed sponsors for your 2011 rally season.

Safari 3000(1982)

2010-10-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Thinking of entering this event next year, didn't know they already had a movie out about it...

Car Table

2010-08-31T09:07:00.001-07:00

This will be the final car table of the month at the Santa Fe Bar and Grill, today at noon. Come talk about all things auto and hear our account of the 2010 Dustball Rally.

You can catch us!

2010-08-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

If anyone has run with us on a Dustball Rally, they can tell you just how hard it is to run with us on the long distance routes. You will have two opportunities to see our car very soon.

Santa Fe Vintage Car Club's - Night on the Plaza Car Show, this Friday August 27th, 5pm-9pm on the historic plaza. Look for the #00 car.

Santa Fe Vintage Car Club Meeting - 9AM Airport Car and Grill - See our car along with other sweet vintage rides.

We also go the announcement where the Dustball Rally 1500 awards will be held. We are excited to see if we got any awards for our run this year. It will be nice to re-live the event and hear the stories from the other teams.

We made the SF Hometown News!

2010-08-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

We did it! We made the Santa Fe Hometown Newspaper's August 15th Edition, check it out at http://www.santafehometownnews.com. We enjoyed the interview and are excited about this timely piece on our team!

Our 2010 Dustball 1500 Rally Testimonial

2010-08-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

From the Dustball Website

2010 TEAM TESTIMONIALS

#00 Team New Mex Express:

"The 2010 Dustball Rally was, and is the premiere event of its kind in the world, if you ask me. The event this year added a much needed element, night time driving, into the mix. For rally purists, this type of driving offers drivers and teams a challenge that you cannot prepare for, unless you mount additional rally lights. The teams also stepped up their game in their attempts to bring their own gimmicks to the rally, a tradition we are glad to see catch on. All teams did this in good spirits and nobody caused any damage or sabotage to the other cars. This run in the AMG was more comfortable for my team and we didn't have to overextend ourselves or the car and still did ok at the end. Was nice to see a podium full of veteran teams. The field was diverse and most teams survived.

For Team New Mex Express this was a rebuilding year. New car, new team, fresh outlook. We went in with no practice as a team and shared our fair share of struggles both in and out of the car. We could not have asked for a better learning day that day 1 of the rally. The two part rally really through the new members for a loop, they had not been in such an endurance event before, and by Alamosa they began to crack, after a quick stop, forced by me, we had dinner and watched a few weary teams drive by. This made us feel at ease and also uneasy knowing we had a while to go. Once back in the car we began to make that ETA shrink, minute by minute we anticipated our arrival to the warwick hotel more and more. Arriving exhausted we got the first real sleep in days, knowing we gave it our best shot. The gimmicks this year were a challenge because most were not available online, if they were, they differed from the signage at the site. We also encountered getting lost, due to a high speed pass at a directional change. We all learned from this and had a good time catching up on our home turf. Once we reached the santa fe plaza we took a moment to reassess our roles and pressed on, once we caught back up to you (thanks for waiting for us in Alamosa) we knew we were going to be ok. Running into (literally) cyprus hill in the elevator was fun too.

Day two (rest day) we grew as a team, my team mates expressed displeasure with the late drive, but had to be reminded of the challenge, I told them that day 1 is the test, both mentally and physically to shake you to the core. Day two would feel better, we made adjustments, mainly our music selection and reassignment of tasks to make the trip back more enjoyable for the team members. We also used the late night out as an opportunity to unleash our brand of gimmick on the parked cars. You may have seen them, if not wait for next year!

I enjoyed this rally on a whole other level,I played peace keeper and coach to my team mates, they shined in their duties and that was all the accomplishment I was hoping for.

A treat for me, was to run against and get to meet Mr. Williams, He really pushed the envelope on rally spirit and him and Matt set the benchmark for winning very high. We feel a best as we have in many rallies about the answer sheet, and even found a couple bonus stickers, when we stopped to look..

I have no complaints, its the one week a year i look forward to, an escape from the evils of the world, a chance to let it all loose and drive like a cannonball run event. Keep improving it as you have each year, keep the vision Willie has instilled in you, it may not please everyone, but if it gets one more team involved, thats all that matters. they will be hooked on it."

We made it! The Dustball 1500 Finish Line!

2010-08-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Day two was a true test for our team. Driver Matt, Co-Driver Daniel and Navigator Maggie all worked hard on the test. We launched from Cheesman Park in downtown Denver, Colorado on a 750 mile route that took us through northern most New Mexico to El Paso, Texas. We came across the finish line in third, with a fully completed gimmick test and high spirits. The finish line party was held at Tork Bar in Northeast El Paso. We watched the other teams roll in one by one, with a great sense of accomplishment. Be sure to check our flickr link and look for more photos and video soon, as we are en route to home base from El Paso. The winner of the event will be announced at El Paso Motorfest next weekend.

We want to thank our sponsors:

- Jim, Kevin and Marilynn at Longstar USA for tactical assistance over the entire 1500 route.
- Joe at Fast Signs of Santa Fe for the decal install help and production for our ride, it was a fan favorite
- Reggy at Tricplate for the use of the tricplate system, it worked flawlessly
- Gil and Daniel at Bransford Truck and Auto to get us a machine capable of running 1500 miles
- Stephen at Wireless Express for the verizon broadband card
- A.J. with "Go Like Hell" book out now at www.amazon.com
- 32HOURS7MINUTES - Film coming soon
- Extreme Downforce System - for the aero help this year
- Manhattan Motorsports

Other consideration:

Royal Purple Oil
Bilstein Shocks
Genesis Signs
K&N Filters
Nexen Tire
Cobra Electronics
Sima SST
Uniden Bearcat
Acer
Blackberry
XM/SIRIUS Radio
Tom Tom GPS
Magellan GPS
Travel John
Coca Cola
Red Bull
Frito Lay
La Quinta

Antonito, Colorado - Water Station Checkpoint

2010-08-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Co-Driver Daniel, per rally instruction stands precariously close to the Antonito Station Water park. This was one of the more interesting things we saw on the rally and a welcome refreshment.

Dustball Rally 1500 Drivers Meeting

2010-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

We have arrived, cooled off, and adjusted to El Paso, Texas. Next up drivers meeting and picking up a few logisitcal items for tomorrows launch. Stay tuned to the twitter feeds to the left of this posting to see whats going on live at the meeting.

We caught up with fellow team #50, Team Hazmatt on the way down to El Paso.

Leaked tnme dbr 2010

2010-08-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

This seems to happen every year, somehow, no matter how hard we try to keep things under raps someone has to leak video of our ride. However we aren't finished with it yet Here is a preview of what our car could look like.

Thank you Retroduck.com

2010-08-11T10:26:00.001-07:00

Very special thank you to Adam and Luke at Retroduck.com for help with these shirts for our team and a very special project for the Dustball Rally. Check em out! We will be riding in style unmatched by any other team.

Dustball Rally Tricplate 2010 Test

2010-08-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

Testing out on of our many technical items for the rally. More to come.

Decal Install

2010-08-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

The dreaded decal install, it's not as bad as you think, Just be sure to start with a clean surface, some towels, a spray bottle with water and a squeegee type device, and the job should be easy, the biggest piece of advice we have is to take your time. It won't always be perfect, but it will look nice once installed.

Web searching...

2010-07-29T13:09:00.001-07:00

During our daily exhaustive and fruitful Dustball Rally web searches (daily, hourly....) we came across this gem of information...

"Here is the evolution of Dustball:
2006 - 57 cars - 1-day 500 miles roundtrip through Southern NM
2007 - 28 cars - 2-days 1210 miles to San Antonio and back
2008 - 32 cars - 2 days 1000 miles to Scottsdale and back
2009 - 37 cars - 3 days 1500 miles to Las Vegas and back
2010 - 45 cars - 3 days 1400 miles to ??? and back (this happens August 13-15)
2011 - max 50 cars will be accepted - 5 days 1800 miles starting in El Paso and finishing somewhere else 5 days later."

What will you find? How will you use it? Is this real?

The Finish

2010-07-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

What all teams strive to do, finish a Dustball Rally. It may not seem that hard, but it seems like each fewer teams are able to do so. It is a big part of doing well and we have been lucky enough to do it twice. Special thanks to Dr. Munoz for sending this photo. Taken just mere moments after the epic finish of the 2009 Dustball 1500. It would be more than an hour and a half before the next team (9 total) would show up.

This has been a busy week for us. Expanding our team to a third person and obtaining the final bits and pieces. Now the waiting for decals begins.

The List!

2010-07-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

The following list of teams below is from the Dustball Rally Website, and no matter how you cut it, this is an impressive field. With more cars then the larger rallies doing the entire 1500 mile route.

Teams of the 2010 Dustball Rally

Written by Andrew

#00 Team New Mex Express - Mercedes-Benz AMG E55

#01 Team DPM Racing - Nissan GTR*

#02 Team Shake 'n Bake: Discus Man's Revenge - Chevrolet Z06

#03 Team Whatchamacallit - Nissan 300Z

#Pi Team Damn They're Fast - Nissan 350Z

#04 Team Costatron - Pontiac Trans Am WS6

#05 Team Draggin Slayers - Ford Mustang GT

#VI Team Jesus Christ - Volkswagen R32

#07 Team DeansList.US - Porsche 911

#08 Team Burnout Radio - Dodge Challenger SRT-8

#09 Team My Saltwater World #1 - TBA*

#10 Team My Saltwater World #2 - TBA*

#10.70 Team Curmudgeon - Subaru Forrester

#11 Team My Saltwater World #3 - TBA*

#13 Team Chingon - TBA*

#16 Team Triage - Porsche 928

#17 Team Blue Pecos Runners - TBA

#18 Team Pineapple Express - BMW 335i TT

#20 Team Ortho - Ferrari F430

#21 Team The Mafia - BMW 750Li

#24 Team UnderKode - Hyundai Genesis Coupe

#27 Team DSTP Motorsports #1 - Porsche 997 Turbo

#28 Team DSTP Motorsports #2 - BMW 335i

#29 Team Kat - Saab 9-3

#31 Team Beast - Chevrolet Camaro

#33 Team Hall & Nass - TBA

#34 Team FloMoCamaro - Chevrolet Camaro SS

#38 Team Lextreme - Lexus GS400

#42 Team UnderKode - Volkswagen GTi

#45 Team Apex Phantom - Infiniti G35

#50 Team Hazmatt - Ford Mustang GT

#51 Team Michael Jackson Neck Dead Alive Hearts - TBA*

#59 Team Dus'Ballaz - Cadillac El Dorado

#69 Team Choops - Toyota Tacoma X-Runner

#70 Team Prostin' - 1972 Porsche 911E Rally Car

#81 Team Curious George - Honda S2000

#88 Team Smoothness - Nissan 350Z

#95 Team Shake and Splat - TBA*

#96 Team SPF 109 - EVOMS Porsche 997 Turbo

#97 Team Costa - Porsche 997 Turbo

#666 Team Los Diablos - Ferrari F430

#1110 Team GOP - Aston Martin Vantage

Tricplate Sponsors Team New Mex Express

2010-07-22T12:33:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! We are proud to officially announce that Tricplate, makers of the Tric Plate LED system has sponsored our team for the Dustball 1500 Rally. Please visit their website where we are featured to learn more about their full line of high end custom products!

They are a great addition to our team and we look forward to working with them for the rest of the season. We will be posting video and photos soon of the tricplate system on our #00 AMG E55 Mercedes.

Critical Mass

2010-07-22T12:27:00.001-07:00

This is a critical time, as teams are preparing for the Dustball 1500 Rally coming up in a few weeks. We are putting the final touches on our car and waiting to get our decal pack to install on the car.

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-02T15:13:00.001-07:00

We hope everyone has a safe Fourth of July weekend. As we turn our focus to the weekend ourselves, we have a long list of preparations to make for the 2010 Dustball Rally 1500. We will be posting updates on these as we progress and with a little less than a month until our internal deadline, there is a lot to be done. We thank the men and women in uniform who keep us safe and allow us to be free to do what we do best.

Look for updates to come soon on some of the cool mods we are making to up the game even further. We perfected our appraoch on the Dustball 500, and will further progress to ensure we have a chance at the prize.

Also be sure to follow our twitter page for strategic updates from the 2010 Bullrun Rally.

It's Silly Season

2010-06-29T09:25:00.001-07:00

Silly season has begun: a time when cryptic information comes in about the Dustball 1500 rally, we new turn our attention to what little details we can find to give us an edge. Here is what we mean:

DUSTBALL RALLY 1500 SAFETY BRIEFING:
When: Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at 7:00pm
What: Safety Briefing and Tech Inspection for Dustball Rally 1500
Who: Teams and staff of the Dustball Rally
Where: To be announced in El Paso, TX

DUSTBALL RALLY 1500 LAUNCH
When: Friday, August 13th, 2010 at 8am
What: Dustball Rally 1500 Launch
Who: ALL are invited to attend
Where: To be announced

DUSTBALL RALLY 1500 5th ANNIVERSARY PARTY BASH
When: Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 9pm
What: Dustball Rally 1500 Anniversary Party
Who: Dustball 1500 Teams only are invited to attend
Where: Top Secret Location

DUSTBALL RALLY 1500 FINISH LINE
When: Sunday, August 15th, 2010 starting at 6pm
What: Dustball Rally 1500 Finish LIne
Who: ALL are invited to attend
Where: To be announced

DUSTBALL RALLY 1500 AWARDS
When: Friday, August 29th, 2010 at time to be announced
What: Dustball Rally 1500 Awards Presentation
Who: ALL are invited to attend
Where: Motorfest 2010, Cohen Stadium

We Love It When A Plan Comes Together!

2010-06-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Results Are In..From Dustball Rally HQ:

Here are your winners:

1st Place: #7 Team BP vs The Gulf Coast (El Paso)

2nd Place: #05 The A-Team (Santa Fe)

3rd Place: #27 Team DSTP Motorsports (El Paso)

We are please with our performance this time around. We missed zero questions, however came up short by a point, this was due to the new bonus point sticker program introduced. We used this rally to test our dynamics and it worked out well, We will bringing a few secret weapons to attack those pesky stickers, if there are any for the 1500. Look for photos soon.

Thank you everyone who followed us on the rally, it means a lot!

Here are some specs on the car we ran for this rally, a good balance if you ask us!

SPECIFICATIONS C230 Kompressor

Engine Type dual overhead cam, 16-valve
supercharged and intercooled 4-cylinder
Engine Size 2.3 liters / 140 cu.in.
Horsepower 185 @ 5300 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) 200 @ 2500 through 4800 rpm
Transmission 5-speed electronically-controlled
automatic with adaptive shift logic, traction control
Wheelbase / Length 105.9 in. / 177.4 in.
Curb Weight 3250 lbs.
Pounds Per Horsepower 17.6
Fuel Capacity 16.4 gal.
Fuel Requirement unleaded premium, 92 octane
Tires P205/55 HR16
Continental Sport Contact
Brakes, front/rear vented disc / solid disc, antilock and
BrakeAssist standard
Suspension, front/rear double wishbone with progressive-rate
coil springs /
5-arm multilink with progressive-rate
coil springs
Drivetrain front engine, rear-wheel drive

PERFORMANCE

EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon
city / highway / observed 21 / 29 / 23
0 to 60 mph 8.1 sec
1/4 mile (E.T.) 15.9 sec
Coefficient of Drag (cd) 0.32

OPTIONS AND CHARGES

Black Paint
Integrated CD changer
Bose premium sound system
Sport Package - includes:
leather upholstery, front sport seats,
interior and exterior sport trim, sport-tuned
suspension, 7" x 16" alloy wheels,
205/55 VR16 performance tires, telescoping
steering column, sport steering wheel
C2 package - includes:
electrically-adjustable front passenger
seat, solid rear seat, glass
sunroof

Drivers Meeting a Success!

2010-06-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

We have returned to our HQ from the Dustball 500 Drivers Meeting. We know the secret location for tomorrows launch at 9am. Be sure to follow us.

We are on the road

2010-06-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

We are on our way to El Paso, Texas for the Dustball 500 drivers meeting. Our Verizon Wireless Broadband card is working wonders on the trip and be sure to visit wireless express new mexico's website for more information about our sponsor!

Catch Us on the Dustball 500! Saturday!

2010-06-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Confidential!

In June 2010 a rally team was formed to attack the 2010 Dustball Rally 500, we promptly escaped to the underground rally racing circuit, today still wanted by competing rally teams across the country, we survive on open roads,

If you have a gimmick question you cant answer, if no one else can help, and you can find us, maybe you can hire.. The A-Team!

Be sure to follow our #05 C230 Kompressor - Dubbed, the "A-Team" a special arm of Team New Mex Express, on the Dustball 500 Rally this Saturday on our twitter page We will be posting all day so be sure to send us your tweets.

We want to send out a special thank you to wireless express nm for supplying us with broadband for the rally and for our sponsors for making this happen! And be sure to watch our inspiration!

Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend

2010-06-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today we say goodbye to our trusty 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra SVT, winning car from the 2008 Dustball 1000 Rally. The new owner John assures us he will take good care of the car and is aware of how special this car is. We are focusing our attention now to our specially prepared E55 AMG Sedan to take us further than we have before. Look for more updates soon.

Scouting Locations

2010-06-21T09:25:00.001-07:00

We returned successfully after scouting for some locations for possible future rally routes. Lots of sunshine, bugs, and open roads out there. We are set for the Dustball 500 this Saturday and will return to our winning ways. Be sure to follow our run on this blog and on our twitter page!

A-TEAM

2010-06-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Team New Mex Express is proud to announce that we gained two new team members today, welcome to Kevin and Sarah who will pilot and co-pilot of the #05 A-TEAM C320 Kompressor. We look forward to their enthusiasm for rallying and will be along for the ride in the Dustball 500. The Team New Mex Express name you all love will return for the Dustball 1500 in August with a new look and our best shot ever at taking the prize!

Look for more updates to come!

Karting Returns to Route 66!

2010-06-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Its been a little over half a year, but karting has returned to route 66 karting this Sunday at 8am. We will be there sharpening our driving skills.

Autocross, SWMS, and More!

2010-06-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

The summer motorsports season is in full swing. We are planning on attending the June 6th, SCCA Autocross here in Santa Fe and the SWMS track day over the weekend to get that all important hot weather teasting in before the upcoming Dustball Rally events. See you out there!

We did it!

2010-05-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

We had a blast on the CJ Pony Parts 2010 Route 66 Rally, We toured great stretches of the historic route 66 highway in New Mexico and into Arizona last Thursday and Friday. We met up with some great teams from the west coast as they made their way to Amarillo, Texas to meet with the east coast group. We made a few checkpoints and found our way to the Route 66 Hotel and Casino, we have to say, this was a great stop, and the west coast rally certainly had a one up on the east coast teams. We came in fourth on our leg of the rally.

Participants in this rally included Team Solstice, and Team Challenger from the Bullrun TV show. We got to chat with both and made some new friends along the way as we handed out DBR rally items. We will post photos from this event on our picasa and flickr pages shortly. Word has spread that the 2011 Rally will be on the Appalachian trail heading east.

Today is also our weekly car table at the santa fe bar and grill at noon. See you there.

CJ Pony Parts 2010 Route 66 Rally this week!

2010-05-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

The 2010 CJ Pony Parts Route 66 Rally is only a few days away from reaching Albuquerque. The Mopar Club of New Mexico will be checking the cars in as they arrive to the Route 66 Casino Hotel on Thursday evening. Be sure to check out our blog and twitter page all day Thursday for updates. We are ready to go!

2010 Mercedes-Benz Commercial

2010-05-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

Our Dustball 1500 Testimonial now up online!

2010-05-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

You can check out our dustball testimonial online here:
TEAM TESTIMONIALS
#77 - Team New Mex Express

"For teams and individuals that are unsure about entering their vehicle in the rally because they see a wide spread of exotic and modern muscle, don't be discouraged or intimidated. The biggest thing needed to compete in the Dustball Rally is knowledge of the capabilities of your car and teamwork. We often get questioned on why we bring a much older vehicle than other teams to the rally, and our answer is simple, if we can sit in the car for many hours at a time then we are confident we can finish the route successfully. Your team is often the biggest advantage you will have over other participants and not soley based on what type of car you drive. This rally is for everyone.

There is not anything to dislike about the Dustball Rally, sure teams, including ourselves get stressed out about installing stickers and many late nights are spent preparing, but the staff always does their best to ensure we are taken care of and prepared, you wont get that with most rallies.

This event does not compare to anything I have participated in. I have participated in quite a few major rallies and other forms of motorsport. In those events you know where you are going and how you will get there. With the Dustball Rally, you have no clue where you are going and what is ahead of you. They work hard at ensuring a complete route with just about every variable imaginable. The gimmick portion of the rally is often the most fun and challenging aspect of the rally, it can nearly tear a team apart and finding the clues is like a drug, once you get it down, you feel a big sense of relief. The knowledge you gain about your surroundings and about the communities you pass through is amazing and eye opening. Your team will be competing with other teams, weather, and the road for 1500 miles.

If you are on the fence about joining the rally, we encourage you to get off the fence and see what it is all about. It is one of the best experience you can have behind the wheel of your car."

Car Table: Spring Style

2010-05-04T08:47:00.001-07:00

With the sun finally shining (at least today) we will return to the weekly car table event at noon, santa fe bar and grill. With the patio open this is a great venue to talk about all things cars and motorsports, etc in Santa Fe and the world. A hot topic is sure to be the 2010 Gumball 3000 Rally which is making its way to Boston, MA from Sweden as they race to the finish line in New York City. We have been keeping track on their website and twitter feeds and it sounds like a pretty chaotic and fun time!

We will be installing our decal set for the 2010 CJ Pony Parts: Route 66 Rally soon and will post up some photos to show you all.

Oh! and we almost forgot to mention, that monthly league racing has returned to route 66 Karting in Albuquerque this Sunday at 11am. We are excited to return to the track and tune our driving skills.

Europe - The Final Countdown

2010-05-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

As we were removing the Dustball Challenge decals on our ride in order to install the set for the 2010 CJ Pony Parts RT 66 Rally, this song was on the satellite radio:

Bullrun - What it's like

2010-05-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

See if you can spot the team mms porsche speedster, we are in this episode!

Bullrun - Cops, Cars, and Superstars! 2009 - Episode 1 from Team Wu on Vimeo.

Bullrun Season 4 Casting and 2010 Route 66 Rally

2010-04-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Now that the third season of the Bullrun TV show has concluded, and an experience rally team, Team Lamborghini, has won, we are more determined than ever to put our skills to the test for season 4. We will post information on how you can help us make it on the show soon.

We also received our decal kit for the route 66 rally. This is the first time in any rally that we have gotten a set of decals this far in advance, and we have to say this is a welcomed change for us as we will have time to put these on in a proper manner and not on the starting grid. Look for photos of these decals soon. We are participating in the May 20th New Mexico portion of the rally.

And in other news, the Gumball 3000 rally kicks off from London tomorrow and we will be following it as usual. The rally season is underway and we will use this time to continue our search for sponsors and expand awareness of our team.

Thanks everyone for the 5500 page views! In less than a year!

Our presentation was a success!

2010-04-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the folks at Ignite NM 6! Having never done a presentation on this scale, we did not know what to expect. Matt gave a 5 minute presentation of 20 slides about gimmick rallying. It was fun and we got a positive response to the approximately 100 people in attendance for this event. We hope to do this again next time. We will post the video of the presentation once it is available.

Ignite NM 6 - Presentation

2010-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

This evening we will be attending the Ignite NM 6 event at the Santa Fe Complex. We will be giving a presentation on Gimmick Rallying and getting the word out about our team and sponsorship efforts. For more information about this event please visit the Ignite NM website.

Our take: 2010 Dustball Challenge

2010-04-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

Its not a race, and not even a rally. After a morning that greeted us with snow up here in Santa Fe, we headed down the windy interstate to El Paso, TX for the Dustball Challenge. Having no idea how to prepare other than a few clues, we felt positive that we would have a decent shot at winning this thing. A quick stop to Wireless Express New Mexico to pick up a verizon wireless broadband card and we were off to check in and attend the drivers meeting. A total of 8 teams with various classes of vehicles were in attendance.

After installing the decals we were off to study some more and get some rest. The challenge was to being at 10:30am, very late in comparison to other Dustball Events. We arrived at My Salt Water World. The location of many Dustball Launches. This was the one easy location to find as we would soon find out.

The brief drivers meeting included instructions for the day, bonus points, and wireless access for teams who brought a computer. We launched in number order and were mid pack. As we tore off to the highway we experienced what some may call a "blackout" all electronics systems went down. Not to worry, Team Navigator got out the pen and paper and went to work. This was a minor setback, but due to the strict time limit, we had to focus on the clues in the El Paso, and southern NM portion of the challenge, hoping other teams would be late.

After approximately 7hrs and 45 minutes of challenges we were back at Jaxons on airway and turned in our test and supporting documentation. After a short wait and some food, we awaited final team standings. As the names were read off we knew we had either of the top positions.

Second place overall with 51 points out of 58 and the first place managed to get 10 more points.

In hindsight, we wish more teams from New Mexico had entered as there was definately an advantage to local teams who knew the area and who could stick together.

All in all we were challenged and glad we stepped up to the plate to give it a try. This event was difficult and built a stronger team because of it.

We are not sure how much of this format will be used in the upcoming rallies, but if you didnt attend this event, you surely will have some catching up to do. Not one method worked completely well as we went into urban areas, rural areas, and everywhere in between (includuing a police headquarters) so having a diversity and determination to win helped us succed as best as we could against the local teams.

Now we sift through notes and data and will be putting together winning efforts very soon.

Dustball Challenge Rally

2010-04-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Follow Us on the Dustball Challenge Rally this Saturday. Thanks to Wireless Express New Mexico, we will be able to update you from the road as it is happening. Simply watch the twitter feed at the top right of the webpage and feel free to tweet us your questions or comments. We will do our best to answer you.

Thanks for the continued support!

2010 CJ Pony Parts Route 66 Rally

2010-04-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today we officially entered the 2010 CJ Pony Parts Route 66 Rally. We are excited about this event.

Participants:

Starting From Joliet:

Robby DeGraff John or Danny Team Camaro #25
Scott Spielman TeamGTO #36
Patti Spielman TeamGTO #777
Jeremy Hart TBD Team Thunder buggy #66
Jerry Stiable Ashley Eliason TeamScion #08
Michael Schlee Team Canada RX8
George Sparkman Randi Sparkman TeamGriswald #667
Brian Shannon Team GrandNew #69
Jeff Hut #30
Jeff Rushing Gail Rushing Team 38 Caliber #38
Nate McKamey Sway Team Disgruntled #999
Mike Cowley #245
Greg Rada Kim #133
Dan Carpenter Matt Bercik TeamBMW#22
John Dow Toby Farrington Team Mini #37
Bill Tumas Tanya #74
Tom MacDonald Rhea TeamAudi
Dan Cowan Team SRT #117
Dave Calvecchi Team SaleenGT #35
Andrew Weist #134
Marty Ryan #16
Seth Shawger #34
Kevin #231
Randy Chueng #709
Sean Morris Team R/T #07
Tony Kasch #55
Curt Gentry #331
Tony Intrieri Noel Sufrin TeamTCI #12

Starting from Fontana:

Jeff Cawthorn Team Mustang #05
Rob Combs Team Wicked #13
Ray Wagner
Caleb Maxeiner Kate Cook Team Iboost #06
Mike Melissa TeamGOAT # 59
Mark Howard #10
Cesar Ruvalcuba #15
James Coppi #28
Zig Byra #17
Michael Leaf 427
Chris Patton TeamEvoX #99
Ted Groszewski #77
Dale Thomas #03
Theresa Williams TeamSolstice #11
Jason Arias Kristina TeamBMW #09
Jonathan Bowen Team Challenger
Dan Cowan #117
Noel Feliciano Team Sketchy #51
Matt Rubyal Team New Mex Express#00

Dustball Rally Challenge This Weekend!

2010-04-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

That is right! the Dustball Rally Challenge is this weekend. We will be one of about six teams brave enough to try this new style rally out, and we spent the majority of the past weekend getting ready. Be sure to follow us on our twitter page this Saturday to keep up with how we are doing. The deadline to enter this rally is today and word is registration for the Dustball 500 rally in June is to open soon, and as always, thanks for following us! The rally season is here.

Charity Work

2010-04-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

We are looking for a charity in the Santa Fe Area to work with for this year's rally season. If you are interested in working with us to raise some funding for your charity, send us an email at teamnewmexexpress@gmail.com. Thanks!

300th Post! Dustball Challege Registration Ends Today!

2010-04-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, our 300th blog post! Seems like only yesterday that we started this thing, and the response has been overwhelming in the past few weeks!

Registration for the Dustball Challenge Rally ends today and we will finally know the who the field of competitors are. We have been preparing for this, as best as you can for a Dustball Event!, for the past few weeks and are looking forward to it.

We are beginning our final pust for sponsors this year, and if you are interested in sponsoring our team please send us an email to teamnewmexexpress@gmail.com.

Fast Signs of Santa Fe

2010-04-09T15:40:00.001-07:00

We had a great meeting with our sponsor Fast Signs of Santa Fe, and apparently we were not the only team to utilize their great service check out what Team Hazmat is up to! We like their idea, and hope that being labeled hazardous is a good thing, and wont cause any unwanted border delays...

Our decals are secret for now, and we will give you some clues as to what they are in the coming weeks!

More Dustball Testing

2010-04-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just learned we will be testing our more tech goodies for the Dustball Rally in August. This time will take us to the hills. Stay tuned for a report next weekend.

2010 Dustball Testing

2010-04-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that over 1100 miles of testing for this year's Dustball 1500 Rally are complete. We took a top secret run, which many of you followed on our twitter page. We tested new equipment that we will officially debut over the next few weeks at the Dustball Challenge Rally. We traveled over some of the most heavily patroled areas and gathered important data for the rally and went to follow up one of the two missed questions we missed during the 2009 Dustball 1500 Rally.

If we can convey anything to you out there looking to do a rally this year, obey the law! and have fun!

Car Table

2010-03-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

Another great car table today, much talk about all the auto mergers and sale of auto brands in the last week. Every Tuesday you will usually find us at the Santa Fe Bar and Grill talking everything auto.

We have a pretty busy weekend coming up, a special 8 hour trip is planned to test out our phase 3 logistical equipment from Team Longstar. Very excited about that. We will keep you posted and don't forget to follow us on the trip on our twitter page.

Team Hazmatt's Tour

2010-03-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

Fellow Dustball Rally team, Team HazMatt is planning a road tour coming up soon. If you want to do this tour, leave some feedback here

SFVCC Monthly Meeting

2010-03-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe Vintage Car Club - Monthly meeting - Saturday March 27, 2010 - 9am at the Santa Fe Airport Grill. See you there!

Kranked 8 - Evolve - Coastal Crew

2010-03-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Leaked! Team Prostin # 70

2010-03-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Through our world renowned search efforts for anything related Dustball Rally, we came across this leaked photo #70 Team Prostin' - 1972 Porsche 911E Rally Car, entry in the 2010 Dustball 1500 Rally. We wish them luck!

One Month Until the DBR Challenge!

2010-03-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

It is a little less than a month until the Dustball Challange event, and we are putting together the pieces for our run at this event. Look for updates soon! Be sure to follow us on twitter during the event live and be sure to follow us all year!

Denise McCluggage - To Tell The Truth 1959

2010-03-23T14:51:00.001-07:00

In car table related news...will the real Denise please stand up?

New Logo!

2010-03-22T15:42:00.001-07:00

We thought we would let you all in on a little of what we are doing to "re-work" our team for the 2010 Rally Season, and to get the competition moving.

Thanks to Adam Kidder for help with our new logo! Look for more awesome items to come soon, official Team New Mex Express merchandise will be available soon directly from this website!

NOTE: All artwork is copyright of Team New Mex Express -

The Terrible Two

2010-03-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate our 2nd Year as a rally team! It's hard to believe it has been that long, and we have been riding a wave of success we never could have imagined that March day in 2008. From idea to reality, we have to thank our growing list of sponsors and support for helping us make it all happen. 2010 will be our biggest year yet!

The Cost of Winning the Dustball Rally

2010-03-18T12:37:00.001-07:00

How much does it cost to prepare for the Dustball Rally? This is a very interesting question. One could spend $1 or $100,000 preparing for the rally each year!, you will be competing from people from all walks of life.

The 2009 Dustball 1500 Rally was such a unique experience for us last year that we have changed our whole outlook on how to prepare for this year's rally. It pushed us to our limits and back again. We are greatful for that.

We were fortunate and more than a little lucky to win the 2008 Dustball 1000 Rally. That was a special time for our team, because we attacked the rally, our first one, in such a way that I don't think it could ever be matched. It was fun, we had a blast, and we also upped the ante for other teams in 2009.

For 2009 We upped the ante again with our own gimmicks, that were both warmly and not so warmly received. For 2010 we are gonna blow the lid off the rally all while having a great time doing it. We were edged out by one question on the gimmick rally, and won't forget how close we were. This year's rally is deemed "ridiculous" and we are ready to be a little "ridiculous" if needed!

Our same 2008 winning spirit is there, just ever evolving. We are more focused on the drive and the will to explore this great country.

The first in a series of changes will be unveiled on this website over the coming weeks. So stay tuned and thanks for hanging in there with us.

Thanks for the help!

2010-03-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

The overwhelming support has been humbling, we are thankful to the offers we have gotten for help this season! If you still wish to help us this year, please send us an email to teamnewmexexpress@gmail.com.

We appreciate your support, more now than ever!

Think you have what it takes to join our team?

2010-03-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

If you think you have what it takes to be on our team, send us an email to teamnewmexexpress@gmail.com. We are looking for a few team members to help us out with some simple tasks for the upcoming Dustball Challenge and Dustball 1500 Rallies. We look forward to hearing from you!

Dustball Challenge

2010-03-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

We have officially entered the first ever Dustball Challenge. Its not a race, and not a rally according to the Dustball website. But a test of a team of two. We cant wait for this event in April and are already preparing for it.

Wireless Express to Sponsor TNME!

2010-03-09T10:52:00.001-08:00

Wireless Express New Mexico has agreed to return as our official broadband sponsor for the 2010 Rally Season! We are excited to have them back and are greatful for this crucial support for our Dustball Rally run in April.

Da Shatner Funk

2010-03-04T21:57:00.001-08:00

We are taking a much deserved day off, there is a new format Dustball "rally" coming up and we are trying to wrap our minds around that. so till then enjoy something to get you fired up and confused at the same time. Dustball!!!

Thanks for our biggest week ever!

2010-03-02T11:27:00.001-08:00

We have had a great response to our blog in the past few weeks! We want to say thank you and hope you continue to check in.

Dustball 500 and more

2010-03-01T14:13:00.001-08:00

Just learned the Dustball 500 will be making its return this year in June and a new format rally in May from the Dustball Rally folks. Looking forward to doing both of these.

We are almost two!

2010-03-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

We are approaching our 2nd full year of rallying. It has been a great run so far and we encourage you to check back in the coming weeks for some big news from our team about this year!

Bullrun Season 3 on Speed TV!

2010-02-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

The second episode was on last night, didn't get to watch it live, but checked it out on the DVR late last night, and I have to say, this season is going to be huge! and the challenges are brutal. It is cool to see some of the teams that are often on the Bullrun forum or at the Bullrun Rally on the show. If you haven't seen any of the episodes this season, check your lisitings and tune in.

A great work of art worthy of framing!

2010-02-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

We have been lucky to have a chance be in contact with Adam the artist who did the Ride Article Cover. To check out his blog post about it click here

He does great work and check out the rest of his blog and website

We are cooking up some sweet stuff for this year! As we approach our 2nd Anniversary as a team, we invite you to take a look back through are archives. What we have accomplished in such a short time is amazing.

Thanks for your continued enthusiasm and support of our team!

SFVCC Meeting this Saturday

2010-02-25T10:36:00.001-08:00

The Santa Fe Vintage Car Club will be holding their monthly meeting this Saturday morning at 9am at the Santa Fe Airport Grill, this is a great opportunity to meet some of the more active car enthusiasts in town and chime in on what events you would like to see this year. Old man winter gave us another reminder last night that he is still around, as we turn our focus to warmer months ahead and beautiful cruise nights on the plaza and great drives around the area. See you there.

Making some changes!

2010-02-24T10:59:00.001-08:00

As you may have noticed we have made a few changes, we are working on a new team logo and other items for this season. So stay tuned and check back often.

Shell Ferrari Commerical

2010-02-23T10:58:00.001-08:00

Real cars, no CGI.

So you think you can rally?

2010-02-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

We like to think we simplified the process from this team

Vintage Kartin Photo

2010-02-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

This is what we like to see, a vintage photo of Matt Ruybal at the Harvey Caplin Memorial Speedway circa 1997. This is one of the first races in the Yamaha Heavy Class

Snow, Snow and Snow

2010-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

The wintery weather continues in our neck of the woods. We sure are getting our share of winter driving in and this will for sure pay off during the upcoming rally season. You never know what you will encounter on the road.

Bullrun Season 3 Starts Tonight!

2010-02-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Bullrun reality series is back for season 3 on Speed TV! The season premiere is on tonight at 8pm MST of Speed TV. Be sure to check your local listings for show times! We will be watching this and look forward to another great season and a shot at being on Season 4!

Dave Maass' Ignite NM 2 Dustball Presentation

2010-02-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Last year the Santa Fe Reporter's Dave Maass did a presentation on the Dustball 1500 and we were there displaying our car and taking questions from those interested. Here is the video from the presentation at Site Santa Fe. We hope to be back this year.

This is a great video which also showcases the technical items we ran last year and gives you great insight into what it takes to run the Dustball 1500 rally. Thanks Dave and Ignite NM for posting this video.

Ignite NM 2 - Dave Maass Tweet My Dust: Truly Mobile Technology and the Great American Gimmick Rally from Mick Thompson on Vimeo.

Vintage BMW, Ford Mustang and Audi Wheels for sale!

2010-02-15T09:24:00.001-08:00

I am going to list these wheels here before I post them on craigslist, ebay, etc.

Up for sale is a set of metric wheels for a 1980'S BMW 5 series. All four are in great shape and have no issues, no curb rash at all.
The following numbers are on the wheels: Fishner Part #165tr390 BMW e22 1124810. These come with the caps! I am selling these for $150 plus shipping/obo. These will make perfect wheels for that restoration and give it a unique vintage look. Send me an email at teamnewmexexpress@gmail.com if interested. Will fit 535is,528e, 533i, 535i, 633, 635, 733, 735i, which are the E23

I also have a single alcoa wheel for sale, would make a great spare for the set above $45 plus shipping. Part # 165tr390ch et BMW 1126070. Will fit 1980's era BMW 5 series.

And last, I have a wheel for a 2000 Audi A6,These are the part numbers on the wheel: Fundu 7j 16 h2 et 45 4b0 601 025 k k1 ha2 Norway 8 00$90 plus shipping/obo

And Lastly I have a set of wheels off of a 1999 Ford Mustang LX, with tires, $200 obo

Thanks for looking and lets make a deal!

2010-02-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Some Photos from our 2009 Dustball 1500 Rally Experience

2010-02-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Dustball Rally was named "the most dangerous" rally in all the Dustball Rallies. That being said, the roads were great and all teams returned safe

If you watched the 2009 Dustball Rally documentary you know that the 2009 Rally started well before the sun came up and that there was a torrential rain storm, which often happens in the desert southwest. Here is a photo showing you what we were greeted with and the havoc it caused some teams

Dustball Pranks were many this year!

Still on the fence about doing the Dustball 1500 Rally? Well we went through our archives and are posting some memorable photos, of which you can find more on our page.

Our #77 Dustball ride and our Hertz Chevrolet Corvette ZHZ rental in Las Vegas, Nevada

One of three to reach the finish before sunset near the Texas and New Mexico Border!

We hear there are only three spots left!

In Car Camera Testing

2010-02-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Our recent trip allowed us valuable time to test out different camera angles and setups in preparation for the Dustball 1500 Rally. A huge part of rally is capturing what its like to travel on a 1500 mile gimmick course. With only a few camera cars chasing 25+ teams we are upping our game and going to document our run from start to finish, so everyone can get a better idea of what sets Team New Mex Express apart from the rest. Our camera choices include a slick GOPRO camera and JVC and web enabled cameras that we will deploy during the rally on this blog.

Retroduck to return as shirt sponsor!

2010-02-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

The team at Retroduck.com in East Lansing, Michigan will return as official shirt sponsor of Team New Mex Express in 2010! We welcome them back and encourage you to visit their website and be sure to follow them on facebook and twitter. They do the great work and are among the best around!

Car Table

2010-02-09T11:57:00.001-08:00

Today was the weekly gathering of auto fans and car nuts at the Santa Fe Bar and Grill, 12pm noon. If you are interested in joing us, come on down, every Tuesday!

Get your own copy of the 2009 Dustball Rally Film

2010-02-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

From the Dustball Rally Website

Haven't seen it? Need another copy? Purchase your copy of the 2009 Dustball Rally Documentary online!

Only $20 plus $1.95 shipping.

Half of all sales goes to the Child Crisis Center of El Paso! Donate to the cause and order yours today!

Click here and order online now!

Live from the road

2010-02-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

Be sure to follow us on our twitter account or on our twitter feed to the right of this blog post. We will be sending updates from the road and from the premiere of the 2009 Dustball Rally Documentary film.

Dustball Rally Documentary Screening

2010-02-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

Crystal Clear Productions presents:

2009 Dustball Rally: A Documentary

Saturday, February 6th 2010 at 3:00pm

El Paso International Museum of Art, 1211 Montana Blvd, El Paso, TX

-Copies will be sold for $20 each, 50% to be donated to Child Crisis Center

-Sound system courtesy Crystal Clear Productions of NM

Video projection courtesy Soundquest of El Paso

A rare find!

2010-02-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

Found this on ebay, a real Cannonball Run Car...

Ford Fiesta Movement Round 2 Open Now

2010-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

The Ford Fiesta Movement is now accepting applications for teams of two for their program. You can register until February 7th, 2010. We submitted an entry and hope to be one of the teams accepted. This would make a sweet 2010 Rally Car for us! Good luck to everyone who enters.

The End of An Era

2010-02-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

We are sad to report that the Route 66 Karting Facility, formerly TTT Kartway in Albuquerque, New Mexico has suddenly ceased operation. Since it reopened in 2006 after being closed for nearly 20 years, we used this facility to hone our driving skills and work on driving strategies we have successfully used on the Dustball and Bullrun Rallies. Kart league races that were held monthly along with Tag Kart racing are put on indefinate hold. Official word on the closure will be posted on their website.

Here is a photo of the track in the 1960s(from personal collection):

And a photo recently taken(from http://66kart.com):

We felt it is important to share this sad news with you. This track holds many great memories for us and was the training ground for New Mexico's best race car drivers: Al Unser Jr., Robby Unser, and Johnny Herrera to name a few. Many area race car drivers use the track today to train and stay sharp for such racing series as the Star Mazda Pro Series, Indy Racing League, and SCCA.

Matt's father and uncle raced here in the middle to late 1970's and hold many records at the track that still stand to this day. We are fortunate that we were able to turn in tens of thousands of laps here over the past 12 years and hope this 1/5 mile road course on Albuquerque's west side will open again soon. We were fortunate to have a chance meeting once with Mrs. Thompson, widow of the founder of the track and will always cherish our time spent here. It is a true karting facility and one of the few survivors from the early days of karting in the 1960's.

Our Book of the Week

2010-02-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

We have been read a lot of motorsports and rally related book in the "off-season" and with the Daytona 24 Hour Event now in the record books, we though we would share with you a couple of books we have been reading to stoke our enthusiasm for the coming season.

1.) Go Like Hell by A.J. Baime - A great story of Ford Motor Companies struggles and ultimate victory against Ferrari on a world scale. A great book for car nut and non enthusiast alike.

2.) Umbrella Mike by Brock Yates - A story of the interesting relationship of motor racing and the mob in the 1930's and how they shaped the future of American and International supremacy in motorsports

We will list more for you here, give them a try, you will be glad you did.

Fog

2010-01-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

A rare occurrence out in our neck of the woods last night, heavy fog at freezing temps. Air so thick you can cut it with a knife or in this case slice through it with our AMG E55. We took the opportunity to get in some valuable testing and checking out the contrails off the factory bodywork. Though we have not encountered this on the Dustball Rally, yet, we thought we may as well test as you never know where the rally will take you and looking over our early diagnostics and notes from clues left by rally organizers, we may be in the vicinity of fog.