Dragonfire Racing Kawasaki
Teryx Dominates at SCORE Baja 1000
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Dragonfire
Racing's Kawasaki Teryx
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Irvine, CA (12/1/2009) - The Dragonfire
Racing Kawasaki Teryx won its second Baja event
of the year in the Sportsman UTV class, under the
guidance four veteran drivers during the 42nd running
of the Baja 1000. The RUV, piloted by Team Green™
Manager Reid Nordin, Hans Waage, Todd Romano, and
Baja legend Larry Roeseler, was a stand out amongst
its competitors, coming in ahead of several classes
that had started hours before the Teryx.
Year of the Teryx
After a dominating win at the Baja 500 in June,
Kawasaki and Dragonfire teamed up once again for
the big Baja 1000. Like their success at the Baja
500, the Teryx finished with time to spare in their
allotted time to complete the race.
"All in all it was a pretty uneventful race," said Nordin. "A lot can go wrong
and we only had one flat. We did get stuck in
some silt, but that didn't really put us back
too much. It was probably the roughest Baja I
had ever seen. The average speeds were well below
normal. Our time ended up being fast enough to
podium in seven other classes, so we were really
happy with how we ran overall."
Teryx Is Up For The Challenge
With 2009 being the first year the Kawasaki Teryx
has competed in Baja, the RUV has already made a
name for itself amongst its competitors who have
been racing for several years.
"Being that the Teryx is 4-wheel drive, it has assisted us in some of the more difficult sections like the "Summit" and the silt beds of Laguna Salada," said Nordin. "The torque and durability of the V-Twin 750 engine has already proven its durability and has raised the bar once again. The Nessy (the teams name for the Teryx) is built on the Teryx chassis platform, so it certainly isn't a ground-up race car like most we beat in many other classes."
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"We went to
Mexico with only one intention and that
was to win the Baja 1000,"
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Hard Work Pays Off
The team put in countless hours of preparation
into running both the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000
and the partnership between Kawasaki and Dragonfire
Racing has been a victorious one.
"I am really proud of what we have accomplished
this year," said Nordin. "It has been
great to work with the Dragonfire crew. We all
worked really hard to make sure the Teryx was
ready for a big challenge like Baja. I think we
proved that the machine is the one to beat in
2010."
Great Driver Combination
With winning drivers Nordin and Waage returning,
and veteran Baja drivers Romano and Roeseler,
the teams' chances looked good from the
start. The experience that all these drivers brought
to the team helped make the win possible.
"We went to Mexico with only one intention
and that was to win the Baja 1000," said
Todd Romano, Dragonfire owner. "Many people
only go to Baja to say they were able to finish,
but we went in with a plan to win. Baja is a love-hate
relationship, and I love hating Baja."
Support Vs. Driving
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Dragonfire
Racing & Kawasaki put their heads
together to help make the Baja 1000
a success for the team
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Nordin's history with Baja goes back to the
start of the event in 1967 when his father won his
class with Nordin present. Since that start, he
has been a part of numerous winning teams and now
can add winning driver to his Baja resume.
"I have been fortunate to be involved with
a lot of Baja victories," said Nordin. "To
win as a driver is a totally different feeling
than as the support staff. My dad won a production
two-wheeled drive class in 1967 and now I can
be with him in the record books, so that is a
cool feeling for me."
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