Sunday, February 28, 2010

Now We've Got A Series!!


For the first time in a number of years Rally America might actually be a contested series instead of a Pastrana coronation.

Ken Block won this weekend's "100 Acre Wood" event marking his only his second event in the new Ford and the last event before he goes to Mexico to run in the WRC event there. Though Block was running a bit behind TP, and eventual 2nd place finisher Antoine L'Estage, coming into the second day, a broken control arm ended Pastrana's event and Block ran hard enough to overtake L'estage. This marked Block's 5th consecutive win in Missouri and puts him back in contention after his DNF a month ago in Michigan.

L'Estage's 2nd place moves him into 1st overall on the season as he finished 2nd back at the Sno*Drift event and Bill Bacon's 3rd place this weekend moves him into 2nd on the year as he had finished 3rd at Sno*Drift.

So with Block and TP both having a DNF and a win in their first two events the season looks to be off to a great start. Block and Pastrana will have to fight hard to make up ground and get back to the front —especially in this shorter season.

Also good to see cars like a 1970 VW Bug out there running and running well...showing that at its heart Rally Racing can be fun and a challenge for all, no matter what the budget...






Is NASCAR the Most Boring Major Sport in America??

I think the answer is an unequivocal "yes". Today you had your choice of watching either the best hockey game in a generation and what will likely be the highest rated hockey game ever which went to overtime and was a remarkable back and forth effort by both teams. The gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada was nearly everything that is right with sports (if only it was between amateurs it would have been ALL that is best in sports) and saw Canada win in an absolutely thrilling event from beginning to end.

If you weren't watching this game over all other sporting events today and weren't sitting with your heart in your throat for the whole game...well...you just don't HAVE a heart...

On the other hand, those individuals with pretty much flat brain waves could watch the roundy-round race over on ABC...Jesus what crap...they shortened the race by a bunch of laps from last year and brought a new tire...and the race still sucked. As usual it was the Rick Hendrick invitational as the convicted tax evading millionaire's douche-bag duo of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon ran 1 and/or 2 all day while the announcers tripped over themselves to explain why the chosen one (Dale Jr.) was running mid pack all day again...

When the race ended less than 1/2 the original field was even on the SAME LAP as the winner and the stands which were only 2/3 full to start the day (at one of the best drawing tracks NASCAR has) were only 1/4 full...I'll go out on a limb and say this will be one of the lowest rated NASCAR races in a looooooong time...The sport is a disgrace to the word "sport" and is on the wrong track to build an audience and gain corporate sponsors...the stands are becoming progressively more and more empty each week and while the racing becomes less and less interesting...Good luck to anyone pitching a corporate sponsor and getting them to come on board this train wreck...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Coffee Table Nissan GT-R Book from Veloce Publishing...


Just in time for Christmas!!! Uh...no...you'll have to either wait 10 months or buy this one on your own...
Now available from the British publisher, Veloce, this coffee table book covers the entire history of the GT-R from 1957 to the current day in fantastic pictures (over 400) and words. The author is a Russian born, U.S. educated, electronics specialist who has been a lifelong follower of the GT-R. Now if only the dollar would strengthen against the pound and make the book a bit cheaper!!



Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Nissan Returns to Motorsports in North America!!


OK so its not like Nissan is breaking into NASCAR or is funding a full factory Rally America team or fielding a team at this years Baja 1000 but Nissan is back, and they're doing it right.

Joining forces with the successful Brass Monkey Racing team who finished third in the World Challenge GT Championship series in '09 using a Porsche 911 GT3 with wins at Sebring and Road America, Nissan North America is backing a two car, GT-R effort for the '10 season. All races are broadcast (on tape delay) on VS. and the first event of the year in St. Petersburg is occuring in combination with the Honda Grand Prix of the IRL series.

The team GT-Rs are currently being built and they will be showing them off on their website in the near future. Given the team's experince and prior success now paired with solid backing from a corporate partner, Brass Monkey Racing should be a force to reckon with this year!

Plus...who doesn't love a team with it own women's thong undwear line?!?!

Monday, February 22, 2010

NISMO Stuff Racing Grabs 4th for the Weekend!!

OK...OK...so the above pic is NOT of my truck at this weekend's RallyCross event. But I just didn't have the heart to take a pic of the NISMO Racing vehicle in the driveway after the event and post THAT!! As of today I have not seen any pics of the NISMO Racer from the weekend but the results (see below for link) prove that it was there!!

This past Saturday up at the New England Dragway in Epping NH was cold to start but sunny all day and by the end had become VERY muddy. Early morning runs were completed on snow, ice and frozen dirt--not the NISMO Racer's best surface and combined with my tendency to be overly conservative on the day's first few runs put the NISMO Racer back in 7th place (out of nine) by the noon break. Determined not to let the day get away, the team had a strong 2nd half of the day actually posting a best in class time over the last three runs (out of seven total for the day) and climbed three places to fourth for the event. Not the best of results but given how far back the team was early on, this was certainly acceptable.

Finishes for the year in the first three New England Region SCCA Rallycross events in the Prepared Rear class now total a 3rd, a 2nd and a 4th with a 1st place in the SCCA National event which combined results from the first two events. The NISMO Racing team remains in 2nd place overall for the year in the Prepared Rear class.

With 75 entrants, numerous crew and family members on hand and groups of spectators wandering in and out, the NISMO Racer (again, positioned in its downtime for the most number of eyeballs) was called by one spectator, and I quote, "the best looking vehicle out there" (thanks Red Line Rally!) and got a going over by scores of attendees.

The new Braille battery was fantastic. I was a bit worried coming into the event given the cold temperatures and the large number of times the vehicle would be stopped and started that such a small battery would not hold up--but it performed flawlessly and also received numerous inquiries (answered and directed appropriately) during tech inspection.

While the ice and snow of early runs was not the best condition for the General Tire Grabber A/Ts (the ever present Subies and others generally ran dedicated "ice" tires, many with studs) they kept me on the course well enough so that when conditions changed in the afternoon I was really able to shine and put down some fast times. I can't wait for the dirt and gravel of Summer!

No rest for the wicked though!! The next event is only two weeks away in Laconia/Belmont, NH and who knows what the conditions will be. The Belmont track is notoriously rocky and gets rutted quite easily, though given we are to receive a mix of rain/snow every day for the next five days it could be a soupy mess...We will see...

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Now Why Can't We Get Engines Like That??


Lots of news coming out of Nissan/Infiniti of late and here is some more.

Though available only in Europe for now, the Infiniti EX, FX and M are all going to get twin turbo diesel engine options. The engine will be sourced from Renault (thanks Froggies!!) and will begin showing up in showrooms this summer. Increased torque, better mpg and I'm sure a bit of increased cost...

Will we see it here? Doubtful, but Nissan has been doing all sorts of crazy things of late so you never know...

Friday, February 19, 2010

President's Day Socialist Sale...

Hmmm...surprised more media outlets didn't pick up on this one...a few days late (given President's Day was last week) this advertisement showed up in my mail today. Can't say it would have been nearly as appropriate during other recent presidential terms. I'm sure if contacted the business would say it has absolutely nothing to do with our current pinko-in-chief but at least someone out there has a solid sense of humor despite its inherrent truth as well...

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Nissan Rally Troubles Continue...

Oh how a year changes things...

'09 started off with two top ten Nissan finishes followed up with a Nissan overall win at the Ha'il Baja in Saudi Arabia...

Forward to '10 and numerous disasters befall Nissan teams in the Dakar with none finishing in the top 20 and last year's Ha'il Baja winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi has traded in his Nissan for a Mitsu.

While the driver results are the same in '10 as they were in '09 at the Ha'il Baja, the marqee finishing order is not in Nissan's favor. With mostly solid axle Nissan Patrols and two older Nissan Pathfinders entered in the event one couldn't have come in expecting much...but finishing behind an Isuzu D-Max and a Toyota Land Cruiser ending up in 6th place for the highest Nissan is quite dissapointing...

Though none of the major Euro based Nissan drivers (Palik, Holowczyc, etc.) were entered in this event it is still sad that 6th place is the best a Nissan could manage against generally weak competition...

The Ha'il Baja was Round 1 of the FIA's six event long International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas...Next up? The Northern Forest Rally in Russia in a few weeks...

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Nismo Stuff Racing Loses...

about 22 pounds that is...

In keeping with one of the overall themes of this vehicle and holding to the "light makes right" theory I made one of the easiest upgrades one can make to a performance vehicle by replacing the stock battery.

The stock battery shipped with the Nissan Frontier is (from what I've gathered) built by Interstate Battery and is a fine battery--as general purpose batteries go, but it is very heavy, weighing in at 39 pounds and taking up a good deal of space in the very front of the vehicle.

I have been intrigued by Braille batteries for a couple years now. They have campaigned a 350z in the past and have been continued supporters of a number of Nissan efforts as well as have seen their product in numerous top of the line racing vehicles from the 24 Hours of Daytona, to NASCAR to Formula Drift.

I could have gone SUPER light with my choice as they offer batteries all the way down to tiny 3.7 pound Lithium batteries (albeit for $950) but needed to balance my need for all weather performance (as the Frontier will be run at all times of the year) and budget constraints. What I ended up with is the 17 pound B2317 which is small enough to cut my battery weight in more than 1/2 while still providing the cold cranking ability to turn the 4cyl. engine over in the New England winter—all for under $200. To this I added the aluminum mounting kit which adds negligible weight and provides a solid way to secure the battery.

Received in just a handful of days after getting the battery directly from Braille (why bother with a middle man??), installation was relatively easy though the convoluted Nissan terminal wiring and fuselink do not allow for many mounting positions without tearing into the harness--not something I wanted to do. So the battery remains in more or less the stock location but has saved a great deal of weight (0.6%!!) for something so simple—plus it just looks cool...



BRE Datsun's in Baja Article...

In the latest Hemmings: Sports & Exotic Car magazine. Not exactly what I would expect from this magazine given its seeming focus on supercars and classic cars and car shows/auctions. I'm not complaining though. Any excuse to remember and detail the classic Pete Brock led Datsun effort in Baja.





Monday, February 15, 2010

The Hurt Locker: Film Review

I had wanted to see this film for a long time. I saw the trailer early last year and missed it in its brief run in the theaters. I guess what intrigued me at first was its lack of obvious political ideology. Coming from an "Iraq" based movie and not trying to pin the blame on someone or to try and tell the world that the U.S. sucks it was different right away. Secondly, I have enjoyed some of Kathryn Bigelow's previous work such as Strange Days and, yes, Point Break both of which had their issues in regards to story and acting but included great action sequences and some interesting camera use (the like 4 minute roving camera shot sans a single edit to begin Strange Days for instance).

The Hurt Locker is by far Bigelow's high water mark. To be honest I was afraid in the first 1/2 hour of the film it would merely be a string of bomb disarmament scenes strung together with no real thread connecting them, as this is certainly the feel you initially get. But once the film has introduced its three main characters and their very distinct personalities it allows them to get closer, fall apart and get closer again--a natural process of many relationships.

The camera work is solid and crystal clear. The colors are spot on and nothing is either too dark (an issue with many films of late—OK, we get it...you're moody, things are bad...we don't need to squint at the screen to figure that out!!) or overly lit. The characters all appear appropriately dirty, sweaty, sun burned, etc. The film gets its "look" perfect.

The story itself is fantastic. It follows an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team throughout its time in Iraq and how each character faces its day to day stress. Though a number of former military members who have viewed the film have complained that it is not accurate in its portrayal of procedure and technique, that is not the point of the film. I think Bigelow's intention is merely to show the incredible levels of pressure these men are under and how only the borderline insane can rationally deal with the stress without it destroying him.

The pacing of the film is right there as well. It doesn't rush from one action sequence to the next and revels in its down moments, such as when the team is forced to wait out a potential sniper over the course of a very long day. Bigelow stays with the characters long enough to make you feel the slow passage of time.

Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie are the two main actors here and their selection is key. Relative unknowns you don't look at them as someone you know playing a role, they come to embody their characters and become one with them. Both Renner and Mackie play off each other well and I wouldn't be surprised if they really got on each others nerves during filming as the differences in their characters were so extreme.

With the expansion of the Oscar nominations this year to ten films for Best Picture, some films I actually enjoy rather than just appreciate are being nominated. This is one, another is District 9. Both were developed and filmed primarily outside the traditional Hollywood system and are both better off for it. The Hurt Locker is an excellent film and I could not recommend it more.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Kona Brewing Company: Longboard Island Lager

Ahh...another new beer. I saw this one in the local butcher shop and didn't realize that they are a fairly major brewer. Fairly expensive out here in the East Coast--like $8 a sixer I was hoping it would be a solid addition to my filet mignon and chocolate cake inclusive dinner...

And I was not dissapointed. This lager is just a nice solid beer. Not heavy but not watered down either carrying a nice golden color and light head. Not overly hoppy but with a nice finish that stays with you just long enough to appreciate the taste and not ruin whatever comes after and fortunately the brewery didn't ruin it either by being silly and saying "Hey, we're from Hawaii, lets put a coconut flavor in our beer!!"

Perhaps one of the beers best features, is it's level of carbonation. It's not bubbly like a champagne or a cheap Natty Light which continue to foam away in your mouth but not a "flat" beer either. They have balanced it just right. I would drink this beer all summer and fall as it is a solid "refreshing" beer not likley to weigh you down. I would highly reccomend this beer to anyone who comes across it.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Tanner Foust Looking to Dominate Rallycross...



On both sides of the Atlantic Tanner Foust will be looking to stamp his name as the best American in what will be a truly new type of event on this side of the pond (Foust's Presser at bottom).


Taking his Ford Fiesta debuted at the X Games last summer Foust will compete in four European Rallycross events before bringing it back to America to run it in the inaugural Rally America Rallycross series to take place in New Jersey. Comprising three non-points, "exhibition" events this will introduce American audiences to the type of fender to fender, head to head, dirt to pavement back to dirt over a jump smack someones bumper, type of racing Europeans have had the pleasure of viewing for years.

To me this seems custom made for TV and the personalities involved in Rally America. You get Travis Pastrana, Ken Block, Tanner Foust and wildcards like ACP and others in their rippin WRXs and Fiestas and EVOs heading over jumps, sliding through turns, head to head, full contact, and I think you have a winner...Given Rally America's connection to the X-Games and ABC/ESPN I wouldn't be surprised at all to see at least one of these events end up on network TV. I hate to say it, as I like short-course trucks a lot more than I like rally cars but on paper this series should take the "next big thing" title away from LOORRS and TORC and leave them far behind...By the looks of it this series will have the youth, the marketing push (Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar), personalities and manufacturer dollars (you KNOW Ford is gonna come hard on this) to make this a bigtime event. Of course this is just on paper but I think short course off-road racing had its shot at the big time over the last few years and failed to grab the brass ring for a number of reasons and now that door is going to close...

TANNER FOUST TAKES ON NEW DISCIPLINE: EUROPEAN-STYLE RALLY CROSS
LOS ANGELES (Tanner Foust Racing) -- Tanner Foust is moving into exciting new racing territory in 2010 with the addition of European-style Rally Cross to his competition schedule. "I'm really excited to be on the leading edge of this discipline as it grows in the US," said Foust. "It's been popular in Europe for years -- the fans here are going to love it." The Rockstar Energy driver will travel to Europe this year to participate in four events before returning home to America where the sport will dominate the second-half of the traditional U.S. rally season. A two-time Formula Drift champion and X Games Rally gold medalist who has twice represented Team USA at the international Race of Champions, Foust said he considers Rally Cross a blend of circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition. "I've been watching European-style Rally Cross for years," said Foust. "I love the combination of dirt, pavement, jumps and door-to-door action – it's like a real-life videogame.." The discipline promises intense crowd-pleasing action in a fan-friendly track environment. Six drivers line up to start at once, piloting high-horsepower compact cars through race traffic over a challenging short course that features jumps, unbanked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel. For his first European-style Rally Cross event in April, in Portugal, Foust will pilot a 600-horsepower, all-wheel drive machine prepared by European Rally Cross Champion Andreas Eriksson's Olsbergs MSE Ford team. Foust got his first feel for the vehicle at X Games in 2009 when he drove one of the team cars to a bronze medal. "These are nimble, high-powered cars with incredible handling," said Foust. "They're purpose-built for this incredibly challenging discipline and absolutely insane to drive." Foust said he's pleased to be getting a head-start on the competition and is proud to be representing the US as the sole American in the European Rally Cross Championship this year. "The European rounds are a great opportunity for me to get a handle on this sport before it comes to America," said Foust. "When the sport debuts in the US later this year, I'll be ready to go." Foust's 2010 competition schedule will also include a return to the Formula Drift series in his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion TC, ESPN's Summer X Games and select rally events.

Rally Fighter from Local Motors in Action!!


So I was pooped on quite a bit for promoting the Local Motors (especially local to me here in NH) Rally Fighter when it was under development last fall with numerous people not believing it would ever run in anger, much less be something desireable...well, the video of its first test sessions with Fox Racing Shocks in Plaster City, CA is out and here it is...I haven't been able to watch or hear the whole thing as I am at work but you can let me know what you think!



Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Nissan Juke Pictures and Info Released!!

So the pics are now finally released. In Europe today Nissan took the wraps of the "Juke" which will be showing up in U.S. dealerships late this summer. It will have its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show in a few weeks and have its North American debut at the New York Auto show later this Spring.

Most poo-poo'd the idea that any of the design cues from the Qazana concept would make it to production but as you can see here, most have. Not all details are out--such as what drive trains will power the U.S. version but there are plenty of items of note already. I for one LOVE the styling and see this vehicle aimed squarely at the Mini Clubman and upcoming Audi A1.

Some of the aforementioned items of note:
1) Will be available with a "rugged" package. Not a full off-road package given its unibody and sports car styling but skid plates and such will be available for those who might want to take the vehicle rallying or the like.

2)AWD will be available and will be paired with multi-link rear suspension as opposed to the torsion beam rear seen in the 2WD version.

3) It will be imported from Japan and not as previously speculated, made in the U.S.

4) The Europe version will be powered by 1 of 3 powerplants--a turbo 1.6L that puts out 188 hp, a NA 4cyl with 115 hp, and a 1.5L diesel with 105 hp and 177 lb. ft of torque (equaling the torque put out by the turbo 1.6). U.S. engines are unknown and will likely be announced at the New York Auto Show.

Nissan looks at this vehicle as a way to capture some of the youth market and offer an alternative to small hatchbacks (Mazda 3, Toyota Matrix, etc.) and are looking to move around 100K-150K units per year with a selling price starting in the mid/high teens and topping out in the low 20s...






Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Precious: A Dumb Story...

First let me apologize for placing the above picture on here for you to have to view...I know...it repulses me too...

Just get ready to see a lot more of the above...woman...in the near future. Up for an Academy Award along with her associated film Precious, the white, liberal media will be tripping over themselves to point out what a wonderful, redeeming, educational, enlightening film this is and what a nuanced performance this woman puts on.

Nothing gets a white liberal more excited than looking down their noses at minorities and saying "oh, those poor, poor people, but for the grace of god go I" and then returning to their million dollar homes while driving in their new Lexus. Merely by feeling guilty over the portrayal of minorities in a film for a few moments somehow washes their minds clean. Even better than when a bunch of rich, white, old people can get together to promote and reward a film about the plight of downtrodden and abused minorities in America. Such is the case here.

Every cliche adversity of modern Oprahfied society is heaped upon the primary character in this film--rape, incest, emotional abuse, poverty, illiteracy, AIDS, teen pregnancy, motherhood of a down-syndrome baby...Hell, I'm sure the original writer (a lesbian, hippie "poet" from New York via San Fran) had "Precious" as a Siamese-twin in the original version before her editor said "no, that's going TOO far..." Yet we are told this is a film of hope and change (sound familiar?) Utter garbage...

Women will go to see this film for the same reason they watch Oprah--because their deluded into thinking that watching fictionalized (or non-fictionalized from time to time on the bulbous billionaire's show) versions of personal tragedy somehow allow them to understand and empathize with the underbelly of society while keeping their hands and dishrags clean.

Men (at least straight men) will avoid this film like the plague and whether they realize it or not, see it for what it truly is--an attempt by the author, director, producer (of which Oprah is one, surprise, surprise) to make you feel awful for having a decent life and not wallowing in the filth portrayed herein.

When it comes to award time and the director gets up or the actress gets up and starts thanking everyone from here to Timbuktu for the chance to put this garbage on screen just remember who it is that is pushing this fantasy world of childhood horrors and think about why they're doing it--the billions in their bank accounts and their walled compounds say it isn't because they really care...

Truck Trend Still Loves the Equator/Frontier...

So Truck Trend continues to find the Equator/Frontier to be a great all around hauler. Not much of a surprise there but good to see the vehicle continuing to get some good pub. This time it is used for a weekend full of moving duties. The report below...
Truck Trend Moves the Equator...

Monday, February 8, 2010

Nissan Coming to Chicago With 40th Anniversary Z...


For an auto company that as recently as the 4th Qtr. of '09 said that it would only be attending a single U.S. auto show in '10 it sure is showing up in a lot of places.


First it was Detroit at the NAIAS and now Chicago (in addition to the already announced New York). Chicago will get the distinct pleasure of seeing the 40th Anniversary 370Z in person for the first time (and comes with Nissan's new self-healing paint job) as well as the 2011 Infiniti M. With Toyota in the crapper with its issues I think Nissan sees a big opportunity here to step up its game and grab market share--as it should, because if it doesn't the Koreans surely will...


Friday, February 5, 2010

WRC Returns to HD Theater--Longer, Faster...

Well we won't have to wait until the end of the year this time to see the current season of WRC action in HD. HD Theater has announced that the '10 WRC will begin appearing on American TVs beginning on 2/25, only a week and 1/2 after the actual event (a vast improvement over the 6 month+ wait in '09).

Not only that but coverage has been expanded as well. In '09 we got one hour to cover the entire event. In '10 the coverage has grown to a 1/2 hour preview, a 1/2 hour for Day 1, a 1/2 hour for Day 2 and a 1/2 hour for Day 3 and if you miss all that then they offer a 1 Hour recap of the entire event (at least for Rally Sweden) and this expanded coverage repeats again a few weeks later for Rally Mexico sans the 1 hour full recap.

Remaining schedule for '10 has yet to be released but you can see the current schedule here: HD Theater WRC Schedule

Now if we could only get someone to start covering the IRC events as well...

Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Carly Fiorina Demon Sheep Ad...

Ahh politics...sometimes you just have to laugh.

A perfect example is this advertisement recently put out by the Carly Fiorina campaign in California. She is running against the current state senator Tom Campbell for the Republican nomination to run against Barbara Boxer for the U.S. Senate.

This ad seems to be a cross between some kind of Monty Python skit and a New Zealand tourism ad (did you know that there are more sheep in New Zealand than people??). In any case, you don't get too much more weird than this and if Carly wanted to draw attention to herself she sure has done it. And lest you think Carly is some crackpot, she used to run Hewlet Packard and portions of AT&T and is (perhaps was) a well respected, seemingly sane individual...this may cast that in doubt...view and enjoy...


Frontier / Equator Are #1 in Roof Strength...

Another day, another accolade.

Or so it seems. The institute of highway safety awarded the Nissan Frontier/Suzuki Equator the highest ("good") rating of any pickup for the strength of its roof in a rollover accident. The Tacoma, Dakota and Colorado all got "marginal" grades while the Ranger got an "acceptable" rating. Read the following:

IIHS Report...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Sandblast Rally This Weekend...

Down in Cheraw, SC this event makes for some solid early season dirt action without the snow and ice. Part of the NASA (National Auto Sport Associaton)'s Pro Rally series—nice that they have Pro Rally still while the SCCA bailed on theirs—also connected to the USRC series and part of the East Coast Atlantic Rally Cup, this event shows 66 entries for this weekend with 44 of them being motorcycle entries.

This is one area where NASA and the USRC are light years ahead of Rally America. Allowing motorcycles into these events not only boosts entry fields and draws a new crowd of spectators but it gets people into the sport who might not have another outlet for this type of stage racing. For the U.S. to produce more viable Dakar and other international rally racers they need to start out in this type of rallying as early and often as possible.

Lastly, for our fellow Nissan fans there is a Nissan entry this weekend (YEAH!!!), another SE-R—what seems to be a rally favorite—entered by Rodrigo Monte Rey, who I will try and dig more info up on as we go forward...

Total Chaos Products on Two Dakar Finishers...

Based out of So-Cal and a major aftermarket Toyota developer, Total Chaos Fabrication continues to put its products on real racing vehicles around the world...These parts aren't your little lift blocks or ball joint spacers that function (if at all) just for looks.

Total Chaos also makes some solid stuff for Nissans as well...see where I'm going here??