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Congratulations are in order for the Navy Offroad team of wounded warriors and disabled veterans who competed in the 2015 Mexican 1000 late last month. This NORRA sanctioned event brings out big names in offroad racing and vehicles of all makes and budgets. With a team of motivated veterans they set out months ago to resurrect the historic Flyer One military buggy (aka LSV or Light Strike Vehicle) for competition and finished with an impressive 32nd overall and 6th out of 11 in their Class. Retired Admiral Mike Shatynski and retired Navy SEAL Tim King piloted Flyer One and ran flawlessly over the 1335 miles of unforgiving Baja terrain ranging from rocky hill climbs to rambling sand trails and river fords to bottomless silt.
Mike Shatynski mentioned how the buildup to and the race itself meant so much to the team members. He added that racing 1000 miles down the Baja peninsula was the closest thing to a military deployment that veterans will find in the civilian world. Cody Elliott, Marine Corporal and co-driver, described the race, “It was a life-changing experience. I learned what it takes to finish a 1000-mile race in the Baja.” Tim King emphasized that the race for the Navy Offroad team was not about raising awareness, it was about supporting each other for the race and any other challenges in life.
Six months ago, Flyer One was a wheel-less hulk under an old mattress in a desert boneyard. The team, led by Admiral Mike, restored the vintage buggy then added safety features needed to be a desert race buggy. As race day neared, plans and preparations were finalized with the goal to finish the extremely challenging race. Danny Novoa, Marine Sergeant and team mechanic, noted “I had fun putting the car back together and am really looking forward to new friendships.” The day before the race in Ensenada, Baja California, the team completed tech inspection, drivers meetings, and the many last minute preps for the race.
2015 Mexican 1000 Race Report
Day 1 started on a cold and drizzly morning in Ensenada with Mike and Cody in the buggy. After a clean run down the beautiful Pacific coast of Baja, they passed Flyer One to Tim and his co-driver Brian Trotter, also a retired Navy SEAL, who pressed on into Bahia de Los Angeles. The wide-open coastal roads degenerated into rough and rocky trails as Flyer One crossed over the peninsula to the Sea of Cortez. That evening, the vehicle inspection revealed that the rear skid plate was heavily damaged. Reinforcing steel was welded to the skid plate while the rest of the routine preps were completed and the team was ready for another day of racing.
Day 2 started with Mike and Cody in the buggy and a great run through the breathtaking cactus garden along the roads to San Borja mission. They continued through the Viscaino desert with only a flat BFG tire to mar their run. They handed Flyer One to Tim and Brian at the San Ignacio mission. Their military training kicked in when the 24 to 12 volt converter failed just 13 miles into their race. The team had installed the aftermarket device to run civilian devices in the military buggy so that meant no intercom, no radio, and no gps! Brian used tactical hand signals to relay route book warnings to Tim…palm up and fingers extended upward like punji sticks meant danger, clenched fist meant stop, flat hand with palm down meant slow, and so on. They finished the day in Loreto and the team swarmed Flyer One to complete the prep checklist and make electrical repairs.
Day 3 Tim and Mike again shared driver duties on day 3 with Tim taking the buggy up and over the rugged Sierra de Gigante mountains. He passed Flyer One to Mike in the farmlands of Insurgentes. The team’s ongoing debate about the merits of 4-wheel drive were resolved when they locked it in to blast through epic silt beds just 40 miles north of the day’s finish in La Paz. Flyer One left many of her competitors in the dust, quite literally, and raced into La Paz. The team again swarmed Flyer One to complete preps for the final day then enjoyed a beautiful sunset and seafood feast on the waterfront malecon.
Day 4 brought clear skies and 90° temperatures as Mike and Tim rode together in Flyer One to the finish line in San Jose del Cabo. The team kept a conservative pace though the rolling hills, winding rancho trails, and coastal roadways of Baja’s East Cape region. Flyer One ran strong all the way to the finish line in the town square in San Jose del Cabo. The team finished well despite Flyer One having half the horsepower and suspension and twice the weight of her competitors. According to Admiral Mike, “She was built with the best off-road racing technology of her day to help our American warriors fight and win then come home safely, not race 1000 miles down the Baja Peninsula.”
The NORRA Awards Ceremony that evening was a terrific celebration. Noting that there were only two veteran teams, Cody emphasized that more vets would benefit from becoming part of this race and the off-road community. A separate class for vintage military vehicles would be a great addition to the Mexican 1000 and honor not just the vehicles and but those who built and operated them in service to our country. Cody said that it was an epic race but, even more, “My warrior brothers and I were welcomed into the Baja off-road racing family.”
The Mexican 1000 was the perfect opportunity to honor Flyer One. Her legacy is Flyer 60 which deployed to the rugged terrain of Afghanistan and Flyer 72 which is now being built for US Special Operations Forces. The team is grateful to Flyer Defense for providing the historic Flyer One buggy and to Fox for restoring the cage and upgrading the suspension. Thanks are also given to sponsors including BDS Suspension, Harmon Fuel Cells, Baja Designs, Mastercraft, Rugged Radio, B&R Buggies, Caliber Collision, and PCI. Special thanks are also due to everyone who donated to Racing4Vets to help defray racing expenses for our wounded warriors and disabled veterans.
-Team Navy Offroad
