BITD: Armin Schwarz Newsletter 2010-08-22

Trophy Truck Premiere: Storming the Podium with 840hp

Dear Friends,

Third overall, second in the Trophy Truck Class -- my premiere in the top category of desert racing couldn't have gone much better. Team boss Roger Norman had invited me to tackle the 540 mile race from Las Vegas to Reno in one of his Norman Motorsports 840hp Trophy Trucks. Roger took a lot of time explaining the giant rear wheel drive monster to me. Then I had about 20 miles to get familiar with the rear wheel drive racer.

840 horsepower on the rigid rear axle don't leave many questions open.

Roger did the qualifying. His GPS played up a bit, and so we had to be satisfied with 26th starting place. Normally Roger puts his cars amongst the top five starters. But the multiple Baja 1000 winner and champion is not the man to get nervous if he has to start a little behind the top. Instead he just keeps the pedal down. And this is exactly what he did. When I took the car over from him at race mile 308 he was back in sixth position! During the first bit of driving at race speed I got used to the Trophy Truck as much as I could. To give you an idea: You don't lift the throttle at 120 mph to tackle three or four feet high bumps! It's just unbelievable. And at this speed we go sideways around the corners -- which is an incredible feeling and makes the fans really happy.

Roger Norman: great team boss, great sportsman. I say: "Thank you!"

Well, there was one surprise waiting for me at around race mile 450: Over a crest I took off to the highest and longest flight in a car in my career so far. The landing was rough, and we bent our prop shaft. So we did the 25 miles to the next pit stop at around 40 mph. In the pits the crew changed the prop shaft and the tyres in no time, and we were back in the race -- and on our way to the podium!

We made it! Podium result at the Vegas to Reno Race.

What can I say? A huge "Thank you" to Roger Norman for his immense trust in me. "Thank you" to the entire Norman Motorsports Team and to our AGM boys with Martin Christensen for supporting us so wonderfully.

I'll be back here after the Primm.

Until then
Best wishes,
    Armin

-source: armin-schwarz.com