CORR series dodges obstacles

The days of open-desert racing might be coming to an end.

Environmental concerns and urban sprawl are imminent threats to races held in Southern Nevada. Lawless marauders in Mexico are keeping many Americans from traveling to races along the famed Baja California peninsula.

But those obstacles don't mean an end to rugged racing for rugged drivers who spend nearly as much time in the air as on the ground.

The future of the desert sport could be short-track stadium racing, such as this weekend's Championship Off Road Racing series event on a one-mile track behind Buffalo Bill's resort in Primm.

"I'll always love desert racing, but this form of racing is growing big time," Las Vegas racer Rob MacCachren said. MacCachren has won nearly every type of desert racing, from CORR to stadiums to the SCORE Desert Series -- the granddaddy of the sport.

SCORE joined with Las Vegas Events the past three years to create the Las Vegas Cup, a July race on a makeshift 1.5-mile "chunk of Baja" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's dirt track.

About 9,000 spectators attended each night for fender-bending, dirt-throwing action. But that's only two nights a year. And SCORE vehicles are built for wide-open spaces, while those in CORR are lighter and more nimble to better maneuver on short courses.

CORR raced almost exclusively in the central United States before being purchased four years ago by Southern California home builder and developer Jim Baldwin. Now it's an eight-race West Coast series with two stops in Primm, the second race being held in October.

The compact circuit with its eight turns and five tabletop jumps produces nonstop action over 20 laps for seven types of race cars. Those seated in the grandstand can easily view the racing.

"When you go to the desert to watch a race, you see the cars three different times for maybe one minute each time," Baldwin said.

Baldwin, 69, should know. He won the 1994 Class 1 SCORE championship. He retired from driving four years ago after suffering a back injury in a racing crash.

The most successful open-desert defectors this year -- at least for one season -- are brothers Troy, Tim and Ed Herbst. They have traded their championship SCORE Trophy Trucks and Class 1 buggy for three trucks that compete in CORR's premier Pro 4 division for 800-horsepower, four-wheel-drive trucks.

"We tried (CORR) last year and really started to like it," Ed Herbst said. "We felt if we were going to be good, we had to concentrate on one series."

Herbst said his family's biggest concern with SCORE was traveling to race in Mexico, where security issues have surfaced.

"We're building three Trophy Trucks and thought about trying the Baja 1000 (in November), but we'll probably wait until next year," he said. "Maybe it will be safer then. But we'll never completely retire from open-desert racing."

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.