Race Update

Teams are now safe in the beautiful city of Zacatecas. Zac, as it's known by veterans, is one of the most popular stops along the La Carrera Panamericana journey for so many reasons. Tonight is the last evening before the final run back up La Buffa and then on to some of the highest speed stages all the way back to Nuevo Laredo. As the speeds increase most of which will be dropping in elevation on race cars that have already had the livin crap beat out of them teams will find themselves on a double-edged sword. On one side they are pushing it for all their worth especially those who may find out tonight how close they are to a podium finish if they do well tomorrow. On the other side of that sword is some may want to back off to keep from breaking so they can just finish what is now the holy grail of races. What a lot of teams do not realize is that cars that have been jetted for the higher altitudes where they have been racing can easily burn up an engine as they make such a quick drop not to mention the LONG, FAST, downhill straights they will see tomorrow. Every year this is the stage where the largest amount of blown engines will be encountered. Another reason is simply because the straights are so long and fast a driver never has to lift. That said, and taking into consideration many of these motors have been beat to withing an inch of their lives for the last 6 days and it's not a matter of will some engines blow... It's more like how many?

One last very important thing rookies need to be aware of is that tomorrow morning La Bufa will be much different than it was this afternoon. When we raced it in 2007 Jerry Churchill, a multiple time LCP veterean told us this can be the most dangerous single morning stage of the whole event simply because if the weather is a tad bit cool (which it is this year) ice is not at all uncommon on the morning run.

Tonight teams will be dead tired but that usually wont stop them form going on the donkey walk which is a LCP Zac tradition that many of them will regret in mañana. (But shouldn't be missed non the less.)


When Doug Mockett spun out his #133 Oldsmobile today he backed the car into a ditch and suffered some minor damage. He was able to get pulled out and after some repairs was able to continue on.

The #212 Jag driven by Bryon DeFoor and co-pilot David Hinton crashed today. Sadly, this was another beautiful Jag supported by Team Predator. It was reported to me that they are doing what they can in an effort to get the car ready for tomorrow's run back up La Buffa.

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I was just informed Anthony abd Lee-Ann Strelzow who crashed in their beautiful # 374 Corvette have both been released from the hospital and are in Zacatecas. Lee-Ann is still very sore and wearing a neck brace but will be fine.