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Desert Assassins on the move for 2010
After a solid 2009 where the Desert Assassins landed on the podium many times and brought home championships in multiple classes Heidi and Cameron Steele announce additions/changes to their respective programs for 2010.
The 2010 fabrication and preparation crew
Late in 2009 the DA made a clutch move adding Jamie Campbell to the family. Jamie is an overall professional motorcycle winner in Baja, formerly of the Factory Honda team, and a local race series champion in mid size trucks as well as being one of the most respected fabricators in the business of race car building. Jamie built both the Class 1 and Class 6 winning vehicles from the 2009 SCORE Baja 1000 and prepped the #16 truck that ran in the front group until a random rock took out a steering belt. In addition Jamie drove the Ford Ranger Class 6 with Heidi and Rene Brugger to the race win and SCORE Championship. Jamie has a long list of those he has fabricated for including Robby Gordon and his NASCAR effort and he will now lead the team in preparation and fabrication for both the Trophy Truck and Class 6 teams.
Jamie will lead a team of talented fabricators and prep personnel at the new Desert Assassins HQ in San Clemente, CA where all race vehicles and pre runners will now be housed. In case you were wondering, yes, Jamie is the slightly better looking more talented brother of 11-time Baja 1000 overall winner and Factory Honda star Johnny Campbell.
The all star crew for 2010 will include the return of Jeff Laubscher who built the 6 truck with Jamie and prepped the Trophy Truck for the Baja 1000. Jeff is a professional Baja moto racer and adventurer and has put in 10’s of thousands of miles in Baja on a bike riding with Cameron and other moto notables like Johnny Campbell and Tim Morton. Jeff was the original ramp builder for freestyle motocross and his ramps can still be seen at the X-Games and X-Fighters events as well as at most all Metal Mulisha demos and shows.
Chris Allen who for the last 5 years has ran his own fabrication and prep business, Anonymous Dirt Works, and who had learned his skills in motorsports from working previously with Jamie will be a full time fixture at the DA HQ as well. Chris has built everything from Trophy Trucks to buggies and is one of the top fabricators in the business. Chris was a key part of the Justin Smith fabrication crew who turned around a wrecked 12 car in a couple weeks and not only got it to the 1000 but saw the car cross the finish line after it had been wadded up after its first “final” prep leading up to the 1000. This included beam, roof and shock mount replacement as well as full prep.
The Desert Assassins include Justin “Bean” Smith who will be the other half of the shop at the new San Clemente location. Justin was a two time 1600 winner in 2009 SCORE events and 3rd in the final points while also being a driver in the #16 Trophy Truck when it landed on the podium at the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Although Bean has his own business and race cars to prep, with big news just around the corner, he will also consult and be a part of the #16 and class 6 efforts for 2010.
New pit sheriff in town
On the pit front the Desert Assassins will be handing the duties of pit organization and structure to the uber organized Rick Feldon. Rick has participated in the DA pit program since 2007 but will now rise up to develop a plan that will take the team through the 2010 Baja 1000 that will end in La Paz, Baja CA Sur. A former motorcycle and vintage car racer and crew member he has also ran desert race pits for some time. Rick will work closely with class six navigator Alan Trimble and long time DA logistics master Cody Stuart who will now concentrate more directly on his role a chief navigator for the #16.
Rick will have a deep well of talent to pull from as expert pit captains Ken Neal, Sean Michaels, Jeremy Sundt, Scotty Atchison, Mike Payne, Gabe Duhalde, Vinnie Baud and Tim and Don Martin all will return in 2010.
Primary Navigator #16
Cody Stuart has ridden and driven the Baja races and has a Baja 1000 win behind the wheel in 2005 but since has primarily been one of the main navigators for the Desert Assassins. While battling Pneumonia this year at the 1000 Cody still navigated from mile 200 to the finish to help bring the #16 to an 8th place finish. Cody also navigated to 2nd place finishes at the Mint 400 and Laughlin Desert Challenge in 2009 in the DA TT. The list of drivers he has worked for is a murderers row of desert talent including “Pistol” Pete Sohren, Clyde Stout, Darren Hardesty, Justin Smith, Heidi Steele; Jake Batulis, Brian Burgess, Aaron Hawley, Dave Hendricksen, Jamie Campbell and of course Cameron who he has been primarily teamed with since 2003 when Steele returned to Off-Road racing full time.
Heidi’s 2010 driving team
Heidi who with driving partners Rene Brugger and Jamie Campbell won the Baja 1000 and clinched the SCORE championship in epic fashion announces the return of both Jamie and Rene in 2010. Rene has been a great driving partner for Heidi since 2007 and last year won the Desert Assassins Driver of the Year award at the teams year end festivities. Rene, originally from Ensenada, has shown speed and the ability to both make the car live and power through some of the toughest terrain desert racing has to offer including racing for the win in the dreaded Urapan section of the 2009 Baja 1000.
Jamie will split duties as a driver at times with Heidi and Rene and at others times in the #16 with Cameron and Rick Geiser. Jamie has one Trophy Truck win at the KC HiLiTES Midnight special in 2008 and is looking to build on that at Decembers SNORE Rage at the River where he will team with Cameron in the #1 SNORE Championship truck.
This was Heidi’s 2nd Baja 1000 class win and 4th off-road racing championship.
Sponsors
Both Heidi and Cameron have either long term deals in place or have recently extended their relationships with primary supporters Yokohama Tire Corporation, Lucas Oil Products and American Racings ATX Series Wheels. Additionally Cameron has extended his relationship with Monster Energy Drink where he has been a part of their family since 1999.
Patrick’s Hi-Performance Graphics, Ready Lift and OC Motorsports became major #16 supporters later in 2009 and will all continue through 2010.
DA partners Trackside Performance, Geiser Bros., FOX Racing Shox, Currie Enterprises, KC HiLiTES, Camburg Engineering, Alpinestars, UNI Filter, Dougan’s Race Engines, Motive Gear, Metal Mulisha, Mastercraft, Prime Fabrication and Powder Coating, JBA Headers, Ron Davis Radiators, Dailey Oil Pumps, Blue C, FiberWerx, and VP Racing Fuels will again be staples in the Desert Assassins racing effort.
2009 tale of the tape – Trophy Truck and class 6
Laughlin Desert Challenge
1st class 6
2nd Trophy Truck
Battle at Primm
1st overall – Trophy Truck
San Felipe 250
4th class 6 – electrical issue
DNF Trophy Truck – two torque converters
Mint 400
2nd overall and 2nd Trophy Truck
Baja 500
2nd Class 6
12th Trophy Truck - flex plate issue
KC Midnight Special
3rd Trophy Truck – Converter seal (same tranny/converter from Mint and tire testing, this was a brutal durability test)
Primm 300
8th Trophy Truck (4th before speed penalties)
DNF Class 6 – Missed by 13 miles – engine
Baja 1000
1st Class 6
8th Trophy Truck
Year End points
SCORE Champions Class 6
SCORE 4th in Trophy Truck points
SNORE Trophy Truck points leader as of this writing
In 2010 the Baja 1000 will run the length of the Baja Peninsula with the finish line in La Paz Baja California Sur. Our team will focus primarily on the foremost desert racing series in the world with SCORE International and their Baja events while also contesting a major amount of the SNORE series once again.
Next race is the SNORE Rage at the River Dec 11-13. Cameron will also be racing at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Cup race December 12th with Team Menzies in the Unlimited Buggy class.
Heidi and Cameron would like to thank everyone that has believed and been a part of this epic racing journey to victory! Viva Baja!
