Pre-running the course is one of the key ingredients for success as it allows the riders to familiarize themselves with their own sections of the course and creates the best opportunities for making those final tweaks to the suspension and whatever else is needed. "We prep four race machines and head to Mexico for a week of pre-running and testing. There aren't many types of racing that allow this, but we run our sections as many times as we can because knowing the course can be a huge advantage," Matlock added. Familiarizing and even memorizing certain obstacles and even dangers allow the riders to tackle the course with more confidence as they have a better idea of what might lie ahead. The team also dials in the logistical issues for each chase truck as to where they can expect to meet up with the racers and how long each section should take.
On race day the chase trucks play one of the largest roles in supporting the riders and quad with anything they'll need. "Although Honda supplies the crew with approximately 20 pits for fueling up, repairs and pretty much anything the team needs, we use four of our own chase trucks which are stocked with parts to fix any possible problem we might face," Wayne said. "Each chase truck carries one of the four identical race machines so that every possible spare part can be available in case of emergency." When he says "identical," he really means it as every single small and large detail from the setup of the shocks to the tune of the motor perfectly mimics the actual race bike. In addition to the spare-part race replicas, each truck is stocked with a complete spare lighting system, 36 spare tires prepped with Tireballs and is equipped with every tool required for tearing down and rebuilding the machine if necessary.
Maybe all of this effort and planning seems a little overkill as four additional teams could possibly be run off the parts alone that these guys have prepared as spares. Then again, after a year's worth of planning and the massive amounts of money spent to get there and race, it sure would be embarrassing to sit helplessly in the middle of the Baja desert without any resources to get you going again. Also, who is going to argue with someone who's defeated the odds on three separate occasions?