News.bytes Extra, issue 552

Proud to Show the Colors!

Pink was a popular color on Saturday October 6, 2012 at Stoddard Off-Highway Vehicle Area, as race participants and spectators gathered for the 7th Annual Powder Puff, sponsored by Mojave Off-Road Racing Enthusiast (M.O.R.E.).  The Powder Puff is a unique off-road racing event, for only ladies are allowed to drive the race vehicles, and proceeds generated from the event is donated to Cedars Sinai Breast Cancer Research.   One-hundred twenty four female teams put their driving skills to the test to see who could take the prize on the two hundred mile long race course through the desert.  One lap of the race course is just over twenty-three miles in length, so racers would often come in to the pit, refuel, make necessary repairs, and head back out onto the course to complete eight laps.  There were two different starts for the event; the morning heat consisted of stock-built vehicles, followed by the faster vehicles in the unlimited class, which is based off of engine size, in the afternoon.  Approximately $30,000 was generated from the weekend’s event and will be donated to Cedars Sinai Breast Cancer Research.   

Bill Markel showed his support to race participants and fans for the 7th Annual Powder Puff by donning his pink outfit and working the flag at the Start/Finish Line.

Jim Clements with M.O.R.E. Racing and his staff are busy doing last minute registration details at the main trailer, just prior to the start of the event.  Jim Clements started M.O.R.E. Racing back in 1997, and realized that there was a big interest in putting an All-Women’s Racing Event together, which lead to the creation of the Annual Powder-Puff Event seven years ago. 

Racers and their staff are gathering early in the morning near the start line to hear the mandatory driver’s meeting.

Larry Blaine, Recreation Branch Chief with the Barstow BLM Field Office, is addressing the crowd at the driver’s meeting to have a safe and successful event.

 (From left to right) Pepper Junus, Martee Burke, Emme Hall, Michele Martineau, and Debbie Flores, Budget Technician with Barstow Field Office give encouragement to one another in the pits just prior to the start of the race.

Chuck Smith, SCEP Law Enforcement Ranger Trainee with the Barstow BLM Field Office, and his Mother, Nenita Smith, are honored to have Nenita’s name added to the “Team Courage” Race Truck for being a Cancer Survivor.

Race Participants often are proud to show their support by decorating their race vehicles with pink ribbons and/or other pink memorabilia.

Darril Bouldin, with M.O.R.E. Racing is lining up race participants for the second group of racers that consisted of vehicles in the “unlimited” classification, for the afternoon’s race.  Race vehicles were separated by 15 second start intervals, and timed until they cross the finish line to determine their overall standing for the event. 

After finishing the race, participants parked their vehicles for the awards ceremony and to meet with friends, family, and fans to share their stories. 

Several members from the Barstow BLM Field Office Staff were seen throughout the day at various locations.  The BLM is not there to lead the event, but to ensure that the permit, the operations plan, and other stipulations were being followed.  M.O.R.E. Event Staff did an excellent job of ensuring that the race participants and the public were being kept safe over the weekend.     

SCEP Law Enforcement Ranger Chuck Smith and Law Enforcement Ranger Win Waterman from the Barstow Field Office, with their specially outfitted UTV can respond quickly to various locations of Stoddard OHV Area, in which a normal vehicle may have difficulty going.

Larry Blaine, Recreation Branch Chief, and Bessie Hayes, Administrative Officer, are preparing to head out and monitor the event for the day.

Please visit the Barstow BLM Field Office website to learn more about Stoddard OHV Area.

- Rusty Gates, Outdoor Recreation Planner, BLM Barstow Field Office (October 2012)

BLM California News.bytes, issue 552 -- To subscribe to News.bytes, send an e-mail to: mailto:Join-Newsbytes@List.ca.blm.gov OR visit our News.bytes subscription page.