The Desert Assassins bring home multiple wins from the MasterCraft Safety San Felipe 250 in Baja California, Mexico which was the SCORE Baja season opener.

Heidi Steele and racing partner Rene Brugger have teamed for 3 off-road championships over 3 years and last week brought home the Unlimited Mid-Size truck victory in their Lucas Oil/Yokohama Tire/KMC Wheels/Monster Energy Ford Ranger after starting last in class and being the first finisher over the roughest 252 miles in off-road racing. Heidi continues to be the leader for females in motorsports as she was one of only two women competing as driver or rider of record on an entry at this Baja event and she is the only women to ever win truck championships in the SCORE Baja series.

Also reigning supreme for the second year in a row was the motorcycle team of Colton Udall and Jeff “OX” Kargola winning the Open Pro bike and Overall victory for motorcycles. The Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda team hails from San Clemente as do both Colton and OX who rode their first Baja races with the Desert Assassins and have now moved to the factory Honda effort led by 11-time Baja 1000 winner Johnny Campbell. The DA is based out of San Clemente and “Colty”, “OX” and Heidi all brought victories to their hometown along the Pacific Ocean.

Heidi and her team started the SCORE season at the Laughlin Desert Challenge with a podium finish and knew coming into San Felipe that the rough course was perfect for their Camburg Suspension and FOX Racing Shox tuned truck. The truck is set up to run hard in the rough terrain and is built FORD tough. It is a converted Ranger pick up with the original frame and cab intact, which is allegedly a disadvantage in the 100% open rule class 6 where the “trucks” only need to have a V-6 engine.

The way the truck is set up it remains legal for multiple classes in desert racing and recently Heidi teamed with her 25 year veteran desert racing husband to finish as the first 6 cylinder truck in 4th place overall at the SNORE Battle at Primm event in the “1450″ class. 80 trucks competed in an open format where the only rule is that a truck cab and doors are required. Heidi and Rene continue their winning ways and with the recent addition of Kroyer Racing Engines and the long term support of Currie Enterprises and Culhane Transmissions the drive train is better than ever. This is of paramount importance when smashing your way to victory through the brutal whoops of San Felipe.

Cameron Steele driving in the premiere desert racing class known as Trophy Trucks in the Lucas Oil/Yokohama Tire/Monster Energy/KMC Wheels/ReadyLift supported #16 ran very well with no real mechanical issues but a couple stops kept them outside the top five. However the #16 did earn a spot in the coveted front draw for the SCORE Baja 500 with a solid finish in San Felipe.

Next up for the Desert Assassins is next weekends Lucas Oil Series kick off event where Cameron will drive the #16 Stronghold Motorsports Pro-lite supported by Monster Energy/Ready Lift/Yokohama Tire and the following week the DA team plans to head to the SNORE Mint 400 in Las Vegas for the next desert race on the schedule.

Special thanks to….. Yokohama Tire / Lucas Oil Products / KMC Wheels / Monster Energy / ReadyLift Suspensions / Currie Enterprises/ FOX Racing Shox / Camburg Engineering KC HiLiTES/ Kroyer Racing Engines / MasterCraft Safety / Motive Gear / Bullet Proof Diesel / Metal Mulisha / Culhane Transmissions / Patricks Graphics / Dailey Engineering / Osiris / VP Racing Fuels / Alpinestars / Ron Davis Radiators / JBA Headers / Chris Allen Motorsports and the DA for Prep

Photos by Mad Media – Mad Media video coming soon

The 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro Buggy Champion, Cameron Steele, has become the newest member of the Stronghold Motorsports off road racing team. Joining a lineup comprised of seven-time Supercross Champion, Jeremy McGrath, Rob Naughton and Brandon Bailey, Steele will represent Stronghold Motorsports in the ProLite (300HP Mini Truck) Class during the 2011 Lucas Oil Off Road racing season. As one of the most charismatic figures in the sport, Steele is also one of the faces of short course off road racing, providing commentary on the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series television broadcasts.

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Cameron Steele, in his first Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series found himself in a three way battle for series points in the Unlimited Pro Buggy class. Entering the last race of the season at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, AZ Cameron trailed Menzies Motorsports teamate Larry Job by just eight points and only had a 16 point lead over Doug Fortin. This race was not just another chance to grab a win, the outcome would determine the 2010 series champion.

With all the planning and prep behind them the tires bit into the dirt and after the first lap it was Steele, in the #916 Menzies Motorsports/Bully Dog AlumiCraft, running third and Fortin trailed two positions behind while Job found himself in tenth. Cameron in his hunt for the win gained a position and aggressively challenged for the lead with skillfull driving. He then took it over on a gutsy mid-turn pass underneath Bobby Pecoy. Soon afterwards, Steele took the point for leading at the halfway point and had Fortin and Job in fifth and sixth respectively.

Avoiding crashes that eliminated competitors, including Fortin and Job, Cameron held on for the rest of the race taking the checkered flag and the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Pro Buggy Unlimited Championship!

Special thanks go out to the Desert Assassins crew and sponsors.
Menzies Motorsports, Lucas Oil, ReadyLift, Fox Shox, Kroyer Motor, Monster Energy, and Metal Mulisha.