Chris and Nick Blais take 1st Overall at DP4 Racing Round 4!
DP4 Racing Round 4
Johnson Valley, CA
10/17/20
By: Chris Blais & Nick Blais, Pro Turbo, 1st Overall!
DP4 Racing Round 4 was held in the North Anderson area of Johnson Valley, CA. We had just come off the Rally Class Win at the UTV World Championships the previous weekend in Lake Havasu, AZ and we were pumped! We came home late Saturday from that event and literally started working on the car early Sunday morning to get her ready for this DP4 race. My team worked really hard to get us to this race once again, and be completely prepared in all aspects. It's crazy how much you can get done when you put your mind, and body, to it. I'm thankful for my crew and my family for all the help.
We drew #8 off the line and I would start behind Robert Knuckles. This was a 25-mile course and we would end up doing 5 laps total. This course was gnarly, two of the toughest race courses back to back - Havasu and now Johnson Valley. It was awesome and just what I prefer. It's a true test of racer and machine! My brother Nick was in the co-driver seat with me once again for this one. He is having a blast!
During our first lap, we got stuck behind someone in a slow rocky sand wash. He had to back up for a second and when I started to accelerate over some big rocks I was stuck on, I glassed the belt pretty good. Nick had to get out and change it. He did a great job and after about 4 minutes, we were off and running. Each lap I was gaining time and picking off those in front of me. So many guys were getting flats and starting to have car issues. By lap 3, I had moved into 4th and my crew kept yelling on the radio to pick up the pace. They have no clue what we are going through out there. I mean, they probably do and after making up 7 minutes, now they wanted me to make up even more time?! Haha...
After lap 4, we had moved into 3rd Place and I was sending it, as I finally had some clean air after having to pass lappers, by this point. On lap 5, I was able to make up 3 more minutes and the car of Dusty Motorsports, who had led a solid race all day long, would end up with a flat tire. We would see them on the side of the road changing it. Total bummer for them. They had such a solid day until that point. So much happens out there and there were so many guys broken down in the pits, having to get towed in, and some scattered out in the desert.
We would cross the finish line in 1st Place Overall, finishing the race by 20+ minutes over 2nd Place. It was a solid race for us after the belt change and my brother was laughing so hard at one point as he didn't think we could go that much faster. "Holy crap, now THIS is fun!" We have locked up the DP4 Pro Turbo Championship after Round 4 with 3 wins and one 2nd place finish. Stoked! One more race with DP4 in December to finish up the series.
I couldn't do this without my Kenda Mastodon tires, combined with my KMC wheels and my Tireballs. I am thankful that nothing else happened out there, but we did notice a small crack up front on the frame after the race. An easy fix. Next race is this weekend with Best In the Desert in Parker, Arizona. I will be racing both Saturday and Sunday in the Rally Class at 11:00am. See you all there!
I can't thank my family, friends, employees & sponsors enough for everything they do. We were so happy to bring home another Overall win! Let's make it a 3-peat this weekend, we're going to try our hardest.
None of this would be possible without all of the hard work of my guys in the shop. Thanks to Kyle & Clayton.
Next race:
Oct 22-25, BITD at Parker, Blue Water
Thank you to all our awesome sponsors for their continued support and our new sponsors for 2020, our families, my parents and all our friends who support us. We can't go racing without you!
Can-Am Offroad (Best SXS Around)
Kenda Powersports (Best tires out there)
SF Raceworks (For all your cage/ wiring/ race car needs)
Tom Morris/ UTV Shocks (Best shock tuner I have ever had a chance to work with)
KWI Clutching (Kris Werth is the man! My car rips and not a single belt issue)
Gboost Belts (Worlds Best Belt says it all)
Baja Designs (Best lighting around, my sponsor for almost 20 years)
Eibach (Best springs around that don’t sag!)
Alsup Racing Development (Amazing suspension components)
Blud Racing (Best oil and customer service you could ask for)
Double E Racing (The only rear sway bar I use)
Alpinestars (Nothing bust the best race suits and fire protection available)
Dirt Specialties (Awesome looking doors)
KMC Wheels (Sweet looking and strong wheels)
Mickster Race Jack (Superlight and most functional jack available)
Triton Racing Coolers (Super strong plate style front Radiator)
Zollinger Racing Products (Strongest Knuckles I could ask for)
PCI Race Radios (Clear and precise radio communications)
Impact (Most comfortable helmets and racing harnesses I could ever want)
Mastercraft Safety (Suspension Seats)
Necksgen (Most comfortable neck restraint out there)
Sector Seven (Cool mirrors with some bright lights)
Megla Designs (Best graphics designs around)
Whalen Speed (Amazing tune and customer support)
Tire Balls (Best tire protection there is)