Building a Race Team

The 2010 season for Casey Beach and his team proved to be a challenging one. In January of 2010 Casey finished one of the last of several rebuilds to his custom built competition race buggy and was just about ready for competition. Almost completely self financed with a rig that he designed and built, he was running low on funds but not on heart. Knowing that he had countless friends and family who loved and supported him he needed more than just hugs, kisses and best wishes. Casey began to test their love and dedication in his process of building a race team. He needed the most knowledgeable and dedicated, who were willing to sacrifice both time and money out of pure love for the sport and Casey himself. The first half of the year was spent assembling this team together as well as networking extensively in an effort to gather sponsors.
After six months into the 2010 season, with multiple sponsors gathered and countless 20hr days later, Casey began his long awaited Ultra4 Series racing career. Although Casey’s official racing career appears to have just begun his experience stems back to his childhood working in his dad’s 4×4 shop since he was old enough to pick up wrench and driving anything with wheels as long as his hands could steer and his big toe could touch the accelerator. Seeing where he was going was optional in his young mind and now driving through silt beds often times puts a smile on his face reminding him of childhood memories of not being able to see over the dash. Being born into the industry, Casey Beach has an imbedded passion for the sport that is intangible but very apparent in his character and accomplishments.
The latter half of the 2010 season included two W.E Rock Rockcrawling Championship Series finishes and an appearance in the Ultra4 Stampede in Reno, Nevada even when he was not even considering on racing due to a broken transmission that only allowed him the use of 2nd gear. Urged by just about everyone at the Stampede, regardless of their motivation of either a like for Casey or a desire to see what the rookie had, wanted him to compete in the race. With the majority of his team and tools being absent, not expecting him to compete, Casey Beach and a few others spent a sleepless night prepping his vehicle for the next day’s race. With several safety features needing to be added, the decision was made that there was no time to fix the transmission, 2nd gear would have to do. After a lot of help and sacrifices made by a number of people including all those over at Torchmate, the vehicle was able to pass inspection and qualify for the race. Although it was a short race for Casey Beach after his transmission gave out at the end of the 2nd lap. It was plenty of time to give everyone a glimpse of what he is capable of, passing 7 people in that short span before being forced to stop by his transmission.
The season ended with his vehicle making an appearance in SEMA for one of Casey’s largest sponsors Tuff Country Suspensions who have been a major financial contributor throughout the 2010 season. It was a season of learning and growth, having a majority of the kinks being worked out.
This year for the 2011 season Casey and his team are miles ahead of where they started last year and are in a position to direct their main focus toward racing. Preparations have already begun for Casey’s first race of the season, the 5th annual Griffin King Of The Hammers(KOH) in Johnson Valley, California, February 6th – 12th. It will be the largest KOH to date and Casey has drawn 10th for the last chance qualifier race (LCQ) scheduled to happen on February 8th.