Multiplatform Co-Op Motorsports Team join forces to race the King of the Hammers 2012
Multiplatform Co-Op Motorsports Team join forces to race the King of the Hammers 2012
“Countries united to make a stronger stand at wars back in the day, why not unite Pro Drivers to make an international stand at the King of the Hammers. Iceland + USA + Mexico = The Co-Op Team”
That ‘s right, Bill Bridge and Tim Vezina from the USA, Jose Manuel Ponce from Mexico, and new teammate Ragnar Róbertsson, formula off-road champion from Iceland, return in a new Ultra 4 vehicle built by Bridge to go race the King of the Hammers, the toughest one day off road race in the world. This international Co-Op team has once again been granted an international spot and will be racing for a pole position against top world drivers such as Robby Gordon, Shannon and Nick Campbell, Loren Healy, Doug Bigelow, Cottin Rodd, Les Figueroa, Dean Bullock, Jeff Knoll, TJ Flores, Mike Coleville, JT Taylor, Travis Carpenter, Fabio Manno, Derek West and many more from the USA, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Japan and Mexico on Tuesday Feb 7 in the desert and rock terrain of the Mojave desert in California. The main race takes place on Friday Feb 10th. Keep an eye out for Team Bongo Mexico/Inviscid Motorsports/4×4 IS #9009 on the live coverage at www.ultra4racing.com
Team Bongo Mexico / Inviscid Motorsports / 4×4 IS * KOH 2012 Team #9009
“We will be using the same racing strategy that proved to be successful in the King of the Hammers 2011, along with some new tricks that we have learned from rally racing. Bridge is a fantastic teammate and we get along great, like Pancho and Lefty. Tim and Bridge prepped the rig and know it very well, so having one of them race in the vehicle is a big plus in these type of endurance racing. Ragnar Róbertsson will add his Scandinavian formula off road expertise to push the team to finish. We just need to pre run, which we have never done before for this race, we believe that is the key to finishing in the top 20 and avoiding traffic in the rock sections” Ponce says. The team will be using Ponce’s new Jeep Speed 3700 Class Cherokee with FOA, Raceline, KC HiLites and Masterpull gear to pre run.
This team has attracted worldwide media attention and fans by proving they can race and finish world class events such as the WRC Mexico, without any prior rally experience, and the King of the Hammers on a very limited gear and racing budget. Ponce has also co driven in off road events in Venezuela and Norway helping him gain new competition skills that he picked up from Norwegian pro off road driver Tore Hansen. Bill returned to the shop and designed a whole new race buggy that would crawl, jump and race faster. Ragnar Róbertsson returns to KOH to represent Iceland and be part of this priceless adventure. Every year this true underdog minority racing team improves and puts on a great show at KOH. The stories behind this unique international minority racing team are super entertaining that you could easily make a movie or write a book about their adventures.
Bridge and Ponce having a great time at WRC MEXICO 2010
Bill Bridge and his wife Kristen, and Tim Vezina of Inviscid Motorsports plan to race the Ultra 4 2012 series, while Ponce will go into rally mode and concentrate on racing a Rally America USA event and some Norwegian regional rallies for the rest of the year. But their main goals for the future are to participate and finish a Score Baja race and the Dakar in 2013. Planning for these future endurance races have already begun and the Mexican American multi platform racing team is very excited to take on these new challenges.
Ragnar Róbertsson, formula off road champion, defying gravity on land and water!
Ponce’s FIA Homologated Peugeot 206 powered by Scorpion Mezcal, Masterpull, FOA, Raceline, PRP and KC Hilites.
Ponce, team owner of the World Rally Team, also announced that they have also recently partnered up with comedian George Lopez to promote the Lopez Foundation (www.theLopezFoundation.org ) as part of the team’s new Philanthropy. http://www.CharityRacer.org/id18.html
Ponce and Bridge and the rest of the Bongo team would like to thank their wives, family, friends, and partners who continue supporting them, such as MASTERPULL, SCORPION MEZCAL, Inviscid Motorsports, Branik Motorsports, Ironman Offroad, Motorcity Machines FOA, Raceline Wheels, PRP Race seats, CASANOVA Motorsports, Ramsey Winch, DynoMax, IRC tracking, Rusty’s Offroad, Tom Woods, KC HiLites, Moods of Norway, Redding Black Sheep 4×4 Club, Fred Riojas, Pronto Muffler, The Lopez Foundation, HEB Food Stores, Thrandur Arnthorsson of 4×4 Offroads, KEFCAR, 4×4 IS, and Quartermile Graphics. “I personally would like to thank Dave Cole and Jeff Knoll for giving us the opportunity to participate in this world class event since 2009! Gracias! As well as Doug French and Barbara Sweetman of Scorpion Mezcal, Ragnar Róbertsson, Emil Bjornsson for the last minute support that made it possible to race this year. Bongo, Bongo, Bongo!” expressed Ponce.
Follow Ponce and Bridge on their new racing escapades at
www.MinorityRacer.com
http://www.facebook.com/InviscidMotorsports
http://www.facebook.com/WorldRallyTeam