July 13, 2006
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BARK RIVER BRUTAL FOR BAUDOUX!!!
 
In what can be described as the toughest and possibly longest weekend of the racing season to date,  July 8th and 9th in Bark River, Michigan,  proved to be a potential Achilles Heal for “Rocket Man” Dan Baudoux.
 
Driving the #217 Sportsman 2 Ford F150 accustomed to acquiring checkered flags and trophies in CORR, Championship Off Road Racing, Baudoux was plagued by troubles all weekend.  In Saturday’s race, sporting his back up engine resulting from a blown engine in the prior Crandon, Wisconsin round, and having won 3 of the 4 prior events, Baudoux worked his way from the back of the pack to the lead in just the first lap.  
 
Expanding on that lead with the closest driver several truck lengths behind, “Rocket Man” looked to be in control of his destiny and headed for win number 4 of the season.  However just into the second lap, a puff of blue smoke emerged from the exhaust of Baudoux’s machine.  Then seconds later a huge plume of smoke filled the air behind him and his truck coasted to a halt in front of thousands of standing fans in attendance. 
 
That was “All she wrote”.  Baudoux was done for the day.  Assessing the damage after the race, Dan was distraught and concerned.  “That was my back up motor,” Baudoux stated. “Now I am dead in the water, no longer in first place, and I have no clue what we are going to do for Sunday’s race.  This motor is junk now.”
 
Making the rounds, Dan  and crew chief John Blues were able to “Borrow” yet another engine from good friend and fellow racer Michael Savage.  Working till 4:30 am the team swapped motors, no simple feat considering numerous items on    Mike’s engine was set up far differently than Dan’s truck specs were built for.  None-the-less, at 1:30pm, Dan’s truck was lined up to go in Sunday’s round of racing.
 
At the green flag, not wanting to push the motor too hard, Dan positioned himself at the back of the pack going into turn one.  He felt that it would be better to “Work his way up” with an unfamiliar power plant, rather than to go for the hole shot at the start and risk trashing another engine. 
 
However after picking up 3 positions halfway through the first lap, going flat out on a straight away, but literally finding himself in the middle of a huge cloud of dust, the #217 truck of Baudoux was hit hard by another truck.  The hit sent Baudoux’s truck hurdling to the left.  In the dust, and not knowing where he was on the track, Dad suddenly saw a huge tire used as a track marker, directly in front of him and coming at him FAST.  Not wanting to steer to the right and risk a bigger accident at that speed with whoever and whatever was on that side, Dan steered to the left.  Going wide open, he thus hit an embankment and drainage canal that was partially filled with water.    Coming to a dead stop in a matter of inches, being slammed into his steering wheel so hard that he bent the wheel in half, Baudoux was out of the race, stuck in the embankment.
 
Fortunately Rocket Man was not seriously injured, less his pride, but  the truck was badly damaged and he was to receive no points for the race, thus sending him further down in the points race.
 
Vowing to come back, Dan was interviewed to say, “This was obviously a horrible weekend for the team.  I feel terrible for John, Tom, Jeff, Shane and the rest of our  crew for working so hard to get this engine replaced, just to have such a disappointment on Sunday.  I am going to dedicate the rest of the 2006 season to them and you had better not count me out just yet.  We have 4 more races to go and my primary engine will be ready again and back in for the next race.  I am not going down without one hell of a fight.  To  me there is first place and then all the rest.  At least I can say that I would not have been out there Sunday without the help of one true friend, Mike Savage.  Special thanks to Mike and his team for helping us out.”
 
 
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
 
Emery “Skip” Wilson
DBM Motorsports Marketing
PO Box 25
Hemlock, MI  48626
989.928.3859    TEL
989.642.6047   FAX

2006 CORR SPORTSMAN Schedule

Date

Location

June 10-11

Mole Lake Casino Championships - Antigo, WI

June 24-25

Forest County Potowatomi Casino Brush Run - Crandon, WI

July 8-9

Island Inn Casino UP Off-Road 100 - Bark River, MI

Aug. 12-13

Boss Snowplow UP Off-Road 100 - Bark River, MI

Sept. 2-3

BorgWarner Off-Road World Championships - Crandon, WI

 

 

 

 

 

 

Action photos taken by

 

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