By Mike Henle
The Southern Nevada Off-Road Enthusiasts will head into Beatty about 90 miles north of Las Vegas for the Bob “Weatherman” Steinberger Memorial 48th annual SNORE 250 Oct. 6-8.
The event signals another stop in the impressive 2017 season bolstered by an excellent six race payday during a campaign that starts each February at the King Shocks Battle at Primm south of Las Vegas.
Joseph David leads the very competitive and ground-shaking Unlimited Class 1 category and considering his history with SNORE’s events, the very active competitor seems to have his race vehicle on Automatic Pilot each time SNORE dives into present another event. The owner of Sierra Auto Recycling in Ridgecrest, Calif., David is big on speed – and that’s exactly what he has going for him in the Class 1 unlimited car.
The son of legendary former Mint 400 and SNORE 250 champion Tom Koch, David is looking forward to competing in the SNORE 250, which got its start back in 1968.
“My dad gives me great tips,” David said of his father. “I have had a lot of good tips from some good people. I bounce back and forth from Class 1 to Class 10, and I have absolutely found a home in Class 1.
“I have been surrounded by some good people during my racing career.”
David, who won the Motion Tire 300 earlier this year in Ridgecrest, the Caliente 250 and the KC HiLites Midnight Special this year, has also ridden with Las Vegas charger TJ Flores, along with James and Pat Dean.
“A little bit of everything goes into what makes Class 1 so much fun,” said David, who earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from USC in 2009. “One of the biggest reasons is evolution. We started prepping the car ourselves, so we tried out some different tires which moved me to another level while boosting my confidence.”
David’s sponsors include Sierra Auto Recycling, Nils Castillo Motorsports, Weddle Industries; Neth Racing Works, Checkers Off-Road Racing Pit Support; WRP Thread Locker; BF Goodrich Tires; Fox Shocks; Foddrill Fabrications, McKenzie’s Performance Parts and all of the guys with Valley Performance.
The 31 year-old’s co-driver in the two-seater will be SNORE treasurer Lynn Dickton, who is looking forward to speeds at more than 100 miles an hour on a brand new race course.
“I volunteer for BFGoodrich Tires and have for many years,” she said. “I have been racing SNORE since 1984. “Joe asked me if I wanted to ride and I said not just yes, but hell yes!”
This will be Dickton’s first competition in a Class 1 car although she ran a Class 10 car with her late husband, Bill, after starting in Class 4 before running Class 9 and then Class 10 from 1984 until 2006.
“Joe told me the seat is open to me any time I want,” Lynn said. “I know a little bit about the mechanical end of racing, so I should be a good co-driver. I’ll keep him on course.”
The move to Beatty came as the result of new communication with SNORE’s Kenny Thatcher.
“The people in Beatty knew that the SNORE 250 would generate good money for the town,” Lynn said. “All of the 300-plus rooms have been sold out. We want to make Beatty a very popular race. If it’s a good hit, we’re going to try to continue the race there. It only takes about two hours to get there, and it has that small-town feeling much like Caliente.”
Dickton said David has a good head on his shoulders, so the ride should be a blast.
“His dad, Tom Koch, has won the Mint 400, the SNORE 250, as well as multiple other off-road races,” she said. “He’s a classic, for sure. He could pilot anything, and he was fast. Joe has that natural ability that has been handed down to him. He’s also a lot like Pat Dean, meaning he’s very personable.”
Dickton said the course is extremely fast.
“The first 60 miles is very fast,” she said. “It’s a silt bed, and after that we have the course coming back into Beatty that hasn’t been used since 2007-08. It’s 111 miles, but it’s also going to be a fast race. There are some gotcha’s and some whoops, but it’s going to be fast in a Class 1 car. The fastest car I have ever been in was a Class 10.”
The course runs north from Beatty across Scotty’s Junction’s Highway, then through the Bonnie Clair mine sight, then south into Beatty.
SNORE’s 2017 Patrick’s Signs/McKenzie’s series will also include the McKenzie’s Rage at the River in Laughlin Dec. 8-10.
Further information can be found by visiting www.snoreracing.net.