Bryce Menzies dominates the T1 Desert Trucks Race

It’s the second year of the big money, winner takes all, Toyo Desert Invitational Presented by Monster Energy, with $100,000.00 on the line all going to the winner of the invitation-only race. Much like the 2020 King of the Hammers Every Man Challenge course, it’s harder and longer than it was last year. The T1 Desert Trucks had to complete three 100-mile laps through Johnson Valley for a total of 300 miles of the toughest off-road terrain. The course is designed for this type of truck, meaning it’s a much higher speed race and they don’t have to go through as many difficult rock sections like the ones found on the 4400 Ultra4 course.

The day started with about an hour long “Prologue,” where the drivers did one 22-mile lap before the main race as a bit of a shakedown for the vehicles and a means for establishing starting positions. Each car would leave the starting line alone, with two-minutes between starts, which would make it hard for racers to catch up to each other, and easier to maintain a faster race pace. Last year’s race winner, Luke McMillin, was racing again this year, and was the driver everyone was watching to see if he could defend his title.

Start of the Race

Bryce Menzies had the pole position and kept his foot on the throttle to hold on to the lead which wasn’t surprising this early on, given the two-minute separation between starts. In the Prologue race, Justin Lofton had mechanical failures, which pushed him to the back of the pack for the race, but it may have been a blessing because it enabled him to fix the part before the main event. Again, the two-minute separation would help the drivers avoid the blinding dust with the wind and distance dispersing the particles, and evening out the field by making the late starts less of a disadvantage.

As with most races held at King of the Hammers, the course is tough right from the get-go. Tire damage and punctures are common because of all the sharp rocks on the course. Eric Hustead had to stop and remove his hood with what was speculated to be engine overheating problems, and Andy McMillin lost a left rear fender. Bryce Menzies kept at a fast pace, not holding back and loving the clean air of being in the physical lead. The trucks would use every bit of their 25-35-inch suspension travel on this course. Bryce Menzies continued to lead, followed closely by Andy McMillin and Luke McMillin in third.

Dusty Trails

On a dry week in the lakebed such as this one, dust is always an issue, and sometimes can’t be avoided. It was easy to tell where the trucks had been on the course from the multiple plumes rising from those areas. Getting close to driver ahead means driving blind. About an hour in saw BJ Baldwin catch up to Raul Gomez. BJ tried all the tricks to avoid the blinding dust, from running just outside to way outside of the marked trail he risked more tire punctures and traction because of the loose silt and sharp. Raul probably didn’t know he had someone on his tail the dust is so bad. It took about ten minutes, but BJ Baldwin was finally able to overcome Raul Gomez, pushing Gomez further back into the standings.

Attrition Rears its Ugly Head

The first hour had already seen a number hinderances, yet non-critical issues for drivers, like missing body panels, damaged driveshafts and lots of flats and shredded tires. The second and third hour of racing is where attrition became serious. Lofton had mechanical issues and was out of the race. Andy McMillin was in the fight for first place, but rolled his truck and ended his day on the course. Luckily, he and his driver were both uninjured. “I was in a good battle with Bryce Menzies, both of us had flats and more flats, so I felt I had to push the truck even harder. I was catching back up to Bryce when some electric alarm went off in the cockpit. I wasn’t paying as much attention to the road because of the alarms and rolled the truck when I should have been watching the road. Not so lucky today. Everything was going good until it wasn’t,” Andy said.

The Fight for First

The desert continued to plague the vehicles of the field with Bobby Pecoy, Cameron Steele, and Steven Sourapas all succumbing to attrition and ending their day on the difficult course, but the race continued to play out in the spirited competition between the remaining six racers. In the end, Bryce Menzies held onto his lead throughout the rest of the race and took home the oversized check sporting a one and five zeros in front of the decimal point.

2020 Toyo Tires Desert Invitational Results

1. Bryce Menzies

“It was a brutal course with so many rocks. We had a good clean race, on our second lap we cruised, kept thinking something would break on our third lap. Just hoping I wouldn’t have any issues through to the finish line. Tried to keep a consistent pace. I’m super excited for the win, and can’t wait to come back next year.”

2. Luke McMillin

“I gave it all I had- this team is consistently in the top three, but I’m just happy to be on the podium. I want to shout out to Bryce—he’s just so fast…he’s an awesome driver. The truck ran solid all day. We had a conservative game plan this year, but we were considered an underdog last year. We came here to win, but knew it would be tough against the all-wheel drive trucks. The sandy uphill sections were tough with only two-wheel drive. This course is extremely challenging to begin with, but by the third lap the course was practically ruined. 

3. BJ Baldwin

“I started back in the pack, but it was a good day and was feeling good. Exceptionally brutal course. More difficult than any other course I’ve been on. The track got really tight and dangerous and it did deteriorate considerably over the course of the day. I’m just happy we were able to get to the top three after starting so far back in the field.”