By Laurie Pearson | Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow | August 22, 2019 SHARE PRINT
Original Post: Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
PPB mechanic is one Mad MouseRon Hess, owner/driver, launches the Mad Mouse during a recent sand drag race held in northern California.Image 1 of 2DOWNLOAD HI-RES PHOTOSHAREPHOTO DETAILS
PPB mechanic is one Mad MouseRon Hess, owner/driver, stages the Mad Mouse for his next run during the sand drags.Image 2 of 2DOWNLOAD HI-RES PHOTOSHAREPHOTO DETAILSMARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. —
Move over Mad Hatter and Mighty Mouse! Make room for Mad Mouse sand drag racing team lead by racecar driver Ron Hess, who is also a Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic at Production Plant Barstow, Marine Depot Maintenance Command aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California.
Having raced since he was a child in such sports as dirt bikes and motorcycles, Hess was offered an opportunity a few years ago to drive as a partner with a friend of his, Tracey Malan.
“I said ‘Heck yeah!’ and drove his wife’s car while he drove his own,” Hess explained. “I was hooked from then on! It’s a blast!”
This type of racing originally started as “Mud Boggin’” through the 1980s, and eventually, the sport shifted to what it is today, “Sand Drag Racing.”
“I think people just got tired of the mud,” Hess said. “Their cars would get filthy and so would the people. Then they just decided to create these tracks using a mix of clay and dirt which they wet down with water trucks, then use tractors to drag after every fifth race.”
The tracks are 300 feet long, lined with barriers, cones and fencing for safety. There is also a ride-out area where a driver can “ride it out” if they lose their ability to stop the car within the provided track distance.
“The place is always lined with vendors, too,” Hess said. “It’s an all-out family camping weekend and events start on Friday and the weekend is packed with action and fun until Sunday. Some of the vendors offer food and beverages, while others offer clothing and gear. It’s a little bit of everything. My family takes a motorhome to events so we can camp out in style.”
Sand drag racing truly is a family affair for the Hess family. Ron has two crew chiefs. One is his father Gene Hess and the other is his wife, Lisa Hess. His mother, Diane, is the team-mom.
The vehicles involved in sand drag racing vary greatly. From sand rails to Jeeps, spectators will see a wide variety of vehicles, drivers, and running gear preferred by each team.
“Most of the vehicles I run up against are Jeeps,” Hess said. “Mine is a 1948 Fiat Topolino. Topolino means ‘small mouse’ in Italian. Add to that, that I use a small block Chevy engine, and that’s got an old school nickname ‘mouse’ also. So, my wife and I talked about a name trying to tie in the mouse concept. He’s got a V8 stuffed up in him, so he’s got a little attitude. So we’re going to name him the ‘Mad Mouse.’ My wife drew the mouse and car logo. We had stickers made for the side of the car and off we went.”
Rather than using a longer, stretched out wheel-base like many of his competitors, Hess chose to stay with the shorter, standard 96” wheelbase. It’s basically the same wheelbase as the Jeeps, though. It’s also still rear-wheel-drive only, whereas many of his competitors have all-wheel or four-wheel drive.
In a rear-wheel drive vehicle, each set of wheels (front and back) have just one job to do, with limited grip. The rear wheels provide the power while the front wheels simply steer the vehicle. This also typically means that the engine is mounted longitudinally or lengthwise, with a transmission that sticks back into the passenger compartment space under the floor. In front-wheel drive vehicles, power is produced in the front wheels, under the full weight of the engines, providing more traction in tougher conditions, such as snow. Since most front-wheel drive vehicles use engines that are transversely or, crossways mounted, directly under the hood, the transmission doesn’t require space under the passenger compartment, Hess explained. So, generally, FWD vehicles can be smaller, more fuel-efficient and have more room inside.
“All of that said, front-wheel drives, might be great for some things, but in the case of a high powered sports car, like Mad Mouse, rear-wheel drive is perfect,” Hess said. “With Mad Mouse being so light, rear-drive hooks up the speed and power well, and even lifts up the front wheels a little bit. It gives me that little bit of edge that makes all the difference.”
The vehicle is streamlined and slick. Don’t ask for a ride-along, however. There’s just one seat.
“Within the framework, front to back is the engine, the transmission with a Powerglide 2-speed slap shift lever which sits between my legs, me, on a special racing seat with a cooling pad, then the fuel cell behind me,” Hess said with a grin. “There aren’t even doors. I have to climb up and over the top to slide into my seat through the roof. The engine is bored out to 360; there’s the carburetor and then a racing cam.”
He races the vehicle using a special blend of race fuel at 107 octane.
“It flames out the headers when I give it some juice,” Hess grinned. “It’s a crowd-pleaser. When the announcer calls us out, he says we’re the ‘coolest body in sand drag,’ and I like that title! Hell yeah I’ll, take that title!”
Even the tires are special, as well as the level of air pressure within the tires themselves.
“The rear tires are big, wide paddle tires and we run them at a really low pressure for better grip,” Hess said. “We want to ‘Rip and Grip’ on the track!”
The races run in dialed-in brackets. There are several levels of competition to include Top Fuel, Top Alcohol, Top Eliminator, Alcohol and Fuel, Gambler race, Sportsman levels, and Pro levels.
The vehicles line up based on their dialed in and tested race times. They rev the engines, and watch the stage lights for that green signal.
“You really have to watch that stage light, and when it turns green, you’ve got to go!” Hess said. “You’ve got to have a good reaction time to that light. Then at the end of the run, you’ve got to be there first, but not too fast otherwise you race outside of your dialed in time and bracket level. It’s tricky. When I’m racing, I’m watching that light, watching the track, getting a feel for whether it’s dry, wet, rutted or flat. I feel the grip of the car and the pressure throws you back against the seat and it’s on! Then I have to watch my competitor, then slap the lever into second gear and go!”
It’s not a sponsored event until racers reach professional levels, so, for now, these trips are all out of pocket but the families who attend rave about the events.
“My family loves it and everyone out there is so into it, and into just enjoying the weekend camping, and the events and the vendors,” he said. “It’s just a really good time.”
For more information about sand drag racing, schedules of events and more details about the various racing teams, search for and check out the Southern California Sand Drag Association website.
