Last Ditch Racing

LDR Triple Caution Farm 5/4/08 Update

2008-05-04T12:58:47Z

LDR got a couple new livestock at the farm this weekend! We received our new tire changer and wheel balancer from Greg Smith Equipment. After much research, we purchased these unit due to their quality/price combination. The tire changer has dual assist arms, which should help us mount the difficult rally tires. A rally tire has such thick sidewalls, that mounting is difficult. Why purchase these machines at all!? Well, it's a large investment in our infrastructure, but here's an example. For each event, we usually take 12 tires/wheels. This means that I get to load 12 mounted tires and loose tires in the truck and take them to the local tire shop. Then I unload them. Then, I return and load them all back in the truck for return to the shop. Finally, they get loaded into the rally truck and onto the trailer and car for the event. Sooooo.....potentially 24 tires that I get to move 4 times. Not to mention the travel time. We've been thinking about this for some time, so it's an exciting upgrade for L'Equpipe! In other news, T-4 is getting a new oil pan, fresh steering rack, an intercooler spray tank and some general TLC. Out Peltor intercom(which is on the fritz), has been sent out for service. Out next event will be the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in Quebec June 27-28, 2008. Cheers! John

The project list isn't getting any smaller!

2008-04-24T03:52:41Z

Time for another Triple Caution Farm Update! :-) We don't stop moving for long here and the list of projects waiting in the wings is always long! :-) Last weekend, we upgraded the trailer with a winch mount and some new tow rings. We found that we need to replace the axles on the trailer as the trip to Missouri a couple months ago destroyed one. We've put some miles on the trailer, so new axles will be a good upgrade. We've been working on installing a Mercedes diesel engine in a 1960's Land Rover Series IIA truck and the engine is now in. Unfortunately, we need to replace head gaskets on two Range Rover P38 models, and it needs to get done soon! T-4, the rally car, needs to get in soon for a rotated turbo system and possibly addition of a rotated intake manifold and front mount intercooler. And what about the Ford Merkur?! We have parts, and a freshly rebuilt engine. We need to find time to work on the roll cage and other bits. It should put a big smile on our face when we're done! :-) Cheers! John

Mark Fleming/T-4 Take Adobe Photoshop Overall Win!

2008-04-16T00:38:00Z

A big congrats to Mark Fleming for his recent win at the Adobe Photoshop World 2008. conference. He won the Best in Show Prize/Guru Award for his photo of T-4 airborne at the 2006 New England Forest Rally. He also won in the photography category for a separate photo. "Photoshop World Winners":http://www.photoshopworld.com/guru/winners.html To see more of Mark's fantastic work, check out his blog site at: "Mark Fleming":http://markfleming.pixyblog.com/ Congrats Mark, and thanks for making us look soooo sexy! :-) Cheers! John

4/15/08 Triple Caution Farm Update

2008-04-15T23:26:39Z

Progress continues here at Triple Caution Farm, with T-4 being nearly ready to go onto the lift for a round of repairs and upgrades. We have to replace the front bumper cover and the oil pan due to damage from our recent events. She'll get a thorough battle damage assessment and we'll tend to other issues as they arise. We're contemplating installing the Triple Caution Thong front mount intercooler that was on T-2, and installer our new 12L STi intecooler spray tank. Rotated turbo? Rotated intake manifold?! Perhaps! :-) We just made a major investment in our shop infrastructure with the purchase of a tire machine and wheel balancer. With the number of rally tires and street tires we process in a year, it'll pay for itself in no time! Just realizing how little time we have prior to Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in June! Cheers! John

Videos Online/Triple Caution Farm Update

2008-04-11T03:14:03Z

All our videos are now online. We're going to find a couple of older ones and try and get those up. I think we have a few from Targa Newfoundland and Rallye Quebec. Good stuff! Spring has arrived here at Triple Caution Farm, world headquarters of the Last Ditch Racing team. :-) As the snow melts, piles of parts and tires emerge as if growing out of the ground. The rally car will be getting some new parts and we'll be working on upgrading some systems prior to our next event, the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in Quebec in June. www.rallyebdc.com. If you want to spectate at a fantastic event, this is one of the best! It's one of the closest rallies to our home base and one of our favorites. We had a difficult event there last year, with boost cut issues and the shift lever repeatedly popping out. The final blow was a broken outer tierod after hitting a skidder tire on the Super Special. Quel dommage! ;-) We always have a line of various automotive projects here at the farm. My old Land Rover will eventually get a Mercedes diesel engine. My new(er) Range Rover will also get a new engine. We have our Merkur rally car project that's always on the list, and of course our street cars and the rally car! We need a couple more bays. We'll be working on a spring video podcast soon, so look for that. Thanks for visiting the site and checking in with us! Cheers! John

Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs 2004

2008-04-09T02:54:53Z

baie2004 Join the lads as they contest the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs. One of their favorite events, the rally is held on the Gaspee Peninsula in Quebec each June.

Team O'Neil 2008 Rally

2008-04-09T02:52:30Z

LDR O'Neil Rally-H.264 - Webcasting Join John and Dave as they take their first career overall win(about time!) at the 2008 Team O'Neil rally in New Hampshire.

Team O'Neil 2006 Rally

2008-04-09T02:51:24Z

ldroneil2006 Testing my HANS device at the 2006 Team O'Neil rally. "Cassidy's Corner," is now in the route book! ;-)

Pacific Forest Rally 2005

2008-04-09T02:50:00Z

LDRPFR2005 Last Ditch Racing at the 2005 Pacific Forest Rally. Dave Shindle co-drives. A blown intercooler hose and some cows put a dent in the results! ;-)

Progressive Crash Johnson Commercial #3

2008-04-09T02:47:48Z

progressiveMFR.ff LDR onboard footage from Maine Forest Rally 2005 in Progressive's Crash Johnson campaign.

Progressive Crash Johnson Commercial

2008-04-09T02:46:29Z

progressiverockyjump.ff Some on board LDR footage from the Rocky Mountain Rally serves as background for Crash Johnson!

Crash Johnson Progressive Commercial

2008-04-09T02:44:58Z

progressiverockyrock.mp4 Alter ego Crash Johnson. LDR provided onboard footage for Progressive's internet campaign in 2007.

Rim of the World Movie

2008-04-09T02:17:19Z

Rim Movie

Continuing to build LDR on the web

2008-03-31T02:55:25Z

Going through some teething pains at present trying to load content into/onto the site. Look for our full complement of videos and podcasts soon. You can find us on myspace, facebook and a beginning collection of photos of flikr.com With the summer rally season a few months away, we are beginning to turn our thoughts to making some improvements to T-4 to make her more competitive. Cheers! John

Media Uploads Continue

2008-03-10T02:37:54Z

Updating the new site slowly but surely. Working hard to get media loaded. 9 years is a long time to accumulate stuff! If anyone sees a photo on our site that they took, and it's NOT credited to them(or if you have a problem with the photo being here), simply e-mail me and I'll take care of it! Cheers! John