Visalia, Ca. - Class 1500 racer Garrick Freitas showed up at the first Best in the Desert race of the season in Parker, Arizona looking forward to another successful season in his General Tire sponsored, Jimco racecar. Garrick’s team is comprised of family and friends who race for the pure joy and the close ties that are developed through teamwork and dedication to a common goal.

The team battled fiercely for the class 1500 championship in 2011 missing the title by just a single point. Garrick’s team developed a mutual respect with the eventual winners; the Bad Apple team led by driver and owner Steve Appleton. It was at Parker that everyone learned of the tragic passing of Steve when his plane crashed on the Friday morning before the race. Word quickly spread amongst the racing community; many like Garrick had a deep respect for Steve and the Bad Apple team.

Garrick and co-driver Steve Shahan had qualified in the middle of the pack, which the team was pleased with. Starting out front has advantages but the team knows you don’t win on the first lap; championships are earned by consistent finishes. After the news of Steve’s passing they decided they would pay tribute to his memory by pushing hard for the win. “We wanted to go out and win for Steve and the Bad Apple team,” said Garrick, “We got off the line well and started passing cars before we reached pit one. We got some clean air for a while and were running a fast pace, second overall on corrected time. We settled into that pace on lap two overtaking lots of lapped traffic. We got around Juan Lopez in the Speed Energy Trophy Truck but then he got back around us while we were refueling. We pulled out of the pit right behind him. It was while we were in his dust that we went off course into a ravine. When the dust cleared we got back under way but had a vibration in the front end. After a few miles the front upper a-arm broke causing the tire to lean in and the skidplate to drag when we went into corners. Our FOX bypass shock was the only thing locating the arm.”

They limped the injured car along, going as fast as they could for the last thirty miles to finish 12th in class, 2oth overall. They did not win for Steve but they went as hard as they could and never quit, Steve would be proud of that. The Freitas team would like to send their deepest condolences to the Appleton family, the Bad Apple team and all those who knew and loved Steve.

The energized Freitas Off Road Motorsports team will be headed next to the historic BITD General Tire Mint 400 being held in Las Vegas, Nevada March 23-25th.

About Freitas Off Road Motorsports
Freitas Offroad Motorsports is a group of off-road enthusiasts who are committed to excellence and professionalism in competitive motorsports. The team’s success is contributed to a strong family based team that draws on the dedication and expertise of their many team members and volunteers. The team’s Jimco, Champion racecar can be found running at the front in Best in the Desert off-road racing series events held throughout the southwestern United States. The team receives support from General Tire, in their quest for race wins and championship seasons. Sponsors Include General Tire, Jimco Racing, Fox Racing Shox, Kroyer Racing Engines, V&T Cattle Co., Dan Freitas Electic, JC Lansdowne, Westside Choppers, SS Shirts, Cal State Distributing.