Shaffer Motorsports Heads To The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 With New Honda Power
Shaffer Motorsports has been busy since the Baja 500 in June. They've used the time to yank
out the Ecotech engine in the Transfer Case Express car and replace it with a Honda power plant.
Shaffer's Offroad, Mike Shaffer's day job, specializes in offroad parts sales,
installation and fabrication including complete ground-up builds. For them, the engine swap was business as
usual. They made changes to the chassis and completed the wiring harness that utilizes the factory ECU. They
performed the necessary dyno tuning and put some miles on the new combination at a local short course track
without any issues. All that's left now is to finalize the logistics, do some pre-running and then
complete the race.
The crew plays a critical role in a race as long and demanding as the Tecate SCORE Baja
1000 and the Shaffer Motorsports team is second to none. This year's course has some new
sections and includes areas that will be inaccessible on race day. Some of the pit crews will be dispatched to
these remote locations where they will remain for the entire race. The team will have ten crews in Baja ready
to lend support if needed.
On race morning Mike Shaffer and navigator Andy Ferris will take the Transfer Case
Express car to race mile 350. John Bowers and navigator Bob Roggy will then
continue to race mile 567. John Cantrell and navigator Berne Strom will take the
longest stint from 567 to the finish line. "We will have ten trucks but that still doesn't feel like enough,"
said Mike Shaffer, "Thanks to our sponsors Instone Inc. and Rocky Mountain
Baldor we will be using BFG pits as well for fuel and tires. Our Honda engine swap was helped by
K-Tuned products and Hondata Tuning. Both of them are real excited about competing
in the Baja 1000."
The Baja 1000 is a huge undertaking and without the support from crew members: Andy Farris,
Amber Strom, Andy Stone, Dan Bergin, Ray Swanson,
Big Rich, Shelly Krehbiel, Josh England, Hunter Cantrell,
Hector Miguel Maymes Candolfi, Edwardo Maymes Candolfi, Randal Morrison,
and Kim Morisson the race would not be possible. With great support and more horsepower from the
Honda motor the team is hoping to achieve another Baja 1000 victory.
Photography By Brian Binkert
For the lastest information, photos and sponsorship opportunites:
See: Shaffer-Motorsports Website
See: Shaffer-Motorsports Facebook Page
Sponsors: Transfer Case Express, Boltec, PowerTank,
PSC (Performance Steering Components), RuffStuff
Mike Shaffer / Driver & Crew Chief
Mike Shaffer has been racing for 28 years, starting with BMX and then age 16 in drag racing and his first desert race was fifteen years ago. Shaffer was driver of record for the 2011 SCORE Tecate BAJA 1000, finishing 2nd in class for the team's first participation in Class 4. Shaffer was also driver of record for 2011 BITD Championship, finishing 3rd in class for the team's first participation in Class 10. Shaffer was also driver of record for 3 Baja 1000 wins, 3 SCORE Championships and one BITD Championship in Class 1700, along with rock crawling National Championship and ARCA Championship. Mike Shaffer is the owner of Shaffer's Offroad that helps customers build the vehicle of their choice, from bolt on accessories to custom one off vehicles. Shawn Twitchell / Driver & Team Manager
Shawn Twitchell started desert racing motorcycles in 1972, went to drag racing in the 1980's, circle track in the 1990's and is now back in the desert driving with Shaffer-Motorsports. Twitchell was a driver in the 2011 SCORE Tecate BAJA 1000, finishing 2nd in class for the team's first participation in Class 4. Twirchell was also driver for 2011 BITD Championship, finishing 3rd in class for the team's first participation in Class 10. He has been a member of Shaffer-motorsports team since 2008 helping win three SCORE 1700 Championships. Twitchell is the Business Unit Manager for FMC Technologies' Technisys Group. Desert racing is in their family encompassing four generations including his son Ian, who will co-drive for Shawn. Two of seven grand-kids are already earning their stripes in the pits and at the shop. Daniel Aeberli / Driver
Daniel Aeberli has raced with the Shaffer-motorsport team since 2010. He was a driver in the 2011 SCORE Tecate BAJA 1000, finishing 2nd in class for the team's first participation in Class 4. Aeberli was also driver for 2011 BITD Championship, finishing 3rd in class for the team's first participation in Class 10. He also drove the first section of the 2010 SCORE Baja 1000. Aeberli was with the team in 2010, helping them win SCORE Primm and Class championship in Class 1700. Daniel Aeberli is the CTO of MediTron S.A. a Swiss medical distribution company that he co-founded over 20 years ago in Switzerland and President of M.D. Visuals a medical consulting company in Stateline, Nevada.
Date: 11.18.13
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