SEMA Young Executive Silent Auction

The SEMA Young Executive Silent Auction serves as a function to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. Hellwig donated our new 4th and 1st Gen Camaro Rear Sway Bars. In total the donations from Hellwig and other generous SEMA members helped raise $85,000 for the Scholarship Fund. Click to find out more about the The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund and SEMA Young Executive Silent Auction.

January's Notes from the President

SEMA Show 1967

SEMA Show 2008

Hellwig Products and SEMA

Our relationship with SEMA started in 1967, its first year. Hellwig Products has been attending the SEMA trade show in Las Vegas for 24 years. Many valued relationships have been born out of our participation in SEMA and some of our oldest business relationships started at a SEMA event. In 2006 at the SEMA show in Las Vegas Hellwig Products was recognized along with 18 other exhibitors as the only companies still exhibiting at SEMA as charter members of the organization.

This year’s SEMA show has been one of our big successes of 2008. This automotive trade show is our premier “industry” trade event each year. All facets of our industry are represented from racers to truck enthusiasts to electronics specialists and street performance people. Traditionally at this show our products have been displayed in the Truck and SUV hall. However, this year I made the decision to display our products in the Performance and Racing hall. We were met with overwhelming excitement, the new kid on the block, so to speak, even though we have been attending this show for 24 years. It was with great surprise that interest in our products turned out to be so high. The products we offered this year did help to attract a new group of buyers, giving us the opportunity to explain our capabilities as a company.

SEMA continues to be our main venue for exhibiting new products, cultivating new relationships and maintaining the existing relationships. Check them out at SEMA website if you want to learn more.

H1 Hummer Sway Bars

Along similar lines of need as armored vehicles the military is finding the need to upgrade its fleet of H1 Hummer suspension. With the seriousness and frequency of road side bomb attacks on soldiers in Hummers the military has embarked on a program of up-fitting many of its Hummer fleet with protective armor. This adds to the weight of the vehicle and in most cases creates handling problems in emergency situations. Working with the military and other companies Hellwig Products has been approved to retrofit a large number of U.S. military Hummers with sway bars made from heat treated 4140 alloy steel. Extensive testing was done on four vehicles in Texas at the military proving grounds. Hellwig’s sway bars met and exceeded all program criteria set forth in the tests and was approved as a vital component of the overall suspension upgrades.

Armored Vehicles

Among the many installations and applications for Hellwig sway control products is their use on up-fitted high security armored vehicles. Hellwig Products has developed a full line of heavy duty sway bars for medium and large sport utility vehicles which are converted for this use. Because armored vehicles are highly modified to protect their occupants these vehicles become much heavier. The center of gravity is also increased. As a result of these changes the original suspension provided is underrated. Handling characteristics become sluggish with increased body roll which could lead to unsafe driving in an emergency. Hellwig sway bars virtually eliminate the poor handling derived from the added weight of body and window armor.

United States Border Patrol

Our U.S. Border patrol uses its vehicles in some of the harshest environments on earth, the deserts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The Border Patrol's vehicles can not fail them in pursuit of protecting the border. To insure vital suspension components are up to the task, Hellwig Products has worked with the Border Patrol to engineer heavy duty sway bars to withstand the rigors, punishment and torture of patrolling our United States borders. Installations include front and rear sway bars on most of the pick-ups, sport utility vehicles and vans that the agency uses off-road up and down our border with Mexico. The use of special heavy duty end-links, heat treated 4140 chrome-moly steel and highly durable poly-urethane isolator bushings insure many years of service as well as to help other vital suspension components to last longer.

US Diplomatic Motorcade

High security armored vehicles is among the many installations and applications for Hellwig sway control products. Hellwig Products has developed a full line of heavy duty sway bars for medium and large sport utility vehicles which are converted for this use. Because armored vehicles are highly modified to protect their occupants these vehicle become much heavier. The center of gravity is also increased. As a result of these changes the original suspension provided is underrated. Handling characteristics become sluggish with increased body roll which could lead to unsafe driving in an emergency. The United States Diplomatic Motorcade uses armored Sport Utility Vehicles to transport some diplomats in various situations around the world. They have chosen Hellwig Sway Bars to remedy the poor handling characteristics on some of their motorcade vehicles. Hellwig sway bars have seen use on armored SUV’s in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Listen to SEMA 08 Radio Interviews

Hellwig hosted Daytona Dayton, radio personality for Daytona and Friends radio show. We had a blast sharing our booth space with her and all her enthusiast friends. You can listen to the interviews from the folks at Hellwig: Mark Hellwig, Melanie White, Nancy Souza, and Dave Wheeler; plus famous industry folks like Gale Banks, Vic Edelbrock, Linda Vauhn....and many more! Click here to find an interview. Also check out Daytona's Website to see photos of Daytona and her friends during SEMA.

Daytona Dayton & Melanie Hellwig White

SEMA 2008 Vehicles

Hellwig Products appeared an array of different vehicles this year at SEMA. Check out all the vehicles...



Owner: Mustangs Plus

Hellwig Products: Front and Rear Sway Bars

SEMA O8 Location: ARMO Booth



Owner: Turtle Expedition

Hellwig Products: Air System, Front & Rear Sway Bars

SEMA Location: ***Ask Dad?



Owner: A.R.E

Hellwig Products: Load Pro 15

SEMA Location: LTAA Booth



Owner: Bushwacker

Hellwig Products: Front, Rear Sway Bars; Hellwig Air System

SEMA Location: Outside



Owner: Motorz TV

Hellwig Products: Front & Rear Sway Bars

SEMA Location: Outside



Hellwig Products: Rear Sway Bar

SEMA Location: Outside North Hall




Hellwig Products: Rear Sway Bar

SEMA Location: Outside Central Hall

Hellwig Hosts Radio Personality Daytona

Listen Live to Daytona & Friends

Daytona & Friends Worldwide Radio - POWER SUPREME AUTOTALK

Daytona will be broadcasting live from the Hellwig Booth at SEMA. Listen Tuesday through Friday, 10-4. She will be interviewing a variety people attending the SEMA show. If you can’t make it this year this is the perfect way to stay in touch with what is going on.

To find the broadcast go to www.daytonafriendsworld.com and click on the listen live button.

Answers from the Engineer

How does a sway bar work?

A sway bar is a torsion bar that resists body roll. It does not come into use until the vehicle starts to roll or sway as would be encountered in cornering. When the vehicle enters a corner and starts to roll or sway, the sway bar pushes back keeping the vehicle level; he benefits of keeping the vehicle level in corners improves handling performance and reduces driver fatigue.

October's Notes from the President

Meeting the Challenges in 2009
by Mark Hellwig

As the Big 3 and other car and truck manufacturers scramble for new vehicle sales we at Hellwig Products are watching with anticipation for the next generations of trucks, sport utility vehicles and muscle cars to come from their combined genius. The challenges they face are great but they always seem to come through with some home runs when it counts. We will be looking for ground-breaking designs in light trucks, anticipating continued and expanded use of hybrid technologies in SUV’s and the introduction of that technology into light trucks as well. The “Tow and Haul” market will re-invent itself but will always need aftermarket products like sway bars and helper springs.

Although new car sales are important to us, we stand ready to provide innovative and functional suspension products for previous generations of trucks, sport utility vehicles and muscle cars as well. Some Hellwig suspension product applications range back to the early 1960’s.

As we all are painfully aware, the current economic climate is less than ideal for promoting aftermarket products. The high costs of energy, raw materials, transportation and regulation have plagued us all. Not to mention the discretionary income our potential customers might have is being funneled into their gas tanks. However, with that being said Hellwig is looking to the future. We have implemented several measures to keep the cost of our units in check while at the same time striving to improve them.

While continuing to design user friendly and functional suspension products Hellwig is investing in equipment to insure that all products purchased arrive in the best possible condition by incorporating new methods of packaging and product protection.

With environmental concerns becoming more and more a part of manufacturing, Hellwig is implementing several energy conservation measures to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption and therefore CO2 gases. Along those same lines Hellwig’s new powder coating facility offers state of the art finishes including “Hammertone” finishes providing the ultimate in surface protection along with a unique surface profile to retain lubrication in critical areas and at the same time, eliminating the release of V.O.C’s (volatile organic compounds) into the air.

Our business has experienced a historic trend in raw material costs. With no real relief in sight Hellwig Products has purchased a state of the art CNC Tube Bender capable of bending tubular material into sway bars. This capability will reduce the total amount of weight in each kit therefore reducing cost and saving our valuable resource of steel. This machine will also bend solid bar stock for our current and conventional sway bars. Large gains in accuracy and productivity are expected in this area along with further reductions in natural gas use.

Overall the future is looking good and we are fighting hard to design, produce and market great suspension products. With an outstanding team of sales staff, administrators and manufacturing personnel all pulling together we are ready to tackle the challenges of 2009.

Watch Hellwig Products on Motorz TV

Hellwig is very excited to appear on Motorz TV. Chris Duke, Motorz’s host, is true to his mission of showing enthusiasts how to install aftermarket products with simple hand tools in their own garage. Chris allowed Dave Wheeler Hellwig’s Engineer to join him in the studio (Chris’s Garage) and the two installed a Hellwig Sway Bar. They give great install tips and show a before and after solemn video.

Watch the Installation

Visit MOTORZ for more information about the show

SEMA 2008

Mark your Calendars, November 4th-7th

Come see Hellwig’s 2008 SEMA Booth in the Performance and Racing Hall (Central Hall) Booth # 23023.

We have expanded into more Performance Sway Bars and are excited to be exhibiting them in the Performance and Racing Hall. There will be a lot of NEW Sway Bars on display, ranging from the New Challenger and Pontiac Soltice to New Truck and Sprinter Bars.

Hellwig also will be highlighting it’s Newly Expanded EZ 990 Series, 2000 lbs. helper spring for a great price. It’s been very popular in today's Economy!

The booth will also feature Hellwig’s Air Suspension, come talk to us about Power Lift, and Hellwig Air.

Make an appointment by email with one of Hellwig's key employee's

Nancy Souza
Sales Manager

Melanie White
Marketing Manager

Dave Wheeler
Engineer

Amazing Load Capacity for the Price!

Mounts under Factory Axle Plates

Step Bracket Style

NEWLY Expanded EZ 990 Series

Amazing Load Capacity for the price!

Load and Traction Control in one!

Hellwig’s newly expanded EZ 990 Series offers amazing load capacity for the price! It is rated at 2,000 lbs. Level Load Capacity which works well for both medium duty and heavy duty loads. The EZ 990 can be adjusted independently for uneven side to side loads. Handling and performance of this spring is incredible with it’s progressive rated design. For more information on this or any Hellwig Load and Sway Control Products call 800 367-5480.

Make - Year - Application - Part #
Dodge
94-02 1500 Ram Pickup 2WD,4WD # 994
03-08 1500 Ram Pickup 2WD,4WD (1) # 982
70-03 B100,B150 Van #991

Ford
72-96 F100-F150 2X4 & 4X4 Pickup #991
97-03 F-150 Pickup & Super Crew #991
04-08 F-150 (Except Heritage Edition)(1) #984
83-08 Ranger 2WD & 4WD #983
75-08 E100,E-150 Van #991

GM
63-87 C/K 10 Pickup 2WD & 4WD #991
88-98 C/K 10, C/K1500 Pickup 2WD & 4WD #985
99-06 C/K 10, C/K1500 Pickup 2WD & 4WD #986
07-08 1500 Pickup 2WD & 4WD (1) #987
72-07 G10,G1500 Van #991

Mazda
94-07 B2300,B4000 #983

Nissan
04-08 Titan #988


Toyota
05-08 Tacoma 4WD #981
00-06 Tundra #991


07-08 Tundra #985

(1) Step Bracket Style

Savistske Classic & Custom

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HELLWIG ANTI SWAYBARS Hellwig has been a major player in aftermarket swaybars for years but their new generation of bars for Pro Touring and muscle cars has really taken them to the next level! All Hellwig bars are heat treated forged 4140 Chrome Moly steel for extreme strength and light weight. They feature a super tough silver vein hammertone finish that reduces bushing surface contact and holds grease in place for smooth,squeak free operation. Swaybars are tuning aids so we offer them in various sizes including Hellwig`s revolutionary adj. rate rear bars. These bars have modern OE style end links and can be set for soft, medium or firm settings to tune oversteer/understeer or to help launch the car flat at the drags.

`64-`69 Mopar B body Front Bar	G body Front Bar
1st Gen Camaro Adj. rear bar	Camaro Adj. Rear Bar Installed
Camaro Adj. End Links

Hellwig Employee makes SEMA News

Melanie White has been elected to the Light Truck Accessory Accessory Alliance, LTAA Select Committee. Read about her and the other new LTAA Select Committee members in the recent SEMA News.

Hellwig helps Unichip of North America

Unichip of North America’s 2008 Chevrolet 2500 HD

Unichip's SEMA Vehicle

Suspension View

Unichip of North America's Website

For the past 3 years Mike Timmons has been involved with building featured vehicles for SEMA. With over 11 featured vehicles under his belt he has made some great friends and wonderful supporters. This year I’m focusing on just one truck, a 2008 Chevrolet 2500 HD. Bushwacker Inc. is using it as one of their featured vehicles on display out front of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Some of the special features include a 9” lift and 37” tires. Helping me keep these large tires on the road is a set of front and rear sway bars by Hellwig. We also used Hellwig’s load distributing air bags with a supplied air compressor to help tow our other special projects. Other features include a Leer Canopy, Bushwacker pocket flairs, Bestop power steps, and Katzkin Leather. Under the hood is a true Flow intake, MBRP Exhaust and a custom mapped Unichip for more power. We are still working on this project and have sponsors like Mile Marker and PIAA to help us finish this 4X4 Master Piece. Keep an eye out for this truck at this year’s 2008 SEMA Show.

Hellwig's 2008 SEMA vehicle

Hellwig is excited to sponsor the Turtle Expedition at SEMA 2008. This amazing vehicle has all the characteristics that Hellwig stands for, rugged durability, innovation, and adventure. The Turtle Expedition is equipped with Hellwig Suspension; front and rear sway bars, and heavy duty air kits.

Read more details on The Turtle V here or visit their website at www.turtleexpedition.com">Turtle Expedition Website.

Bound for Adventure

.

The latest in the 29-year dynasty of Turtle Expedition research trucks, the all new Turtle V and its Tortuga Expedition Camper may take us another step toward the elusive goal of ìn the ultimate backroad travel/adventure vehicle, but it is an experiment. It isn't often that The Turtle Expedition builds a new travel/research vehicle, but when we do, our goals are unwavering: safety, comfort, functional performance, and above all, reliability.

Ford's Super Duty F-550 4X4, powered by the reliable International Power Stroke Intercooled Turbo Diesel, puts this truck in a class by itself, while still maintaining the comfort and maneuverability of the American pick-up. The cab is the same as an F-250, but a closer look reveals a massive Dana 135 differential in the rear, with a frame and suspension designed to carry a GVWR of 17,500 pounds!! We are talking Heavy-Duty. Kind of like an F-350 on steroids! The Dana 60 differential up front has served us well over the years, but we are working to resolve problems with the sealed bearing assembly which cannot be serviced on the road.

A custom, European-style, expedition camper has been designed and mounted to the chassis of the F-550 using a three-point suspension system. In 2001-2002, The Turtle Expedition will start some serious testing. Build-up articles have appeared in Four Wheeler Magazine, and will continue to be published in Power Stroke Registry and Trailer Life as we explore some backroads in Mexico, Mississippi, Florida, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Michigan. By the end of 2002, we will have made a decision whether or not to build a limited number of refined Tortuga Expedition Campers for sale, and we will begin final preparation for our next big adventure. Destinations under consideration are Mongolia, Africa, and the Northern Silk Road through Kazakhstan and across the Taklamakan Desert in Northwestern China. In Chinese, Taklamakan means, "If you go in, you won't come out"!

Specifications in a Nut Shell

Base Vehicle: 1999 Ford F-550
Design and Assembly: The Turtle Expedition, Unlimited
Engine:International 7.3 L Power Stroke Turbo Intercooled Diesel V8 equipped with a 4" Magnaflow Performance Exhaust system and a K&N High Flow air filter
Torque: 520 ft. lbs. @ 1600 rpm
Horsepower: 235 @ 2,700 rpm
Transmission: Factory six-speed
Transfer Case: Factory two-speed
Locking Hubs: Manual
Suspension: National Spring packs with dual Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks
Rear Differential: Dana 135 with Detroit Locker
Front Differential: Dana 60 with ARB Air Locker
Tires: Michelin 335/80R20 XZL MPT
Wheels: Stockton Wheel steel (custom)
Weight: To be determined

Kramer Rack Plus's Project Vehicle

Hellwig enjoyed helping Kramer Rack Plus with their 08 Z71 Avalanche project vehicle; other sponsors include Enkei Wheels, K&N, Huskyliners, Muth, Corsa Exhausts, BedRug, AMI, White Night, IPCW, Grant Products, Kramer Rack Plus, and Superchips. Look for it in in ads for Kramer Rack in Sportman Gear Magazine soon and ads for Enkei Wheels.

NEW from Hellwig: Camaro 3rd and 4th Generation F Body Sway Bar

Hellwig Products has released a new sway bar for 3rd and 4th Gen Camaro F-body Applications. This kit features an adjustable sway bar and end links to allow the user to fine tune their vehicle to track conditions. The bar is made from 7/8" dia. heat treated 4140 chrome moly steel and is a complete bolt on assembly. This kit has been tested in road race and autocross applications to validate its performance.

New Lifted Air Kits

Have a lifted truck? Hellwig has introduced Air Suspension designed specifically for your lifted truck. The Hellwig heavy-duty brackets are built to accommodate for your lift, no need to worry about spacers. These kits can be installed on trucks with rear suspension lifts of 2 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch. Offering better handling and control under heavily loaded conditions these kits increase stability and control, reduce bottoming, and provide the ability to level the heaviest loads from left to right and front to rear. Featuring an air spring with superior ride quality, this unit softens typical loaded ride conditions by transferring load from the vehicles leaf spring to the Hellwig Air spring. Hellwig Air springs offer longer suspension travel, ease of adjustment, simple installation and years of heavy duty load control. These heavy duty air assisted helper systems provide load leveling capability with compressed air applied to the air springs which are mounted between the vehicle frame and suspension. Each Hellwig Air kit is specifically designed to maximize the safe load carrying capacity of your vehicle up to its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. A Hellwig sway bar will be the perfect compliment to air suspension for the ultimate performance when towing.

Hellwig is New on Catalog Rack

Catalog Rack; the Free Internet-Based Parts Look-Up Service for Performance Parts & Accessories Guaranteed to Grow Your Sales

Hellwig is now on CatalogRack, joining your product line and nearly 200 other leading brands in the automotive aftermarket.

DCi’s CatalogRack is a no-cost industry service that helps jobbers, retail outlets, installers, distributors and other resellers sell more products to their customers. Over 20,000 workstations at more than 5,900 qualified retail outlets run CatalogRack every day to sell more of your products.

Users on the CatalogRack sales network access well over $1 billion worth of products at retail price every year!

These businesses can access detailed information on nearly 500,000 products. All application-specific products are searchable by year/make/model, and all universal products are searchable by dimension, shape, color, or other attributes.

As you know, the data that drives CatalogRack is provided by DCi’s ALL-Channels electronic catalog service, and is also used by mail order companies, distributors, and national and local retail chains throughout North America.

For more information visit www.catalograck.com.

New Nissan Frontier Rear Sway Bar

Hellwig Products has just released a new rear sway bar for the 05-08 Frontier applications p/n 7694. This kit includes a 7/8" diameter rear bar that includes three adjustment points to change the rate of the bar. The center section of the bar will accommodate aftermarket diff covers. It also includes adjustable end links to allow the bar to fit mild lifts or drops (+/- 2"). The sway bar is powdercoated silver vein hammertone and all mounting components are powdercoated semi-gloss black. The kit requires drilling two holes in the frame however it can be done without lifting the vehicle or removal of the rear tires.

SEMA 2008

SEMA 2007 Display

SEMA 2008 is just around the corner, November 4th-7th. Please visit us in the Performance & Racing Hall at booth # 23203. We are extremely excited to be back in the Performance and Racing Hall where we first started as one of SEMA's founding members. Watch the blog for Hellwig's SEMA schedule, booth setup, and project vehicles.

Hellwig's Pro Series

Genuine Load Control

There is only one original. Hellwig Products created its first helper spring over 60 years ago. The product depth and experience that Hellwig offers is unmatched in the industry. The patented Pro-Series continues that legacy with features that allow your customers to reap the benefits of a genuine Hellwig Helper Spring which is 100% American made.
The Pro Series is available for most popular truck applications and offers a 2500lb capacity that is engineered to each application. The Pro-Series can be fine tuned to the application as the U-bolts offer multiple adjustment points versus just one or two adjustment
points. A progressive spring rate ensures a smooth ride at any adjustment point. Every Pro-Series kit features the patented ‘silent-ride’ polyurethane blocks which keep tension on the
u-bolts delivering a quiet, smooth ride.
The Pro-series was designed for an easy installation as there is no separate installation kit required— it all comes in one box. This makes it easier for the
jobber and the customer’s pocketbook. The Pro-Series incorporates heavy duty 9/16” hardware throughout - only one wrench or socket is needed for installation.
Installation of a Pro-Series is as easy as 1,2,3…
• Orient the helper spring on top of the main spring.
• Attach the inner U-bolts and torque to spec.
• Attach outer U-bolts with silent ride blocks and adjust the springs
to the load.
Its as easy as that. Once the U-bolts are set, no further adjustment is required. There are no bushings or moving parts to wear out. In fact, Hellwig Products backs up every spring with a performance guarantee and a million mile warranty. The product depth and experience that Hellwig offers is unmatched in the industry.
For more information on Hellwig’s Pro Series and their other superior load and sway control products go to hellwigproducts.com.

Construction:

• 100% American made from 5160 spring steel
• Patented Polyurethane Silent Ride blocks
• Rugged Silver Vein Hammertone Powdercoat
• Zinc plated Hardware to reduce corrosion
• Heavy-Duty 9/16” U-bolts

Benefits:

• 2500 lb capacity for most populartruck applications
• Level the load with a progressive Spring rate that delivers a smooth ride
• Patented ‘Silent-Ride’ blocks deliverquiet performance
• Multiple adjustment points customizethe spring to the load
• Simple, easy installation—only onewrench or socket required
• Only one part number to order foreach application
• Hellwig million mile warranty

Hellwig helps Ride for Kids Fundraiser

The “Ride for Kids” charity which benefits the “Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation” received some generous contributions from the automotive aftermarket industry at the 30th Annual Rovers MC “Boner Run” April13, 2008. The Rovers motorcycle club, which hosts the annual desert motorcycle race, held the charity raffle with the grand prize being a new 2008 KTM 250sx-f dirt-bike.
Melanie White with Hellwig Products, became involved with the fundraiser and put out a call to many of her contacts within the industry. They responded by donating nearly fifty items to be raffled off at the race. Bully donated several hitch and side steps, Sirius donated a set of halogen off-road lights, Genuine Harley-Davidson Motor Accessories also donated a pair of motorcycle fog lamps. MSD Ignition sent a slew of promotional items as well as two sets of their “Super Conductor” spark plug wires. Two of the most sought after items at the raffle were a hitch mounted barbeque generously donated by A.R.E. and a Truxedo gift certificate for a tonneau truck bed cover. Hellwig Products also helped out by donating a “FastRack” motorcycle tie-down rack and a front and rear set of sway bars recently developed for the Yamaha “Rhino” UTV.
Thanks in part to the generous response from the automotive aftermarket industry the “Ride for Kids” raffle was able to raise more than $5000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Paul Krause, who organized the raffle, reported that the KTM 250sx-f was presented to the grand prize winner Sherri Sweaney with the help of racing legend Malcom Smith.

Mark Hellwig takes Hellwig Motorsports to Baja 500

Mark Hellwig takes Hellwig Motorsports to Baja 500

Packed in the Hellwig Motorsports Toyhauler were the bikes secured with Hellwig’s FastRack, the pit crew, his riding partner and some family members. Toyhaulers are awesome!
The Gang was camped out in Ensanada at the Campo de Playa. Every camper was there to attend or race in the Baja 500 and Toyhaulers outnumbered all other campers. All levels of racers were represented in camp, from Pro Honda riders, to weekend warriors, to the McMillan Homes Race Team.
I would highly recommend this campground. The camp host, Ricardo, was knowledgeable, friendly and available. Campo de Playa is also a short walk to Score headquarters and the center of the Baja 500 race activity.
In the morning the camp would start to come alive at 7am. Trophy trucks, bikes, quads, and buggies would all begin the morning pre-run ritual. At the end of each day the riders would make their way back to camp dirty, tired, and some broken. Riders and drivers would walk around and share their war stories from the day. And Hellwig Motorsports certainly earned its share of battle scars.
Pre-running is a big part of any successful racing plan. Mark Hellwig and his riding partner Justin White had a chance to ride the marked course over a four day time period. They rode anywhere from 80 to 170 miles a day depending on the terrain, traffic, on the course and how many wrong turns the riders took. Some of the most beautiful country in Baja was experienced during those four days. Everything from pine forests to desert to sandy and sometimes rocky beaches to boulder strewn trails was ridden on and through. What a privilege.
Even after months of physical training and riding the pre-running was tough. Daily preparation included a study of the map to determine chase truck drop off and rendezvous points. The Hellwig FastRack truck was used as the chase vehicle for towing a trailer with extra bikes and supplies. The first days pre-run was the easiest ride of all days. Leaving the town of San Vicente heading west toward the coast. Then up the coast to a road inland to the town of Santo Tomas. A short ride north up the paved highway to the town of Uruarpan then east to the junction of Tres Hermanos and north again to Ojos Negros. In all 157 miles for day one.
Day two had the chase truck dropping riders off at the beginning of the Pine Forest section. This trail put them at about 4000’ elevation with nice scenery and lots of river crossings. A long loop brings the riders back to the El Rayo junction. A short day of riding due to flat tires, lost riders and helping other riders on the course.
Day three staring from El Rayo heading south toward Valle de Trinidad and down onto the flats of the desert and back into the heat. Meeting the chase truck at the highway crossing makes a good stop for lunch, fuel, and lots of water. About 95 degrees out there in the desert. A visit by the Baldwin Race team’s helicopter made for some interesting conversation with the pilots about their mission and responsibilities during the race. From Valle de Trinidad heading west towards Mike’s Sky Ranch and a very tough loop around Mike’s and through the El Coyote Ranch. From there riding through the Simpson Ranch and a series of technical up and down hills. All the time watching for cattle and horses and other equipment the riders head back north towards Valle de Trinidad and the FastRack Chase truck, water and food. 171 miles in all. A rough day to be sure. Camp and a hot shower were most inviting.
Day four has the riders leaving downtown Ensenada at the actual in town race start point. Riding through the famous wash and over the locally made jumps in the wash, then out of town to the east and intercepting the highway. A short ride up the highway puts the riders back on the dirt course heading down through the mountains and out toward Ojos Negros. From there the bikes are loaded on to the trailer and back down to Valle de Trinidad for the final leg of the course which passes over the mountains heading west toward the town of San Vicente. In all a nice ride for the day with lots of interesting things to see.
Every day Mark and Justin would say, “Tomorrow should be an easier day.” Yet inevitably, the next day would be just as challenging. Mark went through pre-running Baja without a ding to his bike, but Justin seemed to break everything. While riding the Pine Forest section of the course, Justin broke his clutch and nearly ran out of gas. Just in time, he and Mark stumbled on another rider and chase truck, they offered to fix his Husqavarna with a Honda clutch and sell him gas. The rider who helped with the field fix was none other than Kendall Norman. He and his dad were out on the course testing his bike and pre-running Kendall’s section of the race. Really nice guys. Kendall and his partner Robbie Bell had won the San Felipe 250 earlier in the year and ended up actually winning the Baja 500 as well. Big time riders!
The week was full of hard riding, star encounters, and tons of fun. The excitement in the city of Ensanada is contagious and the locals are so welcoming. If you attend Baja 500 next year, bring your Toyhauler and join the Hellwig Motorsports team.

Just Sway Hello...

From the website of V6John.com

Just Sway Hello...

The Mistress has now become a SOLID 12 second car. She definitely had the straight line acceleration down pat! But what about the corners? The 2005 V6 coupes came with NO rear sway bar. And in an attempt to get the car to launch better at the drag strip, we had removed the front sway bar. Needless to say with no sway bars The Mistress was not real agile in the turns! While the car drove okay on the streets and was fine for normal driving, it really was pretty hard to push The Mistress through the corners... The amount of body roll was incredible... So I decided it was time to do something about The Mistress's handling. Enter Hellwig Products (www.hellwigproducts.com). Hellwig manufactures load and sway control products. I called Hellwig and ordered a set of adjustable sway bars for both the front and back. Before I knew it there were a couple of boxes on my porch! I loaded them in the trunk and headed off to MRT for the install... The install was very straight forward. The instructions were clear. The bars had a very nice finish... and they are SOLID! All the necessary parts were included. There were even extra pieces for V6 cars that don't have a stock rear sway bar! When buying a rear sway bar make sure it's a complete kit! The Hellwig rear sway bar is that! 100% complete! So here are some pictures of the bars and the install...
New vs Stock You can see the difference!	The front sway bar bolted in.	The new bar attaches to the stock links
The New Rear Sway Bar Since I have a 2005 V6 Coupe I don't have a stock rear bar to compare to!	Some assembly required. We had to put the bushing into the included links. We found a bench vise worked perfectly!	Rear link installed
The kit includes a bracket that is installed underneath the shock. Don't worry the bolt isn't tightened yet.	All together! Here you can see how everything looks bolted together!	The install is finished!!!
So with the install done it was time to try things out! Unfortunately the parking lot was wet... but what the heck! Do some impromptu slaloming in the parking and I was stunned! The difference was incredible! The Mistress was making some very hard cuts with very very little body roll! And this was with the sway bars on the "lightest" setting! To see for yourself, check out this little video clip! Click Here For Video On the way home I pushed the Mistress through some tight entrance/exit ramps... WOW! The Hellwig sway bars have really transformed The Mistress! The Mistress is well on here way to becoming more well rounded performer! Bottom line.... The Hellwigs are great looking, good instructions, 100% complete kits and deliver great performance! Once we get a chance to really dial them in and find the best setting for these bars, I suspect they'll perform even better!!