Preparing to Target a Victorious 2007 Racing Season
By Johnny McDonald

Borneman and pit crew last September at California Speedway. Photo By Darrel Kinney

Going after auto race championships can be difficult challenges, but two Ramonans - Darren Hardesty and Johnny Borneman - are preparing to target in on a victorious 2007 season.

For Hardesty, it's a familiar scene. He'll be bidding for a fourth SCORE off-road crown. Borneman picked up one win in a disappointing season last year, but takes an optimistic look at a stock car campaign that begins in Texas in March.

Hardesty's season opener (at Laughlin, Nevada, Jan. 20-21) didn't produce a victory, but he managed to finish third with a "tired" motor on Sunday.

"We blew an engine Saturday and had to replace it with our tired Baja 1,000 motor," he said. "Finished seventh overall, which isn't bad," he said. Lobson Yee of Mexico won the Class 10 race.

Meanwhile, Borneman is confident his strong finish last season and his stable of seven late model Ford Fusions will make him a contender in the Grand National West stock car series.

Each plans to take on the full circuit. Hardesty's consist of Laughlin, San Felipe, Baja 500 and 1,000 with Poway's Mark Randazzo riding shotgun as his co-driver.

"Just kinda trying to repeat what we did last year when we won seven races," Hardesty said of his goals.

"Randazzo and I will be together again. We did some minor adjustments on the motor, but it pretty much is the same car. Takes us a good month to get ready for each race.

"Still going with the lightweight approach and a Volkswagen motor. They're going to be coming after us," said Hardesty.

His volunteer crew consists of nephews, his riding partner and Mark's son.

" Winning $5,000 for a championship helps soften the blow of expenses particularly when you test four times for the Baja 1,000," he added. "Burn that up in gas pretty fast."

Meanwhile, Borneman's Grand National West journey will take him to Texas, Minnesota, Arizona, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Iowa and northern California. With a carburetor adjustment he could even enter a Busch race.

"We had a good strong run at the end of last year, bunch of second places," he said. He won one race at Evergreen, Wash., duplicating a victory his father, John Sr., accomplished several years earlier.

"I thought we had the car to do it last year, but we broke so many motors during the first five races," he continued. "We're just updating the Fusions."

Adjustments can be critical since the Red Lion-sponsored entries are set up for three-eighths and five-eighths mile tracks, road courses and a mile and a half oval.

Borneman also will have veteran Austin Cameron as a part-time teammate this year. A strong competitor, Cameron finished second for the series title in 2004. "We've been racing against each other since we were 10 years old," Borneman said.

"My crew chief from North Carolina is Kevin Cram, who headed Bill Elliott's team in the '90s. He's been crew chief for me for five years."

One crew member lives in Ramona and another in Lakeside. The rest are volunteers."

While his transporter is on the road, he will take a plane to his destination, usually leaving Friday and returning Sunday night.

"There's one Sunday night race, so I'll miss work on Monday," he added.