Venture Crew Racing is the latest undertaking of BSA Troop/Crew 35, known for it's unusual undertakings, lofty goals, and often a touch of insanity. Venture Crew 35 is from Springfield, Massachusetts and is a part of the Springfield/Chicopee district in the Pioneer Valley Council. As of November 2006, the Crew's project is to design and build a truck for competition in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off road race in Mexico, as well as the Best In The Desert series' Vegas to Reno race.


A little about the Baja 1000:
The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is the world's longest non-stop point to point race, going a thousand miles from Ensenada to La Paz along Mexico's beautiful but barren Baja peninsula. As well as being the world's longest point-to-point race, it is also (for some drivers) the world's longest non-stop race in terms of time, lasting some drivers a full forty-three hours. It is the largest race in terms of participants, with the 2006 race containing over 400 vehicles and over 1,500 drivers. And it is the most difficult race in the world. Last year half of the teams failed to finish the race. Over the years, the race has attracted both the fast and the famous. Actors James Garner and Steve McQueen, celebrity and bike builder Jesse James, and famed racers Robby Gordon, Jimmy Vassar, and Mario Andretti are just a few of the many well knowns who have been attracted by the Baja. In 2005, director Dana Brown ("Step Into Liquid"), son of Bruce Brown ("The Endless Summer", "On Any Sunday") released a documentary on the Baja 1000 titled "Dust to Glory."
For more information on the Baja 1000, click here.

A little about Best In The Desert Vegas to Reno:
Vegas to Reno is the longest off road race in the United States. With over 500 miles of treacherous Mojave terrain, it's a very challenging race. This year's Vegas to Reno race contained 303 starters, but only 150 made it to the checkers, making the V to R race mile for mile about twice as difficult as the Baja 1000.

A little about Venture Crew 35 (and Venture Crews in general):
Venture Crew 35 is based out of Springfield, MA and is a part of Boy Scout troop 35. The troop and crew regularly undertake large projects, and this will not be the first time 35 has taken on a thousand mile challenge (see Previous Insanity).
Venture Crews are a part of Boy Scouts of America. Crews are made up of young men and women age 14-20. Venture Crews often take on unique projects that emphasize both the importance of working together and the power of the individual.

Venture Crew Racing updates:

News Updates:

NEW BLOG
We've changed our blog source to a new host which will hopefully make updating the blog much easier. All old blog entries are now under the "2007" link. The new blog can be seen here.

SAY HELLO TO OUR NOT SO LITTLE FRIEND!
I know you've been waiting for this moment, and now it's here. Photos of the first ever Boy Scout race truck are now online.

NOW ACCEPTING ONLINE DONATIONS. It is now possible to safely and securely donate online to the Venture Crew 35 Baja 1000 project via PayPal. Just click on the donate button above or on the "Give Us a Push" page.

•NEW RACE! That's right, we've decided to add a new race to our schedule. In addition to the Baja 1000 we will now also be running the BITD Vegas to Reno race. BITD's Vegas to Reno is the longest off road race in the United States. It also adds the challenge of getting over the mountains surrounding Las Vegas, making it a dificult but fun event.

•KC HiLiTES is the latest addition to our excellent team of sponsors. For over 35 years KC HiLiTES has been the leader in the auxiliary lighting community. To have them on board is both an honor and a privilege. Knowing they have faith in us is huge.

•Magnaflow Performance Exhaust has now joined us in our Baja ventures. Magnaflow works hard to deliver the best performing, most durable, and most capable exhaust components in the world. If anyone can make an exhaust that can survive a thousand miles of Baja, it's Magnaflow.

•K&N Filters has become our first big product sponsor. K&N Filters is not only the inventor but also the leader in reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications. K&N Filters are known globally for being leaders in performance and reliability.

•Speedway Expo was very successful for us, as we made a good deal of contacts that are sure to be beneficial. We thank Big Daddy's Racing for providing us with prizes for our racing simulator. And of course we thank all the awesome people at Speedway Expo for having us. Speedway Expo was an absolutely incredible event and we can't wait for next year. Just wait, guys. Next time we'll have a truck to put in our booth.

•The Autism Society of America has recognized our project and has given us permission to put the Autism Awareness ribbon on our truck. This is significant to the Crew and Troop as a member of the Troop 35 family has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism.