World Diabetes Day car takes third at the Caliente 250

Desert Dingo Racing's '69 VW Beetle - the official World Diabetes Day off road race car - took third in class in the Caliente 250 desert race outside Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) on May 9. This follows on from their 5th place finish in the Mint 400 on March 29.

The Dingos, based in Silicon Valley, California, campaign the VW in off road races in the U.S. and Mexico. Two of the team members have have type 2 diabetes and several other team members have a history of the disease in their families.

The first half of the course was remarkably technical with five water crossings in the first eight miles," said crew chief Richard Palasik, who lives with Type 2 diabetes. "The second half opened up nicely and we were hitting speed of 60 mph on utility roads zigzagging between power line supports."

Driver Bob Russell and and co-driver Greg Creech took the first leg, switching positions at the 27 mile mark when the car got bogged down in silt and enlisted the help of a nearby four-wheel-drive truck to pull them out.

Driver Dennis "Crusty" Lange and co-drive Cary McHugh took the second leg, powering across the finish line minus one front fender, in third place.

We get a bit of a break and our next race is the KC Hilites Midnight Special in on August 9," Palasik said. "The entire race takes place at night and it's great training for the overnight sections of the Baja 1000."

The team raises money for International Diabetes Federation-sponsored awareness and education programs and distributes information on the warning signs of diabetes to race fans.

Desert Dingo Racing will be competing in several races in the U.S. in the coming months, leading up to the 42nd annual Baja 1000 in Mexico in mid-November. For more information, visit the team online at http://www.desertdingo.com.