When the green flag dropped, the wind made dust less of an issue than it was in qualifying and Childress was able to reach speeds up to 137 mph in the #1565 THR Motorsports buggy.  By the first pit Childress was in the top ten overall and advancing on the competition, but brake issues slowed his progress.  With no visible leaks, the THR Motorsports pit crew was unable to determine the cause of the brake issue, so Mike Childress continued on at a conservative pace.  Still, he was the fourth physical finisher in the race.  When all of the times were compiled, Mike Childress and THR Motorsports finished third in Class 1500 and in sixth place overall, less than one second from a Top Five finish!

In addition to the Class 1500 buggy of Mike Childress, THR Motorsports campaigned numerous motorcycles in the Silver State 300 as well.  Despite starting in frigid temperatures, the Open Expert team of Garrett Osteen & Ty Renshaw finished first in class and fourth overall amongst 59 motorcycles and quads.  Teammates Shane Esposito & Bobby Garrison finished just ahead of Osteen and Renshaw at second overall and second in Open Pro, despite a crash half way through the race.  Unfortunately, a questionable 15 minute penalty for roosting on the pavement bumped Esposito and Garrison back to third overall and third in Open Pro in the official standings.

The next stop for Mike Childress is the 43rd annual Tecate SCORE International Baja 500 on June 5th.   Childress drew the 13th starting position amongst 23 Class 1 cars and intends to show the competition what he is capable of with a fully functioning car.   Meanwhile, THR Motorsports will be campaigning four bike teams at the BITD Blue Water Grand Prix this coming weekend on May 14th and 15th in Parker, Arizona.