Fluge Global Adventures

In 2007, Nick Fluge and Bill Lowblad drove one of 25 limited production “Bad Boy Saleen’s” across the United States in the Great American Run (aka Cannonball Run). Leaving Central Park in New York they battled with other exotic cars over many states and thousands of miles finishing several days later in Los Angeles. Their 8th place finish was relished given the international and oddball group that took part in the event. The event was featured in National Lampoon’s “Great American Run” documentary. Little did they know then that a short two years later their 160 mph plus driving on public highways would turn into 5 mph creeping on a dirt speedway in farm country. In 2008, Fluge and Lowblad played in the World Series of Poker while plotting their next great battle of machines. In 2009, their planning took the form of participation in the Great “Combine Demolition Derby”. That’s right…Farm Equipment…Big Farm Equipment!

The first task was to find two John Deere combines – ready to be tortured by other agricultural behemoths. That occurred earlier this summer. The next job was to secure Steve Gatrell and the ProFab team to craft roll cages and other magic demolition ‘tricks of the trade’. The final effort would occur in late August when Fluge and Lowblad arrived at the Sunset Speedway, armed with nothing more than Red Bull and a pile of bravado. The pit crew of Spence Gatrell, Patrick Hinkle and James Marlow was lead by Steve Gatrell – whose job it was to keep the combines on the track through as many heats as possible.

The FGA team quickly found that the other competitors were farmers, welders, and people who didn’t find the poker playing, race car driving, mountain climbing FGA, triathlon, and bike riding squad all that threatening. In the first heat Lowblad was able to keep his machine in play (although his small rear tires were quickly trashed by the more experienced farmers). Fluge’s first run was shaping up to be a good one. (Fluge had the turbo John Deere with the huge front tires – weighing in at just over 32,000 pounds). With that said, at the ‘starting horn’ the local farm contingent immediately swooped in for the kill and dismantled Fluge’s rear (turning) wheels and suspension. He was left flailing being forced to take full on smashes from the other demons of the farms.

Lowblad kept the FGA spirts up however with cagey driving that put him in the final events’ top five. The wise and experienced combine veterans finally took out Bill as well leaving him and Nick with little more than a cold beer and 65,000 pounds or so of scrap metal. Our thanks do go to the many FGA fans who came out in significant numbers and who were sporting rather outstanding FGA “Sieve of Destruction” TShirts - (Good job Randy and Instant Imprints!)!

The future, as usual, remains unclear – but with the growing contingent of FGA supporters we’re sure we’ll have another adventure in the works soon.

“After racing class championships in 2007 and 2008, Nick Fluge is preparing to challenge some of the world’s finest drivers in the upcoming FGA Rose Cup Classic, Muscle Milk SCCA Trans Am Series. He will race in his GT1 Derhaag Corvette against a field of Jaguars, Mustangs and Corvettes. The Trans Am Series has a racing heritage of over 40 years with venues throughout the United States and Canada.

So far in 2009 Fluge has three firsts and five podiums in SCCA regional and national race events and leads in the regions’ GT1 race category. Steve Gatrell, owner of Profab and Fluge’s Crew Chief, has kept the car moving in the right direction with his outstanding talent and dedication. Without Steve, Fluge would be a back-marker. Crew members; Spence, Patrick, Leo, Jeff, and Troy also add diverse opinion and expertise to the team. Matt Crandall, of Speed Sports has helped ‘gear-up’ both Fluge and the car from
racing shoes to in-dash computer. Troy Carter and Yelena King round out the group as FGA fitness leaders responsible for keeping Fluge in the Driver’s seat working hard for the full one hour Trans Am race.

Todd Harris is Fluge’s race instructor and FGA racing ambassador, but will be a competitor in one of the famed Muscle Milk Jaguars at this years’ Trans Am. Fluge is picking Harris as the pre-race favorite to win the event -”hands down”. While Fluge did set the most recent PIR track race GT1 record with a 1:13:9 surpassing Rob Holden’s 2008 mark of 1:16:4, he is quick to point out that the track’s recent repaving and reconfiguration helped his effort. He also realizes the field of international talent along with his friend, Todd Harris’ expertise will bring an entirely new ballgame to competition in the northwest.

The SCCA Trans Am, is one of the nation’s oldest and most celebrated racing series and will also feature Tommy Drissi, from Hollywood, driving a Rocketsports Jaguar, sponsored by “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”, international champion Klaus Graf, from Germany, and Daniel Ramoutarsingh a rookie from Trinidad. Tony Ave, in a Mustang, from North Carolina is a many time pole sitter - but has yet to win a Trans Am race. All in all, a strong field.

Besides co-sponsoring the race, Fluge Global Adventures is proud to name the Santos Football Club as their charity race partner for the weekend. Santos FC is an Oregon area youth soccer team which provides sports and recreation to approximately 375 children who are considered ‘at risk’. They range in age from seven to 19 years old, and participate in 17 different soccer leagues in the northwest. The organization’s goal is to build confidence, keep them happy and out of challenged situations, and lead towards college and scholarship. Some of the kids will be visiting the Rose Cup Trans Am races over the weekend.

Santos FC was founded in 1999 to provide Hispanic youth the opportunity to participate and compete in organized soccer, regardless of economic limitations or cultural barriers. The cultural diversity of Santos FC teams has been successful at bringing families together with the common goal of exposing their children to team play and teaching them to appreciate cultural differences. Besides presenting a check to Santos in the weekend’s Winner’s Circle, FGA will carry the Santos team decals on their race car and proudly wave Santos banners in the pit area during this June race.

The most revered brand in American road racing, the Muscle Milk(r) SCCA(r) Trans-Am(r) Series returns for its 42nd season in 2009 after a two-year hiatus. Featuring groundpounding, 700 horsepower, purpose-built Corvettes, Jaguars and Mustangs today, the series’ past champions include iconic road racing names like Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, Peter Gregg, Scott Pruett, Tommy Kendall and Paul Gentilozzi. Jointly
sanctioned by SCCA, Inc. and SCCA Pro Racing, the series plans an eight-race schedule in 2009. For more information, please visit www.sccatrans-am.com.

About Fluge Global Adventures. Several years ago, Fluge’s journey through life took new turns, leading him away from the realm of eCommerce development, to new arenas that included sitting in the seat of SCCA super-cars and playing next to Las Vegas card sharks at the World Series of Poker. In the last few years, Fluge and his FGA Team-mates have climbed 19,000 foot Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the largest free standing mountain in the world. They’ve crossed the country in the “Cannonball Run” a rally/road race from New York’s Central Park to Los Angeles. In late 2007 two FGA teams tackled a serious hike to Base Camp at Mt. Everest in Nepal, and also explored Loch Ness in Scotland (returning without the monster). A full scale onslaught on the World Series of Poker in 2006, 2007 and 2008 took Team FGA “all in - many times!” High Octane Adventures in the SCCA led to Team FGA Class Championships in 2007 and 2008. An Olympic Length Triathlon, the STP 200 Mile Cycle Championship, and the Magical, Digital, Mystery Stationary Bike Tour, occupied team members for much of 2008.

So far in 2009 a final “four table” finish in the World Poker Challenge spring event and lapping the field in a recent SCCA road race have been a great start to a year that will include more adventures such as exposing the world to art and pie at the Russell Street Gallery and Pie Diner. The “One World - Infinite Adventures” for local elementary students was one of the most exciting FGA adventures yet. For more information, please visit www.flugeglobaladventures.com.