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The NTD Racing Family

The Idea for NTD Racing was born in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the United States Air Force Academy over 25 years ago.  A hard charging team of future Air Force pilots built an 8hp Mini Baja and and raced to victory over 63 Universities in the grueling Arizona desert.

 

Today, NTD Racing still has 3 of the original members plus a growing family of Veterans and civilian service members working toward our goal of crossing the finish line.  This is our Journey to the Baja 1000.

Dave

Dave

Owner/Driver: Dave "Nitetrain" Pryor is a retired Air Force F-15C pilot and current Delta Airlines pilot. Today Dave lives in San Diego California with his Wife Michelle and their son. In his spare time he likes to build anything that makes his Dad say "You are crazy!"

Denny

Denny

Driver: Denny LeBow was raised in Tyler, Texas, and now calls Fort Worth home. He is a recently retired Department of State Diplomatic Security Special Agent. Denny and his spectacular wife Jenn have four children and two dogs. He enjoys live music and cold beer.

David

David

Driver: David Lassiter is a Program Manager on a Flight Simulator Program with CAE, USA in Arlington, TX where he has been employed for 25 years. He’s been married since 2004 and has 4 daughters, 1 son and 3 grandsons. In his spare time, David enjoys photography, hanging by his pool with his family, 4-Wheeling and Scuba Diving.

Danny

Danny

Driver: JD “Danny” Whitaker was born and raised in Tyler, Texas and still considers it his home of record. He is a retired Army officer and current department of defense mental health provider currently serving with his wife of 12 years MAJ Natalie Whitaker in Ramstein-Miesenbach Germany. In his free time Danny enjoys adventure racing, UTV dirt track racing, trail running and raising their two young daughters.

Mike

Mike

Driver: Mike Matthews is a ski patroller on Vail Mountain in the winter and owns his own tree cutting business in the summer. He has lived in the Vail Valley for 28 years. Before becoming a patroller he was a cook for 17 years. He has been married for 14 years and has 2 dogs. Mike enjoys what he does for a living and spends his free time hanging with his wife and dogs.

Bear

Bear

Driver: Paul “Bear” Cory is a retired Air Force A-10 pilot and current FedEx pilot. He has deployed all over the world and currently lives in Wichita Falls, TX with his wife of 24 years and 17 year old son. He enjoys traveling in his RV and Jeeping whenever he can. Won’t turn down any adventure!

Ryan

Ryan

Driver: Ryan Nunez is raising his 3 beautiful children in San Diego, CA with his wife Julie who he met in Italy. He serves as the North America Alliances lead at Salesforce for Accenture. A good day for Ryan includes surfing, CrossFit, chasing his kids and occasionally his wife. At night he joins NTD Team owner Dave Pryor in his garage to break most of his tools and generally makes more mess than progress. But nevertheless good company.

Jim

Jim

Driver: James “Jim” Johnson is a Special Agent for the Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security and is currently serving at the US Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. He is also the most attractive person on the NTD Racing team. With his free time Jim enjoys sailing, building guitars, and motorcycle trips. Jim can be found most midnights in the dunes on the cape. If not there - go to O’Malley’s where he will be found planning his escape.

Dave

Dave

Driver: Dave “Smuggler” Johnson is a retired F-15 and F-22 pilot and currently the President of Johnson Brothers Appliances (a small family business in Bend, Oregon). He has been married for 21 years to his incredible wife Carrie and has 4 awesome kids. He enjoys designing and building stuff on the rare occasion he has any free time.

Josh

Josh

Driver: Joshua Mauro was born in Pittsburgh Pa, and has lived in Vail CO. for the last 25 years. He is a County Paramedic and a Ski Patroller on Vail Mtn. When he's not skiing powder, he rides moto in the woods, builds rock crawlers and hotrods, and cleans up dog fur around the house from his overly hairy Golden Retriever.

Kris

Kris

Driver: Kristofer Noël is originally from New Hampshire, but has called Colorado home for many years. Kris and his wife Jasmine run a snow cat skiing operation in SW Colorado. When he’s not skiing pow he enjoys time with his wife and dog; be it Mountain Biking, riding dirt bikes, camping or playing guitar in their band.

Topher

Topher

Driver: Topher Matthews is a nuclear engineer at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. His off-time is filled with chasing his two kids around the hobby farm him and his wife have in the Northern New Mexico mountains. Despite being handsomer and taller, he seems to always be playing catch-up with his cooler, older brothers.

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Brian

Support: Brian “Sea Dog” O’Neil is a retired Air Force and Southwest Airlines pilot. Now in his third career, he helps run the family business IP Truck, a commercial truck dealer group based in DFW. In his spare time, he enjoys restoring Austin Healey sports cars, sailing and spending time with family, friends and his dog Trooper. This is his second Baja 1000 and he loves tacos!

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Mark

Support: Mark “Snapper” Bennett is a retired Air Force B-1 pilot and current Delta Air Lines pilot. He lives in Huntington Beach, CA with his wife Roxane and their son. Mark enjoys spending his spare time with his family and friends on the beach in Surf City USA.

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Angela

Support: Angela Lassiter is the Manager of Procurement Services for CAE, USA, where she has been employed for 21 years. Angela is married with five children and three grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys off road adventures in her Jeep and country dancing with her husband David.

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Bailey

Support: Bailey is the Director of Operations for Active Energies Solar in Eagle-Vail, CO. Raised in the plains of Nebraska she fled to the Rocky Mountains 18 years ago where she met her partner in crime, Mike, and has been laughing her way through their adventures ever since. Cruising into the Baja for the second time and beyond excited for the memories! Hobbies: hanging with Mikey, snuggling with the pups, drinking some beer, playing cards, and mountain biking.

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Bryan

Support: Bryan Wilson is from Lexington, Kentucky, and recently moved to Colorado after years living in Africa. A retired Marine Corps officer, he now hikes, bikes, and skis as much as he can, and goes on adventures and beer runs with his African street dogs Samba and Chef. Bryan drove from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas in 1992, and can’t wait to return to Baja.

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Rich

Support: Rich Pryor was born in Pittsburgh. After earning a BS from Penn State University and a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Pittsburgh, he spent 40 years with US National Laboratories and was appointed to the President's Office of Science and Technology Policy as a Senior Policy Analyst on nuclear issues. Rich currently lives in Albuquerque where he focuses on software development and volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol as a Mission Pilot. He has been married to his wife Rebecca for 34 years, with whom he shares 5 children and 7 grandchildren.

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