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Like Father, Like Son

Hermann Baetz had been waiting the past eighteen years for this moment! Tobias, Hermann's son, had grown up playing in his father's workshop… learning how to repair a motorcycle, how to build a race truck, how to install a Ramsey winch. The Baetz' Jeep provided an ideal platform for training with the winch. Soon, Tobias learned to drive and was looking forward to his first race as a teammate with his father.

Of course, the driver has the most popular job. The navigator has to do all the climbing to reach a winch anchoring point, loaded down with cable and hook, snatch block, belt and shackle. Then back to the winch to lock the clutch. Then back to the anchoring point to open the hook, unfasten the cable, recover the belt, shackle, and snatch block. Back to the vehicle; reel in the cable. You crawl along on your hands and feet, carrying the equipment. Do this twenty times on a steep slope! For this rigorous racing, you need to be a real sportsman. Hermann reflects, "Well, at my age… no problem!"

That's how this father & son team began: Tobias as the pilot, Hermann as the co-pilot. During the course of the day, they switched positions several times, depending on the task at hand. At one point, their Jeep was waiting to get up a dune. Hermann was now in the driver's seat and Tobias was ready for action. Together they charted the best course and up they went! Reaching the top, they were ready to serve as an anchoring point for the next vehicle. This team has the key to success. Father and son know they can rely on each other to get the job done.