To fully understand the history of the 3G Racing Team, you have to go all the way back to the early 1970's, years before any of the current team were born.  The Girdner and Craig families were neighbors in Barstow, living just yards from what is now legendary desert racing territory. 

Grandpa Tom Craig was the first in the family to go desert racing, driving a Class 2 unlimited buggy. Soon, Tom's sons, Tommy and Todd found their way into the car as well.

A few years later, Grandpa Dave Girdner got bit by the bug as well.  In 1978, he entered his first race in a HDRA class 11 "Budget Bug." From the start it was a family affair, with the Girdner kids, David, Mark, Becci, and Beth, serving as drivers or riders and helping in the pits.

In the early 1980's, Grandpa Dave teamed up with soon-to-be son-in-law Tommy Craig (who would marry Becci Girdner in 1981) in the Girdner bug in several races including the legendary Mint 400.  During the 1980's Grandpa Dave claimed three class wins and two seconds at the Mint in either class 11 or Challenger.

Tommy along with his brother Todd, raced a 5-1600 bug and in 1984 they claimed the HDRA overall points championship.  At the same time, Grandpa Dave started a 10-year stint in the Challenger class. 

Tommy and Grandpa Dave would team up
again in 1991 and 1992 to race the Girdner Challenger.  They had even better results this time, consistently placing in the top three in class and bringing home a second place point finish for the year in 1992.  At the same time, Tommy was also racing a 1600 with long time Barstow racer Steve McMullin.  Many times, Tommy would start a race in his 1600, turn it over to Steve at the half way point, and finish the race in relief in the Girdner Challenger car.  

In the early 1990's, Grandpa Dave's oldest grandson, Davy started to help prep the car and help out in the pits.  In 1994, 16 year-old Davy was the first of the "third generation" to get behind the wheel. 

In the late 1990's, Tommy's two oldest sons, TJ and Tim, began riding with him in his 2 seat class 10 car. 

Grandpa Dave scaled back his racing after the 1994 season, racing twice in 1997 sharing time with Davy in each race.  In 2000, Grandpa Dave, along with Davy, raced the old Challenger twice more.  The later of which saw members of all three generations of the Girdner/Craig clan in action with 7 family members competing in 4 different cars, in three different classes. 

Just a month after that last race, work began on a 2-1600 for cousins TJ, Tim, and Davy and 3G racing was born!  The team debuted with a win in their first race in January 2001 on the home Barstow course.

September 2001, at yet another Barstow race, found all three generations racing again with Grandpa Dave in a Class 8 truck, the 3G team in their 1600, and Todd in a Challenger.  The results:  two firsts and one second... Check out the a few of the dozens of cars that have been driven by the Craig/Girdner family over that past 3 decades