Baja 1000 Uff Dah!

Everybody thinks about the Baja 1000 as something they want to be involved with either
racing, pre-running, helping a team with pits and support or just do as most of the Baja population does and watch the drama and excitement. After Odilly the race organizers struggled to figure how to pull off this major event running this year a total 1275 miles the mountains passes impassible, flooded flood planes but with seemingly insurmountable amount of work, course changes etc. etc. Score International pulled off a ball buster of an event that finished up in LaPaz with plenty of stories for all that were involved.

The Boyz ready for another day.

We had the pleasure of having a group that was tough as wang leather that decided to pre-run the course from Ensenada back home to Los Barrlies just as the race was getting ready to take the green flag. Our daily goal was 200+ miles that is plenty enough of Baja 1000 race course for most and usually this would put us in to our bibwack just at dark or after depending on the days drama. 

If there is one thing for sure, Baja can always dish it out day after day. Looking to have an adventure and an adventure it was! From the time we left LB heading north fully loaded, sheering the rear drive wheel lug nuts off the truck sitting in the middle of nowhere scratching my nuts and head as to how to get us out of this mess. This left us flagging off traffic and Jae hitchhiking to San Ignacio for help. Oh yes let the adventure begin but with the gracias help from friends Rafa and the RPM race team and some luck at the shop in Vizciano at sunset, driving thru the night with the help of a moonlit highway 1, it seemed like a nightmare, but we rolled into that comfy bed at the Cactus Inn for a few hours of sleep before the next days adventure began.

 We don't like counting on others to take care of our riders but with the tight schedule issues we arranged a private van to pick up the Baja virgins from the SD airport and deliver them to Horsepower Ranch where we would meet them and start our trip. Little did we know that we hired a Robby Gordon inspired driver to give the guys there first taste of Mexico and quite the thrill before they even jumped on the bikes LOL you really cant make this shit up. A good meal a couple of beers and everybody was settled in and ready for what Baja had to dish out on the dusty trail that awaited. Milo, Thal, Bumper, Garret and Will were up and ready to roll out of Ensenada and destinations southward I am happy to say that we really appreciate living here in Baja Sur as the Norte seems to lack charm in landscape. Mean, nasty and surprisingly tore up, my thoughts can only be there are so many high power race teams really tearing this place up!

Oh yes the slit.

 Still the beauty and freedom we have to be able to do such a journey is something never to take for granted and for all the riders never being in our Baja the overwhelming feeling of everybody being so welcoming is awesome they make us crazy dirt bike riders feel like Rock Stars! 

Stickers Stickers

By the second day we already had our 2 candidates for the best crash of the trip with Bumper winning head down with his human canon ball though a cactus as well not informing anybody of his busted rib until relaxing around the pool after the whole trip, yep wang leather tough! We had way too many stories to get into this blog but 12 flat tires, silt sucked motors, plugged carburetors, ruined rims, headlights failing, stranded in the dark in Frog Canyon, getting lost avoiding the nasty silt of Comondu, were all part of a great Baja Adventure. I will have to say that planning a trip like this is alot and Jae did a fantastic job getting us the best places to stay everyday and fueling everybody with real Baja cuisine that turned this crew of meat and tater guys into enjoying what the Baja has to give.

 We planned this out so that we could wake up in LaPaz the morning the Baja Mil was finishing so we could witness the success for the 4X team and the others to follow with all such great efforts to make it to the finish line. My buddy Chris Parr is one of the guys who decided to Ironman the Baja Mil this year after many years racing with teams including Captain Baja he felt that the only thing left to do is race the whole thing himself. But this was not his first attempt to do so as 2 years ago he set out to ironman the 2012 peninsula run but 14 miles in he went down hard and busted his ribs and punctured a lung but still rode another 200 miles before collapsing in the pits and yep 2 weeks in the hospital! oh how racing is fun. This year Chris and his Team Whiskey Tango efforts where focused with the attitude just to finish this 1275 mile monster without injury nor divorce. Maybe I have not really expressed how tough this race was but most people involved with this years grand race said this was the Mac Daddy of all! (congrats to Rob Mac and team) and after riding it, I would say so also. As we watched the mucho improved live streaming and tracking from  the south end I could only send out my positive energy to my pal and his spectacular chase team of Darryl and Darin plus one lug nut they picked up.

Chris celebrating his finish with Roger, 47hr on the bike!!!

 The first 24 hours seemed to go as planned with plenty of p-nut butter and bananas Chris has been training for months for this and thought he might be on the bike for 30ish hours but with his set goal in mind he still had another night to go. Every hour I was checking on the status and this second night just crept on forever you can't imagine what effort it takes to concentrate on the terrain that he never even pre-ran and the bodily effort to keep from wadding up in the middle of nowhere. At 4:30 in the morning we were waiting for Chris to finish. Expecting maybe complete dehydration and medical attention but Chris Cool-Aid Parr got the checked flag he was as usual all smiles and completely elated that he has finally accomplished his personal goal!! 47 hours 3rd Place and a whole lot of stories. We are all very proud of you Chris and it was great to get to relax with everybody here in Los Barriles as the stories smiles and laughter went on and on for all of us. 

The gang hanging LB beach style after the long haul.