Just got back from driving Baja 500-sort of

[2.216VTurbo]

OK, so the real thing isn't until June 2-4, but I am going to crew for a 2 car class 1 'buggy' team:) Cars have 14+" of travel, Mendiola 5spd trannies and one is Cadillac Northstar powered and the other class IV Porsche 2.8l six. Both cars have torque in spades but I have to give the nod to the Northstar for all around grunt and top end rip. Since we were just prerrunning the course last weekend the mood is pretty light and after I rode for 3.5 hours as co-driver/navigator the team owner suggested a driver change:D Not relly confident on how to drive a rig like that and I am not at all familiar with the car but who on this list would say no?:thumb: 5+ hours later and ~110 course miles, I'm a pro:cool:

These cars will soak up an amazing amount of punishment and deliver very little of it to the driver. Six foot drop off into a river bed-no problem just keep the throttle open so it doesn't nose over and it feels like you just dropped off a curb. 40 degree incline up a rocky dusty trail with huge ruts? Again keep the gas on and momentum up and they scramble right up:thumb:

The absolute worst part is the dust! Even though the helmets have a filtered fresh air inake that blows filtered accross your face, the stuff gets in your eyes and covers your face shield in just a few miles. If you approach slower traffic, you sometimes have to come to a crawl just to let the dust settle so you can see to pass. Wadding the following car into the car ahead is an all to common problem during the race:( We were prerunning with only 20-30 cars/trucks/bikes/quads on the track and it was like a sandstrom for parts of the course! On race day there will be over 200 vehicals running and it will be much worse:eek:

Still, if the practice is any indication, the SCORE Baja 500 Ensenada is going to rock! Did I mention it is like a three day party and our team is providing all the eats and a 12 pack per member per day:D All I have to do is keep the cars running, these guys have no idea what it takes to keep a 20 year old TD going;) the race cars are cake to work on...

[GLHSKEN]

WOW.. You sure do find ways to have fun!!

[BadAssPerformance]

Sounds like fun! I've done a little off roading in AZ before and if I lived in the SW US, I'd definitely be into off roading :thumb:

[CSX321]

That sounds like fun! A couple of years ago I drove some VW-powered cars in Cabo San Lucas, which even though they would only go up to about 60, was an absolute blast. You're right, it's amazing how smooth the suspension makes it feel. Also right about the dust!

[mcsvt]

Definately jealous :D

[2.216VTurbo]

Here's the plan- We are heading out today in a couple of hours after 10+ late night wrenching sessions to get the race car well prepped-never quite feels like it is all the way ready:o

We are running class 1, one step under the 'Trophy truck' class, the big boys:eyebrows: Our team is one motorhome for HQ, two tool trucks with lots of spares and welders, and two 'fast attack' chase cars that run parts etc directly onto the course if there is a breakdown-or should I say when;) One chase car is a fully modded 80's Bronco with all the goods to make it go anywhere, the other is the back up race car. Somehow I cajoled my way into the back up race car chase vehical so it's my job to watch the GPS and listen to the onboard radios to make sure I leapfrog the racecar to stay within a ~30 minute drivetime between the tool trucks and the racecar. Sounds easy but I am betting I'll get lost at least once:p No real signposts out there in the Mexican desert or on the beach side of the course. The back up racer is powered by an aircooled Porsche flat six and will climb anything as long as I don't wad it up or roll it into a little ball;)

That's about the size of it-I'm off to eat some dust and drink lots of beer:thumb: Oh yeah and the tacos at Super Burro near Estero Beach in Ensenada are Muy Bien! I can eat like 10-12 for breakfast lunch or dinner...

[altered7151]

Thats awesome! Being a fellow aircooled enthusiast I've always wanted to run a baja class car. Its on my "To do before I die" list, but of course real men race Class 11:eyebrows: Watch out for boobie traps out there, I've heard plenty of stories of the mexicans digging holes and setting traps for the cars. We expect plenty of pictures, and try to stay out of the jails down there.

[2.216VTurbo]

OK, here is the story from the race. (by the way as a sidebar, if you watched the Monster Garage Baja Trophy truck build and accompanying race episode; Jesse and all his millions only made it 214 miles into the race before they DNF'd. Only about 1/2 the entrants finish the race:o ) It was hot, gritty, dirty, grueling and a TOTAL BLAST all at once:D The usual all night wrenching/prepping seesions in the last 5 days before the race this weekend meant we were running pretty low on sleep. Then the night we were to load the our class 1 Northstar powered buggy, the alternator is pulling only 11 volts So I slap on the spare and its pulling 18 volts:confused: We are supposed to be leaving for the race the next morning and we have electrical issues. Then we get a late start the next day because the lead mechanic has to work 1/2 day :o We manage to grab two alternators at the shop that builds them for us in San Diego. They are a specialty because they have special windings that allow for mega output and a portable Mobi-Arc stic welder to be run off of them for welding repairs on the course.

After we get to Ensenada and drink a few Pacifico cervesa's, the new alternator is good to go.

For the 500 race, a total of 17 hours is alloted over a 424 mile course and you need to hit 5 checkpoints all on a time frame. Our team is the race car, one command class 'A' motorhome for HQ, two tools/spares 4WD chase trucks, and two 'fast attack' vehicals that are capable of running the course to reach the race car with parts and spares. My job was to pilot one of the fast attack cars and at all costs KEEP THE RACE CAR RUNNING! My SD cohort Pat Pedroza who I dragged along for the adventure, is assigned to one of the chase trucks. Let's see, I'm driving the back up race car with like 20+ inches of travel, Porsche power, a Mediola five speed trans and there are no speed limits and all the beer and tacos I want to consume, I'm thinking this is a pretty good gig:eyebrows:

After the first real night of sleep in days at Estero Beach resort we are ready to go at about 11 am. We get out well and the car is running strong, passing plenty of cars in class and even a few Trophy Trucks (a faster class) until race mile 36, stuck in a ditch near Ojos Negros Over an hour to dig it out. We make check point #1 with no trouble and make up some time until the biggest mud bog in the world swallows the car at race mile 135. Another hour lost. Refueling at mile 173, since his helmet seal is not working the co-driver has so much silty dust mixed with tears in his eyes, they are caked almost shut with that same gooey mud as the bog:yuck: Pretty much the grossest thing I've seen all day and there is no shortage of things like road kill, open sewage pits, and squalor. Still we make checkpoints two and three without issue and no real repairs to the racecar save for a throttle cable that is fabricated out of zip ties . I have been wrenching on my car all day however dealing with with overheating issues (bad fan relay) major oil leak (AN fitting backed out of the block where the pressure switch is mounted) and various other scary little issues that can leave you stranded in the Mexican desert at night where Bandits still routinely 'shop' for things to take from broken down race cars and chase vehicals. And I was too scared to bring my Glock 23C accross the border:banghead: Just before checkpoint four the biggest, scariest, hardest to access ditch swallows up the racecar in a near blackout communication area. We don't even know the car is stuck until we hear it from another team two hours later. After a huge digout effort by the driver, co driver and a couple race fan locals, we are seriously late for checkpoint four and cross it 43 minutes too late:mad: Officially our race is over. But heck we came all this way so we keep going:clap2: After a couple more get stuck type delays we are a couple hours over the the alloted time. At the finish line we our team has gathererd to cheer on our drivers, I'm thinking of that song by Cake, "Going the distance" "The sun has gone down and the moon as come up, and long ago somebody left with the cup. The arena is empty except for one man still driving and striving as fast as he can" They don't waste any time taking down the checkered flags and banners and really it's just a few guys with brooms sweeping the detritous from one side of the dirty street to the other; but we finished under our own power and with our dirty chins up:amen: And that zip tie throttle cable made it over 300 miles.

[2.216VTurbo]

:bump2: Hmm, it didn't reset ttt when I updated the thread...

[BadAssPerformance]

Sounds like a great time :thumb: if I lived in the SW, I would sooo be into off-roading!

[altered7151]

I'm so jealous Alan, that sounds like a great time. Thats a huge accomplishment to just finish the race. If you guys ever need an extra crew man dont be afraid to look me up :eyebrows:

[2.216VTurbo]

I'm so jealous Alan, that sounds like a great time. Thats a huge accomplishment to just finish the race. If you guys ever need an extra crew man dont be afraid to look me up :eyebrows:


Careful what you ask for... They may need help for the 1000 in September:D I don't think I can commit to it because our family vaction that month