The Baja 1000

 

 

 

Baja 1000
From Wikipedia

SCORE Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in November.

The Baja 1000 is part of the SCORE Championship Desert Racing Series that include the Baja 500, San Felipe 250 and the new San Felipe Challenge of Champions in place of the Primm 300 which had been the only SCORE race in the United States.

 

The Baja 1000 allows various types of vehicle classes

to compete on the same course

 

The Baja 1000 allows various types of vehicle classes to compete on the same course - from such small and large bore motorcycles, stock VW, production vehicles, buggies, Trucks, and custom fabricated race vehicles. The course has remained relatively the same over the years with the majority of events being either a point-to-point race from Ensenada to La Paz, or a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada.

 

 

The name of the event can be misleading as the mileage varies for the type of event ("Loop" of approximately 650 miles starting and finishing in Ensenada, or "Point to Point" also known as the "Peninsula Run" of 900 to 1,100 miles from Ensenada to La Paz) and has represented kilometers in the past. Because the Mexican government was proud to play host, the race was initially called the "Mexican" 1000 up to 1972.

 

 

The first official race started in Tijuana, Baja California, on October 31, 1967, and was named the NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally. The course length that year was 849 miles (1,366 km) and ended in La Paz, Baja California Sur, with the overall winning time of 27 hours 38 minutes (27:38) set by Vic Wilson and Ted Mangels while driving a Meyers Manx buggy.

 

 

From 1967 to 1972, the race was organized by the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) and grew in popularity with ABC's "Wide World of Sports" sending Jim McKay to cover the 1968 event, and attracting new participants like the late Mickey Thompson, Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones and movie actor James Garner. By 1971, major sponsors such as Olympia Brewing Company and Minolta Cameras began to support Parnelli Jones in his Dick Russell designed and Bill Stroppe prepared "Big Oly" Bronco and Larry Minor in a similar Stroppe prepared Bronco.

 

 

In October 1973, the price for a barrel of crude oil shot up 70% overnight as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) launched the Arab Oil Embargo. Fearful competitors would abandon the idea of competing and stay home, NORRA abanbdoned the race - despite assurances from the Federal government run Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) fuel prices would remain stable - and announced they would hold an event in the state of Arizona.

 

 

It was at that time in history, Baja California governor Milton Castellanos handed over sanctioning of the event to a non-profit Mexican corporation called the "Baja Sports Committee" (BSC). BSC renamed the event the "Baja Mil" (Baja 1000) and scheduled the race to run on the original dates chosen by NORRA. Though NORRA held a competing event in the United States that same weekend, BSC successfully ran the race from Ensenada to La Paz like the years prior. Unaware of the challenges, BSC found promoting Baja races more difficult than anticipated. Instead of giving up the race, the Mexican government requested help from Short Course Off-Road Enterprises (SCORE) in hosting and promoting future Baja races. Through negotiations with Mickey Thompson and his SCORE organization, the Government agreed to give exclusive rights to SCORE to hold Baja races and also reluctantly allowed SCORE to cancel the event for 1974. SCORE hired Sal Fish as president and took control of the Baja 1000 from that year on with the Baja 1000 race resuming under new control in 1975.

 

 

 

Motorcycles Classes

SCORE Class 20: 125 cc or smaller two-stroke and 250 cc or smaller four-stroke motorcycles
SCORE Class 21: 126 cc to 250 cc
SCORE Class 22: 250 cc or more
SCORE Class 30: Riders over 30 years old
SCORE Class 40: Riders over 40 years old
SCORE Class 50: Riders over 50 years old
SCORE Class 60: Riders over 65 years old

 

Notable competitors

Paul Newman
(American actor - was the oldest participant when he competed in the 2004 event at age 80)

Steve Appleton
(President/CEO Micron Technology)

Ron Bishop
(only motorcycle racer to compete in every Baja 1000)

Erik Carlsson

Anna Jo Cody
(first Female to complete the Baja 1000 solo)

Patrick Dempsey

Walker Evans

Elliot Forbes-Robinson

James Garner

Brendan Gaughan

Rod Hall
(most class wins in history, competed in every race)

Beccy Gordon
(sister of Robby)

Bob Gordon
(father of Robby and Beccy and off road legend)

Robby Gordon

Mike Groff

Robbie Groff

Roberto Guerrero

Jimmie Johnson

Rick Johnson

Parnelli Jones

Michel Jourdain, Jr.

Danny LaPorte

Hiro Matsushita

Hershel McGriff

Corky McMillin

Steve McQueen

Chad McQueen

Rick Mears

Roger Mears

Rod Millen

Larry Minor

Michael Nesmith

Paul Newman

Gunnar Nilsson

Ted Nugent

Danny Ongais

Travis Pastrana

Don Prudhomme

Larry Ragland
(several trophy truck class wins)

J.N. Roberts

Larry Roeseler

Armin Schwarz

Jim Smith

Malcolm Smith

Marty Smith

Ivan Stewart

Danny Sullivan

Ju gatsu Toi

Mickey Thompson

Johnny Unser

Jimmy Vasser

 

Have you ever wanted to race in the Baja 1000?

 

Ride on!

—Michael Murray
Owner | Rider | Enthiusiast

michael@motorcycletraveldvds.com

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