Baja 1000 races

[Honda TRX250ex]

i was watching baja 1000 today on TV and it looked like a awesome race.
does anyone here do any of those races?

I don't race it, but I want to, its my goal in life to race that race lol.
But I recommend you watch the move "Dust to Glory" its a documentary about the 1000, and its a really good movie.

But what channel was it on? Please don't tell me OLN

[CannondaleRider]

Yeah, i've never raced the Baja(hopefully sometime in the next year or so;) )

Just desert racing in general is awsome though.:devil:

[Disaster]

Oh man what channel was that on OLN ? i can never find quad races on here

[baja_racer]

I raced back in the 80's....class 7,5-1600 and 1/2-1600....back when Ivan Stewart was the king of Baja.

[wilkin250r]

And nobody back east has a clue what you guys are talking about. :blah:

They are saying to themselves "Baja?!? Why would they name a race after a type of burrito?" :bandit:

[Honda TRX250ex]

lol yeah i told my brother that baja was on last nite and he was like wtf? and yeah it was on OLN lol
the race looks awesome i would want to try somthing like that when im older.



BTW there is a quad show on tonite at 5:30 eastern time on OLN
its like ATV magizine or somthing like that

[Honda TRX250ex]

Originally posted by baja_racer
I raced back in the 80's....class 7,5-1600 and 1/2-1600....back when Ivan Stewart was the king of Baja.
did ivan stewart die recently?
i was watching and they said somthing about a guy dieing that use to race and he was really good.

[baja_racer]

Ivan is very much alive.....we lost Corky Mcmillin last month.

[Honda TRX250ex]

yeah whos it was
sorry

[parkers30]

I think my whole Family's goal is to race that race now..... along with a few friends, hopefully we can do it before too long

[baja_racer]

Race Baja??? Try the San Felipe 250 in February to get a taste of what it's like.

[baja_racer]

Your connection to fun...


http://www.score-international.com/

[wilkin250r]

The Baja 1000 is not something you just jump in to.

If Baja is your goal, I'd follow baja_racer's suggestion. Try the San Felipe, or maybe some of the Best In The Desert series, first.

[baja_racer]

Here is some of the best advice written....

Good on ya for thinking about racing the funnest off-road race ever. First, you're comparing apples to oranges if you try and compare a Michigan Enduro with the Baja 1000. Other forums try and do that but the two are incredibly different. Secondly, the 2004 Baja 1000 was considerably different from the 2005 Baja 1000 in that this year's race consisted of less "WFO" roads and a more technical and terrain-challenging course. Next year's Baja 1000 will go down the peninsula to La Paz so expect more wide open graded roads. Seeing that the Honda "A" team can average a peninsula run with a > 60MPH average, you'll see very little of speeds less than 24MPH. Nobody is as fast as Honda A, but check the average MPH of the bike finishers from previous Baja 1000's. The 2006 Baja 1000 will probably exceed 1000 miles in length with the usual Baja "gotchas" but if I had to force an answer to your question, I'd say 15 percent of your riding time would be less than 24MPH. Because you have 4-wheel vehicles behind you on the same course, you'll find mostly 2-track with an occasional dry lake or beach run.

I think you should concentrate, rather, on what makes the Baja 1000 unique:

1. Crowds that will mob the open course, some intoxicated, and photographers who will wait till the last possible second to get out of your way.

2. Spectator and support traffic, sometimes going the wrong way, that must be dealt with. Livestock that will wander out on the course.

3. Booby traps set up by nefarious individuals, who want to see you crash and burn.

4. The Terrain:
a. Miles and miles of endless 3-4 ft high whoops,
b. Sandwashes where the sand becomes deep and hides boulders, continually churned by 3 weeks of pre-run traffic.
c. Silt beds, possibly 3 feet of silt and hidden ruts (see Andy Grider's near-fall in Dust to Glory),
d. More than half of this race will be at night - night riding experience?

5. Making sure your bike is properly prepped to race 1000 miles (not ride 1000 miles, but race).

6. Making sure you have a pit and logistics plan that can support your bike for 1000 miles. Recommend going with a pit support group (Honda if you're riding a Honda) or Mag 7. Even so, do you have the requisite spares for parts that are likely to fail? Getting riders safely to the next rider change point?

7. Pre-running the course as much as possible prior to race day. Day and night.

8. The comfort factor of 800hp trucks passing within inches of you.

9. The mental mettle of your riders to accept and deal with the foregoing for 1000 miles. It becomes both a mental and physical challenge to complete a Baja 1000. Some thrive on adversity and why the Baja-unique aspects make this race so appealing. You're not going to find alot of this in Michigan, but on the other hand, some first-timers have done very well with the right preparation.

10. The fun of doing 1-9.

[CannondaleRider]

Great post:D

[Honda TRX250ex]

i know that it is hard. i was thinking it would be a pretty cool experince to have.

[schootar]

Originally posted by nofearrider1


But I recommend you watch the move "Dust to Glory" its a documentary about the 1000, and its a really good movie.



I second his recommendation. "Dust to Glory" is an awesome movie. The film work in it is excellent. Mouse McCoy is the man.