Baja 1000 2007

[yfzquebec]

Hi,
I'm from Montreal, Qc, Canada. We are a team of endurance racer who participate since 2000 in some endurance races: 12 hours of america 7th, 12 hours of La tuque 2e, 12e, 15e, 22e, 12 h of Pont de vaux France, rally of Niger, Africa (Sahara)...

We want to participate in the 2007 Baja 1000.
I want to know:
How many participant per quad?
What is the difference between class 25 and sportsman?
Is it possible to follow (pit crew) with an RV?
How difficult to follow the track, check point with GPS or road book?
What's the autonomy needed?

I have many more questions!!!

Tank you,
Mike

[gojk]

Originally posted by yfzquebec
Hi,
I'm from Montreal, Qc, Canada. We are a team of endurance racer who participate since 2000 in some endurance races: 12 hours of america 7th, 12 hours of La tuque 2e, 12e, 15e, 22e, 12 h of Pont de vaux France, rally of Niger, Africa (Sahara)...

We want to participate in the 2007 Baja 1000.
I want to know:
How many participant per quad?
What is the difference between class 25 and sportsman?
Is it possible to follow (pit crew) with an RV?
How difficult to follow the track, check point with GPS or road book?
What's the autonomy needed?

I have many more questions!!!

Tank you,
Mike

All of your questions can be answered here.
http://www.score-international.com/

[yfzquebec]

Not realy, I went through there web site and there are not a lot of infos. I want people who have lived it to really know things we should do to get prepair.
Tank anyways.
Michel

[DezSled]

If I''m not mistaken 4 riders per team,
Class 25 is open atv pro (over 250 cc atv), sportsman is for just a trophy. Entry fees are cheaper running sportsman.
You might be able to pit w/a RV but not to the remote areas that might be needed. In other words you would be better off w/ more capable chase vehicle(s) in addition to the RV. Race vehicle fuel consumption should determine distance between pits.
I have never used a gps in a score race, so someone else will need to answer that question (didn't have them when I raced).
For your last question if I understand it, you can't change engine cases or race vehicles - only parts, you can only be towed 10% of the total race mileage before your disqualified, and rider of record has to start or finish the race. They now require a tracking device be installed on the race vehicle so they can determine if you have been off course/short coursed.

Prerun the race course as much as you can.

Best of Luck

[yfzquebec]

Tank you!

[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]

Good post;)

[yellow400ex05]

Very good post! yea I've had recent questions on the Baja 1000, the minimum age is 15 with parents permission, I think I migh try to do it like next year after i can get some mods on my quad, and gain a little more experience, you may think I'm crazy for goign to do a 1000, but I think I have th e determination, just gotta get a pit crew and all that kind of stuff.

Do you think 23 inch tires, and a 17 tooth front sproket with full skids a pipe, jet kit airfilter, nerfs would do good? Would I have good top end? also if its not big enough whats the biggest front sprocket for a quad you can get?

[CannondaleRider]

Originally posted by yellow400ex05
Very good post! yea I've had recent questions on the Baja 1000, the minimum age is 15 with parents permission, I think I migh try to do it like next year after i can get some mods on my quad, and gain a little more experience, you may think I'm crazy for goign to do a 1000, but I think I have th e determination, just gotta get a pit crew and all that kind of stuff.

Do you think 23 inch tires, and a 17 tooth front sproket with full skids a pipe, jet kit airfilter, nerfs would do good? Would I have good top end? also if its not big enough whats the biggest front sprocket for a quad you can get?

I'm going to be brutally honest and tell you that, based on that post, your not ready for the Baja. No offense or anything, but it takes more then a bit of determination, and a mediocre bike.

Mike Penland once raced a Wolverine in the 1000...can't remember the year, can't remember what happened, but he didn't finish. He spent over 23,000(around there) just to go down there, prerun, race, entry fees, fuel, parts, etc etc....the list goes on.

Your ***** has to be lined out to perfection.

For an example of the sheer size of the race, on main roads, it would be like riding from Phoenix, Arizona to Portland, Oregon...not quite, but almost. And thats on one hell of a rough track.

Got a question though, what kind of races have you done? Where at? Are you from the East Coast?

My advice, come out, and enter a smaller desert race. BITD Avi 150, BITD Parker 250, maybe even the BITD Vegas-to-Reno race, before entering Baja

[yellow400ex05]

I haven't raced yet I'm only 15, but i ride every day, and i ride hard and push myself. I'll prolly try like a baja 500 or like a 250 mile race or something smaller until i get experienced on racing hard and that far.

[CannondaleRider]

In that case, I'd RACE first....XC, MX... WORCS, GNCC, GNC, ITP..whatever, just get some racing under your belt first, then step up to desert races.

Also, you are planning on getting a team together, right?

Doing the 1000 solo would be a horrible idea...although possible, it would be probably 18 hours of riding, and thats if your pretty fast.