Rally Recap:
Race Day 2 / San Quintín to Ensenada
The final day of racing is upon us at the 2024 NORRA 500. Those who are out front and running strong hope to bring it home with a win. Those who may have struggled on day one are looking for a chance at redemption. The rally format and multiple days of racing at NORRA allow teams to regroup and continue with their best efforts. No matter how much work goes into the preparation, any team can have a great day of racing, or run into problems. NORRA races show who is consistently good and who can solve problems along the way. The winners did not just have a lucky day; they showed their abilities and left no doubts they were the strongest.
Day two would have lots of spectacular scenery and unique experiences as it travelled north from San Quintin to Ensenada. The final 51 mile long special section from San Vicente to Santo Tomas would crown the King of the Beach. The fastest time on that section wins the special trophy. In addition to the race for the overall win, there are individual classes battling for their spots on the podium. After hundreds of miles of racing on day one, competitors were only separated by minutes and sometimes only seconds. The strategy on the final day of racing is to go fast and win. Looking at the list of names at the top of the leader board, making time on those teams would not be easy.
Dave Mason Jr. would start the day in seventh place overall. He charged on the first stage taking the win, but overall race leader Kyle Murray was not going to let him gain time on him, he finished second. Gay Smith took a run on the Evolution Unlimited class leader and second overall Bill Zemak. Smith was third fastest on the stage, but again Zemak was fourth and had Smith covered. Jeff Terzo had a strong run to finish fifth fastest on the stage. The strong teams up front were still running fast. Bruce Yee was sixth, Thomas Purcell seventh, Richie Mendez was eighth, Renee Hudson ninth and Gilberto Rodriguez tenth. The Evolution Pro 2000 UTV/ class 10 racers were turning up the heat on the Yee’s who led the class. They finished fifth through tenth. With twenty thousand dollars on the line, it was time to go.
Stage two saw some new names at the top and some movement in the overall standings. It was still Dave Mason Jr. with the win and Kyle Murray covering him in second, but Zak Langley was third fastest. The Fab School class 5 of Hap Kellogg finished sixth. Austin Farner was seventh. Edward Gibson was ninth in his heavy metal truck and Ricardo Zaragoza was tenth in his Pro Turbo UTV.
Going into the final King of the Beach timed special stage, the overall standings were Kyle Murray first, Bill Zemak second, Bruce Yee third, PJ Jones fourth, Dave Mason Jr. fifth, Zak Langley sixth, Austin Farner seventh, Gilberto Rodriguez eighth, Jeff Terzo ninth and Todd Romano in tenth. This final stage was a challenge. Starting in San Vicente, it headed through the wash towards the Pacific Ocean. After hitting the beach in Erendira, it ran along the coast past Rancho Tampico and then through the coastal mountains to Santo Tomas. Drivers would need speed, but also precision if they were going to be successful.
Dave Mason Jr. proved his speed again, taking the stage win and King of the Beach title. Bruce Yee put in a very fast run to finish second on the stage. Gay Smith was third. Kyle Murray was a solid fourth. Bill Zemak was fifth. Then finishing the top ten were Zak Langley, Austin Farner, Hap Kellogg, Jeff Terzo and Gilberto Rodriguez, in that order. All that was left was to tally the final times, assess any penalties and celebrate the winners. Judging by the smiles on everyone’s faces, there were many who won their individual battles. They might have been just getting to the finish line after overcoming adversity, all the way up to an overall win or cash prize for their class. Congratulations go out to all of them.
The overall win went to Kyle Murray who dominated both days of racing. His team showed speed and consistency that was unmatched. Bill Zemak was a close second and had much of the same performance. He won the Evolution Unlimited buggy class over second in class and third place overall Dave Mason Jr. Mason moved from seventh to third overall on day two. Fourth overall and big winners of the race were the Yee brothers Bruce, Max and Diego. It didn’t seem to matter who was behind the wheel or which brother was calling out the navigation; they were fast. They were fourth overall and won the Pro 2000 UTV and Class 10 category which earned them a check for 20 thousand dollars and a K24 Honda race engine from Lozano Performance worth $9500. This course seemed to be suited for a class 10 car to win, but there was lots of competition in the class; including Austin Farner who finished second and Jeff Terzo in third.
The Yee brothers also had the cops on their tails, but not how you think. Zak Langley and the Cops racing team finished fifth overall and second in Evolution 6100. PJ Jones was the winner in Pro Turbo UTV and sixth overall. PJ also walked away with a check for 20 thousand and the Fab School Overall UTV trophy. Just two and a half minutes behind was the second overall UTV and seventh overall of Austin Farner. Eighth, ninth and tenth places overall were all UTV’s. The order went Gilberto Rodriguez, Jeff Terzo and Todd Romano.
Also worth a mention is Hap Kellogg who won another Vintage class 5 title. His The Fab School sponsored car is in the Vintage era, but can still hang with the fastest Evolution Era vehicles. In the Evolution class 11 battle, Ramon Manriquez was able to overcome the lead held by Franz Muhr to take the win and check for $2500. Chris Forsberg and the NISMO team got their second straight NORRA 500 win. And for all the millions wondering if the Donut Media 5150 truck would survive Baja, they did. The team did an incredible job overcoming everything that Baja dished out. Our Grand Marshal Ramon Castro was awarded the Madonna trophy from Bilstein. First time racer at the NORRA 500, but definitely not the last, Janey Lee earned the Mary McGee trophy for her accomplishments on and off the course.
The competition side of the event was exciting, but NORRA is so much more. NORRA events give you the whole Baja experience. The Meyers Manx Safari Expedition had an incredible journey according to those who participated. Huge thanks go out to the many volunteers, the sweep crews; who were still rescuing people on the way home by the way, and the incredible sponsors of NORRA; Speed Energy, Bilstein, Meyers Manx, Raceline Wheels, Nomad, Mobelwagen, STEEL-IT and The Fab School. They all combine to make it such a great event. For complete finishing results and more go to www.norra.com. Also check out the coverage on NORRA TV for footage from the race.
After experiencing the NORRA 500 just once, you too will be hooked. Everything you need to know about the NORRA 500 and Mexican 1000 can be found at www.norra.com. Go to the site and find out for yourself why NORRA has exploded in popularity. You can feel the same excitement those pioneering thrill seekers sought in 1967 when you join NORRA in Baja. NORRA events honor the past, while forging the future.
Photo credit: Bink Designs
Safari photo by Natalie Crow
