Race day three at NORRA’s Baja Mexican 1000 was feast or famine. Those who had solid vehicles were rewarded with very fast roads. The dust was heavy and so was the penalty for missing a turn. Sand and silt was interrupted by rocks and cacti. For the cars, special stage one was 139.7 miles long. Special stage two was an additional 68.4 miles. Some who had problems wondered when it would ever end. Those running wide open out front were hoping it would never end.
The bikes ran 268.5 kilometers (167 miles) from Guererro Negro to San Ignacio. They had a nice day ahead of their marathon stage on day four where they will overnight with no outside support. Alex Ritz took the overall lead and the Pro Rally class top spot on his Honda CRF450X. We reached out to Alex for a comment, but he apologized that he was too busy prepping his bike; which is understandable. The moto racers have a level of commitment that goes way beyond the four wheeled competitors. They are exposed to every bit of harshness the desert can dish out. They only have what they can carry and are out pushing hard with very little margin for error. Larry Engwall has moved into the 60+ class lead and second place overall. Robert Creemers drops to second in 60+ and third overall. The bike standings are nearly totally different every day. It demonstrates how challenging the routes are and how the entire field is so competitive. Second and third place in the Pro Rally class belongs to Scott Purcell and Kevin Archer. They are fourth and fifth overall. You are watching them on the live tracking on NORRA.com aren’t you? Go to the website and check out the battles as they are happening.
The racers have reached the halfway point of the rally, how are things going? Brent Fox is still leading the overall with Dave Mason trailing by just over 8 minutes. “It was excellent today,” said Mason. “We had a smooth run and we’re in a good spot.” Greg Distefano has moved up into third place overall in his Jimco 2000. The Black Diamond number 3 Ford is running fourth. It was driven by Rob MacCachren. “It was Super fun,” said Rob. “Honored to get to drive it again especially with Post, Ragland, Gordon etc. The truck was built in 94 originally; I drove it with Post from 2007 to 2009. I won my first Baja 1000 overall with Post. The Black Diamond number 3 hauls the mail for sure. We had a top speed today of 138 miles per hour. No issues, I just wanted to do my part. The Riviera Racing crew did awesome prep and in the pits. I can’t be thankful enough for them having me. I’ve been chasing Bobby Patton in the FASTBALL Jimco pre runner that is currently leading their class. I’m having a ball and the vibe at NORRA. It is a must to experience.” Matt Cullen is fifth place overall. He says they are doing great. “We ran clean with no issues. It was a super fun section.”
Bob Briggs is having a very good rally with consistent top finishes every day. He sits sixth overall. PJ Jones is flying. He is holding down the eighth spot overall despite the big horsepower crowd he’s running with. The 6100 trucks are still battling with each other in the top ten. Zak Langley is seventh overall and James Griffith and Matt Legg are running ninth and tenth. They are separated by three minutes.
Outside the top ten overall there are highly contested class wins at stake. In the Evolution Showroom Stock Late Model class, Brad Lovell is battling with another Ford Bronco driven by Seth Goslawski. Brad is a NORRA’s Baja veteran and always has a good showing. “Today was a charm in the Bronco Raptor and it showed in our results,” said Brad. “Raptor has been racing 15 years in Baja and is at home here. My son Adam drove the first stage while I rode the right seat. My heart was in my throat with his pace, but he had no errors. He’s out scoring me in stage times! NORRA is the trip of a lifetime every year and I feel very fortunate to be racing with family this year. I’m watching the next generation of off road racing take root.”
Day three might have been all fun and games for some, but others had struggles. Art Eugenio is typically behind a camera. This year he is racing his 1994 Ford Bronco in honor of his father Art Sr. He and co-drivers Dick Gray, Vytautas Dranginis and Julie Shaffer had a tough one. They were 40 miles into special stage one when their rear shock mount broke. They had to pull the rear shocks off and continue. They limped the Bronco all day long without rear shocks. During special stage two they got stuck in sand due to the cautious speed they had to maintain. Local fans showed up to help push the truck out, but it cost them precious time. They missed the cut off time by 13 minutes. Thankfully, the Fab School Repair Team will patch them up and they’ll continue in the morning; disappointed, but not defeated.
One racer who had issues, but did make the cutoff time, by only seconds left, was Blake Wilkey. Blake suffered several flats and had to drive on bare wheels for miles; then he grenaded his transmission. His crew got stuck in the sand on their way to rescue him. He and co-driver Savannah Fiehler already had the broken one out, so the swap went quickly and they made it on time. Also suffering with transmission problems was the number 549 1969 Volkswagen Bug of Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe. Remember they are competing without a chase crew. Everything they have is strapped to the roof rack. They lost second gear but managed to limp into San Ignacio and get help from some other teams. One way or another they will continue.
Other casualties include the Wampuskitty that lost a spindle. Rick Hurricane Johnson who broke a tie rod and the crowd favorite 1966 Ford F100 of Chris Sullivan, Jean Vendette and Ryan Bair popped a motor. They are searching for a replacement and hoping to continue under power.
Some are being tested, others are making progress. Shelby Hall and Brady Melin were celebrating in San Ignacio as they completed their first full day in their 2023 Ford Bronco DR. By all reports they have been hammering the DR the first two days (to the delight of fans and photographers). They are figuring out the pace it takes to finish now and hopefully they keep it up. Keeping it up is what everyone will do. Some who have broken vehicles beyond repair are joining other teams and helping to chase. Every bit of good will and karma will be returned one day. That’s the bond that makes NORRA’s Baja so special. Everyone works to make it to the final fiesta after the race.
No matter what your favorite brand of race vehicle is, you can find it at NORRA’s Baja. Stay tuned for all the action to come. You can be a part of Baja racing history too. After experiencing NORRA’s Baja Mexican 1000 just once, you too will be hooked. Everything you need to know about NORRA’s Baja Mexican 1000 and NORRA 500 can be found at www.norra.com Go to the site and find out for yourself why NORRA has exploded in popularity. You can experience the same competition and adventure those pioneering thrill seekers sought in 1967 when you join NORRA in Baja. NORRA events honor the past, while forging the future. Don’t miss out on the fun and thrills.