Baja 1000!

[r_w]

Like Junkie, I was thinking more about things like arms, legs, and neck. Hard to shoot video in a cast. 
Seriously though, have fun, and good luck.

Weeellll, that could be a good segment.  Self defense when disabled or from a compromised postion--like when in a wheelchair or cornered in a booth or chair. 

Good luck, Rob.  Keep your head on your shoulders and stay ahead of the pack.

[fightingquaker13]

Actually Rob, could you give us some basics on the race. I think I speak for most when I say I know its a long assed endurance race in the desert. Beyond that...... Are their seperate categories for bikes and trucks? What's the terrain like? Is it all off road or some rural roads? What are the basic rules about repairs and driver changes. I am very interested, and bored, and I doubt I am alone. Again good luck, and if you like to fish, pencil in an extra day or two, This time of year the Sailfish should be starting and you can get a panga out of Cabo for less than 4 bills per day.
FQ13

[twyacht]

Good Luck Rob! Stay Safe. Watch out for that Agave,....and don't eat the worm...

[Big Frank]

Good luck, Rob. Watch out for holes that people dig in the track. They cause some serious accidents.

[Rob Pincus]

FQ,

The rule book is about 150 pages.... but a lot of it is redundant ... here are some facts:

1. The race is a big loop (most years, including this one)... and actually a little longer than 1000kms. This year it is almost 700 miles. Here is a map from a previous year that is very similar to this year's route:


2. There are a ton of divisions. I am in "Class 30" for Motorcycle racers over 30. Right now there are about 13 entries in our division, we are # 307x. I think they are expecting 250-300 entries total.

3. Very few people actually do the race by themselves. I will be racing a bike with an old friend that I reconnected with earlier this year. We both have a lot of 2 wheeled experience, both much more on-road than off-road as adults and neither have done the race before. Or anything close to it.

4. We are riding a BMW HP2:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.motorbikestoday.com/news/Images/bmw_hp2_lge.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.motorbikestoday.com/news/Articles/bmw_hp2_enduro.htm&usg=__q3nEJl41r5Sl3YLX7FEV3-mTu-U=&h=533&w=600&sz=70&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=hQfDzMhzRezKVM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbmw%2Bhp2%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1

5. Sometimes the locals set boobytraps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_tqQxNq6o

(there was a rumor that a truck was hijacked at gunpoint last year, but I can't find any references to it... It seems to have been a misunderstanding in regard to a Cessna getting hijacked)

6. They do not reveal the location of checkpoints before the race, so if you cut corners, you could be disqualified. The BIG TIME teams that have air support are tightly controlled and CANNOT communicate about track conditions, checkpoints or just about anything else. The choppers and planes are really there for emergencies and photo/video. They aren't even allowed to communicate with support crews (but they can be equipped with repeaters to make ground comm easier in remote rugged areas).

7. Last year, the winner in our division finished in under 14 hrs, average for finishers was around 18 hrs... we want to get it done in under 20.

8. The bikes start at intervals that begin at 630 AM... the cars/trucks start their intervals 4 hours later.

9. Most of the terrain is off-road, but there are some sections of paved highway. The highways are still open and you are penalized if you are caught speeding. The sensor you are issued records data about every 10 seconds, each MPH over 60 on each HWY data point results in a time penalty. I think the paved portions are less than 20 miles total.

10. Some of the terrain is a talcum powder like silt that can swallow bikes and racers whole !!!! ( )

11. My goals, as I explained during dinner, are:
A. Finish (or at least not do something that causes us not to finish).
B. Collect at least one good story.
C. Get some good photos/video.
D. Not get seriously injured.
E. Not Finish Last in our division.
F. Finish in a position that is somehow articulable in a cool way ("We finished first out of all teams composed entirely of riders who went to Blair Academy during the summer of 1986 with black jerseys." does not count).
G. Enjoy it so much that I want to go back and do it again next year.
H. Publish an article about the experience in a motorcycle/off-road magazine.
I. Not spend the entire next year talking to everyone I meet about the race.

12. There is a division for VW Bugs.

13. This year is the 42nd running of the race.

14. The Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baja_1000

15. The event started as a Motorcycle only race.

16. I first became serious about running the race during the winter of 2006/2007, while being subjected to multiple viewings of "Dust to Glory" at my buddy Jeff's bar ("Track's") in Telluride, CO. At least once a week, the video was run on constant loop. Jeff and I talked about running the race a lot, but our schedules and obligations during my years in T-ride prevented us from getting it done.

17. NBC Sports will air a 1 hour show covering this years Race on December 19th. If I'm on it, it will probably be because of some horrible accident or my death.

18. SCORE Claims that 250,000 people converge on the peninsula to watch the race and enjoy the parties/events that take place over the weekend... but that is probably way overestimated.

-RJP

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

Good Luck Rob.

Tell Robby Gordon we all said Howdy!

Finish safely and I hope your legs are in great shape.  If you've watched Dust to Glory that many times, you already know that your going to be off the saddle more than on it...

[twyacht]

5. Sometimes the locals set boobytraps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_tqQxNq6o


(there was a rumor that a truck was hijacked at gunpoint last year, but I can't find any references to it... It seems to have been a misunderstanding in regard to a Cessna getting hijacked)

Can you "put a BUG in your bag" just in case? If not, a fantastic Nextel or two-way radio?

Might have a runaway tumbleweed or environmental wacko that would love to disrupt your race?

Wishing you all the best Rob, to you and your team.

[fightingquaker13]

5. Sometimes the locals set boobytraps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG_tqQxNq6o

(there was a rumor that a truck was hijacked at gunpoint last year, but I can't find any references to it... It seems to have been a misunderstanding in regard to a Cessna getting hijacked)

Can you "put a BUG in your bag" just in case? If not, a fantastic Nextel or two-way radio?

Might have a runaway tumbleweed or environmental wacko that would love to disrupt your race?

Wishing you all the best Rob, to you and your team.

Guns and Mexico are non-mixy things. Thing is they are serious about gun control down there, particularly if you are American. They don't like us putting their folks away on drug and immigration charges, and are happy to return the favor to a gringo with even one round of centerfire ammo. The gun is more dangrous to you than the BGs, unless you like the words "Mexican prison". Me, I'd just ride that bike faster.
FQ13

[twyacht]

There's room for a SERBU in there somewhere....





The middle of nowhere comes to mind...

[PegLeg45]

Ride hard, but as safe as needed to get home    ................... and good luck.


And, wait 'til after the race to hit the Tequila.