I don't think anyone LIKES to be the co-driver. We hit pavement. I walked over to a nearby fire and tried to talk to two Mexicans who were waiting on their racecar. The car hunkered to the right and it felt like we were going to roll. This course was rough enough to still get stuck fairly often even with no mistakes.
2001 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Class 21 - Pro / Motorcycles Between 126 & 250CC OA CLS Driver/CoDriver Vehicle Start Finish Total Elapsed Average Pos Pos Num CLS Time Time Miles Time Speed 15 1 100X P21 J. David Ruvalcaba\Streve Cruz Yamaha 06:36:30 23:29:41 677.00 16:53:11 40.091 DNF 101X P21 Eddie Deans\Joe Desrosiers Yamaha 06:37:00 We pitted the car at RM160 and we changed out a slow leaking tire and off they went. We got off the course for safety and started to radio the last pit location. Determining we had a spare in San Felipe, Kelsey and Steve (Rob's Father in law) were on their way with it after a radio call. We're still half asleep. (You can find videos of it online.) We NEED to get this car to the Owner. Just add that little fact into the course notes. ), We followed our notes. It had the effect of 5 beers. We sent some pit crew in a prerunner their way, but they kept working on it and eventually a competitor stopped to tow them out. I couldn't stop shivering. Time to eat and drink water. Pump them when you can, make sure they are still there. We had to go forward, over the bush or tree or whatever it was. I was roasted. Every year, the race draws enthusiasts from all walks determined to brave the grueling and inhospitable terrain of Baja, Mexico. We didn't care because it was minor as long as we pumped the brakes BEFORE we needed them. They brought me over coffee and some cookies and I sat there trying to dry off my fire suit and warm up. We were like a machine. With 30 years of racing experience and dozens of major championships, we know what it takes to make a … Eventually reverse gear let out a screech and we knew it was finished. We were going fast. The headlamp hit a wall of dust making me feel like I was in fog. It was an off camber section and we could tell our tires followed the ruts of so many cars ahead of us that also slid off. The San Diego County driving team of Luke McMillin and Larry Roesler co-drove their 950-horsepower, Ford F-150 TrophyTruck to the overall win in the 53rd SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. It was smart to get out of the race course and put our car in front of me as a block, but I needed to get as far away as possible. I stared off at the Sea of Cortez while the team loaded up the chase trucks. (SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH for family friendly reading. 13 hours in the racecar. We were racing again. We caught a 1600 car which is the class I'd always raced. Suddenly all the detailed notes were back, thankfully. We tried to get there, but Ensenada traffic was too much. Eventually I caught up to where he'd pulled off and re-strapped/bolted the boards and started to climb in. At the pit, we were lucky to find the person who built our particular racecar. Laughing at what we'd be missing almost with a mix of envy for a couch and knowing we were exactly where we wanted to be. No self pity, no questioning decisions, just keep working. We had points, but no detail to know if the race ending hole was on the right or left or if it was something like the big sharp piece of farm equipment we'd seen prerunning in the course around the next turn. It was like moondust and my shoes sunk deep into the silt. When he hit the trail there was no choice, but to keep momentum going through the silt bed and up the big silt hill. I was moving so quick fearing they'd drive off I was clumsy in my movements. With boards under the tires we rocked forward, but each time we slid further off. This documentary about the People were everywhere. We had almost 20 miles of racing left. Filling the fuel tanks and checking the car, all seemed well besides the transmission and lights that all seemed to be loose. We found a side trail to cautiously and slowly make our way back. I also drank all the water I could find at the pit. Reminded them the brakes needed bleeding. Boards under the tire I knew we had to go a little in reverse. Around one corner at low speed we slid off course. If you went off of it the race was over. Eventually we had enough traction to go for it. I'm the luckiest person on Earth to have a teammate like Kelsey. I ran up the hill, but the silt was too much. We knew that we were leaving everything out there and holding nothing back. YES, YES, THANK YOU, YES!!! After all, we had a delivery to make. Rob was using both hands to hold the wheel straight and occasionally we'd stop and fight it back straight. The BFGoodrich SCORE Baja 1000 is always tough, but this year’s 898.40-mile loop race from Ensenada (the longest loop race in Baja 1000 history) was as challenging as any racer could remember. Trust the spray painted rock here! The big horsepower motors of the Trophy Trucks and Class 1's running up to 42 Inch diameter tires had cut in deep ruts and made everything into a perpetual silt bed. The steering felt great. Not fun, but I did it. I yelled at Rob to go ahead and find a spot where he could get out of the racecourse. We changed the air filter when we changed the power steering, have them change it again at your next pit. Rob got up on his bumper and I hit the "request to pass" button on the Stella car to car GPS. I got the window net, electrical and pumper back on as we raced. Maybe it was air in the line or maybe it was a leak. These, mostly, strangers I'd met a few days before were now buddies, good friends. Professionals. Middle line in this section. (They got it flipped back over and continued to race later) Up the steepest hills we were flooring the gas pedal and then dumping the clutch again and again since first gear wasn't geared low enough to make it. We were stuck. I was drenched in sweat. We popped the top on Goose and covered in silt and dirt, I didn't care and didn't have energy to shower, we went to bed. I have never raced in Baja, and the idea of doing it solo is a really attracting challenge to me. After pumping they'd come back each time. Brady and Adam climbed in and we told them about the car. Calling out every turn, every rock and every line choice. Immediately, I realized the course notes we'd worked so hard to input were not showing. We had a few miles of mandated 37MPH section through town and a full half hour of 60 MPH mandated speed section on highway. (Silt is the dry talcum powder like dirt that can swamp your car and make it hard to see or breathe). Was the world always so still and quiet. For the third time in as many years, the SLR Honda team rode to victory during this weekend’s SCORE International Baja 1000, extending Honda’s overall motorcycle win total in the event to 30, including six straight and 22 in the last 23 years. We were getting to hit 3rd and once even 4th gear at 70MPH. All that prerun work was paying of. The ice cold air at this speed was making my wet fire suit freezing cold. It was a new day after all. Hard left. No one will know, no one will really understand. off road Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. I saw a Motorcycle Ironman racer (A motorcycle racer completing the entire race ALONE) go by and he looked lost and half drunk missing the race turn and nearly falling over. Every time a course note we'd made saved us we were happy. We made a little progress out of the hole, but we were still stuck. Matomi wash was coming up! This time I knew we needed to go into reverse so I put the boards behind the tires and yelled at Rob to go back. The fastest we'd been going. The limited slip that had recently been installed gave some power to the tire on the ground thankfully, but it wasn't enough to get out. "Stay right here. Hey guys, I am wanting to race the 2020 Baja 1000, and do it solo in the ironman class. The way they were driving we could tell they were demoralized. Scheming, making plans, looking at how we can make this happen in our own racecar. We were out. The Ford Bronco R Race Prototype makes it to the end of the 2020 Baja 1000 The Bronco R race prototype finished the 53 rd SCORE-International Baja 1000 in Class 2 in just over 32 hours. So, stay focused, don't relax until pavement. Some had missed a corner and were off to the side, others turned upside down, some were down in a valley next to the race course having slid from the off camber trail and still others were stuck dead in the middle of the course. The Baja 1000 began in that decade of peace and love and away from the gaze of Uncle Sam. "Time to go!". Doing work. We got our helmets and neck restraints back on and started to bolt ourselves back into the racecar. The highest gear for these hundred miles was second, but mainly we stayed in first gear. Out of the racecar and hood off we tested the power steering servo and figured out that fluid was powering into the side to turn the car left, but blocking any fluid from going right. I got back to digging with the boards and we tried again. It hit me that this was absolutely going to be my next few hours. We slowed way down, put the car in first gear and talked about how this was time to "do work." We hadn't even seen another race car in hours. It was very cold out, but I was overheating. To start off, the racecar was having a hard time getting into reverse so the guys worked on the transmission linkage the night before the race as Rob and I were a couple hours to the south where we'd be getting in the racecar tomorrow. I couldn't remember most of mine. The brakes were fading. We navigated around each one looking for a clean line to avoid their fate. One more try and we were out! When Kelsey showed up we knew the install would go quick so we re taped our ear plugs with fresh Gorilla tape since the old tape came off with so much pulled off hair from my head, it was worthless. We had half of our miles to go and we'd been racing for 9 hours. The world seemed so much quieter too. First I hit the "Stella" safety beacon that signals race organizers as well as nearby cars that there was a stopped racecar. We were beyond tired or sore. We waited at hill climbs for stuck cars to move, we passed idling Trophy Trucks wondering what they were doing and when they'd come back to haunt us in the future race. The racecar got stuck in some silt around a corner at RM262 and so Kirk and Tim S (First driver/co-driver) got out and called on the sat phone for help. Lowered my window net and the second we rolled into the pit our belts were off and we were climbing out. We had maybe seconds until a racecar came over the hill at us and hit both vehicles. We saw dust ahead. "It's running great, it's working well and no issues besides the brakes. Almost every baja racer has had to do it at one time or another. I think it was water and powerade type things and then a beer. It felt like a different race. They were taking the pace all our bodies wanted to take through this rough stuff. As if they know, they know what you've been through and are giving you a little high five in appreciation.). I pulled the tow strap off and attached it to our front bumper. Then I removed my pumper (Pumped in air that goes through a filter to try and give you decent air to breathe), radio connection and 5 point seat harness. We watched some other racers pass by. We checked on the guys in the racecar at each pit and got them water. We tried it several times, but the gear shifter popped out of Reverse each time. Each time we saw lights I'd run off the course and try to direct and slow down racecars with the light I'd taped to my helmet. The Baja 1000 has a reputation as the most dangerous race in the world. We passed a 10 car in our class! 4.9K likes. The oncoming racecar hit our car and then our car hit me and threw me back a bit. The race can't be won here, but it can easily be lost. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. 06/01/2019 SCORE San Felipe We eased back, but worried we could break the trans we moved the boards to the front. We listened to the race radio. Plenty of time to make mistakes, but we were smiling. Race Mile 0 - 160 went really well. (We wear a race catheter so you can go #1 when you need to while racing) Quickly I realized that it wasn't attached anymore. It would take some more tries. We could hear our team guiding us in. Driver ) car here and there me closer, but i could n't make any more even... The tires we rocked forward, over the hill onto the race draws enthusiasts from walks. We stayed in first gear i sat there trying to dry off my fire suit and up. 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