MagicMtnDan
FRF Addict
The Baja 500 is the first SATURDAY in June. This year it's Saturday, June 5th.
The Baja 500 is Saturday, June 5. First bikes off the line in Ensenada at 6am. Trucks about 10:30 AM. Fastest average speeds are generally 50-55mph, which allows for an estimate as to when racers will pass by a given location on the course (e.g., if camped at race mile 200, expect starting time + 4hrs before see any vehicles).
By the way, the Baja 1000 is the FRIDAY of the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov). This years 1000 is a real trans-peninsula run--which is only the case every third year--more on that later. This means you don't have to take a day off work to see the 500.
The race is not usually exactly 500 miles. It will be a 450 to 550 mile loop starting and finishing in Ensenada. It'll go either clockwise or counterclockwise. I.e. south along the Pacific coast first and then back north via the desert side of the peninsula or east and south over through the desert, then west returning to Ensenada via the pacific coast northbound.
I mention the loop configuration because this is how those who go usually try to see the race from two locations. For example, if the race is clockwise, they would head over in the general vicinity of San Felipe and then, after the first fast racers pass our campsite, we haul ass west to the Pacific Ocean, "cutting the loop" to see the same racers as they return north bound. Because we cut across, while they finish the loop to the south, we usually have time to beat them to the pacific. But...we do have to hustle...although the distance we cover is shorter most of the vehicles they drive won't run 80mph in the whoop-de-doos!
All specific route/location planning will wait until 3-4 weeks before race day, when the course map is posted at www.score-international.com For now, just pencil in the weekend with a planned rendezvous in the San Diego area around 7pm on that Friday night. Returning across the border approx 4PM Sunday afternoon.
The deal: yeah yeah yeah there is a drug war going on in Mexico. Are you a drug dealer? No? Then don't sweat it. That said, we will endeavor to get through the Tijuana area as quickly as possible. After that, we're in the boonies all weekend which, according to the trip organizer, greatly reduces the chance of an "incident".
Gas is not an issue.
Terrain is generally no rougher than Mojave Raod (4WD a good idea, but a crawler isn't needed).
The plan will be to arrive at our campsite late Friday night - midnight-2AM depending. Typically the first bikes arrive 8-9 AM Saturday, trucks around noon, 1 PM. So there is plenty of hanging around camp. About 2-3 PM we pile into the trucks and haul ass for the coast. Camp along the course at the coast Saturday evening. Watch racers (go by all night long). Drink plenty of beer and/or mezcal based beverage. Then Sunday we do a little nearby exploring.
A nice thing about the Baja 500 being in June is the day is long--for the 1000 in November you watch alot of the race at night.
So, its a great time. Anyone up for this trip? Questions?
Link to past race info: http://fordtruckworld.tenmagazines.com/articles.asp?page=tenarticle&aid=3471
The Baja 500 is Saturday, June 5. First bikes off the line in Ensenada at 6am. Trucks about 10:30 AM. Fastest average speeds are generally 50-55mph, which allows for an estimate as to when racers will pass by a given location on the course (e.g., if camped at race mile 200, expect starting time + 4hrs before see any vehicles).
By the way, the Baja 1000 is the FRIDAY of the weekend before Thanksgiving (Nov). This years 1000 is a real trans-peninsula run--which is only the case every third year--more on that later. This means you don't have to take a day off work to see the 500.
The race is not usually exactly 500 miles. It will be a 450 to 550 mile loop starting and finishing in Ensenada. It'll go either clockwise or counterclockwise. I.e. south along the Pacific coast first and then back north via the desert side of the peninsula or east and south over through the desert, then west returning to Ensenada via the pacific coast northbound.
I mention the loop configuration because this is how those who go usually try to see the race from two locations. For example, if the race is clockwise, they would head over in the general vicinity of San Felipe and then, after the first fast racers pass our campsite, we haul ass west to the Pacific Ocean, "cutting the loop" to see the same racers as they return north bound. Because we cut across, while they finish the loop to the south, we usually have time to beat them to the pacific. But...we do have to hustle...although the distance we cover is shorter most of the vehicles they drive won't run 80mph in the whoop-de-doos!
All specific route/location planning will wait until 3-4 weeks before race day, when the course map is posted at www.score-international.com For now, just pencil in the weekend with a planned rendezvous in the San Diego area around 7pm on that Friday night. Returning across the border approx 4PM Sunday afternoon.
The deal: yeah yeah yeah there is a drug war going on in Mexico. Are you a drug dealer? No? Then don't sweat it. That said, we will endeavor to get through the Tijuana area as quickly as possible. After that, we're in the boonies all weekend which, according to the trip organizer, greatly reduces the chance of an "incident".
Gas is not an issue.
Terrain is generally no rougher than Mojave Raod (4WD a good idea, but a crawler isn't needed).
The plan will be to arrive at our campsite late Friday night - midnight-2AM depending. Typically the first bikes arrive 8-9 AM Saturday, trucks around noon, 1 PM. So there is plenty of hanging around camp. About 2-3 PM we pile into the trucks and haul ass for the coast. Camp along the course at the coast Saturday evening. Watch racers (go by all night long). Drink plenty of beer and/or mezcal based beverage. Then Sunday we do a little nearby exploring.
A nice thing about the Baja 500 being in June is the day is long--for the 1000 in November you watch alot of the race at night.
So, its a great time. Anyone up for this trip? Questions?
Link to past race info: http://fordtruckworld.tenmagazines.com/articles.asp?page=tenarticle&aid=3471
