Mexican 1000

Slated to spend the next few days helping with the Mexican 1000 (www.norra.com), a 1000 mile off-road rally race, I crossed into the state of Baja California via Mexicali (the US border town is creatively named Calexico). My job was to assist a Mag 7 (www.mag7race.com) pit team tasked with refueling, repairs, tire changes, etc. during the race. Our pit location was situated in San Juanico approximately 750 miles from Mexicali, so we spent the next three days driving south ahead of the race to get into position. The “roads” in Baja are famous for abusing vehicles and our journey was no exception. In the process of hauling race fuel, spare parts, tools, and supplies, we had three flat tires, a broken leaf spring, and spilled plenty of fuel (my truck performed flawlessly, knock on wood).

All the vehicles in the race were pre-1985 classics in honor of NORRA’s heritage. May 7 provided pit support for about 30 of the 100+ vehicles in the field. Race day itself was hectic and a lot of fun. We finished after dark exhausted and smelling like high-octane fuel.