Ensenada Baja 1000

[melonigomez]

Hi,

 

I just found out that the Baja 1000 will be going on while we are in Ensenada this weekend. Has anyone ever attended? What's the best mode of transportation, cost, distance, ect... Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Keith1010]

I would also recommend positing this on the Mexican Riviera Board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=203

 

Keith

[greatam]

Hi,

 

I just found out that the Baja 1000 will be going on while we are in Ensenada this weekend. Has anyone ever attended? What's the best mode of transportation, cost, distance, ect... Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

We actually ran the Baja in 1984 in one of our kind of souped up VW's (we still have 17 including the 1959 we ran the Baja in). We had just gotten married in September 1984. This was my "wedding present". Ya, right!!! Dirty, gritty, crowded. Blew a tire which put us in 9th place in the super stock category (we were running 3rd until we blew the tire) That year, Mark McMillin (Baja racing legend) won in his very souped up VW. This year, his daughters, nieces and nephews are racing the same race. One of his nieces holds the championship for pro stock truck. This year, I believe she is racing with her sister as co-driver.

 

It has gotten so huge and so expensive with all the factory teams that it is kind of like Nascar. Fun to watch but you can't afford to play anymore.

 

But for the Baja, you just find a place to stand and watch. Lawn chairs are good. A cooler is usually needed unless you are "eating off the street food carts". Just south of the start line where the first "jumps" are (calle 2 through calle 7) will be packed with people.

 

But a word to the wise-don't be an easy target. LEAVE the purse and all the crap on the ship. Money in your front pocket, GOOD SHOES, CHEAPO cell phone (not an I Phone or something fancy). Leave your passport on the ship-take a copy. DON'T look like a cruise ship tourist. Even though there will be a LOT of security, this is NOT the place to wander around looking lost or like a tourist. Crappy gardening clothes (like Levi's and a t-shirt)will serve you well and you will fit in fine with the crowd. Enjoy!!!

Edited November 11, 2013 by greatam

[greatam]

dup post

Edited November 11, 2013 by greatam

[melonigomez]

We actually ran the Baja in 1984 in one of our kind of souped up VW's (we still have 17 including the 1959 we ran the Baja in). We had just gotten married in September 1984. This was my "wedding present". Ya, right!!! Dirty, gritty, crowded. Blew a tire which put us in 9th place in the super stock category (we were running 3rd until we blew the tire) That year, Mark McMillin (Baja racing legend) won in his very souped up VW. This year, his daughters, nieces and nephews are racing the same race. One of his nieces holds the championship for pro stock truck. This year, I believe she is racing with her sister as co-driver.

 

It has gotten so huge and so expensive with all the factory teams that it is kind of like Nascar. Fun to watch if you can afford it.

 

But for the Baja, you just find a place to stand and watch. Lawn chairs are good. A cooler is usually needed unless you are "eating off the street food carts". Just south of the start line where the first "jumps" are (calle 2 through calle 7) will be packed with people.

 

But a word to the wise-don't be an easy target. LEAVE the purse and all the crap on the ship. Money in your front pocket, GOOD SHOES, CHEAPO cell phone (not an I Phone or something fancy). Leave your passport on the ship-take a copy. DON'T look like a cruise ship tourist. Even though there will be a LOT of security, this is NOT the place to wander around looking lost or like a tourist. Crappy gardening clothes (like Levi's and a t-shirt)will serve you well and you will fit in fine with the crowd. Enjoy!!!

 

 

Thank you for the advice. I'm pretty good at pretending I'm not too big of a tourist, but never have able to attend an event like this. SO EXCITED!! The first time in NY I was told to just "walk like you own the place and don't ask for directions" needless to say I did lots of laps and lost several pounds :)

[greatam]

Thank you for the advice. I'm pretty good at pretending I'm not too big of a tourist, but never have able to attend an event like this. SO EXCITED!! The first time in NY I was told to just "walk like you own the place and don't ask for directions" needless to say I did lots of laps and lost several pounds :)

 

Before you get all excited, you better check your port times. According to my best friend, who lives in Rosarito, the race is starting with motorcycles/4 wheelers THURSDAY night at midnight. THEN the cars/trucks/everything else including your old beat to s*** VW will leave Ensenada every 60 seconds on FRIDAY morning about 6AM. This may be off a little bit because of the nature of the race. BUT if you are in Ensenada on Sat, you probably won't see much of anything because they have already returned.

 

This is NOT a race on who crosses the finish line first. It is who has the shortest time, made all the checkpoints and DIDN'T CHEAT!!! Some cars take 2 days to finish. Most can make the 800-1000 miles (every year the race length varies) in about 16-20 hours depending on the length of the race. I hope you get to enjoy. It is a dusty, nasty mess so be prepared. There is NO safety for spectators so DO NOT get too close to the cars. This ain't the USA and NASCAR or even a desert race with fences and spectator barriers.

 

To tell you how slow and how dangerous this race is-someone just made a Cannonball run in 28 hours, 50 minutes 30 seconds-2803 miles. Now that is what I REALLY wanted for a wedding present. We made the run in a semi in 41 hours, 22 minutes from NYC to Carson Ca. I always thought we could chop at least 10 hours off that in a car but DH wasn't going for it. He thought 100 MPH in a semi was enough. 130-140 in a car on the interstate-told me I was NUTS!!!

Edited November 11, 2013 by greatam

[Taxguy77]

Before you get all excited, you better check your port times. According to my best friend, who lives in Rosarito, the race is starting with motorcycles/4 wheelers THURSDAY night at midnight. THEN the cars/trucks/everything else including your old beat to s*** VW will leave Ensenada every 60 seconds on FRIDAY morning about 6AM. This may be off a little bit because of the nature of the race. BUT if you are in Ensenada on Sat, you probably won't see much of anything because they have already returned.

 

This is NOT a race on who crosses the finish line first. It is who has the shortest time, made all the checkpoints and DIDN'T CHEAT!!! Some cars take 2 days to finish. Most can make the 800-1000 miles (every year the race length varies) in about 16-20 hours depending on the length of the race. I hope you get to enjoy. It is a dusty, nasty mess so be prepared. There is NO safety for spectators so DO NOT get too close to the cars. This ain't the USA and NASCAR or even a desert race with fences and spectator barriers.

To tell you how slow and how dangerous this race is-someone just made a Cannonball run in 28 hours, 50 minutes 30 seconds-2803 miles. Now that is what I REALLY wanted for a wedding present. We made the run in a semi in 41 hours, 22 minutes from NYC to Carson Ca. I always thought we could chop at least 10 hours off that in a car but DH wasn't going for it. He thought 100 MPH in a semi was enough. 130-140 in a car on the interstate-told me I was NUTS!!!

 

I made it from Washington D.C. to Long Beach, Calif. in 4 days, stopping nights, in my first VW. Your semi probably made it up the passes faster than my VW.

Remember the roller for a gas pedal? My shoe had a dent in the sole forever after that.

 

That Cannonball car had a spotter in the back seat and a lot of electronic gear to keep from being stopped.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Taxguy77

[greatam]

I made it from Washington D.C. to Long Beach, Calif. in 4 days, stopping nights, in my first VW. Your semi probably made it up the passes faster than my VW.

Remember the roller for a gas pedal? My shoe had a dent in the sole forever after that.

 

That Cannonball car had a spotter in the back seat and a lot of electronic gear to keep from being stopped.

 

You did a darn good job making it in 4 nights stopping every night. Yes, we still have one with the roller. It is a 1962 Sun Bug that I wouldn't part with for a lot of money. Still has the original black and gold California license plates which I have renewed every year just to keep those black and gold plates. Top is pretty wore out and I am sure the floor boards are getting pretty rotted sitting in the Missouri grass on our farm. But those are easily fixed if I ever wanted a Sun Bug again.

 

I'm sure we were going a WHOOOOLE lot faster than you in the VW up and down the hills. We ran I-80 straight out of NYC to Salt Lake City, then South on I-15 from Salt Lake into LA area. I looked at the speedo a couple of time in Utah and he was driving about 105. He absolutely LOVED that stretch of I-15. 750 miles-usually made it in about 10 hours from Salt Lake City to LA even when not trying.

 

It was one of the "biggest" trucks in the country at that time (1981). 3408 (V8 Cat), two stick 5 x 4 transmission, 3.08 rear ends and would top out at 111PMH at 2100RPM. 300 gallon fuel tanks so we didn't have to stop but twice for fuel. It ran up hills even fully loaded with 40,000# just about as fast as it would go downhill. Rarely topped hills at less than 75MPH all the way through PA, Wyoming, Utah.

 

We had a load of Carol Cable on for a priority job. They told us if we got there anytime Monday, we got an extra $1000. We were loading on Friday afternoon off Flushing Ave in Queens. Took us almost 3 hours to get out of the City and rolling in NJ. That $1000 was a chunk of change back then. We looked at each other. DH said-NO SHOWERS (THAT was the worst), pee in the porta potty in an emergency, when we stop to get fuel, one runs in to grab sandwiches or pee if needed. We had a true Norcold refrigerator in the sleeper, so while he was loading, I was at every bodega in the area buying all kinds of CRAP food. getting ice and other stuff to keep us going.

 

I remember passing a pretty big truck in the middle of Wyoming. Lady was driving. She asked where we were going-LA and we will be there tomorrow. She started laughing. It was about 8PM and we still had about 1300 miles to go.

 

We got to Carol Cable about noon Monday. They were shocked. We got our extra $1000. We were so damned proud. That is when I started hammering him about doing the Cannonball run. The Porsche dealer in Des Moines Iowa was going to help out with a car and some modifications. DH just wasn't going for it. 100MPH in a semi is not nearly as dangerous as 130-140 in a car. Cars can become airborne if you hit the wrong thermal currents at that speed or a slight bump can flip a car. Doesn't happen with loaded semis very often.

 

And other than the technology of this latest Cannonball run record holder, I truly believe we could have made it in 31-32 hours. We had every radar detector known to man, a jammer, a police band radio so we were just about as prepared as he was. Didn't have GPS but we knew the roads like the back of our hands, so no real need for GPS. That would have been a record back then. If you can do it in a loaded semi in 41+ hours, should have been able to cut off 10 hours in a car.

 

One big thing I regret in my life was not even being able to try it.