For avid off-road racers, the
Baja Peninsula is what dreams are made of. Baja California has served as the
official hub of off-road racing for over 50 years and has made legends out of
men whose unwavering determination allowed them to conquer what few others
could.
Today, the peninsula is best known as the home of SCORE International’s desert racing series. Included in this series are several prestigious events such as the San Felipe 250, Tijuana SCORE Desert Challenge, SCORE Baja 500, and the SCORE Baja 1000.
However, the history of Baja race culture dates back well before the days of the famed SCORE race series and was born out of a chance decision to utilize the land’s inhospitable terrain as a proving ground on which to conduct new product testing.
The Beginning of an Era
In order to trace the roots of the now-infamous Baja racing scene, one must turn the hands of time back to 1962. It was then that Honda approached Los Angeles motorcycle racer Bud Ekins in a bid to find a suitable locale for testing of their new CL72 Scrambler. Honda was intrigued by the idea of pushing their latest bike to its breaking point in an attempt to gather vital information and figures pertaining to durability and reliability.
With little hesitation, Ekins poised the idea of putting the CL72 through its paces during a timed trial from Tijuana to La Paz, Mexico. The idea was an ambitious one, as the proposed journey would encompass a total distance of 950 miles across some of the most challenging terrain imaginable. Nonetheless, Honda was quick to give their nod of approval, and subsequent planning began.
Although Honda had initially pegged Ekins himself to complete this journey, his contractual obligations to Triumph would have made this a conflict of interest. Instead, Ekins’ brother, Dave, and Billy Robertson Jr. agreed to take part in the ride.
From the onset, several logistical issues arose. The relative scarcity of fuel along the intended route posed reason for concern. Upon leaving Ensenada, no other fueling stop would be available until reaching La Paz. The decision was made for each bike to be outfitted with a 1-gallon fuel tank, and plans were hatched to have a plane flank the riders as they traveled along the route, where it would stop to offload fuel as needed for fill-ups.
With plans in place, the riders set out to complete what would ultimately serve as the precursor to the Baja challenge-style racing we know today. As anticipated, the trip featured its share of hardships. Efforts were hampered by heavy fog and difficulty when attempting to stay the course under the cover of perception-robbing darkness.
However, Ekins and Robertson persevered, ultimately reaching La Paz in 39 hours and 56 minutes. Once there, a telegraph was sent to provide a timestamp, further solidifying the recorded history of their journey. This was not a feat that went unnoticed by the public, as many prominent figures within the day’s off-roading scene stood up and took note.
Bridging the Divide
As tends to be the case anytime a speed record is set, other thrill-seekers immediately set out to best Ekin's and Robertson’s standing time. One such case was that of Bruce Meyers' historic record run. With two journalists from Road & Track along to witness the feat, Meyers set out in his “Old Red” prototype buggy.
Meyers left Tijuana at 10:00 pm on April 19, 1967, en route to La Paz. In a smashing success, Meyers completed his run in 34:45, besting Elkin’s time by over 5 hours. In the weeks that followed, Meyers' run received a significant amount of press, in turn, stirring up additional interest from others wishing to carve out their own spot in Baja history.
Less than two months after this record had been set, it was broken on July 4th, 1967, in a American Motors Rambler Sedan. This run’s official time would be recorded at 31:00, beating Meyer’s record by almost 4 hours.
Sanctioned Racing Begins
By mid-1967, attempts at breaking the standing Baja record time came almost weekly. Talks of these runs had spread like wildfire, and the automotive press was always nearby to fan the flames. It was at this point that Ed Pearlman began to contemplate the virtues of putting together a governing body to keep official World Championship records and creating designated classes to better structure the organization of these records.
From this thought process, NORRA (National Off-Road Racing Association) was soon born. With the organization’s official incorporation, efforts immediately began to better structure the recording of subsequent record attempts. In a matter of months, the decision was made to hold a yearly sanctioned race, in which drivers would duke it out in an attempt to be crowned the official king of Baja.
This annual desert race came to be known as the Mexican 1000, which operated under a rally format, and was open to motorcycles, cars, and trucks. For the next six years, this race would depart from Ensenada, en route to La Paz, with the exception of a single year where the race began in Mexicali.
The inaugural Mexican 1000 road race saw contestants cover a total distance of 849 miles, with the winning race team consisting of Vic Wilson and Tom Mangels completing this run in 27 hours, 38 minutes. With each passing year, the race’s popularity continued to grow, eventually drawing participation from the likes of Mickey Thompson and Parnelli Jones. The Baja 500 was also introduced during the same period, running for the first time in 1969.
However, just as it seemed that nothing could halt the Mexican 1000’s surging popularity, the Oil Crisis of the 1970s began to take its toll on competitive racing circuits. During roughly the same time period, NORRA opted out of further association with the Mexican 1000 and folded from existence in the years that followed.
In an attempt to keep the historic motorsports event intact, the Baja Sports Committee stepped forward in 1973 to oversee the newly renamed Baja 1000. While the event did indeed go on without much issue, the BSC quickly came to realize that overseeing an event of such magnitude was outside of their logistical realm of operation.
The Early SCORE Years
After realizing that they lacked the operational capacity to host such an event, the BSC approached Mickey Thompson and his SCORE (Southern California Off-Road Enterprises) organization for assistance. The decision was ultimately made to forgo the running of any events during the 1974 season, instead opting to refocus efforts on the year to come.
It was also during this time period that Thompson hired Sal Fish of Hot Rod Magazine to assist at the helm of SCORE. With Fish presiding over the Baja 1000, action resumed for the 1975 season, and the Baja series once again continued its exponential growth as a whole. In 1982, Score added the San Felipe 250 to their lineup, providing additional depth to the already renowned off-road series.
Fish continued his reign atop SCORE until 2012, when the organization was sold to avid off-road enthusiast and businessman, Roger Norman.
Baja Racing Today
The Baja racing series is now more popular than ever and features a vast number of classes in which interested parties can compete. The most famed of the Baja series races, the Baja 1000, is host to a wide array of race vehicles in any given year, with class designations that include but are not limited to Trophy Trucks, dirt bikes, UTV’s, Jeeps, and Baja Bugs.
Those wishing to compete in the Baja 1000 are allowed to register for the competition in either Pro or Sportsman level classes, though only those within the Pro division are eligible to receive cash payouts.
There are also no prequalification requirements for those wishing to compete in the Baja 1000. If you possess a race vehicle that complies with any of the various class designations and can provide the required entry fee, you are eligible to compete in the most renowned of all off-road races.
This presents a scenario like none other, as drivers and crews from every walk of life are placed on a level playing field. From professional racers and TV personalities to blue-collar off-road enthusiasts, Baja-series racing excludes no one, and every participant is given their shot at glory.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Baja racing is that no two courses are ever the same, and encountering the unexpected comes with the territory. The exact course of Baja series events, such as the Baja 500 and Baja 1000, changes from year to year, even varying substantially in overall distance. While the Baja 1000 might measure 1650 miles in a given year, it could be no longer than 1100 in the following year.
Joining the ranks of Baja racers is also not for the faint of heart and comes with several inherent risks. Every year, injuries can and do take place out on the course, and some are rather severe. In 2016 alone, two motorcycle racers were killed in separate accidents during the Baja 1000. Additionally, a spectator was also killed when struck by a trophy truck the same year.
Baja racing presents the perfect storm of environmental and manmade factors that have a way of pushing drivers to their mental and physical breaking point. One can never be certain of what lies just around the next bend, and there is no way to predict what obstacles await just out of sight.
As opposed to the controlled courses that many racers have become accustomed to, the SCORE Baja series of events sends participants careening through treacherous terrain, unpredictable weather conditions, and frequent dust storms. Furthermore, any roadways that are traversed remain open to public traffic, and backcountry routes often see competitors dodging domestic stock and various booby traps set by locals for their own enjoyment.
A Sustained Legacy
From a point of historical reflection, the very unpredictable nature that makes Baja racing so dangerous is also that which draws participants to such events like a moth to a flame. Thrill-seekers from every walk of life gravitate to the adventure that Baja racing presents, knowing full well that the deserts of Baja are far more likely to conquer than be conquered.
The Baja Peninsula has made legends out of the relentless such as Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, and prolific Baja 1000 racer, Rod Hall, but has also claimed a number of less fortunate racers along the way. As Baja racing continues to grow in popularity, events are now held on a near-monthly basis across the Peninsula, and successive generations of fearless racers continue to step forward in a bid to leave their own indelible mark on the sport's illustrious history.