The Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 is not for the weak-willed or the faint of heart. It is a 1061-mile journey filled with seemingly bottomless rivers of silt, bone-rattling rocky roads, and the ever-present fear of colliding with an enthusiastic local or a fellow fatigued driver.
This year was especially treacherous, with more than 100 miles of fog -- the worst ever in the Baja 1000's 43-year history -- in one of the hardest sections of the course. But, of the 292 drivers who participated (the third-highest number in the 18 years Baja has ended in La Paz), 197 finished.
Running at the front of the line were Gustavo Vildosola Jr. and Sr., a father-and-son team from Mexicali, Mexico. They captured the overall title in their No. 21 Ford F-150 trophy truck with an average speed of 55.67 mph, making them the first car team since 1973 to have a recorded time faster than the motorcycles. They further made history as the first Mexican national team to win overall. Clinching the overall motorcycle win were Kendall Norman and Quinn Cody of the JCR/Honda team. Norman was the first rider of the evening to come through the Honda pit where I was shooting, at around Mile 850. He came through around 6 p.m., and after seeing his fellow teammates, we didn't see another rider for more than an hour and a half.
From these factory-backed driving machines to the Class 11 unmodified VW Bug drivers just trying to make it to the finish, the Baja competitors never fail to impress. For some, this is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. For others, the second they come through the finish line, they're planning for their return next year.