Preparation is extremely important in a race-arguably more so than the race itself-so the first part of my leg of the race is spent on the highway, learning what my job will entail. With normal co-driver Sean Douglas behind the wheel and Dan Fresh taking a quick nap in the Dodge Ram Mega Cab directly behind us, I have the opportunity to become familiar with the truck, gauges, and GPS, and to practice calling out turns, speeds, and hazards, so when I'm in the dirt with Dan I'll know exactly what to do. When we reached the Coco's Corner pit stop, the crew quickly replaces a bad ball joint-the only major repair during the entire event-and Dan replaces Sean in the driver's seat.
The next few hours are a blur, and it seems as if everything is happening at triple speed. With the truck serviced we tear off into the night, down smooth, fast winding roads, steep goat trails, rocky paths, through a checkpoint, and into a swamp. We watch the sun rise, plow through miles and miles of whoops and sand wash, take hard hits, pass trucks, get passed by trucks, and generally have a blast.
By the time we reached the Bahia de Los Angeles and the end of my ride, I'm ready to go the rest of the distance (adrenaline is an awesome thing), but sad to say my time is up and a new co-driver takes my place as they head off down the coast for the finish line in Cabo San Lucas. Our time in the race truck complete, we hop back into the Montero and head down the coast to meet the truck at the finish.
I'm glad to report that the DXR Racing Mitsubishi Raider Stock Mini crosses the finish line in third place with a time of 41 hours, 48 minutes, and Dan Fresh has driven all but two hours of that. I'm just lucky I've had the opportunity to be a part of the 40th Annual Baja 1000 with DXR. It truly has been the time of my life.