SCORE/TECATE Baja 1000

I took a trip to Baja last week to attend the Baja 1000. This year the annual race started in Ensenada, and made its 1047 miles south to La Paz. I once again "chased" the race, providing support to a class 12 "Score Lite" race car. My friend Kent and I arrived in Ensenada on Wed. and met up with the White Knuckle Racing crew. We checked out the pre-race festivities at contingency, it's a great chance to check out the race vehicles and eat a churro or taco. Thursday was race day. Kent and I watched the leaders go by at race mile 15, and then waited to see our car go by...then headed to the next road crossing to stay ahead of the car. After another visual with the car running well we leap-frogged ahead to BFG pit #1 where we would put on the car's light rack (the desert gets pretty dark at night) and the car would be fueled...smooth pit stop. Our teams heliocopter which had been following the car up to this point also landed for fuel. This is where I got to jump into the heliocopter, and we continued chasing the car down the course. This was my first time in a chopper, and also offered and incredible perspective from which to spectate a desert race! The car had a power steering failure about 150 miles into the race, so we touched down while some local spectators and stranded racers made impromptu repairs. We flew ahead to let our next pit in San Felipe know what to expect when the car got there. I got out here, and the heliocopter headed for the airport since flying at night is illegal in baja. The car made it to the pit, but repairs were not possible that meant the next 850 miles would have to be completed without power steering...but the car conquered the granddaddy of off-road races and crossed the finish line in about 32 hours. After the car left San Felipe Kent and I enjoyed some fish tacos in town and enjoyed camping on the beach Thurs night. This was one of the best baja trips yet.