For those of you on the fence about entering the Sonora Safari Class - jump off and register! After we raced last year in our Subaru I had suggested the idea of an "Adventure class" just to help build the rally and the sport a bit by getting those that have capable vehicles, but that are not actual race cars. They were already thinking along those lines and viola, the Safari class was born! The organizers run a first rate event and you will not regret the experience. You get the feel of Dakar, the fun of hanging at the bivouac with generous locals, great racers and crew, eat some tasty food, learn some navigation skills and experience terrain that you would probably never have the opportunity (or permission) to ever see on your own - all with safety personnel and sweep crews there as support. We are very excited for the new Sonora after the fun we had in the Cortez and we hope to see a bunch of Expedition Portal people there this time. Darren and Scott are committed to providing competitors with a world-class experience and I expect that to translate to the Safari class entrants as well.
If you have any questions about vehicle prep including navigation options, what equipment to bring, or what to expect, please don't hesitate to ask us. Remember, because you are not running at race speeds, the likelihood of breaking things on your rigs is greatly reduced. Also, the terrain you will be traveling on is not your typical whooped-out, baby-head-rocks-for-miles Baja race, so you are not going to be beating the hell out of your vehicle as much as you might think. And, you will be simply amazed at the places you will be going and how much fun navigation can be.
For those that haven't seen it, here is a piece I wrote about the Cortez that might help illustrate the type of event you'd be signing up for:
http://expeditionportal.com/the-2015-cortez-rally/
I am also in the midst of writing a piece about the Sonora Rally Safari Class which should be done very soon..once I finish the one about our adventure at the Baja Rally earlier this month - so be on the lookout for that.
We hope to see more of you there for some Air-down, pedal-to-the-floor, follow-the-CAP-heading fun over some amazing Mexican dunes at the Sonora Rally!!
- OC