Baja 500 Race Photos

[bajasurf]

Saturday June 6th was the Baja 500 Off Road Race. WOW!!!! A good friend and I had driven a some miles out of Erendira to be the first to see the Trophy Trucks CHARGING. About 4 o´clock in the afternoon we spotted a chase helicopter coming out of the mountains and within seconds we saw the dust trails which looked more like dirt tornados about 3 or 4 miles away. What we couldn´t believe was there were two Trophy´s rocketing down the track. In past races a lead truck will arrive and 5 minutes later the 2nd will appear. Now after 310 miles these two are not that far apart and probably at a speed of 140 mph. All of us that have traveled Baja know what those back roads are like. Robby Gordon was the lead truck and the Baldwin Team was right behind him. I had set up my video cam on a tripod and had my digital camera in hand for stills. Roby came by and daylight turned to darkness as the dust cloud totally engulfed us. I could not see anything and in I can be heard screaming on the video I have no clue where the Baldwin truck is. I had positioned myself about 2 feet away from the road and was crouched down taking photos I can hear Baldwin coming but can´t see anything and then the dust cloud opened up and Baldwin roared by abd was very close. Anyway, that was scary but about 40 minutes later another Trophy crossed up and almost took out my camcorder and me. My buddy literally ran for it. But I am starting to babble. I am attaching a couple of photos. The first one is of a later Trophy and look at the dust trail that goes back over a mile. The second is a Motorcycle Racers´s worst nightmare. He is doing his best to get off the track and when we talked to him he was quite shaken. Not only did he hear the truck coming but felt the ground vibrating when he was least a mile miles from us and the truck had just come into our view a few miles away. He said he decided to make a run for when he first saw the truck way behind him but then saw us waving for him to get off the course. I have more photos I will post.

 

[Brian McVickers]

I like the red and green sleeves of the moto rider. I wonder if he did that on purpose so you know which way he is going -- like a boat...

I look forward to the vids!! :rally_guys:

 

[silentsamurai]

Cool Photos ! Here's my buddys truck

The driver's Gerry and Francis

No action shot's unfortunately.

-Adam




oh yea. The one and only rover in the race

 

[bajasurf]

McVick: The rider is a Mexican Team rider so the red and green colors are to signify to the spectators that he is from Mexico. Impossible for me to post videos as I am on Hughesnet and youtube or any video sharing site is out. However, send me your home address and I will happily send you a dvd. Be warned this is not a Ron Howard production and the video was taken with a Flip Ultra camcorder with a wide angle lens hacked on. But, the video is surprisingly good. Attaching to this post shots of the first 2 motorcycles( leading the race). As with the first 2 Trophy trucks these two riders after 319 miles are only 5 seconds apart.

 

[bajasurf]

Range Rover at Baja 500 tech Inspection

Adam, I loved the Range Rover. I immediately thought of Expedition Portal when I saw it in line for the inspection. In fact I went back to it to take a photo of the bottle opener on the right back fender( photo attached) to share with the Range Rover crowd. My friend asked one of the crew if the co-driver when asked by the driver " I need a beer so go back and open one for me" knew that was part of being on the team? I said I thought it would be very gentlemanly if when the Range Rover passed a quad for them to hand the quad racer a beer and then point to the rear fender informing him that a bottle opener was there. A great group of guys!!!! Also have attached a second photo of the Range Rover in line during the tech Inspection