The Big Race 2023 – Part 3

There were 325 vehicles in this race.  In the beginning, there is lots of dust and drama as there always seems to be someone in front of you that you have to pass, or, if you are slower, someone behind you that wants to pass you.

Passing in the dust is not easy.  As you get closer to another vehicle the dust gets thicker.  You can’t see well.  Wind is your friend, especially a crosswind. 

We made passes. The first overturned race vehicle we saw came at mile 17.  There were a half dozen more in the first 200 miles.  You can’t just step on the gas and drive crazy here.  You have to read the course and be smart.  Being a Baja veteran helped.   Being a motorcycle rider, where your life depends on not making a mistake at high speed, helps a LOT.  Both Victor and Javier were motorcycle-riding veterans too.

At mile 83 there was a well worn hard right turn and a straight.  “Which way Mark, which way?!!”  “Straight, straight!”  I wondered why many went right.  Two hundred yards later I found out.

We came upon a big mudhole.  My eyes scanned for a way to avoid it.  There was no way.  “Hold on Mark, were going in!”  It was 18″ deep of dark brown earth juice.  The splash wave came over the roof.  There is no windshield on these cars, because it would get dusty and muddy and block your vision.  We got soaked, and our vision was completely blocked.  I knew what to do – stay on the gas.  It’s a weird feeling to stay on the gas when you can’t see, but you don’t want to get stuck in this.  

Our beautiful race car had one color now – brown.  Inside and out, top and bottom, including us.  All dark brown.

Not to worry.  The Baja air is dry and it would all dry to a light brown/gray.  We wiped our helmet shields with clean cloths we had for the purpose.  I didn’t slow down, I didn’t know how far Joe was behind us.  The dirt water ran from the top of my helmet and down the INSIDE of my shield too.  Oh boy.  I got it clean and the wind blew more mud off the hood onto us for miles.

Welcome to Baja Mark!

I gave the car to Victor and Dustin at Mile 202, with a six-mile lead on Joe. A throng of enthusiastic fans was there.  They applauded us with genuine excitement.  That’s another thing that makes this race so cool.  They say more people watch the Baja 1000 live than watch the Super Bowl live.  They declared a National Holiday in the south and closed the schools and businesses.  People camped along the course.  You can follow their campfires in the night.

When Victor took off, I started dusting the mud off myself.  Little kids came out from the crowd and started helping me.  I’m sure Victor warmed them up before we got there.  Victor has great people skills.  He speaks fluent English and Spanish.

Victor and Dustin managed to maintain the six-mile lead over their 100-mile section.  They gave the car to Javier and his codriver Richard.  The two of them have been friends since they were kids and they have raced a lot together.  

Javi had a very bad silt section that everyone was very worried about getting stuck in.  Silt is fine dust, like baby powder, that leaps into the air and is in no hurry to get back down.  It can be over 18″ deep.  If a motorcycle goes down in the silt, it can be 100% buried.

Javi got a flat, changed it, and got passed by Joe.  

Dang.  

Before the race, I studied the points chart.  If Joe finished, it didn’t matter what place, and it didn’t even matter if we beat him, we could not win the points championship.  We’d be just a few points short.  If we finished and Joe didn’t, we’d win the season.

The only chance for glory was to go for a win.  Joe having bad luck and not finishing was out of our control.  We had to go for a win.  I/we had never won a race in a UTV.  We were the underdogs.  Now it might seem that going for a win is obvious – doesn’t everybody?  But you have to drive as fast or faster than your best competitor, who has won a lot.  And driving the car hard risks breaking it.  UTVs are fragile.  Against the rocks, and big g-out bumps, any vehicle has its limits.  Touching up against them without finding them is risky business and can take you out of the race in a split second.

Mark and I waited at mile 525.  Joe came by.  Dang!

No Javier….