January 26, 2012: With its dates and rally format firmly solidified, the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) opened online registration to all participants for the 2012 Mexican 1000 on New Year’s Day. Since then rally registrations have surged to new pre-event levels. While there are still over three months left before teams converge at the historic bullring in Mexicali, Baja, Mexico for pre-rally technical inspections and an opening night “Welcome Fiesta and Driver’s Meeting,” nearly three dozen teams have already added their names to what should be a record year for the unique four-day competition.

The first three entries came from enthusiastic rally veterans Walker Evans, Michael Gaughan and Butch Jensen. Additional entries arrived courtesy of veterans Brian Collins, Mark Post and Mark Stahl. It is expected that two-time rally winner Bob Gordon will join Malcolm Smith, Bud Feldkamp, Frank “Butch” Arciero Jr., Larry Roeseler, Don Adams, Dave Westhem, Randy Salmont and many others making plans for the journey down the Baja peninsula this April 28 – May 2, 2012.

Evans, an iconic figure in the world of off-road motorsports, will return with his famous Dodge Class 8 pick-up truck that took him to so many victories in the 1980s. At last year’s Mexican 1000 a mechanical issue forced him to retire on Day 2 just outside of beautiful Bahia De Los Angeles, but the beloved racer is looking forward to his return to this vintage-flavored event.

“Well, here is the real story,” explained Evans, who entered his first NORRA Mexican 1000 back in 1969. “I love Mexico. I love everything about the place. I am at the age and at the time of my life when I want to give something back to the place that has given me so much. The new NORRA Mexican 1000 is the perfect way to do that; four fun-filled days of seeing that beautiful peninsula while having time to visit with old friends and locals. It’s the most fun you can have, and I intend to have a good time, I can tell you that!”

Dave Westhem, Randy Selmont and their ex-factory GMC Class 8 are expected to return for the 2012 Mexican 1000

While still a competitively timed event, all entries will enjoy the same course, beautiful Baja scenery and group festivities. In addition, the NORRA organization is said to be working to greatly enhance participant safety, media coverage and one of the Mexican 1000’s most distinguishing elements – the rally’s camaraderie, hospitality and most important of all, fun.

Already gaining a reputation for bringing fun and a shared sense of adventure back to Baja off-road racing, the one-of-a-kind, once-a-year rally spotlights vintage off-road vehicles, motorcycles and ATVs, as well as rally cars, a limited number of modern desert racecars and classes for prerunner-type trucks and buggies. The four-day rally will offer teams high-speed off-road driving with unparalleled views of Mexico’s scenic Baja peninsula, as well as offering new levels of the hospitality and social camaraderie that is the heart of the Mexican 1000 experience.

FIRST 30 ENTRIES FOR THE 2012 MEXICAN 1000

ABOUT NORRA

Dubbed the “Happiest Race on Earth,” by Dirt Sports magazine, the unique off-road rally was co-created by promoter Mike Pearlman in 2010. The one-of-a-kind, once-a-year, four-day rally includes vintage off-road vehicles and motorcycles, rally cars, a limited number of modern desert racecars and classes for prerunner trucks and buggies. Pearlman’s late father Ed and others established the first running of the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally in November of 1967, which eventually became internationally recognized and evolved into the Baja 1000 in the mid-1970s.

Registration is now open to automobiles and motorcycles that meet basic safety standards as outlined the new NORRA rulebook (currently available at the www.mexican1000.website. Although the spotlight will remain squarely on vintage machinery, NORRA has added several new categories for modern and vintage rally cars as well as some for modern desert racing machinery, 4x4s, dune buggies, and ATVs and motorcycles of all types and ages. Each day of the rally consists of special stages (unlimited speed timed stages in the dirt) linked together by controlled speed liaison / transit sections (highway).

For more information, please visit www.mexican100.com

January 24, 2012: In today’s new age of off-road competition that has promoters fighting over an economy-strained group of racers, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) is taking a different course in preparations for it’s upcoming Mexican 1000 Rally – it’s working hard to make the entire event for its customers (race teams), crews and sponsors a world-class experience.

Already gaining a reputation for bringing fun and a shared sense of adventure back to Baja off-road racing, the one-of-a-kind, once-a-year rally spotlights vintage off-road vehicles, motorcycles and ATVs, as well as rally cars, a limited number of modern desert racecars and classes for prerunner-type trucks and buggies. This year’s NORRA Mexican 1000 is scheduled for April 28- May 2, 2012, with event registration open since New Year’s Day.

While the promotional group led by event co-founder Mike Pearlman is finalizing an impressive variety of new event enhancements and corporate partnerships, NORRA has added a fourth day of timed competition that will route competitors from the historic coastal town of La Paz down to a yet-to-be disclosed finishing location beachside in San Jose Los Cabos. Once they arrive, competitors will immediately enjoy a massive poolside finisher’s party and awards ceremony. The extra day will allow rally participants more high-speed off-road driving with unparalleled views of Mexico’s scenic Baja Sur region.

“We understand that organizing or participating in a 1,000-mile adventure like this is a commitment of time and resources for everyone involved,” explained Pearlman. “Our objective for 2012 is to make an already great event ‘over the top’ in terms of taking care of our driver’s and their teams — especially in the areas of safety and hospitality. From the time Mexican 1000 participants arrive in Mexicali to their departure in San Jose del Cabo, we want them to enjoy a truly unique and first-class experience. It’s about adding tons of value and building an off-road gathering unlike any other in the world.”

According to Pearlman, other event upgrades are also in the works including faster, more sophisticated timing and scoring systems, a better radio communications relay network and more emphasis on media coverage and PR efforts. While details are still being finalized, NORRA also has plans to create a hospitality atmosphere at many of the Rally’s locations and overnight stops that “create the social camaraderie that is the heart of the Mexican 1000.”

ABOUT NORRA

Dubbed the “Happiest Race on Earth,” the unique off-road rally was co-created by promoter Mike Pearlman in 2010. The one-of-a-kind, once-a-year, three-day rally includes vintage off-road vehicles and motorcycles, rally cars, a limited number of modern desert racecars and classes for prerunner trucks and buggies. Pearlman’s late father Ed and others established the first running of the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally in November of 1967, which eventually became internationally recognized and evolved into the Baja 1000 in the mid-1970s.

Registration is now open to automobiles and motorcycles that meet basic safety standards as outlined the new NORRA rulebook (currently available at the www.mexican1000.website. Although the spotlight will remain squarely on vintage machinery, NORRA has added several new categories for modern and vintage rally cars as well as some for modern desert racing machinery, 4x4s, dune buggies, and ATVs and motorcycles of all types and ages. Each day of the rally consists of special stages (unlimited speed timed stages in the dirt) linked together by controlled speed liaison / transit sections (highway).

December 16, 2011:  After months of careful planning and cooperative efforts with Mexican officials and several potential corporate partners, the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) today announced the official dates for the 2012 Mexican 1000 Rally as April 28 – May 2, 2012.  The new time slot not only reflects a change in the event’s overall formatting, but were necessitated by NORRA’s desire to avoid a conflict with another off-road race promoter over the Rally’s original May 5 – May 9, 2012 date.

Dubbed the “Happiest Race on Earth,” the unique off-road rally was created by promoter Mike Pearlman in 2010. The one-of-a-kind, once-a-year, four-day rally includes vintage off-road vehicles and motorcycles, rally cars, modern desert racecars and classes for prerunner trucks and buggies. Pearlman’s late father Ed and others established the first running of the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally in November of 1967, which eventually became internationally recognized and evolved into the Baja 1000 in the mid-1970s.

Unlike the first two Mexican 1000s, the rally will be held starting on a weekend instead of mid-week to allow more spectator interaction and to provide participants the chance to enjoy the rally within one full calendar week. The 2012 proceedings will begin with a technical inspection/car show at the historic bull ring in downtown Mexicali on Saturday, April 28. The first stage of the rally itself will depart Mexicali on Sunday, April 29 and is planned to end in San Jose del Cabo on May 2, 2012.

With the dates now solidified, NORRA will open online registration to all participants for the 2012 Mexican 1000 on Sunday, January 1. In addition, an updated Mexican 1000 Website will be unveiled on New Year’s day as well.

“We are very pleased to have the 2012 dates finally secured and our event soon open for registration,” explained Pearlman. “Unfortunately, our original dates needed modification to help accommodate Casey Folks and his Best-In-The-Desert (BITD) organization’s new sanctioning of next year’s General Tire Mint 400 — a situation which forced Casey to reschedule his Silver State 300 at the same time as ours. While our two events are very different, we not only have competitors that wish to compete in both, but we want to continue our positive relationship with Best In The Desert.”

Registration will be open to all automobiles and motorcycles that meet basic safety standards as outlined the new NORRA rulebook (currently available at the www.mexican1000.website. Although the spotlight will remain squarely on vintage machinery, NORRA has added several new categories for modern and vintage rally cars as well as some for modern desert racing machinery, 4x4s, dune buggies, and ATVs and motorcycles of all types and ages. Each day of the rally consists of special stages (unlimited speed timed stages in the dirt) linked together by controlled speed liaison / transit sections (highway).

While still a competitively timed event, all entries will enjoy the same course, beautiful Baja scenery and group festivities. In addition, the NORRA organization is working to greatly enhance one of the Mexican 1000’s most distinguishing elements – the rally’s camaraderie, hospitality and fun.

Despite official entries not being officially open until January 1, it is expected that many of the rally’s most distinguished racers – a list that included Bob Gordon, Walker Evans, Parnelli Jones, Malcolm Smith, Bud Feldkamp, Frank “Butch” Arciero, Larry Roeseler, Michael Gaughan and others will return for the 2012 rally.

For more information, please visit NORRA’s website: www.norra.com

August 29, Washington DC – Team Courage Gazelles announced today that Soulside Network, Inc, an industry leader in sports marketing and event management, is sponsoring them in their campaign for the 9 day Rallye Aicha des Gazelles in Morocco.   It is the only all female rally in the world, where teams must use superior driving skills and navigate through the southern desert of Morocco using only a compass and an outdated map.

Soulside Network Inc has paid the pre-registration fees for Team Courage Gazelles for the Rallye, to be held in March of 2012.  Owned by off road racer Emily Miller, Soulside Network provides everything from strategy development to grassroots marketing for athletes to concept development and vendor and staff management for events.  Additionally, Soulside Network, Inc.  offers traditional public relations as well as social media and media management.

Team member Emme Hall says, “We couldn’t be happier to have Soulside Network, Inc. as our first sponsor.   They do such wonderful projects for their clients, and Emily has offered us so much encouragement already.”

“Having a company like Soulside Network, Inc. on our side is a huge advantage.  It lets other potential sponsors know we’re serious about making it to Morocco,” said team member Michele Martineau.  “And with Emily behind it all, they know we’re serious about winning too.”

About Soulside Network, Inc.
Soulside Network, Inc. is a sports marketing group with a simple mission-to continually provide superior service and results to their clients.  They thrive on bringing their clients’ goals and visions to life and they work tirelessly behind the scenes because they know that real results are based on strategic hard work, not gimmicks.  You can learn more at www.soulsidenetwork.com

About Team Courage Gazelles and Rallye Aicha des Gazelles

Team Courage Gazelles consists of Michele Martineau who is practically a gypsy, and Emme Hall of Washington DC.  The team is currently campaigning to compete in the all female Rallye Aicha des Gazelles in Morocco in March of 2012.  During this 9 day rally, the two will take turns driving and navigating through the harsh and unforgiving Moroccan desert. They must navigate using only a compass and a map; no phones, no GPS, no support teams.  To date, only 5 American women have competed in this event.  To learn more about the rally, please visit www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com.

As individuals, Michele and Emme have both campaigned for Cedar Sinai Breast Cancer Research Center.  They will use this opportunity to continue their efforts.  Team Courage Gazelles will be donating all excess funds raised to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the City of Hope.

Michele divides her time between her normal family life with husband and son in Colorado and her off road life in California.  She was honored to be a director for the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) and a part of the Mexican 1000 in both 2010 and 2011. Competing with her original Team Courage Racing team, she races off road while raising money for breast cancer charities. A breast cancer previvor, Michele also uses Team Courage as a means to encourage and inspire other women facing breast cancer and reconstruction to continue to remember their spirit through the darkest times, and to never give up chasing their dreams.

Emme currently enjoys a very busy life which includes working as a costumer for Ford’s Theatre and doing car reviews for Roadfly TV.  She participates in Solo competition with the Sports Car Club of America in her 2001 Mazda Miata whenever she can and will desert race any air cooled Volkswagen available.

These two women are certainly prepared to set the globe on fire in their quest to reach Morocco. You can follow them at www.teamcouragegazelles.com and on Twitter @couragegazelles

The 2011 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally came to an end Saturday May 7th in La Paz.  Check out the gallery of finish line and awards ceremony pictures below.

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Detailed overall results for 2011 NORRA Mexican 1000

Evolution

Vintage

The 2011 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally came to an end today in La Paz, Baja California. The results below are unofficial and the latest from NORRA as of 5-8-11.

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Detailed overall results for 2011 NORRA Mexican 1000

Evolution

Vintage

Day 2 of the NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally came to an end today in Loretto. Here are some updates on what is happening so far.

- Unofficial reports say Bud Feldkamp is leading.
- Bob Gordon had valve problems but will continue and is in the top 5.
- #67 was leading day 1 in their class but day 2 brought on carburetor problems and rebuilding it put them behind the lead by over an hour.
- Scott Steinberger is out with a blown motor.
- Walker Evens might be out also.

Tomorrow starts the third and final day as they make their way down to La Paz for the finish. Keep checking back for more updates and pictures.

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The #67 team of Klaus Rasch, Alfonso LaCarra, Martin Garibay and Gus Vildosola

As day 1 comes to an end in Bay of LA the #67 team of Klaus Rasch, Alfonso LaCarra, Martin Garibay and Gus Vildosola go over their car for day 2. They had zero problems in day 1 and look forward to another great day in the NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally.

Finish line pictures from Bay of LA, Day 1

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Detailed overall results for 2011 NORRA Mexican 1000

Evolution

Vintage

The NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally kicked off yesterday with tech and contingency at the bullring in Mexicalli, Baja California. This is the second running of the rally since it’s rebirth last year.

94 vehicles are starting this years event which is an increase from last year so that is a step in the right direction for the NORRA organization.

It was a very hot day reaching triple digits but that didn’t stop everyone from having a great time reminiscing about old times and talking with some of the legends of the sport. Bruce Meyers and Walker Evans received a standing ovation as they took the stage during the drivers meeting.

The start of day 1 kicked off this morning at 6am at the Laguna Salada dry lakebed. RDC will be posting more pictures and updates as the rally progresses.

Follow RDC’s Klaus Rasch and team in the #67 class 11 as they defend their title.

Check out our feature on the Snortin Nortin vintage race vehicle that is running this years rally.

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Enduro360.com is a website dedicated to offering the best of all things in the off road motorcycle world. Editor and NORRA racer Chilly White puts together the site and blog and posts about bike tests, product reviews, race reports, travel logs, and blogs of his adventures and observations.

One of the more recent posts was an enchanting story about Paul Fournier’s Mexican 1000 project. Inspired by the 1968 Mexican 1000 winning Honda 350 twin of Larry Bergquist and Gary Preston, Paul will be riding a nearly stock 1972 SL350 twin. Read more of his amazing story here.

http://www.enduro360.com/2011/04/01/adventure-travel/honda-sl350-preparing-for-the-norra-mexican-1000/

The Mexican 1000 is ONLY  7 DAYS AWAY…are you ready?

Even more NORRA news…

NORRA is very excited that the 2011 Mexican 1000 is only 29 days away!
As excitement for the event continues to grow, we would like to take a
moment to reintroduce you to one of our popular categories. NORRA
isn’t just about Honoring the Past with vintage vehicles. Forging the
Future of off road racing is extremely important to all off road
racing enthusiasts. Forging the Future is the driving force behind our
Alternative Fuel category – an open category allowing all years,
makes, and models.

04 April, 2011: Spirit Wireless has once-again joined the long list of sponsors for the 2011 Mexican 1000. Spirit will be offering satellite phone rentals to this year’s participants. The special promotion for NORRA participants will include an Iridium phone, Pelican case, car antenna and adaptor, ac/dc chargers and texting and voicemail. There are several prepaid airtime packages available, as well as the option to pay only by minutes used.

Established in 2000, Spirit Wireless staff has over 30 years of experience in the communications industry, and is a consistent national leader in sales, rentals, and airtime service provider for all satellite products, including Iridium, Inmarsat, SPOT and Globalstar. Spirit has been a key-player in the off-road racing industry, having been the first to provide near-real-time tracking of the Wide Open BC challenge cars in the Baja 1000. Their customer portfolio includes many high-profile off-road racers, managing/sales/service for the Peace Corps with over 300 Iridium phones located worldwide, as well as FEMA, Homeland Security agencies, FCC, US Treasury Department, Anadarko Petroleum, ABC News and many others both private and public.

To rent a Spirit Wireless Iridium satellite phone, or to get more information for sales or service, visit the Driver’s Alert section on our Mexican 1000 page.

More NORRA news…

In celebration of off-road pioneer and automotive icon Bruce Meyer’s 85th birthday, NORRA founder Mike Pearlmanlast weekend announced that the first Baja record holder would be honored as the Grand Marshall for the upcoming NORRA Mexican 1000 scheduled for May 4-8. The unique event will once again cover over 1,000 miles in three days beginning in Mexicali, Baja, Mexico and finish in La Paz.

Read the full story here!

The Mexican 1000 is almost here…are you ready?

Bully Dog was formed in 1998 in Aberdeen, Idaho. The founders of Bully Dog – Michael, Phillip, and Daryl Klassen were heavily influenced by their father Harold’s interest in improving vehicle performance. The need for speed and the desire to go faster were introduced to these brothers at a very young age. Several years prior to the company’s inception, Harold had experimented with increasing performance on his diesel farm tractor by injecting propane into the engine’s combustion chamber.

NORRA is proud to announce that Team Enduro360 will be competing in the 2011 Mexican 1000 Rally. Chilly White is driver of record for the 1991 KTM 250. Chilly White is a four time International Six Day Enduro medalist, holding three silver medals and one bronze. (read the full article here)

The Mexican 1000 is almost here…are you ready?

NORRA

National Off Road Association

661-268-1232

www.norra.com

As we get closer to the start of the Mexican 1000, our news seems to continue to get more exciting!

NORRA just announced that thirteen time Baja 1000 overall winner, Larry Roeseler, has entered the 2011 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally with a motorcycle! NORRA’s administrative director, Michele Martineau, stated “the make and model are still under wraps, but he is going to do it on two wheels, and we are very excited!” (read more here) See Larry at last year’s finish line on our YouTube page.

More exciting news is on the way soon!

25 September, 2010: The National Off Road Racing Association announced today that the 2011 Mexican 1000 Rally will take place from May 4th through May 8th 2011. While the afterglow of the 2010 rally still continues with magazine articles, YouTube videos, and a great buzz that resonates throughout the off road community, those that are looking ahead have already begun preparations for 2011.

According to Alex Plewniak, NORRA’s director of operations, “the organization receives daily e mails inquiring about the upcoming 2011 rally and many are awaiting the opening of registration. Participants will receive their starting positions according to their registration date.

The 2010 Mexican 1000 has marked a new era for the off road world. NORRA’s pledge to “honor the past and forge the future” has dropped the green flag for the roots of off road to re-emerge and sparked great interest in the introduction of alternative fuels to the Baja peninsula.

While the 2010 Mexican 1000 rally hosted some of the most renowned off road racers of all time, the dynamic course with its logistically pleasing rally format, full support pits, reasonable costs, and a unique sense of camaraderie, opened the door for any newcomer of the sport to participate with ease. The spring weather provides favorable driving conditions and the multi-day format allows participants a rare opportunity to get acquainted with their peers and build friendships that can last a lifetime.

Off Road enthusiasts throughout the world are cleaning out their garages and scouring Craigslist and Ebay in search of the perfect ride for next May. Returning participants are tuning up their iron and making plans. The rally is open to pre 1989 vintage automobiles and motorcycles. There is also an alternative fuels category which is open to any year vehicle that runs on non-traditional fuels such as diesel, propane, ethanol, E-85, electricity, etc.

Gentlemen, start your wrenches!

RENO, NV     MAY 5, 2010  -  Roger Norman reports another “Epic weekend in the deserts of Baja.”  With a three-day rally placing 1^st in the NORRA 1000 Alternative Fuel Class and then 6^th in the Dos Mares race, there is no doubt Baja was good to the Crystal Bay Casino Norman Motorsports Team.

The NORRA 1000 was a three day staged rally that was littered with the heroes of desert racing.  Everywhere you turned to look there were the most popular desert racers standing on the corner preparing to race their vintage pre-1989 vehicle, or trying their hand at alternative fuel technology. The Norman Motorsports Team was just as star studded consisting of Roger Norman, Crystal Bay Casino #8 Trophy Truck driver, Larry Roeseler, legendary motorcycle racer and Crystal Bay Casino #8 driver, and Mark Post, Riviera #3 Trophy Truck driver.

Norman started the race on day one in the 49^th position, and began working his way up the field to 4^th when he successfully handed off the truck to Post who finished the flawless day in the first position.  With the success of the first day under their belt, Norman was now able to start first and challenge himself to read the GPS and Roadbook while driving solo with no co-pilot to help navigate.  Post once again got handed a running truck but in La Purisima got a flat tire, which was the minor part of his problem…somewhere along the way the jack handle had fallen off.  Post ended up waiting in the desert for almost two hours while the recovery was in process, but thanks to Brian Collins who stopped to help, he was quickly able to change the tire and continue the eight miles to the finish line taking 17^th for the day.  The third day, Roeseler started and Post again took it to the finish line.  This time Post was resilient, with another flat tire on his hands, he was going to finish the 20 miles on the flat.  The KMC wheel took the brutal beating all the way to the finish line with no tire, and amazingly didn’t significantly damage the wheel or the brake rotor!  The Norman Motorsports team ended up finishing about 120 minutes behind the overall winner, but proudly took 1^st place in the Alternative Fuel Class.

“This was a gentleman’s race,” reflected Norman. “Everyone at the start line wanted to race hard, but there was no nerfing and a lot more courtesy on the course than there is in a typical desert race.  The whole thing was cool.  My favorite part was drinking Tecate and eating the most amazing lobster I have ever tasted with the legends of the sport in the heart of Baja.”

While Roeseler and Post were competing in the final day of the NORRA 1000, Norman was at Contingency for the Dos Mares 500 where he would be competing in the Zorro Racing Team #69 Camaro Trophy Truck.  Come race day, Norman started in 7^th and had a plan of taking it easy in the beginning of the race, but before he knew it he had made his way up into 4^th place when they stopped for a fuel pit.  Shortly after they left the pit, coming out of a silt bed, it seemed as if they had lost the transmission and called for rescue.  As they were completing the install on a new transmission, they found that it was actually the rear differential that had broken, so they were back to waiting for rescue with a replacement rear dif on the way.  After countless vehicles passed them on the course, they finally got it all put back together and were now faced with the new transmission overheating and eventually losing first and third gear.  Francisco Cevantez, the truck owner who had taken over driving duties for the second half of the race, did take the checker flag at 4:30am.  They finished 6^th place after driving by the oil temperature gauge that limited them to 87mph.

Coverage from last weeks race action for both the NORRA 1000 and the Dos Mares can be found at http://www.justin.tv/rogernorman8 or http://www.normanmotorsports.com.

More Information on the NORRA 1000: http://www.mexican1000.com

More information on the Dos Mares 500: http://www.dosmares-500.com

Quick stop before the race at the Cerveceria de Mexicali Restaurant

Monday – 3-days until the start of the Mexican 1000, we finally get to drive and test the Volkswagen for the first time. It’s been 5-months of work since we started the project; turning a bone-stock 1974 VW into a competitive Class11 race car.

Martin Garibay, the chief builder of the car, Jorge Jimenez, Gustavo Vildosola and yours truly took turns driving test loops in the desert outside of Mexicali and the car worked very well. The only complaint was that it ran a bit warmer then we hoped for but a quick relocation of the oil cooler assured proper temperatures the next day.

Jorge and I are new to driving duties and receive a quick crash lesson by Martin, our multiple time Class 11 winner and champion. Gustavo Vildosola raced a 5-1600 a long time ago and just like riding a bicycle it all came back to him after one lap on our 5-mile test loop in the Laguna Salada desert.
Simon Perez helped the team valve the Fox Shox to optimum performance.

The day before the race - The car looks still clean

Tuesday – We finish building all the pretty things on the car; such as mounting the Mastercraft tool bags, installing proper spare tire mounts, labeling the dash board switches, installing the Vision-X LED light bar and adjusting the flood lights to shine in the right direction. We also stocked our Mastercraft tool bags with essential tools that we hopefully would never have to use during the race.
We finished the day with a team meeting and decided on driving duties and pit strategies.

Wednesday – Our last day to get things ready for the big race. We assembled early at Martin’s shop to finish up last minute things such as; mounting our SPOT tracking device, radio programming, decal placement and a quick cleanup before heading over to contingency just a few blocks away.
During contingency we had a chance to look over the competition for the race. There where a total of 3 entries in our class. NORRA used the old class designation of Class12 instead of the current common Class11. Our car is built to today’s Class11 rules.

Following contingency was a drivers meeting at the Colonial Hotel’s pool. NORRA explained the race concept of a Rally race with fast Special Stages and transition stages in between. Special Stages are similar to normal off-road races where there is no speed limit and the objective is to go from point A to point B the fastest while staying on a designated course.

Transitional stages are in-between stages and on public roads with regular traffic. All traffic laws are to be followed and enforced by local police. A minimum and maximum time limit is set for the teams to complete these stages. The minimum time limit assumes driving the speed limit while the maximum limit allows for some minor repairs, driver changes and refueling along the transitional stage. Arriving at the next Special Stage too soon or too late and penalties are imposed.

After the formal NORRA meeting our team held a meeting that included all chase support and drivers. We planned out the over-all rally but ended up deciding to have more meetings at the evening of each stage for a precise plan of attack the following day.

We spend the late evening packing the chase trucks with supplies, parts and tools. Our spare parts include a spare set of FOX Shox, a spare engine, transmission, complete spare front and rear suspension and a total of 8 spare General Tire tires.

Thursday – Day 1 of the race. Gustavo Vildosola starts SS1 from Laguna Salada to the Highway going to San Felipe. I take the wheel from there through Laguna Diablo into San Felipe. Finally, Jorge drives from Puertocitos to Chapala and ultimately into Bahia de Los Angeles.

Day1 SS2 somewhere between Diable Dry Lake and Zoo Road in San Felipe

Day one’s in the books without any problems and we’re in the lead for our class!

Daniel Salas our co-driver had his favorite moment during SS2 that day. “While driving flat out in the Laguna Diablo, Roger Norman snuck up to us and passed us a couple of hundred yards to the left,” Dani recalls, “It was an ESPN moment to see a trophy truck go wide-open past you while we we’re moving at around 75mph.”

Time Slip after Day 1

Friday – Day 2 of the race. Gustavo started the day with SS1 from Bahia de Los Angeles to Viscaino. I drive the transition to San Ignatio. San Ignatio to Loreto is Martin Garibay’s stage.

After Gustavo gets out of the race car he has a huge grin on his face, “I just passed Parnelli Jones!” Gus tells everyone, “Not only did I pass him. I passed Parnelli in a Class11! I would never have thought that to be possible…..wow…I just had my moment and it made the trip so worth it!”

Gustavo behind the wheel passing through some stunning landscape

Stage 2 winds up being our problem stage. After Martin takes off at San Ignatio, the chase assets stayed behind for a while, but eventually drove the long highway section towards Loreto. We were past Muelege when the call came in that the race car had problems. Around Race Mile 56 the cooling fan exploded and took out the fan shroud, alternator bracket and alternator. We were stuck with no way to get going. From the time the race car stopped until it got going many hours went by.

Our chase truck and the Chase 4-Runner had to turn around on the highway and drive back for what seemed like hours. Once in San Ignatio, Jorge took his Jeep onto the course to drive the parts to the broken down car.

Tracking progress of our race car with mobile internet and SPOT unit

The chase crew watched the process at the Rice and Beans Restaurant in San Ignatio. Since we had SPOT units on our race and chase vehicles we were able to monitor all movement from an internet connection. Once the race car was repaired the chase support crew left the scene and made the long way around towards the end of the stage to await the race car.

While Martin and Daniel waited with the broken VW, a local family stopped by and brought hot coffee and a complete meal served on a plate. The people of Baja Sur are the nicest on the planet. Muchas gracias amigos.

By now it was night-time but since our race car was equipped with Vision-X lights it was no challenge to navigate the desert in the dark. While we watched the light beams bounce in the dark sky night at the end of the stage we knew that the car would survive another stage.

We timed out that day and received time penalties. Our points lead was now in danger and it certainly increased the pressure.

When we arrived that night in Loreto, it was very late and after all the prep for the next day was completed it was 3AM. We also traveled into another time zone as Baja Sur is one hour ahead. That stole another hour from the now sleep deprived race team.

Saturday – Day 3 of the race. Staging was around 6AM, after less then 3 hours of sleep I start Stage 1 for the day. Right off the start we get stuck in a wash along with 6 other race cars. Daniel jumped out the car, scouted an alternative route and bounced and pushed the rear of the car until unstuck. 2-minutes down time. The stage had lots of technical turns and made use of all 4 gears of our mighty VW.

Daniel is from Mexicali and speaks limited English. I’m German and speak proficient English and very little Spanish. This leads to some left and right mix-ups, and after one wrong turn in a Y-Intersection we decide on Spanish from here on out. I receive a crash course in Spanish while driving.

One of those “izquierda” turns is overshot into a rock pile, but the Garibay craftsmanship pays off as the car simply dented the floor-board inwards and kept going. We pass a total of 12 cars on the stage before handing it over to Martin for the last stage of the race.

While the crew services the race car after the stage, we noticed that the steering was a little loose. A local race fan offers us a used VW steering box. I drive into his home town just a couple miles away to get the spare part just in case. This unknown guy refused any money for his part and service but is now the proud owner of a RDC shirt. The friendliness of Baja Sur is just mind blowing and an encouragement to pass on the goodwill and give to a stranger in need.

Also notable was that Gustavo lend a hand during our pit. “Gustavo is pitting the car while I am strapped into the passenger race seat” Daniel explains ” Usually it’s the other way around that we chase for him in the Trophy truck…wow…he must really enjoy the team effort that he gets so involved…”

Martin Garibay behind the wheel

Next Martin jumped into the car. Martin had a flawless run until the electrical system showed lower-and-lower voltages. The ignition suffered and power was noticeably down. When the car came to its mandatory stop at the end of the SS2 it quit and wouldn’t start over, due to a fully drained battery. The NORRA timing people and race fans helped push start the car for its last transition stage. “Driving over 1000 miles and having the car quit 1-foot after the finish line was a first for me and is my hi-light of the race,” explained Martin the next day to the crew.

At the end of Day3 we crossed the finish line with just minimum damage

Jorge drove the car for the last miles into the town of La Paz through the official finish line. “It was very emotional for me to win my first race and have it finish in La Paz my birthplace.” Jorge tells us with an emotional voice at the finish line “Can you say lucky?”

Sunday – We sleep in after a brief outing the previous night. Freshly showered and dressed we head over to the Grand Hotel for the awards ceremony. As a great surprise we learn of our win over the next Class11 car by 17 minutes, despite our penalty during one of the stages. We consistently had good stage times over the competition and it can attributed to the best Class11 car ever built by Martin Garibay, Gus Vildosolas chase truck support, and a very dedicated race team.

Trophy on the hood after getting declared winner in class

The rest of the day is spent killing brain cells in the parking lot with our trophy placed on the roof of the car.

Monday and Tuesday we made our very slow drive home back to Mexicali with many stops along the way for a swim in the Sea of Cortez, various forms of shrimp meals and even a quick visit at Cocos.

Coco welcoming all visitors at his famous coco corner camp

During our 2-day drive home, I fessed up that this was the first time that I had driven an air-cooled VW. “Being German, it might be a surprise to some, but by the time I was of driving age in Germany there were just no VW bugs on the streets and I missed out” Klaus explained “I may have gotten into it late but now I’ve been bitten by the VW bug and there will be plenty more racing action in our Mean Green Machine. I am glad my first drive in a VW was a Class11 winning the NORRA Mexican 1000″

Watch for the team to take on the SCORE Baja 1000.

The NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally took Place April 28th to May 1st. Some of the great legends of the sport were in attendance with historic race vehicles that haven’t been run in years. Check out some of the photos we captured from the event. And stay tuned for the race report from RDC’s own Klaus Rasch who won in the new RDC Class 11.

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Place    Veh #  Ctgy    Team                                       DAY 1            DAY 2            DAY 3            TOTAL

1          6          1          RAY SWIFT                          262:03 411:32 442:18 1115.53

2          16        1          JEFF MCCULLOUGH          276:10 372:36 493:29 1142.15

3          30        1          CLYDE STACY                    339:10 479:30 486:07 1304.47

1          53        2          BEN ABATTI JR                   201:36 321:39 277:31 800.46

2          81        2          SCOTT MCMILLIN              211:30 337:16 287:49 836.35

3          76        2          DAVID SYKES                     197:35 407:26 274:47 879.48

4          52        2          WALKER EVANS                217:09 353:08 311:15 881.32

5          55        2          MICHAEL GAUGHAN       249:10 373:35 308:40 931.25

6          84        2          BRIAN COLLINS                 224:03 386:00 383:32 993.35

7          66        2          DEAN WAYMAN                330:29 374:40 389:30 1094.39

8          14        2          DAVE WESTHEM                205:23 349:07 613:00 1167.30

9          1          2          PARNELLI JONES               709:23 665:00 649:00 2023.23

10        75        2          THOMAS HALIBURDA JR            395:22 623:15 DNF    DNF

1          63        3          MIKE SHATYNSKI             234:51 358:53 328:40 922.24

2          7          3          JOHN SWIFT                         261:31 361:25 326:42 949.38

3          9          3          MALCOLM SMITH              209:37 469:39 305:20 984.36

4          29        3          SKIP KAWELL                     334:33 467:34 636:00 1438.07

1          85        4          BOB GORDON                     177:01 295:34 251:58 664.33

2          80        4          ANDY MCMILLIN              207:10 324:10 289:30 820.50

3          5          4          JONATHAN SWIFT             230:16 350:00 333:50 914.06

4          15        4          JAMES KIRBY                     374:59 591:30 348:34 1315.03

5          88        4          ROBERT LAUGHLIN          333:17 594:35 505:00 1432.52

6          8          4          STEVE HECKERT                383:55 683:17 384:05 1451.17

7          40        4          RON LANDAKER                237:12 1009:00 366:20 1612.32

8          2          4          RICHARD BROWN             426:32 883:00 720:00 2029.32

9          74        4          TIM GEORGE                       444:26 882:00 720:00 2046.26

1          34        6          STEVE KRIEGER III                       209:46 335:26 613:00 1158.12

1          64        8          GEORGE PENNINGTON    720:00 394:48 316:05 1430.53

1          71        9          PANCHO BIO                       269:18 393:30 364:25 1027.13

2          51        9          LORENZO PEARSON         255:47 414:57 636:00 1306.44

3          72        9          ARTURO HERNANDEZ     611:50 449:06 424:02 1484.58

4          46        9          GLENN KIRBY                    371:35 814:00 345:45 1531.20

1          47        10        TOM HARRIS                       193:35 309:50 276:00 779.25

2          20        10        RODD FRANTELLI             307:01 374:06 445:37 1126.54

3          4          10        CHARLES HENDRICKSON           270:17 502:19 471:32 1244.08

4          18        10        DOUG MENDEZ                  438:24 430:05 384:59 1253.28

1          49        11        ROGER NORMAN               157:06 411:43 246:10 814.59

2          77        11        SCOTT STEINBERGER       200:31 296:23 474:05 970.59

3          22        11        SCOTT WHITNEY                241:04 448:20 480:30 1169.54

4          86        11        CLYDE STACY                    281:19 492:00 482:35 1255.54

1          67        12        KLAUS RASH                      267:56 693:00 357:14 1318.10

2          25        12        MARTY FIOLKA                 402:55 478:02 454:23 1335.20

1          68        5A       JOSE JULIO SANTIBAÑEZ            257:34 479:19 415:10 1152.03

1          58        5B       GREG ADLER                      300:34 346:28 336:11 983.13

2          38        5B       ROBERT LAND                    588:36 417:20 413:32 1419.18

1          32        5C       CHRIS WILSON                   259:04 418:30 332:39 1010.13

2          45        5C       CHAD NIERNBERG                        334:01 464:05 402:42 1200.48

3          61        5C       TITO TINOCO                       459:13 580:04 522:30 1561.47

4          26        5C       BOYD JAMES                       641:11 913:00 455:40 2009.51

1          78        5D       CHRIS RAFFO                      235:00 462:15 336:39 1033.54

2          62        5D       KEN LEAVITT                      289:30 477:12 483:10 1249.52

1          73        5E        MARK HABER                     241:16 391:59 399:44 1032.59

1          23        7A       JOE DESROSIERS               261:58 455:18 334:40 1051.56

1          69        8A       TIM MORTON                      204:48 331:00 266:38 804.26

2          60        8A       RUBEN HALE                      219:02 344:23 292:22 855.47

3          87        8A       MARCOS HERNANDEZ     325:58 541:55 420:31 1288.24

4          83        8A       ALEX MELERO                   572:00 418:26 411:40 1402.06

The NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally held contingency yesterday, April 28th in Mexicali, Baja California. The streets were full of historic race vehicles and legends of desert racing.

Check back for updates on our live Twiiter feed on the right column on race-dezert.com and for photos from the race on our home page.

Follow the RDC class 11 car, #67 on our SPOT map page here – http://tinyurl.com/29nl9s4

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RENO, NV APRIL 23, 2010 – In the wake of the Mint 400 win, Roger Norman will participate in the NORRA 1000 taking on the desert of Baja in a 3-day rally race. The entry list of competitors is one of the most prestigious in racing with the “whos who” registered including the team of Roger Norman and Larry Roeseler sitting among them. While the third day of the NORRA 1000 is in process, Norman will competing in the Dos Mares 500 in a different truck.

The NORRA 1000 is a three day staged rally with unique social events at each overnight stop. The race starts in Mexicali, spending night one in Bahia de Los Angeles, night two in Loreto and then finishing the rally in La Paz. The uniqueness of this race is the two classes of competition: Vintage Vehicles which are pre-1989 and open class Alternative Fuel Technology Vehicles.

“I think the highlight of the week is going to be hanging out with all of the heros of the desert racing world…Parnelli Jones, Walker Evans, Ivan Stewart, Rod Hall and others that have essentially formed this sport,” said Roger Norman. The Norman Motorsports Team is just as star studded consisting of Roger Norman, Crystal Bay Casino #8 Trophy Truck driver, Larry Roeseler, legendary motorcycle racer and Crystal Bay Casino #8 driver, and Mark Post, Riviera #3 Trophy Truck driver.

“The biggest challenge for this race will be driving and navigating a single seat vehicle while reading road notes and GPS,” commented Norman who will be competing in an alternative fuel truck. Day one and two Norman will start, with Post finishing the day. On the third day Post will start with Roeseler taking the third days final checker flag.

While Post and Roeseler are competing in the final day of the NORRA 1000, Norman will be competing in the Dos Mares 500 which explores the greater parts of La Paz. “This is one of the most dangerous courses that I have seen,” explained Norman. “In the first 60 miles there are 500ft cliffs and all the things you could hit will wipe out a truck!” He will be driving the Zorro Racing Team #69 Camaro Trophy Truck with co-driver Alberto Sanchez. They will change half way through the day where truck owner Francisco Cevantez will complete the course.

Coverage for next weeks race action for both the NORRA 1000 and the Dos Mares can be found at http://www.justin.tv/rogernorman8 or http://www.normanmotorsports.com. Check nightly for recap information.

More Information on the NORRA 1000: http://www.mexican1000.com

More information on the Dos Mares 500: http://www.dosmares-500.com

“Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to race a class 11?” was the casual question I asked Alfonso Lacarra of CODE at the last Off-Road Expo. “I am about to start building one for the next SCORE Baja 1000″ was his reply “You want to team up on it?”

That was the first conversation we had a couple of months back and now we are deep into the build of the RDC/CODE Class 11. It all happened so fast that it hasn’t fully sank in yet. Finally after so many years of just sideline reporting on off-road races I’ll get to take part at last. A spectator will turn racer and it’s long over due.

So why class 11 from all the classes available? Racing is not cheap no matter what class you enter, but class 11 is clearly on the lower budget side of things. Perhaps the lowest cost per mile from all classes yet very competitive among each other. Class 11 cars have a nostalgic look to them that reminds people of a time when things seem simpler and you just have to cheer and root for the last car on the course. I know I have many times. It’s the underdog and true die hard challenger of the off-road elements.

Another reason we picked a rather slow class asides from the obvious low-budget argument is that it puts things more into perspective. It lets us experience how challenging every single mile of any race course really is. I want to let my friends and co-workers drive and co-ride as much as possible so they learn to appreciate that last race car on the course instead of packing in the fancy camera gear right after the Class 1 cars went through that spot along the course.

After we told a couple of industry people about our plans help wasn’t far away and MasterCraft donated some custom built race seats, General Tire will supply the tires, Fox Shox jumped on board with shocks and Vision-X will donate lights. Martin Garibay’s shop in Mexicali is building the car and it will be on display at the next CODE race contingency Friday February 12th.

The current race schedule is rather humble but the car will be along various CODE events such as drawings, contingency and awards ceremonies. We will also attend various off-road and car shows to promote off-road racing.

2010 – NORRA Mexican 1000

2010 – unknown race?

2010 – SCORE Baja 1000

Check our photo gallery and more upcoming updates on the progress of the RDC/CODE Class 11.

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Too busy to follow the fast pace of race-dezert.com in every detail? No problem. Here is a chance to follow some of this weeks Hot Topics in off-road racing without spending all day searching for them. This is where our “Editors Picks” come in. We hope you will enjoy our favorites as much as we do.

• IF YOU AIN’T CHEATIN’, YOU AIN’T RACIN’  is a famous quote of “King” Richard Petty. How does it apply to Off-Road racing? Read this inside look of some of the creatives in our sport. http://race-dezert.com/home/if-you-aint-cheatin-you-aint-racin-1966.html

• In February of 2005 RDC member Kash Vessels started a forum thread called “Old Off-Road Pics” and over 4 years later and 201,774 views later it came back with “new” old photos. http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12323

• What’s all this talk about the upcoming NORRA vintage event about? There is some talk in our forum by aspiring competitors. http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64575

• Cameron Steele started a forum thread regarding the Baja 500 rulings. He is upset on the outcome and vents a bit. Lots of ideas and suggestions got added to this ongoing conversation  http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65603

• Think you are an expert in off-road racing> Take the Steve Naughton Audio Challenge! http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65842

• LOORRS Round 5&6 are happening this weekend at Lake Elsinore. If you can’t make it out you can follow the action via our Live Audio Stream. Simply visit the RDC home page Saturday and Sunday. http://race-dezert.com/home/

• Last weekend completed TORC’s Round 5&6 and we have our Points Grid updated to reflect the current TORC standings. http://race-dezert.com/grid/torc_p2.html

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