I would say for the number of entries and the number of people moving down the peninsula this year’s NORRA was fantastic and for all intents and purposes most things went well and the experience was fun and that’s a major reason we come back every year.
Initial Thoughts:
It was fantastic that we got back to the streets of Ensenada with a real contingency, no issues or pains for inspection or the registration process and everything went smooth for us. Great to hang out during the Saturday contingency and talk to locals and racers alike, we had great time.
I found most of this year’s special stages really fun, I know from experience that after running a tough, rough and/or technical section you will usually throw in a fun/fast section and vice versa – so it was great when we were on the rough rocky or whooped out sections knowing there was some fun ahead. Personally, I absolutely love the challenging sections as long as they don’t last all day.
Race Course feedback:
Day 1 - First special is pretty standard stuff and I still find it fun – I think after Valley T it gets better for us, around Mikes is just technical enough to keep you on your toes but your able to keep your speed. Diablo and the run into El Dorado are always fun.
El Dorado Finish line was great, chase crew was able to catch up and we enjoyed a few beers and chatted with a few friends, but the food line was already too long when we finished and we needed to go find fuel so we didn’t get a chance to eat.
Day 2 – I always dread leaving San Felipe, I realize there are only a few options to get us out and most all of them include whoops which my short wheel base doesn’t like. We usually just take our time and try to get out alive.
I saw we were doing the dunes again after the first road crossing and felt bad for folks who were in limited classes and starting later. With the number of entrees going through there it was bound to be a mess. I wasn’t disappointed.
Our Bronco is pretty capable and can go nearly anywhere so not an issue for us but we could have been there all-day pulling people out – we helped a few who were ready with a tow strap, I can’t imagine the number of people who got stuck after us.
The second special stage on Day 2 is always a great run, the old road around the old coco’s corner is great. Mixing it up with some new stuff heading into BOLA is nice, always great to see new sections (at least to me) - except for the Baja 1000 section you threw in, I did it in November in the Bronco and yup, I still hate it
- At least you cut out the whoop section that was right before it…
The number of silt beds surprised us as were the chase crews with trailers stuck in them, again we throw it in 4wd and go around if we can, help out if they are ready. The silt was pretty gnarly right before the end of the stage but still fun for us.
Finish line in BOLA is always great, even more so with no wind. All of us had time to grab beers, tacos and ice cream in the tent.
Day 3 – Again a great long day of racing, love the long stages. Started out tough and rocky to the mission, followed by sandy and fast all the way to HWY 1. Transit to San Ignacio, stuff as much fuel in as we can and have a fast run to San Juanico, pay for some questionable gas and finish the stage.
Finish line was tough, lots of people and traffic, lots of confusion as it was dark even though we finished well ahead of allot of folks. We found parking and had just enough time to grab a beer and pizza slice before we had to head out to find our hotel and our chase crew who couldn’t get anywhere near the finish line or the mission hotel.
Day 4 – Another long day, lots of new stuff for me. Fun heading out of Loreto great to see spectators and the run to the mission is always a highlight. In my opinion the no-pass section followed by the sand washes (and no wind) was a debacle. I understand why that section was no pass but with it being so close to the start and only a short special stage before it only took a few slower cars to stacked everyone up and then we all got dumped out into the sand and the dust. With no wind it was no bueno, it was just a line of cars hitting push to pass all the way to the end of the stage. I bet this stage (minus the no-pass zone) is super fun otherwise.
2nd special stage was amazing, probably my favorite so far in any NORRA race. The last bit along the Sea of Cortez was pretty spectacular.
Finish Line was ok, easy on the chase crews who made it there at the same time as us, we had some beers and hung out with the Baja Sur Bronco Group for a few and then headed off to find our hotel as it was getting dark. I don’t know if there was any food being served so can’t comment on it.
Day 5 – Short day and that was ok. I found the entire course fun, but my navigator did not like the 1st special, he is not a fan of heights. The 2nd special was great for us, we love the tight and technical higher speed stuff along with the soft sandy washes.
Finish line, I know you are very well aware as you asked us directly... The wait was extremely long, i think we waited over an hour and thirty minutes to get to the finish podium. I know a few folks left the line ahead of us. Kudos for NORRA providing lots of beer and water while we waited. Could have done without the long wait in the heat but hey we finished.
Our chase crew couldn’t find the entrance to the secure finish line parking area and they got stuck in traffic for over an hour just trying to get into San Jose and couldn’t anywhere near the finish line (we are not locals and don’t know the backroads). They ended up parking in a paid lot over by the Tropica and walking the mile or so to the finish, they were not happy. Not sure anything else could have been done besides knowing the area better.
To add insult to injury all of the parking was taken up in our hotel by the folks who were in faster classes so we had zero parking options and had to roll the dice parking my truck, trailer and bronco in a “paid supervised lot” over 2 miles away from the motel for two days. I realize this is not a NORRA issue but we were hoping the lot used in past races might have been open as an alternative… lesson learned. There were many folks in the same boat as us scrambling to find secure parking anywhere for their stuff. It sucks to spend 4-5 hours AFTER finishing the race sweating my butt off trying to secure our stuff, kind of ruined the moment to be honest. Again, not necessarily a NORRA issue but any suggestions or options for teams would be welcome. I am still sour on it…
Awards Ceremony – We had a great time. Loved the format for awards as it moved things along nicely. Easy to get drinks, not so easy to get food. We got in line early (still daylight) and it was still a long wait, we couldn’t believe people were in line right up until the party was over and how long the line was all night.
Stella feedback:
We have used the Stella now 4-5 times, this is the first time it has been in our favor (speed wise) and worked consistently well – except for stopped vehicles. Every single time we came upon a stopped racer it would warn us as we were passing them, not before. Other than that, the push to pass worked 99% of the time for us as did the notifications to pass.
Suggestions, problems, issues:
Day 1 Special Stage Start: That sucked, plain and simple. Sitting, waiting, moving, burning fuel and sweating into our suits for over an hour sucked. I know it was probably a mistake or whatever but it wasn’t fun or folks in the back. Glad to see the times were adjusted.
Safari Class:
We had some nervous moments near El Dàtil when we caught a few of the safari vintage class manx and others on course. We were moving fairly quickly and closed in on them fast, luckily it was daylight the dust wasn’t too bad and we had good visibility and space to pass. We were a little surprised they didn’t have any rear lights and they were even on course. We did our best not to throw rocks as we passed them but its rocky out there...
BOLA…
I have to be honest, I hesitate to post this next bit, not trying to be petty but there were a few of us spun up on the morning of Day 3…
Our team didn’t have a place to stay, which is fine AND no wind, no complaints there – happy to sleep under the stars on a windless BOLA night - which we did.
We shared a parking area and room facilities with another racer and slept in the Las Hamacas parking area, however later that evening several truckloads of NORRA volunteers showed up for the middle room in the building we were staying near, as did their friends and their friends friends (several trucks worth), they then proceeded to have a Mexican party on the front patio of the motel building until the sun came up.
This in itself isn’t an issue, sure it sucks for us and at least 5 other teams who got zero sleep before the longest race day. Maybe we could have said something? We didn’t and that’s on us. My issue is they got a room and never slept in it. They sat on the patio of the motel and blasted music, threw up, fell down, dropped bottles and all sorts of other stuff, but never slept. They could have done that anywhere –
I will say a few of them did come back and clean up the mess they left – and it was a big one… we probably would have had to clean up as we didn’t want us or NORRA get blamed. But props to them for cleaning it up at least. I will now always wonder if the NORRA volunteer with the flag in his hands is waving in the right direction, but I guess I already did
Again, not sure it matters, and truthfully what if it was another NORRA racing team and not volunteers? We probably would have told them to shut the F up…
Other thoughts:
One of the reasons we love coming back and doing NORRA is the fun, as mentioned. A few of the days are tough being in pioneer/legends and running toward the back of the pack. We ran a very clean and quick race this year, even finishing “Early” in Loreto and La Paz but we were unable to really enjoy the finish line activities. In Loreto my chase crew couldn’t even make it to the mission hotel as it was disaster to navigate to the finish line and parking a chase truck was impossible.
I realize the number of racers this year was a record breaker and NORRA wants to attract old and new racers to stay viable. However, I also know that NORRA should honor the past, not just in contingency and marketing material but also on the race course. I am not saying we should to start in front of class 1 or trophy trucks either. It would just be great to be able to start a little earlier somedays so that we have a chance to enjoy the festivities and get some live coverage a little at the end of race day for our folks back home. It is impossible to please everyone I know, maybe a few tweaks here and there will make it better for all...
Speaking of live coverage, I heard NORRA knocked I out of the park this year. Lots of folks back home watched and loved the coverage and said it was great!
I know this was long winded but thanks again for another stellar NORRA. I hope we can continue to participate and have FUN.
