S-10 as a Chase truck

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Sean

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A freind of my just informed me that he's going to race the Baja 500 or 1000(which ever is in a couple months) and he needs somebody to help with pits stops and what not(he's giong to be on a bike) any way i've got a bone stock S-10 that i was planning on getting lift spindales for anyway but now that i mite be doing this what other things should i look at get if i'm using my truck for a chase truck.

What would be the best setup for a truck that's going down there,
What tires, Shocks or anything else.

thanks guys.
 
sweetdevil

sweetdevil

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Baja 1000 is in November, the 500 was last month
most chase vehicles are bone stock 4wd's that are big enough to haul tires, gas, tools... etc
Most places where you would pit are right off the pavement, so no extreme suspension mods are really needed.
Because you are only chasing for a bike, and wont need a lot of tools, parts, gas or big tires... a stock S10 should be fine. Just be prepared for a lot of driving.
 
stuckthrottle

stuckthrottle

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im assuming you 've never chased before. good luck, perhaps someone whos done this before can come along with you. may i suggest you pick up an older course map so you can see what youre getting yourself into and if possible chase for them when they go pre-running, again with someone who knows the area.
Even those who've done it many times before still manage to get lost or arrive late at a certain pit.
 
Gabe Lara

Gabe Lara

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Sean,

A race radio is a definite must. You gotta have comms down there... You should monitor weatherman as well during the race. You really won't need an extraordinary truck to chase, but a 4x4 is a good idea if available. Just make sure whatever you drive is reliable.

"Alot of miles" translates to when and where you plan to establish pits for him, and how many other support/ chase vehicles you'll have at your disposal. If its just you solo, you're in for a looooong day, my friend.

The majority of the main pits are right off the highways and road crossings. Locos Mocos is usually up around Mike's or on the beach for the 1K. You may also want to look into Mag 7, Checkers, and other organizations to get support from as well, to ease the burden on you and your rider.

Do you have any expierience chasing or support otherwise? Also, are you familiar with the layout down there? If not, a "pit pre-run" is a must. Best thing is to hook up with another team to do so with that too.

There are alot of people here on RDC with Baja experience, so just feel free to ask.

-Gabe
 
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Baja_Seve

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Sean,

It begs the question, but is your racer friend also racing his first Baja race? Do you have Baja highway driving experience?

In a traditional Baja 500 or loop Baja 1000, we run 2 trucks down Hwy 3 and 2 trucks down Hwy 1; each truck leapfrogging around the other so one truck isn't forced to beat the bike to the next pit. Each truck has the same spares and tools plus race radio. Carry extra gas for your truck so you won't have to rely on the scarce Pemex stations. There are plenty of stories of inexperienced Baja chasers getting themselves in trouble and hooking up with an experienced chase team is great advice.

Casey Folks is running the BITD Baja Mex 300 on August 24 starting and finishing at the Estero Beach resort in Ensenada. This is the second year he has run it but you play by BITD rules: you must pit at a designated BITD pit. This would be a great race to check out if you're doing the Baja 1000. I would suspect that Casey is going to increase the time between motorcycle start and 4 wheel vehicle start, like he did for V-R. This not only is a safety issue for the racers, it also spreads out the various chasers on Hwy 3 and Hwy 1.

Seve
 
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