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SCORE Baja 1000 – November 19-23, 2008
PRO RACE FEES
(4-Wheel Vehicles):
Entry Fee (50% Payback) - TBA
Insurance Fee - TBA
Land Use Fee - TBA
SCORE Points Fund - TBA
Radio Fee - TBA
SCORE Membership Fee $75.00
(for those participants whose membership has expired, or those new members)
SPORTSMAN BUGGY/TRUCK
Total Race Fees - TBA
SCORE Membership Fee $75.00
PRO RACE FEES (M/C & ATV's):
Entry Fee (50% Payback) - TBA
Insurance Fee - TBA
Land Use Fee - TBA
Points Fund Fee - TBA
Radio Fee - TBA
SCORE Membership Fee $50.00
(for those participants whose membership has expired, or those new members)
SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE & ATV:
Total Race Fees - TBA
SCORE Membership Fee $50.00
(for those participants whose membership has expired, or those new members)
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE A CURRENT MEMBER OF SCORE AT TIME OF RACE.
LATE FEE OF $200.00 ON ALL ENTRIES RECEIVED AFTER TBA.
The 41st annual Baja 1000 is coming in November, 2008 beginning and ending this year in Ensenada, Baja California.
With over 350 entries expected to enter in 28 Pro and 7 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, the greatest spectacle of desert racing in the world will be held Nov. 19-23 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. (map)
The annual granddaddy of all (western hemisphere*) desert races will follow a course in a loop around the state of Baja California. Traditionally the race has been run from near Ensenada to either La Paz or Cabo San Lucas in Baja California Sur.
With entries accepted up until the start of the race (Friday, Nov. 21), among the 319 vehicles entered to date are racers from five continents. The race will start for the 34th time and finish for the 19th time in Ensenada. The motorcycle and ATV classes will start their journey at 6:30 a.m. (Friday, Nov. 21) with the car and truck classes starting at approximately 10:30 a.m., or three hours after the last ATV leaves the line.
Vehicles will leave in 30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race and while the fastest finishers are expected to complete the course in approximately 14 hours. All vehicles will have a 31-hour time limit to become official finishers in the legendary adventure.
The race will start and finish on Boulevard Costero along the picturesque Bahia de Todos Santos in front of the historical Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada.
In addition to the United States and host country Mexico, entries so far have come from Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland.
The race has faced mounting pressure from environmental concerns as to the damage done to the fragile desert environment. Race officials have tried to work with local concerns to minimize the impact of the race. However, with the rapidly diminishing open spaces in Baja,
planning a race route through particularly Baja Sur has become more challenging. The Biosphere Reserve which blankets much of Central Baja also presents a course planning challenge. With the amount of income generated by the event as a percentage of the overall tourist dollar, the race has certainly lost much of its significance. But with the race not even entering Baja Sur this year there will certainly be a large number of disappointed racing fans.
Last year the headlines from the 2007 race were not so much the event itself, but rather lawlessness in the border areas and the helicopter crash involving alleged drug cartel players. The bodies of the victims were removed at gunpoint form the office of the coroner 24hrs after the crash. Pressure was applied to ban the race for its risk to the public until it was made clear that the crash and alleged cartel involvement was purely that of spectators.
Additional problems ensued following the race with the violence that plagued the border areas of Baja California last fall. One prominent racer's crew and truck was hijacked in Tijuana. This was one of the events that brought the border issues to a head last fall and resulted in the military assuming policing in the border areas and a significant number of police in the region being disarmed and dismissed. At one point SCORE suggested that they might discontinue the event for security reasons.
This year all eyes will be on the security of the fans and race crews – we wish them all the best of luck and fun and fair competition in this annual Baja fall classic.
For an excellent video documentary of the race and its history we recommend the video "From Dust to Glory"
* The Paris Dacca Rally is generally acknowledged by professionals and automakers to make the Baja 1000 look like walk in the park for neophytes.
Baja 1000 Excitement Video