A Beginners Guide To Racing Their 1st SCORE Baja 1000

When I set out to race the SCORE Baja 1000 I began to do a bunch of research. I found a bunch of experts and some proclaimed experts that offered me advice on the race. I ordered maps, researched equipment, searched for lodging, hunted for a pit company, and tried to investigate every possible option and contingency. What I found was there is many different ways to be successful in Baja, but you must first determine your personal definition of success.

Let me first say that I do not consider myself to be a Baja 1000 expert. There are guys (and gals) who have spent a good part of their lives down there that know much more about racing in Baja than I will ever know. What I write is from my experience and research only and like I said before; everyone looks at racing the SCORE Baja 1000 differently. In my humble opinion, defining success is step number one.

Success for Johnny Campbell is to win the whole race by as large a margin as possible. Success for Jay Sherman in my first race was to survive my portion of the race and hand the bike off to my partner in one piece. There are probably a few levels of success in between those two extremes, and like any worthwhile goal it should evolve with experience and practice. My personal goal for the next race is to win the Sportsman class. Once you know your goal, you can set out in search of the means to achieve it.

The one thing I caution first time Baja racers about is setting their goals too high. In every day life setting an unrealistic goal will lead to (at most) disappointment. In the Baja desert setting unrealistic goals can be very dangerous. The margin for error down there is sliver-thin, so mitigating risks should be priority number one. Guys like us don’t have a helicopter flying overhead should we find ourselves in a bind. If you crash or break down and need assistance you may have a serious problem on your hands. So when I hear about riders planning their race around things like staying ahead of the Trophy Trucks; I wince. In reality there are not very many riders who are going to stay in front of those beasts. If you are one of them: congratulations. You are reading the wrong article, by the way, because you know more about this than I do.

If it is your first time down there, and you are not a Desert Pro from one of the local circuits, I would recommend a goal similar to my goal above. Safely-finish-the-race. The non-pro’s often have an attrition rate over 50%, so if you manage to finish you will place well. I was first told this by Chris Haines at the Chris Haines Motorcycle Adventure Company. Another common motto down there is:

“In order to finish first you must first finish.”

Not sure who to attribute that quote to, but I like it.

We brought our XR650 to Chris’ shop along with a box full of high performance parts that we thought we needed to strap on to it because that was what the pro bikes had. He took one look and said to us “you don’t need any of that, just go with the stock stuff it is much more reliable. And in the event something breaks, you have a much better shot at finding a spare down there.”

That advice made even more sense once I was out in the desert with chaos all around me. Would it really help me to go four miles an hour faster right now? Probably not, but I am sure glad this Honda Motorcycle is still running because I am in a dust cloud from a Trophy Truck and Robbie Gordon is behind me, in the silt, with a helicopter over my head…at night (with a broken ankle). This is not to say we didn’t need to make some modifications (Foot pegs, clutch, lights, chain), but they were all focused on reliability rather than performance.

My advice to you concerning the bike is:

- Reliability over all else
- Keep the clutch adjustment loose, real loose
- High quality endless chain. Take out the master link.
- Hondas- get the aftermarket foot peg setup with the bolt through the frame (especially XR’s)
- Go with a bigger gas tank than you think you need. Never know when you (Or someone else out there) needs some extra gas
- Zip-tie or safety wire your spokes
- Bib Mousse front wheel. They sometimes burn up in the back, but work fine in the front and will eliminate the chance of getting a front flat.
- Extra levers! Learned that one the hard way (had to ride 200 miles with my decompress lever functioning as my clutch)
- Check the chain adjustment every time you stop.
- Tool packs on the bike. Front or rear fender, but I did not like the fanny pack full of tools on my waist after a couple hundred miles.
- Use glow sticks w/ zip ties and reflective tape on the bike at night for extra visibility
- Don’t forget your stub can. You need a can on your handlebars to hold the stubs you get at the check points. We taped up a Tums container. Worked great.
- GPS Transponder. We mounted our on the back fender but I saw some mounted under the tank near the radiator.

If anyone has anything to add to this list, please do. Different bikes will have different mods they need. I will continue this in the future with strategy, equipment and logistics. In the mean time, set your goal! If you are interested in racing the SCORE Baja 1000 please join our Baja Racers Alliance group on Racer Space .

Racing the Baja 1000

The other day I get a question emailed to me, asking what it is like to race the SCORE Baja 1000.  This rider has always dreamed of racing the Baja 1000, but is hesitant because he has never been down there or witnessed the race in person.  He knew that there was no way that watching the race on television could prepare him for what it was really like.  The popularity of the documentary Dust To Glory created a lot of interest for amateur racers wanting to give Baja racing a shot, but it is definately a glorified view of what really happens down there.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the movie and have watched it many times, but I would not consider it an accurate barometer of what you will go through in order to race your first Baja 1000.

 

First of all the documentary followed some very experienced and well-funded race teams.  Not many of the amateur level racers are going to have the kind of pre-running, chase, and equipment resources that Mouse McCoy or Robbie Gordon had.  My first Baja 1000 I only had the opportunity to pre-run about 100 miles of my section, the other 230 miles was a complete surprise.  I wanted to pre-run my section more, but we were short on resources and time.  The reality is that not everyone can take 6 weeks off from their lives and livelihood to prepare properly.  The rest of us just have to make due!  This is one area that I would suggest new racers concentrate their efforts; pre-run your section as much as you can.  It will add speed as well as safety to your race.

 

 

Pre-running takes more resources than just time.  You can’t just hop on your bike and start riding your section.  You need people to meet you on the other end of where you are heading.  You have to plan for fuel, mechanical break-downs as well as the unexpected.  It is also not a good idea to pre-run alone for many different reasons, all having to do with your personal safety.  The course may not be perfectly laid out at this stage of the game, either, so you may have to guess at sections of the race course.  GPS is very helpful during this phase of preparations.  There are also not a lot of McDonalds and Marriott Hotels along the race course, so you better be ready to “rough” it some and operate without a lot of rest or the comforts of home.  Pre-running can be a grind, so if you can give yourself a day or two between your last pre-running trip and the start of the race in Ensenada.

 

Your minimum requirements for pre-running your section of the race course are:

 

1. Three people.  Two riders and one chase team driver to meet you at your destination.  Two people in the chase truck would be even better.
2. Three bikes or equivalent off-road machines.  It is wise to have an off-road capable machine with the chase team in case they have to get to you where a truck can’t go.
3. Extra fuel.  As much as the bikes can hold and extra cans with the chase team.
4. A plan.  Map it out and calculate the time it should take.  Be as thorough as possible.

 

Some helpful pre-running equipment:

 

-      Pre-running bikes.  You don’t want to run your race machine out here, bring extras if you have them.

-      Large fuel tanks.  IMS Clarke and Acerbis make tanks as large as 7.0 Gallons for bikes.  Get the biggest you can, and don’t use dry-break on your pre-runners.  You may just need to siphon a little out for one of your friends…

-      GPS.  Very helpful during this time.  The course may not be well marked.  If you can get a plotted course in there ahead of time, do it!  PCI Race Radios did my course.

-      Lights.  Just because you should be completing your ride during the day, don’t make the mistake of leaving off your lights.

-     Tool kit and spare parts.  Bring everything you may need to fix the bike.  Spare tubes, levers, bolts, nuts, cables and the most important parts: zip-ties and duct tape.  You will most likely have a flat tire at some point, so be prepared for that.  Use Bib Mousse foam instead of tubes in your front wheels if you can to avoid flats.  Some people use it in the rear tire, but it has been known to burn up if you are too fast!

-      Hydration supplements found at any health store and plenty of water in Camel Backs

-      Compact food like Power Bars or M.R.E.’s.

-      Communications- you need a Satellite phone and radios between bikes would be a good idea.

-      First aid kit including overnight supplies should you get stuck in the desert.  Glow-sticks and   flares for night time emergencies.

-      Some pesos

 

For more information about racing the SCORE Baja 1000 or to connect with other racers and fans, visit Racer Space