The NORRA Mexican 1000 is sort of a cousin to the SCORE International Baja 1000. Nicknamed the “Happiest Race on Earth”, the five-day journey from Ensenada to San José del Cabo was something however joyful for these like Rhys Millen and the Mason household, but it actually was for Steve Menzies and Matt Sutherland. Though Mark Submit was the primary to succeed in the ultimate vacation spot with Menzies proper behind, Menzies had the sooner total time to take the Automobiles victory. Sutherland dominated the Bikes and staved off a stiff problem from Daniel Bartolucci for the win there.
Menzies’ Mason Motorsports truck recorded a complete time of eighteen hours, thirty-six minutes, forty-two seconds. His son Bryce, a embellished desert racer, solely piloted roughly 300 of the 1,294.4 miles because the elder Menzies did the remainder. Bryce, who has lengthy regarded his father as his inspiration, described the victory because the “finest win I feel I’ve ever had in my racing profession thus far. Simply to witness this, being within the heli, chasing down the entire coast. I received’t neglect this for the remainder of my life. We’ve been combating for this peninsula run, whether or not it’s Baja 1000 or NORRA, for twelve years now. To return down right here and pull off a win with this man behind the wheel is particular.”
“It’s such an ideal sport and an ideal occasion,” stated Steve Menzies after the fifth and remaining day. “As we speak was a lot enjoyable. We have been up on the cliffs watching the ocean, oh my god, that was so unbelievable. Had a good time. […] I’ve tried to speak Bryce into driving with me, however he will get a bit of nervous.”
The Automobiles class was dominated by Millen and Menzies early on as they mixed to win 4 of the primary 5 particular phases. The exception was the fourth on Tuesday (Day #2; every day consisted of two phases), when the Masons led by Dave Sr. and Jr. claimed the run from El Huerfanito to Agua de Higuera; nonetheless, the Masons retired two days later when Martin Christensen clipped a rock which destroyed the appropriate rear and transmission. Submit entered the dialog when he received SS2 on Day #3 earlier than leap-frogging Millen, who suffered a damaged rear radius rod after a free rock was kicked up by certainly one of his tyres, with one other second-stage triumph the subsequent day. As Kristen Matlock swept the ultimate day’s phases to turn out to be the Mexican 1000’s first UTV stage winner, Submit beat Menzies to San José del Cabo however each his SS2 and total occasions have been too far again to surpass him; Submit’s total was 18:55:32, roughly eighteen minutes and fifty seconds behind Menzies.
Though they started and completed in the identical location as their four-wheeled counterparts, the Bikes ran a special route that deviated on Day #2 as they went to Guerrero Negro quite than Bahía de los Ángeles earlier than assembly up once more in Loreto. Sutherland set the tone early by profitable two of the primary day’s three phases with Bartolucci in tow. Though Bartolucci closed the hole with two victories within the remaining three phases, Sutherland received the final for a complete of 5 stage triumphs and the general. He set a time of twenty-two:10:08, over half an hour higher than Bartolucci’s 22:42:05.
Different Bike stage winners included Ben Shuckburgh and Micah Smith, who respectively completed seventh and tenth total. Shuckburgh prevented a Sutherland Day #1 sweep by taking the final stage adopted by the primary on Day #3. Smith kicked off the second day with a win in SS1.
Curiously, maybe the largest incident of the week got here within the Gradual Baja Safari class, certainly one of two non-competitive Safari divisions the place enjoyable and sightseeing are the targets, when Meyers Manx spun and rolled “Large Oly” onto its roof earlier than it flipped again over and continued; Large Oly is a legendary 1969 Ford Bronco that was owned by the good Parnelli Jones, received the Baja 1000 in 1971 and 1972, and bought in 2021 for $1.87 million. Fortunately for Manx, the Bronco solely suffered slight physique harm that may be repaired.
The Safari class, which consists of Gradual Baja Safari and Safari Rapido, has guidelines to emphasize the scenic ambiance. For instance, automobiles are restricted to 60 miles per hour within the dust (a rule that’s enforced with risk of disqualification for exceeding it) and should skip difficult sections of the course. Conversely, this laid-back setting additionally means security tools like helmets, firesuits, and window nets will not be required, which raised some eyebrows following Large Oly’s wreck.
Whereas no “official outcomes” are saved for Safari, a 1989 Porsche 911 pushed by Serifcan Ozcan in Gradual Baja Safari was the primary four-wheeler generally to reach on the end.
