hey guys
Im 18 senior in high school headin to college next fall. Anyways as im sure you get all of people like this i was wondering how feasible it would be and what all it would take to enter a class 11 in the Baja and finish. I just want to finish the race within te time limit and obviously do s well as possible. Me and my older brother really want to do this especially snce he will be going active duty within a few years and i will be moving away for college. We have no racing exprience at all. Can we do it? as for the VW, a dragting teacher at ther high school i talk to often , ahs 6-7 classic bugs in his back yard. His son used to restore them. He said he has 3-4 in decent condition and 2 complete engines sitting in a shed. He knows his way around VW and was going to race the baja in his earlier years so im sure he'll come in handy. So can we do this with no race exprience and on a tight budget? thans for your time

read some of the posts I have writen in this section, it will tell you what it will take. Scroll down to where it says New at this please help me, I am not going to type it all again but it should answer some questions you have and start you in the rite direction.

I actually just read it right after i posted this. Very encouraging and down to earth , thanks.while it may be possible to build the car for under 5k i was wondering about logistics and how difficult that may be. Also, should we have some race expirience before this? thanks again im still looking through all these old posts so forgiveme if i am repeating any questions.

RivRod,
We've done the Baja 1000 three times (and still haven't finished), but we'll be back at it again in 2010. Here's some stuff to think about.

Logistics are huge. You'll need one, two or three chase vehicles. This year we had two 4WD chase trucks plus an RV shuttling the rest of the team around the course.

Accommodations. We camped at an RV park south of Ensenada. I think Eric and Robert stayed at a hotel in Ensenada. For us it was $40 a night per RV slot and we took up three RV slots for a week. We'll do the RV park again in 2010. It was affordable, right on the ocean and everyone camped there was racers. Also there was a dirt race track right next door where we could test. It was what I think racer heaven would be like.

Registration fees - around $2200. Baja Pits service either $200 (if you do your own fuel and tires from the chase trucks) or $500 (if you give your tires and fuel to Baja Pits to have waiting for you). Fuel - Depending on where you buy it, set aside $400 to $1,200. This will vary with the length of the course, which I think is a straight shot to La Paz. Fuel for all your support vehicles - will vary with the number of vehicles and gas mileage. Plus depending on how far you make it, some of the vehicles may have to drive all the way back up the peninsula from La Paz. Tech inspection of your roll cage by SCORE - $250.

Communications - Your race car will have a radio, but for the vast majority of the time you will not have direct communication with the car. That usually means satellite phones for the car and chase vehicles. Might run you $800 or thereabouts.

Spare parts. We carried eight spare tires, a spare transmission, assorted tie rods and a host of other spare parts. We got knocked out of the race this year when we blew our second transmission. Three Class 11s blew transmissions this year and none finished the race.

Your team. Between drivers, mechanics, chase truck drivers and assorted hangers on, we had 14 people working on the team in Ensenada and one back in California tracking and communicating with the car and chase trucks during the race. Everybody's gotta eat, but thankfully food is cheap in Mexico.

All that being said, you can reduce costs by not having any chase vehicles and praying you don't break down too severely between pit stops. Instead of renting sat phones, you can annoy Weatherman by asking him where your car is every 30 minutes if you don't mind him calling you a Richard Cranium on the air. And you can set up camp in a vacant lot and pray you don't get ripped off while you sleep.

The Baja 1000 was our first race in 2007. We made 144 miles before sheering off the rear skid plate, followed by the sheering off the oil sump plate. In 2008 we made it 155 miles before hitting a tree head on and wrecking our only transmission. This year we made it 183 miles after blowing two transmissions.

I'd strongly recommend doing some other racing before trying the 1000 (this is the "Do as we say, not as we did" level of advice). And, particularly for Class 11s, it's not about going fast, it's about surviving. Also this year I broke my leg in two places trying to get the car unstuck 35 miles into the race. And only one team member was taken to a police station for a shakedown.

If you want to talk more, email me at jim@desertdingo.com . Happy to share any experience we've picked up over the years.

Jim

Jim
thats the best advice i have heard yet. Baja will let you finish if it want to.

Riv the only other thing i can add to this is ride in a race to get seat time. we built a car for Team Alaska, Mike Brown. its a solid car. but i think he needs more seat time in the car. I have raced a little and it take a bit to get used to the car. They have tryed Baja 2 times. with no luck. I will let Mike tell the story.. I am not saying dont do it. never give up on a dream. Best of luck and anything we can help with ask.
Dennis

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm under no illusion that this will be a walk in the park but something I definently want to expirience. Again thanks for your time as I'm sure you get alot of newbies like me who want to run a class 11 in the baja.

Dennis,
You did Michael Brown's car? Very cool. We're totally going to rip off your idea for that trunk-mounted winch. Pricing them now. :)

Jim

Riv,
One option, depending on where you live, would be to come out to a race and hang out with the Class 11 teams. Weasel is kind of shady, but the rest of us are stand up folks. :) You'll definitely learn a lot.

Was thinking about that bu i live in florida. Me nd my brother wee thinking about going out to a SNORE race or maybe next yars baja to spectate and do some homework.

You're certainly welcome to hang out with us at the 1000.