Baja 1000

Competitors face many challenges, including sudden terrain drops, cliffs, boulders, traction disruptors, mud, dunes, visibility issues, dust, fog, mirages, darkie road traffic,[clarification needed] spectators, cattle, and local wildlife.

[8][9][10] Ekins suggested the Tijuana to La Paz route (Federal Highway 1), which was 950 miles (1,530 km) of rocks, sand washes, dry lake beds, cattle crossings, and mountain passes, with few paved roads.

While being followed by two journalists in an airplane and using telegraph offices at the Mexican border and in La Paz, Dave Ekins recorded the first official timed run in 39 hours 56 minutes (39:56), with a total distance of 952.7 miles (1,533.2 km).

Upon returning to the United States, the journalist documenting the run sent out press kits with photographs and a news release with the headline "Buggy Beats Bike in Baja" to hundreds of magazines and newspapers.

During the later part of summer, NORRA named the event the "Mexican 1000 Rally" and announced the first official race from Tijuana to La Paz was to be held on the peninsula.

The course length that year was 849 miles (1,366 km) and ended in La Paz, with the overall winning time of 27 hours 38 minutes (27:38) set by Vic Wilson and Ted Mangels while driving a Meyers Manx buggy.

It attracted new participants like the late Mickey Thompson, Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones, movie actor James Garner, and Mary McGee, the first woman to compete in the event.

With fear that competitors would abandon the idea of competing and stay home, NORRA cancelled the 1974 Baja race–despite assurances from the Federal government run Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) that fuel prices would remain stable–and announced they would instead hold an event in the state of Arizona.

Though NORRA held a competing event in the United States that same weekend, BSC successfully ran the race from Ensenada to La Paz as in years prior.

The Baja 1000 is open to entrants competing in several classes, ranging from dirt bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, buggies, truggy and custom fabricated race vehicles.

Stock Volkswagen Type One Beetles modified for use in off-road terrain, known as Baja Bugs, have been a common sight throughout the event duration, but the factory-supported, all-spaceframe Trophy Truck entries are the most visible.

In contrast to the current factory EX supported modern race vehicles that tend to dominate the car and truck classes, Erik Carlsson drove a basically stock front wheel drive Saab 96 V4, finishing third in 1969 and fifth in 1970.