Baja South en vogue. With SCORE finishing in San Lucas this November for the 40th Anniversary of the Baja 1000, the spotlight is on Cabo, more than even during the Baja 2000, that ran in the year 2000. Speculation and reports of SCORE officials and Mexico federation officials on off road races in Baja Sur (south). No official announcements, but lots of reports of new races from Loreto, south.
The reverse Baja 1000. La Paz to Ensenada. This is a new one, going south to north.
La Paz is not happy about this years Baja 1000 going to Cabo San Lucas this year. The "traditional" Baja 1000, always ends in La Paz, B.C.S. (Baja California Sur).
SCORE has a long standing excellent working relationship with the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Even though the traditional route of the Baja 1000 is Tijuana to La Paz, haven't you ever asked yourself, why Tijuana isn't the starting point of the Baja 1000 every year? Because of the geographic position of the municipality of Ensenada, any point to point race from Baja California (the northern state) on the Baja peninsula of two political states, the other Baja Sur (south) the course MUST run through Ensenada (county, in gringo terms).
Ensenada, B.C., is one of the largest geographic-political areas in the world, it runs from Rosarito, all the way to the border with Baja Sur! This fact, requires SCORE to answer to Ensenada officials, regarding racing in Mexico. Without the support of Ensenada, SCORE would only have Tijuana and the municipality of Mexicali, which includes San Felipe, to race in. In Baja.
All those gringo dollars are wanted in Ensenada. Tijuana start no, Ensenada start, si!. Some in off road racing in Mexico have even made the case that if Ensenada did not allow SCORE to race in Mexico, they could make it stick. Have you ever asked yourself, why no other promoters race in Baja California, what happened to the Best In The Desert Baja 300
Another interesting fact is that SCORE racers aren't required to get Mexican racing sport licenses. In Mexico, off road racing is a well structured sport, with links to world-wide sporting authorities, all the way to FIA. The world association of motor racing. All the way from the local clubs, state associations to the Mexican federation of motor racing, there are required licenses and standards in the sport of off-road, in Mexico.
SCORE in Mexico without federation jurisdiction, makes the events entertainment, rather than sport.
The Mexican system is considered superior by many in the sport, because of the standards for safety and pilot safeguards in the event of challenges to decisions made regarding race rules and racing events. Why SCORE does not have to answer to the Mexican federation of motor racing has been a long issue in Mexican off road racing circles, locally in Mexico. Baja California (north state) has been likened to the wild west of racing.
Best in the Desert News
BITD announced this weekend the NEW desert off-road race, the Silver State Desert Classic, in October 2008, in Mezquite Nevada, eastern Nevada, north-western Arizona. It'll be a 300 mile long, loop.
More Baja Racing Stories
Baja Racing news will have features on the Best In The Desert Baja Mex 300 of 2002 and 2003 and the CABO 1000 the most insane speed race of the Baja peninsula in future issues. We'll also look back at the Baja 2000, in those days SCORE officially wants you to buy a AAA or Baja Safari Map of Baja for racing use! The OLD days!
Gary Newsome, Baja Racing News.com