Hoernke and Yamaha racing Baja 1000
Off road desert racing is a passion for Sean Hoernke. Fans might now know he's also a passionate off-road motorcycle racer. In fact, next week the Texas pro will compete as part of a five-man team in the 40th annual Baja 1000. This year's event actually spans 2,000 kilometers. It starts in Ensenada, Mexico and finishes at the southernmost part of the Baja peninsula in Cabo San Lucas.
Hoernke's spent most of his life around off-road racing. His father raced the event five times, finished each time, and won in the Sportsman's Class in 1995. Sean will be one of the many RaceStars at the Baja 1000 HQ (HeadQuarters) at Hard Rock Cabo located at the 'Times Square' location downtown Cabo San Lucas.
"I really enjoy just riding now for fun more than racing, but there's one thing left that I want to accomplish on a motorcycle and that is to finish the Baja 1000," the younger Hoernke said. "When I saw that this year was the 40th anniversary and it was almost twice as long as the usual race, I thought, 'That's the one I want to race!' Fortunately for me, Yamaha's not only an industry leader in outboard-motor technology for fishing boats, they're also an industry leader in the technology for off-road vehicles.
"When I approached (Yamaha) with my ambition to compete in the Baja, they graciously hooked me up with their new aluminum-frame WR450F that I've been using to train with the last several months," he added. "The bike's awesome!"
He's competing in the Over 250cc Sportsman's class. The race begins at 6:30 am on Nov. 13, and will continue nonstop to Cabo with an estimated finish time of around 32 hours. Check the Images section of Hoernke's website http://www.seanhoernke.com/ for pictures and to find out more.