On race day morning, the Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing crew is up early getting all the chase vehicles loaded with all the gear and fuel needed to chase the truck 1,296 miles as it leaves the line in Ensenada around mid-day. Because of the added 249 miles in this year's race, the chase team vehicles will need to "leapfrog" each other to keep pace with the truck. All chase team vehicles won't come back together till race mile 368 in the early hours of Wednesday AM.
After a final check of all vehicles, Dan leads the team though a review of what needs to happen this year to stay ahead of the competition as well as the race/pit strategy for the first 300 miles. Suited up, Dan and Sean drive the competition Raider to the start line in Ensenada while I follow along in chase vehicle #5.
Getting to the pre-stage area in Ensenada, there is over 150,000 fans and their vehicles lining the course which makes this a little chaotic. Stewards then check the competition Mitsubishi Raider into it's assigned starting position behind the Hummer H3 of Baja legend Rod Hall and the Toyota FJ driven by the father /son duo of Rod and Ryan Millen. The Honda Ridgeline entry will start two position back.
At 12:32, the Team Mitsubishi/DXR Raider leaves the line in Ensenada headed out through downtown and into the riverbed that will take the truck into a the first of many tight and twist sections starting just after Ojos Negros.
"It's Go Time..."
Race mile 121 is the first visual "check" for the competition Raider. That's when the pit crew basically puts the vehicle up on a jack to quickly inspect all the suspension, steering rack, tires, air cleaner, fluids and fuel. Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing has these down to about seven minutes but with 3-4 people around the truck, it gets a little chaotic.
Our team vehicle, Chase 5, has been assigned race mile 155 which is after Mike's Sky Ranch just outside El Coyote. We'll meet the truck there just as it turns dark then meet again at race mile 177 after a very rocky section to insure there are no "cuts" to the tires that will cause a flat later down the course.
As Chase 5 is heading down course to meet the vehicle, we're constantly monitoring the race developments on Channel 1 which is home to The "Weather Man". "The Weather Man" is perched on a peak over 10,000 feet in the San Matias Pass and serves as the vital communications link between SCORE operations and the racers on course for anything from getting a pit team to carry a new transmission to their broken race vehicle to coordinating a medical evacuation for a fallen racer.
As we're about 70 km outside of our first assigned check, we overhear a transmission from The Weatherman that the channel needs to go "clear" for a "code red" medical emergency and that Race 763, the Team Mitsubishi/DXR Raider, is on site assisting with a downed motorcycle rider.
In Baja, the racers take care of each other to get through the grueling miles of the 1000 but in life and death situations, race position means nothing for the moment. As Chase 5 radios into the team, we learn that one of our chase vehicles, Chase 2, not the race vehicle, is assisting on the emergency situation. Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing's Vince DiMaio's EMT training comes in handy as the riders has received multiple injuries and needs to be stabilized on a backboard before being airlifted to the hospital.
The only problem is that chase crews carry parts, not trauma equipment. The racers and chase teams in the Baja 1000 live and breathe ingenuity. Given the situation, another race team unbolts one of their truck's tailgate to serve as a makeshift "backboard" for the injured motorcycle rider. Vince and other's then stabilize the injured rider by duck taping him to the tailgate. SCORE's helicopter arrives about 20 minutes later for transport and they fly the injured rider off on the tailgate for medical attention. Many other of these selfless acts will be performed on the course over the next couple days but it's very much part of the makeup of the race as the competition itself.
As the sun starts to set, Chase 5 arrives at the turnoff and begins trekking back on the race course to reach our first service point. That's right, chase vehicles often have to go against the race traffic to reach certain service areas. You haven't lived till a Trophy Truck comes by your vehicle in anger at 100 mph! Once at El Coyote, we radio into Chase #1 who confirms that we're still holding 3rd place in class. While setting up roadside, we see the Millen Toyota FJ go by but no visual on the lead Hummer H3. The Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing Raider meets us at the service point. A quick suspension check and some food/water for crew and we send them back out for a technical section.
Chase 5 then hustles another 25 kilometers back to the second service point. Another quick visual inspect to insure that the tires are good and we leave race mile 177 in the dust still trailing our main competitors having already completed nearly 1/6th of the race distance.
Our next assigned service point is to regroup with all the chase teams before Coco's Corner at race mile 428. Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing's chase teams now drive into the night to set up the first full service on the Raider.
As the truck arrives in Coco's Corner early AM, Dan's has radioed in that the steering is getting a bit loose. Once up on jacks, Harry , our crew chief, makes the call to replace the ball joint as a precaution. And the team goes into high gear...
Junior checks out the wheel play and suspension...
Dan gets into the action....
Steady, steady Vince...
We've now crossed over in the early AM of Wednesday and the first 12 hours of competition have been good to Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing. We're holding position and the truck is working really well at this stage even with the ball joint change.
With a little more than 1/3rd of the race over, Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing is heading into Wednesday optimistic and on race plan.
A rancher and his son greet Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing...
Working the fast twisties...
Powering out of the corner...
