Raider Project BAJA 1000 - 40th Anniversary Race

Pre-Race - Day 1 (Monday, November 12)

2007-11-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing arrived to tech inspection Monday AM with little time to reflect on the nice send-off reception Mitsubishi hosted last Thursday or even last year's stock-mini class win. Dan Fresh, our driver, Sean Douglass, our lead co-driver, and the rest of the team is feeling good about the new changes made to the truck over the past couple months - suspension and engine refinements - and the 110+ man hours that went into the teardown and rebuild cycles. The truck is in even better running shape than last year so Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing is very confident about the Raider being ready and most of the focus over the next 24 hours is for refining race and pit strategies. With nearly 1,296 miles in this year's race to Cabo San Lucas vs. the 1,047 in last year's run La Paz, having multiple pit and race strategy options is critical.

The excitement around this year's race is heightened by the nostalgia surrounding the SCORE Baja 1000 40th Anniversary. Few of the Baja veteran's, like Rod Hall, could have imagined the international attention the Baja 1000 continues to attract. It's truly one of the greatest and toughest motor sport spectacles around.

Monday AM kicks-off the pre-race activities with the need to get the Raider into the contingency area and get sign off from race and safety stewards at tech inspection. With nearly 450 entries in this year's 40th Anniversary race, there's plenty of time to kill waiting to get into the Raider signed off for competition so Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing thought it was a great time to cause a little contingency area mayhem passing out goodies to the fans.

Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing greet the fans
and the backpacks were very popular swag...

So by 3 PM, our Raider and race gear has been through the tech inspection process and we're officially signed off to compete. Leaving tech inspection, Dan runs into Ryan Millen, last year's runner up in the Millen Works Toyota FJ Cruiser. Ryan and Dan trade a couple of friendly jabs about last year's race all in good fun. Last year, Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing Raider was in stealth mode and worked that to our advantage. This year we've got a bulls eye on our back after winning and the team's will track our race pace a bit closer. Rod Hall, in the Hummer H3, even used our last year's check times while pre-running this year to get a sense of the Raider's winning race pace. We're definitely not the new kid on the block anymore. Dan and Sean Douglass now suit up for a quick shakedown run since S.C.O.R.E. race ops has opened the first 14 miles of the course for pre-running.

A rancher and his son greet Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing...

Working the fast twisties...

Powering out of the corner...

With a bit of rain the night before, traction should be great and dust minimal. So far, so good. The new suspension changes are working well and Dan is happy how it felt on the section after a couple of passes. Time to load up, get some dinner and get back to the house for a quick team meeting before tomorrow's early afternoon start. This year, Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing is projecting 40+ hours on course. It's grueling but hope you stay with us for the ride...it'll be exciting.

Race Action - Day 2 (Tuesday, November 13)

2007-11-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

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.

Race Action - Day 3 (Wednesday, November 14)

2007-11-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

Leaving Coco's Corner, the chase team will again spilt up and regroup down course late morning. Chase 5 will work the Pacific Ocean side of the course to meet the Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing Raider at Viscaino (race mile 639), just under the halfway point for the 40th BAJA 1000. We've got more than 200 miles to cover and no time to miss the Raider since Dan will be at the outer edge of his fuel map.

As daybreak starts, our plan is to have our chase group meet the truck at race mile 639 but the pace of the race continues to go well ahead of last year's race and we're having to switch it up a bit. Chase 5 will now go ahead to race mile 650 and intercept the truck for a quick precautionary fuel before meeting up at with the Chase 2 and Chase 3 at race mile 654.

Chase 5 manages to haul through Viscaino without getting arrested, take a quick turn at the radio tower and manage to find a route out to the course in the middle of 40 spectators. As I contact Dan with our position for the fuel stop, we're mobbed by 25 kids yelling "stickers, stickers" and have to establish a quick negotiation that no stickers will be passed out till we get fuel in the truck. Calm is temporarily restored and we scramble to get a 5 gallon dump can in the truck ASAP.

The stop goes well and the Rider is back out on course with the small crowd cheering the Raider on. No sooner than the dump can is back in the chase truck, the sticker frenzy begins and only some high engine revs and constant horn beeps gets Chase 5 back on route. If you like normal, then I think the BAJA 1000 isn't your cup of tea. But it is a fantastic exercise for racers and chase crew alike in battling adversity and the guarantee that the best laid race plans will change. It's how quickly you adapt that makes the difference.

As we haul out towards race mile 983 in Colonia Purisma, the Raider is still holding a solid 3rd in class but our competition is a little over an hour ahead. In these long distance off-road events, under two hours is a very manageable gap to close in this type of racing.

Arriving in Ciudad Insurgentes, we have just enough time to break more than 24 hours living on apples, granola bars, energy drinks, snack mix and sandwiches. The roadside taco stand is a vision and we have just enough time to enjoy some carne asada tacos before getting up to Purisma for the next service stop with Chase 1. It a welcome break form the race and driving into the night.

As we're heading in to our pit in Purisma, we spot the lead Hummer H3 being escorted back to the road by it's chase team with mechanical problems. And over the radio, Dan radios in that the he just passed the Millen Toyota FJ after it got stuck in the silt beds 20 miles back. Suddenly, the Raider is in first place and the stop we're about to do will either maintain that gap or give back some time.

Chase 1 was ahead of us by 10 minutes and has found a great pit location to service the vehicle at. Dan decides that he only wants a visual which means we get the Raider up on the jack and inspect suspension, air cleaner and fluids. If everything is good, we send him back on course. Definitely time to make a move major move and see if we can build our lead into a comfortable gap.

Dan brings the truck into Purisma and we get to work. At this stage, focus is paramount and there's no time for the excitement of being in first place. The stop goes well and the ball joint replaced earlier is holding up fine. Dan can't believe that pace of this year's race. Nobody is holding back anything and we're more than two hours ahead of projected race times established off of last year's check times. The Raider is proving it's toughness all over again.

Chase 5 and Chase 1 will move into Thursday AM with nearly 34 hours done as the team heads to Todos Santos with the hope that the next 200+ race miles can firm up our Raider's lead. As we're heading south, no sign of the Hummer H3 getting back on course yet. We'll know more at race mile 1,226 north of Todos Santos.

Race Action - Day 4 (Thursday, November 15)

2007-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

Finishing day of the BAJA 1000 started well but 95 miles after taking the lead, the Millen Toyota FJ was able to close and re-take the lead heading into race mile 1,226 north of Todos Santo. The more technical sections suited the FJ better and our driver, Dan Fresh, is showing some early signs of fatigue since he's the only solo driver near the front in the class. Millen's FJ and Hall's Hummer are running with three driver's each.

At Todos Santos, the Team Mitsubishi/DXR chase team sets up for a full service stop. Air cleaners need to be changed, suspension checked, driver food/beverages and fuel are the minimum requirements of the final full stop.

Bringing it in to Todos Santos...

"Was it a 5/8ths or 3/5ths or a 1/2 inch wrench
that I need for the limit straps?"
Just kidding...Don always gets the right tool for the job

Getting it done...

Even M-Blogger got into the fray changing out the
air cleaner, making sure the air filter seal was spot on after
replacing and making sure we got a full load of fuel
into the fuel cell...check

At Todos Santos, the FJ had opened up a twenty five minute lead. To make matters worse, the Hummer H3 was repaired shortly after we left Purisma and was able to overtake the Raider in a difficult technical section into Todos Santos putting five minutes on us and is bearing down on Millen's Toyota FJ.

Heading along the Pacific at daybreak, the Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing crew is tired but still excited about finishing out in Cabo San Lucas. Alot can happen in 70 miles of racing.

In the end, the Hummer H3 successfully ran down the Toyota FJ to take first in the Stock Mini class. The Hummer's finishing time was an impressive 40:04:30 and verified the incredible pace of this year's Sock Mini class battle. Millen's Toyota FJ came in second again, 10 minutes 12 seconds back after more than 40 hours of competition. Dan Fresh brought the Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing Raider in a solid third place and second consecutive podium. The Honda Ridgeline finished more than four hours back fo the Raider and first-truck-in-class was small consolation.

Here's a look at our finish:

Dan only knows one way to finish...still charging
after more than 40 hours of driving

"It got a little hairy as the wheels started to go over the edge
towards the cliff but I gassed it and it hooked back up...."

Always time for aspiring Baja 1000 drivers....

Family shot (DJ, Dan and Shelly)

Team Shot

In the end, it was another fantastic effort for Team Mitsubishi/DXR Racing and the tough Mitsubishi Raider. With over 2,300 race miles in the Baja 1000 without a major mechanical failure, a class win in 2006 and another podium finish in 2007, we're pretty confident that the Mitsubishi Raider is more than capable of handling what you'd likely throw at it on any given weekend. Now all you have to do is go drive one for yourself.

See you next year...

M-Blogger