thebajarunner - 11-1-2003 at 12:23 PM
In honor of this truly unique holiday I felt like dusting off an old story, may or may not be true.
In the 1972 Mexican 1000 a team got lost somewhere South of San Ignacio, middle of the night, Dia de los Muertos. They wandered around in their two
seat buggy, covered with powder dust from a previous dry lake, when they spotted lights. Turned out to be candles in a window of a very simple remote
home.
They went to the door, knocked, (remember, they are both coated in white power dust) and in very bad Spanish inquired what they thought was "where is
La Paz"
The residents, staying up to honor the dead, peered out, saw two powder coated white guys, thought they heard "we have come to take you to 'your
peace'"
Apparently all inside exited without benefit of opening a door and were not heard from for some days to come.
Never heard what happened to the racers.
May or may not be true but makes a good story for a very interesting day.
Baja Vida!!
Sounds more like myth than truth to me.
BajaVida - 11-1-2003 at 02:55 PM
But then again, I know you.
a sad day when...
thebajarunner - 11-1-2003 at 03:14 PM
It is a sad day, indeed, when your leader (Baja Vida is also know as El Commandante among our travelling band of Baja Boys) sneaks up and undermines
your credibility.
Sounds like a true story to me and I'm sticking with it....
and by the way, my partner Chuck and I finished second in the pickup class in that 1972 1000, you can look it up!
Baja Vida!!
Minnow - 11-1-2003 at 05:01 PM
Great story. Runner you need to check out .
http//www.baja.net
You don't understand,
BajaVida - 11-1-2003 at 06:52 PM
if you had witnessed it; I know that it would be true.
jimmy smith - 11-1-2003 at 07:47 PM
It this did not happen: it should have!
Casa P. D. y C. - 11-1-2003 at 07:59 PM
Great come back Jimmy!
We visited the grave of our amigo George this afternoon at the local cemetary. We refreshed his Budwieser, fresh pan de Muerto, marigolds, candles,
tidied up his earthly plot. He's happy and so are we.
Glad you're home safe. We enjoyed your company. Good to see you on the computer again!
Paulina y Dern
Hey Jimmy!!!!!!! Kay passa????
capt. mike - 11-2-2003 at 06:42 AM
your computer fixed? give us all some Jimmy fixes, amigo!!
its time also you renewed your monthly column feature on thaaaaaaat other plaaaaaace, baja.net!
jimmy smith - 11-2-2003 at 12:58 PM
Still so zonked on steriods that I can hardly type... Working on a thank you note for all the people who showed concern while I was in the Hospital
Also a trip report concerning a trip down memomy lane with Miss Char. Probably the best trip I've had down the peninsula.
BajaTim - 11-2-2003 at 05:45 PM
Hi there Bajarunner. I think there is some truth in the story. The Abruzzese brothers would race with tuxedos over their driving suits so they
would be ready for the awards banquet at the finish. Story has it that they broke down in that remote area, walked up to a shack and knocked. When
the old man living there opened the door he saw what he took to be morticians coming for him, and he fainted. This same story shows up in the 1983
movie Timerider, where Peter Coyote is racing a bike in the 1000, and passes through a time-warp south of Mexicali, goes back in time 100 years. He
gets lost, walks up to a remote ranch while wearing his bright red racing leathers. Old man answers the door, yells "El Diablo" and dies of a heart
attack. The October 1972 issue of National Geographic has a picture of Vic Abruzzese wearing his tuxedo while sitting in the Banquet Bronco.
IIRC, after all their adventures, one of the Abruzzese boys was killed in Long Beach while crossing a street in the cross walk.
That was a good finish for you in the "72 1000. Fun years, lots of good racing, backyard entries, and amazing characters!
dia de los muertos- Mexican 1000
thebajarunner - 11-2-2003 at 06:19 PM
Thanks Tim, as Jimmy sez, "if it didn't happen it should have..."
You talk about "back yard entries." We bought that truck off a used car lot with 150k on the odometer for $2,000, spent another $3,000 and we were off
and running, Got a second, never did any better in a major race although we won a BRA race at Laguna Salada (see Pavarotti)
Now you buy a "hobby class truck" for $115k and the Trophy trucks run a Million bucks. And we had lots more fun!!!
And yeah, I do remember that NatGeo foto, probably have it stashed in a box of old off road mags.
Baja Vida!!