COPS Racing at the 50th Mexican 1000

Here's a few photos of COPS Racing at the 50th Mexican 1000. I've included some photos of the vintage racers too - a lot of cool cars there!

I'll post some bonus photos here in the next couple days.

You were lucky at the Bay of LA. The rest of us endured the sandstorm outside. Our first 3 days were excellent. 4 day trans leak. 5th day lost a bolt on the trailing arm. Still finished 3rd in class.
[img][/img]

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by rts551   One of the racers on the Gonzaga to Chapala road threw a rock up and dented the door of my truck.. I am sure I was not the only one to get hit. Where was your truck parked?

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Interesting that NORRA and SCORE are both calling their 2017 1000s the 50th. 1967-1972 Mexican 1000s were NORRA. Mexico replaced NORRA with their own organization after the June Baja 500 was run. 1973 was the new BSC (Baja Sports Committee) and the race was renamed Baja 1000. BSC messed up bad, money for racers vanished. 1974 had no 1000. SCORE was invited to take over Baja racing after a successful July 1974 Baja Internacional (400 mile) race. They did not have enough planning time for a 1000 in November. 1975 was the first SCORE Baja 1000. No year has been missed since. After many years, the exclussive Score arrangement for racing expired and a new NORRA returned to run rally events and using the 1967-1972 name, Mexican 1000.

Quote: Originally posted by TecateRay

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Interesting that NORRA and SCORE are both calling their 2017 1000s the 50th. 1967-1972 Mexican 1000s were NORRA. Mexico replaced NORRA with their own organization after the June Baja 500 was run. 1973 was the new BSC (Baja Sports Committee) and the race was renamed Baja 1000. BSC messed up bad, money for racers vanished. 1974 had no 1000. SCORE was invited to take over Baja racing after a successful July 1974 Baja Internacional (400 mile) race. They did not have enough planning time for a 1000 in November. 1975 was the first SCORE Baja 1000. No year has been missed since. After many years, the exclussive Score arrangement for racing expired and a new NORRA returned to run rally events and using the 1967-1972 name, Mexican 1000. If you look closely they refer to them as the 50th Anniversary not the actual 50th race.

Quote: Originally posted by rts551

Quote: Originally posted by lencho   Quote: Originally posted by rts551   One of the racers on the Gonzaga to Chapala road threw a rock up and dented the door of my truck.. I am sure I was not the only one to get hit. Where was your truck parked? I was driving down the road. The racers and the normal traffic were on the same 23 mile dirt road.

Quote: Originally posted by Jay

Quote: Originally posted by rts551   Quote: Originally posted by lencho   Quote: Originally posted by rts551   One of the racers on the Gonzaga to Chapala road threw a rock up and dented the door of my truck.. I am sure I was not the only one to get hit. Where was your truck parked? I was driving down the road. The racers and the normal traffic were on the same 23 mile dirt road. This was a bad idea to have race traffic, chase traffic as well as normal traffic on this section at the same time. As we saw the first trophy truck approach we pulled to the right and stopped. That driver lifted his foot and passed respectfully. The second trophy truck that came through never lifted his foot. My windshield took the brunt of the damages , needles to say I have a number of softball sized cracks in my windshield. Im sure many others suffered damage to there vehicles both racers and non racers.

Quote: Originally posted by honda tom

Quote: Originally posted by Jay   Quote: Originally posted by rts551   Quote: Originally posted by lencho   Quote: Originally posted by rts551   One of the racers on the Gonzaga to Chapala road threw a rock up and dented the door of my truck.. I am sure I was not the only one to get hit. Where was your truck parked? I was driving down the road. The racers and the normal traffic were on the same 23 mile dirt road. This was a bad idea to have race traffic, chase traffic as well as normal traffic on this section at the same time. As we saw the first trophy truck approach we pulled to the right and stopped. That driver lifted his foot and passed respectfully. The second trophy truck that came through never lifted his foot. My windshield took the brunt of the damages , needles to say I have a number of softball sized cracks in my windshield. Im sure many others suffered damage to there vehicles both racers and non racers. OK. But you know you were on a live race course. I have seen wheels come off cars and hit chase trucks, doing far more damage. Think before you park.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

The original off road races in Baja all were on public roads, paved and dirt. The 1967-1971 NORRA Mexican 1000 ran Hwy. 1 from Ensenada to San Ignacio and again from La Purisima or nearby to La Paz. In 1972, the 1000 started in Mexicali and used Hwy. 5 for 90 miles before crossing over to Hwy. 1. When NORRA was replaced by BSC and renamed Baja 1000, Hwy. 1 was all paved so they went from Ensenada to San Felipe and down via L.A. Bay and El Arco to San Ignacio and down, the usual route meeting pavement at Insurgentes. Off Road racing is anything but and in Baja, public highways dirt or paved are the course.

These were taken at the awards ceremony:

Staging for start in La Paz:


Low tire pressure in La Purísima:


TT #250:


A curio tienda en Loreto: