gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 11:02 AM
From National Geographic - October 1972
[Edited on 10-19-2017 by gueribo]
gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 11:05 AM
page two
gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 11:10 AM
page three
gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 11:14 AM
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gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 02:27 PM
page five
gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 02:31 PM
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gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 02:34 PM
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gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 02:36 PM
last one - page eight
TMW - 10-19-2017 at 02:39 PM
Good stuff, thanks.
David K - 10-19-2017 at 03:16 PM
That was fun!
Couldn't Attend the Race
GypsyJan - 10-19-2017 at 03:33 PM
But I was working as the banquet manager at the Grand Hotel in Anaheim where the awards ceremony was held.
Great people and they had a very good time.
gueribo - 10-19-2017 at 03:41 PM
Wow. Cool.
John Harper - 10-19-2017 at 04:17 PM
Awesome, not much has changed, the custom trucks hit 140 back then. And, Parnelli Jones won! Thanks for posting.
John
[Edited on 10-19-2017 by John Harper]
thebajarunner - 10-20-2017 at 06:05 PM
My late partner Chuck and I finished second in the trucks.
Our Mercury pickup was solid and steady to the end.
And, GypsyJan, the trophies were handed out at the hotel in La Paz (Dang, can't remember the name of that venerable old place on the Malecon- help me
DK)
thebajarunner - 10-20-2017 at 06:08 PM
And yes... indeed it was the "Mexican 1000" not the Baja 1000.
NORRA owned the name and would not give it up to SCORE so Mickey and Sal just adapted back to the name of the June race, which was always the "Baja
500"
David K - 10-20-2017 at 06:26 PM
Hi Dick, was it the La Perla or the Los Arcos?
The NORRA Mexican 1000 was replaced by the BSC Baja 1000 for 1973.
BSC (Baja Sports Committee) screwed up the money, and winning racers didn't get paid. BSC was out and Mickey Thompson's SCORE was in. No 1000 in 1974,
the only year since 1967 without a 1000.
More...
The Baja 500 was last run by NORRA in June 1973 (Parnelli won overall, even after rolling the Big Oly Bronco a number of times). BSC tried to run a
500 in 1974, but nobody came after what happened in La Paz in 1973. NORRA ran a popular alternative race in Parker, AZ. the same time BSC tried to run
the Baja 500 in '74.
Score ran their first 'Baja Internacional' in July 1974 and it was a huge success. A 400-mile race in the north with a 1-hour downtime at Mike's Sky
Rancho. Baja state officials gave Score exclusive rights to all Baja California (the northern state) racing. There was not enough prep time in 1974 to
organize a 1000. That was what Mickey Thompson said. It had nothing to do with a fuel crisis as modern writers have printed.
The Baja Internacional was moved to June and was unofficially called the 'Baja 500' for many years while NORRA put up a fight to keep the name.
Finally, Score could call the June race, the Baja 500.
In 1979, Score was able to get permits to run the 1000 to La Paz, once again. It has run the race to La Paz (or Cabo) on alternating years ever since.
La Perla
thebajarunner - 10-20-2017 at 06:49 PM
Thanks David
I knew you would come up with the name
Heck, you once posted a picture here on Nomad of Chuck and me with the second place trophy at the Perla
Great memories!!!
David K - 10-21-2017 at 09:01 AM
It's great to see you posting again!