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Corky1
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Here's another I found.
Top picture when still selling gas in Puertocitos
Middle on going up one of the sisters
Bottom , someone left behind.
 
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\" |
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thebajarunner
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Corky, the bottom foto is no doubt someone who parked in the middle of the road and we all sent him over the side.
ahh, one
ahh, two
ahh, threeeeeeeeee
adios!!
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David K
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>>> David, I was talking about the guys who broke during the races, on the Sisters, and did not try to clear the course.
Some of them got dumped over the side, when enough of us got backed up to the bottom of the hill, not able to get around... <<<
Runner, you are brutal man!
You will never make it in a film like Dust To Glory unless you help your fellow racer make to the finish line (ahead of you, LOL)!
Some Baja 500 notes:
The first (NORRA) Baja 500 races (1968-1972) were closer to 600 miles long and all ran the main road (Hwy. 1) from Ensenada to Laguna Chapala then
turned north to Gonzaga (and on to San Felipe and back to Ensenada) over the Jeep trail Arturo Grosso built in the 1950's and was nearly impassable so
the regular gulf route went through Calamajue Canyon to El Crucero.
That malo camino route was graded in 1983 and became the main route to reach the gulf.
The 1973 500 (the final NORRA race) made some changes to compensate for the pavement reaching El Rosario from Camalu where the pavement ended for the
previous year (Colonet before then)... The race went along the Pacific (Parnelli rolled Big Oly the first of three times there) from Santo Tomas and
then headed around the back way into the mountains avoiding El Rosario and returning to the old road/ course near El Arenoso.
The 1973 Baja 1000 (run by Baja Sports Committee) went from Ensenada to San Felipe and south to La Paz (via L.A. Bay) to avoid the new pavement as
much as possible. (Johnny Johnson and Bobby Ferro teamed up to win in a single seat unlimited buggy)
Anyway, in June 1973, Parnelli Jones rolled Big Oly 3 times and end-o'd, but still won the 500 1st over-all!
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Corky1
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"That malo camino route was graded in 1983 and became the main route to reach the gulf."
David,
Is this the rock canyon north of the old Rancho Chapala that the motorcycles used as a short cut when the races were point to point??
Corky 
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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David K
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Corky.... that road from Rancho Laguna Chapala to Las Arrastras and on to Gonzaga was the race course used by NORRA per my readings, and memory...
The only other road from the Tijuana-La Paz road back north to Gonzaga was through Calamajue canyon, it began 18 miles south of Chapala at El
Crucero... many miles longer to Gonzaga Bay...
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Corky1
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David,
During the 1971,72 &73 NORRA Baja 500 races, the road from Mex 1 to Coco's did not exist.
The 4 wheeled vehicles had to leave (DIRT) Mex 1, head to the Chapala ranch house and cross Chapala dry lake and intersect the road from El Crucero.
The motorcycles didn't have to cross Chapala dry lake.
They went north thru a large boulder strewn canyon that the 4 wheeled vehicles couldn't get thru.
The bikes came back on to the road to Gonzaga somewhere near what later became Coco's.
The 13 mile road from Coco's wasn't put in until later to give better access to a large fish camp.
I think it was located Bahia Calamajue.
If you are using old race course maps it won't show that route.
Corky 
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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David K
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Thanks Corky... The road that Arturo Grosso built was passable, but barely... Las Arrastras was the ranch (north of Today's Coco's) where the Laguna
Chapala and Calamajue Canyon routes coming north from dirt Mex. 1 joined... I did not know that any of the four wheelers actually crossed the dry lake
and drove south to El Crucero.
I will post a map of that road from 1962 (it very well could have been motos only by the time you NORRA guys raced on it!)
[Edited on 8-2-2006 by David K]
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thebajarunner
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Also, in the NORRA events we only had to pass through the designated checkpoints, not necessarily follow the marked course. There was no such thing
as "short cutting" That came in with SCORE and their attempts to minimize damage to surrounding farms and ranchos.
In the 1972 NORRA Mexican 1000 there were 8 checkpoints, first at Camalu, last one at Villa Constitucion. Go through the check, get a stub in the
can, you were o.k.
Now they track you by GPS and all sorts of observers.... radar on the pavement, etc. Back then it was drive down the middle of the road, and STAND ON
IT!!!
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David K
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Here's the road log... the Chapala road forks at Mile 248.0... The prefered route continued ahead through Calamajue Canyon.
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by thebajarunner
Also, in the NORRA events we only had to pass through the designated checkpoints, not necessarily follow the marked course. There was no such thing
as "short cutting" That came in with SCORE and their attempts to minimize damage to surrounding farms and ranchos.
In the 1972 NORRA Mexican 1000 there were 8 checkpoints, first at Camalu, last one at Villa Constitucion. Go through the check, get a stub in the
can, you were o.k.
Now they track you by GPS and all sorts of observers.... radar on the pavement, etc. Back then it was drive down the middle of the road, and STAND ON
IT!!! |
The good old days!
The 1972 1000 was unique in that it started in Mexicali instead of Ensenada for the first time! Race down Hwy. 5 to 'The Poles' (Crucero la Trinidad)
then west through San Matias... Like you said, the racers could pick their own route to the next checkpoint... some went through Mike's Sky Ranch and
others through Trinidad to (near) San Vicente and headed south. The San Vicente route had more pavement to Camalu, but the road west from Trinidad was
really bad... The Mike's Sky Rancho route was all graded. Once they got to Camalu then it was back on the previous year's course to La Paz. Starting
in Mexicali and crossing over Baja like that made the Mexican 1000 almost 1000 miles (912 from my memory). Parnelli Jones won overall in his Big Oly
Bronco!
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thebajarunner
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PJ did indeed win it overall.
My partner Chuck Billington (recently killed in a light plane) and I finished second in pickups - our faithful Mercury pickup.
Big Bill Rush won 4 wheel drive class in a Stroppe Bronco.
Chuck and I pulled Jim Connor out of a mudhole near the beach at San Ignacio, he went on and finished well, thanked us for years for our help.
Great memories.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Registered: 8-31-2003
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bajarunner
Can I tell them you talk about a lot of this stuff and more in a special section--"So you'll know the SCORE".... written by you, in my new
book--"THINK you know BAJA." By Bernie Swaim and a few of his Baja friends.
Oh! Yeah! Corky also has contributed a great story about running motors in Baja.
The book includes six special stories by six different Nomad Folk.
Just sent it of the the printer today.
Sunbelt will be carrying it and I understand Jim Tolbert will also be carrying it down Baja Sur way.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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thebajarunner
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Bernie, I don't think it would be appropriate to plug your new book,
"THINK you know BAJA" by you and the rest of us.
Sounds way too commercial.
Besides, remember, I get 10cents per copy sold over the first 10,000 so do not want this to be such a hot seller that it breaks your bank with my
royalties.... (oops, do the other guys know about our secret royalty deal?)
Anyway, don't advertise the book "THINK you know BAJA" here..
don't do it!
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Mr. Comitan
Sir,
I do not need the money I just have a great need to share my limited knowledge with others who love Baja. If that offends you I am sorry.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
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Confidential to Bernie
uhhhhhh, was my typical overdose of sarcasm not detected by some of the other readers????
plug that book for all it is worth.
Baja is the topic-of the book, and of this forum.
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
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Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Comitan
Just smile and I will shake you hand and all of this sillyness will behind us old guys.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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