In this week’s Throwback Thursday we go back nearly 29 years to April of 1987 and the La Carrera Classic II. La Carrera was a timed run-whatcha-brung,
rally-style road race in Mexico that basically went from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez (Ensenada to San Filipe) mostly using Highway 3, which
was closed for the day for the event.
Riders (and drivers) started at one-minute intervals and then hammered west to east across Mexico. In this photo two riders line up to start. On the
No. 713 Ducati is Duane Summers, much better known as an off-road desert racer. Summers finished second in the event. Next to Summers on No. 747 is
eventual winner Geoff McCarthy, 19, of Ojai, California. McCarthy, riding a 1987 Ducati 750 F1 with backing from Cagiva North America, won the race at
a pretty amazing average of 108.75 mph! Not bad for racing across public roads.
[Edited on 4-1-2016 by willardguy]rts551 - 4-1-2016 at 08:40 AM
excellent historyBajaGeoff - 4-1-2016 at 11:13 AM
Wow...108.75 average speed is amazing! He must have been really hauling burro on some of those straightaway sections of Highway 3! BigBearRider - 4-1-2016 at 12:49 PM
"hauling burro" - that's awesome!
That is a very impressive speed, in particular give the very twisty sections leading out of Ensenada.willardguy - 4-1-2016 at 06:45 PM
imagine unleashing a couple motoGP boys out there today! 