BajaNomad

Spectating the Baja 1000 near Concepcion

BeachSeeker - 10-6-2023 at 08:04 AM

We are going to be in Mulege during this year's Baja 1000. I've never been during a race, and am really excited about seeing it. I see the course map shows the race going by the South end of Bahia de Concepcion. I would love any tips on where to watch the race and any other helpful information. It will be around race mile 350, so I'm guessing they will start showing up in the afternoon?

Ateo - 10-6-2023 at 08:13 AM

Sounds fun!

Someone will probably correct me, but I think in the past I’ve always judged arrival times by how many miles down the course you are at an average of 50 miles an hour for the competitors.

Find a spot close (but not too close) the the course, somewhere where a vehicle has no chance of crashing into you.

AKgringo - 10-6-2023 at 08:26 AM

Use caution while you are searching for a spot to watch the race. Pre-runners and support vehicles will be on the course well ahead of race day.

Some of those pre-runners will be pushing the boundaries of checking out the course!

StuckSucks - 10-6-2023 at 08:33 AM

At RM350, they will be headed back to the Pacific side, toward La Purisima. The bikes start at 1am which means they should be there around 8am Thursday. Trucks start at 9am, which means leaders should be there around sunset. Our own spectating strategy will put us around RM200 so we'll have more daylight to watch racing. Four-wheel competitors won't see daylight again until they're approaching San Felipe.

Have fun at the race, I think you'll be WOW'd.

boe4fun - 10-6-2023 at 11:39 AM

What StuckSucks said. A ways past the southern end of Bahía Concepción the dirt road going west over to the Pacific side provides lots of places to safety set up and watch the race. In the past there were pit stops set up in this area.

chippy - 10-6-2023 at 11:59 AM

76 ks south of Mulege turn right to San Isidro. It was signed before.

SFandH - 10-6-2023 at 12:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
76 ks south of Mulege turn right to San Isidro. It was signed before.


That's it. There's a party out that road. Lots of spectators.

I'll be in Mulege and am considering going to San Ignacio for the race.

[Edited on 10-6-2023 by SFandH]

Ateo - 10-6-2023 at 12:56 PM

And find a road you can drive in that is not on the main part of the race track. When you get tired and you want to leave, you don’t want to be driving on the course!

thebajarunner - 10-7-2023 at 07:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo  
And find a road you can drive in that is not on the main part of the race track. When you get tired and you want to leave, you don’t want to be driving on the course!


Do not set up on the outside of a turn, too many times those turns get overrun and you will be the target
Try to determine wind direction and set up upwind, you will be happier in the clear air, much happier
And mind the message above from Ateo
Locate somewhere that you can safely exit
Two bikers failed to heed this warning way back when we were racing, They decided to head back to Ensenada after watching a few vehicles go by beyond Ojos Negros, when they met Parnelli head on, it was ugly!!! Actually a very fatal mistake

Don Pisto - 10-7-2023 at 09:03 AM

for you folks wanting to know when they'll be coming through your piece of paradise......


David K - 10-7-2023 at 09:27 AM

That's pretty early in the morning for the San Felipe spectators! Of course, that would be just the fasted trucks, with all else spread out for hours after 4:50 AM.



[Edited on 10-7-2023 by David K]

BeachSeeker - 10-7-2023 at 02:05 PM

Thanks for the info everyone. Is there a more detailed course map? The one on the SCORE website is pretty broad and I can’t quite make out what exact dirt roads the race will be on around RM350.

PaulW - 10-7-2023 at 03:16 PM

You will have to wait like all of us until SCORE releases the USR, GPX, and KML files. That happens just before pre-running begins. Look for that about/before October 24. Meanwhile study the roads near your place of viewing on the Benchmark Baja Atlas.

Marc - 10-8-2023 at 06:52 AM

Years ago I drove the marked course going south of BOLA a week or so before the race. Once in a while a pre racer would overtake us going going medium fast. We would pull over as they past by. A few days later in Mulege I talked to one of them and he remembered passing us. A black pickup all tricked out. Really cool.

[Edited on 10-8-2023 by Marc]

AKgringo - 10-8-2023 at 08:05 AM

I had a group of three pre-runners blow by me on the old stretch of Mex 5 before it was paved. I would describe their speed as "medium well"!

It was startling, but after the dust cleared I found it entertaining. They were all at Coco's Corner when I got there, and they offered to buy me a beer.

mtgoat666 - 10-8-2023 at 08:31 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
I had a group of three pre-runners blow by me on the old stretch of Mex 5 before it was paved. I would describe their speed as "medium well"!

It was startling, but after the dust cleared I found it entertaining. They were all at Coco's Corner when I got there, and they offered to buy me a beer.


Good to know they are drinking and driving. The alcohol should provide for better/faster reflexes for high speed driving :thumbup:

AKgringo - 10-8-2023 at 09:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  


Good to know they are drinking and driving. The alcohol should provide for better/faster reflexes for high speed driving :thumbup:


It appeared to me that they stopped in to visit Coco! They were all Spanish speakers, and even if they had a beer, they weren't there long enough to have more than one.

I had one soda (on them) and we were all on our way in short order. I am sure that a whole lot of other pre-runners did the same, so business was probably pretty good that day.

Visual aid

David K - 10-9-2023 at 10:19 AM

Near Race Mile 350:

I stopped drinking when pre-run seson opened

thebajarunner - 10-9-2023 at 12:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  


Good to know they are drinking and driving. The alcohol should provide for better/faster reflexes for high speed driving :thumbup:


It appeared to me that they stopped in to visit Coco! They were all Spanish speakers, and even if they had a beer, they weren't there long enough to have more than one.

I had one soda (on them) and we were all on our way in short order. I am sure that a whole lot of other pre-runners did the same, so business was probably pretty good that day.


From the first pre-run to the finish of the race I never had a beer or a drink.
Figured I needed every ounce of my senses tuned to the task at hand.
My life (and others) were on the line for all those weeks of running fast on foreign roads and I was determined to enjoy it to the fullest, with all my faculties in focus.

Must have worked, I am looking up at my trophy shelf above my desk.