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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5896
Registered: 7-18-2011
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Trip Report -- Baja 1000, Pit 14, Rancho Nuevo York
After a few weeks of scouting and researching our pit location, HelloMrSoul and I headed south, Wednesday morning in the pre-sunrise darkness.
Ok, a few weeks "scouting and researching" our pit? Yes.
We requested the most remote pit possible, and that's what Bob gave us. I consulted with Nomads TW and David K, as to the road conditions in the
area. We were to head about 50 miles northwest of Guayaquil, in an area listed as "Rancho Nuevo York", a desolate ranching area west of San Quintin,
and gas the THR Kawasaki 4X bike.
After talking to TW I felt confident the best way in was from Hwy. 1, coming in from the south. It looked like about a 2.5 hour drive up a graded
road. In reality, it took us close to 4 hours to get to RM605. Once there, we realized there was no safe location to pit, and we weren't join to
sleep/camp 3 feet from the race course in an arroyo. By then the sun had set and we are in total darkness, still not sure if we we're in the correct
location. There were no landmarks and the Baja Almanac was worthless. I sent a Spot GPS message to my wife saying, "We're OK and having fun", when
in reality we were wondering if the Kawasaki rider would even find us the following morning.
Quick note: RM605, as well as other markers, were improperly labeled. During pre-running, our rider told us 605 was actually labeled 615. We found
the marker, like I said, after 4 hours of mind numbing, shock killing, tire popping, large ROCKS. We were driving on the course, and it had been
beaten to frigging hell the last couple of weeks. There were moments where I didn't think we could go further. So, when we made it to the marker and
found nothing suitable for a pit, we were rocketed into "oh crap" mode. We drove another 20 miles in search of a good spot. We drove those 20 miles
back again to 605. We had now been on this dirt road for 7 hours and it was getting late. There were miles and miles of heavy chaparral/cactus that
prohibited anyone from even pulling to the side of the road. I feel sorry for the slow vehicles that had to go thru there race day. They probably
got pushed into oblivion by fast moving vehicles.
We decided on a small meadow, the only opening on the road where you could pull off and pit. The road to San Quintin just happened to intersect with
this location, so we'd be able to do our pit and get out before the Trophy Trucks came thru.
Anyways, enough of the BS....here's some photos:
The drive out to the course:
Oh crap, we left too late!!!! Time to drive in the dark:
Race day sunrise:
Did I mention it was FREEZING out there?
We radioed the Weatherman to let THR know we moved the pit 5 miles up the course. Here's HelloMrSoul on top of the hill looking for a signal.
The night before after setting up camp, we heard a truck and trailer coming in the road from San Q. It was the owner of the ranch. He told us about
how he killed a mountain lion recently with a large stick and the assistance of his dog. His dog did the barking while he fought for his life with a
stick. He has been there for 40 years and built many of the roads in the area.
Here he is race day:
We waited for the bikes to start coming thru and they did, later than expected. KTM and Honda came thru first, within seconds of each other. I
missed getting any photos, as I was holding the THR sign in case it was our rider coming thru. Later we learned Robby had crashed, injuring his arms
and hands and damaging the bike. Hengeveld had to be dropped in by the chopper to take over. We were getting reports from Weatherman that they were
in the 7 sisters and 40 miles behind.
We waited patiently. We then saw dust in a far off valley, but no chopper. We were expecting the THR chopper to be chasing our rider. This had to
be someone else, possibly from another class.
That dust that was miles off in the distance, was on us in less than a few seconds. The rider came screaming by (349X??). My mood dropped as we were
gonna be further back than I had hoped.
The large dust cloud that the rider churned up enveloped us. Just before I put the sign down and retreated back across the course, 3 seconds behind
and flat out, emerged Taylor Robert -- our rider. In less than a second, as soon as visibility partially cleared, he saw our sign and hit the breaks,
sliding perfectly into the pit.
We dropped the gas in the bike, and Taylor was off in a few seconds. I like to think he overtook that rider shortly thereafter, as I could here his
engine cursing and screaming, echoing off the walls of the valley.
That was it for us. We packed up and headed out.
The road out was good, for a while. I'm tired of typing so all I will say is there was a 1000 foot incline we had to traverse out of an arroyo on a
surface that was all rock. No traction. No room for error. We got stuck. We could go no further. My tires spun and spun and I drifted towards
that 1000 foot drop off. With nowhere else to go and backing back down the mountain in reverse not an option, we kept trying, eventually making it.
TW, I need to talk to you about this section. Maybe I took a wrong turn? =)
My partner later told me he had an escape plan, if the truck started slipping towards the cliff edge.
I was tired of these dirt roads. All I will say it was the most desolate Baja driving I have done and the roads were the worst I have ever seen. My
truck took a beating.
It took longer to get out to San Quintin than I had estimated. We were in the dark again and it started to sprinkle.
It was about that time that we heard on the radio that Caselli was missing and/or his GPS tracker had stopped working. We listened to the Weatherman
calling a code red and something just didn't seem right. We thought maybe he had broke down. The radio cut in and out. We headed to Los Jardines
for dinner, where we monitored the radio. Medics being sent to the scene? This didn't sound good.
We got back in the truck and headed towards home. We speculated. Seems there's never any good intel race day via the radio or anything, especially
in Mexico. We bypassed Ensenada. Got on the toll road. Drove right up to the border gate. 2 car wait.
I opened my phone to Facebook and saw "RIP Kurt Caselli, 1983-2013".
Something horrible can happen so fast.
Then we got sent to secondary where we sat for an hour. Never a fun wait.
We were eventually released and got on our way back to North County.
All in all, a great Baja weekend. Always fun to explore new areas.
Thanks for having me along HelloMrSoul. Always an adventure.
Good job THR/Precision Concepts/Kawasaki for sticking with it, fighting on, and never giving up.
[Edited on 11-17-2013 by Ateo]
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
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"We requested the most remote pit possible, and that's what Bob gave us."
Good job. Thx for the pics and story.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5896
Registered: 7-18-2011
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And here's some follow up on Caselli's death via Taylor Robert:
I want to make something very clear and stop the rumors. Kurt Caselli did not crash because of a man made booby trap, a spectator, or any other
nonsense that people are saying about his accident. My teammate Ricky Brabec was the fist person to Kurt which was in a very secluded area with no
Spectators. Ivan Ramirez showed up shortly after Ricky. They decided Ricky would go get help while Ivan stayed with Kurt. Even though the news didn't
come out until the night time the accident happened while there was still daylight, and didn't have anything to do with racing at night. This was
merely a racing accident and had nothing to do with booby traps, spectators, or another vehicle so please stop spreading rumors.
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
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Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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one of the most incredible stories in a long time.
mountain lions! huge boulders ? driving in the dark?!
no traction on an incline? Holy smokes !
Now why did they send you to secondary? That's not good after so much adrenaline.
I am guessing your wife does NOT read bajanomad or you would not have mentioned the huge white LIE about being OK and having fun .....
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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SPOT
Does the job!!!
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liknbaja127
Nomad
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Registered: 1-17-2012
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Ateo, Great report! some crazy roads up there, Glad all worked out.
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5896
Registered: 7-18-2011
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I now re-checked Google Earth and realized I made 1 wrong turn that sent me to the "Himalaya Highway". This was no joke. I think my truck will be
forever injured after that incline. I've never smelled burning rubber on dirt/rocks. I promise to deter anyone from making this mistake again. =)
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EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
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Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
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too bad the McStay family didn't have it. | Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Does the job!!! |
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Desertbull
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
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FYI, you might want to edit out the part of your post about Henge getting dropped by the chopper, that is a DQ move, just take it out so know one send
this to SCORE because they will act on it?
DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Wow! Thank you for report
Great story, beautiful photos of the sky and rugged countryside. Loved the men on horseback.
What a way to spend the weekend! Thank you for describing what a pit crew can go thru to support a rider/driver. I was curious about the logistics,
this was educational.
I recognized that landscape and sky - brought back shivers from memories of similar cold camp outs in Baja. People sometimes forget- It can get cold
south of the border!
Thank you again for the report.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5896
Registered: 7-18-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Desertbull
FYI, you might want to edit out the part of your post about Henge getting dropped by the chopper, that is a DQ move, just take it out so know one send
this to SCORE because they will act on it? |
I believe it is widely known that there is a backup rider in the helicopter. I learned of Hengeveld taking over by reading it on offroad.com or
something.
Here's a quote:
The THR Motorsports/Monster Energy Kawasaki team also suffered a bad crash, as team rider Robby Bell went down hard and reportedly suffered ankle and
arm injuries. The team’s decision to have spare rider Steve Hengeveld chasing in the team helicopter paid off, as the team reportedly landed the
helicopter and Hengeveld took over, getting the battered bike to Taylor Robert.
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Desertbull
FYI, you might want to edit out the part of your post about Henge getting dropped by the chopper, that is a DQ move, just take it out so know one send
this to SCORE because they will act on it?
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If it is a violations of the rules, and people are risking their lives and dying while obeying the rules, just exactly why should your favorite team
be protected from disqualification because they just cheated. This isn't NASCAR, this isn't "have atter boys". Last year the cheaters got caught on
video and paid the price. If there were witnesses to the use of a helicopter to advance a rider illegally, then it should be a done deal. They can
hang their heads in shame, and go to last place if that is where they would have been if they were racing fairly, by the rules.
If it isn't a violation, why don't helicopters fly in a dozen riders throughout the race so none of the riders get tired at all, That would make sure
that REALLY FAST honest riders would NEVER have a chance to beat the corporate cheater's BIG $$$$$.
Feel free to correct my interpretation of fairness and playing by the rules. I'd love to hear why you think that your friends are too good to be
punished for cheating.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5896
Registered: 7-18-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vgabndo
| Quote: | Originally posted by Desertbull
FYI, you might want to edit out the part of your post about Henge getting dropped by the chopper, that is a DQ move, just take it out so know one send
this to SCORE because they will act on it?
|
If it is a violations of the rules, and people are risking their lives and dying while obeying the rules, just exactly why should your favorite team
be protected from disqualification because they just cheated. This isn't NASCAR, this isn't "have atter boys". Last year the cheaters got caught on
video and paid the price. If there were witnesses to the use of a helicopter to advance a rider illegally, then it should be a done deal. They can
hang their heads in shame, and go to last place if that is where they would have been if they were racing fairly, by the rules.
If it isn't a violation, why don't helicopters fly in a dozen riders throughout the race so none of the riders get tired at all, That would make sure
that REALLY FAST honest riders would NEVER have a chance to beat the corporate cheater's BIG $$$$$.
Feel free to correct my interpretation of fairness and playing by the rules. I'd love to hear why you think that your friends are too good to be
punished for cheating. |
Just an FYI, ALL the top bike teams (including KTM and Honda) have helicopters with backup riders on board. It ain't against the rules. They ARE
playing by the rules.
Jeeezuz.
[Edited on 11-17-2013 by Ateo]
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bajario
Nomad
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Registered: 1-7-2008
Location: Cardiff
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Wow. Awesome report.
Since my fear of falling from heights is real, I'd either need a few coldies to transverse that road or walk behind the truck.
Prayers to the fallen racer's family.
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HelloMrSoul
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 2-25-2012
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Here's idea for DesertBull and the others on the wrong side of the facts. Grab your little mouse and click like you've never clicked before and surf
on over to the SCORE rules site and learn what the rules are before popping off and repeating BS you don't know the veracity of before popping off
about what you could easily become aware of. Is it somehow less work for you to post here rather than have a look see on some other site?
The rules are a rider cannot ride the bike, get in the helicopter, and then ride the bike again.
As to why teams don't fly in new riders all during the race, it's just such a stupid question. First, there's no prize money in this sort. This
ain't cereal box cars driving around in a circle all day with infants at the wheel so other infants can sit on a slope watching sticker boxes drive in
a circle all day using suspension from the 1960s and engines from the 1950s.
The number of guys who can ride at our speed is very small. Of that only an even smaller subset can do that in Baja because the conditions are very
different than the States. Nothing can fly at night in Mexico. There'd have to be multiple helos to do this rider ferry service. And at $50K for a
helo in the race, well you do the math.
Truly, you should have known. And if you have any more questions then just ask one of your brethren on here who make chit up and post it for some
reason.
Go the extra mile; it\'s never crowded.
\"The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed.\" From Joyce\'s Araby
\"It\'s amazing what a man can see by the light of a burnin\' bridge.\" James Aldridge and Michael White
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5896
Registered: 7-18-2011
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And for you helicopter lovers, here's the KTM and Honda choppers approaching our pit. Very short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdZavl55UTM
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
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Mood: Gettin' Better
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Desertbull
FYI, you might want to edit out the part of your post about Henge getting dropped by the chopper, that is a DQ move, just take it out so know one send
this to SCORE because they will act on it? |
DB,
That info is out there and has nothing to do with BN passing it on.....I heard that Saturday morning from a local race-team crew....
Don't believe everything you think....
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motoged
Elite Nomad
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Location: Kamloops, BC
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Mood: Gettin' Better
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Thanks for the ride report....and the Cowboy Story: ..."killed that lion with a stick....." 
As for this area....the roads just scream out...."Come ride me....." 
Don't believe everything you think....
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Good job Ateo, wish I was with you for the pit. I would like to know where on google earth that hill was. Excellent report and loved the pixs, thanks.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The road past El Cipres was really tough back in 2005... if that's how you popped out of the hills towards San Quintin? The 'Petroglyph Park' site
(Mile 37.0 on map, #13 on satellite image) is great along the way, but coming in from El Arenoso/ Los Martires east of El Rosario is easier and well
used by the Rancho Nuevo and Rancho Rosarito area people.
Rough Country! Better have a Toyota! 
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