BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]

Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Finding 805, Baja 500 Report
TMW
Select Nomad
*******




Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 6-7-2005 at 07:27 AM
Finding 805, Baja 500 Report


This is how our race day chasing efforts went.

It turned into an adventure for sure. Saturday started out simple enough. Up at 6am for coffee and rolls the hotel provided. Pack the truck for our trip to the Mike's Sky Ranch area. Met with mike Doherty and the 805 chase crew to go over last minute details etc. Mike and the crew were checking out the truck, making sure all was well and ready.

My two brothers and I headed out of town about 7:30am. Got to Ojos Negros and the traffic is backed up for a mile or more. Radio chatter calling Weatherman says it is the military check point people holding it up. People are moving down the on coming car lane and off to the right in the dirt. Three lines at once. On coming buss causing cars to jump to the side at the last minute. After about 40 minutes we get pass the check point. Lots of cops, military and Score people? Never did see a racer go by.

Onto Mike's turn off and on to the cross over road and over to the Simpson road at RM192. Missed the first two bikes. We set up and get ready for 805. I was surprized to see the lead Quad running so fast right in with the top bikes. Robby Gordon came thru hauling ass with the number 1 TT 90 seconds behind. They had a 5 minute lead on the next truck. Andy McMillin was first car with about a 5 minute lead on the next 1 car. Mark McMillin was way behind. Corky was running strong. The first helicopter came thru before the first truck and he was almost tree top level. Weatherman on the radio asking someone to warn the helo pilots about being 500 feet up and to the side of the course. Reports started coming in that the Simpson hill RM202 was packing up with racers and only one 4x4 was on top to pull them out, one at a time. They wanted Sal to get help in there. 800 was first by followed by 801 and 802. I think 804 was next. Mike came by on the gas.

We waited about an hour then moved over to the other end of the cross over, at RM260 and the wait began. Minutes turned into hours. We got one report from Weatherman that Mike had went thru check point 4 (El Coyote area). When Mike didn't show by dark we tried getting an update only now Weatherman said he had not went thru check 4 yet. The next report has Mike broken at RM242 with a broken A arm and needs a welder. We weren't able to talk to any of the other 805 chase teams so we pack up and head to the highway to look for somekind of help. Just before the highway Mark and chase 3 call us. We hook up on Mike's road at 10pm and head back to Mike's Sky Ranch. We are aware it's not good to go backwards on the course but being dark it's not too hard to see head lights coming out. We get into Mike's Sky Ranch about 11pm. We decide that going backwards on the race course from Mike's Sky Ranch would not be a good ideal. So we go out up the west route reaching the Simpson turnoff at 3 miles. Now we're on course with any race traffic that will come. At RM207 A class 7 truck is in a ditch with a couple of 4x4 trying to winch it out. We give them winch block and strap for a tree to get a better line and they pop him out. We back up and pull onto a side road to let them out. While there Perry McNeal is coming out the side road. He had been to the traffic jam at RM240 and was calling it a night. He said the race course was only a couple miles back.

We take this route and reach the course in 2 miles. Up a deep silt hill and a half mile later we have 5 buggies coming at us. We pull over and stop them. They said forget going that way no one is gettin over the hill further on, that everyone is stuck. We unload my motorcycle and Mark rides up there to survey the situation. He comes back with bad news, we're not getting to 805 that way. It's 3:30am and we decide to get a couple of hours rest and head back to Mike's Sky ranch at day light. At daylight Mark rides back on the motorcycle. On the way looking for a cross over road shown on th topo map. Not finding it he rides back in on course and finds 805. We bring the two trucks to the Sky Ranch and my brothers and I start in to find 805. We didn't go but about half mile and here comes a motorcycle with Paul on it. We all go back to the Ranch and Pauls fills us in on what happened and their adventure in the mountains.

My brothers and I head back to Ensenada and checkout of the hotel and head home. It was another great adventure in Baja. Only this one is one to remember for a very long time. I'm sorry Mike didn't finish. But you can only take what Baja gives you and she was being a jilted sweetheart turned witch this time.

Tom

[Edited on 6-7-2005 by TW]
View user's profile
TMW
Select Nomad
*******




Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 6-7-2005 at 07:36 AM


805 had a broken tie rod and Mike Doherty and Paul Sullivan jerry rigged it using parts from their high lift jack. That fixed the broken part but they needed help getting unstuck. Two trucks finally pulled them out and Mike was able to drive the race truck back to Ensenada on the hwy.
View user's profile
Desertbull
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 558
Registered: 8-27-2003
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 6-7-2005 at 04:14 PM


What about the big crash with the 805 truck after the race on Sunday morning at 11:33 a.m.?

The story is the 805 race truck, after being stuck all night, came out of Mike's and was headed down Mike's road towards the highway when the driver lost the brakes and went off the cliff.

There are conflicting reports on who, the driver or co-driver, but one of them bailed from the truck prior to going off the cliff and suffered some pretty bad injuries.

The McMillin chopper was helping out another chopper pilot who had made an emergency landing the day before and returned him with the part to be fixed and they graciously helped out by doing a med flight on the injured racer in the 805 truck.

WB - BFG 12 stayed on the mountain until Sunday night after the race to manage the situation via radio from high atop Mt. Diablo...

Nice job to all the angels involved in that incident. Glad to hear everyone was okay...coulda been real ugly!

:cool:




DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
TMW
Select Nomad
*******




Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 6-7-2005 at 05:28 PM


That was the 804 truck where the codriver bailed out and broke his pelvis and had numerous other injuries. Driver went over an enbankment down 200 feet. He was OK with very minor injuries. When I get home I'll post the story as I got it with more details etc. I don't remember the codrivers name but it was the owners brother as I recall.
View user's profile

  Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law







Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262