100X
Nomad
Posts: 234
Registered: 11-3-2021
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1960's Baja 1000 Stories?
Would love to hear Nomads' Baja 1000 experiences from the 60's, be it racing, helping, spectating, etc. Wish I had seen this "golden age" but it
predates me by decades.
And Happy Thanksgiving to all!
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1923
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
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Stories plus photos
Several chapters of this book are devoted to the early years. Great photos, familiar and not so familiar names abound.
John M
Fairly expensive on the used book market, least expensive I found $75.00
[Edited on 11-25-2021 by John M]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64943
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Great topic 100X! 
My first race to be at was the 1973 1000, when I was 16 (technically, the first Baja 1000 since before that year it was officially called the Mexican
1000).
Took some great photos of Parnelli Jones pulling up in the Big Oly Bronco, the day before the race. When you ask about the 70s, I will share.
Edit: The is a great Facebook group that has memorabilia on the early days of racing: Off Road Racing Memorabilia
https://www.facebook.com/groups/429251197651072/
[Edited on 11-25-2021 by David K]
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100X
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Thank you David K!
Wish I had been there with you!
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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John M
Super Nomad
Posts: 1923
Registered: 9-3-2003
Location: California High Desert
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1975 Baja 500
Our first time ever to Baja was in support of the 500 that year.
We had been to the Riverside Mickey Thompson race in both 73 & 74 and followed up on an invitation to join the newly formed SCORE. A meeting at
Mickey's shop (Long Beach?) where we met Mickey & Sal and we were literally "off to the races!"
They talked us into going to some place we obviously had never heard of - a spot up in the mountains - Mike's Sky Ranch where we flagged at a major
intersection a little west of Mike's.
First time in Baja and we've loved it ever since. We worked SCORE checkpoints for the next 15 years.
John & Barb M
[Edited on 11-25-2021 by John M]
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100X
Nomad
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Great one John M!
John and David, 70's count too!
Ah, the Riverside Roundup. We used to wear bright yellow shirts, pay admission, and sneak into Walker's pit, like we were part of his pit crew! Walker
never fell for it, but he acted like he didn't notice us and always let us stay!
I guess that is how it all starts. Just wish I had made it to Baja for a race back then...
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64943
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Parnelli Jones 1970s:
Here comes Parnelli! PJ and his mechanic, Dick Russell, took Big Oly out for a short road test, the day before the 1973 Baja 1000. Parnelli told
16-year-old me, he was "warming-up the tires"!
Here's a photo of Parnelli and Dick Russell in an earlier race with Big Oly.
After a terrible accident at the 1974 Score Baja Internacional, Parnelli never raced Big Oly in Baja again. He switched to Chevy and had Dick build
this screaming machine... I took this photo at Valle de la Trinidad during the 1975 Baja 1000:
PJ raced this a couple of years, then sold it to Frank 'Scoop' Vessels, who painted in black, and did quite well with it. The Vessels Stallion Farm is
just a few miles from me, in Bonsall, CA. Scoop was killed in a plane crash, returning from a Baja race (as I recall).
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64943
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Mickey Thompson (and Danny) 1975 Baja 1000 & Ivan Stewart, too
The vehicle is a Chevy LUV truck, with a 454 V-8, in the bed... using an Oldsmobile front wheel drive, on the rear axle!
Mickey always thought horsepower was key... I don't think he ever finished in this... just too damn fast!
Restored, at the 2011 Off Road Expo:
=========================================================================
IVAN, before Toyota got him....
Three months before the the 1975 Baja 1000, there was a smaller race held in Santo Tomás by an organization called BRA (Baja Racing Association). The
race was called the Baja 300. It started and ended at the El Palomar campground... Ivan Stewart was the Class 1 winner:
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advrider
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WOW, never seen the Chevy luv before, cool history.
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100X
Nomad
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David, fantastic!
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64943
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Happy Thanksgiving!
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