Here's Every Cool Thing I Saw At The Start Of The Baja 1000

For the first time in the history of the Baja 1000, the race is doing a full 'peninsula run' from La Paz, where the race traditionally finishes, to Ensenada, where the race traditionally starts. I'm embedded within the factory-backed Can Am Maverick R team, supporting Phil Blurton's efforts to win the Pro UTV Forced Induction class. This is the 56th running of the Baja 1000, and the 50th anniversary of the race's long-time sanctioning body SCORE, so it would certainly be an extra exciting one to win.

I flew to Baja California Sur on Monday and spent Tuesday and Wednesday enjoying the absolutely bonkers display that has been under way here on the peninsula. Every vehicle has to run through the long downtown La Paz main street line of contingency and tech, cross the start line and talk about their effort on the big screen for the gathered thousands and the livestream audience, before checking their cars against the safety rulebook.

The scene is full on from 7 a.m. until well into the evening. There are hundreds of kids walking around asking racers for stickers, which have practically become the currency of La Paz. In addition to the hundreds of racers lined up over two days, there are thousands of support volunteers, chase trucks, spare parts, and barrels of VP racing fuel to be coordinated. This event is one for the ages, and one that many want to win. Here's what that cacophony of global interest looks like through the lens of my iPhone.

Bright and early on Tuesday, as I walked toward the start line to check out the scene, I was slightly taken aback to see Bryce Menzies, one of the favorites in the Trophy Truck class to win overall, running his truck out for a morning test of something or another.

While the name of the coastal town translates to "the peace" very little of this town as been peaceful this week. It's a madhouse of American invasion, with most competitors coming down from California or Texas.

This Chevy Spectrum Express hatchback is one of the raddest cars I've ever seen. It's truly a vision in two-tone teal and white, with a matching period bicycle on the roof and color-matched wheels. This car was clearly used, but well loved, and for that reason, I love it as well.

The Mitsubishi L200 has long been the mid-sized pickup that doesn't make a lick of sense to not import to the U.S. market. And after the success of the Ford Maverick, it makes even less sense.

While this isn't the real Oly, this Bronco-aping recreation has a level of vintage cool to it that I adore. The real Big 'Oly, Parnelli Jones' winning ride in the Baja back in 1971 and 72, is widely considered to be the first Trophy Truck. Of course that truck sold for 1.8 million dollars in 2021, then promptly destroyed during the NORRA Mexican 1000 race.

This year's event is over 1300 miles from start to finish, significantly more than the namesake 1000. This truck will be leaving La Paz on Thursday, and the driver said he didn't expect to make it to the finish until Saturday morning. The faster machines are expected to make the run in under 21 hours.

Here you see a team member passing out Bilstein stickers to kids in La Paz who will run out into traffic to pick them up. Luckily it's basically gridlock. Will these kids ever be influenced to buy Bilstein products, or know what the company makes? Who's to say? Maybe their parents will. They're going for top of mind awareness, here.

There are so many Baja Designs lights at Baja, and for good reason. These damn things are bright!

An advertisement for a special exhibit on Mexican-born artist Kahlo, overlooks one of a thousand different Volkswagen-based fiberglass dune buggies. If Frida had a Meyers Manx, would she have looked happier in her paintings?

This Pro Moto 50 class KTM made the trip down from Canada, and I love the teal accents on traditional KTM orange. Good look!

Ford says this Raptor R is mostly stock, and I kind of believe them. This truck is the way I'd want to race a truck at Baja, as it retains all its factory glass windows and stock air conditioning. Considering it's in the 80s here right now, that'll be nice for keeping the driver cool.

The Bronco team is not so lucky. All windows are gone for this ride.

That's a feature!

Like Ford, Honda is entering a pair of factory-supported entrants. This Ridgeline is representing the top Trophy Truck class, while American Honda also has a Talon 1000R in the naturally aspirated UTV class.

This damn thing is basically using an Indycar engine in a full-width trophy truck. It's significantly faster than the Class 7-winning Ridgeline that Honda has entered in the past. Uh, this rips.

The Herbst family is back in 2023 with a crew of four trophy trucks, looking to ply their gas station-funded efforts in the deserts of Mexico. Just by dint of sheer numbers, the Herbst team has a good chance at one of their trucks taking the win. There are 25 other Trophy Trucks in the class looking to stop them.

Everyone in the Class 7SX category is from Mexico. This is a class for stock production mini trucks, with a maximum displacement of 4-liters and a maximum cylinder count of 6. For obvious reasons, the Ford Ranger is a favorite in this class.

Is it anything like the old Ramcharger? I've always loved these wild Mexico-only two-door Rams with a Durango back on them. Glad I got to see one while down here!

This little 250cc cafe racer style machine is currently for sale in Mexico for $1,878. Enough said.

This Australian rider is one of just 26 Pro Moto class riders going it alone, doing what the racers call "an Ironman". His entry shows no sponsors, no co-conspirators, and no structure. Even his bike is called a "moto" without a named brand, though it appears to be a modified KTM. His name is Wouter-jan Van Dijk, and I'll be cheering for him.

Is a Volkswagen Beetle's bumper considered its genitals? Can a Beetle be male?

Street-driven Baja bug in Baja. How rad.

The Hummer H1 is an appalling car to drive in the U.S. but somehow down here in the tail end of the world, it fits in. Maybe any other week it would be equally out of place, and only works during the Baja week? That's probably it.

This vintage Ford Econoline-based Tioga motorhome caught my attention more than a few times, because it just looks so built-for-purpose with big knobby dual rear wheels and a significant suspension lift. I know I wouldn't want to drive this top-heavy Betty, but heaven help the people who do.

This is apparently a mid-1990s Argentinian model Mercedes L1620. I don't what it is about this truck, but I know I've never seen a semi truck quite so stylish. Did Bruno Sacco do this design? My goodness!