NORRA 1000-1200
What does it take to finish a race like this?
• Patience
• Attention to detail
• Concentration for hours at a time
• Automotive background
• Friends & family
• Luck, prayer, and determination
• Overcome change quickly
• Navigational skills
• Logistics: Food, water, gas, tires, radio, etc.
• Faith in vehicle and knowledge of what it can handle.
You can rearrange this anyway you what but if you’re missing one item you are not going to finish.
Click on the photo above to see a full slideshow.
Day 1
After leaving the bullring in Mexicali I knew we were in for a long four days. The steering was terrible on the asphalt, changing lanes without notice. The motor was branch new, only three hours and the break in oil was still in it. Jeff is going to keep the RPM’s down to day. But the car is running great. Already, I notice the noise from the body is driving me crazy. I keep looking back to see is the rear of the car is still there. We are headed to the Bay of LA and would like to be there before dark.
Day 2
I will drive today giving Jeff a brake, I soon realize that this car is not going to handle one mistake. A zero tolerance driving is now in effect, I will keep it under 80 mph and on the road at all times. I need to complete 408 miles today. We arrive in Loreto Bay around 6pm. The taco bar is open, the pool looks great, and Sarah Palin is upstairs in the suite we had last year (no kidding.) This year we are staying at La Luna behind the Mission Inn, the owner here takes good care of us.
Day 3
I am up at 5am taking pictures again then some maintenance on the AMC. Change the air cleaner and fix the door locks and we are ready to do it again. Today will be the hardest day. 400 more miles to go. I ask Jeff is he wanted me to drive again today and he could drive across the finish line tomorrow. Just after the start, both latches break on the rear hatch. We are not stopping, maybe we can make it through the stage. 30 miles later, the hinge breaks and the hatch is in my rearview mirror, swinging. It is now a General Tire monument on top of a 3000’ mountain in Baja. We should have left the hatch at the start line. The car feels lighter now and it’s cooler inside. It’s a long day but we pull into La Paz on time with no penalties. We are staying at the Marina Bay Inn in La Paz. After a quick swim and a great Bloody Mary we are off to dinner with Mom, Tony, Jeff, and I.
Day 4
I am up at 3am, the Edsel is pulling into the parking lot. I think they broke down yesterday. Today starts with a 56 mile transit section then a 140 mile race to the finish in Cabo. At the end of every day people ask what’s in our car. Today my answer is a grenade and I already pulled the pin. Jeff is driving today, it is a very difficult course, no mistakes allowed. We drift wide and there is a ditch in front of the car. I started yelling, “stop!“ and the car stalls and won’t turn over, the starter is hot. Jeff probably would have missed the ditch, I was being overcautious. Ten minutes later, it starts and we’re off again 50 miles to go. Where is the fuel stop? The GPS isn’t tracking mileage and I don’t know where we are, Mag 7 has 22 gallons of fuel for us but they are not here. We eventually run out of the gas just past checkpoint 12. I am going to run back to the road for gas one mile. There is no gas here but someone will drive me into town to pick up five gallons of fuel. By the time I return Jeff has the car at the road and a motorcycle also needs gas. We both fuel up but because we don’t have a GPS with mileage we have to drive back into town again and top off the fuel cell. One hour later, we are back in the race. We soon realize we are only miles to the finish line. Police on every corner and we are here. Three trips in the AMC Hornet and three finishes. 2nd in class. 19th overall.
Lost Boys Racing 