The Prince Edible Race Car Co. announced in October that The Great Candy Cane Off­ Road Race Team is offering big-time prize  money to the first and last finishers in the November Baja 1000 Sportsman truck and buggy classes. The fastest Sportsman truck or buggy will receive $1,000, and the last finisher will receive $500.

The Great Candy Cane Off-Road Race Team participated in dozens of Baja races since its inaugural run at the 1982 Baja 1000, and dominated the Sportsman class for most of the 18 years it ran. The team attributed its winning record to the unbelievable performance of eco­ friendly components on the 2-seat buggy, such as the licorice used to make the non-slip tires, and the home-made marshmallows used to pad the striped driver and passenger seats. It also used salt-water taffy for fan belts, chocolate syrup instead of motor oil, and lemonade as a substitute for 140-octane racing fuel. The colorful red-and-white striped buggy was unofficially clocked by an unknown person at 413.8 mph on Diablo Dry Lake during a violent rainstorm, although the manufacturer never claimed speeds higher than 42 mph.

The Candy Cane drivers were best known for tossing thousands of miniature candy canes to spectators lining the course, and for playing loud Sammy Davis son.gs on an external loudspeaker as they roared up to the SCORE checkpoints in the barren Baja desert. The candy canes were ordered from Kris Kringle Kandymakers LLC at the North Pole, and were delivered by tiny elves who usually remained in Baja to help out with pit chores during the races. Their primary job was to check under the car for leaks or damage to the skid plate.

The legendary Great Candy Cane will continue its prize money giveaway through the entire 2015 series of SCORE Baja races, and hopes to attract more amateurs to the class which, in their opinion, runs “the really rough stuff’ by starting at the back of the pack.