Four years later and the race everyone said would never happen again is back and stronger than ever!

Starting in Mexicali, the Mexican 1000 made its way down the Baja Peninsula with stops in places like Bahia De Los Angeles, Loreto, La Paz and finally ending in San Jose Del Cabo with a finish party at Mark Post’s Cabo Azul Hotel. 

Since its reincarnation, most teams who’ve ventured into the Baja wilderness on the first run have returned year after year. Since many naysayers claimed it would never happen again, we asked a few why they keep returning to the NORRA Mexican 1000.

Jim Riley, in his third year running the rally, has fully embraced the event as both a racer driving the Snortin Nortin Chevy Nova, and an Azunia Tequila Vintage class winner awards sponsor.

Previous NORRA Mexican 1000 on Off-Road.com
2012 Mexican 1000 Coverage

2011 Mexican 1000 Race Coverage

“I keep coming back to this because it is absolutely the most fun off-road adventure,” Riley said. “You’ve got classic cars with a great course and the occasional sections you’ve never seen before. It all happens in the daytime, and at the end of each day I get to see all my buddies at the finish line, drink a beer with them, talk about what happened that day and what we’re going to do tomorrow. Then we figure out who’s in first or second place. To see all these vintage cars and the restorations that happened over the year is awesome. It’s truly a great thing, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
 

Rick Johnson, who drives the ex Larry Schwacofer ‘57 Chevy now known as the Rippin Rooster, said it’s just a good time.

“You know this race has become known as the ‘Happiest Race on Earth,’ and for me it puts us in touch with how they did it back in the early days of Baja races,” Johnson said. “It lets us relive a vintage lifestyle of what went on and how they drove the road and navigated the Baja peninsula. Everyday is a new adventure with this rally; it never gets old.”

Another returning racer is this year’s Grand Marshall, Mark McMillin. “This rally has become a family tradition, and it is and honor to be here as the Grand Marshall,” he said. “Corky would have loved this if he were still here. Honestly, at this point in my racing career, spending four days at the Mexican 1000 enjoying Baja and hearing that Porsche motor at full song is as good as it gets.”

The run down the Baja peninsula is full of beauty and mystique, and the NORRA 1000 injects you with a daily dose of everything it offers. From the low dry lakes to the high plains, to the endless boulders and the crazy plant life, to the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean, this rally offers so much that it’s hard to take it all in. In each town the race passes through, fans both young and old greet you, looking to catch a glimpse of racers going by and perhaps collect a sticker or two. In contrast to the balls-to-the-wall SCORE Baja 1000, the NORRA 1000 is a more leisurely and nostalgic trip into the past of desert racing.

With more entries than ever, NORRA is truly holding onto their motto of honoring the past while forging the future. Each year another restored classic lines up to take the start; another vows to build a racer to run next year. Each year more add the rally to their bucket list, and for hopefully for many more years the adventure will continue.

The Mexican 1000 has gained a reputation for good times and a shared sense of adventure back to Baja racing. The four-day off-road rally offers racers high-speed off-road driving with intense views of the Baja peninsula, as well as offering new levels of the hospitality and social camaraderie.

“I vowed to race this race until I won it,” said Walker Evans at the awards banquet in San Jose Del Cabo. “Walker Evans Racing is not scared of a fight and we ran that old Dodge truck as hard as a trophy truck until we won. Now that we’ve won it’s not over, we love racing and we love racing this race. I’ll be back next year.”

We asked him what he will race next year, to which he responded by saying, “You’re gonna have to wait and see. All I can tell ya is that it’s gonna be good!”

For more information about the events, visit www.NORRA.com.