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 | Two Generations of Excellence From Oglvie and Miller, to Campbell and Stabb, Honda has proven to be the team to beat in the deserts of Baja. With a solid 1-2 win in the Baja 2000, the Red Riders have extended their dominance into the 21st century. |
It lived up to the hype. What more can we really say about the longest race ever held in the proud tradition of Baja? But the real story of the Baja 2000 began long before the green flag ever fell on that chilly Ensenada morning. It began decades ago when a mere handful of men took to the wild peninsula aboard their bikes, trucks and buggies, searching not for fame or fortune, but for the right to say they'd taken on the Baja - and beaten it soundly. As the years turned slowly by, Sal Fish and SCORE, off-road racing's premiere desert promoter have elevated the Baja to legendary status amongst the world of motorsports, but he didn't do it alone. The true greatness of the Baja events come from the racers themselves who keep coming back year after year. It may be SCORE who hands out the trophies at days end, but it is the peninsula itself that truly bestows the title of "Champion" upon the deserving. For all the thrill of the win, there exists a much darker side to life on the edge of disaster; But what lies in wait for the unaware can be a very hard thing to grasp. Many armchair racers around the world see the sport as "trucks and bumps" lacking any "real" danger or consequence. But there is a very real danger. Danger you have to live with every time you cross the border on the way to San Felipe or Ensenada. It's part and parcel of racing the peninsula - the very real possibility that maybe, just maybe, you won't make it back. Yet in the face of the unthinkable, you press on. With the Baja 2000 expected to draw the largest turnout ever to the remote desert land, that danger level rose considerably. The numbers and sheer magnitude of the event virtually guaranteed that one of us, whether racer, crew, or other, would not return. One long time Baja vet, Bob Bower, had indeed written a very thoughtful and informed piece on the subject that was widely circulated throughout the internet, and was even featured prominently in the "Bible", the BF Goodrich Chase / Pit handbook.  | For the Baja 2000's title sponsor Autozone, the win came especially sweet. The Duralast F-150 of Dan Smith and Dave Ashley took home the 4-wheel overall, and Trophy Truck titles against the best competition in the off-road racing world. Can a monsterous ad campaign be far behind? Hey, when you got it, flaunt it! |
But despite all the warnings and preparedness, disaster struck early in the form of a crash that left one chaser dead and two others injured. In that crash, Class 10 racer Rick Ellison lost a father, and the sport lost another friend. Avoidable? Who's to say? The Reality? It could have just as easily been any of us. Knowing the risks, and their consequences create a mindset - a state of being in the desert crowd. At the Baja 2000, you didn't have to look very far to find it… With ORC staff fanning out across the peninsula, one past Baja champion and current editor type, Rick Sieman, stalked the starting line. He knew the mindset - He'd been there before. And so it came as no surprise when the racer/journalist came face to face with the current Baja 1000 titleholder, and top pick for victory in the 2K; Johnny Campbell. Sieman and Campbell, old friends, exchanged a few words as the bikes finished their lineup before the start of the Baja 2000. The time for the green flag grew nearer, yet Campbell maintained a relaxed, almost casual demeanor. It was almost as if he was embarking on a recreational, if brisk ride to Cabo.  | With Jimmy Smith behind the wheel, Troy Herbst' "Truggy" entered Cabo San Lucas a winner in more ways than one. With victories in both the 2000's, a class championship, and the overall season championship to their credit, Terrible Herbst Motorsports is on top of the world. |
Yet as SCORE CEO Sal Fish gave the signal to light'em up, Campbell underwent a sudden transformation. Gone were the smiling eyes of a young father; In their place, the cold, hard orbs of an assassin with a job to do. Racing is his business - and business is good. With the drop of a flag the job had begun, and Campbell quickly left the city of Ensenada far behind. Leading the pack into the cold, dark morning, JC began building his lead from the onset, and by the midway point in San Ignacio, the Red Riders had maintained an average speed of over 56MPH. Even with the absence of Jonah Street who'd broken a wrist just prior to the B2K, it was a near certainty that teammates Campbell, Tim Stabb, and Steve Hengeveld would emerge victorious. With Team Green choosing to sit out the Baja 2000 for reasons still not entirely clear to anyone (including a good many of their loyal fans), the main threat to the Campbell/Stabb hurricane came from an unlikely source. "Mr XR" himself, Bruce Oglvie along with Team Honda's Chuck Miller, Gary Jones and Bob Rutten, had pulled themselves out of retirement to give the Baja one last hurrah. Though these wiley vets have been out of the saddle for a few years, they're a long way from unfamiliar with a race bike - and the proper way to use one. That said, it came as no surprise when the "old guys" tore through Ignacio mere minutes behind Campbell. Some things you just never forget. When the trucks and buggies pulled up to the line, a clear victor was far from certain. In fact, there were any number of four-wheeled warriors capable of besting Team Honda for the overall, let alone winning their respective classes. In Trophy Truck, Ivan Stewart and Larry Ragland were the odds on favorites; each capable of victory under any circumstance. But the two frontrunners would have their hands full. Dan Smith and Dave Ashley in the Duralast F-150; Baja legend Walker Evans and Brendan Gaughn; Tim & Ed Herbst in the 4WD Terrible Herbst Super Duty Ford: The "dream team" of Robbie Gordon and Rob MacCachren. . . The list was a long one.  | Dean Sundhal rode the Bombardier to victory against the strong running Honda EX 400s and the all new Yamaha Raptor. The beefy bike has now proven it's mettle over two 2000 races and seems ready for more. |
In the Unlimited Buggies of Class 1, there was the front runner Troy Herbst and "Truggy" who were fresh off their BITD Nevada 2000 win and looking to make it a 2'fer. Mike Julson's Jimco; Gus Vildosola; Damien Jefferies; The McMillins. Here the list was even longer. With the ultimate in desert technology at the hands of the sport's top drivers it really was anyone's race, for the overall as well as the class. When the 4-wheelers hit San Ignacio it was the Ironman himself in a narrow but comfortable lead. Screaming his Toyota Tundra's 32 valve DOHC V8 through the quiet little Mission town, Ivan was met by hundreds of ecstatic fans who'd braved the chilly night air and the late hour to see their hero through. Unfortunately, the scream of the engine was accompanied by a more sinister sound - the sound of metal on metal. Stewart was in trouble, and there was a long, long way to go. Within minutes of his departure, the Toyota's motor was heard once again as radio traffic lit up in the near-by Yokohama pits; Ivan was coming back in, and things weren't looking good. When Stewart emerged from the darkness he was trailed by a cloud of blue smoke that nearly obscured the crippled Trophy Truck. The engine knock, so faint just minutes before had become deafening. Within seconds the PPI crew was on the scene and had made the determination - the Ironman's race was over. The question remained. Who would inherit the lead? The answer came shortly thereafter. The Duralast F-150 of Dan Smith and Dave Ashley rounded the Mission corner and tore off into the night, leaving little to mark it's passage. At the midway point, the V8 Ford looked and sounded healthy. As their namesake suggests, they were in it for the long haul, yet their early lead showed a pace that could lead to trouble as the miles racked up. Adding to their potential for disaster was Larry Ragland somewhere behind, whose late race charges have become the stuff of legend. After a disappointing conclusion to the Nevada 2000, Ragland was determined to avenge the loss, but his maniacal pace had already resulted in early race difficulties. He was coming up hard, and could challenge Team Duralast for the lead before the hour had passed. Between Smith/Ashley and Ragland, two Class 1 Unlimited cars made the trip through the midway point. In the lead was Troy Herbst, announcing his presence with 785 HP worth of authority, and sending echoes of V8 thunder down the streets of Ignacio well in advance of his arrival. Once into town, Truggy rocked over on it's considerable suspension and made the left-hand Mission turn in a fair imitation of an F1 car. Herbst was a man on a mission.  | Kevin Gorzny, Mike Childress and co. finished the B2K, but a loss of lighting kept them out of the competition. With a couple more races like this, we'll hook Gorzny on this "desert stuff" yet! |
While Herbst maintained the class lead, 2nd place Gus Vildosola was hard at work whittling it away. The Baja native was jonesin' for the top spot and giving Troy no quarter. Among the leaders, it was obvious that all pretense of a "conservative" race had been abandoned, and an all-out dogfight was the order of the day. Time would tell if such a course would result in elated victory or supreme disappointment. Throughout the night the racers came through San Ignacio, and surprisingly there was little attrition as the second half of the race began. In Protruck, Scott Steinberger and the Lycos/PCI/Off-Road.com F-150 held a narrow lead, with the second place truck coming in mere minutes behind. With his season long engine problems apparently behind him, Steinberger's experience and familiarity with the peninsula would play a strong role as the miles added up. Much as expected, Class 8 saw a large turnout, with entries coming in from across the American Southwest and Baja. One surprise came in the form of Curt LeDuc who contested the 2000 behind the wheel of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. LeDuc had been scheduled to co-drive alongside Craig Turner in the Class 7 Ford Ranger that was built in his home shop - California Pre-Fun, but last minute changes left the former Trophy Trucker pursuing a different path. Other highlights of the Heavy Metal class were Tom Bradley Sr. and Baja 1000 Class 8 champ Chris Wilson, who pressured LeDuc from the start in Ensenada. The most immediate threat however, came from Fransisco Monroy. Yet another competitor for the crown, the "Cow Truck" of the AZ VanDerway brothers had a hired gun aboard. Whiplash Class 8 champ Mike Dorghty took over the wheel after an extended layover in San Ignacio left the Zonies with a practically rebuilt truck. In Class 8, the race was far from over at the midway town. Stock Full saw "the rookie" Jeremy Spirkoff holding the fort for the Ford camp, with Team Hummer back in the pack, but still in the hunt. With an already stellar season behind him, the young buck was well on his way to glory at the B2K. Stock Mini was another Blue Oval stronghold as Dr. Macree Glass and his 4WD Ford Ranger held the lead over the Isuzu Vehicross of Bob Land. Up to San Ignacio the mostly stock vehicle had shown no signs of breakage, and was on the fast track to the finish line. But would the back Doc's luck hold out?  | The face of defeat. Larry Ragland mounted a furious late race charge at the 2000, but came up second best. With "Arnold" waiting in the wings, and enough driving talent for 2 racers, look for a comeback of epic proportions at the 2001 Baja 1000. |
Class 1/2-1600 was a slugfest between Nevada 2000 and former SCORE 1/2-1600 champ Bekki Freeman, and another rookie with the potential for greatness - Kash Vessels. With her last Baja race ending in controversy, Freeman was eager to return to a clean slate with a definitive win at the B2K. Class 5 saw longtime rivals George Seeley and Mike James locked in a heated battle. For either man, a win at the 2000 would be a crowning achievement to their careers, but for Seeley, a mere finish would secure the SCORE Class 5 Championship for the 2000 season. Class 7 was shaping up to a battle between Class champ Jeff Lewis in the McPherson Chevy S-10, and Perry McNeil, whose 3-seat Ford Ranger was keeping Team Mac on a short leash. Dirt Pilot Magazine publisher Craig Turner and Class 7 vet Rick Taylor remained in competition, but for how long? In 7s, the 5 way battle was going Joe Custer's way early on, and he showed little signs of giving it up. Custer was setting a rapid pace that left many wondering just how much abuse his truck could take in one sitting. Fellow competitors Marco Novelo and Doug Siewert were locked in their own battle for 2nd in class, but were experiencing bouts of down time for a variety of reasons. If Custer could keep it together, he'd enter Cabo victorious. Time would tell. Class 3 held few surprises at the midway point with Darren Skelton blazing a trail toward the finish line. The dominant vehicle in the class, Skelton's Kia faced challenges from across the manufacturing spectrum with 8 vehicles in contention. While turnout was less than predicted, the B2K saw several new Class 3s adding fuel to the fires of the once sparse class. Class 5-1600 remained frighteningly close from the start. With 11 cars contesting the highly competitive class, you'd have to a little quicker than the average Palm Beach Voter to determine the ultimate outcome. Yet that outcome remained several hundred miles away. Class Champ Dave Gasper was a narrow favorite, but another vet of the class, Vic Orellana could quickly take it all away. The only certainty in 5-1600 was this. The racer with the least / no down time would likely emerge the victor.  | Scott Steinberger and the Lycos / PCI crew overcame a rough season to take the win in the highly competitive Protruck class. Said Scott, "It was a race from the begining." |
In the Class 10 / SCORE Lite ranks, it was another case of "anything goes." With only 10 "10 cars" and 17 of the Lites on the course, competition was extremely tight. The one standout entry came in SCORE Lites, where Jim Dizney entered a modified 1/2-1600 car into the foray of supposedly faster vehicles. Call him crazy or a brilliant visionary, but don't call him late to Ignacio. By the midway point, the former 1600 pilot was in the thick of it, and showing serious promise to come out on top. With seven cars on the course, Class 9 was down over expected turnout as well, but it did little to dampen the drive to win among the racers. Long known as one of the most competitive classes, these limited vehicles most often turn in some exceptionally close finishing times. Despite the extreme distances of the Baja 2000, it looked likely that history was well on it's way to repeating. Throughout the contest thusfar, Joe Sheble, Bill Rodriguez, Eric Fisher, and Hector Sarabia nipped at each others heels, each never far from the other. With the heat of the dogfight intensifying as the miles rolled on, the limited "9" cars were pushed well beyond their design parameters. It remained to be seen if they could withstand the continuing punishment. Class 11, the most limited class of them all, saw even fewer entries. Perhaps the thought of 1700 miles of physical torture strapped into these short wheelbase workhorses scared many of the usual suspects off. Perhaps no one dared sacrifice their kidneys. Then again, perhaps a few did. Among the brave was Eric Solorzano. The Class 11 Champ has long displayed a "never say die" attitude that's part and parcel for a competitor in this class. He wasn't about to let a little thing like an entire peninsula stand between him and the brass ring (or glass trophy as the case may be) in Cabo. Through the muddy start of Ensenada, the mountainous terrain of Santo Tomas and the rocky fields of Catavina, Solorzano pushed the little "peoples car" ever onward.  | Ivan Stewart wasn't the only "Ironman" at the 2000. "San Felipe Bob" covered the course sans partner, and crashed from exhaustion a mere 1/8th mile from the finish line. With just enough left in him to make it, he crossed the line none the worse for the wear. |
There was another class in the deserts of Baja this year, and it brought out everyone from Indy car racers to the average Joe. The "Baja Challenge" cars of Wide Open Baja put sponsors Yokohama, Bosch, 4Wheel Parts and others, together with pavement racing greats like Roberto Guerro, Mike Groff, and Jimmy Vassar, making for a unique way of racing the peninsula - all in the name of charity. By the midway point, the pit crew at the Yokohama trailer were growing concerned. All the cars were overdue and there was no word as to their location. Finally, reports came in that the lead car was currently undergoing repairs at a nearby Terrible Herbst pit. It seemed that they'd lost a brake line and had been racing sans stopping power for many miles. With repairs made and the car back on track, several more of the Wide Open Baja cars emerged from the desert and the race continued towards Cabo. The Pro ATV's of Class 25 were engaged in a 7 way battle throughout much of the event, with the Midway point of San Ignacio giving little clue as to the ultimate outcome of the race. With the all new Yamaha Raptor and increasingly competitive Bombardier pressing hard into the fray, the Roll Design Honda EX 400's were getting all the competition they could stand - and perhaps more. Interlude At the finish line in Cabo San Lucas the crowds began forming early, and there was no shortage of taco and Tecate vendors to let the masses go malnourished. As the finishers drew ever closer, SCORE's Sal Fish looked like an expectant father pacing the halls outside a delivery room - This was after all "his baby." After several years of planning, amending, negotiating, plotting, marking, and doing it all over again and again, the man was on the verge of a serious medical episode. "Where are they?" asked Fish, "They ought to be here by now." Over the years it's become almost a forgone conclusion that Baja racers will encounter closed gates - sometimes they're closed by accident, and at others on purpose. It's not unheard of for a disgruntled rancher to hold up a race at gunpoint. Such are the perils of racing the Baja. It was just such a scenario that Fish feared now. Time marched on. Then off in the distance a dust trail could be seen rising against the backdrop of the mountains outside Cabo, a lone rider at it's head. As the bike drew nearer, the distinctive sound of a Honda thumper could be heard testing the upper limits of it's RPM range. But was it Campbell or had Oglvie and Miller managed to close their small gap from Ignacio? Through the sand wash that lead to the famous Tecate archway the rider came on hard, giving no quarter up to the very end. As he approached the finish, the number plate came into focus - it read "1x". in 30 hours, 54 minutes and 12 seconds, with an average speed of 54.348 MPH, Johnny Campbell met the checkered flag as the winner of the Baja 2000, and established a tie between Team Honda and Husqvarna for the most wins at Baja's greatest race.  | It didn't stay clean for long! Rod Hall of Team Hummer added to his string of Baja finishes, but some unexpected breakage left him out of the winners circle. Said the Baja veteran, "Those Fords were fast today." |
It also established the double crown for the Red Riders, adding the jewel of the B2K to that earned in a hard fought battle with Team Green's Destry Abbot during the Nevada 2000. For Campbell, it was win #4 in the long course of Baja, for partner Tim Stabb his third; And so the legacy established by Oglvie and Miller continues with Honda's brutish XR650 leading the way. Visibly relieved, Sal "Pescado" met Campbell at the line with a handshake and a smile. "Honda keeps the keys to all the gates of Baja," said Fish. "And I just opened one about 15 miles back," replied the reigning Champion. "No problems, it was just shut." "Well there was a change of plans," replied Sal. "It looks like the race is finishing in Ensenada after all. You'll have to go through it on the way back!" Campbell called his bluff. "Well Sal, I'll tell you what. The bike is in great shape. I think it would make it back with no problem". Fortunately, he wouldn't have to test that theory. Had Campbell looked behind the bike, he'd have noticed a very bald Dunlop that was now more suited to pavement racing than the desert sands. In his zeal to reach Cabo, the rapid racer had worn the knobs entirely off of it! "We had a tremendous race," said Johnny, " "Up north things got pretty cold. There was ice coating a lot of the mud puddles, and it was in the 30's. My fingers were frozen solid! We all rode very well and none of us had a get-off. In fact, we didn't have any problems at all. The bike ran flawlessly." Campbell continued, "I really love Baja. I love the country, and I love it's people. This is the race I've wanted to win my whole career." With the 2000 behind him, Campbell's setting his sights on an even longer, if somewhat different kind of race - the Paris to Dakar. Said Johnny, "Thanks to Acerbis and Honda I'll be flying over to race the Dakar. It's not what I'm used to but I'm really looking forward to it." Can he repeat his Nevada and B2K performance on foreign shores? Time will tell. With the class win going to Campbell / Stabb, the countdown began to determine the ultimate victor. "We want to beat the trucks," sad Stabb, "We want the "Overall" Again time crept slowly by. And again the scene repeated. A lone dust trail off in the distance. The shriek of a high-strung 4-stroke Honda. The image of a rider growing larger. Finally, the numbers could be read - "8x" - the #2 Honda XR650 of Bruce Oglvie and Chuck Miller crossed the finish line in a solid second place, but could those times stave off the brute horsepower of the oncoming trucks and unlimited buggies? Bob Rutten - "The last 40-50 miles it was so loose in the back," Rutten said of the now bald rear tire, "But this bike is the best bike I've ever ridden."  | SCORE CEO Sal Fish spent many hours at the Cabo finish line greeting the riders as they came in. The big guy overcame everything from bad weather to disgruntled environmentalists in order to make the Baja 2000 a reality. He deserves a big round of applause from us all! |
Chuck Miller - "All I've got to say is old guys rule. You know, we didn't want to say anything, but the first team cheated. They're all too young to be racing Baja. We're going to be taking this up with Sal later." What did it take to make him throw a leg over a race bike one more time? "Baja itself it what it takes to push you the distance. The competitors are one thing, but it's Baja which makes you give what it takes to go the distance." So spoke the man with an elbow full of cactus. Out on the course, the answer to the building drama was being played out. The Duralast F-150 was holding it's lead over the Vortec Trailblazer of Larry Ragland. True to form, Lightning Larry was floorboard deep into another late race charge, but had already inverted the orange and white SUV in the attempt to catch Smith and Ashley. He couldn't afford a second such episode. Ragland had other problems to consider as well. Between the Chevy and the Duralast Ford sat another major obstacle to the Overall - and this one had teeth. Literally. Troy Herbst's "Truggy" now piloted by Jimmy Smith was enjoying a solid lead over the Unlimited Buggies, and intended to be the first four wheeled vehicle to Cabo. Not only would Ragland have to catch the Landshark, he'd have to pass it on his way to chasing down the Duralast truck. Unfortunately for Team Vortec, the Trailblazer was giving up nearly 300 HP to Smith. It would likely take breakage or other downtime to give Ragland a clear shot to his direct competition. Meanwhile, the 32 valve cammer Ford maintained the pace, drawing ever nearer to the finish line. At this point, the race was theirs to lose. Back at the finish line, word came in that the trucks were on their way in. Within minutes the size of the crowd nearly doubled, and the local policeza and Mexican military on loan for security detail were pressed to contain them. Soccer be damned - Off-Road Racing is the national sport in these parts, and you'd find it about impossible to locate a more dedicated group of fans!  | Know a good Chiropractor? We do and his name is Dr. Macree Glass, winner of the Stock Mini class at the Baja 2000. The ol' back Doc came loaded for bear with more parts than his chase crews could carry. He broke one bolt the entire race. It figures. |
Long before the vehicle came into view, it was obvious as to which it was. There's only one "8 into 1" exhaust systemem in desert racing, and you'll not mistake it's high pitched scream. Resting comfortably against it's rev limiter as it covered the last couple miles of sand wash, the Duralast F-150 entered the city of Cabo San Lucas much as a conquering hero to the deafening cheers of the crowd. For the title sponsors of the event, "Autozone", the win was especially sweet. For Dan Smith and Dave Ashley it was the high point of careers that have spanned both the two and four-wheeled worlds. With the Baja 2000 bringing the total to 10 long course wins between Smith and Ashley, they've firmly entrenched themselves into the annals of off-road racing history - a place hard fought and richly earned. There was a pause in the action after the Duralast F-150 crossed the line, and the scorekeepers went to work. When the tally came in, Team Duralast had covered the peninsula in a time of 32 hours, 15 minutes, and 39 seconds at an average speed of 52.061 MPH. It was a trulyncredible accomplishment, but it wasn't good enough to take the Overall away from Team Honda's Johnny Campbell and Tim Stabb.
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