No Ice, No Beer, No Gas, No problemo!
Baja 1000 – November 2025
Pre-running only – not racing this year.
Our yearly reunion took place once again in Baja California, Mexico, as we gathered to celebrate the longest off-road race in America. This year we brought four trucks, three trailers, three pre-runners, and nine enthusiastic friends who were ready to get dusty and have fun.
Because of current U.S. immigration status requirements, we followed the official instructions for travelers:
“To attend the Baja 1000, travelers need a valid passport and a Mexican Tourist Permit (FMM), which can be obtained at the border or at an immigration office in Ensenada. The FMM is required for all non-Mexican citizens for stays up to 180 days. Racers may also have additional equipment requirements, such as a specific VHF radio, according to the SCORE International rulebook.”
We complied as usual, the FMM is normally free for distance and days we spend there.
Saturday, November 8 – Orange County, CA to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.
We left Orange County early Saturday morning, picked up Cole and Chris, then stopped to exchange dollars for pesos—surprisingly, the exchange rate on the U.S. side was better. Hugo was already waiting, and Jim arrived at the last minute. Border traffic was typical weekend chaos; Hugo was shocked since he’d never crossed on a Saturday before.
We had lunch in Puerto Nuevo, Rosarito, known for good lobster deals and easy big-rig parking. Then we continued to Ensenada and stayed at Rancho Maciel, new to me and one of the best Airbnb’s we’ve had so far. Josh and Jacob joined us later. We left three chase trucks and two trailers at the ranch before pre-running the course the next day.
George also gave us a tour of his dad’s “Man Cave”—an incredible barn that left me speechless. We had early tacos, then we headed back to rest for an early departure.
Sunday, November 9 – Ensenada to San Quintín
We left Rancho Maciel at sunrise. George’s partner rode with Hugo and Ramon in one pre-runner, Josh and Jacob took another, and Scott, Cole, and Chris took the last. George drove his own car, while Jim and I took chase truck and trailer to Acámbaro, around race mile 80. The pre-runners started from Ojos Negros.
After arriving, Jim and I had breakfast and ordered food for the pre-runner crew. Scott had some bad luck—only cheese/bean or machaca burritos were available, so I made him a special order myself. Once everyone arrived, we fueled the pre-runners and continued toward San Quintín near race mile 200.
Hugo’s pre-runner lost an idler pulley, and none of us had a spare—but Jerry Longo did. He was pre-running behind us with a larger group. Running LS Chevy engines definitely helps when you need spares in the middle of nowhere.
We had one “oh shit” moment when Cole was following a side-by-side too fast and drifted a corner straight toward a cliff, but he handled it perfectly. We reached the Pacific coast safely and enjoyed a quick beer break. We got local grapes as bonus gift.
Near Camalú, the course met pavement, and we regrouped. Chuck had a flat, but he got to a safe spot and swapped it with a chase-truck spare before continuing to San Quintín. We stayed at Hotel Jardines—still my favorite, even though I had to sleep in my bag due to limited rooms and beds we were able to reserve ahead. Rotisserie chicken and fries served as snacks, followed by a hot shower and an early night. I missed fancy dinner.
Monday, November 10 – San Quintín to San Felipe
I woke up early, grabbed coffee at reception, and packed up. Our destination was San Felipe. This section included pavement miles but without race speed limit zones—always a bonus.
Breakfast at Hotel Misión Santa María was excellent and served quickly. I also learned there’s an oasis with petroglyphs nearby; we’ll need to stay longer in this place next time.
We took Fred’s Trail, a shortcut from Hwy 1 to Hwy 5—rocky, narrow, surrounded by giant cactus, not a place to rush or have car problems.
Once we hit Hwy 5, we headed north past Gonzaga Bay and Puertecitos toward race mile 460. Sounds easy, connecting with dirt again, all pre-runners got stuck in silt almost immediately. We used straps and Maxtrax extensively—so much that it melted.
Jacob’s electric fan relay melted too; he bypassed it, a common failure. Scott’s car had the same problem but fortunately already had a bypass switch installed.
After fueling up, we noticed Hugo’s car burned significantly more fuel. A small leak from a defective fuel cap explained part of it, but not the whole difference—possibly a tuning issue. No major leak was found.
We reached the Airbnb, showered, and went to Pete’s Camp for dinner, excellent choice as always.
Tuesday, November 11 – San Felipe to Valle de Trinidad
Our plan was to make a shorter, easier day to relax. The course was fast and sandy. We arrived early, enjoyed a bonfire and walked into town for tacos—this time trying fajita tacos along with carne asada and chorizo. We forgot ice, beer, and—most importantly—fuel for the chase truck’s service tank. We clearly are not in race mode.
Wednesday, November 12 – Back to Ensenada and Home
The next morning, Breakfast karma hits again, no further details, someone was really outraged. Ramon and I took the chase truck to fuel pre-runners, only to realize we didn’t have enough fuel, we forgot to load it. We bought 5 gallons from a neighboring pit crew, did some math, and confirmed it was enough.
Jacob and Jim took the chase truck back to Rancho Maciel and left for LA that same day—they had Sentry passes.
The rest of us continued the course. Instead of going toward Ojos Negros, we looped back through Acámbaro toward Ensenada, hitting the big silty hill around race mile 51—where we discovered the beer was gone. Show was worth it.
We hit pavement, stopped at a tire shop to check for leaks (found none), then returned to Rancho Maciel. We loaded the pre-runners into trailers, showered, and decided to leave that night to avoid border crowds.
After fueling up and grabbing tacos at El Trailero—free tacos from Method Race Wheels event—we headed north. Jacob’s truck engine failed as soon as we entered the toll road. Since towing trucks aren’t allowed for commercial vehicles, we essentially towed ourselves in a three-truck configuration to the F&L compound. Hugo pulled, Scott braked, and we steered in the middle—a wild maneuver you only attempt in third-world countries. Starlink kept everyone on a live conference call during it. I regret not filming when we ran over a toll-booth arm. Having satellite communications makes all logistics easier, they are now essential; back in the days HAM radios was only option available with Weatherman.
At the San Ysidro crossing, the line was only five cars at midnight. We crossed in five minutes—a record for us. I arrived home around 2 a.m.
Later we learned Jacob’s issue was a burned sensor wire. He made a solo trip with the parts suggested by details we provided, repaired it himself, and got the truck running. I’m impressed—but since he once sailed solo around the world, it makes sense that he can handle anything mechanically.
PS: Problem in Spanish is always female, no such thing as “problemo”
Roberto L. Miranda