How to spectate Baja 1000

[benjy]

By chance we will be in Baja during the big race. We will be in Mulege which is out of the way of the 2023 race course.

Looking for advice from those who have been on how to best experience the race as a spectator?

Sitting in a camp chair to see a car blast by every few hours doesn’t seem appealing? Should we go to pit 3 and hang out? Is it not worth it if we can’t be near the start or finish lines?

 

[anderson750]

I have been down 2 Baja 2 times for the 1000 doing pre running and pit support. The pits in Baja are like a festival. When we were pre running, we saw spots marked off and figured it was teams marking out a spot. However we learned on race day that it is locals staking off their place. In the pit there were food vendors going up and down the pits, families in the back of trucks watching and people walking up and down to gather around vehicles when they pit. Craziest scene you could ever imagine....trucks going by at 80 mph, just feet away from people This pit was just south of Guerro Negro, so somewhat close to population. Some of the more remote pits, do not have that kind of chaos.

The earlier in the race, you will see more vehicles closer together. The later in the race, they are a lot more spread out. It all really boils down to what type of experience you want. If it is a pit close to population, it will be a spectacle.

Edit: Go past Pt 3 over to Scorpion Bay and watch. its about RM410. I love that place. We played on the beach in the RZR's there when we were pre running. Lots of Americans have places in that little town.

 

[bryson]

I personally don't like the chaos of the big pits - they make me anxious because people are stupid and the conditions are often dangerous. And, the pits usually stink. I would much prefer to find a spot where the course cruises along the beach - set out a camp chair, enjoy a few beverages and be amazed when a Trophy Truck rips by at Ludicrous speed.

 

[moab_cj5]

The only time I went as a spectator we sat on the beach where we could see the trucks and class 10 cars rip by on a corner. We were in the fist 1/3 of the race so the vehicles were still close together so no long lulls in the action. It was a good time!

 

[Greg]

I'd head up to San Ignacio, it's a rad little town to check out anyway, the Mission is amazing. It's not too far from Mulege and it looks like the race is close to the coast. Find some high ground and set up camp at a safe distance and enjoy!

(btw, I'm jealous...)

 

[anderson750]

I'd head up to San Ignacio, it's a rad little town to check out anyway, the Mission is amazing. It's not too far from Mulege and it looks like the race is close to the coast. Find some high ground and set up camp at a safe distance and enjoy!

(btw, I'm jealous...)

San Ignacio is a cool place. That is where I was supposed to help put the last time i was down there. However the car got totaled before they got to the Bay of LA when a driver took a left turn right in front of class 1 we were helping and it tore the front end off it.

More pics from that trip

Friend broke a wheel on his Can Am pre running between San Ignacio’s and Scorpion Bay

Scorpion Bay

This was a bay somewhere close to Mulege where we stopped to cook some dinner on our way back to Guerra Negro.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Sitting in a camp chair to see a car blast by every few hours doesn’t seem appealing? Should we go to pit 3 and hang out? Is it not worth it if we can’t be near the start or finish lines?

You'd be hard pressed to find a few hour gap between action, particularly at RM350. More like every 5-10 minutes. If the terrain on the course is cool, even a 2 hour gap would be worth sitting in a lawn chair.

This will be my 14th? consecutive Baja 1000. My favorite ones are exactly those we spectate from a lawn chair a few feet off the race course

 

[Cody]

I've been down 6 times I think....I agree that sitting in the pit just makes for a dusty day. You can usually find a great spot through race course access, and enjoy the peace and quiet between locals blasting Gangnam Style and race traffic.

Muleje is one of my favorite towns. If you don't want to head further south to hit the race course south of Bahia Conception, then San Ignacio is a neat town without getting too far off the way home, but outside of the town itself it's pretty desolate. You can head west from there to Laguna San Ignacio, and then take the salt flats south towards San Juanico (Scorpion bay) on dirt. The salt flats would honestly be both miserable and fun to watch as the dust would suck, but cars would be absolutely flying through there. San Juanico is a neat town, with a really bitchin beach that would likely have lots of options for accessing the course (although it looks like it's on pavement through there). I'm not sure what traffic would be like trying to take dirt from San Juanico north to San Ignacio, but chances are you'd find yourself on course in some places.

My other favorite place is Bay of LA (bahia de los angelas). You could get into that town on pavement and see them come through, eat bitchin sea food, camp at La Gringa, and then hire a local fisherman to take you out to swim with the Tiburon Ballenas (whale sharks). Bay of LA simply cool.

 

[Cody]

I'll also say this, the best part of baja is driving into the unknown. Just look at a map, make a plan, and just go see what happens. It's the most magic place and one of the few places where you can truly just be on your own. Where else can you blindly explore anymore? Go there and go drive down that road that literally nobody you know has ever been down. Go see what happens. Eat at the place with the most stickers. Buy tacos and beers from the random people you meet.

I love every ****ing inch of it and that's 100% the reason I got into offroading in the first place.

 

[mbryson]

By chance we will be in Baja during the big race. We will be in Mulege which is out of the way of the 2023 race course.

Looking for advice from those who have been on how to best experience the race as a spectator?

Sitting in a camp chair to see a car blast by every few hours doesn’t seem appealing? Should we go to pit 3 and hang out? Is it not worth it if we can’t be near the start or finish lines?

Want to haul back 4 40" tires/wheels from LA for me?

 

[spaggyroe]

I went down a few years ago as part of a support crew / chase truck.
It was SUCH an incredible experience and I need to go again.
I echo what @bryson and other have said about finding a spot away from the large groups and just... chilling...
Tacos & beverages & trophy trucks.... pretty hard to beat....

 

[Coco]

You will have a blast! I would love to make it one of these years to spectate or help a team. When we did our trip a few years ago, we saw some SCORE officials mapping out one of the races. It was just cool to be doing the trip and seeing and being on race course. Lots of leftover signs and such all over.

 

[benjy]

Thanks for all the input, we're pretty excited.

You'd be hard pressed to find a few hour gap between action, particularly at RM350. More like every 5-10 minutes. If the terrain on the course is cool, even a 2 hour gap would be worth sitting in a lawn chair.

This will be my 14th? consecutive Baja 1000. My favorite ones are exactly those we spectate from a lawn chair a few feet off the race course

I downloaded the course GPS file, and with my napkin math it looks like trucks will start passing MP350 at 4pm at the soonest (50mph avg speed for the trophy trucks). The sun is setting just before 6 right now, so I think we may drive a little further south to MP300 to catch another hour of daylight racing.

Muleje is one of my favorite towns. If you don't want to head further south to hit the race course south of Bahia Conception, then San Ignacio is a neat town without getting too far off the way home, but outside of the town itself it's pretty desolate.

San Felipe was cool, but Mulege is really next level. I could move here. We're staying at Playa Santispac but have been into town a few times.

I highly recommend anyone on here plan a vacation and spend some time here.

School on a beach, 2 year old advocating for naturism and paddle boarding with dolphins.

 

[anderson750]

I am pretty sure we at dinner on that beach after a day of pre-running. I think this pic was taken from about the same spot you were at.

 

[benjy]

I am pretty sure we at dinner on that beach after a day of pre-running. I think this pic was taken from about the same spot you were at.
View attachment 166272

Haha , same boat as in the background of my girls doing school

 

[benjy]

Thanks for all the advice, we had a great time. The spot I scoped out on google maps was a pit stop for a handful of teams, which added a fun element.



Our kids loved seeing the first few cars blow by, then they got bored.



Probably not many other people reading Dr Seuss a few feet from the race course

 

[Rot Box]

^ This is so cool thanks for sharing! 😎

 

[Cody]

Out of curiosity, what are you doing down there with your kids? Spanish immersion or something?

 

[benjy]

Out of curiosity, what are you doing down there with your kids? Spanish immersion or something?

Nah, just escaping winter. Kids do virtual school and we are traveling full time.