We see tribute vehicles come and go. Most of the lot are slaves to every last detail of the original, offering little more than a few engine upgrades to the mix. Then there are beasts like the one above. Built as an homage to Parnelli Jones' 1971 "Big Oly" Ford Bronco Baja 1,000 bruiser, this machine uses a modern trophy truck chassis wrapped in larger-than life fiberglass first-generation Zach Bowman
Last time Roadkill took a trip it inolved a $1,500 budget, a 1972 Pontiac Catalina and a trip from El Paso to Los Angeles. This time their adventures point northward to Alaska, and their chariot will be a clone of the 1968 Ford Ranchero that Hot Ro
Racing is racing. Whether it's pounding the quarter mile into submission or kicking it sideways around a circle track, going fender to fender or against the clock is the same kind of rush no matter the flavor. As you well know, some of the biggest names in hot rodding tried their hand at what would eventually become the Baja 1000 in the '60s. Parnelli Jones, Zach Bowman
Jessi and Patrick spent the first part of this episode getting acclimated to Mexico while learning what was in store for them behind the wheel of a desert racer in the Baja 1000. In order to officially check this off The List, however, they had to actually race in this grueling and dangerous contest of endurance that shows no mercy for greenhorns.
Most auto enthusiasts have the urge to race in their hearts, but few of us ever actually get to compete in the world's toughest races. For this episode of The List, we're making sure that Jessi and Patrick check that one off early. Fulfilling one of Jessi's own childhood dreams, we've hooked up our hosts with Wide Open Excursions, a company that offers the unique opportunity of buying your own whe
Electric vehicles can work hard, as the 2012 Redstone-Sun Cup (not pictured) should prove when it roars off as part of next year's Baja 1000 in Mexico. The challenge is not just to race across rough desert terrain – without roads – for 1,000 miles, but to "spur the best and the brightest in the electric vehicle and solar technology fields to work with racing teams" in the development of an electric Baja race vehicle that will be charged up by solar power.
At nearly every motorsports event we attend, there are usually strict rules about where photographers can be located. Generally, those spots are taken from behind multiple layers of gravel traps, concrete walls and catch fences. That's not the case for the Baja 1000. Race fans and photographers are allowed to pretty much go wherever they want, even if that means putting themselves in a dangerous position.
Lexus looks to be giving the Baja 1000 its due. The luxury automaker showed off an LX 570 built by JT Grey Racing to take to the desert sands. With dual King Racing shocks, large 37-inch BF Goodrich tires and a host of safety equipment, the high-riding SUV looks ready to do battle with the best of
Toyota is headed to the Baja 1000 next year with a special Tacoma built specifically to take the worst that the Mexican desert can throw at it. The pickup has been specially-prepared by Long Beach Racers, a group of Toyota enthusiasts who have made a habit of building some of the toughest trucks to take to the off-road race. Created as a tribute to th
There are 23 drivers on Team BFGoodrich, but only six of them will get to pilot the team buggy in the SCORE Baja 1000. Two of the six will be automatically entered after being crowned champions at the SCCA National Runoffs. The other four, well, they'll be relying on you: BFG is letting fans vote for drivers to fill the other seats.
Rod Hall Racing, formerly and still synonymous with competitive Hummers, has added a trophy truck to its arsenal. The #61 truck was finished before the Baja 1,000 and cut its differential teeth in that race, with Rod Hall and Sam Cothrun crossing the line after 32 hours and 51 minutes.
2011 Ford F-150 Ecoboost – Click above for high-res image gallery
Bill Caswell's Baja BMW E30 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The 672.85-mile-long Baja 1000 race is over, and 328 starters were boiled down to just a handful of winners in various classes. The premier events were taken by Andy and Scott McMillin in the trophy truck category, in a modded Chevrolet Silverado. Andy won the race three years ago as a year ago as Robby Gordon's co-driver, but this year beat the NASCAR pilot by three places. The motorcycle category went to the three-way team of Kendall Norman, Timmy Weigand, and Quinn Cody, who crossed the line
Raptor: Born in Baja -- Click above to watch video
Raptor: Born in Baja documentary -- Click above after the jump
Click above for high-res gallery of our time embedded with Team HUMMER
Click above for high-res image gallery of shots from the 2008 Baja 1000
