zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
The Baja 500 Ended Very Badly For A Lot Of Us
The Baja 500 Ended Very Badly For A Lot Of Us-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:22

Racing cars in Mexico is fun, it’s exciting, it’s hard work, and sometimes it burns so badly it’ll leave you sobbing in a bathroom begging for death. And I’m not talking about the Montezuma’s Revenge—or at least not just that.

Last weekend I jumped into the Baja 500 with car 722’s team, slapped a big “JALOPNIK” sticker on the bedside and taunted industry Goliaths we were going up against in the desert race.

I was worried about the section I’d be navigating, which included almost 100 miles of technical rock-crawling and would probably take place at night.

Well, apparently my concern was unfounded because as anyone who followed the race will already know, we got forked. Our race car broke, and so did a lot of hearts. And wallets.

And no, it’s no consolation whatsoever that some of Baja’s heroes, including Red Bull driver Bryce Menzies and Monster Energy driver BJ Baldwin couldn’t make it through the race, either. Even the Toyota factory team we were competing against got a DNF and , lost an alternator, and ended up third-in-class.

Subaru’s “CrossTrek,” the company’s first factory-backed Baja racer, also dropped out of the race after killing a clutch trying to get unstuck somewhere north of Race Mile 80. I watched that sweet-looking thing get dragged off the course by some fans in a stock Wrangler and man, I was bummed.

There’s a bigger story behind every DNF, and you’re going to get every painful ounce of ours when El Rey Network’s coverage of the 2017 Baja 500 goes live in a few weeks.

After that, our quest becomes one of redemption at the Baja 1000 in November. Uh, I mean, at least that’s what I sure fucking hope.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Oct 19, 2024
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Oct 19, 2024
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Oct 19, 2024
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Oct 19, 2024
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Oct 19, 2024
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Oct 19, 2024
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved