SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1536633
THE COURSE Mountains, Good Twisties And Beach By Dan Sanchez Photos by Get Some Photo The BFGoodrich Tires 57th SCORE Baja 500 race course extended 461.03-miles across the Baja Peninsula for all Pro Classes including Moto and Quads. The Sportsman classes had a 416.43-mile course. Nevertheless, the course meandered along the Eastern mountain ranges and up the Western coast, crossing Federal Highways and with several speed zones. The ceremonial start was on the Boulevard Costero in the center of Ensenada, Mexico. This took racers onto Federal Highway 3, where they had to follow local and state traffic speeds, until they reached Rancho Nelson where the actual timing began. With the timed start, the course around Rancho Nelson had several jumps, and a safe place for spectators to watch with food, drinks and more. After rushing out onto the desert, the course left Rancho Nelson and continued towards the Piedras Gordas and out to Ojos Negros until it reached Tres Hermanos. • Racers made their way to Rancho Nelson where their timed-start began. With huge jumps and tight turns, the area was filled with people, food vendors, and more to spectate Again, racers exited onto Federal Highway 3 until re-entering the dirt course near race-mile 80 that would take them to the Alamo Summit and Santa Catarina. The course took racers passing the Goat Trail on their way to Highway 3 at race-mile 120 to Valle de La Trinidad. Continuing South towards Mike Sky Ranch and beyond, the course turns West near race-mile 180, at the Los Encino’s Wash, where it continues to the Santo Domingo Wash. Here the Sportsman cut-off continues west for those racers, while the rest of the teams continue South West towards San Quintin at race-mile 240. Several speed zones along the coast keep the racers moving North until reaching near San Antonio Del Mar at race-mile 300, then turning East near Punta Colonet and back North to Erendira and the Ejido Uruapan. At this point the course heads North East towards Ojos Negros before turning West back towards Ensenada and the finish line. In all, the course passes along 11 washes and racers had 18-hours to make it to the finish line to complete the course. SJ