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7 JULY 2010, LOS ANGELES: — With the dust finally settled on the historic NORRA 2010 Mexican 1000 Rally, which took place April 28th — May 2nd, the motorsports industry has finally had a chance to weigh in on an event where every participant seemed to have one thing in common: a smile from ear to ear. Dirt Sports magazine has proclaimed that the NORRA Mexican 1000, where "Old Guys Rule",is the "Happiest Race On Earth". The June issue's thirteen page feature article captures an intimate portrait of the old and new pioneers of off road.

Just as NORRA helped found the world of off road motorsports in 1967 by sanctioning the very first Mexican 1000, the organization's re-birth has proven to uphold its mission statement of "honoring the past. Forging the future."

NORRA president Mike Pearlman, son of founder Ed Pearlman, seemed to be carrying a different mission statement that nobody rejected: "Let's just keep it fun!"

Somewhere between a category 5 hurricane hitting the Baja Peninsula just weeks before the original rally start date, a tragic accident that almost claimed the life of NORRA's director of operations, Alex Plewniak just two months prior to the rally, a 7.0 earthquake with an epicenter under the official starting line, and a waning budget that lacked any title or presenting sponsorship, this simple mantra often sounded sarcastic at best.

Despite the odds, the dynamic NORRA team, though small in numbers, kept shining as bright as the lovely bronze handmade trophies that were presented to their much appreciated guests.

There were a few minor technical difficulties during the rally; slower than anticipated timing results, further breakdown of categories by year were desired by some, and there was reluctance by some to view the cutting edge alternative fuels category as a milestone in off road motorsports. However, the major logistical aspects of the rally were amazingly smooth considering this was an event that was truly carried by human hands.

With the exception of a few sat radios/phones and laptops that often lacked internet support, NORRA operated successfully on little more technology than one could have found in 1967! Registration and tech inspection flowed with little wait time. Starts and finishes were timely and organized (with maybe the exception of overall winner "Baja" Bob Gordon surprising everyone by nearly beating NORRA official's planes to the final finish on the last day of the rally!).

Rally Master Ken Cameron kept a close watch on his course via helicopter and many participants commented that his detailed handmade route book would have carried them through the stages without the need for GPS. All participants were accounted for by NORRA officials at the end of each day and no serious injuries were reported.

A frequently heard comment that seemed to resonate during the rally was how welcome participants felt in Baja. Racer Richard Brown was quoted in Dirt Sports as saying: "the locals welcomed us as if we were knights who had just slain the Dragon. To see history and make history all in 1000 miles down the Baja-that is what this trip was all about". Indeed, the Baja Peninsula has treated NORRA like an old friend that has come back to visit his home town.

A deep mutual respect could be felt throughout the entire event, much to the credit of NORRA's director of Mexican affairs, Eliseo Garcia, the recent relief efforts by NORRA in the aftermath of Hurricane Jimena, and the deep family roots that seemed to carry NORRA through the decades.

With first time racers trekking from as far away as Canada and Spain, would sharing a course with legends such as Parnelli Jones, Walker Evans, and Malcolm Smith, be their silver lining?

Was it the chance to make history again?

Did they yearn to traverse through the ever-beautiful Baja landscapes?

Or maybe everyone just felt a calling to follow the original spirit of NORRA and try something new.

Whatever the intention, the polls seem to show that riding on the roots of off road is fun, and sinking new roots in the ground with NORRA just might be even more fun and memorable. With Team Anger Issues co-driver Jose Bronco from Spain graciously e-mailing just to say "thank you, you made my dream come true", the folks at NORRA have confirmation that this just may have been the happiest race on earth!