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December 28, 2018 (Agua Dulce, Calif.):

Regular Joes Race YOKOHAMA NORRA MEXICAN 1000

The NORRA Mexican 1000 is such a unique event. The list of competitors reads like a who’s who of offroad racing icons, but they are not the only ones who show up every year to take part in the fun. Countless “Regular Joes” come down to have a go at racing, take in the incredible sights, and rub elbows with the greats. Typically, in order to race against the best, you’d have to get yourself an unlimited class race vehicle worth about three quarters of a million dollars. Then you would need to assemble an entire crew of hotshots, and outfit them with loads of tools and equipment. You will also need some type of shop space, several support vehicles, and of course, a helicopter. Once you have all that in place, you are ready to get started.

Fortunately, NORRA makes it much simpler, and much cheaper. Chances are you already have an offroad vehicle that would fit into one of their classes. There are classes for cars, trucks, bikes, and UTV’s. Many competitors seek out an older vehicle, fix it up, and compete in some of the vintage classes available. This is a great way to go as it is a load of fun, and helps to preserve the rich history of offroad racing. Many times you can purchase a vehicle that has great history behind it, but is no longer being raced. As a general rule, offroad race vehicles are built to last, and are designed to be simple, and easy to work on. They make great projects that can be enjoyed all year long. You can take trips to the dunes, go trail riding, or clean them up and go to a car show. Vintage race vehicles always draw a crowd wherever they go, and NORRA is no different; it’s a rolling car show in addition to being the most fun you will ever have.

Competitors Tom Harris and his Sons Todd, and Darin are some of the many who keep coming back to the Mexican 1000. They started racing NORRA in 2010; the first year that the rally was re-instated. Tom had been racing for years, but Todd and Darin were relative newcomers to offroad racing at the time. They entered Tom’s prerunner and headed south. On day one they were like kids in a candy store; taking in all the trick vehicles that were everywhere. Darin noticed a nice looking blazer parked on the street in Mexicali, so he went over for a look. While he had his head tucked in the fender, the owner came up and proceeded to give him the tour. “The guy was really nice; he showed me all around his truck,” said Darin. “It was really well done inside with everything you would need including a refrigerator between the seats. He drove off as I went back to our group. One of our guys asked me, ‘do you know who that was?’ It was Parnelli Jones!”

As they began completing the stages of the rally, each brother took a turn navigating as Tom drove the truck. On stage 3, the two brothers were in the truck with Todd driving, and Darin navigating. Anyone who has a brother can probably relate to what happened next. These two had been competing against each other their entire lives, so right out of the gate, they were shouting at each other. Then they were punching each other in the arm. After blowing a couple turns, and almost tipping the truck over, they figured out how to get along, and settled into a rhythm. The navigator helps the driver by calling out the turns and terrain ahead of time. Once you get it down, it’s a lot of fun. It didn’t take them long to figure it out, and it’s second nature to them now. They managed to put in a fast time in that section; so fast that it caught other people’s attention. They had been out having a beer and bench racing with others when they walked back to their truck. There was a guy leaning against it who asked them “is this your truck?” He had the times and commented that they had beaten his time, and congratulated them on a fast time. That guy was Andy McMillin who was driving the iconic Macadu class one car that his uncle Mark McMillin made famous. It runs a Porsche flat 6 engine and is known to be brutally fast. The Harrris’ race in 2010 continued to go well. They finished second overall behind Baja Bob Gordon; beating Andy McMillin, and Parnelli Jones. How many of us can say the same?

This year, they will be racing an iconic truck in the Mexican 1000. They purchased Dan Vance’s Total Chaos 1400 class Toyota. Dan Vance became an icon with the “flatbiller” crowd by going big wherever he went. Flatbillers were known for the trucker hats they wore with the bill left perfectly flat. They are into tattoos, freestyle motocross, and anything else that is fast and exciting. They build their own trucks that constantly evolve to go faster and higher. They created an entire genre of grassroots racers that redefined offroad racing. Typically they have a steel cab and working doors, but anything else goes. Tons of wheel travel makes them fast in the rough. It will be fun to see how Tom, Todd, and Darin do with the new truck this time down.

NORRA’s Mexican 1000, “The Happiest Race On Earth!", is entirely about having fun and creating memories that will last a lifetime. You will experience the most stunningly beautiful Baja scenery as you make your way down the entire length of the Baja Peninsula without the incredible stress and lack of sleep associated with a typical peninsula run. After each day of racing, you will have enough free time to experience a different location in Baja with your friends and family. Each overnight stop has its own unique charm and character. There will be some race sections where the bikes and cars will run separate, but all competitors will be staying in the same towns and attending the same events every night. There is still time to get your entry in and be a part of something truly unique. Dust off your car, bike, or UTV and join in on the fun. Race dates, sign-up information and much more can be found at www.norra.com Don’t wait, do it today!



NORRA’s rally format allows the rush of competition, but also allows participants to relax each evening in a unique location in Baja. You can enjoy the food, drink, and nightlife in San Felipe, Ensenada, or La Paz, but also reflect on the rugged beauty at Bay of Los Angeles, or dine on the catch of the day in Loreto. After 5 days of competition, you will have traversed the entire length of the Baja Peninsula; experiencing the spectacular beauty and distinctive Baja culture along the way. After experiencing the Mexican 1000 just once, you too will be hooked.

The 2019 YOKOHAMA NORRA Mexican 1000 Dates:

Ensenada to San Jose Del Cabo

Friday, April 26th - Tech and Registration (Day 1)
ENSENADA

Saturday, April 27th - Tech and Registration (Day 2)
ENSENADA

Sunday, April 28th - Race Day 1
ENSENADA ~ SAN FELIPE

Monday, April 29th - Race Day 2
SAN FELIPE ~ BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES (Cars)
SAN FELIPE ~ GUERRERO NEGRO (Motos)

Tuesday, April 30th - Race Day 3
BAHIA DE LOS ANGELES ~ LORETO (Cars)
GUERRERO NEGRO ~ LORETO (Motos)

Wednesday, May 1st - Race Day 4
LORETO ~ LA PAZ

Thursday, May 2nd - Race Day 5
LA PAZ ~ SAN JOSE DEL CABO

Friday, May 3rd - Awards
SAN JOSE DEL CABO

It will be even easier to join in on the fun this year with the addition of the Savvy Offroad Safari class. You don’t need to have a modern race car or restored vintage vehicle to participate in the rally. The Safari class will be guided each day from the starting town to the finish with fun and games along the way. They will travel through the same areas and sit around the campfire with the rest of the rally competitors each night. Those competitors include professional racers, automotive icons, industry insiders, and adventure seekers just like you. You know it’s going to be a good time because Savvy Offroad owner Gerald Lee, an experienced NORRA Mexican 1000 competitor, was one of the first to sign up for the Safari class.

The best news is that registration is still open. You can sign up today and join in on all the fun and adventure. Everything you need to know about the Mexican 1000, and NORRA 500 can be found at norra.com. Go to the site and find out for yourself why NORRA has exploded in popularity. You can experience the same wonder and sense of achievement those early thrill seekers sought today when you join NORRA in Baja. NORRA events honor the past, while forging the future. Don’t miss out on the fun.


NEW! 2019 The 2019 NORRA 500

The bigger and better part of the “Happiest Race On Earth!” will be a second event that will be held October 10th-13th of 2019; the NORRA 500! Based in Ensenada, Baja California Mexico, the event will be family-friendly event that will offer two separate and concurrent 250 mile race courses starting and finishing in front of the Riviera Convention Center. Cars and Bikes will be separated appropriately and then switch courses on the second race day. Each evening the NORRA team will offer locally inspired hospitality starting with happy hour events and concluding with dinner. The event’s unique format is intended reduce complicated planning and logistics and create an event that racers new and old can easily manage. If you have always wanted to bring your family and friends to see what NORRA is all about, or want to get your feet wet racing in Baja, this is the event for you. On Sunday, there will be an amazing Awards Ceremony held to NORRA party standards that will include brunch at a great location to be announced.

Registration opened for the 500 on September 15th at noon (PST) as well with only a $500 required deposit.

The 2019 NORRA 500 Dates:

Ensenada to Ensenada

October 10th - Tech and Registration
ENSENADA

October 11th - Race Day 1
ENSENADA ~ ENSENADA

October 12th - Race Day 2
ENSENADA ~ ENSENADA

October 13th - Awards Ceremony
ENSENADA


Want To Get A Head Start?

Login to your existing NORRA account, or create a new NORRA account at www.norra.com/member/member_home. Have picture images (.jpg, .bmp, or .png) of your Driver's License, Passport and Health Insurance Card ready to upload to your profile. Have your race radio frequency handy as well as your emergency contact phone numbers.

2019 NORRA RULES:

Determine what category your vehicle should be competing in (refer to 2019 rules at www.norra.com/rules_current). Update and complete the 'My Profile' and 'My Vehicle' sections of your account. Once, pre-registration opens, it should be as easy as selecting your vehicle and choosing your preference of payment option. Upon completion of registration you will receive a confirmation email and see your entry online.


ACCOMMODATIONS NOTES: One thing to keep in mind when making the Mexican 1000 peninsula run is that there are a shortage of hotel rooms at some of the towns we visit. Unfortunately, we cannot increase the existing infrastructure of Baja for the one night a year that we pass through. For racers new to NORRA, Bahia de Los Angeles is a very small town with very limited resources. The organization does reserve rooms ONLY in this location in an effort to limit one room per team until sold out. From there, racers can purchase a concrete pit pad from the NORRA online store or create their own camps. In an attempt to support our smaller stops like Bahia de Los Angeles and Loreto, we will have bivouacs available to help provide an alternative solution to the best of our ability and according to what Mother Nature allows.

As an organization, we cannot prevent poor practices or inflated prices at the available hotels. Please be aware that the ONLY room block secured in the name of NORRA is strictly for staff/safety/volunteers and the folks required to make the daily event safe and successful. The NORRA organization suffers a significant financial expense moving our teams down the Baja Peninsula as quickly as we do, and does not in any way profit from the hotel bookings. We support making online reservations with hotels that are large enough to be represented so you have a confirmation of receipt. This will never be a perfect process and we recommend that EVERY team be prepared to camp and/or rough it just in case best made plans fail. This is all a part of the Baja adventure. If you choose to use a third party vendor to secure your reservation, please understand that NORRA has no authority or interest in these reservations and they are made at your own risk. Our number one priority is as always to make sure you have the best time of your life at the “Happiest Race On Earth!” Go to norra.com for the latest news and information about NORRA’s upcoming events.

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ABOUT NORRA

Beginning in 2010, the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA) began promoting a rebirth of the NORRA Mexican 1000 rally. The unique off-road rally was co-created by promoter Mike Pearlman to consist of special stages (unlimited speed timed stages in the dirt) linked together by controlled speed liaison / transit sections (highway). The one-of-a-kind, once-a-year, four-day rally includes vintage off-road vehicles and motorcycles, as well as modern desert Rally Raid cars, pre-runner trucks, buggies and motorcycles.

Pearlman’s late father Ed and others established the first running of the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally in November of 1967, which eventually became internationally recognized and evolved into the Baja 1000 in the mid-1970's.

The 2019 YOKOHAMA NORRA Mexican 1000 is supported by Yokohama, Method Race Wheels, South Point Hotel Casino, Walker Evans Racing, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Steel-It, Multitool USA, RIGID, Savvy Offroad, VP Racing Fuels, Timberline, Ensenada Proturismo, Mastercraft/Impact Safety, Cerveceria Transpeninsular, Roganto, Biltwell Inc., Schampa, Racing TraX.com, Satellite Phone Store.com, P.C.I. Race Radios, WARN, Magic Bullet, US Action Trax.com, and many more.

NORRA - National Off Road Racing Association. Home of the Mexican 1000 and the NORRA 500