FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EMAIL:

Accolades Flow At The Yokohama NORRA 500
Presented By Method Race Wheels

Awards Day 4. Ensenada

PHOTOS BY FOTOSOL (except as noted)

AGUA DULCE, CALIF. - Once the dust settles at NORRA events, we applaud the achievements earned on the race course. We celebrate the event, and award the many competitors who excelled, persevered, and overcame challenges to finish the race. Finishers get a beautifully crafted trophy created by Mike Pearlman himself. In addition to that, there are additional awards presented by NORRA and our generous sponsors.

A new trophy at the NORRA 500 was the Mary McGee award in the name of our Grand Marshal Mary McGee. Mary competed in the very first NORRA race in 1967. She optimizes the sense of adventure and competitive drive that NORRA women share. This year’s recipient of the Mary McGee trophy is Renee Hudson. Renee is a consummate racer, women’s advocate and previous winner of the NORRA 500. She was personally chosen by Mary to receive the inaugural award.

The tradition of the Bilstein Madonna Award in the United States began in 1984 with the NASCAR Winston Cup Championships, and has evolved to recognize the accomplishments of individuals in many areas of motorsports. The Madonna award is given to “an individual who wins a championship in a major American racing series, displays sportsmanship and positive character traits on and off the track, and possesses an intense desire to win while overcoming adversities.” Past winners of the award include Terry Labonte, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Ivan Stewart, Mark Stahl, and Mark McMillin among others. At the NORRA 500, the Madonna went to the trio of Rich Minga, Craig Stewart and Ryan Thomas. All three have decades of accomplishments in off road racing. The Bilstein Madonna award recognizes those accomplishments along with their incredible win in the pioneer Era at the 500.

Since 2019, STEEL-IT has sponsored the King of the Mountain competition. Those racers who are the fastest to the highest point of elevation during the event are crowned “King of the Mountain.” Each class racing has a King of the Mountain in addition to the fastest King who reigns overall. Thomas Purcell is the overall King of the Mountain in 2022. Thomas achieved the feat in his Evolution Open UTV class Polaris Pro R. Thomas Purcell, Richard Fant and Evolution Unlimited Truck class competitor Joey Black were the only drivers to clock in under 3 hours. They took the top three spots overall. Additional class winners were Dave Mason, Trevor Glidden, Bruce Galien, Rich Minga, Ryan Baillargeon, Christopher Livingston, Collin Mckee, Brent Mckee, Hap Kellogg, Danny Novoa, Ned Bacon, Mark Van Leeuwarden, Dan Mahnke, Dane Cardone, Jeff Gamroth, Segismundo Lucas Valdes, Cameron Ornelas, William Franklin, Kevin Adler, Jonathan Jurgens, and Mark Yturralde. Congratulations to all.

NORRA categorizes teams into the different eras of off road racing. The fastest teams in each era also get awarded. Off road racing has always been about innovation, and experimentation. Throughout its history, builders have continued to try just about everything along the way. Being the fastest in your era is quite an accomplishment as many unique vehicles are all competing for that honor. 2022 NORRA 500 era winners are Rich Minga in the Pioneer Era, Rick Paquette in the Vintage Era, Trevor Glidden in the Historic Era, and Dave Mason in the current Evolution Era.

Exclusively at the NORRA 500 is the Cartera Grande for UTVs. The Cartera Grande allows the companies who provide parts, supplies, and services to UTV racers an opportunity to help those racers in their pursuits. Sponsors really stepped up to provide a purse that exceeded 30 thousand dollars. K&N Filters, Yokohama, Multitool Grinders, Maxima Racing Oils, Eibach Spring, SignArt Graphix, STEEL-IT, Seal Savers, Klock Werks, Wilwood Racing, GG Lighting, All Terrain Concepts, Trinity Racing, Quantum Fuel Systems, and Just in Case Rescue came up with an incredible Cartera Grande prize package for the UTVs. The Fab School sponsored an incredible UTV overall winner trophy given to PJ Jones for his accomplishment.

NORRA gets a lot of compliments from racers during our events. We appreciate the kind words, and understand how they feel because we share the same feelings towards the many companies who support NORRA. They all are part of the final product that racers love so much. Yokohama and Method Race Wheels are at the top of the list, but Bilstein, STEEL-IT, Maxima Racing Oils, Rugged Radios, McMillin Racing, Adler Motorsports, Transpeninsular Cerveceria, Horsepower Ranch, SignArt, Adobe Guadalupe, Multitool, Satelite Del Norte, Biltwell, PCI, Benchmark maps, The Fab School, Optima Batteries, Joe Hauler, Schampa, K&N, Rally Moto Shop, Jimmy Lewis Off Road Training, Rally Navigator, Baja Bush Pilot, Mag 7, SaniAhorro, B3KREATIV, Stage V Media, Corporate Helicopters, Lowrance, Proturismo, Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, Pro Baja, Code Off Road, the cities of Ensenada, Los Cabos, Mexicali, Loreto, La Paz, Mulege, Municipality of Comondu, Instant Mexico Insurance, Cruz Roja Mexicana, and BRL all lend support to NORRA goal of Honoring the Past, while Forging the Future.

The Yokohama NORRA 500 presented by Method Race Wheels was all about the Good Vibes, Good Times. Congratulations go out to everyone who had a hand in another excellent event. Now all eyes are on the 2023 Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 on April 28th to May 5th. Start making plans to attend today. Go to www.norra.com to find out how you can join in on all the fun, excitement and adventure of NORRA racing.

 

"The Happiest Race On Earth!"
&
###   Good Vibes. Good Times!   ###

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, five-day rally includes vintage off-road vehicles and motorcycles, as well as modern pre-runners, trucks, buggies, UTVs, bikes and desert Rally Raid cars.

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.

NORRA enjoys corporate partnerships with Yokohama Tire, Method Race Wheels, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, STEEL-IT, Rugged Radios, Adler Motorsports, McMillin Racing, Maxima Racing Oils, Multitool USA, Satélite del Norte, Biltwell, Cerveceria Transpeninsular, PCI Race Radios, Schampa, Optima Batteries, K&N, Horsepower Ranch, Baja Bush Pilots, The Fab School, Mag7 Pits, the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF), B3KREATIV, and many more.

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