In a strange turn of events, the start of the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 was delayed this morning by over an hour. Although the bikes and ATVs left this morning at 6:30, only the first 13 Trophy Trucks made it off the line at about 11:30 a.m (Jesse James, shown below, headed off the line first). The problem? A construction semi-truck jackknifed at one of the road crossings only about 4 miles into the course. It’s a unique situation for the race, but it’s just kind of something that can happen in Baja.
This completely blocked the course for the trucks that had started, and it created a huge issue for racers and teams. Robby Gordon (below talking to Sal Fish), among other racers and teams, was concerned the first 13 trucks would gain an advantage. Then, bringing back the trucks would put those first 13 that already traveled four miles at a disadvantage, as they would not have teams nearby to help them refuel. The end result was that Sal Fish jumped into his VW Official SCORE Vehicle and led out the remaining Trophy Truck class to the site of the accident. Once the accident was cleared, the Trophy Trucks would start. That’s exactly what happened.
The Class 1 buggies, along with the 10s and all the other four-wheel truck and buggy classes, then took off from the official start line in Ensenada. All is well for the most part, but it’s going to make for a much longer day for racers and crews.
For more on the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, check out our additional race coverage:
Baja 1000: ATVs and Dirt Bikes Off the Line
2011 Baja 1000 Photo Gallery