There were 251 vehicles that left the starting line for the 46th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, but only 116 returned to the finish line to complete the race. Even if you’ve never experienced the Baja 1000 in person as a spectator or racer, the fact that only 46.22 percent of the racers finished really puts the difficulty of the race in perspective.
Of the many classes at the Baja 1000, most did have a winner but there were many that didn’t even have a single finisher. Those classes include: Class 7200 (open production mini-trucks; 6 starters), Class 8 (full-sized two-wheel drive trucks; 2 starters), Class 9 (short wheelbase, single or 2-seat; 1 starter), Class 2 (unlimited open-wheel, car/truck, 3.6-liter turbo or supercharged; 3 starters), Class 1700 (Jeep Speed, 1 starter), Class 4000 (Limited mini-trucks, 2.2/2.4-liter Ecotec engine, 1 starter), Class 50 (50 and older motorcycle, 2 starters).
With the race being as long as it is, with racers pouring into the finish line over the course of many hours, it’s hard to keep track of how everyone did. So to recap the class wins, some of which doesn’t always get the coverage it deserves, we compiled this list of class winners from this year’s 1000.
If you missed any of the action from this year’s race, head over to Off-Road.com coverage page here.
More Baja 1000 Coverage
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Photo Gallery of 2013 SCORE Baja 1000
Class 1: Damen Jefferies, Luis Ramirez Jr.
(unlimited single or 2-seat)
Race Time: 20:27:55 (43.15 mph av.)
With the Trophy Trucks crossing the line first, sometimes the unlimited Class 1 buggies get a little lost in the shuffle. The duo of Damen Jefferies and Luis Ramirez Jr. earned the win in a class where only half of the starters finished.
“As of last Sunday we weren't even racing because of Dakar, but we threw everything on the truck, built a new pre-runner and here we are,” Jefferies said. “Going up over the summit we got stuck behind a slow truck and it killed us. It was raining coming back into town so we lost the intercom and we didn't have any GPS. It's nerve wracking coming back into town because there are a lot of spectators. It is hard to push hard and still be smart coming home.”
Class 10: Brad Wilson, Brian Wilson, Kyle Quinn
(Single or 2-seat to 1650cc)
Race Time: 24:33:22 (36.3 mph)
The Wilson family are no starngers to racing down in Baja. This year, Brad and Brian Wilson, along with teammate Kyle Quinn, earned the win in Class 10 with a time of 24 hours, 33 minutes and 22 seconds. Setting an impressive average of 36.3 mph, the buggy was the first 10-car of nine to finish the race in spite of 20 vehicles starting.
Class 5: Kevin Carr, Noe Valdez, Perry McNeil, Alfie Bueno
(Unlimited VW Baja Bugs)
Race Time: 20:00:46 (30.5 mph)
Reigning Class 5 Champion Kevin Carr earned the victory at the 2013 Baja 1000. He shared driving duties with Noe Valdez, Perry McNeil and Alfie Bueno. Like most racers, the team punished themselves and their vehicle on the rough course. Afterward, Carr echoed the thoughts about the course being brutal. “The course was rough and the silt beds were terrible,” he said.
Class 5-1600: Gustavo Avina, Faisal Diaz, Lucio Avina, Gustavo Avina Jr.
(1600cc VW Baja Bugs)
Race Time: 28:49:08 (30.6 mph)
8/4
There were eight Class 5-1600 VW Bugs that left Ensenada, but only four returned to the finish line to complete the race. Of the four, the team of Gustavo Avain, Faisal Diaz, Lucio Avina and Gustavo Avina Jr. earned the victory in the class with a race time of 28 hours, 49 minutes and 8 seconds. “It was a very long day and a very hard course,” Diaz said after the race. “We struggled with tires and a few issues with the oil cooler on the engine, but we were able to overcome that. We came back from fourth place to first place around mile 800.”
Class 1/2-1600: Ernesto Arambula, Edmundo Fernandez
(VW-powered, single or 2-seat to 1600cc)
Race Time: 24:36:44 (35.9 mph av.)
13 start, 10 finish
The Class 1/2-1600 class was a bit of an anomaly at the 2013 Baja 1000, as 10 of the 13 vehicles that started finished the race. In spite of having an alternator bolt break and having clutch problems during the race, the 1602 car of Ernesto Arambula and Edmundo Fenandez earned the class win.
More Baja 1000 Coverage
KTM Rider Kurt Caselli Killed in Racing Accident at Baja 1000
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