(Agua Dulce, Calif.) — With just under two months to go before the green flag drops on its second vintage-flavored rally of 2013, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) today released additional event details for its newly created 2013 NORRA Mexican 500, also known as the “La Carrera del Norte” (Race of the North).
Today’s announcement includes a complete event schedule (see below) for the upcoming NORRA Mexican 500, as well as additional course and hospitality information. Scheduled for Sept. 27-30, the new four-day event is the second NORRA vintage-flavored off-road rally of 2013, and incorporates many of the unique elements of its sister rally — the highly popular General Tire NORRA Mexican 1000, which takes place in the spring at the end of April.
As previously announced, NORRA management has joined forces with Mexico’s well-established CODE sanctioning body to help organize the new Mexican 500 rally in conjunction with CODE’s popular “Mexicana Logistics 300. Both organizations have announced they will share several pre-race festivities and also the Ensenada start and Mexicali finish lines on Saturday, September 28. There will also be some overlapping of course sections on Day 1 of the NORRA rally with CODE’s event, but both groups are insuring that their individual race day logistics offers as much separation as possible to insure the highest safety and enjoyment for all.
On Friday, September 27th NORRA racers can take advantage of a late Tech Inspection starting time to aid competitors wishing to arrive in Ensenada Friday morning. Both NORRA and CODE teams will combine vehicles in the traditional Tech and Contingency line, which will be held in downtown Ensenada (on Avenida Lopez Mateos) for the first time in more than a decade. NORRA will have it own separate Technical Inspection lane at the end of the line, followed immediately by a mandatory “Show N’ Shine in the parking lot of the historic Riviera Convention Center. This is the location of the famous “rock wall” that served as a photo backdrop for each and every team in the original NORRA events held in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A NORRA”Welcome Fiesta and Driver’s Meeting will commence at 6:30 PM in the Grand Ballroom of NIco Saad’s San Nicolas Hotel.
The following morning day NORRA motorcycle teams will head directly to Ojos Negros for a 6:30 AM start. Three hours later, NORRA four-wheel entries will enjoy crowds of local fans expected for the combined start at Ensenada’s Main Street Bridge. While CODE racers head east toward Ojos Negros, the NORRA vehicles will head south for the start of Transit 1. All CODE and NORRA racers will share a finish line at Mexicali’s famous Bull Ring on Saturday night.
While the CODE race will be completed in Mexicali, on Sunday, September 29th NORRA competitors will enjoy a fun and challenging Day 2 run from Mexicali to the picturesque seaside village of San Felipe, all culminating in a huge afternoon Fiesta for drivers and teams on the Sea of Cortez.
The NORRA Mexican 500’s last day will take place on Monday, September 30th with a dash west to the Pacific Ocean and an afternoon return to Ensenada before a first-class awards ceremony later that evening.
As always, NORRA will not allow any pre-running for this event, and as a result will release chase maps to competitors one month before the competition. GPS course maps will be available to all competitors and chase teams on Thursday, September 26th, and it will feature additional markings for dangerous areas of the rally routes.
In addition, NORRA is instituting a new starting procedure for all of its rally events beginning with the Mexican 500. All motorcycle classes will start a full three-hours ahead of their four-wheel counterparts to offer riders and additional measure of safety. NORRA is also expecting to unveil additional safety and communications upgrades over the course of the coming weeks.
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2013 MEXICAN 500 RALLY
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
TECH/DRIVERS MEETING FRIDAY, SEPT. 27 (ENSENADA) LOCATIONS
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Driver/Vehicle Registration San Nicolas Hotel Pool
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Tech Inspection Main Street Bridge
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM “Round -Up” Official Vehicle Display Main Street Bridge
4:00 – 6:00 PM Rally Clinics (Navigation Training) San Nicolas Hotel
6:30 PM Mandatory Driver’s Meeting San Nicolas Grand Ballroom
RALLY DAY 1 SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 ENSENADA ~ MEXICALI
6:00 AM Bikes line-up for Rally Start Hwy 3, KM39 Ojos Negros
6:30 AM Bikes Start Special Stage 1 Hwy 3, KM39 Ojos Negros
9:00 AM Cars line-up for Rally Start Main Street Bridge
9:30 AM Cars Start Rally Day 1 Liaison Stage 1 Main Street Bridge
RALLY DAY 2 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 MEXICALI ~ SAN FELIPE
6:00 AM Bikes Line-up for Rally Start Laguna Salada Dry Lake
6:30 AM Bikes Start Special Stage 1 Laguna Salada Dry Lake
9:00 AM Cars Line-up for Rally Start Mexicali Bull Ring
9:30 AM Cars Start Rally Day 2 Liaison Stage 1 Mexicali Bull Ring
Evening: Baja Social Club Hospitality Party Hotel El Cortez
RALLY DAY 3 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 SAN FELIPE ~ ENSENADA
6:00 AM Bikes Line-up for Rally Start Hotel El Cortez
6:30 AM Bikes Start Special Stage 1 Hotel El Cortez
9:00 AM Cars Line-up for Rally Start Hotel El Cortez
9:30 AM Cars Start Rally Day 3 Special Stage 1 Hotel El Cortez
Evening: Awards Presentation T.B.A.