Baja Legacy Celebration Horsepower Ranch Baja 500 Party

May. 29, 2003 By ORC STAFF

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2003 Optima SCORE Desert Series

Ensenada, Baja California: On the eve of the Baja 500 contingency and technical inspection, many Baja desert racing legends arrived in force here at Horsepower Ranch Resort, outside of Ensenada, Baja, California. The whose who of off-road desert racing gathered here at Baja's newest off-road resort. The Horsepower Ranch is located on 140 acres of rolling hillside just six miles east of downtown Ensenada. The recently refurbished Horsepower Ranch is being converted into an off-road version of a full-service destination resort. The property includes 50 guest rooms, a heated pool, the Wide Open Baja service shop, and, of course, Mad Dog's Carrera Cantina. The ranch will be available for large private parties and group reservations later this year.

The first annual Horsepower Ranch Baja 500 Fiesta was well under way by the 6:00 p.m. start time when the ORC staff arrived from the day long prerun. Not only was this event an invitation only grand opening to celebrate and introduce this off-road resort to the public, but also to honor eight inductee's into the Baja Legacy Celebration.

The Baja Legacy event honored a stellar list of eight first-year inductees that included: Sal Fish, celebrating his 30th anniversary as CEO of SCORE International, Bruce Meyers, inventor of the original fiberglass dune buggy and the first Baja four-wheel record holder, Corky McMillin, the oldest active driver in this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and patriarch to the famous McMillin racing family, Ron Bishop, the only person ever to ride in every single Baja 1000 on a motorcycle, Drino Miller, off-road pioneer and winner of the 1970 Mexican 1000, Malcolm Smith, motorcycle industry icon and Baja 1000 race winner, Dick Landfield, long-time Enduro racing team owner and Ford factory representative, and Doug Robertson Jr., Baja and off-road champion and president of Bilstein Corp, the longest corporate supporter of SCORE International off-road racing. The Baja Legacy event was a joint production of Wide Open Baja Adventures, the Rennsport Group, Team Centrix, SCORE International and Papa's and Beer.

BAJA RACING LEGENDS: Bruce Meyers raced the first Baja 1000 in 1967 in his legendary Meyers Manx. The new #1967 Meyers Manxter race car is prepped and ready to roll as they get ready to put rubber to the dirt and tackle the Baja 500 on Saturday morning.

The mariachi's were playing loud, the TECATE showgirls were strutting around and the likes of Malcolm Smith and Ivan Stewart were rubbing elbows at the bar. The Meyers Manx legend, Bruce Meyers was here with his latest Meyers Manxter 2+2 off-road race vehicle as was, Doug Robertson, Bilstein's Off-Road Motorsports Director, who has been the leading force in Bilstein's continued legacy of sponsorship of the SCORE-International Off-Road Desert Racing Series.

The line-up of original race vehicles that were here at the Baja Legacy event were impressive. On display were some historic vehicles of the Baja Off-Road Racing history such as; "Old Red," the original fiberglass dune buggy of Bruce Meyers, the 1970 "Dune Buggy Magazine" special of Drino Miller, "Macadu," an original Porsche-powered race car from the 1980s out of the McMillin racing stable, the recently restored "Bilstein Baja Bug" made famous by the Robertson brothers, the bright yellow Meyers Manxster driven in last year's Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 by Meyers and original race winner Vic Wilson, as well as the recently restored Ford Stroppe Bronco driven to victory in the 1968 Mexican 1000 by Rod Hall and Larry Minor. PCI Racing's Trophy Truck driven by Scott Steinberger as well as many other race vehicles on display.

The party was in full spirit at the Carrera Cantina, the newest addition to the Horsepower Ranch. The completed bar was recently refurbished presented to the Baja off-road racing community this evening in spectacular fashion.

PCI RACING'S SWEET DEVIL IN THE HOUSE

LA DIABLA DULCE-SWEET DEVIL ROCKS THE HOUSE: Rianna of PCI Racing (far right) jammed with the live band inside the Carrera Cantina rocking the packed house of legendary off-road racers.

BAJA LEGACY CELEBRATION: Sal Fish, Bruce Meyers, Malcom Smith, Ron Bishop, Corky McMillian, Doug Robertson, Drino Miller and Dick Landfield rounded out the Baja legends inducted into the Baja Legacy Hall of Fame. Also present was Larry Ragland and Ivan "Ironman" Stewart along with a huge host of others gathered at the Horsepower Ranch Baja 500 Party. This first annual event went off with a huge bang as Marty Fiolka and Todd Clements, put together the legends of off-road desert racing at the Horsepower Ranch. Marty and Todd assembled video presentations along with a full multi-media show displayed on multiple huge monitors which took over the center of the horse shoe at the HorsePower Ranch.

We found PCI Racing's Trophy Truck driver, Scott Steinberger and some of his crew at a Valle de Trinidad taco stand enjoying a refreshment and plate of hot tacos. Scotty said the course is brutal this year and he's poised to run it hard and hand off the Trophy Truck to his driving partner, Jesse Jones, to bring it into Ensenada across the finish line.

HORSEPOWER RANCH LADIES

BAJA FOOLS: This wild group of Baja maniacs has been pitting the off-road desert racing world since the early days. Led by Noel, "The Head Fool," this crew is in town supporting Team Riviera. Look for this crew with their party tent, Christmas Lights, 2-Stroke blender and Nitrogen Powered Trophy Truck Jack!!!

RANCH HANDS ENJOYING THE FIESTA BAJA LEGACY STYLE

The Baja 500 is staged to rock the desert racing world on Saturday morning. Contingency begins tomorrow in downtown Ensenada. It's a short drive across the border to Ensenada via the toll road. Get off the couch and head to Baja for some of the greatest off-road desert racing in the world.