Big Lobsters In Baja - 2002 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

Nov. 01, 2002 By Tim Sanchez

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We met up with Bill Swails at the Alcoa Wheel booth at SEMA Show earlier this month, took one look at his bad ass Dodge, dubbed the EarthRoamer , and said, "You wanna' go to Baja?" A week later we met up at the Mexican border and away we were to Puerto Nuevo for a lobster dinner. Rolling down the toll road at 65 mph, the Earthroamer was back in Baja for the SCORE International Baja 1000.

Baja, California- We're at the end of an oustanding season in off-road racing, and it all comes to the granddaddy of all races, the SCORE Tecate Baja 1000, this year heading the whole way down the peninsula to La Paz.

Right here at Off-Road.com, the coverage begins now. But, the race begins at 6:30 a.m.in Ensenada, Baja California on November 21, 2002. Until then, ORC staffers are at the wheel with daily coverage.

Hayday At High Noon

Just after the sun struck high noon, the ORC crew riding high in Great White, The Desert Tank, and the EarthRoamer, invaded the immigration office at the border with only a slight delay, a missing passport. And then while under the eyes of the ORC staffers, the unamed person ripped apart his truck in a frantic way until he discovered the all-to-important document behind his seat next to the daily newspaper. It wasn't a few minutes later and we were fighting our way through the Tijuana traffic. Survival of the fittest, or as Desertbull says, "drive offensively." We were on our way to Puerto Nuevo for an early dinner.

Upon arrival to the seaside village of lobster heaven, we were waved into the parking stalls by the locals, promising to watch all three trucks and all of our gear. With the MotoSat DataStorm satellite mounted on the top of Great White, we needed to be within eyesight of the powerful Ford F-350 Diesel 4x4 truck.

Lobster Meets Big Belly Crew

Soon we were seated at our favorite restaurant and the road sodas were delivered along with the hot chips and outstanding salsa. The large lobsters were on the table a short time later and the Mexican Stallion was all tails and butter mixed with the freshest flour tortillas on the Baja Peninsula.

After the stuffing the bellies in Puerto Nuevo, we were on the road and burning diesel on down to Rick "Super Hunky" Sieman's casita for the latest in Baja developments. Stay tuned for the latest right here at your choice for off-road racing, www.Off-Road.com. We'll clue you in on some of the latest in Team Honda's efforts tomorrow. Until then . . .


Off-Road racer Dan Martin, Class 16 vehicle, and his crew empty the old gas readying for the new American gas before crossing the border. The infamous Checkers member had the cooler packed, tires, and all their chase vehicle gear ready to go when we found them at the gas station about to cross.	Callen Camper owner, Jim Callen is seen here raging the trails of Baja era 1980's. Now running a successful camper business in El Cajon, California he has traveled extensively in Baja, Calfornia.

ORC Jefe Pat Chicas gives an exclusive interview to the local press, detailing the restrictions recently imposed upon the ORC Readers Polls. As he says, "All those who vote multiple times will be permantently banned and publicly ridiculed."	Jose Enrique Vasquez, ORC's number one reader north of Ensenada and south of the border, throws the thumbs up and the sign for dos mas, meaning, two more please. That's two more for the road.

The Dale Ebberts' Class 1 Unlimited pit crew crashed the village of Pueblo Nuevo with a hungry appetite and a will to win.	Great White rolls up to the Restaurant Puerto Nuevo II, home of the grub south of the north pole.

Right here, we're talking 20 bucks a plate, a feast you won't soon forget. Look that Lobster, walked in fresh from the ocean some 20 minutes before it made it to our plate. Just in time for Pat.	The Desertbull took a stab at some monstrous lobster, then went straight to the video camera for a full interview of the restaurant owner, cooks and crew.