2021 Baja 1000

I wrote this for all my fellow NCWR (Nevada County Woods Riders) members. Paul Hart is our National Forest Ranger who is charge of the OHV trails in the National Forest in Nevada and Sierra Counties. We are very lucky to have such a pro OHV activist. Paul spends his time in the trenches working tirelessly for us trail riders.

Earlier this year Paul had said he wanted to compete in the Baja 1000 in the Iron Man class on a motorcycle. The club was all in on supporting him and in the end about a dozen of the club members ended up working pits along the length of the course, which was a point to point this year. Starting in the north in Ensenada and ended in the south at La Pas at end of the Baja peninsula. Paul’s efforts were nothing less than extraordinary and all the support was as well. Paul’s dedication preparation and training were amazing. For one he gave up drinking beer. He spent months riding hour after hour at night up and down dirt roads and trails in the Chalk Bluff area. Paul who is tall thin (About a buck forty five) and a dam good rider, he went to local MX track and road for over two hours solid on several occasions, he was very prepared.   

Doug 21J

Hello everyone,

If you read this you will no doubt come to the conclusion that Doug didn’t have much else going on during Paul’s quest to solo the Baja 1000 and I’d have to agree. Score’s official results showed Paul as a DNF even though he finished the course. Apparently there is a 50 hour time limit. They listed everyone who was in his class. There were six riders who they show finishing in less than fifty hours and there were seven riders, who they listed as a DNF over the fifty hour limit, including Paul.

I not only followed Paul’s Tracks, I followed other riders’ tracks as well. I’m passing this on just because I thought some of you might find it interesting.

725X finished the course in 34 hrs. 39min and in an incredible 101st overall, I think he was one of two KTM riders from Bolivia and they (Score) did celebrate his victory and rightly so.

741X finished in 42 hrs. 2min and 143rd overall

719X finished in 42 hrs. 51min and 149th overall

731X finished in 43hrs 13min and 169th overall

744X finished in 46hrs 37min and 176th overall

What I observed by looking at the tracks of each of these riders was 725X, 741X, 744X all stayed on the course throughout race and did finish in less than fifty hours. 719X, 731X, 785X were all off and on the course starting around mile 800. Paul and 719X were for instance stopped near mile 800 I assumed both pitted to put lights on. Paul left within a reasonable time, 719X did not move for hours and when he did his tracks showed he was on the road not the course he ended up leap froging Paul by hours and hours then went back on the course to finish some eleven plus hours ahead of Paul. I think they knew they weren’t going to make the fifty hour time limit and simply wanted to cross the finish line. Score obviously didn’t take the time to review each rider’s tracks to insure they indeed stayed on the course. First place is probably all that mattered everything after that didn’t.   

All the rest of the riders over the 50hr time limit were scored as a DNF. Of this seven rider group Score had Paul fifth, or 224th overall, but I know three of those riders also did not stay on the course and I’m not sure they even crossed the finish line. The other three  riders I didn’t track at all because they were not even close to Paul, so I don’t where one of them got ahead Paul.

So what does all this truly mean, nothing really Paul finished the race staying on the course finishing in 53hrs and 32min. That’s an unbelievable achievement in its self; solo-ing a Baja 1000 race that was in fact 1227 miles makes it an even a greater achievement. What really bothers me is that Score gave him an official DNF, but he did finish, showing him as a DNF in the official results is not respecting his efforts, boo on Score. As far as I’m concerned Paul finished fourth overall of the riders who stayed on course for the entire event. 

Doug McCaleb                    

 21J