APRIL 24-25, 2025
ENSENADA: REGISTRATION & TECH INSPECTION
MILES: 0
Back to Baja" is the motto for this trip. The mission statement for Scout Motors and the Vintage Scout Race Program. It’s about reconnecting with our legacy. Scout vehicles were here half a century ago, helping define an era of off-road racing and innovation. And now they’re here again.
We crossed the border into Baja early this morning, with our sights set on Ensenada by early afternoon. The trucks run on gas, but our team was running on coffee and eggs.
Ensenada comes alive during race time. Trophy trucks, vintage Volkswagen Beetles, motorcycles, dune buggies, and side-by-sides fill the streets. Fans line the sidewalks, waving and snapping photos of everything that rolls by.
First step: tech inspection. A vital part of racing. We check everything safety-related—seatbelts, safety harness, roll cage, fire extinguisher. Check, check, check. The lights work, the brakes function, the GPS gets installed. The finishing touch: a time card sticker on our door so officials can track our pace. We pass tech and breathe a sigh of relief. One step closer.
Our Race Terra is fitted with a 196ci motor, punched out .030 over, and an 11:1 compression ratio running on race gas. This engine is literally half of a V8. International Harvester took their 392 V8s and halved them into what’s referred to as a “slant-4.” The Race Terra even features the same pistons from Sherman Balch’s Baja-winning Scout truck from the early 1980s. A little heritage, a little history, and a little good luck to keep us grounded.
The truck glows in the midday sun—the Terracotta color fits perfectly into the landscape of Baja. You can hear the Scout from blocks away as the motor echoes through town.
Even with a passing tech inspection, there’s still a punch list of things to do. Larry and Dan grab a permanent marker and a piece of cardboard. Sean Barber is our leader, our captain. When he speaks, we listen. He starts calling out:
“Need a new taillight bulb. Top off the clutch fluid. And let’s do something about that squeaky belt.”
Dan and Larry get to work. Parts and tools are emptied from the chase and support trucks. With ease, the issues are remedied…mostly.
A shorter belt needs to be sourced from a local auto parts store. But to make room for it, Larry takes a Dremel to the fan shroud to create some clearance. In true race spirit, on the night before the start, last-minute adjustments and fixes are made.
It’s a sight to see—and hear—power tools and grinding coming from under the hood of the Race Terra on the eve of the Mexican 1000.
We soon learn that there are no ½” shorter belts available anywhere in Mexico—only 1” shorter. We source one anyway, just to have it, but stick with the slightly long belt and deal with the noise.
Evening settles in. Daylight fades. There’s not much left to prep. Sean and Owen Barber climb into the Race Terra to rehearse their race-day checklist.
Sean and Owen are father and son. Driver and co-driver. Friends. They’ve got it down. Owen runs through the list. Sean replies “check” to every item.
“Do the brakes feel better?” Owen asks.
“Let’s keep a wrench on the dash to release brake pressure if needed,” Sean replies.
Check.
Tomorrow we race.
