Watched the #400 Bronco pass the Scout. Appears they are broken and waved the Bronco by. They have beeen stationary on the map for quite a while.
Back to Baja: The NORRA Mexican 1000 Live Update Log
- Thread starter Jamie@ScoutMotors
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See what I mean! Never make a man with a thick Stache drive, they are un reliable. Get a fully bearded or clean shaven guy to drive. He probably went to give double thumbs up again.
They got going again. Looks like they are skipping parts of the stage as it's fully dark now.
APRIL 30, 2025
STAGE 4:
LORETO TO LA PAZ
MILES: 336.9
It’s going to be a long day.” Every morning, Sean Barber delivers a sermon of sorts. And today, those are the first words out of his mouth. If desert racing were a religion, Baja would be the Mecca.
336.9 miles. It’s hard to put that into perspective—especially given Baja’s unruly terrain. It’s a long day on paper. It’s even harder to imagine how much time it will take to complete. For some frame of reference, the last stage tonight will close at 12 a.m. They’re giving racers every possible minute available to accomplish today’s course.
But first, coffee. Even in Baja, we have a morning routine. Today, we decide to walk to a local coffee shop and see the town. The last thing Owen asked before leaving Ventura was whether or not there was room in the chase truck for his skateboard. There was, so in it went. Now his morning routine includes pushing and carving around the old towns.
“Today’s going to be a challenge,” Sean says to the team, nine espressos—one in front of each of us. All the unknown variables for today just mean we’ll have to be prepared for anything and everything. Sean, Owen, and Chris Hunt review the maps and plan points for the race truck and support trucks to meet. “I’m thinking about those cliffs today…” another thought out loud about the terrain ahead from Sean. There’s probably a lot else on their minds, too.
10:01 a.m. is our start time this morning, earlier than previous days. Hopefully, we can use this extra hour to our advantage, as we’re imagining needing every second. We’re heading from Loreto to La Paz today. The starting line is beautiful this morning. The green flag waves, and we peel down the ocean avenue, flying by palm trees with the blue sky and turquoise ocean to our side.
We strategize a bit and decide to start with less than a full tank of gas. It’ll save us some weight and work in our favor against the elements. From Loreto, we head west, now turning our backs to the sea. Sean and Owen pick up the pace as they stare at the inland mountains head-on.
The Race Terra isn’t seen again until 1:19 p.m. The first section of the day is behind them. Like clockwork, Sean and Owen exit the truck. Dan and Larry go through the mid-race pit checks. “Worst silt yet,” Sean says, helmet still on, now standing beside the truck, in between handfuls of trail mix. “Oh man, we came around a blind corner and there were seven, maybe eight trucks stuck. It was hairy.”
You never know what’s waiting around the next turn. The digital road book that Owen uses to navigate does its best to call out any known hazards on the course. But by the time dozens of trucks have gone through, everything could be different. Ten gallons of race gas go in the Scout. Dan and Larry roll out from beneath the truck—everything looks good. “We’ve been doing a lot of rapid-deploy four-wheel drive, it’s working great.” Our repairs from previous days seem to be holding well, so off we go.
The Race Terra zig-zags further down the peninsula, and the chase trucks coast down the highway from Ciudad Constitución to Comondú. Another race report from Sean amidst a quick stop: “Pretty bumpy, we took a big hit on something. But Owen checked it out—everything looks and feels good. Man, we’ve still got that rocky hill climb ahead of us, huh? I don’t want to do that in the dark.”
It’s now 3:37 p.m. They still have well over 150 miles left to go for the day. Their pace isn’t ideal; however, there’s not much they can do about it. They’re fighting one of the toughest topographies in the world, and their weapon of choice is a 50-year-old truck. They’re going as fast as they’re comfortable with—not as fast as possible. Like Sean said a few days ago, “medium and steady.”
The support trucks are now stationed in Las Pocitas, following the Scout on GPS, waiting for it to arrive. It’s well past 5 p.m. when the GPS rings with the message: “Issues, troubleshooting, send both trucks and trailer.”
Instant heartache. Our stomachs are in our chests. We pack up the trucks and turn around, heading back toward their direction. We all remain silent. So many questions, but we don’t ask. We do what we’re told.
It’s late enough in the evening, and so few vehicles are still racing, that we’re able to drive our trucks onto the course for a recovery mission. Sean and Owen are about 15 miles ahead on this dirt road. We have to remember that the course is still hot, as we are soon met with two race trucks barreling toward us. The trail of dust in the distance is a good indication of what’s ahead, so we make sure to pull over and give way.
At sunset, the desert is a painting. The dust-filled sky glows purples, yellows, reds, and blues. Cacti are silhouetted against the evening sky for miles and miles. The chase trucks eventually spot the Race Terra on the horizon.
The mood is tense. Larry runs up as Sean and Owen run through everything they’ve troubleshot. It’s seemingly an electrical issue. Dan has a test light in one hand and a voltmeter in the other. The truck is cranking, but no spark. Sean replaced the coil on the trail, but to no avail. Dan gives us two options: “We can try and fix it here, or we can put it on the trailer and fix it at camp.” It’s nearly dark now, and the Race Terra is loaded up.
The first chase truck goes ahead, while the second slowly and carefully tows the Scout 15 miles back down the dirt road toward the main highway. The truck ahead makes its way into La Paz just before the auto parts store closes for the evening. We have a list of parts and the translation app open on our phone to communicate with the employees. We grab a new coil, among other things, and quickly head out of town to meet everyone back at camp.
It’s 10:30 p.m. when our work lights go up over the Race Terra. It’s late. We’re all exhausted. We have a list of action items. We’re on a mission, and there’s no time for anything else but to try and fix the truck. Tomorrow is the last day of the race.
Last year, on the last day of the race, we had the unimaginable happen. One small move sent Sean and Owen tumbling 300 feet down a canyon—just 30 miles short of the finish line. But we’re not even thinking about that now. We just need to fix the truck.
Dan, Larry, Sean, and Owen continue troubleshooting. A table is set up next to the Scout, covered in new and old parts, tools, and tacos. They try one thing, crank it—still no spark. They try another—same result. They start thinking backwards. Could it be two things at once? Was the original issue a red herring?
Sean soon realizes the coil he replaced on the trail is rated for the wrong ohms. Visually, it’s identical, but it’s designed for a V8. We’re running the 196ci 4-cylinder. The coil we picked up in town, however, has the correct ohms for a 4-cylinder. We swap that in and install a new old stock distributor cap. It’s period-correct for 1976 and just so happens to be an International Harvester OEM part. It needs to be shaved down a bit—it’s hitting our custom intake manifold. We make some clearance and squeeze it in.
At 11:45 p.m., the engine roars to life. Sean, mouth full of tacos, turns to the race team and says, “That’s good news, boys. I’m so happy.”
We all were.
The full story with larger photos is now live HERE.
Good work all around. Here's to a better day tomorrow. GO TEAM GO !!!!!
Today marked the end of the NORRA 1000, official scoring occurs tomorrow.
And 1st in the Legends 4x4 class.
And that’s the one that really matters. Nobody expected them to finish in top 10 but a great feat for a vintage vehicle
Agreed. I think I watched 30% of it and tracked them on the map. Only got two glimpses of them, I think while watching #400's live feed
MAY 1, 2025
STAGE 5:
LA PAZ TO SAN JOSE DEL CABO
MILES: 171.5
Today’s the day. Sean and Owen cheers their espresso to whatever is ahead. Owen carries around a pocket full of 4x6 prints—taken on multiple disposable cameras from last year's race. We just so happen to patronize a few of the same coffee shops and cafes, and folks remember us. We left an impression on Baja. Baja left an impression on us.
All nine of us fit inside this little cafe for our morning ritual.
It’s the last day of the race. On this day last year, Sean and Owen had a fateful moment that they were lucky to walk away from. But they wouldn’t accept that. Baja won last year. This year, they are here to win.
The caffeine starts hitting and doing its job. Sean and Owen’s minds are racing as fast as the truck is—but you wouldn’t be able to tell. They’re cool, calm, and collected. Classic.
“I think I’ve lost 5 lbs on this trip.” A great first line out of Sean this morning. He’s probably being serious, too. The Baja diet is what we call it. Hyper-focus, tense posture, and a little nutrition is what it takes. That, plus all the demands of wrestling a truck across the desert.
After coffee, Dan heads into town to the parts store to replenish our spares. Another coil just in case. Sean runs laps in the truck to make sure last night’s repairs hold tight. Everything checks out.
The tire pressure goes back up to 22 psi, and the Scout takes to the starting line. 11:12 a.m., and the green flag waves. 171.5 miles to San Jose del Cabo.
The chase trucks have a strategy of their own today. The silver F-250 takes the quickest way to the finish line to ensure we can catch the Scout as it rolls into town.
The gold F-250 takes a route that keeps them closer to the Race Terra. It carries the mechanics, all the tools and spares—and a trailer.
Cabo, here we come.
“Baja” simply translates to “bottom.” At the bottom of the bottom, the Gulf of California meets the Pacific Ocean. The thousand-mile-long desert that once separated these two oceans now fades into the sea. Soon, there’ll be no further place south to race toward.
Later in the afternoon, the gold F-250 intercepts the Race Terra just once. All it needs is gas, a drop to 17 psi in the tires, and a bunch of high fives. We’re further now than we were last year. All of the worries fade, and the stoke takes over. The truck disappears into a mirage once again.
The streets are alive in Cabo. It’s hot. It’s bright. There’s a hustle and bustle here. The town is dense. Alleyways cut through the city, each lined with palm trees and flowers.
As you make your way down the peninsula, you catch glimpses of the ocean. Point breaks filled with surfers, the teal water and white sands are hypnotizing. The streets are lined with spectators. Folks have set up chairs down the entire length of the finish line avenue.
This race has a history in every town it visits. It’s been happening for over 50 years—and hopefully continues for at least 50 more. Parents who bring their kids into town to see the race were once kids themselves, brought here by their parents decades ago.
Sean and Owen enter their last off-road stage of the entire race. It’s golden hour now. Their pace has been modest today, but for a good reason. With every turn and new direction, they are one step closer to the finish line. Finishing in one piece with all four wheels still attached is the goal. If they can maintain their speed and focus, they’ll do just that.
Right before 5:45 p.m., the Race Terra roars into town and the checkered flag drops.
Helmets are off. Emotions are felt. Fists are bumped. Smiles all around. A triumphant return to Baja indeed.
The finish line is a car show and a block party combined. Our boys cruise in cool as ever, sweating more than ever. We came back here to do this one thing.
Like every time before, Dan and Larry get under the truck to look for any issues. But this time, it doesn’t matter. It’s just second nature. Sean and Owen do the same, going through the day’s events, recalling any issues with the truck—slowly fading out.
“And boys, we did it,” Sean fades back in. “We got first place!” Yup, first in the “Legends” class. Our truck maintained as much original and archaic technology as possible. They were doing it 50 years ago with the same machines—there’s no reason why we couldn’t do the same. The terrain hasn’t changed much either since then.
Sean is already thinking about the next race. He and Dan start discussing potential engine swaps and small upgrades. The race team strolls through town as the sun sets over the palm trees and far-off mountains in the distance.
We shake hands with those we spent the week racing against. There are apologies for passing, laughing about mishaps and repairs. Conquering Baja is one of the last few “tough things” left in the world. Those who have been here know. It’s a cool club to be in.
We load the Race Terra onto our trailer and head to camp for the night.
“That was fun,” Sean says. “Let’s go surfing tomorrow.”
You can read the full story and see larger images HERE on Scout Stories.
It’s been awesome watching the crew race the last couple of days! Big congrats to the team and all that they were able to accomplish!
Surf’s up- This is a great comeback story from the year past, and Scout Motors nailed it—not just with the storytelling, but with the stunning photography. Huge kudos to the behind-the-scenes team.
The stories told capture the spirit of Baja in every sense: grit, camaraderie, and respect for the road. It seems this was a redemption run for Sean and Owen—and they conquered it.
Running Baja in a truck from 1976 isn’t just racing—it’s folklore.
I was hoping to see the finish interview. It looked like they were trying to speak with all the finishers.
Jamie, did they finish 1st overall in the legends class? Or just legend 4x4 which was only them? Either way is a big win. But one has more bragging rights than the other.
Two vehicles were in the Legends 4x4 class, and the other DNF'd. Since the overall class includes air-cooled Beetles and other odds and ends, there is no comparable consistency in the Legends class.
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