Pics- Team Stache does the Baja 500, June 2014.

[Mortifer]

TL;DR – Our race team preran for a week, ate tacos, and our main rider Matt rode his XR650R 446.5 miles and finished the race in approx 13 hours 45 min.



This year we set out with just one goal, to safely finish the Baja 500, and “we” did!

This is all the work of my uncle Stuart, for years we’ve been going down to watch the races (250/500/1000), and for a few years now we’ve been riding dirt bikes, so last year he got a wild hair to enter the 500. Last year didn’t go well, but it was a very valuable learning experience. This year would be different.

We packed up and rolled down Sunday morning, June 1st, to our favorite hotel a 2 miles before Ensenada.

Monday afternoon six of us preran the first section from Ojos Negros thru Uruapan to Santo Tomas.
Me - WR250, My bother - WR450, Hunt - WR400, Rickard - Big Wheel Honda 200, Gary - Honda Rancher Quad, and our main rider Matt on a stock 97 XR600R (which he pre-ran the entire course on).

My 2008 WR250f, I love this bike!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mortifer]

Here’s a short vid from me, GoPro chest mount, the terrain was tiring, I fell twice in some silt in those 40 miles, I usually don’t fall. lol

youtu.be/5dP_wFiJzzo

Here’s a legit prerunner briefly getting stuck against a tree.

The course is quite difficult; it’s hard to believe the class 11’s (stock VW Bug) can make it through some of it. It took us 4 hours, we kept taking breaks to regroup every 10 min to make sure the end of the pack was ok. Everyone made it through just fine.

Mmmmmmmm, nothing better than a cold beer after a long afternoon!

 

[Mortifer]

And over to our favorite taco place in Ensenada (next to Hussongs) for tacos, beer and margaritas!

The vendors never leave us alone….so being the entertaining guy he is, Stuart decided to negotiate him down and get one, he then proudly showed it off all the next day.

 

[Mortifer]

Tuesday and Wednesday, Matt preran most of the 446 mile course while the chase minivan and Tundra followed along and picked him up when finished. The beginning and end 40 miles were off limits.

Thursday morning most of us preran the first 35 miles from Ensenada to Ojos, then Matt did the prep for contingency and tech on Friday, he changed the tires and made it glow with furniture polish. It was nice to have our 2 bedroom hotel with patio on the ocean.

 

[Mortifer]

Stuart hired a few girls from the local nail/massage place to help us hand out stickers, 800 mustaches on a stick and take pics with the bike. Yes he brought matching outfits for them. It was an entertaining day.

Our main rider Matt with the Mustache girls.

 

[Mortifer]

I believe this is the first time a legit Dakar truck has entered a Baja race, it was enormous.
I read it weighed 10 tons, has over 1000hp and 2600lb torque. De Rooy preran almost the entire course as well, but sadly on race day he had serious medical issues (kidneys I think) and had to turn back after about 75 miles.

The Mustache girls handed out stache’s, people took pics, it was a fun day checking out all the race trucks and teams.

A cruise ship was in that day as well.

 

[Mortifer]

My brother grabbing a pic with some booth ladies.

Around 2pm we got bored of the contingency shenanigans and pushed the bike over to Tech.

7pm racers meeting.

 

[Mortifer]

Saturday – Race day!

The plan - The team captain Stuart takes it from the start, gives the bike to me at Race mile 5, I take it to Ojos, Race mile 40, then Matt takes it the rest.

So I went up into the mountains to wait for the bike and watch the pros go by.

Soon after we heard on our radios the plan needed to change, Hwy 3 was closed due to a drunk fatality so Matt couldn’t get to Ojos to meet me, so Matt took it from Stuart at race mile 0.4, and rode the whole race himself.
I was quite happy to not have to ride in the race, I did this section last year, the fog and dust along with the other racers made it near impossible to see anything, it’s not much fun. Lol

Matt as he rode by….

 

[Mortifer]

I had a nice ride back to town and went to our fav coffee place.

I didn’t want to bug him, but Ivan chatted with me off and on for an hour until Stuart arrived and we went to watch the trucks start.

Ivan “Ironman” Stewart is a totally normal down to earth guy, super friendly to fans that asked for a pic or autograph. He mentioned to us, it’s not about the race, it’s about the memories of being down there and enjoying the good times. He told us several awesome stories that morning.

Then watched the trophy trucks and rest drop into the canal.

 

[Mortifer]

Here’s Matt waving to the chase minivan peeps at race mile 175 where the course crossed under hwy 1.

And off he goes headed over Mikes Sky Ranch to Hwy 3 and beyond.

 

[Mortifer]

After 446.5 miles taking approx. 13 hours and 45 minutes, after brief stops at the Baja Pits every 50 miles for gas and water, Matt crossed the finish line. The dude is a beast!

He had no problems (besides the GPS stopped working early on), but no flats or crashes, we’re all glad he didn’t have to go into that 50lb tool/parts backpack at all.

It's hilarious to roll into a pit areas when so many other teams spend hundreds of thousands total on their bikes/trucks/mechanics/etc. our bike is worth maybe $4-$5k tops. about the same as our chase minivan and tundra. lol

The team walking past the 3rd place Trophy truck to get to Matt.

Setting up for a team pic…

On the way out Matt was stopped for more pics, funny expression on the Mustache girls face. Haha

 

[Corb]

Looks like a really cool experience!

 

[RightCoastBias]

That's awesome. I hope to some day do the same!

 

[Mortifer]

Matt did get passed by several Trophy Trucks near the end. The first one is easy to know it's coming, they have a helicopter flying ahead to clear the course, so Matt just rode way off into the cactus. haha

He said it was one of the scariest moments of his life, listening for the sirens and having a 800hp+ beast screaming up behind you at 50-100mph.

 

[veefereefer]

:applauseThat is pretty damn awesome Mike!!!!Love the team name too!:laughing

 

[slydrite]

Super awesome!! :thumbup all way 'round

 

[SRAD600]

That is pretty damn cool, right down to the stash girls...:thumbup

 

[catch2otwo]

sick! on my bucket list. Spectator and racing

 

[Clem Kevin]

Yeah, I'd love to do this in a few years. Why did Matt decide to do the whole thing himself? I could imagine riding 200 miles, but 450 of that stuff is tough.

 

[Mortifer]

Yeah, I'd love to do this in a few years. Why did Matt decide to do the whole thing himself? I could imagine riding 200 miles, but 450 of that stuff is tough.

Simply, because he could and wanted the challenge, and it was the only way we/he would be sure the bike would finish. Stuart and I are not capable to fix problems or flats along the way, so it's best we didn't risk it.

I'm blown away that he and others are able to do this.
After riding 35-40 miles those two days I preran, I was tired, I might have been able to do 80 but that's about it.