Baja Rally
| Baja Rally | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Motorcycle rally |
| Dates | September - October |
| Frequency | Yearly |
| Location(s) | Baja California, Mexico |
| Inaugurated | 2013 |
| Most recent | September 30 - October 5 2019 |
| Next event | September 28 - October 3 2020 |
| Organised by | Baja Rally de México S. de R.L de C.V |
| Sponsor | RALLY COMP |
| Website | bajarallymoto |
The Baja Rally is a Mexican off-road Motorsport race for motorcycles and UTV’s, held for six days during fall each year in the Baja California Peninsula.[1][2] I is one of only 2 rally-raid competitions in North America and allows UTV’s and motorcyclesle classes to compete on the same course. [3]It is one of the longest straight-running rallies in the Western Hemisphere.[4] Baja Rally is a professional motorcycle & a UTV competition for professional and experienced roadbook navigation racers.[5] With its headquarters in the San Nicolas Hotel, Zona Centro, Ensenada, which attracts racers from around the world. Baja Rally is the first ever motorcycle and Utility Terrain Vehicle road-book navigation rally raid, endorsed by Federal, State and Municipal governments in Mexico.[6]
Every year, since 2013 the Northern port town of Ensenada, Baja CA has been the inaugural and conclusion point of the rally.[7] It is a five-day event comprised of timed special stages, the routes of the same are disclosed only when each racer starts a new stage in the morning.[8] The starting and the finishing stages is held in the municipalities of Ensenada and Mexicali. The length of the stages may vary from 50 miles to 250 miles. The changing weather conditions from dry hot desert to wet and foggy mediterranean type climate during the event across the Baja peninsula makes the race more challenging.
History
The first Baja rally-raid was announced in March 2013 and the rally took place in October of the same year. The first rally was for 3 consecutive days with 2 days of racing, although the duration of the rally was increased to 5 days in the later years.[9] The inaugural Baja Rally was limited to 20 entrants with an additional 10 entries on a standby waiting list. There are always strict technical rules which are supposed to be complied by all the participants of the race.
In 2018, the Baja Rally became the first motorsport event in Mexico to complete and file an authorised “manifestation impacto ambiental” (MIA) with SEMARNAT. SEMARNAT is equivalent to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the MIA is a recognized environmental impact study. It took more than 2 years to complete this regulation and with this investment of time and resources Baja Rally navigation race will continue to grow in Mexico and North America for decades to come.
Environmental Impact Study
In 2018, Baja Rally commissioned an independent, 3rd party environmental consultancy to publish an environmental impact study (manifestacion impacto ambiental) to measure the impact for an off road competition that was duly registered with Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), the federal environmental regulatory ministry of Mexico.[10] This was the first scientifically administered study to measure the impacts of off road activity in the nationally protected region known as the Valle de Los Cirios that comprises the lower half of the state of Baja California and part of the northern region of Baja California Sur.
Participants
In order to participate in any class all riders must be legally allowed to participate in the race and can present the document in case of minors. Riders are also required to register them prior to the event with the dates given on the website (www.bajarallymoto.com). They are required to use specific motorcycle and UTVs.[11]
Baja Rally School
In January 2013, Baja Rally announced opening a training academy named Baja Rally School with a full curriculum to teach motorcycle and UTV racers to better prepare for off road rally races around the globe.[12] The 3-day course "Introduction to Rally Raid" includes practice courses and classroom training.[13]
Sponsors
The rally is sponsored primarily by Rally Comp, Satellite Phone Store, Multitool-USA.com, Lost In Baja, and Scampa Never Stop Riding. Baja Rally allows sponsors to choose from Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 sponsorship levels.[14][15]
| Year | Category | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OA Champion RALLY PRO | Trent Burgiss | Pro Winner |
| 2019 | R1 Champion RALLY 1 | Matt Southerland | Amateur Winner |
| 2019 | Rookie Champion | Jubal Brown | Rookie of the Year |
| 2019 | Senior Champion | John Deykes | Senior Winner |
| 2019 | UTV Champion UTV PRO CLASS | Lee Banning | UTV PRO Winner |
| 2018 | OA Champion RALLY PRO | Skyler Howes | Pro Winner |
| 2018 | Rookie Champion | Alan Brand | Rookie of the Year |
| 2018 | Champion ADV EXPERT | Todd Zacker | ADV PRO Winner |
| 2018 | UTV Champion UTV PRO CLASS | L. Javier Pelayo Poncho Alonso | UTV PRO Winner |
| 2017 | OA Champion UTV PRO | Steve Hengeveld | UTV PRO Winner |
| 2017 | Champion RALLY PRO, 2nd OA | Garret Poucher | Pro Winner |
| 2017 | Rally 1 Champion | Devon Mahon | Amateur Winner |
| 2017 | Rally 1-Rookie Champion | Poncho Alonso | Rookie of the Year |
| 2017 | ADV Expert Champion | Wes Vanieuwenhuise | ADV PRO Winner |
| 2016 | Rally Pro Champion | Steve Hengeveld | Pro Winner |
| 2016 | Rally 1 Champion | Tony Gurule | Amatuer Winner |
| 2016 | ADV Expert Champion | Lawrence Hacking | ADV PRO Winner |
| 2016 | UTV Champion | Bob Jones | UTV PRO Winner |
| 2015 | Rally Pro Champion | Steve Hengeveld | Pro Winner |
| 2015 | Rally 1 Champion | Trent Burgis | Amatuer Winner |
| 2015 | UTV Champion | Bob Jones | UTV PRO Winner |
| 2014 | Rally Pro Champion | Scott Bright | Pro Winner |
| 2014 | Rally1 Champion | Charles Jirsa | Amatuer Winner |
| 2013 | Rally Champion | Andy Grider | Overall Winner |
In popular culture
Baja Rally has been widely covered in mainstream media, television and social media. It has been regularly published and has occasional appearances in media houses such as Dirt Bike, The Weather Channel, Televisa Deportes, and Motorcycle.com.[16]
References
- ↑ "Baja Prepares for the Inaugural Baja Rally". Expedition Portal. 2013-09-05. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "Baja Rally Moto Medics: Life Savers in the Mexican Wilderness". Dirt Bikes. 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ [email protected], Dalton Hopkins. "Learn about a love of speed and its history". Hometown News Volusia. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "UPSHIFTCOLTON UDALL ENTERS BAJA RALLY 2018". UPSHIFT. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "San Diego Yacht Club's 2019 CUBAR Odyssey: Seven ports in Baja California, Mexico". www.powerboat-world.com. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "Gaceta Ecologica" (PDF). sinat.semarnat.gob.mx/.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Baja Rally 2017: Rally Racing Gets Bit by the ADV Bug". ADV Pulse. 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "The Every-Man's Race". Tracks. 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "Baja Rally 2.0 - Sep. 24-28, 2014". ADV Pulse. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "BAJA RALLY on the Weather Channel". BAJA RALLY 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "The BAJA RALLY de MOTOS". Adventure Rider. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ News, ADVMoto. "Graduates Rave about Baja Rally School". Adventure Motorcycle Magazine. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ "BAJA RALLY SCHOOL". BAJA RALLY SCHOOL. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "Ashish Raorane to compete at the Baja Aragon rally in Spain". Motoring World. 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "2018 BAJA RALLY DATES ANNOUNCED". us7.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ↑ "SCG Boot review: 650bhp road-legal desert racer tested". Top Gear. 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
External links
- Official website
- Baja Rally on Facebook
- Baja Rally on Twitter
- Baja Rally on Instagram
- Baja Rally on Youtube