Conquered Baja…NORRA 2026 in the books…didn’t go as planned with mechanical issues that set us back; but finished. Couldn’t have done it without my crew.
El Gusano day 6 update.
We made it to day 6! Car needed very little prep so we got a good nights sleep and just a quick clean up in the morning. The start got pushed an hour, which put us at an 11:45 start time. Then another delay on course so our actual stage start on the dirt was 1:31 pm, with 165 miles ahead.
Shortly after the stage start we noticed a weird feel to the back suspension. It didn’t really slow us down, but was concerning. We had a good run into Todos Santos and at our fuel stop decided to swap out both rear shocks.
Started the final stage and the car felt much better.
Nice fast graded roads transitioned to a twisty mountain pass we’ve done several times before. A short, low buggy does really well in the tight stuff. Dropped out the mountains into a couple of washes and through a new section east of the highway. The course then came back around to the usual big wash and into the finish. We crossed the finish line just after sunset and were met by family and friends. What a great feeling to bring it home!
We celebrated at the finish with several of the other teams and some new friends we made over the last 6 days.
🏁 Baja dust. Long nights. Early mornings. Endless miles.
Grateful for the memories, and everyone we met along the way. Until the next one… 🌵🔥
#NORRA #Baja #Baja1000 #NORRABaja #OffRoad Ford ChaseTruck RacingLife Mexico1 DesertRacing Adventure BajaBound RaceWeek OffRoadRacing Loreto Ensenada Highway1 BuiltNotBought
El Gusano Day 5 update
Overall we had a good day. Stage 1 went well. Rocky wash leaving town, then a nice pavement run to San Javier. Down the wash again to the stage finish. Stage 2 went fast with some nice smooth sections.
Stage 3 took us out to the Pacific coast for some nice views but with some pretty rough sections. Lots of embedded rocks and whoops.
One of our rear wheels decided to go exploring on its own. I guess the rocks shook the lug nuts loose (carry spares), but with the help of some locals we were able to retrieve our wandering wheel and get everything back together. Managed to finish the section before dark and transit to LaPaz.
Thanks to our crew Jim and Rick for crew for keeping us going, and to the mystery crew that came out of nowhere to help us with the wheel.
With and little prep we should be ready for the final run into Cabo.
#ElGusano #Meyersmanx #NORRA1000
El Gusano Day 3 update.
It was a good day for us. No issues with the car. Super fast 2nd stage. Arrived in San Ignacio later than usual, but it was just how the stage mileage worked. There were lots of other racers with us and we had plenty of time left.
Minimal prep on the car and we got a good nights sleep. Camped in San Ignacio next to the lagoon. Nice and no bugs.
We’re sitting in the starting line posting and streaming videos. Nice to have Starlink (thanks Elon).
Looking forward to another smooth day.
#ElGusano #Meyersmanx #NORRA1000
Ready for Day 3: Bahía de Los Ángeles ➡️ San Ignacio
Day 1 & 2 included many challenges for El Gusano. Like many vintage and stock teams, we had a hard landing in the wash just after the starting line. The rear skid plate slammed into the engine and deformed the case and oil pump area. It locked up the oil pump gears and stopped oil pressure. Many thanks to @juanavila232 & @jkclassicbuggies for the help sourcing parts in Ensenada and getting us on the course again.
Yesterday, during stage 2 we broke a lower shock mount off the axle. Changed out the transmission and are ready for another day of racing.
#ElGusano #Meyersmanx #norra1000
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