J2 races Baja: Preparation and pre-running

Jason (right), John, and Grunt

As kids riding dirt bikes together they dreamed about riding in the Baja 1000. Decades later, separated and then reunited, Jason Hill and John Lowe set out to live their dream. Jason provides the narrative. For an introduction to the team, see Reunited riding buddies will fulfill Baja racing dream. Go here for yesterday's beginning of the story.

Day 3 (Tuesday, November 17) - Rod and I (Jason) pre-ran from Checkpoint 5 at RM530 San Vicente to RM590 Santo Tomas. I signed my first autograph for a kid named Juan. It wouldn't be the last time.

In my first taste of Mexican desert riding let's just say I got my money's worth. The rented Yamaha 250 2-stroke would prove to be more of a rival than an ally on this ride. It was wound way too tight. There was no happy medium on the throttle to temper the ride over rough, technical hill climbs. I spent a little time in the dirt on my face, but it was worth it. Racing through a valley that lead us up to an open plain overlooking the Pacific Ocean . . . man, what a sight! We eventually settled into a rhythm on the fairly wide, graded roads. Only encountered two or three technical areas that gave me a little trouble.

There were quite a few other riders out there who were all friendly enough to stop and ask if things were all right after I had a couple minor mishaps. Got my first taste of the ground rumbling beneath me as the trophy trucks and buggies began approaching from behind. I didn't even have to look over my shoulder; I just knew they were there.

Jason signs an autograph for Juan

After the run, we had a slight communication malfunction with the chase team (John, Ash, and Liz) once Rod and I finally arrived at Santo Tomas. we all got our signals crossed about where we were supposed to meet, which highlighted a very important factor in our logistics. We had to get our communication straightened out properly and make sure we were clear with each other on race day as to where the truck was going to be, and when. Not to mention using our communication tools (i.e., satellite phones, cell phones) more effectively. Things were a little tense for about an hour or so. We were all tired and hungry so we headed back to town, mostly silent and figured the best thing would be to grab dinner.

Since Rod's from England we were flying miniature Union Jack clip-on flags on the rear passenger windows of the truck. I absentmindedly opened one trying to get some fresh air on the ride back to town and subsequently lost the flag along the roadside. We pulled over and John and I went searching for it. Thankfully, after a rigorous roadside search in the dark with a wind-up, battery-free flashlight, I finally found it. Rod, and the Queen of England, were quite relieved. "The Queen will sleep much better tonight," Rod said.

Day 4 -- Damage to Grunt

Day 4 (Wednesday, November 18) - John and Rod pre-ran the first section from near the starting line (through the wash and over the Red Bull jump) out to about race mile 35 (RM35) then hit the paved road and headed down the mountain toward Ojos Negros.

John notes that "Pre-run was awesome. All the fun of Baja without the race pressure. It was, however, the most difficult terrain I have ever encountered, and as the week progressed, I got more and more doubtful of my abilities, although I had some race experience. Sand whoops like something out of a video game, rocks that came out of nowhere, uphill and downhill challenges, coupled with just the right amount of sections where you could pin it, made for an eclectic outlook of what’s to come."

I waited for them at the crossroads where the access road to RM40 intersected the roads leading to San Felipe in the south, Ojos Negros in the east, and Ensenada in the west. Got the call to pick them up at the gas station nearby and discovered Grunt had a broken gear shift lever. John snapped it off running up a fairly gnarly rock hill just before reaching the pavement around RM35.

He somehow managed to ride the bike the rest of the way with nothing but a twig of metal left attached to the spindle to change gears. Nice job.

The damage could be repaired easily enough. But John was a little ticked about it, and I think he began wondering whether or not we'd bitten off more than we could chew. The day was winding down and we decided to skip early registration and just head back to the hacienda.

When we got back to the beach house compound at El Faro we discovered there was an old XR650R almost identical to Grunt stashed away in the former "Whazz-Up Restaurant" that was now being used as a garage. Oscar, the owner of the bike and the beachfront property said we could take the shifter off that bike and use it on Grunt . . . problem solved.

I also noticed there was a 2004 Husky TE 450 in there as well and wondered if we might be able to use that for pre-running. The 250 I rode the day before just wasn't gonna cut it as a pre-runner. I returned it to the owner after only one day's worth of riding. Most of the factory teams have been moving to the 450s anyway, which seems like the ideal bike for Baja. The 650s used to be king, but John and I both found it to be a little too heavy in the deep silty sand. Great power though everywhere else. Oscar said he had some minor repairs to make on the Husky but that the bike would be ready for me the next day. I went to bed eager to ride on Thursday.

Next: Tech inspection, registration, and encountering a legend

Comments

Mary Baker 2 years ago

I've enjoyed following Jason and John's story. Thanks for the continuing saga.
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Patty Davis 2 years ago

You just never know when and where you will find the parts necessary to continue.
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Big John 2 years ago

Ken, you should write a story about your first dirt biking experience up on the Rampart Range. It's been more then twenty years but I'll bet you still remember some of the adventure!
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