1993 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

                     1993 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

MEXICALI, Mexico -- One of the largest event day crowds in sports

history may view the 25th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race

presented by Ford Nov. 11-14, local officials have indicated.

With a population between 800,000 and 1.1 million, this border

industrial center is also bracing for a tourist assault that had filled

all of the metropolitan area's 2,000 hotel and motel rooms with

reservations as early as mid-October.  That doesn't count thousands of

recreational vehicles normally deployed in the desert on race weekends.

SCORE International racing officials, civic and police planners estimate

that more than 500,000 persons will view the race beginning on Nov. 12.

Another 50,000 are expected to jam their way through the contingency

verification lines in the Mexicali civic center, said an official of

COTUCO, Mexicali's convention and tourist organization.  The race day

total could exceed the estimated 400,000 crowd for the Indianapolis 500.

It's the biggest event ever held in Mexico's second largest city,

claimed Raul Sanchez Diaz, advisor to COTUCO on the race.  He said it

will surpass the record crowds that viewed the last Baja 1000 to be held

here 19 years ago.

Meanwhile, spectator interest continued to grow with news that Indy car

star Robby Gordon of Orange, Calif., is returning to his off-road roots

as co-driver in a Valvoline Ford with Frank Vessels of San Luis Rey

Downs, Calif.

Gordon, the 1989 overall winner, predicted that this will be a fast race

but typically a rough one, with the narrow passageway through the Matomi

Wash potentially will make that section impassible for every vehicle

behind it.

Rod Hall and his son Chad of Reno, Nev., will each pilot AM General

Hummers, civilian versions of the army's HMMWVs that were so effective

in the Gulf War.  It will be the Hummers' debut in off-road racing.  Rod

Hall has driven in all previous 25 Baja 1000s.

Other entrants in the 250-plus starting field include defending 1992

overall winners Paul and Dave Simon, Fallbrook, Calif.; Ivan Stewart of

Alpine, Calif.; Roger Mears Jr. of Bakersfield, Calif., with his famed

champion father serving as co-driver; Troy, Ed and Tim Herbst of Las

Vegas, Nev.; Bob Gordon, Orange, Calif.; Darren and Doug York, Indio,

Calif., Larry Ragland of Phoenix, Ariz.; Larry G. Minor, son of auto

racing celebrity Larry Minor, San Jacinto, Calif., and Jim Smith, Garden

Grove, Calif.

Motorcycles will lead the way over the 762.4-mile course, starting at

30-second intervals from 6 a.m. on Nov. 12.  Heavily favored will be the

Kawasaki factory team led by Larry Roeseler of Bloomington, Calif., and

Danny Hamel of Boulder City, Nev.

From a press release - via DirtByte Montly