Baja 1000.... would you do it? Stock Tacoma discussion

http://www.trdusa.com/baja1000.html

This is where I begun my twisted idea to get my truck out onto the Baja. After a cage, safety stuff, radios, nav, etc., I wonder if the Tacoma would finish the race. It appears that many "stock mini" class trucks don't finish, but do they have the caliber of the Tacoma?

Im still poking around the net and finding little on this class let alone finishers.

I know that the Tundra had a ton of support that got it to finish let alone win, but I didn't read that it broke down or anything - proving its a recipe for success.

-Jay

 

Hmmmmm... let me see:

Let's enter a race that goes from Nowhere Ave. to Nothing St. with only rattle snakes and scorpions as a safety crew over terrain that'll crush vertebrae, bruise kidneys, maybe kill you, and have you wearing your balls as earrings when your done, not to mention a mechanically totalled truck.

Sounds like stupid fun.... I'd rather set my hair on fire and put it out with a hatchet.

 

You should see the article I posted earlier in the thread... http://www.trucktrend.com/events/163-1201-baja-series-toyota-tacoma-at-baja-1000/

tl;dr version?

Spoiler

They don't finish. But! It's no fault of the Tacoma, they break a shock-shaft driving like doofuses, and, their differential gets shredded 'cause the shop that installed their aftermarket gears doesn't torque something down correctly.

 

Yep, saw that article.

 

do you have seat time? i know a guy who built a truck and went head first into the Baja 1000 with no racing experience... based on what he saw on TV he figured it could be done with a built truck... he had never raced before in any of the local desert races... he learned the hard way that a built truck with all the safety bells and whistles isn't all you need... takes first hand knowledge and experience...

my suggestion is to build the truck and get it approved for Baja, but then run it in the local Mojave Desert race scene for a year first...

 

Where do you live? Maybe you can swing by our shop to see what goes into racing. It's not just the race vehicle ......support team, chase vehicles, money, spare parts for EVERYTHING, money, equipment, trailers, money.....and money

 

Don't forget money.


And beer.

 

yep and after all that, more money....

 

Yeah, things arent cheap- I'm finding out, but I'm sure I could get a buncha voulenteers and donations- Id back as much as I could as well. Im just trying to figure out if I did make this investment: money, time, people, etc- would the truck even have a chance.....?

 

Short and simple answer? Maybe.

 

Anything has a chance. Like Harley said, it's a maybe.

Like I said earlier, build it and race it in Barstow before trying the big stuff. Friends will say now that they will help out but you find your true friends when it comes down to crunch time and they have to pay their own gas, hotel, and time to make a big trek to Mexico. Baja takes a village of support to finish.

 

As a former Baja 1000 co-driver (1979), pit team captain (Los Campeones 1978-1983), pit support (Baja Pits, 2006), I am happy to provide advice or suggestions.
Join SCORE and get a rule book.
Go to Baja and watch some of the races. The Baja 500 is in a couple of weeks, in fact.
Be a mechanic or contract with one. (SpeedFreek in Vista, CA is one)
Have the truck professionally prepared, such as at Stewart's RaceWorks (Ivan Stewart's son's shop in Santee, CA)
Pre-run the race course!
Have lots of money to throw at this project... more money = a chance at finishing.

 

At first this race seems like a challenge- but everyone brings up thats more of a race financially... and our little Tacoma "might" make it.

 

Is the Baja 1000 course open beyond the race? As in, could Joe Blow in his overland rig go out and cruise the course solo months after the race is over?

 

Its next weekend! Our team is leaving tomorrow and the last of us are headed up next Wednesday

 

Well having had a Tacoma and having raced in the Baja 1000 I can tell you that racing a totally stock Tacoma in the race isn't even possible, first of all. By the time you take care of safety requirements alone, you're really not a "stock" truck anymore. But if you take that out of the equation, the stock suspension (even on the TRD Pro) isn't going to last for 1000 miles of that beating. If you haven't been in the race before, you have NO IDEA how brutal it is. I've been on a chase team for several Baja1000's and last year was my first time as a co-driver. The courses are WAY more tough than people realize. You could definitely drive the course in a stock Tacoma no problem, but race speeds are a totally different thing. Doing it in a stock Tacoma and going at speeds that didn't destroy the truck would not allow you to finish in the allotted time, let alone be competitive.

 

Yes. The course changes every year but you could drive 99% of it as a "tourist"

 

If you're serious about it check out Long Beach Racers. They've been racing "stock" class trucks in the 1000 for a while and doing well at it. Stock class is essentially race shocks (triple bypass Kings etc) plus the necessary safety equipment. Still have to use factory control arms, factory steering etc. The team I've been racing with races in the "Stock Full" class which is essentially the same thing but for fullsize trucks and SUVs. We race a 200 Series Land Cruiser. Prepping a vehicle, even a stock class one is incredibly expensive and you'll break stuff along the way. But if you're up for it, there is nothing like racing in Baja. It's awesome!

 

Stock Class 7 (stock mini) Tacoma built by Long Beach racers getting it done in the Baja 1000.