Want to Race in the Desert? Wide Open Baja is extending an invitation to all MPG members to try Wide Open Baja free of charge. The tours range from one to four days and embark out of San Diego (participants are then shuttled to Ensenada).
Picture this: You’re behind the wheel of a $100,000+ purpose-built off-road racecar driving at 70 mph over some of the most challenging yet exciting terrain in North America. Suddenly, a small ridge is approaching fast and you feel a rush of adrenaline as you hit the throttle and lift off, soaring through the air like a professional Baja racer. As you revel in the incredible gravity-defying moment, you peer over the front of the open-wheeled buggy to see the ground rapidly approaching. You’re committed now; there’s no time to ponder the landing. For those of us in the racing world, this view of Baja is a common experience, though it never gets old.
Wide Open has been leading tours of Baja from the seats of their Baja Challenge cars since 1997. And Wide Open Baja tours aren’t a run of the mill convoy type tour, nor are they for the faint of heart. After a brief orientation course, tour guests get behind the wheel of their own Baja Challenge car and tour the Baja Peninsula at speeds at which they are comfortable. Want to drive Baja at 70+ mph? Do it. Not comfortable at that kind of speed? That’s fine, too. At Wide Open every tour is led by an experienced guide who knows the terrain, knows the vehicles and knows when to stop and let tour members catch up. Whether you have a few hours or a few days, Wide Open Baja has a tour to fit your needs with two destination options.
The Tours
The first destination option is just over the border in Ensenada. This is Baja as it was meant to be seen. Not on a tour bus, but from the open-air cockpit of an off-road race car. The Half Day Baja Challenge is the most time friendly. At five hours long, you have just enough time to get picked up in downtown Ensenada, transported to the Wide Open Baja Challenge track, drive the course, stop midway for a snack and driving critique, and then finish the final leg of the course where you get a celebratory cerveza.
The one-day Ensenada tour features a trek along the famed Baja 1000 course through northern Baja and the 3- and 4-day adventures have you meeting the Wide Open Baja crew in San Diego and then driving south along the gorgeous Pacific Ocean to Estero Beach. From the beach resort, depending on the excursion length, you drive into the wilds of Baja getting your fill of food, speed and beautiful natural scenery.
Wide Open Baja’s second tour destination is at the southern end of Baja in Cabo San Lucas. The Taste of Cabo and Half Day excursions take place at Wide Open’s Margarita Ranch Track on the Pacific Coast where you can take in gorgeous vistas and see the occasional whale breaching the ocean. For Wide Open Baja’s one-, three- and four-day excursions, you leave the closed track and head out into the unspoiled beauty of Baja. And, just because tours get a little dirty, doesn’t mean they are uncivilized. Wide Open Baja includes first-class accommodations (where possible) and the finest meals available. Even miles from nowhere, Wide Open makes sure their legendary hospitality is extended in even the most remote situations.
The Race
So you’ve taken a tour and maybe even taken a couple of different tours with Wide Open Baja. You can always take the next step and participate in the Arrive and Drive Racing program. Since 1997, Wide Open Baja has provided the opportunity to race in the Baja 1000. Yep. You read that right. Participate in the Baja 1000. Don’t have the time or money to build a racing program and get into the sport? Wide Open Baja has got you covered. They handle all the logistics and planning of the program, you just show up and race. It’s that simple, but oh, so exhilarating to test your skill in one of the most storied races in the sport.
The Cars
And speaking of races, the main component and draw of a Wide Open Baja tour is the Baja Challenge vehicles. Full disclosure: You need to be familiar with and able to drive a manual transmission.
The Desert Challenge racer is purpose-built to give a driver the adrenaline fix he or she needs while providing a level of comfort that anyone can drive and appreciate. The Chromoly Chassis is custom built and features a Subaru 4-cyinder 175 hp engine, a 4-speed manual transmission, 18” Suspension Shocks and Eibach Springs, suspended racing seats, 5-point safety harnesses, fresh air supplied directly to the helmets—you’ll appreciate that when driving through a dust cloud, which there will be plenty if you’re doing it right—GPS, and BF Goodrich tires. Top speed? 88+ mph.
When a tame guided tour isn’t enough, come let Wide Open Baja give you a luxurious and adrenaline-pumping experience to remember. Whether you are new to racing and have always wanted to try it, or are a racing veteran and just want the fun without the work on the front end, Wide Open Baja is the place for you. Let Wide Open Baja do the planning and the work and put you up at some of the finest accommodations and provide you with the best of meals while you just do the driving and sightseeing.
Visit Wide Open Baja’s website at http://www.wideopenbaja.com/ for packages, pricing, and booking information, or call 949-635-2292. For Media consideration, please contact Jarrod Holland, CEO of the Publicity Factory at 910.431.3322 or jarrod@publicityfactory.net.
