| July 3, 2013: Hoping to harness the momentum it enjoyed by hosting the largest rally since its 2010 rebirth, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) today confirmed details of a second vintage-themed event for this calendar year. Now officially christened the 2013 NORRA Mexican 500 Rally, the on and off-road competition days will take place over a three-day period from Saturday, September 28th through Monday, September 30th. |
| In keeping with NORRA’s new tradition of opening event registration on a major holiday, all drivers and teams can submit official entries online beginning at 12:00 PM (PST) on Thursday, July 4th. Affectionately dubbed “The Happiest Race on Earth,” NORRA’s General Tire Mexican 1000 opens registration on New Year’s Day for its trademark spring event. |
| Armed with a now-proven track record of creating, promoting and hosting the latest form of Baja off-road motorsports, NORRA management will join forces with Mexico’s well established CODE sanctioning body to help organize the new Mexican 500 event – also dubbed “La Carrera del Norte” (The Race of the North). CODE attracts a very large and enthusiastic group of local racers and has been an instrumental partner in the complex logistics needed to execute the annual General Tire NORRA Mexican 1000 rally. |
| On the afternoon and evening of Friday, September 27th both organizations will create unique Technical and Registration activities in the historic seaside city of Ensenada, Baja, Mexico. |
| The following day will feature NORRA’s unique vintage-flavored vehicles taking on some of Baja’s most famous roads alongside the more traditional bikes, trucks and buggies competing in the CODE “Mexicana Logistics 300.” Using a wholly unique format, racers from both events will traverse northern Baja on separate and shared routes. While the CODE race will be completed in Mexicali, on Sunday, September 29th NORRA competitors will enjoy a fun and challenging Day 2 run from Mexicali to the picturesque seaside village of San Felipe, a day culminating in a huge afternoon Fiesta for drivers and teams on the Sea of Cortez. |
| The Mexican 500’s finale will take place on Monday, September 30th with a dash west to the Pacific Ocean and an afternoon return to Ensenada followed by a first-class awards ceremony. |
| The Mexican 1000 rally format now proven by NORRA will also be used for the Mexican 500 and consists of special stages (unlimited speed timed stages in the dirt) linked together by controlled speed liaison / transit sections (highway). Unlike the often harsh and deeply rutted race courses that are now a desert off-road racing staple, NORRA focuses on utilizing fun, fast and more forgiving roads that favor older and current limited-travel machinery, as well as creating unique hospitality environments at the end of each day of competition. |
| Another hallmark to NORRA’s more budget-friendly format is a ban on pre-running for its events. Contestants will be provided chase routes, pit locations and mileage figures well in advance of the event, but will only receive GPS and official Route Books upon final check-in at NORRA registration. |
| Certainly the rally’s growing reputation as one of the world’s most enjoyable and accessible motorsports adventures has sparked an enthusiastic response by veteran and rookie racers looking to enjoy NORRA’s mission statement of being “The Happiest Race (now Races) on Earth.” So too has the notion of vintage off-road, rally and hot-rod style machinery finding a new, second life. The 2013 General Tire Mexican 1000 rally hosted a record 148 competitors, a 60 percent increase over 2012. |
|
| ABOUT NORRA |
| Dubbed the “Happiest Race on Earth,” the Mexican 1000 and the new Mexican 500 off-road rallies were created by promoter Mike Pearlman in 2010. Each day of the rally consists of special stages (unlimited speed timed stages in the dirt) linked together by controlled speed liaison / transit sections (highway). The one-of-a-kind, once-a-year, four-day rally includes vintage off-road vehicles and motorcycles, rally cars, modern desert racecars and classes for prerunner trucks and buggies. Pearlman’s late father Ed and others established the first running of the NORRA Mexican 1000 off-road rally in November of 1967, which eventually became internationally recognized and evolved into the Baja 1000 in the mid-1970s. The NORRA rallies are supported by General Tire, American Racing Wheel, South Point Casino, Walker Evans Racing, Azunia Tequila, KC HiLites and Mastercraft/Impact Racing. |
| ABOUT CODE |
| CODE was formed in 1999 by Joaquin Rodriguez (Administrative Director) and Alfonso Lacarra (Race Director) — both with years of off-road experience as event organizers, promoters, drivers, co-drivers and love of the sport. Based out of Mexicali, Baja, California Mexico CODE held its first race on February 2000 and has since been promoting a car, truck and bike desert and Gran Prix-style format Championship series in Baja California and Sonora Mexico in cities like Mexicali, San Felipe, Tecate, Ensenada and San Luis Rio Colorado. CODE focuses on affordable, safe, well-regulated fun and very accessible courses for its participants and is very exited on this new venue co-promoting a race of this magnitude with NORRA. Now in its 11th year, the annual CODE “Mexicana Logistics 300” is a race born in 2003 as part of the Mexicali’s Centennial celebration. |
