Sometime in June of 2005 planning began for a diverse, both logistically and socially, group of guys to race the Tecate SCORE International Baja 1000 that was held in November every year.  I was not working or racing in Baja that year since the team I had been working with for the last few years was not racing any longer.  I was racing some local Arizona desert races, but I really wanted to get back to Baja. 

My friend Eric Brown, whom I had raced with in Baja several times called me one day and said he had found us a guy to race with for the 1000.  His name was Charlie Wilson from Houston Texas.  Eric met Charlie several years earlier at the Skip Barber Racing series.  Fast forward a few years, and Charlie decided he wanted to race Baja.  He remembered Eric was into dirt bikes and still had his business card.  He called Eric and asked if he knew anyone that could help him race in Baja.  Eric said “Yeah, I’ve been racing down there for a while and finished 2^nd in the Open Pro championship and won the Class 30 championship.  And I won my class in the Baja 1000.”  An immediate partnership was formed.  Eric also told Charlie about me and said that I needed to be included on the team without question. 

Charlie reached out to me soon after and asked if I would help the team.  He didn’t think he would need me to ride the race bike since he already had 5 guys.  However, he needed my Spanish skills and my Baja knowledge and logistics experience.  I agreed to help, but I ultimately wanted a turn on the race bike during the race.  Eric and I began assisting Charlie with bike prep and planning through email and a few phone calls. 

The team consisted of Charlie Wilson of Houston Texas, Mike Herrick of Dallas Texas, Brad Christ of Maryland, and Brent Christ of Maryland.  Eric Brown of Scottsdale Arizona, and me, JD Durfey of Phoenix Arizona.  Charlie was the team owner and owned a company called Comex International.  Mike was the VP of marketing for Hooters our main sponsor.  Brad and Brent were brothers that Charlie had grown up with and like Charlie they had always dreamed of racing Baja.  Mike was fairly new to riding on dirt, but since he was the “money man” he was included.  I don’t think any of them had ever ridden in the desert and none of them had ridden in Baja.  Eric and I were to be their “guides” and the “expert consultants” for the one-time venture. 

We all started communicating by a group email.  I started listing out the things that need to be brought and what to expect.  I did my best to inform them of every detail they would need to know before arriving in Mexico in November.  I also insisted they watch the movie Dust to Glory, which documents the 2003 Baja 1000 which Eric and I participated in.  We are both proud to say we can be seen in the movie also, but we have no speaking parts. 

In August we were in the thick of planning when Charlie decided that I should be included in the roster of riders on the bike.  I was excited to have a larger role on the team.  I began training more and preparing myself like the rest of the team.  Unfortunately, during a trip to Copper Canyon in mainland Mexico with Eric in August I blew up the engine in my Yamaha that I planned to use for pre-running the Baja 1000.  It was not economically wise to repair my engine.  So, I talked with one of my personal sponsors named Terry Glass about my predicament.  He agreed to sell me his Kawasaki KX 500 that I had raced a couple of times.  My new ride was no stranger to Baja.  It was a 93 model that had raced 3 Baja 1000s and a couple of Baja 500s in the 90s.  I began prepping the bike and riding it in the desert on a regular basis.  The KX 500 is a powerhouse of a bike and a blast to ride, but it eats a lot of gas.  In the 90s the Kawasaki KX 500 was the King of Baja.  Larry Roeseler won 10 Baja 1000s on a motorcycle and many of them on a KX 500. 

SCORE International, the sanctioning body released the racecourse map to the public about 6 weeks before the race.  The course was a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada.  Loop races were typically shorter than point to point races that ended in La Paz.  This year the mileage was only 709 miles.  The first 50 miles and the last 50 miles were the same course, with the last 50 being the reverse of the first 50.  I spent many hours going over the map meticulously.  I had ridden some of the course in previous years, and the parts I had not ridden I had a good knowledge of the terrain and what to expect.  Charlie left the logistics up to Eric and me, but Eric deferred to me.  He knew I would put a smart plan together.  I had one major issue while deciding where each guy should ride, I didn’t know how well these guys rode dirt bikes.  I also knew they did not know Baja.  I knew where Eric wanted to ride, but I also knew he would be fast and flawless on every part of the course.

My initial plan was to have Charlie ride the start, which he told me he was going to do.  Then Mike was going to ride the Summit section, about 100 miles.  Brent Christ would ride the San Felipe whoops which would only be about 65 miles.  Brad would ride the rest of the San Felipe loop, about 120 miles.  I would get on the bike and ride all the miles around Mike’s Sky Ranch in the dark, about 180 miles.  Eric would ride the final 130 miles which he knew very well and excelled at. 

After many more emails about bike preparation, hotel logistics, and answering all questions, we agreed to meet in Ensenada Mexico at the Bahia Hotel on the 9^th of November.