Baja 500: Round three facts and notes

WHAT: 39th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 Desert Race--Round 3, of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series

WHEN: Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 31-June 3, 2007

WHERE: Ensenada-Baja California, Mexico (65 miles south of U.S./Mexico Border at San Diego)

WHO: Over 475 entries from 31 States; Mexico, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Africa & New Zealand

COURSE:

TOTAL MILEAGE: 420.11 miles (4 checkpoints).
Starts in downtown Ensenada adjacent to the Riviera Cultural Center and finishes at Campo de Softball Jose Negro Soto stadium, 11th & Espinoza, in the heart of Ensenada. Starting and finishing in Ensenada, this year's tight and technical course will run in a clockwise direction, running East into the middle of the peninsula, then South, followed by a West travel section, turning north, then East, North and back West for the final charge back into Ensenada. The course travels in a clockwise direction for the second straight year and second time since 2003, with just the first 16.13 miles from the start being used both ways. From Ojos Negros, the outgoing course heads due South. The first 112.25 miles of the course is the same route as used in March's Tecate SCORE Baja 250 to Valle de Trinidad. The course goes southeast from Ojos to El Alamo (rm65.48) and back northeast to Highway 3 at K78+ (rm78.06). After running 1.19 miles on the highway, the course turns east then immediately south paralleling Highway 3 through Santa Catarina (rm86.32) and along the infamous Goat Trail before merging into Highway 3 south just after K117 (rm110.7) to run on pavement to K138 (rm122.91). The course then heads South, Southwest and up and around Mike's Sky Rancho, rm142.66, and back down around behind Rancho Meling and back up through Rancho El Coyote, rm208.32. The course then winds north towards Valley de Trinidad and down Simpson's hill, turning West at rm252.62. Shooting across to Highway 1 at K102, rm281.49, the course goes north on pavement to K96, rm285.53. At this point, the course winds West and then North for a sprint along the Pacific Ocean, turning back inland and NorthEast at rm326.94. At rm340.85, Highway 1, K51+, the course turns North at Santo Tomas, to Uruapan at K42, rm348.55 where it turns East and north through the Cerro San Antonio mountains dropping back down west of Ojos Negros eventually joining the outgoing course at K25 (rm398.29).

Checkpoints: CK1-Santa Catarina, rm86.32; CK2-Buena Vista, rm197.13; CK3-San Vicente, rm286.36; CK4-Rancho San Antonio, rm385.36.

PRE AND POST RACE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

FRIDAY, June 1, 2007--(all times PDT)
Contingency/Tech Inspection, adjacent to San Nicolas Hotel, 10a.m.-6p.m.

SUNDAY, June 3, 2007--(all times PDT)
Posting of Unofficial Results-San Nicolas Hotel, 8a.m.
Competition Review Board-San Nicolas Hotel, 9a.m.
Awards Celebration-San Nicolas Hotel, 11a.m.

RACE DAYS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
(Subject to Change)

SATURDAY/SUNDAY, June 2-3, 2007 (all times PDT)

START: In front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in downtown Ensenada.

FINISH: Campo de Softball Jose Negro Soto stadium, 11th (Calle Once) & Espinoza-Ensenada.

Late Registration AND Late Tech, start line, 5a.m.
Motorcycles & ATVs-6a.m.; Cars & Trucks-10 a.m. (Approx)

CLASS STARTING ORDER: (One vehicle every 30 seconds)
Motorcycles/ATVs--22, 30, 40, 21, 20, 50, 60, SPT M/C>250cc, SPT M/C<250cc, 25, 24, SPT ATV. Cars/Trucks: TT,1,SIT,10,8,PT,SL,1 2/1600, 5, 7, 5/1600, 7S, 7SX, SF, SM, 9, 3, JS1, JS 3, SPTTRUCK, SPTCAR, 11, SPT UTV

TIME LIMIT:
All vehicles have an 18-hour time limit to cover the course.

SANCTION: Sanctioned and produced by SCORE International

BLACK BOXES: SCORE requires that special 'black boxes' will be mandatory on all entries. The Loggers, provided and monitored by RallyTrack.com, record the GPS data of all vehicles along with vehicle speed, especially in speed-limit areas.

-credit: score