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Scout News

Back to Baja: The NORRA Mexican 1000® Race Log

Back to Baja: The NORRA Mexican 1000® Race Log
by
Scout News
TEXT BY: DREW PERLMUTTER
PHOTOS: CHRIS HUNT

We’re live from the NORRA Mexican 1000.
 

Scout Motors and Anything Scout’s Vintage Scout Race Program have returned to the Mexican 1000® — a race fueled by grit, legacy, and this year, redemption after last year’s devastating crash. Scout has a history steeped in racing and Baja. It’s been a proving ground for our vehicles and our factory racers since the 1960s. This year, with Sean’s rebuilt 1976 Scout Terra™ at the helm, it’s not just a return to Baja, it’s a statement for both him and for Scout Motors: Scouts Always Come Back.

 

We’re live on the ground in Baja, capturing the action as it happens. Follow the journey as we share updates throughout the week on Scout Stories and our social channels, capturing dusty miles and even dustier smiles at the “Happiest Race on Earth.”

JUMP TO DAY

 

4/24-4/25 REGISTRATION

 

4/26 ENSENADA TO SAN FELIPE

April 24-25, 2025

ENSENADA:
REGISTRATION & TECH INSPECTION
Miles: 0

B

ack to Baja" is the motto for this trip. The mission statement for Scout Motors and the Vintage Scout Race Program. It’s about reconnecting with our legacy. Scout vehicles were here half a century ago, helping define an era of off-road racing and innovation. And now they’re here again.

We crossed the border into Baja early this morning, with our sights set on Ensenada by early afternoon. The trucks run on gas, but our team was running on coffee and eggs.

 

Ensenada comes alive during race time. Trophy trucks, vintage Volkswagen Beetles, motorcycles, dune buggies, and side-by-sides fill the streets. Fans line the sidewalks, waving and snapping photos of everything that rolls by.

First step: tech inspection. A vital part of racing. We check everything safety-related—seatbelts, safety harness, roll cage, fire extinguisher. Check, check, check. The lights work, the brakes function, the GPS gets installed. The finishing touch: a time card sticker on our door so officials can track our pace. We pass tech and breathe a sigh of relief. One step closer.

 

Our Race Terra is fitted with a 196ci motor, punched out .030 over, and an 11:1 compression ratio running on race gas. This engine is literally half of a V8. International Harvester took their 392 V8s and halved them into what’s referred to as a “slant-4.” The Race Terra even features the same pistons from Sherman Balch’s Baja-winning Scout truck from the early 1980s. A little heritage, a little history, and a little good luck to keep us grounded.

 

The truck glows in the midday sun—the Terracotta color fits perfectly into the landscape of Baja. You can hear the Scout from blocks away as the motor echoes through town.

Even with a passing tech inspection, there’s still a punch list of things to do. Larry and Dan grab a permanent marker and a piece of cardboard. Sean Barber is our leader, our captain. When he speaks, we listen. He starts calling out:

 

“Need a new taillight bulb. Top off the clutch fluid. And let’s do something about that squeaky belt.”

 

Dan and Larry get to work. Parts and tools are emptied from the chase and support trucks. With ease, the issues are remedied…mostly.

 

A shorter belt needs to be sourced from a local auto parts store. But to make room for it, Larry takes a Dremel to the fan shroud to create some clearance. In true race spirit, on the night before the start, last-minute adjustments and fixes are made.

 

It’s a sight to see—and hear—power tools and grinding coming from under the hood of the Race Terra on the eve of the Mexican 1000.

 

We soon learn that there are no ½” shorter belts available anywhere in Mexico—only 1” shorter. We source one anyway, just to have it, but stick with the slightly long belt and deal with the noise.

 

Evening settles in. Daylight fades. There’s not much left to prep. Sean and Owen Barber climb into the Race Terra to rehearse their race-day checklist.

 

Sean and Owen are father and son. Driver and co-driver. Friends. They’ve got it down. Owen runs through the list. Sean replies “check” to every item.

 

“Do the brakes feel better?” Owen asks.

 

“Let’s keep a wrench on the dash to release brake pressure if needed,” Sean replies.

 

Check.

 

Tomorrow we race.

 

April 26, 2025

STAGE 1:
Ensenada to San Felipe
Miles: 198.1

A

t 10:34 a.m., the green flag dropped, and we were off. It’s real now, and there is no turning back. A year's worth of resilience and rebuilding, all leading to this moment. “Good luck, amigos.”

The “rally-style” format of the NORRA Mexican 1000 involves point-to-point racing. Over the next six days and 1,400 miles, Sean Barber and his son Owen — along with their 1976 Scout Terra — will traverse the entire Baja Peninsula.

 

The race begins in Ensenada with a “transit stage,” miles spent on pavement that do not impact their cumulative race time. The first 16 miles take you through town, amongst civilian traffic. It’s a spectacle: race machines contrasted against the local landscape, passing loncherias and farms.

Soon we hit our first “special stage” — off-road race sections that add to their cumulative time. This is where the real fun begins, where the pedal meets the floor and the modest 196ci screams to life.

 

The Race Terra paints a terracotta line through the desert, glowing from the late-day sun. In a matter of moments, it’s gone, and all that’s visible is a trail of dust disappearing into the desert.

 

Today’s course varies from high-elevation mountain passes to rugged trails and tight switchbacks. The Race Terra neared 5,000 feet at its highest point today. From there: hard-packed dirt, loose dirt, rocks, and the infamous whoops. Baja’s landscape is quick to test those who dare to face it. The racecourse is scattered with broken-down cars and missing parts. Everything is an obstacle; maximum focus required.

 

It’s hard not to feel nostalgic. The 1976 Scout Terra breathes its legacy into the trail it leaves behind. A few times throughout the day, the Scout reappears on pavement for more “transit stages” through the small towns scattered along the peninsula. Each is a makeshift checkpoint in the middle of nowhere. Spectators gather at the intersection of pavement and dirt to see the sight.

The sound of the breeze is soon interrupted by the roar of the Race Terra. It appears suddenly from behind the desert brush and cactus. Officials mark the time card, and Sean and Owen meet up with the chase crew.

 

“It looks like you’re losing oil,” shouts Dan over the motor. Sean cuts it off.

 

“Four-wheel drive is making a noise,” he responds.

 

The chase crew surrounds the truck from every angle, visually inspecting every inch. Leaks are searched for, bolts are checked for tightness. Sean and Owen hop out for snacks, a leg stretch, and a report about the day so far.

 

“Other than that, she’s doing good. Engine is running good, we’re feeling good.” Sean drives; Owen navigates. They have it down to a science. Owen starts shouting out numbers.

 

“Okay, we got here seven minutes ago, we’ve got 12 miles ahead of us, and 20 minutes left for this transit.”

 

All that means is we have a few more minutes to snack and drink before continuing on. When in a transit stage, you can be penalized for being too early or too late to the next checkpoint.

The crew continues looking over the truck. Larry checks the oil. Dan is underneath, rotating the driveshaft to see if anything obvious is wrong with the four-wheel drive.

 

“We’ll only use it when we need it,” Sean calmly states.

 

Dan can’t find any obvious issues, and right now the terrain doesn’t demand all four wheels. Owen grabs some spare gas from the chase truck and tops off the Race Terra.

 

It’s a brand-new engine this year; fuel economy and range are still unknown, but after today, we’ll have a better idea. Sean recreates the noise he hears one last time for Dan.

 

“Brrr, brrr, brrr. When the shocks cycle up, I’m hearing it.”

 

Dan says he’ll check the u-joints — maybe the spider gears in the differential — tonight at camp, along with a list of other things.

 

The sun lowers in the sky, now at our backs as we head from San Matias toward San Felipe to finish our day. The second half of the day builds in excitement. We hit a rhythm in the flow of the waves of sand, getting lost in the mirages on the horizon. The Race Terra is at home in Baja. The humble four-cylinder motor and archaic suspension were made for trucking through the unforgiving.

 

With the drop of a checkered flag, the boys pull into San Felipe. The sunset reflects off their smiles, ear to ear. A great first day in the desert.

 

But now, off to camp for nightly maintenance.

Follow along as the adventure unfolds at the Mexican 1000. 

Scout Motors on Instagram /NORRA Mexican 1000 rally | Follow the Vintage Scout Racing Program on Instagram.

 

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