Kent Spencer
Province
Nov. 20 to 23, 2008 Approximate length: 1,016 km Time limit: 31hours A Vancouver-based group is entering the TECATE-SCORE BAJA 1,000, a 1,000-mile romp for cars through the desert along the Mexican Baja peninsula. Pictured are team members (top row from left) Glynn Fisher and Erich Reisen. Bottom row from left: Lance Shook, Pete Ryznar and Ross Burden.
A team of adventurers with the motto YOLO — you only live once — have entered an insane car race in Baja, Mexico.
The YOLO racing team is competing in the TECATE-SCORE BAJA 1,000 off-road race.
The dune-buggy-type event is 1,000 miles of flying through the air, bouncing from side to side, dipping and crashing over hill and dale.
If they survive the twists and turns through the Mexican desert beginning today, the leaders are expected to finish about 24 hours later.
“This year has been a little more dangerous than previous years,” team member Pete Ryznar e-mailed The Province from Ensenada.
“Two pre-runners were shot in the desert by a suspected drug cartel. One racer was killed instantly while another was airlifted to hospital with a bullet in his kidney. There is definitely a buzz in the air.”
The course is a round trip starting near Ensenada in the northern Baja peninsula.
Liberal use of horns is encouraged and competitors are advised that “vehicle flip-overs are all part of the ride.”
Team members all have daytime jobs in firefighting, advertising and a brokerage firm. Glynn Fisher lives in Panama, while others are from Vancouver.
Erich Reisen describes himself as “a career firefighter who works hard and plays hard.”
He built the Baja Bug from the ground up using the shell of a Volkswagen, a racing chassis and a 1,600-cc engine.
Ryznar said $50,000 was invested in the vehicle and another $10,000 for entry fees, pit services and fuel.
At home in Vancouver, their wives are fully cognizant of the dangers. “It’s a pretty brutal race,” said Stacey Reisen. “It’s dangerous and scary. Other people die doing this. It’s always on my mind. I can’t stop.”
Kirstin Ryznar said the men were allowed to go “with mixed emotions.”
“We hope they come back in one piece,” she said. “It gets pretty hairy. The racecourse is so big: who knows when medical aid would get to you?”
While there are worries, the women are also pleased the “boys” are getting some playtime. “Boys will be boys,” said Ryznar. “It’s something these guys have to do. This bunch may never stop.”
Reisen said her husband has dreamed about the race forever.
“He is a car fanatic,” she said.
“I envy him having a dream and going for it.”
Ross Burden’s sister, Christina Pughe, who donated $1,000, said the team is “pretty cool.”
To find out more about the team and see how they fare, check out their website at www.yoloracing.com.
© The Vancouver Province 2008