We are at it again. Dad and I are in another car race, this time the grand La Carrera Panamericana. The BIG one. This is the event that Dad has raced the last 2 years but it will be my first time navigating this historic race.
Mom gets to come along this time (yay!). We are leaving tomorrow morning, flying into Mexico City for a two night stay and then on to Huatulco on Monday. The race doesn't start until Friday so we'll have a little time to enjoy the town and the beach until tech and the real craziness starts. The race starts Friday and then we're off to Oaxaca.
The car is en route. Tom and his 7's Only Racing Crew left Buttonwillow, CA last Sunday. We got news that they crossed the border yesterday and are on their way south (Thank God that this crossing was much smoother than the last crossing in March for the Chihuahua Express. If you missed that adventure, read posts from April to relive the frustration). Tom has 2 transport rigs going down and we will meet him in Huatulco for an ice cold cerveza.
The La Carrera Panamericana was started in 1950 to celebrate the opening of the Pan American Highway, stretching from Guatemala to Canada. The race was stopped in 1954 because of the hazardous nature of the event, causing fatalities to both drivers and bystanders.
In the glorious 80s the race ran again! With stringent safety requirements and regulations, the La Carrera Panamericana Spirit lived again. This year celebrates the 22nd anniversary of the modern Carrera. We will be driving on the nice, paved public highways (don't be confused, this is NOT like the Baja 1000, our goal is to not end up in any dirt).
This year we start in the beach town of Huatulco. After 7 days of hard driving and 8 cities later, we will arrive at the finish in Nuevo Laredo at the Texas border on October 29th.
The last 2 years Dad and his other co-piloto, Shields, won their class (Original PanAm). So I feel like I have a lot to live up to! However, if we make it across the finish line everyday, I will consider ourselves winners. Don't get me wrong - I'm still VERY competitive!
Here is the race route covering about 3000 kms:
I will update as often as possible so stay tuned!Other sites to follow:
The official La Carrera Panamericana website: http://lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ (click on the American flag for English)
Our good friend and fellow racer - Gary's blog: http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com/
1 comment:
I snuck into Lauren's suitcase and it got left behind. Thanks a lot! Hope you're having a great time. I cant wait for things to get hoppin!
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