Day 6: Guanajuato - Aguascalientes

Woohoo! Another day in the books. We've arrived safely in Aguascalientes and had a great day on the road. We are very fortunate to have our Finnish friend Heikki Malinen, who is now living win Morelia, joining and shooting fantastic images of the race and I want to share some. 

Racing Mil Cumbres yesterday

Dad at the arrival arch in Guanajuato yesterday. Why am I not in the car? I was so focused on navigating us through the tunnels that I had not taken the time to calculate our combined times for the day. This must be done before the car is allowed to cross the finish line. If the calculations are not done, the navigator must get out of the car and stand or sit on the sidewalk with the officials and do the addition before getting the car's time chip read. So - I got out of the car and dad drove further to park in the zocalo. I had to jog to catch up with dad but when I got to the finish line (in a jog) dad had already pulled through. With no cars in the finish line, I jogged through and got a big applause from the large crowd! Heineken got this shot of me:

We ran the speed sections very well today and were again first in class. We are also holding our own in the overall standings, remaining at 32nd out of all the classes which is very respectible for an Original PanAm car. 

This afternoon got exciting. We had a long (166 km) transit after servicio to the next speed section. I am ashamed to admit that I made my first navigational mistake of the week. I missed an important turn in transit but soon after realized my mistake and got us turned around and back on track. The road which we had to travel next was one of the shitiest we had yet been on and was a narrow two-lane country road. We new time was tight to get to the next control so we were doing our best to play catch up. Then we came upon a large truck that was carrying freshly cut and chopped corn silage...and the juicy pieces were flying all over the place! We were being pelted on the front of the car on all over the windshield. Once we were finally able to pass, the windshield was so clouded that dad could barely see so we had to quickly swing into the next Pemex and clean it and then take off again to the next section. We also ran into road construction, more bad road and traffic blocking us so we were late to control. Incidently, the area had just received a rain storm and the roads were wet. In addition, a porsche had allegedly had a mechanical failure and leaked oil on the road. Whether it was because of the oil on the road mixed with the rain or also driver error, 5 cars went off the road in that section. No one was hurt. We came across 3 of them. 

We arrived safely into Aguascaliente and just returned from a lovely driver/navigator meeting and awards dinner and we're ready to tackle tomrrow! Just a few speed sections and transits between us and the finish line in Zacatecas. Hasta manana!

Day 5: Morelia - Guanajuato

Day 5 Started from in front of Morelia's cathedral. At the drivers meeting the night before it was unsure if we would race this morning because of the heavy rains the area was receiving but thankfully the roads were in good enough condition to run. 

The morning speed sections were the mountains of Mil Cumbres the opposite direction of what we ran the previous day. The roads were indeed still fairly wet so we took it easy. Slid around a few turns. 

Long transit to servicio past large wetlands. There were even cattle grazing in the water up top tier bellies in plants. 

We made it through the dreaded tunnels! I navigated carefully with my flashlight and we slowly made it through without a misstep. Parking in front of the church was very pretty. We celebrated with a little Tequila Fortaleza. 

At this point everyone is exhausted. Early mornings, grueling days in the cars, late dinners/meetings and I have a cold setting in. Must not give in- marching on two more days to Zacatecas!

Queretaro - Morelia

I had trouble connecting in Morelia to update but here is Day 4 a little late. We had stormy weather threaten most of the day and the skies did finally open right when we were about to start one of the most challenging speed sections of the whole race: Mil Cumbres. Despite the wet roads, Dad drover excellently. The final section of the day was cancelled and for good safety reasons. 

The end of the last speed section brought us to this turnout to de-helmet and to this beautiful waterfall. Team Beef representing! 

Morelia is my favorite city to enter. After going through the arch we got primo parking in front of the cathedral. 

The night's driver meeting was at the historic Governor's Palace. 

Morelia's cathedral lit up at night. 

Another day at the top of the podium for Original PanAm. Dad is driving great. Sitting 32 overall out of 88 cars. Great showing for our class. 

Mexico City - Queretaro

Starting the day in one of the largest cities in the world was incredible! We had to be in the car at 6 to be ready for a police escort to the starting arch at 6:15. The whole stretch of Paseo de la Reforma was closed just for us! It was wild! The starting arch was by the Fountain of Diana the Huntress. Behind us was the golden statue of the Angel of Independence.  

Tequila Fortaleza and the Angel of Independence.

We were lined up in a "Le Mans start" - at diagonals.

From Mexico City we left to the mountains around Jalpan. Some times there are notes in the route book that say watch out for livestock but this was the first time I've seen a picture of a donkey withan exclamation   point in its own reference in a speed section. We didn't see any donkeys in the speed section but did see a herd on the side in transit.

From wide boulevards to dusty mountain roads in the same day! This is where we were staging before control before a speed section.

And another good day on the top of the podium! The other two cars in our class had some troubles but will be back on the road today.

On to Morelia!

Day 2: Oaxaca - Mexico City

First of all, I really have blogged every night. The posts dropped down in order so just look over on the right and prequal and Day 1 are listed.

Today was another early (7am) start. That may not sound early but what that entails is a 5:15 wake up alarm, pack up, get to car that is parked on 45 degree hill parking lot, have some tense moments when the car won't start, realize fuel is leaking from where we opened up the carburetor to re-jet the night before, fix problem, car starts, get lost on way to starting arch, flag taxi to follow to zocalo (square), and pick up your time card by 6:30.

The first section out of Oaxaca holds some sour memories. In 2009 we bent a push rod half way through the section which put us out of the race for two days. Last year Hayden and Charlie crashed the 476 Caddie at the end of the section. However, this year went smoothly. It was foggy and rainy all morning so we didn't push too hard. This is the first time I've raced in the rain. I have a new appreciation for modern windshield wipers.

After servicio (mid-day service break) we ran the same set of speed sections we ran yesterday, only backwards. Then was the famous party start in Tehuacan. It blows me away how much the townsfolk treat us like rock stars! I'm sure I will be the new profile pick of 1,000 Mexicans.

Happy copiloto at end of day:

Long 2+ hour transit to Mexico City. Once we arrived to the outskirts of the city we were bunched into groups of 10 cars and escorted in, around the main zocalo and to the finish arch. This was an awesome experience! Navigating Mexico City without the escort would have been a nightmare. Plus, how lucky to get to drive around the main square in one of the largest cities in the world?! Huge crowds gathered to see the cars tonight. Very humbling.

Another early start en la mañana. We can't miss the escort before they close some streets in Mexico City for a bike race or else we might be trading in the Vicky for a tandem bike. 

And more great news, we're again leading our class!

Cars, giant fish and tequila

Late night report from Veracruz:

Our two major to-dos today were to finish technical inspection and get the car out to run. We successfully accomplished both. 

Piloto and co-piloto gear inspection of race suits, helmets, shoes, haans devices and fire proof underwear. 

Motor inspection. We passed! They check engines and specs to make sure we legally fit our class specifications. 

Car weight (in kilograms). The Victoria weighs a lot! Interesting to see the weight displacement over each tire. 

After passing all technical inspections we get our official car numbers and ok sticker! Car 433 is ready to go!

After we passed, we needed to take the car out to stretch her legs a bit and to also make sure the rally computer was properly working. We had to change the "factor number" in the computer because we changed tire makes and models this year. Any difference in width and diameter will change the odometer and a navigator without an odometer is an unhappy navigator. We got the factor number dialed in and went for a special lunch at the downtown marina area. 

 The Gran Cafe Parroquia is the place to be! This particular location is the oldest cafe in Veracruz. Over 200 years old! We came for the cafe con leche but enjoyed some bomb [dot] com food also. Above is the cubano sandwich. Anna, I thought of you! 

I can't upload the video but let me tell you about the cafe con leche - they bring you a tall glass with espresso and then you clink your spoon on the glass and another waiter brings a large metal tea pot of hot, steamed milk. He pours in the milk while raising the pot really high while never spilling a drop. I want to take him home and have him make my coffee every morning! 

We had to get back to the hotel for our co-pilotos meeting but made a few stops along the way. 

Veracruz marina. Very stormy today. 

We may have driven up onto the sidewalk and through a fish art display. 

And then time to be serious and astute co-pilotos in out 2.5 hour meeting:

Which I thought was actually really well done. I am very surprised at how many new navigators there are this year. 

AND THEN, off to a very serious dinner with friends.

Sam Burg, ladies and gents, and the best grilled octopus any of us have ever had. 

Chip agrees!

I'm so proud - Everyone ordered beef. REALLY fantastic beef. Chip and Taylor Fudge (father/son from Oklahoma), Adrian from England, Sam Burg from Santa Maria, Ricky and Bobby of Shake 'n' Bake fame with their crew and Dad and me. 

Taylor thought it wise to order "jumbo" tequilas with sangritas. We'll see how wise it is in the morning! 

Speaking of the morning, if it isn't raining we will be having our prequalification run which will determine order of go for Friday morning. 

PS. Jason, is this a 50s concept car? Brought home "one piece at a time?" Thought you would appreciate. 

Veracruz and Tech Day 1

Hola from Veracruz! We arrived late last night after a slightly delayed flight from Houston and hola, humidity! The cars are again staged at the World Trade Center and this is where technical inspections are also taking place. If you have ever gone through tech in other cities tech has been in a parking lot in the hot sun. It really is a treat to be in an enclosed building, with air conditioning(!) and connected to our hotel.

Our car hadn't yet arrived so we took our time today and leisurely went through the part of tech that doesn't require the car. We get our race package that includes route book and cross body bag, race hats and a jacket for each competitor. The best pleasant surprise of all is the jacket we get this year! If you have raced the past 6-7 years you have received a variation of the same quilted navy jacket. This year's is a high-quality attractive red and black zip up and THE SLEEVES ARE LONG! You would think I race for the swag??

The rest of tech for us included getting our racing license, health checkup (blood pressure & heart rate) and time chip.

Tom arrived this evening with the cars and will unload first thing in the morning. Then we will take the car through inspection to get the final ok.

We had two highlights today. Number one is seeing so many racing friends. It is so fun to pick right up where we left off last year or years ago.

Number two highlight is a special shipment we received: a case of tequila!! Tequila Fortaleza is one of our sponsors this year and they've sent us 6 bottles of their nectar of the Mexican Gods. We are looking forward to sharing with our friends and fellow racers. I went on a special mission today to find 200 mini cups for "taste testing."

The Tunnels of Guanajuato

Two years ago I had one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.

It involved our first voyage to the city of Guanajuato, the capital of the state with the same name. Guanajuato is a beautifully colorful and photogenic historic mining town.

And it has tunnels. Numerous dark, underground, winding tunnels. Some of the tunnels come to a fork in the road. Rarely did a fork have a sign. Or maybe it would have a sign saying "Centro" with an arrow pointing in each direction.

On this fateful day we were also battling overheating. And traffic. Imagine yourself in a race car after a long day of hard racing, you've lost your place in the route book, you are stuck in traffic, and you are in a seemingly un-ending maze of dark, exhaust-filled tunnels.

"This is it!" I thought. We're going to die, right here. The locals aren't going to care. They are just going to push the car to the side, our skulls are going to be part of these earth and stone walls. We're never going to see the light of day again. Maybe we'll wander the cavernous wasteland like Smeagol in Lord of the Rings.

We had flashes of hope - a motorcycle cop! He'll lead us out! We followed him for a while and while yes, we emerged into the daylight, we were no where near the finish arch. Back into the tunnels. After 2 hours (2 hours really seems like an eternity when you are high on exhaust fumes, your piloto lost his patience an hour and a half ago, and you can't see the route through tear-soaked eyes), thanks be to the sweet baby Jesus, we FINALLY made it out of the tunnels and close to the finish line. We were so late that I had to go find the officials to turn in my time card and chip - they were having a much better time than I. They were already a few drinks of tequila in. There I was, a blubbering white girl who couldn't navigate her way out of a paper bag that day. I'm sure they still laugh about it.

Fast forward to 2012 - race officials release the official route for the 25th anniversary of La Carrera Panamericana. My eyes skip down the list of cities and there I see it - Guanajuato. My heart skips a beat and panic sets in. No, I think, I can't do that again! I still have nightmares of being lost deep in the labyrinth of those beautiful hills.

My game plan is different this time. It must be or else a homicide might be committed in that dark underground jungle. Dad and I are prepared. I had a flashlight ready, never lifted my eyes from the route book, and we stuck close with a few race cars in front of us. When dad would say, "Wow, look at that!" I had to resist and look only at my odometer and follow closely the directions which would lead us out and to salvation that would be a celebratory tequila in the zocolo.

Thankfully, our trip through the tunnels was MUCH more successful than 2011. No crying, no cussing, no overheating, no panic attacks. Just two happy gringos and a shot of tequila to celebrate.

We did get some in-car footage of the tunnels. I will admit, Guanajuato is quite charming when you don't have to navigate. Please enjoy:


And now 2013. You guessed it - Guanajuato is again on our list of destinations. Night 5. I will be looking forward to the cheese, aka tequila, at the end of the rat maze.

South to Old Mexico

Time to head south of the border for a little car racing adventure. The 2013 La Carrera Panamericana is already upon us. I know I said last year was my last but, well, I lied. Dad talked me into another year because it’s really simple – life is short and this is a tremendous experience so GIDDY UP!

Those of you who’ve followed along with us before know what to expect – the unexpected. If this is your first time following along, hang on – it’s a wild ride!

Dad and I head south tomorrow to Veracruz, meet the cars and our fellow racing friends, the cars go through a technical inspection Tuesday and Wednesday, pre-qualification is Thursday and the official first day of racing is Friday. 7 days and 7 different cities across central Mexico to the finish line in Zacatecas.

Here is our 2013 “hero card.” Each team has these cards made to hand out to the enthusiastic race fans along the way. I’m not joking about being enthusiastic – we sign the cards (or shirts/hats/babies) at each stop. The racers are treated like rockstars and some fans go crazy for an autograph and a photo with a racer. It’s a rough task but someone’s got to do it! When else are we going to be treated like rockstars?

Our goal is the same as last year: run a smooth, safe race, have fun and make it to the party in Zacatecas. I struggle to put into words the experience of La Carrera Panamericana. We will experience ever human emotion from the highest highs to some low lows…each day for 7 days. Racers who were once strangers are now as close as family and we all support one another as we forge on through this marathon together.

Despite facing a few challenges last year (some power steering issues, a lost iPhone, some very bad accidents and one fatal, losing a harmonic balancer) we finished in the top place for our class! We compete in Original PanAm – cars that would have run in the original years of the race (early 1950s). This was quite an accomplishment as we battled back and forth with legendary Dutch F1 driver, Gys Van Lennep.

What is this event? It is NOT the Baja 1000. You can read history of La Carrera Panamericana {aqui}. Racers from across the globe come to Mexico to compete in this historic event. This will be Dad’s 7 time racing and my 4^th time navigating for him. We are again in the ol’ gal – 1954 Ford Victoria. This is the 26^th anniversary of the modern race.

I think everyone brave enough to brave La Carrera is a rockstar in his/her own right but there is an additional truly famous driver this year in Memo Rojas, Jr. He is a professional Mexican race car driver who is 4-time series champion in the Rolex Car Series and a 3-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. Memo was the voice of the latino race car in Cars 2. His car is not in our class but he’s sure to be a top contender.

I will do my best to post here daily but as you know from past years, that sometimes is a tall order. Keep up with other teams:

Kristin Stewart: funksterwtf.blogspot

Marcia’s http://roadrallyrhythms.com/ that will feature photos from Rene Ranchilonga Ortega.
Martin's El Taxi Perdido

We are very grateful to our generous sponsors:

Road and Track Magazine

Baja Bound Insurance

Fortaleza Tequila

Calderon Tires, Santa Maria

Dad and I are dedicating our race this year to the memory of Vannessa Ramirez, the daughter of Jo Ramirez. Jo will not be racing this year but we want to recognize his loss and send him our support. Jo has been a very kind friend to us on our previous Pana years. Jo has many ties to Formula 1 racing, including many years as coorinator of the McLaren team. If you would like to read an insight into Formula 1 racing and this very sweet man, Jo Ramirez: Memoirs of a Racing Man is a wonderful read.

Dad and me with Jo at last year's finish in Zacatecas.

Vaya con dios, amigos. No sleep 'til Zacatecas!