“Surviving Baja” Tells the Dusty, Dangerous Story of Racing in Mexico

“SCORE desert racing is so cool! If only people knew about it!”

This has been the lament among certain desert race enthusiasts. Or maybe it’s sponsors. Or race organizers. In truth, most desert racers just want “respect,” the admiration of their peers. It’s the same in any social group. And they’re willing to suffer to get it.

But even there is a story.

Now the story is being told in a new series called Surviving Baja, no doubt a sideways spin on the title Drive to Survive that has brought global interest to Formula 1 and all its drama.

The Surviving Baja series is now out in four episodes, covering all four races of the 2023 season of SCORE International desert racing. It goes from the season-opener San Felipe 250, and goes through the Baja 500, Baja 400, and grandaddy of them all, the Baja 1000.

The series is the result of a year’s worth of work by producer Bud Brutsman and SCORE owners Roger and Elise Norman. Anyone who’s ever tried to string together a decent TikTok reel will have an inkling of how much work goes into producing a full-length video, let alone a full season of them. The four episodes we see are packed with what must have been hours and hours of interviews, along with dramatic in-car footage and on-course action.

Trying to cram the entire Baja experience into 46 minutes a reel is tough, so you have to be selective about what you chose to put in. This one has lengthy interviews of racers describing the philosophy of racing, how dangerous Baja can be, how hospitable the Mexican people are in the country where all four races are run, etc.

They’ve chosen the right guys to interview: Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, Larry Roeseler, Cameron Steele, the Vildasola family, the McMillin family, Johnny Campbell, and many others. It’s a huge story.

“Even though I’ve had great success in it I never feel like I got it figured out,” said Larry Roeseler, who has won the Baja 1000 10 times on motorcycles and three times in trucks.

“These trucks, the technology is so next-level now. But it’s not about how much abuse some of these trucks can take through some of the whoops and the gnarly sections, it’s how much abuse your body can take,” said Australian racer and 2024 Baja 500 winner Toby Price.

“My first race down here was 1986 and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Rob MacCachren. “I love it. I can’t wait to get back. Every time I leave, I want to come back and race again.”

If there’s a criticism here, it’s that the actual race is a little hard to follow among all the philosophizing. The series might be better with greater focus on the action out in the desert, but it’s in there. And where else are you going to get coverage of racing in Baja? (Autoweek!)

The series is available for free on Apple TV, Roku, and Tubi. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to race in the Mexican desert, check it out. Or see Dust to Glory, the 2005 documentary on the subject. Or just get some M/T tires, buy the proper insurance, and head for the border. The next race is this weekend, the 2024 Baja 400, followed by the Baja 1000 November 12-17.