Prather Team Wins Second Straight Baja 1000
By Johnny McDonald

Steve Hengeveld with Sal Fish at the finish line in Cabo San Lucas after winning the overall in 24 hours and 15 minutes. photo by John Jones

Danny Prather's team of four co-riders pulled off a second straight Class 25 Baja 1,000 victory as one of the headliners in the grueling 1,296-mile off-road test from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas.

His sturdy Pro Honda ATV in the over 250cc class crossed the finish line after a muddy run in 29:48:58 at an average speed of 43.48 mph.

The Ramona resident shared the checkered flag with Mike Cafro of Bonsall, Levi Marana

of Hemet, Dana Creech of Murrieta and Marc Spaeth of Warner Springs in the Temecula Motorsports Honda quad. With it, he was able to claim another SCORE championship.

Actually, this was only the second time a Class 25 team has been able to defend its title in the Baja 1,000, beating the second-place Wayne Matlock team by 10 minutes.

Another from Ramona, Darren Hardesty, shared driver duties with Cameron Steele of San Clemente and Rick Geiser of Phoenix to place 10th among pro cars and trucks in a Cadillac Escalade, finishing in 33:44:51.

Ramona's Dan Prather's team won the Class 25 and had Mike Cafro, Bonsall; Levi Marana, Hemet; Dana Creech, Murrieta and Marc Spaeth of Warner Springs as co-riders. photo by John Jones

The big overall winner, Mark Post of San Juan Capistrano, put the finishing touch to the efforts of a strong, three-driver team by racing into Cabo San Lucas in a F-150 Trophy Truck.

He and teammates Rob MacCachren and Carl Renezeder covered the distance in 25:21:25. The Rivera Racing Ford averaged 51.13 miles per hour.

This was Post's third triumph in the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series and helped him clinch his first and MacCachren's second Trophy-Truck season point championship. Renezeder is this year's CORR titleholder.

In the end, Post and Gus Vildosola, seeking to become the first Mexican team to win the 1,000 overall, ran minutes apart at the 1,200-mile mark. However, Vildosola's Ford had two flat tires in the last 90 miles and was relegated to second overall and second in the Trophy-Truck class.

Robby Gordon's Trophy-Truck at race mile 1278. photo by Darrel Kinney

Defending race winner Robby Gordon of Charlotte, charged back from early problems with his Chevy CK1500 to place third in the Trophy-Truck category and fifth overall among four-wheel vehicles. Gordon had to run an early portion of the course in the dark with just a handheld portable lamp for vision. But the Nextel Cup team owner/driver fought back to complete the event in 27:12:14.

Two hundred thirty nine of the 424 starters for the 40th anniversary of the grand daddy of off-road racing finished under the 53-hour time limit.

Fastest finisher was Robby Bell, 21, aboard a factory Honda motorcycle, who co-rode with Baja veteran Johnny Campbell of San Clemente, Steve Hengeveld of Hesperia and Kendall Norman of Santa Barbara in 24:15:50 for an average speed of 53.43 mph.

Bell, the primary rider, took his first Baja 1,000 crown but Campbell won his 10th overall 1,000 title and Hengeveld won his seventh SCORE Baja 1000 overall (including six straight) and 10th class win.

As has been the case every year since 1993 (when Ivan Stewart was the fastest overall finisher), a motorcycle clocked the fastest time in this race.

In other highlights, Larry Roeseler took his 16th 1,000 Class win and Rod Hall lit the candles on his 70th birthday celebration by earning a record 19th class win, splitting the driving with his oldest son, Josh, who lumbered their Team Hummer H3 in just before sunrise. Hall is the only racer who has competed in a car or truck in all 40 Baja 1,000 races.

Roeseler of Hesperia continued his incredible Baja 1,000 performance with Las Vegas' Troy Herbst for their fourth consecutive win, an event record for the category.