San Felipe, Baja California (November 13, 2008) — The world’s toughest off road racers and there teams have descended upon the gorgeous Baja Peninsula prerunning for next week’s 41st SCORE Baja 1000.  The DIRTnewz.com team changed positions early this week as one crew returned to the United States and the other crew crossed the border as Robby Gordon’s DAKAR race HUMMER was crossing back into the United States.  It wasn’t long before we ran into the usual high profile racers as the Desert Assassin’s Kingpin, Cameron Steele, was prerunning with his own personal NBC Sports TV Crew just after 12 noon at RM 120.

The FOX Racing Shox/DIRTnewz mobile satellite truck set up shop at Lalo’s Taco Shop parking lot at the top of La Rumorosa Grade and it wasn’t long after Steele arrived that a slew of motorcycle prerunners all drove by popping wheelies for the cameras.

Steele said, “We rolled in today here at Lalo’s from Ensenada and were headed to my second home in San Felipe, Baja California.  The race course is great and were about to bump down the steep Rumorosa dirt trail and head to the beach at San Felipe.  The #16 is prepped and ready for battle.  Rick Geiser and I will trade time behind the wheel and we believe we have a good chance to be right there in the front at the end of the race. YOWSA…Dirty, we’re off to the beach.”

After showering the Lalo’s Taco Boyz with “steekers,” hats and shirts we headed down a couple different access roads and intersected the race course when we ran across the reigning SCORE Baja 1000 Champion, Rob MacCachren planning his standard MAC Attack for the Baja 1000.  Rob Mac said, “Are you guys lost out here? This is really a big race for Riviera Racing. We’re hoping to back up last year’s performance in our run down the peninsula and be the first to take the checkered flag, but the competition is very steep.  Honestly, there are about 7-9 teams that will be vying for the win and it comes down to whoever has the cleanest run without any problems.  This is our second prerun and we’ll be here until the race kicks off late next week running sections over and over again.”

DIRTnewz.com caught up with the Metal Mulisha’s “OX” a little later as he wheeled down through downtown Rumorosa..jamming to the tunes of the Baja mystic.  A couple of knuckle hits and OX was spinning in the dirt on the side of the road and heading East down the race course.

San Felipe had caravans of prerunners arriving by mid-afternoon as the weekend begins to heat up and thousands of American’s are heading to the SCORE Baja 1000.

DIRTnewz will be here in Baja until after the race with stories from the dirt everyday between now and the end of the race.