A team of daring Rover enthusiasts set to embark on the world’s most grueling automotive endurance race this weekend chasing a dream that some would say is unobtainable: lead their 22-year old, Range Rover Classic rebuild to a podium finish at the Baja 1000.
The Baja 1000 dates back 44 years to 1967 when the first competition began in Baja California, Mexico. The race has since grown dramatically in size and popularity, now hosting thousands of competitors in a seemingly infinite variety of vehicle classifications. Race formats vary between point-to-point races and loop races which stretch anywhere from 600 to 1000 miles across treacherous terrain under punishing temperatures. The 2011 Baja 1000 will begin and end in Ensenada, Mexico; nearly 700 miles in total.
The amateur race team prepared to tackle the Baja in a Range Rover Classic is an eclectic compilation of Rover fanatics that will be competing as the In Search of the Experience Race Team.
The In Search of the Experience Race Team (or ISOTE Race Team) draws its name from team member Elias Christeas’ compelling documentary, “In Search of the Experience.” Christeas’ work follows the filmmaker on a journey through America as he interacts with a vibrant network of Land Rover enthusiasts, a group he refers to as The American Land Rover Family.
“What do a mountaineer from Seattle, an ex-special forces instructor from Alabama, a magazine editor from England, and a movie producer from L.A. have in common? They are a sample of the volunteers brought together by a shared love of Land Rovers, a fierce competitive spirit, and a sense of adventure.”
A lifetime love of Land Rovers has left the group very capable in the garage; important when you set out to transform a $400, twenty-something-year-old, scrap-vehicle into a world-class desert racer. Fortunately, it looks like “Steve” the Range Rover looks pretty lean and mean.
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For more information on the I.S.O.T.E. Race Team please visit their website.
For real-time updates on their progress this weekend see the ISOTE Race Team Facebook page.
Stay tuned for a follow up piece after the Baja!
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