VIVA!! BAJA

Gabe here, just like to say thanks to all. the crew is some of the best. Mexico is always an adventure and it's twice as sweet when you work along side people with as much heart as
the JTR crew. The race for Jake and i started at mile 679 it was dark and we were fired up to get the car to John with a good lead. not having much time in the seat it took a few miles to sort the car out and it was running strong. feeling good we began to pick up the pace all the way to scorpion bay only to find there was no fuel oops!!! the pit was not there. no problem just hammer down to the loreto check where the JTR boys would come to the rescue. well boom the jeep shut down just before la presma, we think the coil got hot and shut it down! changing to the second coil she fired up and we were back on the road. arriving at the loreto check the JTR boys gave us a quick splash and look over. At this point the average for our section was around 65mph yaaaaahoooo! back on the pipe we started the last 40 miles, this section was were many would not survive. at race mile 880 big silt! this would continue for 15 miles the little jeep kept chugging along until an encounter with a rock sent the front of the jeep into orbit. breaking the pan hard bar. but it was not long before the JTR boys came to the rescue. Dave that boy jumped into action! changing it out in about 15min he rocks! away we went but much easier. with no other moments we handed the car to john early morning. you boys at JTR put together a great car and it was a prevliage to be able to race with all of you. Gabe out VIVA BAJA!!!!!!!!

A Daughters Gift

Home at 3:30am Monday. I woke up at 7am so I could see Chris and the kids before they were off to school. It seemed like it had been months since I had been able to spend any time with them, well 4 months anyways. Feels good to be home after our long journey. My daughter tells me she has a present for me, grabs my hand and leads me to her room. She tells me; I wrote you a song, would you like to here it? well, of course I would love to hear it. She picked up her little guitar and started playing music. I am pretty sure there were no actual notes or chords played, but it sounded beautiful to me. She played her guitar and said her song was called the Baja song. Her song told about her daddy going to baja to race the baja truck, she missed me while I was gone and how much she loved me.
It is hard for me to put words to this. I am very touched by her words, especially coming from a 6 year old. She gave me a gift well beyond my expectations.
I am glad to be home, but I don't know if my mind has actually made it home yet.
I am very proud to have been a part of such a huge event with a group of people that performed well together to get the job done for 1166 miles. that is well past a baja 1000, just not this one. We will have to finish it next year. Thanks.
Tony

It's Not Only a Race

These words come from a t-shirt that I bought for Rodney at Mama Espinoza's. I think they sum it up pretty well.
It's not only a race.
It's planning vision courage intelligence
money dedication effort
pre-run to know the land
anxiety to begin the race
emotion adrenalin dust speed strategy experience patience frustration pits
friendship competition
rocks mountains desert beach streams fog bumps cactus and more dust
To arrive in los cabos finish line (which we didn't, but oh well)
after many stories filled with emptiness.
There's only one thing to do...wait for the next race. This is Baja.
Vayan con dios!!!
Kathy says we're up to $1650 and growing for the kids who will be going to Gales Creek this year, because of those who have been going the extra mile with us. That's almost 5 kids and their families who will potentially have their own life changing experience because of the Baja. Thanks.
Nikki

Re-Entry

The team rolled back into Corvallis around 3:30 am this morning, after driving from Rancho Santa Margarita, CA through, sun, rain, and snow flurries. When Rod and I walked in the door of our house we were greeted by flowers, a freshly cleaned house and sheets on our bed, food for breakfast on the counter, and love notes from some dear family friends and my daughter. Ah, sweet. And what a delicious feeling, sliding into bed, sliding into sleep. I was jarred awake at 8:15 am by a phone call from one of the teams on the Champ Car Atlantic Series looking for info about how to pick up their tire order- heavy sigh- back to work. Toto, we're not in Baja anymore. Back to the real world.
I'm hoping some of the rest of the team will share some of their stories here over the next few days. Right now, I'm pretty raw and emotional. The words are not flowing well yet, as I'm still processing what this has all been about- it was a simple sporting event, but it was oh, so much more. Our team was incredible, in the true sense of the word. The energy these guys expended on driving the narrow, twisty roads of Baja in the dark with little sleep and little food; on on-the-spot problem solving and major high-desert car repairs; on re-configuring tactical plans- wow, it was amazing. I have the highest respect and admiration for all of them. And as I just finished reading the blogs and comments from friends, I am touched. Thanks for all of the love and support. More later.- Gratefully, Nikki

A Place for the Weary:

Hebrews 10:35-36 35 So do not lose the courage you had in the past, which has a great reward.36 You must hold on, so you can do what God wants and receive what he has promised.

Is there anything more frail than a bruised reed? Look at the bruised reed at the waters edge. A once slender and tall stalk of sturdy river grass, it is now bowed and bent.

Are you a bruised reed? Was it so long ago that you stood so tall, so proud?...

Then something happened. You were bruised...
By harsh words
By a friends anger
By a spouses betrail
A lost race...

The bruised reed... society knows what to do with you... the world will break you off; the world will snuff you out.

But the artists of scripture proclaim that God won't. Painted on canvas after canvas is the tender touch of the Creator who has a special place for the bruised and weary of the world. A God who is the friend of the wounded heart.

~From Carla and Mitchell... God Loves You All, We Love You All!

A Request

If you have been following this blog, please take a moment, if you haven't, and add a comment for our team using the comment feature at the bottom of this post. We would love to know who has been following our efforts. Also, if you feel motivated to donate some money to Gales Creek in support of our effort, every little bit helps, directions are on our website. www.jtrracing.com. Thanks for all your comments, prayers and encouraging words, as cliche as it might sound, they really did keep us going as this all unfolded. This blog will stay active for another few weeks so driver teams, and chase crew can add stories from Baja.

Thanks.

Rod

From Alita Stauber

Fwd: I just heard...you guys put in an awesome effort! You made it so far, and i'm really proud of all of you! Lots and lots of love, alita