Never has a group of athletes been looked upon with both equal parts reverence and genuine astonishment as off-road racers. And in the world of off-road racing, there are certain events that truly make us question the sanity of the men and women behind the craziness.
In fact, even a quick glance of this list of the World’s 15 Most Extreme Off-Road Races will make you think twice about complaining of shoddy city engineering and crazy weekend traffic ever again.
1. NORRA and the Mexican 1000
The craziness began at the National Off-Road Racing Association’s inaugural event in 1967. Since then, the Mexican 1000, which gets its name from the fact that it’s 1,000 miles across the Mexican desert, has been one of the most legendary events in extreme off-road racing. NORRA handed the event to SCORE International shortly after its inception, so watch for the “Baja 1000″ at No. 2 on this list. The original event made a comeback in 2010 and will be returning in 2012 with an assortment of categories: ATVs, vintage cars and buggies, rally cars, motorcycles and more. The event will be held May 5-9, 2012, and will include three separate legs: Mexicali to Bahia de Los Angeles, Bahia de Los Angeles to Loreto, and Loreto to the finish line (location yet to be announced as of Sept. 26).
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2. Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
The organization SCORE International is known for the Baja 1000, which was formerly known as the Mexican 1000 (see No. 1) until 1973 when this body took it over. The Baja 1000 is typically held in November, and begins in Ensenada. There really isn’t a finish line per se. The race includes multiple groups of vehicles, as with the newly formed Mexican 1000, and a winner is picked for each style of vehicle based on overall time from Ensenada to the predetermined finish point for that classification. Speeding penalties and other violations in regulated areas are deducted from the overall time to determine a winner. Finish points include Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas and La Paz. Motorcycles and quads are included in the event.
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3. Lucas Oil Off-Road Challenge Cup
The Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series always ends its season with the dirt slinging action of the Challenge Cup. The stadium-based event, this year held in December 2011 at the Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., will offer a wide assortment of vehicle competitions including buggies and ATVs. The event is the climax of a racing season that includes 15 rigorous rounds throughout Arizona, California, and Nevada.
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4. MAORA Enduro Races
The desert races of Mexico and Nevada may be longer, but the Mid-America Off-Road Association’s (MAORA) Enduro packs a lot of extreme into three hours of racing. MAORA follows a similar format as the Baja 1000. Different divisions of cars are started at separate intervals and the race is timed rather than being a “point A to point B” sort of thing. The overall track, however, is much shorter, usually not scaling past 5 miles in length. “Pro” and “Trophy” divisions are allowed with the professional drivers competing in Pro and the novices in the Trophy circuit.
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5. TORC Series
The Off-Road Championship (TORC) Series combines off-road racing and motocross into a rigorous series of events that make rough and tumble use of their natural terrain tracks. The races are held from California to Wisconsin. Past champions include motocross legend Rick Johnson. While nothing near the length of a Baja 1000, the TORC Series offers short course off-road racing that is every bit as rigorous as its longer counterpart. Specific events that are included as part of this series take place at Chicagoland Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Pikes Peak International Raceway.
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