La Carrera Panamericana 2008

Racing can be and is dangerous and running in La Carrera Panamericana is no exception. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have read comments on various message boards saying things like, "It’s not really a race" or "It’s a race where CEO types compete in cars that really don’t go all that fast." The best reply I have to those types of comments is to invite them down to watch, and then afterwards I’ll ask them if they still feel that way. Then there are those who make the argument, "They stopped that race back in 1954 and now it’s just a rally format." This time I would ask them if they knew what in the hell they are talking about. The fact is, the cars today are a much faster than they were back then, not to mention in those days they couldn’t corner worth a damn, had very poor tires, and the roads were mostly unpaved. And back in the 50s the race continued at high speed right through the villages and towns, whereas today the only city we race at speed trough is Mexico City, with thousands of police on hand.

Continue reading, with tons of pics from the race after the jump!

This year’s race has seen some of the highest attrition ever, with cars tumbling end over end down cliffs and mechanical problems. The race lasts for seven days, starting near the Guatemala border in Tuxtla Gutierrez, with stops in Oaxaca, Mexico City, Aguascalientes, Querétaro, San Luis de Potosi, and Zacatecas. These cities are at high altitude; the weather is typically cool and clear but there has been some rain at times. The race will end in Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas on the 30th.

With only two days left a lot has happened already, and you can bet a lot more is in store. During the high speed stages on the last day some cars will reach speeds of 200 miles per hour in cars that have had the hell beat out of them for six long days, some of which where 11 hours long.

Out of 106 cars which started the race in various classes, only 65 are still making a difference. That’s right, almost 50 percent of them have crashed, blown up, or are having other mechanical issues. A few have simply chickened out or have a bad case of Montezuma’s Revenge. As a result, some cars that started off the race literally in last place are now as far up the results sheets as 50th while some who spun out or had car problems and dropped down as far as 40th are back of in the top 15. This is one race you never count your chickens before they hatch.

The results have been very slow coming this year, but as of the end of the fourth day of racing, here are some of the top overall results for the day:

1st  Place #108 Studebaker piloto Bill Beilharz (USA)
2nd Place #110 Studebaker piloto Stig Blomqvist (Sweden)
3rd Place  #10   Studebaker piloto Jorge Pedrero (Mexico)
4th Place  #133 Oldsmobile  piloto Doug Mockett (USA)
5th Place  #114 Studebaker piloto  Lars Stugemo (Sweden)
6th Place  #372 Shelby        piloto Richard Tyzack (UK)
7th Place  #370 Falcon        piloto Marc Davis (Belgium)

There are several different classes of cars competing, and not all of the ones above are in the same class. One of the most coveted classes is the Historical C Class, with models like Shelbys, Corvettes, Falcons, Chevrolets and a few other V8 cars. Typically the majority of this class will be in the higher pecking order, but this year the carnage has been very high, with many of these cars breaking or crashing. It seems many of them never just how contagious "the red mist" really is until it was too late. Any successful endurance racer knows races like this are not won on the first day. As a matter of fact I just returned from Mexico after spending a week with the legendary Hershel McGriff. Hershel didn’t win a single stage when he won the 1950 La Carrera Panamericana but he did take home the trophy and the $17,000 check because he knows how to pace himself and his equipment.

There are too many to mention but a lot of beautiful machinery has been lost for good, some of which were very expensive and even historical. In my opinion, I feel that many of this year’s drivers took a look at this race for a few years and said to themselves, "Hey that sounds like fun. I bet we could do that," and simply didn’t realize that each year the majority of teams that take on what is recognized as one of the most grueling races of all time must be given the respect it deserves. After drivers read reports about this years carnage, I am sure many of them will think twice about heading off to take a stab at it.

If you would like to read more about the drivers, teams cars and more then visit my blog at http://lacarrera2007.blogspot.com  In the meantime here are some photos of a few of the cars that dreamed of competing and completing the 2008 La Carrera Panamericana. Some made it many didn’t.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FRIENDS COOP at http://www.coopstuff.com/ AND GO FAST ENERGY DRINK at http://www.gofastsports.com/~mexico1/index.htm for the use of their awesome photos.