CBCFS Racing Finishes The Baja 1000 Strong In Class 11

The hype of the crowd and all the off-road fans at the finish line are long gone by the time the Class 11 Volkswagen bug’s cross the line, but for them it is more than having the crowd cheering you on as you cross the finish line, it is about finishing one of the toughest off-road races – the Baja 1000.

During our time down in Baja we were able to experience the thrill of the starting line, the fan packed wash, and everything that the Baja desert has to offer, but one thing that stuck with us was at 3:00 am Sunday morning. Many of the Trophy Truck teams had begun to make their trek home while we found a group of guys standing at the finish line in the freezing cold waiting to cheer their team on finishing the race.

California Baja California Friendship Society (CBCFS) Racing was getting ready to be the first Class 11 vehicle to cross the finish line for the 2015 Baja 1000. The team knew their allotted time to finish the race had passed five hours ago, but it was more about the thrill of completing the race.

Standing next to David O’Neill of CBCFS Racing he began to tell us about what it was like inside the car, “I was in the vehicle twice over the race, and their where multiple times I had to get out of the car to dig us out from being stuck. Either way we are ecstatic that we are finishing the race, and the first Class 11 across the line.”

“The vehicle went through a lot, it rolled over during the race, but it was able to keep going. We even had an accident with our chase truck and are lucky that people did not get more seriously hurt or die,” O’Neill continued.

The roar of the dozen or so people at the finish line came as soon as the lights were visible down the road. The familiar sound of the Volkswagen motor rang in as the team made their final approach.

CBCFS Racings was about to complete the Baja 1000, their team could not have been more excited. Nineteen year old driver Paul Nauleau and navigator Ryan Crook, brought the bug the last part of the race.

“CBCFS is more than just a racing team, it is a society of friends. One of the main things that we do is bring educational supplies to the underprivileged children down in Baja. This trip we were connected with an orphanage, and plan to continue helping them as well. This is our way giving back to Baja for being able to race here,” O’Neill explained.

It is stories like this that truly show what off-road racing and the off-road community is all about. It is more than just winning the race, it is about the lifetime of memories that will be had while doing it. We are glad we got to see and experience this true taste of Baja.