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When things start to get a little boring and quiet down in Mexicali, it’s time to have a drag race. Organized by the Truckers Association of Baja California, the event started with a Friday night parade on July 27th and ended with an
exciting drag race at Baja Raceway on Saturday, July 28th (and on into Sunday, July 29th).
The weather was terrible - with temperatures reaching 117 degrees on Friday. The parade, which started around 8:00 PM on the northeast side of town and criss-crossed to the southwest side of town, ended at the new International truck dealer in Mexicali. The parade of 100+ trucks crawled through residential, industrial and retail areas, blowing their horns and revving their
engines all the way. A 15-piece band played music on the back of a flatbed the entire length of the parade. Tempers flared as Police blocked off intersections so the parade could creep past. The trucks just kept coming and coming,
forcing everyone to wait a long time. Some didn’t mind - others got upset, but the trucks rolled on.
As the trucks arrived at the International dealer, they were greeted with plenty of Carne Asada and beer. The band parked their trailer and continued to play late into the night. Opening their new operation last March, International de Baja California caters to the areas of Mexicali, Tijuana and Ensenada, offering new trucks for sale, an excellent service shop and a complete parts inventory for International trucks and other brands. They specialize in binational trucks, made in the United States with legal importation into Mexico.
Saturday saw more outrageous temperatures (up to 115 degrees). Because of this, the races weren’t even scheduled to start until 6:00 PM. But, with the usual problems and late arrivals, racing didn’t start until almost 9:00 PM. About ten Super Drag Trucks were competing for a $1,500 prize purse. Unfortunately, most of the American racers were absent because there was a race in Denver, Colorado that same weekend. As the racing began, we noticed the stands had completely filled with spectators. They love their truck drag racing in Mexico!
Running on an 1/8 mile track, drivers shift furiously, usually only getting through three gears. And the burnouts - let me tell you, they really know how to burn out down south. When they are finished, you can’t even see the trucks in the cloud of smoke. They race two-out-of-three
elimination in Mexico, which means you have to win two out of three races against another
competitor, to advance to the next level. About halfway through the racing action, during the quarter-finals, a truck blew a fuel line and spilled diesel fuel all down the left lane of the track. Diesel fuel on pavement is slipperier than ice. Anybody who tried to walk on it fell on their butt. And anybody who tried to help someone who fell, fell on their butt too - it was pretty funny to watch. But that just left one good lane for racing.
At the time of the “spill” Wilo Sanchez had the best time, so from there on out, everybody was racing against the clock instead of each other. Salvador Acosta’s “Speedy Gonzales” was looking good but didn’t have what it takes to beat Wilo. Salvador just finished rebuilding his entire rear-end out of aluminum, saving a whopping 700 pounds! They say the lighter you are the faster you’ll go, but not this day - Sal’s truck blew an injector and never recovered. Wilo took home the big trophy.
The event finally “ended” at around 3:00 AM as the last of the
spectators and most of the racers packed up to leave. From there it was back to the hotel to collapse and get some sleep! When’s the next race? Who knows. Whenever somebody decides “it’s time” to have one. I hope they call us. Until then, “Hasta la vista, baby!”
