Western Mexico was bustling with desert racing in the past fortnight as the state of Sonora hosted the World Rally-Raid Championship’s inaugural trip to the Americas with the Sonora Rally, immediately followed by the NORRA Mexican 1000 in neighbouring Baja California. Sonora alone was already a difficult race to complete, much less doing so followed by the Mexican 1000 the following week, but a quartet of racers were more than up for the task.
Matt Sutherland and Matthew Glade had a particularly busy two weeks as they ran both races as part of the Ultimate Ironman Challenge, organised by NORRA and Sonora Rally for those attempting double duty on their own. Sutherland won the Sonora Rally’s Malle Moto class (finishing second in the Road to Dakar) before backing it up with his second consecutive Mexican 1000 bike overall victory. Racing in Pro Rally, he set a total time of 21:54:05 (21:53:20 excluding penalties) to hold off Modern Open rider Cade Smith by thirty-five minutes while also beating his 2022 time by fifteen minutes. Glade finished fourth in Pro Rally and fourteenth overall, seven hours back of Sutherland.
With the Sonora Rally ending on 28 April while the Mexican 1000’s first day of racing was on the 30th, Ultimate Ironman Challenge participants took a shuttle van from the Sonora finish in San Luis Río Colorado to the 1000’s start in Ensenada on the 29th. Sutherland and Glade’s bikes reached their destination and received an expedited pre-race inspection process before heading out the next day.
Mike Johnson placed an impressive third overall and second in Pro Rally. While Johnson is no stranger to the Mexican 1000 and his Rally Comp company provides roadbook devices for riders there and at Sonora, the 1000 was just his second race with Chinese manufacturer Kove Moto after finishing third in Sonora’s National Enduro.
In the four-wheel realm, Sara Price‘s fourteenth overall secured the Evolution Stock Turbo UTV victory. A twenty-minute penalty narrowed the gap to second-placed Benjamin Crawford to twenty-one minutes, though that was still more than enough of a cushion for the victory. While Sutherland came one spot short of securing free admission to the 2024 Dakar Rally, Price claimed the Road to Dakar at Sonora for four-wheel vehicles after winning the National Car/UTV division. Price’s Sonora co-driver Jeremy Gray split time in the navigator’s seat at the 1000 with his daughter Saydiie Gray.
Price’s busy stretch continued when she followed up the 1000 by racing the Dos Mares 500 from La Paz to Cabo.
Like in bikes, the 2023 Mexican 1000’s overall victor in cars was a repeat as 2022 champion Steve Menzies, father of Baja star Bryce Menzies, went back to back.
Class winners
Cars
| Class | Overall Finish | Number | Driver | Vehicle | Total Time |
| Challenger 4×4 | 113 | 807 | Mark Van Leeuwarden | 1983 Ford Bronco | 37:26:36 |
| Challenger Buggy | 99 | 2222 | Frank Kelson | 1969 Volkswagen Beetle | 29:35:52 |
| Challenger Car | 57 | 500 | Tom Bird | 1974 Porsche Challenger 914 | 23:28:20 |
| Challenger Truck | 100 | 1940 | Colin McLemore | 1975 Ford Pickup | 29:45:34 |
| Evolution 6100 | 5 | 6139 | Terry Householder | 2018 Herbst-Smith Ford | 18:30:20 |
| Evolution Class 10 | 15 | 1011 | Eli Yee | 2011 Alumi-Craft Class 10 Buggy | 19:58:55 |
| Evolution Class 7100 | DNF | 7127 | Scott Phipps | 1996 Ford Ranger | N/A |
| Evolution Heavy Metal | 137 | 806 | Perry McNeil | 2018 Ford Raptor | 60:29:52 |
| Evolution Meyers Manx | DNF | 1356 | Joe Wheeler | 1973 Meyers Manx | N/A |
| Evolution Modified UTV | 33 | 444 | Seth Egge | 2017 Yamaha YXZ1000R SS | 21:29:03 |
| Evolution Modified Turbo UTV | 21 | 2979 | Cameron Ornelas | 2021 Can-Am Maverick X3 | 20:17:26 |
| Evolution Open UTV | 3 | 1854 | Kristen Matlock | 2022 Polaris RZR Pro R | 18:05:00 |
| Evolution Prerun Buggy | 55 | 995 | Randy Minnier | 2022 Alumi Craft Grande | 23:21:35 |
| Evolution Prerun Truck | 31 | 39 | Pat SIms | 1989 Ford F-250 | 21:26:57 |
| Evolution Rally Car | DNF | 602 | Jeff Gamroth | 2006 Porsche Cayenne | N/A |
| Evolution Stock UTV | 98 | 6456 | Hans Buckwalter | 2017 Polaris RZR XP 4 1000 | 28:34:08 |
| Evolution Stock Turbo UTV | 14 | 2024 | Sara Price | 2022 Can-Am Maverick X3 | 19:51:46 |
| Evolution Trophy Lite | 76 | 6036 | Bruce Anderson | 2022 Trophy Lite | 25:37:18 |
| Evolution Ultra 4×4 | 41 | 833 | Rod Kaven | 2019 Trent Fab Ultra4 | 22:17:06 |
| Evolution Unlimited Buggy | 2 | 153 | Matt Campbell | 2013 JIMCO Rally Car | 17:36:16 |
| Evolution Unlimited Truck | 1 | 1 | Steve Menzies | 2021 Mason Ford | 17:01:34 |
| Historic Buggy | 58 | 156 | Darren Mahoney | 2000 Jimco Class 1 | 23:44:30 |
| Historic Truck and Truggy | 46 | 16 | Pedro Perezpliego | 1991 Ford F-150 | 22:31:32 |
| Legend 4×4 | 64 | 35 | Chris Greenwood | 1972 Ford Bronco | 24:38:48 |
| Legend Buggy | 86 | 304 | Rich Minga | 1971 Sandwinder Buggy | 26:45:40 |
| Legend Car | 128 | 34 | John Lannom | 1967 Volkswagen Beetle | 46:21:32 |
| Pioneer 4×4 | 80 | 26 | Boyd Jaynes | 1968 Ford Bronco | 26:07:28 |
| Pioneer Buggy | 93 | 9 | Jon Steinhilber | 1965 Meyers Manx | 27:23:20 |
| Pioneer Truck | 92 | 866 | Chris Sullivan | 1966 Ford F-100 | 27:22:43 |
| Vintage 4-Cylinder Buggy | 27 | 138 | Randy Wilson | 1988 Raceco Buggy | 21:01:31 |
| Vintage 6-Cylinder Truck | 126 | 218 | Jose Luis Salizzoni | 2002 Ford Explorer | 44:55:20 |
| Vintage Class 1/2-1600 | 49 | 1613 | Ruben Rodriguez | 2000 Bunderson 2/1600 | 22:56:22 |
| Vintage Class 11 | 88 | 1124 | Aida Leon | 1970 Volkswagen Beetle | 27:01:35 |
| Vintage Class 5 | 9 | 512 | Mike Belk | 2007 Volkswagen Class 5 | 19:07:39 |
| Vintage Military Vehicle | 134 | 22 | Robert Blanton | 1984 Chevrolet Blazer | 54:06:08 |
| Vintage Open Buggy | 23 | 86 | Jay Culbertson | 1990 Raceco Class 1 | 20:33:45 |
| Vintage Open Production Car | DNF | 600 | Allen Repashy | 1965 Ford Ranchero | N/A |
| Vintage Open Truck | 12 | 236 | Dane Cardone | 1995 Ford F-150 | 19:33:43 |
| Vintage Open Truck 4×4 | 68 | 73 | Craig Christy | 1971 Chevrolet Suburban | 24:54:46 |
| Vintage Open Truck Rear Leafs | 135 | 826 | John Bonanni | 1978 Ford Pickup | 55:54:53 |
| Vintage Short Wheelbase 4×4 | 96 | 301 | Larry Trim | 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 28:18:15 |
| VIntage Stock Production Car | 123 | 969 | Serifcan Ozcan | 1989 Porsche 911 | 42:12:18 |
Bikes
| Class | Overall Finish | Number | Rider | Vehicle | Total Time |
| 50+ Vintage Dudes | 6 | 822 | Scott Purcell | 2019 KTM 500 | 24:16:58 |
| 60+ Vintage Dudes | DNF | 17 | Steve Fugate | 2022 Beta 430 RR-S | N/A |
| ATC 3-Wheelers | 23 | 278 | Lyle Tonelli | 1986 Honda ATC250R | 51:01:20 |
| Modern Lites | 13 | 233 | Sydney Keeney | 2022 KTM 350 EXC-F | 28:22:21 |
| Modern Open | 2 | 37 | Cade Smith | 2022 KTM 500 | 22:19:50 |
| Multi-Cylinder | 7 | 890 | Radek Burkat | 2021 KTM 890 Adventure R | 24:54:46 |
| Pro Rally | 1 | 423 | Matt Sutherland | 2021 KTM 450 Rally | 21:54:05 |
| Rally Amateur | 9 | 997 | Clint Skullerud | 2017 KTM XC-F | :27:02:27 |
| Vintage Open | 5 | 101 | Ben Schuckburgh | 2000 Honda XR650R | 23:47:17 |
