Official UTVUG Baja 500 Coverage
- Thread starter UTVUGJake
- Start date
Most people take our technology for granted. Being a journalist my self I can tell you that there is no huge pot of cash available to pay for what it takes to bring live coverage from Mexico. It's a logistical nightmare. When people approach me to do live coverage they balk at the price. It takes a huge team; especially when you are going from one coast to the other. Sure, someone could be posted at the finish line but all results are still unofficial until they calculate the times and asses penalties..
For those of you who haven't been in baja, technology that we have in the states that we view as a standard in our lives, is considered a luxury in baja. The only time I'm able to get the Internet is when I'm at the hotel. ATT recently bought Nextel down here and in the next 2 years you'll see a drastic improvement in the quality of coverage
Perhaps it's time to quote what it would cost to obtain the bare minimum from some outfit already covering the trophy trucks or any other segment racing and start from there. If there's nobody already down there from our segment covering it (period) or there in any 'live' non-profit capacity (able to write the entire trip off as doing just that) then you're starting at square one with the cost of both real time and the easier coverage afterwards (in any capacity), which is ideal.
Hats off to Bajaxp in a previous thread days ago for being the only one(?) to pick Matlock/Hayes in the Jimco 4-seater to contend. I was disappointed that Johnny winning the 1000 in a 4-seater received so little commentary afterwards as I've been finding ours to be (unexpectedly) excellent in rough terrain.
Wish that the subject was debated more up here; as BAM mentioned (earlier) desiring that configuration should he ever get into building one again for himself or another.
The people covering the TT's can't wait around until the UTV's show up, they have to chase. That's why you would need a huge team. You would have to dedicate a team to covering just the UTV's. That is only bodies on the ground, the technology issues are still in place. It takes money to put that together. Everyone wants coverage but who pays for it? Media professionals have to pay the bills. If there is no profit, you are out of business. As a long time fan of desert racing, I'm disappointed that it has not caught on with the masses but the scarcity of coverage due to cost and technology issues is a big factor.
That's why I specified quoting the bare minimum from somebody already on the course and/or covering somebody else. A heads up. A mention that you saw somebody. A team report that doesn't give anything away. Whatever that information would be and whether you payed somebody for even the slightest 'tidbit' of it or not..it would be infinitely more real time coverage than what the sport is receiving presently (which is effectively 'zero' even at the finish line).
I realize that there is a business model here yet..really?..the sport has to put together/fund a full-blown media chase team...or (effectively) nothing?
If you have a better idea.... What you're proposing is not media reporting, it's rumors. From the ground you can't always tell who is leading. Everyone who is working the race, is working the race. If you are on a class 1 team, you pull into your pit, fuel the car and then you split. How would you even see a UTV all day? The teams that are getting coverage put their people on the ground to cover the race. Not sure what your experience is with Baja but it's not a track. You are in remote areas with no cell or internet. Some places the radios don't even work. You need full time satellite coverage and accurate information from people who are paying 100% attention to who is where. That's not easy. If you had someone at every checkpoint you would still have to be able to relay all that info to the next checkpoint and be able to get that info out. If that person was doing that, who is shooting photos or video? The good spots are not in the pits or at the checkpoints.How will we get fan and sponsor interest if all you show is a drive-by in the pits? There just isn't a volunteer media group made up of independently wealthy, tech savvy individuals to accomplish this.
No, it was the auto adjustable one from Boondockers, it was also a new cam chain and a new built motor. Ive never had one of the chains break before! One thing that is for sure is that Marc drives very hard and will find any weak link in the car! He has had a lot of breakdown with the car all season long! This was the first engine related failure, and it was a factory part that simply broke. I'm pretty crushed that it happened! I also don't know what I could have done differently to prevent it!
Despite my repeated attempts to explain even 'bare minimum' coverage and the easily attainable advantages of same for the sport...the two of us are obviously stuck on "someone at every checkpoint" and independently wealthy media groups. (Repeat) Anything is better than what we've experienced since the race started and indeed ended (already). UTVUG is already brainstorming what they can do better while mearsman insists that in 2 years it will be vastly different as well. We're not asking for a helicopter...we'd just like to know ie. (even) who finished and who 'did not' "x" hours after the fact. Seems pretty ridiculous (to me) with this much money being thrown at these races yet not an outlet (apparently) anywhere who cares to simply/minimally 'check in' with those (often) paying the effective bills.
Of all the things to break, I can't imagine how disappointing it must be to snap a timing chain; especially on a brand new engine. I run a Boondocker myself and heard that Polaris was ordering from them as well on their in-house builds (doubt that it was a factor yet who knows). Hope that you get to the bottom of this for at least some peace of mind as you're right; what would/could you do different?
^^^^Sounds like there is a great opportunity for you to go down there and report for all of us state side. 
Just sharing the reality of the challenge. If the updates are unreliable, what's the benefit? I've read countless stories on FB and the internet from people who can't tell the difference between the orange truck of Apdaly Lopez and the orange truck of Robby Gordon. I am sure some eye witnesses are telling their friends they saw Robby Gordon win.
Where's the money come from to support the people who are keeping everyone up to date?
Most everything that we've been told to date involving this race has been unreliable; yet for some reason. I'm still hanging on every word as I still don't have a clue as to what happened nor where to find even less reliable information in real time.
I just don't see the challenge in setting your Corona down for a second to grab a satellite phone and tell the world what you know, as the guy in post #57 commented upon. I'd take PeeWee Herman claiming that Bruce Jenner took the podium at this point!
Just send me a check and I'll give you updates.Most everything that we've been told to date involving this race has been unreliable; yet for some reason. I'm still hanging on every word as I still don't have a clue as to what happened nor where to find even less reliable information in real time.
Do we have to pay people to be fans or supporters of a burgeoning sport (barely teething) now?
What in the heck did all those guys down south do (where racing was born) back when racing was actually an obsession barely removed from moonshining?
Right now, I wouldn't send a dime to anybody down there but the guys doing the work (teams/sponsors) and laugh in the face of anyone quoting me a price to 'cover' anything!
Passion built racing..those who ended up covering it simply rode the same wave and/or created their own.
^^^Sounds like you should go down and be a part of the solution. You could use your newly Mexican enabled cell phone ($$$) to update all of us. This is the first Baja 500 I have not raced in a long time and I honestly find your comments comical. Eg...people who want perfect coverage, yet won't travel down and watch the race and report, yet want others to do it...for free.
Last edited:
I want to see him beat the cars from san felipe to the coast. With all due respect.