2023 Coast 2 Coast Rally | Stage Five | Freedom Is at the Finish

Race Report brought to you by WESTx1000.

Maxi Rally and Rally Experience teams were some of the toughest boys out there. It already takes some courage to enter a rally-raid on a purpose-built vehicle, but to sign-up with machines that are arguably inefficient in this sport (or any?) requires a bit more than bravery. Maybe a few loose screws. Or something to prove. Perhaps they possess just a few more drops of masochism every rally racer needs to survive five-plus stages of punishment, especially on a motorbike sitting in the heavier weight classes. Of the ADV Experts, Vincent Ros (62) had the fastest time amongst his peers, winning the Rally Experience Category with flying colors. Mauricio Rivas (59) took the second step of the podium on his Aprilia Tuareg 660, a rare vessel even in this class. Juan Pablo Isaac Medina (57) was a contender for runner-up throughout the tournament, but eventually settled for Third after he was awarded a crushing penalty on Stage Four. Like the Rally Experience class, Maxi Rally saw about a 50% attrition rate. Come Friday only three were left: Mauricio Varela (73) in the Winner’s Circle, Leonardo Padilla (71) right after him, and Javier Garza. Bolado (70) to round out the numbers. 

Some folks just don’t know how to reel it back. And while racing at a 110% can be a benefit in certain moments of the competition, going one-hundred-percent, one-hundred-percent of the time is a risky play. We’ve already seen what great consequences the athletes can suffer in a low-danger zone. Races are already a matter of chance, and understanding when and when not to push those limits with a bit of daring is what makes for a lengthy career in rally. Of the rookies, Dohnsie Nyguen (37) was all heart, which is what put him on the Top Step in Rally 1 by Day Five. But he had a bit more of the reckless abandon as well, crashing (albeit not seriously) in every stage. His “war wounds” were evidence of his gumption. Mario Mendoza (28) wasn’t all that much slow – a perfect adversary to rival a rider like Nyguen. 

Rally Pros had a slim margin for failure. This whole group was made up of fast guys, so it’s safe to say the leaders were the more talented navigators. Even so, a smattering of penalties kept riders who were talented at both bogged down by extra time. Bikes at the top one day were damn near the bottom the next. The ones who didn’t fluctuate so drastically were the champions amongst the professionals. Differences between the first four seats were by mere minutes. Mauricio Santana (5) appeared to be in real contention, pulling some of the quicker times on-course. But consistency, and perhaps sheer determination, gave South Africa’s Willem Avenant (12) and Oswaldo Lara (7) from Punta Colonet, B.C., the upper hand, placing them One and Two ahead of Santana. Avenant was a favorite to win, having some of the most well-rounded experience in the lineup, but the fierce competition around him, rather than his performance, likely obstructed his preferred results. Strawberry farmer in small-town Baja, Lara was a surprise to those who weren’t familiar with him or his prowess on a moto. His wife and daughter congratulated his success under the Red Bull arch at playa de Zicatela, maybe still unaware of his accomplishment at that point.

The side-by-sides had their fair share of drama this Coast 2 Coast. Roll-overs, mechanical issues, and troubles in the silt. Even at the very last special, Angel Perez (103) managed to bend a control arm in the final stretches. But that didn’t deter him one bit as he and his co-pilot, Kyber, pulled into parc fermé with big smiles on their faces (limping only a little). Although, finishing First in the UTV Stock class might have had something to do with it… Behind the men were cars #102, captained by Manuel “Manolo” Delaconcha, and #100, with Jose Martin Diaz Gonzalez at the wheel.

With Speed Zones ever present, the SSVs of both categories caravanned down the steep, curvy mountain range they’d ascended the stage before. If you followed their tracks on Google Maps, you might think you were viewing the records of an electrocardiogram (EKG) by mistake. The lines were all over the place, up and down, in short bursts and in large. A dizzying descent during the Liaison from San José del Pacifíco – reaching upwards of 3,000 meters (or 9,842 feet) at times then dropping drastically – was such a contrast from the wide, straight, swift trajectory of the 10 “clicks” of the Special that it’s no wonder the racers went wild at the sight of the finish line. Both Unlimited UTVs drove fairly separated from each other most of the event. They mixed with the Stock class on course, and while there was a bit of gap between them, they also both finished with points. Something that counts for a lot in a sport meant to break you. But only one can be triumphant. And that someone was Arturo Garza (107), while Juan Manuel Vasquez (105) took the next respectable step.