Ensenada Grand Prix Oct 2nd & 3rd - Street Circuit Racing that YOU can join
 

Ok, I'm going to make a shameless plug to my fellow racers regarding one of my favorite racing events of all time:

After a 10 year absence the Grand Prix is returning to Ensenada, BC this October 2nd & 3rd, 2010! This is a fantastic racing event held on a coastal street circuit in Baja California just an hour drive south of the San Diego border. Have you ever dreamed of racing at Monaco or Long Beach? Well, unless you’re either very rich or extremely talented keep dreaming! However there is still hope for the rest of us because the Ensenada Grand Prix can delivers all the excitement of a beach front road race in an exotic location. You would be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable road racing venue anywhere in the world. Plus, this event is more than just a race - the atmosphere is fiesta like with large crowds of cheering spectators and numerous street vendors. Most racers take advantage of the wonderful cuisine and drinks available at the resort host hotel. This race was a regular event in the 90’s and some vintage footage is available here:

I’m sure you have a lot of questions so I’ll try to answer some of them now:

What do I need in order to enter this race? You’ll need a race car that has been prepared with a minimum of a 6 point roll cage and racing harnesses. Any car that meets the standards of a major racing organization (SCCA, NASA, etc) will be perfectly acceptable for competition. You should also have enough racing experience to be comfortable racing on a street circuit. Street Circuits require additional level of driver discipline as any off track excursion will most likely result in damage. You will be able to purchase your racing license at the event for $75.00 and the entry fee is $225.00. So, basically, all you need is a race car and $300 bucks! If you have a car that is not race prepared the event does offer several sessions each day where you can drive your car on the circuit at a fast pace and get a taste of the action.

Where exactly is this race? The Ensenada Grand Prix will be held in the City of Ensenada located about 40 miles south of San Diego, CA. The climate is wonderful and the city has a lot of charm. Ensenada is well known for its cuisine and is a popular tourist destination. The race itself will be run on closed public roads along beautiful beaches. A track map is available here: http://www.calderapromotions.com/ima...senada2010.jpg

Is the racing safe? This race is an FIA sanctioned event and run in full accordance to FIA safety regulations. The event is fully staffed with emergency personnel and competitors do their best to run a clean race. This race is no more dangerous than any such event anywhere else in the world. However, as this is a street circuit you need to exercise extra caution as an off track excursion could be dangerous. Racers with no previous street circuit experience are encouraged to race conservatively.

Is Mexico safe? Many people are concerned by the frequent news reports of violence in Mexico these days. While this violence it almost exclusively contained to conflict with and between drug cartels we still take a number of precautions to ensure your safety. Most American racers meet in San Diego and then cross the border and drive to Ensenada as a group. Many of us are long time veterans of racing in Mexico and will be more than happy to guide you through the whole process. Once at the track security is provided and the event hotel has a secured parking lot for your cars and tow vehicles to park at overnight. Ensenada also is a relatively safe city due to the large tourist trade and upscale clientele. By taking a few basic precautions this can be a very safe place to visit.

How are the race car classes organized? Car are broken into four basic competition classes - C, B, A and Open. C Class is for relatively unmodified four cylinder cars. B Class is more extensively modified or faster four cylinder cars. A Class is for cars with more than four cylinders, rotary engines and turbo cars running the stock turbo. Open is for highly modified cars. As you can imagine this results in a wide variety of cars which only adds to the fun. We’ve seen Porsches, BMWs, VWs, Hondas, Nissans, Alfa Romeos, Ferraris, Classic Muscle Cars, Mazdas, Corvettes, Rally Cars and just about everything else you can name.

What is the event hotel? The host Hotel is the San Nicholas Hotel: http://www.sannicolashotel.com Secure parking for your car, trailer and truck will be provided. $70 per night if you mention the Grand Prix.

How can I get more information or details? The event has a website: www.calderapromotions.com with some information. You can also, e-mail me, John at magnusracing@aol.com with any questions.

Ok, I want to race, what now? Go ahead and reserve a room at the host hotel. Then contact me at magnusracing@aol.com and I’ll give you details on when and where we are all meeting in San Diego to cross the border. You don’t have to pay for anything in advance - you pay your entry fee at the track.

I hope you’ll consider joining us for this unique experience. I promise you’ll enjoy it. Feel free to contact me with any questions at magnusracing@aol.com

You can also post your questions in this thread. I race an RX-8 and check the forum regularly.

Thanks,

John