First off, we didn't take many pictures, and when we did the lens cover was left off at some point and a fine film of desert dust settled on the lens. Machelle grabbed the camera without checking the lens and took a few pics of/from the ultra light. The pic quality is terrible, but it's all I've got!
We were packed and ready to go early Thursday morning. We had an uneventful trip to the border crossing at Calexico/Mexicali, a quick inspection on the Baja side and we were on our way.
As usual, there was construction on the highway with dirt road diversions, one a few miles long. I'm always amused by road construction projects in Mexico. The detours that they make around them are almost always dirt roads, usually graded, but still pretty bumpy from heavy truck traffic. Mex Hwy 5 is THE north/south artery to San Felipe. Big rigs, buses, grandma's, no one has a choice but to get in some off roading. I'd love to see their methods used on our side of the fence. The uproar would be entertaining!
We found our turn off at KM 166, and located the pit a few miles down the dirt road. We spent some time looking at the race course tracks that approached our pit, figured out the best set up for racers entering/exiting. Standard procedure is to refuel the car first, then push/move it out of the fuel lane to the repair area (if needed).
Looks like a good place for a pit!
More of the crew drifted in over the course of the day. Our cook, Tommy, makes the best potato soup (Mexican style). Everyone knows they need to be there by dinner time if they hope to get any.
Nelson Racing Services, BFG box van.
Race day was fairly typical. I ended up helping the guys from Dan Chamlee's team swap a transmission out in their 700 truck. They ended up behind the pit near my truck when the transmission quit completely. I had plenty of tools so I got them out, passed them back and forth as they needed them. We had the transmission swapped out and got them back in the race in a little over an hour. Their driver knew everything about that truck, exactly what had to be done, etc.
After the race (our pit closed around 11PM) we went to Machelle's brothers house in San Felipe.
Her brothers house has a carport, and he rents half of it out to Rafael, who happens to own the ultra light airplane that he keeps there. Rafael showed up around lunch time. He was flying the bride in to the wedding at the golf course next door to Pete's Camp later in the day and he wanted to check the landing area. He said he'd give Machelle and I a ride when he got back!
I sat on the porch sipping a cerveza or two as I watched him put the plane together. It was obvious that he'd done this before, a few hundred times. he knew exactly where to put the lawn chairs, carpet squares and wood blocks needed for the assembly process!
He had the plane in the air in 30 minutes or so. We saw him checking his landing area at the golf course. It was a bit windy but Rafael had a smooth landing. As he flew over the beach his spotter waved him in for a couple of paying customers.
After giving them their rides he landed back at the house, it was our turn. Machelle went first and took the pics.
Assembly is complete!
Ready for take off.
Holy crap that thing looks fragile!
View down the main street into Pete's Camp. That's the Cantina at the end of the street.
My turn!
Machelle and Rafael.
The three of us (duh!)
The flight was incredible. I highly recommend it if you're in San Felipe and Rafael is flying.
We called it an early night Saturday, pretty much went to bed when the sun went down.
We had a completely uneventful drive home, maybe an hour wait at the border crossing and then home!
We were packed and ready to go early Thursday morning. We had an uneventful trip to the border crossing at Calexico/Mexicali, a quick inspection on the Baja side and we were on our way.
As usual, there was construction on the highway with dirt road diversions, one a few miles long. I'm always amused by road construction projects in Mexico. The detours that they make around them are almost always dirt roads, usually graded, but still pretty bumpy from heavy truck traffic. Mex Hwy 5 is THE north/south artery to San Felipe. Big rigs, buses, grandma's, no one has a choice but to get in some off roading. I'd love to see their methods used on our side of the fence. The uproar would be entertaining!
We found our turn off at KM 166, and located the pit a few miles down the dirt road. We spent some time looking at the race course tracks that approached our pit, figured out the best set up for racers entering/exiting. Standard procedure is to refuel the car first, then push/move it out of the fuel lane to the repair area (if needed).
Looks like a good place for a pit!
More of the crew drifted in over the course of the day. Our cook, Tommy, makes the best potato soup (Mexican style). Everyone knows they need to be there by dinner time if they hope to get any.
Nelson Racing Services, BFG box van.
Race day was fairly typical. I ended up helping the guys from Dan Chamlee's team swap a transmission out in their 700 truck. They ended up behind the pit near my truck when the transmission quit completely. I had plenty of tools so I got them out, passed them back and forth as they needed them. We had the transmission swapped out and got them back in the race in a little over an hour. Their driver knew everything about that truck, exactly what had to be done, etc.
After the race (our pit closed around 11PM) we went to Machelle's brothers house in San Felipe.
Her brothers house has a carport, and he rents half of it out to Rafael, who happens to own the ultra light airplane that he keeps there. Rafael showed up around lunch time. He was flying the bride in to the wedding at the golf course next door to Pete's Camp later in the day and he wanted to check the landing area. He said he'd give Machelle and I a ride when he got back!
I sat on the porch sipping a cerveza or two as I watched him put the plane together. It was obvious that he'd done this before, a few hundred times. he knew exactly where to put the lawn chairs, carpet squares and wood blocks needed for the assembly process!
He had the plane in the air in 30 minutes or so. We saw him checking his landing area at the golf course. It was a bit windy but Rafael had a smooth landing. As he flew over the beach his spotter waved him in for a couple of paying customers. After giving them their rides he landed back at the house, it was our turn. Machelle went first and took the pics.
Assembly is complete!
Ready for take off.
Holy crap that thing looks fragile!
View down the main street into Pete's Camp. That's the Cantina at the end of the street.
My turn!
Machelle and Rafael.
The three of us (duh!)
The flight was incredible. I highly recommend it if you're in San Felipe and Rafael is flying.
We called it an early night Saturday, pretty much went to bed when the sun went down.
We had a completely uneventful drive home, maybe an hour wait at the border crossing and then home!
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