Sisters man competes in Baja 1000

Sisters resident Greg Willitts, owner of Pioneer Group, has fulfilled a dream. He competed in the famous Baja 1000 this year. In a race where finishing is an accomplishment, Willitts placed well enough to be honored on the podium.

The iconic race is a part of the Score International Off Road Racing program and is arguably the most famous off-road race in North America.

"This was the 40th anniversary of the running of the race, and they had an extra special length of 1,296 miles. It ran from Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas," said Willitts.

The race has always sparked his interest, and this year he realized that he was running out of time.

"It was a dream hatched up last year at Hoodoo ski resort on New Year's Day with the help of Todd Samson, who died tragically in the lava tube accident last August. Not because of him but with him and another friend of mine, we hatched a plan to race motorcycles at 37. It was a good time. Life insurance was paid up, and the kids were healthy and happy. I had never raced it and had dreamed about it," said Willitts.

Racing on a motorcycle as a part of a six-man team, the race lasted for more than a day.

"If you can imagine, 1,296 miles and 36 hours of constant riding, and we placed in ninth place by 48 seconds."

In a brutal race like the Baja, finishing is an accomplishment. Often less than half of those who start make it to the finish line.

"We ended up with a finish in ninth place in division and 52nd over all, which was good enough for a podium finish. It was a pretty cool reception. Only 42 percent of my class finished the race. Less than 50 percent of the total race entries were able to finish, partly because of the longer than average length of the course this year," said Willitts.

Willitts had nothing but praise for the organization of the race.

"The event is amazing. The people who invited me were great, and the man who runs it, Mr. Sal Fish, is the kind of guy who takes the time to shake your hand even though the first place buggy is finishing right behind you. He takes the time to hear your message, congratulate you and thank you for coming. He does an absolutely incredible job arranging the race with the Baja communities ... to go across private land and through towns," Willitts said.

As a team member Willitts thrashed the Honda XR650 across sand and stone.

"I rode two independent legs, one of 97 miles and one of 133 miles. The 97-mile section was roughly two hours, and the 133 was also roughly two hours. The difference is that the shorter section was a lot more technical. It went from the Pacific Ocean over the mountain to the Sea of Cortés. It was rocky, silty and slow," said Willitts.

"The second section was from Santa Rita to Todos Santos, and it was more sandy, washy sections where it was possible to go much faster, and although the miles were quite a bit different, the time was about the same," Willitts said.

The race is not without its risks, and there are many minor and major horror stories.

"The worst part of the race is local booby traps. They (the locals) will, for entertainment value and after dozens of Tecate beers, create jumps, drop trees in the middle of the trail and that kind of thing. It is a common occurrence down there. It is a part of the peril," said Willitts.

Pre-riding the course is a necessity due to the booby traps and dangerous terrain. The racer needs to remember the course which may look very different during the race.

Willitts' pre-ride of the course may have saved his life. "On one particular section they (the locals) dissected the course with seats and people so that it gave the illusion that the road went straight between rows of spectators. Had I not stopped and ran to the right through the crowd, I would have continued off of a rocky cliff and either died or been seriously injured."