This is just my opinion, BUT i think since the trophy trucks run the race in a little under 24 hours, why dont they split the 500 and 1000 up next year a little differently. give the bikes and ATV and UTV a day head start to get ahead of the trophy trucks. the ATV/UTV and bikes are the hardest to navigate thru rough terrain, they would have an advantage going down the course BEFORE the trophy trucks before the silt beds become 3ft deep and the wash outs get 2-3ft deeper than they were when these guys were pre-running
thursday allow the bikes and ATV and UTV to go
6am - bikes hit the road - gives a full day of daylight and puts them on par for finishing the following morning before lunch
9am - ATV hit the road - gives them a full day of racing and a full night, puts them on par to finish late friday afternoon/early friday night
12noon - UTV hit the road. on a clean and clear course, not having to run against VW bugs and toyota 4runners and after the trophy trucks which mutilate the track, the UTVs will run a faster pace, have a much faster average MPH, on a cleaner and fresher track. this would give the UTVs a fair head start over the trophy trucks and allow the UTVs to finish the race friday night at worst case early saturday morning
Friday start letting the bigger cars and trophy trucks to run.
6am - let the tube buggies and VWs run
9am - let the production classes run
12noon - let the trophy trucks go. - allows the trophy trucks to come thru and annhialate the course after everyone else has gone and has a head start. the trophy trucks leaving at noon on friday puts them on course to finish the race at lunch time saturday, well behind the UTV and ATV classes so the TTs arent running folks down and running over people. plus their race ending on saturday, with the vast majority of the other racers finishing on friday night and early saturday morning, puts the majority of the finishers friday night and all day saturday. gives the weekend to party and celebrate.
in my opinion, letting this type of race run in this fashion would make it
1) faster pace for the bikes and ATV and UTV
2) take less stress off the drivers minds not having to worry about a trophy truck right on their asses throughout the day and night since the trophy trucks are a full 24 hours behind them
3) give the guys more of a free air and smoother racing conditions with less traffic and a smoother track.
i have watched every race video of baja posted, i have been watching it for years. i see how bad the silt gets, i have aerial images loaded on my computer and was following the racers on topo maps and aerial maps and could see when the guys hit the silt beds, full throttle they were maintaining 35mph. the silt, after the trophy trucks destroy the track, is insurmountable and almost impassable for most all of the ATV/UTV. luckily the bikes get free air, and check out first, and maintain a good enough pace that they stay out front and dont have to navigate the track after the TTs come thru.
i think a spread like what i listed above would allow the UTV to maintain a faster pace, with less grueling conditions, and picking up the pace, being spread out away from the trophy trucks keeps the drivers safer and more at ease not worrying about a TT running them down and crashing on the back of their cage and catching their car on fire like what happened to the monster mav at V2R