Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA

San Felipe: Armin Schwarz newsletter 2010-04-09

Overall win great motivation boost - Baja great country Dear Friends, Partners and Sponsors, Our sensational overall victory at the San Felipe 250 was a fabulous confirmation of the work done by our entire AGM team. The ...

Overall win great motivation boost - Baja great country

Dear Friends, Partners and Sponsors,

Our sensational overall victory at the San Felipe 250 was a fabulous confirmation of the work done by our entire AGM team. The developments on the technical side proved to be effective: thanks to the modified air ducting the cooling now works even better. We also improved the suspension and power train. The result was that Martin and I could pick up our pace without risking damage.

Just keep the throttle down! On the way to our overall win

And that also meant our race strategy worked well: We drove fast but not too aggressively. And our car coped beautifully with the high speeds. So it was success all round.

But don't worry. We haven't forgotten just how tough the SCORE Series races are and the thousands of possibilities there are for small but decisive mistakes -- and how important Lady Luck is in being successful. So we're not getting overly confident. Our feet are firmly on the ground -- the traction is much better there anyway.

Before the start: every little detail needs attention

"After the race is before the race" -- that also applies for a championship with just five races. They are really tough and a DNF hurts. The next race on the calendar is the 42nd Tecate SCORE Baja 500 from 4-6 June. The "500" stands for almost 500 miles or 800 kilometres through the desert of Baja California in northern Mexico. It's hard graft driving a 640 hp vehicle through this unbelievable countryside. The route runs from Ensenada on the Pacific with 150,000 inhabitants through Baja California direction southeast to San Felipe with a population of 15,000 on the Sea of Cortez.

If that sounds like an adventure to you, then you're dead right. At racing speed we experience just the vastness of the desert and the heat. During practice we have a little more time to enjoy the incredible nature.

Baja California desert: heeps of space for SCORE racing - and for a great vacation

One day I want to come to Baja California as a tourist. Then I'd make a stop in our starting city Ensenada on the Bahia de Todos Santos bay and enjoy a drink, perhaps visit the world famous surfing spots, maybe go out deep sea fishing (the yellow fin season has just started). Or I would watch the migration of the grey whales which are abundant here between December and May. Or perhaps I would take my wife and kids, a tent and loads of water and drive out into the desert to experience the silence and the unimaginably starry night.

San Felipe is a small fishing village on the Sea of Cortez. Around 15,000 people live there. In springtime, several thousand visitors arrive from the likes of California, Canada and Australia to enjoy the wonderful Mediterranean climate. There are lots of things to do other than strolling along the gorgeous beaches. In the Valley of the Giants are 1,000 year old cacti. Many divers come to witness the bounty of huge fish. Whale lovers are drawn here as are deep sea fishermen and people who simply want to see the amazing desert.

Sea of Cortez: one day I'll come as a tourist

So you see, it's not only racing fever that has me in its grip in Mexico. One day I have to come here and see everything at a more relaxed pace. But first we tackle the Baja 500. On 24 April we receive our starting number by lottery. From 22 May we can pre-run. I'll get back to you at the start of May with the latest news of our preparations.

Until then

Best wishes,
    Armin

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article San Felipe: Official finishers
Next article Baja 500 Draw date news 2010-04-11

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA