The 40th Annual Baja 1000 starts this weekend. The race starts in Ensenada, Mexico and
travels 1,296.39 miles over a grueling course down Mexico's mysterious Baja California peninsula finishing in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Sur. Riders have 56 hours to complete the course. Notable this year is the long list of celebrities of all walks of life. There are movie stars, cross-over athletes, snowboarding stars, and more. Robby Gordon, Jesse James, Ricky Johnson, Jeremy McGratch, Tara Dakides, James Garner, Ted Nugent, Travis Pastrana, Glen Plake... it's fucking crazy--they're all down in Mexico right now duking it out in the desert. Here's a complete list of celebrities to watch for:


--Robby Gordon, NASCAR Team Owner/Driver, three-time Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Overall Winner, No. 71 SCORE Trophy-Truck with his dad Bob Gordon, a two-time overall winner with five class wins in this race

--Cameron Steele, action sports and Champ Car, TV announcer, No. 16 SCORE Trophy-Truck, No. 1249 SCORE Lite AND No. 23x Class 22

--Jesse James, ‘Monster Garage’ TV star, No. 54 SCORE Trophy-Truck

--Brendan Gaughan, NASCAR Truck Series regular, No. 119, Class 1

--Brian Ickler, NASCAR Grand National West Series regular, No. 31, SCORE Trophy-Truck with Andy and Scott McMillin

--Armin Schwarz, of Germany, seven-time World Rally Championship race winner, No. 104, Class 1

--Cyril Despres, of France, veteran Dakar Rally racer, 2007 overall Motorcycle winner, No. 9x, Class 22

--J.R. Todd, NHRA Top Fuel drag racer, No. 131, Class 1 with Ed Hullinger

--Morgan Lucas, NHRA Top Fuel drag racer, No. 131, Class 1 with Ed Hullinger

--Boris Said, NASCAR driver, sports car legend, BC2, Baja Challenge Class

--Danny Sullivan, 1985 Indy 500 winner, TV personality, No. 33, SCORE Trophy-Truck with Chad Ragland

--Wally Dallenbach Jr., veteran open-wheel/Pike’s Peak racer, NASCAR racer, TV personality, No. 76 SCORE Trophy-Truck with Jesse Jones

--Ricky Johnson, legendary former Supercross star/NASCAR regional series racer, TV show host, No. 28 SCORE Trophy-Truck with Alan Pflueger

--Patrick Dempsey, Star of ABC series "Grey's Anatomy", competed in Panoz and Miati sports car series and the 2005 Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrity race, third straight year in this race, BC2, Baja Challenge Class

--Jeremy McGrath, legendary former Supercross champion, BC16, Baja Challenge Class

--Rod Millen, World Rally Championship racer, Pikes Peak Hill Climb record holder, former champion in the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Stadium Series, , No. 762 Stock Mini Class AND BC2, Baja Challenge Class

--Rhys Millen, Pikes Pike Hill Climb class winner and National Drifting class champion, Hollywood Stunt driver, BC2, Baja Challenge Class

--Ken Losch, Former SCCA Formula Mazda racer, current Indy Pro Series owner/driver, No. 253, Protruck

--Ken Block, Founder of DC Shoes, Pro Rally racer, X Games star, BC16, Baja Challenge Class

--Tanner Foust, Pro Rally racer, X Games Gold medalist, Hollywood Stunt driver, BC2, Baja Challenge Class

--Bud Brutsman, Show Creator and TV Producer of ‘Rides’ and ‘Overhaulin’, BC 13, Baja Challenge Class

--Erin Crocker—USAC, ARCA and NASCAR Truck racer, BC13, Baja Challenge Class

--Paul Thacker, Pro Snowmobile racer, BC16, Baja Challenge Class

--Tracy Jordan, Rock Crawling pioneer with championships in three different series, BC13, Baja Challenge Class

--Kyle Loza, Freestyle MX, XGames Gold medalist, BC16, Baja Challenge Class

--Chris Burandt, Pro Snowmobile Racer, BC16, Baja Challenge Class

--Scott Atchison, former IndyCar driver, No. 403x, Class 40

--Gay Smith, Pike’s Peak Hill Climb champion, No. 118, Class 1

--Luke Trembath, Pro Sowboarder, BC16, Baja Challenge Class

Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 Celebrity Watch

Famous Personalities who have raced in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 include:

STEVE APPLETON—CEO and President of Micron Technology, stunt-plane pilot

FRANK ARCIERO JR.--off-road racer, developer, Winery owner, CART team owner

JACK ARUTE--Sports TV personality

HUBERT AURIOL--multiple winner of the Grenada-to-Dakar Rally

BOBBY BALDWIN—President/CEO of the Mirage Resorts, former World Series of Poker Champion

GAYLE BANKS—Land Speed Record Holder

RON BISHOP--raced in every Baja 1000 on a motorcycle (1 of 2 racers in every race)

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS—2004 and 2005 Champ Car World Series season champ from France

BUD BRUTSMAN—show creator and TV producer of ‘Rides’ and ‘Overhaulin’

JEAN CALVIN--former world class professional figure skater

SHANNON CAMPBELL—Rock Crawling champion

ERIK CARLSSON--world champion rallye driver

PAT MOSS CARLSSON--Erik’s wife/co-driver, sister of race driver Stirling Moss

DAN COOK—Professional Fly Fisherman

TARA DAKIDES—snowboarding legend

PATRICK DEMPSEY—Film and TV star (Grey’s Anatomy)

DOMINIC DOBSON—German-born former CART, NASCAR Truck Series and IMSA sports car star

CHIP FOOS—Star of TV’s Overhaulin’

GREG FOSTER—veteran Formula 1 powerboat racer

GARY GABELICH--Land Speed Record holder

JAMES GARNER--movie/TV star

JOSELE GARZA--Mexico’s only Indianapolis 500 “rookie of the year”

JOHN CLARK GABLE--movie actor and son of famed actor Clark Gable

JAMIE GALLES, former Trans Am and Toyota Atlantic racer whose family was a long-time IndyCar team owner

BRENDAN GAUGHAN--NASCAR Truck Series driver, former desert racer

ROBBY GORDON--former CART and current NASCAR Nextel driver/team owner

MIKE GROFF—former IRL driver

ROBBIE GROFF—former IRL driver

ROBERTO GUERRERO—former Indy Car and Formula 1 veteran

ROD HALL--18 class victories (one overall)--one of only two persons who has raced in EVERY SCORE Baja 1000

PETE HALSMER--former Indianapolis 500 driver, IMSA GT and Super Vee champion

VIC HICKEY--land speed racing and off-road racing pioneer

RYAN HUNTER-REAY—veteran open-wheel racer with two Champ Car wins

JESSE JAMES—star of TV’s Monster Garage

RICKY JOHNSON--third all-time winningest Supercross motorcycle racer

JIMMIE JOHNSON--former motocross star, NASCAR Nextel Cup driver

JOHNNY JOHNSON--15 class victories in eight different classes

STEFAN JOHANSSON—Indy car racer and team owner

PARNELLI JONES--1963 Indianapolis 500 winner

BERNARDO JOURDAIN--Mexican Indy car driver

MICHEL JOURDAIN Jr.--Mexican Indy car and NASCAR driver

DARREN LAW—GT Prototype racer

HERSHEL McGRIFF--first Carrera Panamericana winner and stock car champion

ROB MACCACHREN—7-time SCORE class champ, Stadium racing champ, 2001 & 2005 AARWBA All-America

MIKE ‘MOUSE’ MCCOY—SCORE race champion, noted Hollywood stunt driver

CHRIS MACCLUGAGE—legendary IJSBA personal watercraft racing world champion

CORKY McMILLIN—Founder-Corky McMillin Cos, patriarch of first SCORE 3-generation team, multiple Baja wins

MARK McMILLIN--San Diego developer; 8 class wins, including 5 overall in SCORE Baja 1000

CHAD McQUEEN—actor and son of Steve McQueen

STEVE McQUEEN--movie and TV star

CASEY MEARS—NASCAR Nextel Cup racer, former desert racer, son of off-road star Roger Mears

RICK MEARS--4-time Indy 500 winner; younger brother of former off-road star Roger Mears

ROGER MEARS—1991 AARWBA All-America racer, desert racing legend, Indy Car Racer

SHEKHAR MEHTA--4-time winner of East African Safari

BRUCE MEYERS--originator of the Meyers Manx, world’s first desert race car (dune buggy)

MIKE METZGER—godfather of Freestyle MX

AK MILLER--American hot rodding and off-road racing patriarch

ROD MILLEN—Pikes Peak Hill Climb Record Holder, rally racer, Stadium racing champion

RHYS MILLEN—Formula D Drifting racing National Champion, Hollywood Stunt driver

RICH MINGA—1987 SCORE Overall Point Champion, noted Hollywood stunt driver

LARRY MINOR—former drag racer and team owner

DANNY MODER—noted film cinematographer with over 20 on his filmography

PAULA MURPHY--one-time ‘world’s fastest woman’ racer

MICHAEL NESMITH--TV actor/musician “Monkees”; pioneer producer of CD music

PAUL NEWMAN—Actor, race car driver, philanthropist

GUNNAR NILSSON--Formula 1 driver

SERGIO NOLASCO--owner of Mexico’s finest Formula 3 road racing team

AARON NORRIS--motion picture and TV producer; brother of actor Chuck Norris

ERIC NORRIS—NASCAR touring series driver, TV stunt coordinator, son of actor Chuck Norris

TED NUGENT--rock ‘n’ roll singing star

DANNY ONGAIS--motorcycle, drag racing, road racing and Indy 500 racer

PAUL PAGE—Motorsports TV commentator

TED PAPPAS--Indy 500 racer

TRAVIS PASTRANA—Freestyle MX, Supercross star, X Games Superstar

SAM POSEY--international race driver and motorsports TV commentator

GLEN PLAKE—Two-Time World Champion Hot Dog Skier

DON PRUDHOMME--legendary drag racer

GASTON RAHIER--former Paris-to-Dakar rally champion

DARON RAHLVES—legendary three-time U.S. Olympic downhill skier

DYLAN RATIGAN—host of CNBC’s ‘Bullseye’ show

BUDDY RICE—2004 Indianapolis 500 winner

ELLIOTT FORBES-ROBINSON—legendary SCCA sports car racer

LARRY ROESELER--legendary motorcycle rider with an amazing 12 overall wins in SCORE Baja 1000

BORIS SAID—NASCAR driver and Trans Am racing star

ARMIN SCHWARZ—Seven-time World Rally Championship race winner

ORIOL SERVIA—Champ Car star from Spain

BON SINCLAIR--president of Volvo Automobile of America

MALCOLM SMITH--off-road motorcycle champion and star of movie, “On Any Sunday”

CAMERON STEELE—Motorsports & Action Sports TV commentator

DANNY SULLIVAN—1987 Indianapolis 500 champion

ROBERT SUTTON—President/CEO of Centrix Financial

MARK THATCHER--son of England’s former prime minister Margaret Thatcher

MICKEY THOMPSON--hot rodding and off-road racing pioneer, SCORE founder

ROLF TIBBLIN--world’s only motocross champion in three classes--500, 250 and 125cc

JUGATSU TOI--Japanese novelist

JOHNNY UNSER—Indy car racer, first from his racing family to drive in the race

JIMMY VASSER--CART champion driver

CAL WELLS III--NASCAR team owner who has also owned off-road and Indy Car teams

LARRY WILCOX--TV actor

BEKKI FREEMAN-WIK—Top female racer in SCORE History, 3-time SCORE Baja 1000 champ

JOHN ZINK--creator of Indy’s famed ‘laydown cars’

photo: http://www.popsci.com 
Story: http://durkadurkadigital.blogspot.com >>