5 Unbelievable Baja 1000 Stories: Jenson Button's 17-Hour Stranding, A Craigslist Motorcycle & More

The Baja 1000 course consists of over 800 miles of brutal terrain in the Mexican desert. (Photo credit: Art Eugenio/Red Bull Content Pool)Since its first running in 1967, the Baja 1000 has become one of motorsport's most incredible races because it's one of the only events in the world that can bring together former Formula 1 champions and complete novices on some of the most treacherous terrain and produce results no one could have ever expected.In simple terms, the Baja 1000 is a major off-road rally that takes place on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula (not in California, USA); while the exact route and distance change every year, competitors can expect to tackle over 800 miles of unforgiving desert silt, scrubland, and rocky mountain passes in pursuit of victory. The race itself is run all at once; drivers cross through several checkpoints along the way that capture their total elapsed time, and they can stop in makeshift pits to swap drivers—though driver swaps aren't necessary. The duration of the race depends on the length of the course and the class of vehicle. Top professionals in the top classes can finish shorter courses in as little as 15 hours, while slower vehicles on longer courses may take up to 50 hours to complete the race.The folks who take on the challenge do so in a variety of desert-equipped vehicles that comprise distinct classes, from top-of-the-line Trophy Trucks and vintage Volkswagen Beetles to UTVs and motorcycles. And it's the kind of race that welcomes all-comers, from pros supported by sponsors like Red Bull to competitors who rely on their family to serve as their pit crew.A Trophy Truck goes through tech at the 2024 Baja 1000. (Photo credit: Elizabeth Blackstock/FanAmp)While the race isn't as expansive as the Dakar Rally, where racers compete for thousands of miles over the course of several days, the Baja 1000 is just as fascinating when it comes to in-race action. And because the race's organizers, SCORE International, allow entries from all-comers, Baja is almost always packed to the brim with frankly unbelievable storylines. Today, we're taking a look at just five of them that illustrate how unpredictable, and captivating, the race can be. Jenson Button stranded in the desert for 17 hoursBack in 2019, former Formula 1 driver Jenson Button had retired from the global open-wheel racing scene and turned his attention to a slew of other disciplines, like endurance, sports car, and touring car racing. That included one stint at the iconic Baja 1000, where he raced a Trophy Truck.Button's debut was packed with chaos. After making it 235 miles into the race, Button said he and his co-driver Terry Madden heard a loud clatter and lost drive. A quick investigation on the side of the road revealed they'd broken their differential. Unable to continue, the two were forced to bed down in the desert for the night.“We found the most remote place to breakdown which meant we spent the whole night and a total of 17hrs under the stars,” Button wrote on Instagram after the race. “The only people we saw were other racers asking us to wipe their dirty light bars clean.”View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jenson Button (@jensonbutton)Why couldn't Button and Madden have been rescued earlier? Out in the desert, it can be challenging for rescue vehicles to reach a stranded car during the middle of a race. Add to that the fact that Button's communication systems were malfunctioning, and it made for a long wait until a helicopter could rescue the duo.Ben Hunter FaceTimed his mom for hoursFor decades, it's been almost impossible to keep real-time up-to-date tabs on the Baja 1000. Once competitors launch off the start line, it's been rare to receive any information about the running order aside from occasional updates as vehicles reach mid-race checkpoints. That has changed over the last few years thanks to the existence of technology like Starlink, a satellite internet service. Baja competitors now often compete with a Starlink panel on their vehicle, allowing for accurate, to-the-moment updates about their performance (and even to share live video broadcasts). But in 2024, Ben Hunter needed Starlink for another reason. Ben has type 1 diabetes, and when he and his brother David entered the Baja 1000 on a shared Sherco, their mom told Ben he could ride only if she could FaceTime him whenever he was on the bike.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fishgistics (@fishgistics)Ben obliged, strapping his phone to his chest and dialing his mom. A Starlink Mini panel taped to his helmet provided the connection, and a battery tied to the rear of the bike kept everything powered through the Hunters’ 31-hour race. Whenever Ben was the one riding, his mom could keep close tabs on him.The Hunter brothers scored second in the Sportsman Moto class, but post-race scrutineering revealed they'd run an “illegal line” that resulted in a whopping 17-hour penalty, according to Jalopnik. That penalty effectively disqualified them from the race. At least Ben Hunter got to accomplish his dream.Wouter-Jan Van Dijk's Craigslist motorcycle finishes the raceOne of the most remarkable stories in Baja 1000 history is that of Wouter-Jan Van Dijk. Born in the Netherlands before moving to Australia, Van Dijk decided he wanted to compete in the 2023 Baja 1000. So, he flew to the United States, bought a used KTM 500 EXC off Craigslist in San Diego, and rode the bike all the way down to La Paz to take the start of the race.While most Baja 1000 competitors enter the race with a handful of folks supporting them in the form of mechanics or pit crew members, Van Dijk planned on doing everything solo. In La Paz, he had to make major repairs to the KTM, which meant he had no time to “pre-run” the course — or, effectively, to drive the full Baja 1000 distance in advance. When he launched off the start line, Van Dijk did so in the middle of the night for what would be his first experience at Baja.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Tony Lozano (@tonylozza)Incredibly, when he hit the first checkpoint, he was first in his class. Three hundred miles later, he had held onto second.His story spread through the Baja community, and before long, Van Dijk found that he'd been adopted by the teams of his competitors and fans across the desert. They'd offer him food, fuel, and water at their stops, cheering him along all the way. When his navigation system fell off his bike and damaged his front wheel with less than 100 miles to go, his competitors enacted quick repairs and filled the gas tank before he'd finished consulting his map. He ultimately crossed the finish line in under 49 hours, good enough for seventh in his class, thanks both to his determination and the help he received from the sidelines every step of the way.Teenager Eva Star Malabanan completes every mile of BajaWhile the Baja 1000 is the most notable race to take place in Baja California, it's actually the marquee event of the four-race SCORE World Desert Championship. Each year, the series hosts the San Felipe 250, the Baja 500, the Baja 400, and the Baja 1000. The competitors who perform the best over the course of all four events are crowned the World Desert Champions, but even finishing all of the events is a remarkable achievement, especially since most racers share driving duties over the course of the Baja 1000.And in 2024, 17-year-old Eva Star Malabanan completed every single mile of the World Desert Championship.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Eva Star ⭐️ (@evastar.racing)Star Malabanan is a third-generation racer who first got behind the wheel in 2018. She began competing in off-road racing behind the wheel of a sparkly pink UTV, and in 2024, she made waves when she announced that she intended to race every mile of the Baja 1000 on her own. When she crossed the finish line, it meant she completed every single mile of all four Baja races in 2024, enough to earn her Rookie of the Year and recognition by the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Even the most skilled racers struggle to make it to the finish line at these incredible races, but Star Malabanan completed the task in her rookie year. Then, in 2025, she did it again.The Baja 2000 decided with a rollover in the last 65 milesA new millennium prompted a rebrand from Baja: Instead of the Baja 1000, the race called itself the Baja 2000. At almost 1,700 miles in length, the route remains the longest in event history, and the battle for the lead wasn't settled until the final 65 miles.In that closing stage, the truck class race was being led by two racers named Dan Smith and David Ashley, but that lead was slim: Their Ford F-150 had suffered a leaking head gasket within the first 300 miles of the race, which meant it was leaking fluid for 1,400 miles. The drivers made hasty repairs and topped up with water wherever they could, but their Ford was slowing as they neared the end of the race.That had allowed the truck of then-five-time Baja 1000 winner Larry Ragland to cut down that lead to just 14 seconds as both trucks neared the finish line. In fact, Ragland got close enough to attempt a pass for the lead… and then rolled his truck. Smith and Ashley took victory in their class despite an overheating engine in one of the most dramatic races in Baja history.Heading into the 2026 race this weekend, there are sure to be countless other incredible stories just waiting to be told at the checkered flag.