Spark,

Now you can understand why some of us our excited about this race which has been going on for 42 years! It's a one of a kind race.  If I lived closer, I'd be either standing by the side lines, sucking up the gas fumes/sand dust (my teeth would be whiter right?), and just enjoying every second of it.

I had tried to see if I could attend, as Jim and Richard who I meet at the IDF Diabetes World Congress back in October (http://www.diabetes1.org/blogs/Annas_Blog/2009/10/19 ) had invited me to attend, and take a whirl in "Herbie" or as it's better known during the Baja 1000 -  1104.  To experience going thru' 4 -6 feet of dessert sand would be a thrill of a lifetime.  I'd even be tempted to do the course (672.85 miles in length) on my BMW 650GS!  Alas, it isn't happening - couldn't find a crate big enough for the bike and myself - but hopefully one day, saving up the pennies in my piggy bank, I'll be able to join in on the fun!

The race is starting in a few hours - 11h00 - so if you want up to date coverage - this is the place to go to - and live the dream of a stock car race team driver - http://www.desertdingo.com/blog/

Don't forget, to record your message about diabetes at http://12seconds.tv/rooms/worlddiabetesday!  It's a challenge to get your point across in 12 seconds - but give it a go I did (notice my flashing horns? )!

Shucks, I'm blushing here with the the "uber cool" PWD comment that Chris has made above.  Glad I introduced Desert Dingo to you.  I'll get your New England Ivy League buttocks on the back seat of my motorcycle one day and take you for a spin.

so after reading your post, I did some googling to better understand the significance of the race.. The picture of that adorable bug has definitely skewed with what I had originally imagined this race to be like..

Based on what I read on wikipedia (i agree it's not the most reliable source, but I've found that it provides a rather accurate understanding of an event/object/person/what-have-you), the Baja 1000 race has a history of sabotage and booby-traps!  I had assumed that the appeal of Baja 1000 would only be clear to avid racing fans, but not only does this race encourage the excitement that comes with off-road racing, but its rough history adds just a little bit of danger to the mix. Now, more so than ever, I wish I had the means of witnessing this great event..

The picture of the Desert Dingo Team's VW Bug had reminded me of (sad to say) Herbie (from the Disney movie "Herbie: Fully Loaded", which coincidentally enough is a movie about a racing bug), which is why I had assumed the Baja 1000 was like any other race - purely about speed - but it turns out that it's about so much more.  I'm enjoying the parallel I see here between the Baja 1000 race and the Desert Dingo team's cause.. Shrek put it rather accurately I think... Like an Ogre, both the Baja 1000 and the team have layers.. like onions.