KEEPKEEP ITIT The 40th running of the Baja 1000 covered almost 1300 grueling miles. Riviera Racing toughed it out to take its first win on the Mexican desert classic. By Peter Brock Main Photo Peter Brock ith 1296 miles of rugged Baja terrain and 29 other top-line Trophy Trucks facing off against the Riviera W Racing Ford F-150, Mark Post, the team’s 49-year-old veteran driver, realized the game plan to win the 40th annual PINNEDPINNED Baja 1000 would have to be something entirely different. Even though Post had fortuitously drawn the relatively dust-free third starting slot off the line in Ensenada, he knew, as the next three names were drawn, that he’d have a trio of equally lucky and super-talented wheelmen pawing the ground immediately behind. Starting fourth was last year’s race winner, NASCAR star Robby Gordon. Post well knew Gordon’s reputation for explosive starts, and that he wouldn’t be wasting any time in his consummate desire to immediately run for the cleanest air – which would be a huge advantage as soon as they hit the first long straight. Lining up fifth was last year’s brilliant young Trophy Truck Champ, B.J. Baldwin, from Las Vegas. Baldwin sat just a tantalizing point off winning this year’s TT Championship as well, and wouldn’t be inclined to give an inch to Gordon, Post or anyone else in his way. And then there was Larry Ragland, the five-time overall winner of the 1000 in one of the new works-backed Mopar Trophy Trucks from Collin’s Racing. The pressure was on. With just a half minute’s interval between each of the first six, the consequences of any minor error in the narrow, twisting, brush-walled, rutted, single-track climb up through the heavily populated area just above Ensenada’s harbor could be calamitous. At nearly 1300 miles, fuel bills for the 40th Baja 1000 wouldn’t have been inconsequential... Close to the start in Ensenada, Mark Post’s Riviera teammate Rob MacCachren does what’s Brock asked of him – keep his Peter Ford F-150 “pinned.” 62 FEBRUARY 2008 FEBRUARY 2008 63.