It's been said that the Baja 1000 is a war of attrition. To finish is a victory-to win is a miracle. The same can also be said for experiencing it. To read about it or see it on TV is great, but to actually go there and be part of it is like little else on earth. Trust us, we now speak from experience. For Jerrod Jones, Fred Williams, and me, our assault on the Baja 1000 started last summer with a plan to shoot photos of all the insane off-road hardware that shows up there. Then it grew with an invitation to ride shotgun with Kreg Donahoe of Donahoe Racing in a stock Toyota Tacoma during the 800-mile (not quite 1,000 this year) race. We planned to have fun in Mexico, but we didn't realize we had signed ourselves up for one of the best times you can have off-road!