The Baja 1000 is one hell of an event – for a number of different reasons.
Heralded by some to be the biggest off-road race of the year, the Baja 1000 takes place on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula as part of the SCORE Championship Desert Racing Series. It’s over 900 miles of various terrains that tests both endurance and strategy – and it’s certainly not for the weak.
But Kendall Norman isn’t weak; in fact he’s one hell of a rider. The 29-year-old Calif. native has dominated the event for upwards of a decade, so much so that he’s earned the nickname Mr. Baja. Norman is chasing his seventh win at the event this year – which you can watch live Nov. 12-16 – and we got a chance to chat with Red Bull’s moto-extraordinaire before he begins his journey.
CraveOnline: You’ve won the Baja 1000 six times, leading to the nickname Mr. Baja but what exactly does the event mean to you?
Kendall Norman: [Baja 1000] just started as something that was really legendary to me and that I really didn’t know much about but I knew it was really dangerous and that my Dad never wanted me to come down and race. I came down once and raced in 2003 and fell in love with it ever since. And then following that year, the next year, I was actually invited on the factory Honda team at the time and got my first overall win.
Crave: What would it be like to add on another title?
Norman: Honestly, it would be one of the most amazing victories because of the fact that all of my other victories were with the factory Honda team and now I’m riding with the factory KTM team and it’s really a pleasure to be a part of their team. And then to be able to prove to myself and everyone – Honda has dominated this race for the last 15 years I believe – that I can beat that streak and do it on a different brand – I don’t think I could even explain [the feeling].
Crave: How did you get your start in the sport, did you take to it at a young age?
Norman: Actually my Dad raced motorcycles when I was a young kid and I came home at the age of like five and he had a brand new motorcycle in the back of his truck for me and my brother to share. He got me into it and I just fell into it ever since. Like I said earlier, he always said that Baja is something super dangerous and he didn’t ever want me racing in it. He was like a slow speed, enduro guy – which is like trails through the mountains and stuff. But yeah, I fell in love with Baja and ever since then it’s been a good ride.
Crave: You were riding since you were five, you must have been the envy of all your friends?
Norman: [Laughs] Well to my Dad, school was really important and so I had to get all my homework done and get good grades and if I didn’t [I couldn’t ride] – which in high school when I got an F, he told me I couldn’t race anymore until I graduated. I really didn’t get into racing until I was 18 and that’s when I got involved into Baja too.
Crave: What has it been like to work with Red Bull?
Norman: Working with Red Bull is like – well, it’s the pinnacle of a company to be sponsored by. They’re like one of the only brands I’ve ever seen that wants to build you and make you a better athlete. I actually owe a lot of my success to Red Bull and their performance team and just their creative ideas on bettering their athletes.
Crave: Getting back to the event, what do you like most about the Baja 1000?
Norman: I think the unexpected and not only does it go the day, it goes the night too. I really enjoy the countryside and Baja and just being able to go from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez, like crossing to the other side. You have mountains and desert, pretty much every kind of terrain – and it’s really challenging.
Crave: Can you talk a little about the course layout this year?
Norman: It’s about a 900 mile course – starts in Sonata and finishes in Sonata. It goes down through the mountains, then hits below desert and then goes along the Sea of Cortez. Then it crisscrosses back to the Pacific [Ocean], up the Pacific, works its way up and crosses back Mulege.
Crave: What’s it like to go nearly 100 mph on that kind of terrain?
Norman: It’s pretty wild at times – things happen pretty fast. Just the sense, or not knowing what’s around the next corner, keeps you on your toes and you never really get that comfortable because the second you do, things start happening. But yeah, to go 100 mph on a dirtbike is pretty amazing – you’re really just in tune and in touch with what’s around you.
Crave: How do you prepare for an event of this magnitude?
Norman: Just a lot of practice. I have been at it now for 10 years, so it’s kind of second nature to me. You know, I guess the best way to describe it is: ‘prepare for the expected.’
Crave: Is there a lot of endurance that goes into it too, since you’re on the bike for quite a while and a lot of miles?
Norman: Yeah, we come down here to run for two weeks before the race. At home there’s a lot of cycling, gym and riding.
Crave: Explain how you feel both mentally and physically after an event like this one?
Norman: Physically, you’re tired. A lot of it has to do with how high the speeds are. There’s a lot of impact to your body – like violent shocks – so your hands are really fatigued and stuff. Not so much really intense, although some sections are, but I would say from my experience, mentally it’s more tiring just because you’re processing the terrain at such a high speed that the next day you feel like mentally your brain is just drained.
Crave: And how do you unwind after a race like this – do you take a few days off afterwards?
Norman: Normally with the stress and all the work that goes into it and how serious you take it, you’re pretty tired and pretty done for the next week. You really don’t want to do anything.
Crave: You mentioned switching from Honda to KTM, does that leave you out to prove something?
Norman: Honestly, like I try not to think about it and just do my thing and do what I know how to do and just go out there and race – but also enjoy it. It’s very important to keep everything rolling and to have the least amount of mistakes and if things happen – and they always do – being able to recover from that quickly. I don’t want to say I have something to prove, because I just want to go out there and do my best and get the bike to the next person.
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
