Not your ordinary road race

SR driver describes thrills, chills of 1,922-mile Carrera Pan Americana

November 6, 2003

by RALPH LEEF
PRESS DEMOCRAT

When asked how dangerous it was to drive a Porsche 904GTS in a seven-day road race from the length of Mexico from the Guatemala border, Gary Bayless paused before answering.

"I don't want my wife to know," said the 54-year-old Santa Rosa jeweler. "Let's just say our goal was to finish shiny side up."

Bayless, his Canadian co-driver, two navigators and a crewman combined talents to finish second in class and 13th overall in the grueling Carrera Pan Americana race that drew 76 entries from 14 countries.

All sorts of cars -- 1964 and older -- participate in the pro rally. A racing team from Belgium drove a Studebaker to victory. Three of the first four finishers were Studebakers, with a Ford, Chevrolet Impala, Corvette, Volvo and Shelby Mustang among the top-15 finishers.

Bayless and his navigator, Englishman Barrie Martin, drove the 6-cylinder Porsche owned by Daniel Heald of Vancouver, British Columbia, the first four days of the race that ended on Sunday.

"We were exhausted when we stopped each day," said Bayless of his first time in the 1,922-mile race. "We started every day at 8 a.m. and would finish at 5 or 6 in the evening. We had one 45-minute stop for lunch along the way."

But this wasn't just touring. It was tire-squealing, nail-biting, let-it-all-hang-out racing mostly on two-lane paved roads.

"My driving suit was wringing wet," Bayless said of the physically and mentally exhausting race. "While I'm driving, the navigator is reading the road-course notes."

Bayless said that with 16 previous races over the same course, the notes are very accurate.

"If the navigator yells out 'L1,' it means a medium left turn is coming up. If he yells out 'L4,' you'd better hit the brakes real hard."

Bayless said hundreds of miles of roads are closed to the public each day by order of the Mexican government during the annual race and festival.

He said speeds of 150 mph aren't unusual on the long stretches, and federales -- Mexico's national police -- urged the drivers to go faster.

Bayless said Mexicans cheer on the drivers, and thousands of spectators crowded into town squares each day when the drivers stopped for lunch.

"They plan fiestas around this race," said Bayless, who has raced Sports Car Club of America and Porsche Club events for more than 25 years. "I've never signed so many autographs."

Bayless said the Porsche he drove had not fared well in two previous La Carrera Pan Americana events, but performed nearly flawlessly this year.

Not all the teams were as fortunate. He said about half of the cars finished the race. Some broke down, others wrecked.

"You have to watch for people, cows, birds, dogs and other animals all along the way," Bayless said. "One Mustang hit an oil slick and the driver and his wife from Texas went off the course, hit an ambulance and a doctor and nurse were seriously injured."

Another racer had to quit when a bird went through a wind screen and hit his navigator in the face, with the car doing well over 100 mph. Last year's winning pilot crashed and broke some ribs.

Safely home, but bone-weary, Bayless was asked if he'd try the Pan Americana again next year.

"I don't know," he said. "Probably not. But there are races like this in Newfoundland, New Zealand and Italy."

For now, he's content to be back at his workbench at E.R. Sawyers.

Staff writer Ralph Leef can be reached at 521-5268 or rleef@pressdemocrat.com.