24 countries to compete in Mexico's Baja 1000

The 2014 Baja 1000 off-road race through Mexico's Baja California Peninsula will feature competitors from 24 countries, organizers said on Monday.

The competition, now in its 47th edition, will take some 250 riders and drivers from the town of Ensenada, Baja California, at the top of the peninsula, to La Paz, Baja California Sur (BCS), in the south, the Tourism Secretariat of BCS state said.

The race, which traditionally takes place the third week of November (Nov. 12-16, 2014), sees modified trucks and cars, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and motorcycles compete over about 1,818 km of rugged desert and coastal landscapes.

Most racers are from the United States and over the years they have included actor Paul Newman, who competed in the 2004 edition at age 80; actor James Garner; rock musician Ted Nugent; race car driver and owner Parnelli Jones; and Mexican IndyCar driver Michel Jourdain Jr.

Roger Norman, the president and CEO of Score International Off-Road Racing, which now operates this race and others in Baja and the U.S. state of California, said organizers previously toured the route to identify areas where damage caused by Hurricane Odile in September could present a problem.

BCS tourism chief Ruben Riachi, meanwhile, said recent heavy rains have left their mark on stretches of the route, presenting new challenges for this year's competitors. Endi