The route to Bahia Kino is not just a reminder—it’s the reminder of why so many people are drawn to this serene Mexican state. Leaving Caborca, the scenery doesn’t offer much more than the mocha-tan dirt surrounding a modest urban jungle—evidence of man’s indifference strewn about the borders of the asphalt and the hard-packed country roads. But just as you’ve prepared yourself for a sleepy, featureless ride towards the coast, the concrete fades from the rearview in a matter of one corner, sending you through sierras of rounded, rolling mountains that resemble upturned strawberries buried partway into the earth. A speckling of seeds replaced by sage and wiry desert flora.
“I think Special Stage Two is going to be fast,” mused the ops team in one way or another. Scrolling through the roadbook, a veteran of the sport would quickly spot the impending pace. Simple commands, distances between waypoints, and too few speed zones to exercise the brakes—this would be a stage won by the fearless. Those who can successfully blur the lines between risk and reward. While simpler instructions, which result in increased velocity, are ultimately easier to manage as a novice pilot, it’s the technical, and ultimately slower, navigation that saves their skin. Because accidents inevitably happen. But high-speed accidents inevitably lead to serious consequences, which we were lucky to avoid on such a special.
Just as in SS1, this special served up obstacles that knocked riders off their bikes left and right. And it seems hitting the sand is the new standard at this year’s Sonora Rally. However, it wasn’t all so tragic. It just added flavor; struggle is an intrinsic part of this pastime. And if you take a step back to look at the bigger picture, failures are just as important to the rally raid story as the victories. It balances the arch and creates the opportunity for growth. The sweet isn’t as sweet without the bitter. But for Preston Campbell, it was all pretty “dulce”. His tale had a happy ending, with the #5 standing proud on the top of the proverbial podium, continuing the victorious trend since our first test. That said, today was a bit more of a drama for the #1 moto, Brendon Crowe, who had slipped down to 19th place by the finish of the second special.
The backdrop as they battled towards Puerto Libertad gave its audience several scene changes—those strawberry hills swept apart to reveal a navy-turquoise sea isolated by two major landmasses, one so far at this point on the map that its shores weren’t visible to the naked eye. This was where vehicles finally found the beach. Here, the targets are geocoded vast stretches apart with only the vague horse piste in front of you. Here, the true path is what you make of it, and you move as swiftly as you can choose a new direction. The sensation was mesmerizing—an opportunity to focus on the horizon, give it gas, and let go of the burdens of keen navigation.
“Today was the marathon stage, and it was long, difficult, with a lot of silt, sand, rocks, and high-speed stages, which was a lot of fun. And then towards the end of the stage, you come up to the Sea of Cortez. And we ran alongside the beach for five or six kilometres, and the cutoff time was coming up too. So, it got interesting towards the end of our last two kilometers. I wasn’t sure we would make it, but ultimately, it was spectacular. It was good. We believe we were only two of the 11 cars that completed the stage today, and out of the four-wheel drive class, I think maybe there is only a total of four or five.” – Luis Perocarpi, #208, LAP Motorsports
Autos had it a little better during this stage with Brock Harper and Steven Geist [#201] reaching the final time clock at 4:50:48, trailed by Lance Webb and Kirk Callanoil [#205], who completed the second challenge at 5:09:05. Meanwhile, side-by-sides continue to demonstrate why they might be the most capable four-wheeled contenders in this rugged, unforgiving desert. Alas, we won’t be tracking Bruce Myrehn [#209], Andrew Sellers [#207], or Bill Conger [#203] tomorrow due to a laundry list of mechanical issues, but plenty of formidable opponents remain in the fight for glory. The real surprise was the respectable performance from a brand-new Ford Bronco and its similarly fresh-faced pilot, Bathan Hayashi [#210], who had joined us at the Sonora Rally School in October alongside his co-pilot Shane Hairsine. Keep an eye on these two Canadians…this is merely the first step on their road to the Dakar Rally.
Wind joined the cast as the headings became fixed on Bahia Kino, stirring silt and dust into the air like a curtain closing the path for intermission. This slowed the pace…for some. The veil hung low like sheets on a clothing line, clinging to skin as racers rode through them with reckless abandon, blinded but intent not to decelerate even a fraction. Although Preston Campbell set the fastest time for the day, his nearest adversaries, Mike Johnson [#7] then Jordan Huibregtse [#16] followed his trail with laser focus, making up time that was lost by Crowe in the lineup. A fixture at the Sonora Rally, Seattleite Kyle McCoy [#4] also kept the rhythm, shifting into 4th place just short of 3rd place by two minutes.
The pièce de résistance was indeed the tracks buzzing the coastline, which combined the beauty of white-capped water with unbridled action as racers wove their way between narrow walls of wiry desert trees, succulents, and towering saguaros. They snaked their way to the ultimate point in the timed trial to settle the scores over a beer at the bivouac. For a few, speed was an unexpected pleasure, relieving them from the rigors of reading hieroglyphs on the move. Others settled quite well into a quick rhythm from the start. But in the end, Special Stage 2 threw all that it had at the 2025 Sonora Rally competitors, and even that wasn’t enough to turn them around, give up, and go home.
We’re hoping that the journey to Puerto Peñasco on SS3 will provide that same sort of plot and more. But until then, it’s time to hit the concession stands and run to the bathroom. Until tomorrow.