The Baja XL is a biennial off-road charity rally and road trip. The rally is organized by the creators of the largest amateur rally in the world ( Budapest-Bamako). It is the successor of the

Baja 4000 The Baja 4000 is a biennial off-road charity rally and road trip organized by the creators of the largest amateur rally in the world, the Budapest-Bamako. It's a low budget, amateur version of the famous Baja 1000 and Dakar Rally. The first editi ...

, and it's a low budget, amateur version of the famous

Baja 1000 The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, having attracted competitors from six continents. The race was founded by Ed Pearl ...

and Dakar Rally. The first edition was held in January 2017. The rally started in Los Angeles, and traveled 4000 kilometers on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. In 2018, before the second edition of the event, organizers changed the event's name from

to Baja XL. From Jan 29-Feb 7, 2019 the second edition was held with 120 teams entering the event.

Philosophy and rules

The guiding principle of the Baja XL is the same as the Budapest-Bamako's: ''"Anyone, By Anything, In Any Way"''. There are no restrictions on the vehicles or individuals that can enter, and no set routes. Participants have to complete daily stages between Los Angeles and

Cabo San Lucas Cabo San Lucas (, "Saint Luke Cape"), or simply just Cabo, is a resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As at the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 202,694 inhabitan ...

and back. It is not a timed event. Points are awarded for completing daily stages. In addition there are geocaching challenges along the way for additional points. If a team does not complete a stage, they are still in the race. Cars do not have to arrive at the finish line, only participants. Teams can participate in racing or touring categories.

Route

The rally starts from Los Angeles travels south on the Baja peninsula to Cabo San Lucas and north back to Los Angeles. Teams drive either on the Sea Of Cortez side of the peninsula or on the Pacific Ocean side. * United States * Mexico More than 4,000 kilometers are covered within 10 days.

Charity

The Baja 4000 is primarily a charity event, that raises donations for abandoned children and orphans in Mexico through Corazon de Vida and children needing heart surgeries through Cardio Start.

Name Change

In the summer of 2018 the Baja 4000 changed its name to Baja XL to further differentiate itself from other rallies following the Baja + number format.

References

External links