05x17 - Baja Trophy Truck (Pt. 2)

[bunniefuu]

[upbeat music]

- [Announcer] Last week, Jesse James and a team of 10

took on monster garage's greatest challenge yet

and built a Baja Trophy truck in five days.

Now, Jesse must face his greatest challenge,

racing the legendary Baja 1000.

[engine revs]

- [Presenter] Join us now as Jesse

and his g*ng of Maverick Mechanics, grip, grind

and burn, transforming ordinary street vehicles

into monster machines in the "Monster Garage."

♪ Monster monster garage

♪ Monster monster garage

♪ Monster monster garage

♪ Monster monster garage

♪ Monster

[engine revs]

- [Announcer] The rules, since this monster

is already built,

the only rule is to get to the finish line of the Baja 1000

or get the [bleep] trying.

Racers have 30 hours to race off road

through hundreds of rough miles in the Baja Desert.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- I think the thousands what,

like third most recognized race in the world.

- You accomplish Baja 1000,

you know, you accomplish something.

- Just a really adrenaline rush.

[engine revs]

- You're in towns, you're in the desert, you're running

through school yards, you have dogs chasing you

and you drive along the highways.

- [Narrator] Last week, a team

of 10 top fabricators achieved the impossible.

They built a full blown Baja Trophy truck in five days

for Jesse to race.

- Oh dude, that fit perfect.

[upbeat music]

[engine revs]

[crowd cheering]

- [Narrator] Jesse will be competing against



and 32 different classes in the Baja 1000.

But the trophy trucks are the premier class

of off-road racing.

- A trophy truck is like landing in a fat lady's apron.

Man, it's soft, it's smooth, it's wonderful.

The wheels are always hanging out of 'em like that.

When you go in the air, you drop a cat off of a roof.

What does it do?

The legs come around, boom, it catches itself.

That's the same way with the trophy truck.

- [Narrator] The best in the business spend

hundreds of thousands of dollars

building these perfect beasts.

They take months just to manufacture and longer to dial in.

- This is a serious thing.

Two people's lives depend on this truck not falling apart.

- Anything can happen to anybody at any time.

- Any little detail can take you out of a race.

- [Narrator] Building this 700 horsepower truck

was the hard part.

Now comes the really hard part, racing it.

- Baja 1000's just completely different

because you're not just racing other cars,

that's the little part of the equation.

- Fight the terrain, you fight animals.

- [Narrator] And then there are the matadors of Mexico,

the spectators.

- Say thing for the Mexicans to try

to touch the vehicle when it goes by.

You could be doing 80, you could be doing a hundred.

They still wanna slap the vehicle. It's amazing.

- They love to stand out in the course

and watch the truck come and head on at a hundred

and just dash outta the way at the last second.

- You know, you have to be aware

that you racing against the elements of Baja.

[dramatic music] [engine revs]

- You in 500 miles in the middle of nowhere

and hauling at us, you know, I mean,

the margin for error is like that thin.

- I crashed at over a hundred miles an hour,



I've never been hurt.

I couldn't see for 15 minutes

and I lost color for three days.

[engine revs]

- If it was easy, everybody would do it.

[engine revs]

[clock ticking]

- [Narrator] Jesse arrives at the horsepower ranch

on the outskirts of Ensenada.

- Oh glorious morning.

[fire explodes]

Hey that hit me.

- [Narrator] His first objective is to see

what he's up against by pre-running the course.

Jesse climbs into a pre-runner borrowed from the ranch.

A pre-runner is basically a race truck

with creature comforts like power windows

and air conditioning.

All is experienced from "Monster Garage"

and the racetrack comes together in this challenge.

- You know, we've done it all.

Mud mugging, rock crawling.

So the pieces together.

- [Narrator] Baja veteran Tom Gibis

will be riding with Jesse today

as well as during the actual race.

The team heads out to explore the ba*ls of Baja.

[engine revs]

[somber music]

Here on this 1000 mile finger of barren Mexican desert,

death comes easily and even victory comes at a price.

The Baja is tough.

And this year the course is tougher than ever.

The race traditionally starts

by the Pacific Seaport of Ensenada.

This year the course heads East over our rocky summit

with views of both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez.

[upbeat music]

Beyond the summit, racers will cross a vast playa,

plow through deep silt,

then bounce over 40 shocks, snapping miles

of waste deep whoops,

before reaching the fishing village of San Felipe.

And then there's still 400 torturous miles snaking back

to the Pacific coast.

Finally returning to Ensenada.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

On race day, drivers will have 30 hours

to find the finish line.

Most teams have several drivers tag teaming the race,

but Jesse plans to Ironman the whole thing by himself.

[engine revs] [upbeat music]

Jesse takes a break

and reflects on the whole pre-run experience.

- I'm cruising though. - Yeah.

- And I'm not even pushing it.

I don't wanna wear myself out.

I'm just trying to get as much stuff

as I can remember in my head for the course.

You know, all the bad spots.

[somber music]

- [Narrator] So what will it take to beat Baja?

Lots of steel tubing and brass ba*ls.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- Everybody wants to race

and wants to press on that gas and go fast.

Well, if you can't see, you can't go fast

'cause that's when you tear up the vehicle,

take your chances of putting yourself out of the event.

So patience is a virtue in Baja, especially in a dusty area.

- If you start letting the other competitors

dictate your speed, you're in for big trouble.

If the guy behind you will try and push you to go faster

'cause he wants to pass you, but he may be going



- Just 'cause someone gets around you

don't think you have to catch him again.

Just let 'em go and stick with your game plan.

[engine revs]

- It's not so much about being the fastest guy

on the course, but being the smartest guy on the course.

- I agree that you have to hold back a little bit,

but you still have to go fast.

[engine revs]

To go a thousand miles in 15 hours,

that's pretty, you know, it's hauling a*s.

- [Narrator] And what does Jesse hope

to accomplish through all this?

- I just wanna cross that finish line man,

with the "Monster Garage" truck, you know,

just to show everybody that

I don't think any other TV shows would build a trophy truck

the top of the class in five days and cross the finish line.

- [Narrator] Jesse and Tom aren't the only ones pre-running.

[upbeat music]

With a course that destroys over 50% of the racers,

knowledge is power.

[upbeat music]

For some, this race is a year long commitment,

dialing in their vehicle, absorbing the track,

burying Baja deep into their soul.

- This is an addiction that, it bites you.

[engine revs]

They have all this open space.

No Americans and no locked gates.

[engine revs]

- [Narrator] Jesse and Tom get back

to pounding out some more miles on the test truck.

[upbeat music]

Even pre-running in Baja is no picnic.

- Starter stuck.

[indistinct] we were digging in, in the sand,

so it like we were ah, you know, trying to plow through it

and it overheated the [indistinct].

It didn't overheat it, it was just getting hot, so.

- I've raced this a million times,

but still you're kinda like,

"Well, I don't know if it's gonna be washed out or not."

And this road right here looked great

and then all of a sudden it had a left turn

and there was a five foot bank where it just washed through.

Hit that at a hundred and you know, it hurt.

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] For more than 20 years,

Tom Gibis has helped top drivers win the Baja five times.

- I've raced with only professionals. Yes, they're fast.

Yes, they go too fast.

- [Narrator] His role in the shotgun seat ranges

from navigator to mechanic.

- I'm a coach.

My job is to slow them down at the start

when they're breathing way too fast.

In the afternoon when they're tired out,

you gotta speed 'em back up.

- [Narrator] With a sense of what they're up against,

Jesse must return to California

to test out the real monster.

[upbeat music]

- [Jesse] You know, I think I'm as ready as I'm gonna get,

just knock on wood.

- [Narrator] "Monster Garage" factoid.

The first organized Baja off-Road race was held in 1967,

dubbed the Mexican 1000 rally.

There were a total of 68 competing vehicles.

♪ Monster monster garage

[somber music]

The Road Warrior is unloaded for its first true test.

The body is being painted

so the monster will make its maiden voyage unmasked.

The guys at King Shocks,

put some preload on the shock absorbers before Jesse

and Tom get in.

- Get the shock gurus out here

and have them fine tune things.

[somber music]

- [Narrator] Jesse and Tom take the truck for a spin.

[engine revs]

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

When Jesse returns, it's clear there are some problems.

- It feels like the carb, the secondaries aren't opening up.

Hey Jesse, push that.

Push that throttle all the way open

and see if I'm getting a full throttle.

Can't even drive it. Do it again.

- We're bottoming out so badly in the rear.

We're on the bump shocks the whole time.

- [Narrator] Tom felt the shocks were bottoming

out on every bump

and Jesse's afraid the throttle is not opening up enough

to engage the secondary barrels of the carburetor.

- [Man] That was full throttle all the way, Tom.

- Oh really? - I was full on it.

- [Narrator] The throttle cable is adjusted

to give it more throw.

- Should we hold it? - Hold it down.

- Yeah.

And I gotta like pull up, push with all my mic.

- That's problem, our ratio for the linkage is off

and it's not giving that secondaries.

Hitting the bump zone-

- [Narrator] While the King team adds more compression

to the shocks.

- [Man] So we're just hitting the bump zone

and it's staying there.

It's going, uh, uh, uh, uh.

- Let's just put some more compression in it and run it

and we'll keep it off of the stops more.

- Right.

- This is the way it's gonna be the whole race?

- [Man] Could be.

- [Narrator] The compromises that come from building

a race truck in five days are starting to sink in.

But race day is only 72 hours away.

[engine revs]

[upbeat music]

The trophy truck is in the middle of a paint job.

Pete Finland started

with a candy lime green base over gold metal flake.

Jesse stops in with some last minute ideas for his flames.

- You know, do it so it's more of

a rooster tail kind of.

- Okay. [indistinct]

- Well I'm gonna go up on the roof too with the flames.

- Okay, cool.

- [Narrator] The med scientist mixes up an original

concoction for the flame job.

A blend of candy red and tan from house of color.

[upbeat music]

[machine spraying] [upbeat music]

Andy Babish adds the "Monster Garage" logo.

[upbeat music]

- Wow.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Pete will be pinstriping late into the night

because tomorrow this senorita is being deported.

[upbeat music]

"Monster Garage" factoid.

Only two racers have competed in every single Baja 1000,

held since 1976, Rod Hall and Ron Bishop.

♪ Monster monster garage

[upbeat music]

The tourist port of Ensenada is bustling in anticipation

of tomorrow's race.

[upbeat music]

The whole town takes on a carnival atmosphere.

[upbeat music]

Jesse and Tom sign up for the race.

Outside Jesse's monster is unveiled

and an appreciative crowd gathers.

[upbeat music]

Jesse's number, car 54

after the old school TV show "Car 54, Where Are You?"

[indistinct] - Okay.

[group chattering]

- Looks great, I'm excited.

- [Man] Think your odds are good?

- Sure.

I think everyone's got even odds out here, right?

Even.

Too many places for us to make mistakes.

Everyone can do it so...

- [Narrator] The truck may get the approval

of Jesse's competitors, but this ain't no beauty contest.

- You know, anything could happen.

That's mainly what it is.

I mean, he's done his pre-running

and he is done his homework and it's anyone's game out here.

Even though they got it done in five days,

it might have cut it a little short, but truck looks good.

It looks ready to attack Baja 1000

and I'm looking forward to it.

Looking forward to seeing him out there.

[clock ticking]

[engine revs]

- [Narrator] This is the one and only time Tom gets

to take the wheel.

He parades the truck to the technical inspection

that ensures the entries are safe enough

to run this grueling race.

- [Man] The seatbelt.

[indistinct] on the seatbelt?

- [Tom] Yeah.

- [Man] Fire extinguisher?

- [Tom] Fire extinguisher's on the firewall

in front of the co-driver.

- Looks really good. Basically bulletproof even for Jesse.

[man laughs]

- [Narrator] The truck passed inspection,

Jesse takes one last pre-run

through the tricky first few miles of the course.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

The sun sinks in the Pacific

and the moon rises in the east.

Anticipation of tomorrow's race

weighs heavily on the competitor's minds.

- [Man] We good to go?

- Yeah. Little rougher than normal though.

- It's very technical.

It's 17 hours of of total concentration is

what it's gonna be if you're gonna finish this race.

- It is not easy.

It's not for cupcakes and it is a tough sport.

- This particular event,

even though it's only 700 plus miles,

after talking to the racers, they say,

"Hey, this is as tough as any thousand mile race

we've ever been in."

[dramatic music]

- [Narrator] Back at the Horsepower Wrench,

a crew led by builder Paul Perso make their final

adjustments to the truck.

- Been running out of time, we're having a whole lot

of time to do things with it.

So that's what we're down here is adjusting things now,

trying to dial things in now.

- [Narrator] Tomorrow, Paul and his team will be chasing

Jesse all over the Baja Peninsula

with supplies and assistance.

Hopefully the more they do tonight,

the less they'll be needing tomorrow.

- We're set on tires for the crawlers.

- [Man] 267, that'll be Scott.

[indistinct]

- You know, every one of these guys on every one

of these race teams always wants to build their own truck

and go out and race with all the rich guys

or whatever you know, and this is the chance,

it's finally welders get their due.

Just gotta stay calm.

- [Narrator] There are no second chances now,

the race begins tomorrow at 6:00 AM.

[somber music]

On the eastern side of Baja,

the sun rises out of the sea of Cortez.

On the west side,

the motorcycles are getting ready for the green flag.

The motorcycle and quad classes get a headstart

before the 5,000 pound trophy trucks start growling

at their rear wheels.

Jesse and Tom are about to spend anywhere from 15

to 30 hours in this truck.

But the burning question, what if you have to pee?

- [Man] Did you get your tube on?

- Not yet.

- Okay. - Put it on a little bit.

- I have some tape and there's kind of a trick to it.

- Yeah.

- Whenever you start feeling the urge to piss

and start doing it, 'cause later on it's hard to piss.

It's really weird to pee with your clothes on.

- I've done it before. - Okay.

- In bars and stuff, you know, just make my friends laugh.

Stand there and pissing my pants.

[engine revs]

Good job. - You freaking drooling dude.

- I pissed a little bit, it worked. Yeah.

Hey, where's Marty at?

Hey, make sure that [horn honks] knows

that I got two suits on.

- [Narrator] In addition to the catheter,

racers wear one piece fire suits

and helmets that have filtered air pumped in.

[engine revs]

[upbeat music]

At 9:30, the first trophy trucks leave the line,

one every 30 seconds.

[engine revs] [upbeat music]

Jesse crosses the starting line at exactly 10:00 AM.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- [Man] Take it easy.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- [Narrator] Jesse leaves the paved streets of Ensenada

and meanders through the suburbs right past homes

and ranches at 60, 70, 80 miles per hour.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

Jesse's making an effort to keep a sensible pace,

but his throttle keeps sticking open.

And this is one monster you want to keep on a short leash.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

Especially as the course spills out on the main highway.

There are several points

where the racers must share the highway

with regular civilian traffic.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

Not too far ahead at Ojos Negros, it seems like all

of Baja is waiting to cheer on the leaders.

This is a popular party spot

because it has one of the biggest jumps on the course.

[upbeat music]

[men speaking in foreign language]

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

Paul Perso waits for Jesse with any needed parts

and supplies.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

But there's no stopping Jesse

who speeds south 40 miles into the course.

Paul and his chase team have to pack up

and race ahead on the highway.

[upbeat music]

Over the radio,

Paul gets word about the truck sticky throttle,

but there may be additional problems.

- And then again, we just heard something over the radio

and we haven't confirmed it yet,

so we're not sure if he's having an issue or,

but it looks like he's running good, just hanging in there,

staying right in the path where he is supposed to be

and I think he is doing good.

- [Narrator] Paul heads to the first BF Goodridge pit stop

to help Jesse out.

[upbeat music]

- You guys are gonna dump fuel.

They're all set up unless somebody gallons they dump.

We got tire in case we need it.

I'm gonna jump up and check the return.

Sprinkle the throttle.

- [Narrator] While Paul waits at the pits,

Jesse's forging ahead eager to fuel up

and fix the sticky throttle cable.

- [Man] Monster Chase, Ron, do you copy?

- [Man] Just in case.

- Get 'em on the radio.

Let 'em know they're coming in on the outside the lane

and there's a big ditch on their left

right next to 'em when they pull in.

- [Man] Ten four.

- [Man] Here we go. Here we go.

This is them.

[engine revs]

- Throttle's sticking wide open.

Not fun.

And second gear's gone.

- [Narrator] While the monster swallows a 70 gallon big gulp

of high octane fuel, Paul jumps to the rescue

crawling all around Jesse's red hot headers.

- It needs a tighter spring.

- [Narrator] Paul modifies a return spring

to get more tension on the throttle cable.

- [Paul] Let's short it a little bit.

Crank, put it down one more time.

Let it go.

Okay, crank. Put it down one more time, Jesse.

How's that? How does it feel right now, tight?

- [Jesse] I think that's good.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- [Narrator] Quick as he came,

Jesse speeds off into the dirt

and he won't get another pit stop for over a hundred miles.

By this time all of the classes have left the starting line.

The competitors settle into a pace for the long road ahead.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

The Baja 1000 is anyone's race.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

Jesse prepares to navigate the summit.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

The summit is a very narrow

and technical section of the course with lots

of rock crawling and steep drop offs.

The 37 inch BF Goodrich tires claw their way to the top.

Not only is this the most treacherous part of the trail,

it is also furthest from any help.

[chopper flying]

[upbeat music]

The course is so narrow here and the drop off

so deadly passing is all but impossible.

The summit takes its share of casualties,

but Jesse makes it through.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

With the mountains in his rear view mirror,

Jesse can make up some time on the flats.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

On the vast dry lake bed of Laguna Solana,

Jesse can finally open this monster up,

pinning the tack at 6,500 RPMs.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

But on the south side of the playa,

the trophy truck hits the first silt beds sand

so soft it wouldn't shape a baby's bottom.

The key to staying on top of the fine powder is

to keep up your speed.

But Jesse hits a cloud of dust

and his visibility instantly goes to zero.

- [Man] BFG relay.

Copy Chase 54.

- [Narrator] Is Jesse stuck in deep silt?

♪ Monster monster garage

The leaders are ripping up the track at mile 200.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- Come over to the US to see this go on.

Best, fastest thing you ever want to do here.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- [Narrator] Paul Perso is waiting

for Jesse at the second BF Goodrich pit at mile 200.

They're trying to get a handle on Jesse's location,

but information is scarce.

- Shane's driving big. [mumbles]

- [Man] Vehicle 54.

This is [indistinct]. Go ahead.

- We have him on GPS stuck at about mile 164.

- [Narrator] Car 54, where are you?

Back at mile 164,

a Baja nightmare is revealed, the monster truck is buried

to the axle in a thick bed of powdery quicksand.

- Couldn't see. Just stopped.

And he said "Go, go to the right to the right"

and started going to the right and it was.

- [Narrator] Tom is trying to dig the truck

out of the soft silt.

[engine revs]

[helicopter chuffing]

A helicopter with the "Monster Garage" film crew lands

to lend a helping hand.

Moose, the garage medic helps Tom dig through the soft sand.

[engine revs]

Jesse's truck may be on a timeout

but that doesn't stop the race.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

While digging through the silt, Tom notices

that the rear bumper is smashed in.

- That's our beautiful work. Everybody else tapped us.

We got right outta the way.

- [Narrator] The truck tries to get a running start

at the silt, but it's too deep even for 700 horses.

As a last resort, Moose sets out in the helicopter

hoping to find a four by four to pull the monster

out of the muck.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

Up ahead, the race rages on.

The embattled vehicles hit the pits for fuel

and a chance to gear up for the night.

[upbeat music]

- Mike? Mike? - Yeah.

- You're all good? - Yeah.

- [Narrator] The father and son McMillan team

is setting the pace in their class one buggy.

- We're first overall.

We know the trucks and stuff,

so having an awesome day so far.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

- Back in bum lock Baja far from the comfort

and support of the pits,

the "Monster Garage" crew is finding

that it's every man for himself.

- [Man] You guys got four by four for a hundred bucks,

to pull us out?

- Why don't you go over and ask Max seven?

- Okay. - Because they might be able

to hook you up!

- Four by four.

It's hard on the left side, where we are is soft.

- We would but we got two guys racing

against you that we're [indistinct] for.

- Okay.

- So that's just a kind of a common thing.

We don't help anyone if we're racing against you.

- [Man] Gotcha.

- [Narrator] Finally, Moose finds a local

that's willing to help.

[indistinct]

- No problem.

- We need a four by four. We need a four by four.

[men speaking in foreign language]

[engine revs]

- [Narrator] Jesse and Tom are out of the silt

and back in the saddle.

[upbeat music]

They've lost a lot of time,

but Jesse's determined to make it up.

Here, the truck's 28 inches of wheel travel

let him cruise at high speed over a damn near anything.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

To get this truck moving faster,

Jesse decides to shed some extra weight.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

This race ain't pretty and now the truck isn't either.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

It's almost sunset when Car 54 pulls into

the second pit stop at mile 200.

Fuel is provided for the truck and its occupants

and within five minutes they're back on the road.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

For the next 40 miles, they'll face the belt deep bumps

that can bust bolts and burn up shocks.

[upbeat music]

After the sun is swallowed by the Pacific,

the Baja 1000 becomes a whole new experience.

The desert is dangerous in the day,

but now it becomes a nightmare.

- Driving at night with those high intensity

lights down through Baja.

Hardly any ribbons or any arrows

and you hardly knew where you were going.

- About two o'clock in the morning, your lights go

by these cactus and all the obstacles

and trees that are out there.

They move. The shadows move.

And pretty soon your mind starts thinking,

"That's people moving around."

- And sometimes you just think you see things.

You may not even see anything.

There may not even be anything there.

[engine revs]

- [Narrator] Paul races along the highway trying

to stay ahead of Jesse.

- [Paul] This is Monster Chase one. Go ahead.

- [Man] Wait 218, please come here as soon as you can.



- [Man] It's in some trouble.

[dramatic music]

♪ Monster monster garage

- [Narrator] Paul Perso is chasing car 54 through

the black Baja night

when a distressing call comes in over the radio.

- Got a broken high at mild about approximately 215

on the rear when it broke it took out a brake line.

We're gonna go in there and try to help him out.

- [Narrator] Paul finds car 54 in the brush at mile 218.

- It's rough man. That's crazy dude.

- [Man] It's the roughest freaking thing I've ever seen,



- It's nuts. It's nuts. - Horrible.

- [Narrator] Something is wrong with the suspension.

- [Man] What happened boys?

- [Narrator] Before the summit, the truck was pounded

by another driver wanting to pass,

the rear bumper was smashed all the way

into the spare tire

throwing the rear suspension geometry out of line.

- When he hit us and it bend it in like that.

If you shoved the [indistinct] arms out,

they're out like this then the Heims

are getting thrown angle, beating up the arm.

Alright, I can fix it. - I bet.

- The Evil Red Empire.

Yeah, it's definitely...

- Both these arms really waving [indistinct].

- [Narrator] The extra stress on the components

cause two Heim joints to break.

- That's bizarre.

Like a good hit when you go and smack someone.

That lets you know they're there. Pull over.

That's just trying to get your a*s kicked.

- Ten four. Just yeah.

Anybody you can-

- [Narrator] After a desperate radio search, one

of Paul's other chase trucks has located some Heim joints

and they're on their way.

But the question is, will they fit?

- We think we some Heims.

They appear to be the right ones.

They're leaving San Felipe with 'em right now.

Heading this direction. Probably half hour to get here.

[dramatic music]

[engine revs]

- [Man] Okay.

More coming?

- That's all we got.

- [Narrator] The only Heim joints they could find

are the wrong size.

- It's kind of an oddball size.

They're all too small or too big.

Just like the Heims these guys had.

[engine revs]

- [Man] Our toy is broken. We don't have the parts.

Well, I guess that's racing.

- Yeah, that's racing.

Well look how far an untested truck went.

Through that savagely rough crap, man.

- [Narrator] Even if they found the right size Heim joints,

the bent suspension would just tear them apart

within a hundred miles.

- Yeah, it's just hitting bumps. It's bang bang.

There's no suspension.

- [Narrator] The team faces a brutal decision.

- We're sticking a bandaid on it.

It's gonna break again for sure.

- Yeah, it will break again.

- [Man] Yeah, there's no doubt it's gonna break again.

- So you know...

- [Man] A nice spot here.

- Yeah, maybe we ought just call it.

[indistinct]

Well it would be selfish to continue on.

- There's too much damage and for us to go back out just

to get further mileage in to tell our friends

that hey, we got this far instead of this far.

- [Narrator] As the fate of Car 54 starts to sink in,

a struggling class 1600 buggy limps

into the makeshift pit.

- Spare part in the front of the car.

- Oh and it's bouncing around.

- [Man] Underneath the fence.

- Oh, yeah. - Brick fence.

- [Man] Yeah. Big axle.

Yeah.

- [Narrator] A spare axle shaft has shaken loose.

- Can you!

- [Man] You wanna tighten it up or you want?

- Yes. Could you? - Okay, we got big zip ties.

- [Narrator] With the parts secured,

the buggy is ready to race through the night.

- Okay. - Oh, that's wonderful.

[group laughing]

You guys are great.

- There you go. - Thank you very much.

The tequila is for me.

[man speaks Spanish]

[engine revs]

- I think it's perfect.

We help those guys and pay it forward, we stop.

- They go!

- They go. You know.

- Yep. Carry on.

[somber music]

- [Narrator] Although the truck's broken suspension

wouldn't make it through the rough terrain ahead,

the team straps it together so Jesse can drive it back

to Ensenada on the highway.

- Nah, I'm bummed. You know, I dunno.

Poof!

Lot of effort for a little bit of fun,

but it's the way it goes.

- [Man] Yeah.

[engine revs]

- [Announcer] Jesse's got no time for broken bolts,

high speed jolts

or things that go bump in the night.

He's got metal to burn.

Sparks the fly, [indistinct] "Monster Garage Challenge"

is just around the bend.

[upbeat music]

- [Narrator] Of the 342 vehicles to start

the 2005 Baja 1000, less than half

made it to the finish line.

- [Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, the moment has arrived.

- [Narrator] Troy Herbst came in first overall

in a class one buggy

and Bob Shepard won the trophy truck class.

[upbeat music] [engine revs]

[somber music]