Wouter-jan Van Dijk stole the show at the 2023 Baja 1000 when he completed the full race distance on his own, with a motorcycle that barely passed SCORE International inspection, and was basically falling apart at the seams and held together by zip ties. One year later, he’ll certainly hope his second start goes a little smoother but is up for the adventure.
The 2023 1000 marked Van Dijk’s first time racing in SCORE, on encouragement from his friend Shane Moss who had done the 2019 race. Before Baja, much of his racing experience was in enduro which included Red Bull Romaniacs.
“I didn’t have much expectations, really,” Van Dijk told the SCORE Journal. “I knew the way down would be fun and a mad trip. I just sort of wanted to know a bit of the different terrains before the race, and I just took the race experience as it came along.”
He bought a KTM 500 EXC off Craigslist in San Diego before crossing all of Baja California to the start of the race in La Paz. After frantically making last-second repairs and modifications to comply with SCORE regulations, he was on his way. Despite not having pre-run the course, he caught eyes with his pace early on. As the race wore on, however, the KTM started to take damage that included a broken bike rim and navigation system; to rectify the matter, he hastily used zip ties to hold the tyre to the rim. To further complicate matters, he was competing solo in the Pro Moto Ironman class, meaning he had no team-mates to pass the bike off to.
He fought his way through the night hours, during which fans and racers alike took notice. Various teams and bystanders also lent their support, whether it be assisting in repairs or even a snack before rejoining the race. Sure enough, he reached the finish in Ensenada just past midnight and placed seventh in class.
Needless to say, his story took the racing world by storm. SCORE Journal editor Dan Sanchez described Van Dijk as “truly an example of what (SCORE President Sal) Fish had evisioned for SCORE.” The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame named him one of the recipients of the Adventure Impact Award for 2024.
With 2023 behind him, his focus now is on the 2024 race. For better or worse, the 869-mile (1,359.39 kilometres) course is much shorter than the 1,310.94 miles (2,109.75 km) he faced last year as part of SCORE’s fiftieth anniversary.
To help cover expenses like gear and travel, Van Dijk launched a GoFundMe in mid-October. As of this article’s publication, it has raised AUD$2,438 (€1,476.14).
“Any help would be greatly appreciated as I don’t think the zip ties will hold my rim together for another Baja trip,” Van Dijk quipped on social media. Like last year, he will race in Pro Moto Ironman.
The 2024 Baja 1000 will kick off on 15 November.