Horsepower Weekend (Pt. 4): Off-road Hippies

Why hippie?  I don’t know, it just seems to fit.  A sub-culture from the 60s and 70s that loved being in the desert, tweaking machines to go faster, and always on the lookout for a pristine place to enjoy nature with friends and family.  Hippie.

The collection at the Ranch and at pre-race check-in for the NORA Mexican 1000 did not disappoint.  Vintage machines bristling with trickness and horsepower, and good old fashion know-how.  Events like this are the reason we keep a Bultaco in the back of the garage waiting to be restored.  Because some day, we’re going to race that damn event and enjoy every minute of it.  I spent a good number of hours on Saturday night getting Bruce Manx’s buggy race ready (light tabs and wiring were still being welded on at 2:00 a.m.), but I never heard one guy complaining — it was all jokes, laughter, and, when it was done and the lights were on, a few minutes to enjoy a cold beer before going racing the next day.

Hippies…all of ’em.

One of the original off-road hippies and the reason we were in Baja.