:16:01
A few of the old-time boys
used to come down here and...
:16:05
But long before it was a race.
:16:07
Just to see if they could get
from Tijuana down to La Paz.
:16:11
And just to find
your way was a chore.
:16:13
You telegraph the time you leave
and you pick up the telegraph
:16:16
and check in your time
when you get to La Paz.
:16:19
That's the only way
you could document it.
:16:21
There wasn't anybody down here with
helicopters flying in those days to follow us.
:16:25
When promoter Ed Perlman announced
plans for the inaugural Mexican 1000.
:16:30
Race legend Malcolm Smith
immediately thought of two things...
:16:32
get J.N. Roberts for his partner
and buy a map.
:16:35
I tried to get him to read
the guidebook so he'd know his way.
:16:39
He said, "I don't need any guidebook.
I can always find my way. "
:16:42
On the day of the race.
The press was told
:16:44
the first vehicle would arrive
at San Ignacio. The halfway point.
:16:47
At around 5 a, m.
:16:49
Malcolm arrived at 5 p, m..
A full 12 hours earlier.
:16:52
And eight hours ahead
of the next vehicle.
:16:54
As evening settled in.
J.N. Began his journey
:16:57
guided by a weak front headlight
and a unique sense of direction.
:17:00
I seen this light and I thought
I was going the right direction,
:17:04
and it was a star,
and I just kept following it.
:17:06
I said, "There's a checkpoint.
It's gotta be a checkpoint. "
:17:08
Kept going on. I totally went
to the other side of the coast,
:17:11
which I shouldn't have went to.
:17:12
Out of gas. J.N. Managed to refuel
at a local fishing village.
:17:16
He then crossed the entire peninsula
one more time.
:17:18
Where he ran out of gas again.
:17:20
He had traveled hundreds of miles and
hadn't made an inch towards the finish line.
:17:23
We found him sleeping under a cactus.
:17:26
He says, "I don't have a clue
where I am. Can I follow you in?"
:17:29
I think it took him, I don't know,
14 hours or something.
:17:33
But he slept six of 'em anyway.
:17:35
I'll tell you what.
I don't remember half of it.
:17:37
It was the '60s and '70s, wasn't it?
:17:39
Yeah, the '60s and '70s
were real good to me.
:17:42
Despite the nocturnal adventure.
J.N. And Malcolm
:17:44
would be crowned
the inaugural motorcycle champions.
:17:47
You know, as you go through life,
:17:49
if you knew you were making history,
you would've paid more attention to it.
:17:55
F one man legitimized the Baja 1000.
It was Parnelli Jones.
:17:59
Winner of the 1963 Indy 500.
His presence.