Mexico Races

[LaredoModV]

Has anyone ever raced in Mexico? Does anyone know anyone who raced/races there? They used to have some incredible marathon races in Rio Balsas and Usumacinta River. These were 5-day races with 3 basic classes: "A" for inflatable boats with as much as 75 HP Stingers, "B" Outboard Unlimited, and "C" which was an open class in which they mainly raced Jet boats and even twin outboards.
I remember meeting folks from the US,m Canada an other parts of the world competing for a world river championship. More recently, the Champ Series had a race in Tampico, Mexico....
Just wondering...!:rolleyes:

[T2x]

I was on the Joint North American Championship Commission which included The Canadian, US, and Mexican boat racing federations. We met in 1977 as guests of the Mexican Government in Mexico City and were treated to films of the Rio Balsas races as part of the program. The racing appeared primitive and devoid of a both safety and , in some cases, common sense. That race seemed to be the main focus of the Mexican contingent. Unfortunately, there was very little commonality between our racing classes, formats, budgets, and technology at that time. While we had tremendous competition involving Canadian and US racers at that time (which extends to this day), Mexico has always been a kind of "one stop and done" venue with everyone from Nascar to the NFL staging single events that don't repeat over the years.

As a result of that meeting the son of the top guy in the Mexican boating Federation came to race a tunnel boat in the Picton, Ontario Race.......Unfortunately, he flipped it almost immediately....... My memory is sparse on the subject, but I think he might have flipped a back up boat as well....... both in pre race tests.

That was basically the end of that particular effort.

T2x

[LaredoModV]

1977.... I was 9 years old then!
The infamous Rio Balsas races still exist. They indeed started as very primitive and unsafe races. Today, they are still a bit unsafe like just about any races that involves so many miles and such a difficult river in which to race. Things have changed a lot since then and they had several Champ Boat races for a few years. Teams from many counties still make it to the old Rio Balsas race (now in it's 30th year (?)).... here are a cuple of interesting links www.riobalsas.com.mx (http://www.riobalsas.com.mx) and www.carloskuri.com (http://www.carloskuri.com)
I raced a few classes down in Mexico from 1988 to 1992 and really had a blast. Basically I was involved in Marathon races in what would be a Mod VP boat.
I'm sure someone in this site has been involved in some racing in Mexico....

[old rigger]

We built boats for quite a few years back in the early to mid 80's, when I was working at Rogers Custom boats, for the Rio Balsas.

For one customer, some rich Mexican guy, we built a new hull every year as he kept cracking the keel right in front of the intake. (they were all 18 foot v-bottom jets) The last one we built him, we inserted the mold for an aluminum skin that we had made up. It ran from the transom, eight feet forward and out to both chines. It turned out very nice, but he'd been much better off just running a tin can boat.
He kept all his old race boat stacked up on his property and would send us pictures of them every year along as some shots of the race itself. I never went to the race so I don't know how tough it was, but by seeing the damage done to the hulls, musta been pretty rough in spots.:)

[fredh99]

Has anyone ever raced in Mexico? Does anyone know anyone who raced/races there? They used to have some incredible marathon races in Rio Balsas and Usumacinta River. These were 5-day races with 3 basic classes: "A" for inflatable boats with as much as 75 HP Stingers, "B" Outboard Unlimited, and "C" which was an open class in which they mainly raced Jet boats and even twin outboards.
I remember meeting folks from the US,m Canada an other parts of the world competing for a world river championship. More recently, the Champ Series had a race in Tampico, Mexico....
Just wondering...!:rolleyes:
Rio Balsas. Yes I have covered this exciting race for BBC TV London way back in 1974. I know your posting is a number of years old, but if I can help - but probably you have completed ( ? ) the course by now!
fred_h99@yahoo.co.uk But now living in Cyprus.

[Jeff Lytle]

As a result of that meeting the son of the top guy in the Mexican boating Federation came to race a tunnel boat in the Picton, Ontario Race.......Unfortunately, he flipped it almost immediately....... My memory is sparse on the subject, but I think he might have flipped a back up boat as well....... both in pre race tests.

That was basically the end of that particular effort.

T2x

Scarrrrrrrrrrry looking boats too!:eek: All beat up with crappy paint jobs. I remember that blowover as well, but can't remember if he did it twice.