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NHRA legend Don Prudhomme wins Turbo class at Mexican 1000 offroad race

NHRA Drag Racing legend and Hall of Famer Don “the Snake” Prudhomme has added another accolade to his storied career: 2021 Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 class winner. 
03 May 2021
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Don Prudhomme

NHRA Drag Racing legend and Hall of Famer Don “the Snake” Prudhomme has added another accolade to his storied career: 2021 Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 class winner. 

On his third attempt at the grueling 1,000-mile race across the desert, Prudhomme and his co-pilot Rich Minga took the checkered flag in the Evolution Stock Turbo class driving the MAVTV CanAm Maverick Turbo. Their winning time of 19:49:18 gave them a margin of victory of over three hours on their closest competitor. The MAVTV team finished 31st overall out of 90 total competitors, 26 of whom did not finish the extreme race.
 
“I am pretty sore, but winning this race in the Turbo Class ranks right up there with any of my drag racing wins,” said an exhausted Prudhomme at the conclusion of the event. “I think I drove 600 of the 1,000 miles, and Rich was great throughout the event. I have to thank Brandon Bernstein and MAVTV for their support. This was a great race, and I am really proud of this whole team.”
 
Prudhomme competed in the event in 2018 and 2019 and this year was confident in his MAVTV’s team chances. Two years ago, he was plagued with fuel pump issues, but this year, Prudhomme was running at the front of the pack in his class throughout the event. They held onto a sizable lead over the last portion of the race to secure the class win. The last time Prudhomme was in a winner’s circle was as a Top Fuel driver at the 1993 NHRA Chief Nationals (now NHRA FallNationals) at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.

 

“I love this race, and it is a great accomplishment to just finish, much less win the class,” added Prudhomme. “This is something new that I have gotten into, and I just wanted to challenge myself. Throughout the race, we are having a lot of fun, and when we crossed the finish line, it was a great feeling.”
 
The Mexican 1000 is a five-day, off-road rally run by the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) as a celebration of off-road racing history and vintage off-road machinery. Cars, buggies, trucks, and motorcycles from all eras of Baja racing are eligible to participate in a variety of classes. The race begins Friday, April 23 in Ensenda, Baja, Mexico, and ends Friday, April 30 back in Ensenda. The course has been rerouted for 2021 to work within COVID-19 protocols and will be a 1,000-mile loop.