With MAVTV Onboard Prudhomme Excited for Third Strike at Mexican 1000
VISTA, CA (April 7, 2021) --- In 2018 and 2019 drag racing legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme took to the desert to chase a dream started in the early 1970s. The Hall of Fame driver was looking to complete a race that was derailed by engine malfunctions before it even started over five decades ago. His adventures during those National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) Mexican 1000s made the 80 year-old racer more than a Baja racing enthusiast. Thanks to a partnership with MAVTV, Prudhomme will be returning to the wide-open racing spaces of Southern California and Mexico for the 2021 Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000, April 23-30. Prudhomme will be competing in the Modified Turbo UTV class driving a Can-Am UTV.
“I want to run hard and have fun,” said Prudhomme, who finished the 2019 Mexican 1000 in 16th place. “The great thing about this race is you don’t know the course until a couple days before you take off. NORRA doesn’t want anyone pre-running the course so that will make it exciting. I feel more confident every time I do this and I have to thank MAVTV for coming along for the ride.”
During his last Mexican 1000 race, fuel pump issues on the last day had the team battling to get to the finish line. This year along with navigator and support driver Rich Minga, Prudhomme is looking to improve on that effort. He will once again have PJ Jones assisting with equipment and on-course support.
“I will be doing a lot of the driving but Rich will also jump behind the wheel and I’ll navigate. It is a long route and we want to be competitive. I hated to miss the race last year because of everything going on but there was no way I was going to miss this race again. It is just too much fun,” added Prudhomme.
“Teaming up with a legend like Don Prudhomme for the Mexican 1000 is a great partnership for MAVTV and Lucas Oil,” said Brandon Bernstein, Lucas Oil Director of Partnership Marketing. “The interest in off-road racing is growing every year and there is a huge audience of motorsports viewers on MAVTV. We know tons of people will be keeping an eye on Prudhomme’s progress throughout the race.”
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 protocols and will be a 1,000 mile loop.
For more information about the NORRA Mexican 1000, go to www.norra.com
Media Contact: Elon Werner, [email protected], 214-244-1184
Snake Racing Contact: Donna Prudhomme, [email protected]
About Don “The Snake” Prudhomme
Prudhomme, ranked No. 3 on the National Hot Rod Association’s list of “Top 50 Drivers,” helped define the sport of drag racing for more than four decades. When he stopped driving at the conclusion of the 1994 season, he had recorded four consecutive NHRA Funny Car championships (1975-78), was the then-winningest nitro fuel racer in NHRA history with 49 victories (14 in Top Fuel, 35 in Funny Car), including seven wins at the prestigious U.S. Nationals at Indy, and had recorded the first five-second Funny Car run, a 5.98 at the 1975 NHRA World Finals. His 5.63 clocking at the 1982 U.S. Nationals, nearly two-tenths of a second quicker than anything before, is considered among the greatest Funny Car passes ever. As a team owner, he saw an additional 63 victories before his retirement from NHRA. www.snakeracing.com
About MAVTV
MAVTV Motorsports Network is the only television network in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to motorsports. MAVTV offers an unparalleled line-up of exclusive and unique events. MAVTV goes beyond the national mainstream motorsports events to include grassroots racing from across the globe: drag racing, pro motocross, sprint boats, rally cars, short course off-road truck racing, sprint cars, pro pulling, drifting, ice racing, and everything in between. MAVTV knows you don’t have to be a race fan to be an automotive enthusiast, which is why we have developed a package of automotive reality and custom build shows that are truly second-to-none. From 24/7 automotive and motorsports content on MAVTV Motorsports Network to the free and exclusive content available on MAVTV Select and the on-demand streaming service of MAVTV Plus, if it has a motor, it’s probably on MAVTV – The Motorsports Network!
For more information, visit www.MAVTV.com
About the NORRA Mexican 1000
No other racing event immerses competitors in the food, drink, culture, and beauty of Baja, like the Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 – "The Happiest Race On Earth!", and the competitors run the gamut from off-road racing icons and current stars, to adventure seeking average Joes and well-travelled lovers of Baja. NORRA has classes for bikes, quads, UTV’s, and 4-wheel classes for everything from vintage vehicles to state-of-the-art race cars. There’s even the Savvy Safari class for stock and slightly modified OEM vehicles (non-race vehicles). NORRA pays homage to the past and celebrates the future.
Photo credit Richard Shute
Elon Werner
VP of Sports Publicity
Tony Fay Public Relations
M: 214.244.1184
E: [email protected]
Twitter: @TonyFayPR | @ElonWer
