Off-Road Racing : Gordon and Wernimont Hold Off Stewart for Victory in Baja Race

Robby Gordon and co-driver Russ Wernimont, who went most of the way without first and second gears, won the 390-mile Presidente SCORE Baja Internacional off-road race Saturday by nearly eight minutes over Ivan Stewart.

Gordon and Wernimont, in a Ford pickup, lost about 15 minutes due to a mishap just 25 miles into the first of three laps around the 130-mile course through the desert and foothills west of here in Baja California.

Gordon, 20, of Orange, and Wernimont, 25, of San Jacinto, had an elapsed time of 7 hours 2 minutes 44.4 seconds and an average speed of 60.76 m.p.h.

Stewart, 43, of Lakeside, Calif., drove his Toyota to an elapsed time of 7:10:31.3 and an average speed of 59.66 m.p.h.

Early in the race, Gordon hit the brakes to avoid a spectator’s car that was on the course. His pickup rammed a tree and got hung up. It caused the transmission problems.