OFF-ROAD RACING / BAJA 1000 : Fallbrook Family Wins for Rough Rider Team

Led by brothers Paul, 31, and David Simon, 35, of Fallbrook, the Rough Riders’ off-road racing team won four of the top five finishing positions in the 25th Baja 1000 race Friday.

Hundreds were out to greet them at 1:31 a.m. when the Simons drove their heavily modified unlimited class Ford F-150 pickup across the line as overall winners among a record number of 197 four-wheel vehicles and 132 motorcycles.

Their time of 16 hours 53 minutes 2 seconds beat all but one of the motorcycles, which usually run much faster through the 1,032.7 miles crisscrossing Highway 1. They averaged 61.165 m.p.h.

A Kawasaki 500cc motorcycle entered by Danny Hamel, 20, of Boulder City, Nev., was first to finish in 16:50:15, averaging 61.333 m.p.h. Hamel was relieved partway through by Paul Ostbo, 32, of Sunland, and Garth Sweetland, 27, of Phoenix, finished the race for the three.

In the pickup, David Simon drove the first half of the race and Paul the second.

Said David: “I’ve never seen so many washouts. The bikes, I probably passed 40 of them.”

Added Paul: “When we turned on the lights, the bikes probably thought they were being followed by a baseball stadium.”

The Simons’ only worry was an engine running exceptionally hot at 270 degrees.

“But . . . it never missed a beat,” David Simon said.

Following the Simons among four-wheelers were Rob MacCachren, 27, of Las Vegas, in a less-modified Ford F-150; Brian Stewart, 28, Riverside, in a Dodge D-150; John Swift, 32, Oxnard, in a Ford Explorer, and David Ashley, 35, Upland, in a Ford F-150.

The Simons, MacCachren, Swift and Ashley--all members of the Rough Riders’ team--also won their classes.

Walker Evans, 53, the 1979 winner, was 11th overall, and two-time winner Bob Gordon, 44, of Orange, was 15th.

Gordon’s son Robby, 23, won the last time the race was run all the way down the peninsula, rather than in a loop from Ensenada and back. But this time he was forced to drop out.

Parnelli Jones, winner in 1971 and 1972, returned to the Rough Riders after a 20-year absence, but rolled his Ford Ranger in a washed-out section and required three hours of front-end repairs. Then, as planned, he turned the truck over to four-time Baja motorcycle winner Jack Johnson for the last half of their 25 1/2-hour race.

Brian Stewart is the son of Ivan Stewart, 47, of Alpine, Calif., the 1976 winner. The elder Stewart dropped out early.