The Icon Auto Rally Team has announced Their bid to race the 41st annual Baja 1000 in Baja, Mexico over November 19 - 22, 2008. To give you an idea about the race, the 2007 course was 1,296.4 miles long and had a time limit of 53 hours. The Icon Rally team will consist of 6 riders using Their own bikes. There are approximately 22 pit stops that occur in the middle of the desert to allow all of this to happen. It’s a logisitical nightmare, but perhaps worse, the race is described by contestants as a ‘24 hour car crash’.
Preparations have begun in earnest even though the race is 11 months away. Chris Cargill's Honda CRF450x motorcycle will be acquired in the Spring to kick off training efforts. Keep checking icon-auto.com for updates as we prepare for the mother of all races.
Icon Racing Team
Chris Cargill Age: 42
Birth Place: Liverpool UK
Current Address: Dubai UAE
Current Job: Managing Director of Icon Autos
Biking CV: Competed with Isle of man TT fro the last 10 yrs; Motocross in the UAE for 10 years; World Round for 9 years; 2000 UAE Dessert Challege in Quadbike. Interests other than biking:
Seaplane Flying; Rallying; Trucks and Cars; My Kids
Colin Finn Mercer Age: 32
Birth Place: Falkirk (Scotland)
Current Address: Dubai UAE
Current Job: Yacht Sales Manager ME
Biking CV: Desert Riding, Motocross and Supermoto… previously Track days on GSXR750. Currently own a BMW Dakar GS650, SM610IE Husqvarna Supermoto, CRF450X Rallye, CRF450R Supermoto and soon to be adding a KTM 250SXF. Interests other than biking: Rallied in the UAE Rally championship in 2005 and 2006, Raced the Desert Challenge in 2006 but crashed out on Day 2, also race for the 24h Nivea race team (Go Kart) and do the track days in an EVO VIII (Sami Moutrans)
Stu Baxter a.k.a. animal Age: 46 years old but only feeling 25 looks 50
Birth Place: Born in a seaside town on the Southern Coast of England
Current Address: Dubai UAE
Current Job: Technical Director Drydocks World Dubai
Biking CV: Have ridden various road bikes over the past 25 years. Currently own CBR 600 F. For Off road use currently riding Yamaha Raptor 700 Interests other than biking:
Anything to do with Off road,bikes Cars, Trucks, Campfires, Currently own 97 Jeep wrangler modified by Icon running 35 inch tyres for sand use. Have been co driving with Chris in the Unimog recently.
Noel Ebdon Age: 34
Birth Place: Kent, United Kingdom
Current Address: Dubai UAE
Current Job: Writer and Journalist
Biking CV: Competed in UAE Motocross season 01/02, raced a Honda bike in the UAE Desert Challenge in 2001, various UAE Enduro races between 2000 and 2007 and won the first UAE Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship in 2005 Interests other than biking:
Cars, mountain biking, travelling and laying on nice sunny beaches!
Bob Lalonde Age: 41
Birth Place: Northern Ontario Canada
Current Address: North Carolina
Current Job: Awlgrip Tech Service Rep.
Biking CV: Currently own & race a CRF450X in Hare scrambles. Recently raced Supermoto with Aprilia SXV 550 and Suzuki RMZ450. Road bikes recently owned include a few GSXR1000's, and a R6. Interests other than biking: Mostly Wakeboarding and some Snowboarding, Scuba diving.
Icon Supporting Team
Ramsey Moutran Age: 31
Birth Place: Bahrain
Current Address: Dubai for the last 6 years
Current Job: Art Director, Advertising at
Memac Ogilvy.
Biking CV: None, I dont ride motorbikes. (Not
aloud by the wife, Love you honey.) Interests other than biking:
All motorsport
(on and offroad) Racing Caterham, Rallying, anything with an
engine. My Kids, Golf, SEX not particularly in that order....
Paul Blackwell Age: ..
Birth Place: ..
Current Address: ..
Current Job: ...
Biking CV: ... Interests other than biking:
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Ann Baxter Age: ..
Birth Place: ..
Current Address: ..
Current Job: ...
Biking CV: ... Interests other than biking:
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Nikki Gibson Age: 31
Birth Place: Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, UK
Current Address: Dubai, UAE
Current Job: Account Director, Wunderman
Biking CV: None, but fully qualified pit bunny after the 2006 Desert Challenge Interests other than biking:
Motorsport (because i have been told i have too!!), horse riding, sun bathing and anything that involves water and sunshine with the odd refreshment thrown in!