Act II: Special Stage 2 at Sonora Rally 2025

The route to Bahia Kino is not just a reminder—it’s the reminder of why so many people are drawn to this serene Mexican state. Leaving Caborca, the scenery doesn’t offer much more than the mocha-tan dirt surrounding a modest urban jungle—evidence of man’s indifference strewn about the borders of the asphalt and the hard-packed country roads. But just as you’ve prepared yourself for a sleepy, featureless ride towards the coast, the concrete fades from the rearview in a matter of one corner, sending you through sierras of rounded, rolling mountains that resemble upturned strawberries buried partway into the earth. A speckling of seeds replaced by sage and wiry desert flora.

“I think Special Stage Two is going to be fast,” mused the ops team in one way or another. Scrolling through the roadbook, a veteran of the sport would quickly spot the impending pace. Simple commands, distances between waypoints, and too few speed zones to exercise the brakes—this would be a stage won by the fearless. Those who can successfully blur the lines between risk and reward. While simpler instructions, which result in increased velocity, are ultimately easier to manage as a novice pilot, it’s the technical, and ultimately slower, navigation that saves their skin. Because accidents inevitably happen. But high-speed accidents inevitably lead to serious consequences, which we were lucky to avoid on such a special.

The backdrop as they battled towards Puerto Libertad gave its audience several scene changes—those strawberry hills swept apart to reveal a navy-turquoise sea isolated by two major landmasses, one so far at this point on the map that its shores weren’t visible to the naked eye. This was where vehicles finally found the beach. Here, the targets are geocoded vast stretches apart with only the vague horse piste in front of you. Here, the true path is what you make of it, and you move as swiftly as you can choose a new direction. The sensation was mesmerizing—an opportunity to focus on the horizon, give it gas, and let go of the burdens of keen navigation.

“Today was the marathon stage, and it was long, difficult, with a lot of silt, sand, rocks, and high-speed stages, which was a lot of fun. And then towards the end of the stage, you come up to the Sea of Cortez. And we ran alongside the beach for five or six kilometers, and the cutoff time was coming up too. So, it got interesting towards the end of our last two kilometers. I wasn’t sure we would make it, but ultimately, it was spectacular. It was good. We believe we were only two of the 11 cars that completed the stage today, and out of the four-wheel drive class, I think maybe there is only a total of four or five.” – Luis Perocarpi, #208, LAP Motorsports

Autos had it a little better during this stage with Brock Harper and Steven Geist [#201] reaching the final time clock at 4:50:48, trailed by Lance Webb and Kirk Callanoil [#205], who completed the second challenge at 5:09:05. Meanwhile, side-by-sides continue to demonstrate why they might be the most capable four-wheeled contenders in this rugged, unforgiving desert. UTVs, with their nimble handling and ability to skim across deep sand, carved new lines through the terrain. Drivers pushed their limits, threading between towering saguaros and weaving through narrow, rock-strewn washes at speeds that would make even seasoned rally veterans flinch.

Alas, we won’t be tracking Bruce Myrehn [#209], Andrew Sellers [#207], or Bill Conger [#203] tomorrow due to a laundry list of mechanical issues, but plenty of formidable opponents remain in the fight for glory. The real surprise was the respectable performance from a brand-new Ford Bronco and its similarly fresh-faced pilot, Bathan Hayashi [#210], who had joined the Sonora Rally School in October alongside his co-pilot Shane Hairsine. Keep an eye on these two Canadians…this is merely the first step on their road to the Dakar Rally.

Wind joined the cast as the headings became fixed on Bahia Kino, stirring silt and dust into the air like a curtain closing the path for intermission. This slowed the pace…for some. The veil hung low like sheets on a clothing line, clinging to skin as racers powered through them with reckless abandon, blinded but intent not to decelerate even a fraction. Some of the two-wheel-drive buggies struggled in the shifting sands, their heavier rear ends making traction a challenge. But those who mastered throttle control and momentum found themselves gliding across the surface while others dug in deep, fighting to extract their machines from the desert’s grasp. Four-wheel-drive competitors, meanwhile, leveraged their grip advantage, clawing through silt beds with controlled aggression.

The pièce de résistance was indeed the tracks buzzing the coastline, which combined the beauty of white-capped water with unbridled action as racers wove their way between narrow walls of wiry desert trees, succulents, and towering saguaros. They snaked their way to the ultimate point in the timed trial to settle the scores over a beer at the bivouac. For a few, speed was an unexpected pleasure, relieving them from the rigors of reading hieroglyphs on the move. Others settled quite well into a quick rhythm from the start. But in the end, Special Stage 2 threw all that it had at the 2025 Sonora Rally competitors, and even that wasn’t enough to turn them around, give up, and go home.

We’re hoping that the journey to Puerto Peñasco on SS3 will provide that same sort of plot and more. But until then, it’s time to hit the concession stands and run to the bathroom. Until tomorrow.

To learn more about the event, head to https://sonorarally.com/. And to follow the race and keep an eye on reports and results, stay tuned @SonoraRally on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.