I Took Buddy The Off-Road Miata To A Baja Race... And Won
By Emme Hall Oct. 21, 2026 12:17 pm EST https://www.jalopnik.com/2293093/buddy-off-road-miata-baja-race-winner/ Photo: Daniel Curiel An off-road Miata covered in stickers and the number 649 painted on the side driving down a dirt road next to the ocean It's dark o'clock at night somewhere in Baja, California. Three of my Rigid LED lightpods are shining directly onto the rocky, rutted path in front of me, one is pointed straight up to the sky like the Luxor Sky Beam in Las Vegas. My shoulder harness has been rubbing a raw spot on my neck all day, I'm hungry, thirsty, sweaty, tired and I still have many, many miles to go. "These hills will never end," says my navigator, Robbob Stewart, and it seems he is right. We've been going up and down steep hills for an eternity and we have no idea how much longer we have. After all, we are racing the NORRA 500. There is no pre-running– just a roadbook for dangers and a GPS. This could be over in five minutes or 105 minut...
