Racing Legends: Parnelli Jones and Big Oly Conquering the 1970 Mexican 1000

Having raced and won various styles of racing in North America, including the Indianapolis 500, Parnelli Jones wanted to be the overall champion when entering his first race in Baja, not just another racer participating in a class in off road racing. That first race was the 1970 NORRA Mexican 1000.
With a specialty-built truck by Bill Stroppe to look like a Bronco, Parnelli Jones named it "Big Oly" after the sponsor Olympia Beer. Parnelli Jones made history that year breaking the overall record!
For more information about the NORRA Mexican 1000 and NORRA 500 or how to race with NORRA click here : norra.com
#norraracing #mexican1000 #bajaracing #offroadracing

[@moabman6803]

Too bad the new owner of big oly crashed it.

[@davevisse]

Makes me long for an Olympia Beer.... It's the water!

[@sb4pro]

REST IN PEACE MR JONES YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A LEGEND 🏁😔🏁

[@patrickmartinez6177]

@ :50 to :53 there is Pop working in the background!!!

[@butcher390]

R.I.P. 💔 😢 Parnelli Jones 🏁🏆

[@leadfootnick4x4]

Good video

[@renedeveze-aguirre1963]

1971 Baja 1000 Ensenada to La Paz the record still alive not even the TTs can break it 14h 59 min 27 seconds.

[@DanArnets1492]

They clearly went a whole lot straighter than nowadays. Back in 1970, even Highway 1 had unpaved sectors, now they struggle to find enough of them!

[@949Designs]

One helluva interview.

[@martymartindale7265]

FWIW, PJ didn’t win the 1970 Mexican 1000, Drino Miller won in a buggy and 2nd was Steve Rieman in another buggy.

[@DanArnets1492]

PJ won the 1971 one but I think the main topic here was that a high-profile driver like him was racing it at all. By 1970, Parnelli Jones was a USAC Sprint & Stock car champion, Indy 500 winner, a Trans-Am champion too IIRC... Before him, the Baja 1000 was raced mostly by nobodies when it came to cars (bike class high-profile guys from day 1 including Malcolm Smith, Gunnar Nilsson and others)