For the first time, the Ortiz team, made up of Gerardo Ortiz and his son Joaquín Ortiz, residents of Redwood City, participate in the 35th edition of the Pan-American Race, which takes place in Mexico and seeks to reward the best drivers in 9 categories.
Thus, "Master" Ortiz, as Gerardo is called by his Taekwondo students at Casa Círculo Cultural, went to Mexico, his homeland, to make one of his dreams come true in the company of his son and to put the name of Mexican migrants in Redwood City.
The rally type race began this Friday, October 14 in Veracruz, Mexico; and will culminate next Thursday, October 20 in the state of Durango.
Gerardo Ortiz had been wanting this career for a long time, but due to immigration issues he had not been able to do it. However, today together with Joaquín, who is his right-hand man and co-driver in the event, they are taking the lead in their category, Historic A, where he drives a 1964 Morris Mini Cooper, which he himself restored.
"The absentee", the name of the car that the Ortiz drive, is already traveling the highways of Mexico as it began its journey yesterday morning from Boca del Río, Veracruz, to the center of Oaxaca, to begin today the second stage with direction to Mexico City, where they are already to relax, before leaving for the city of Querétaro this Sunday, October 16.
Although the Mini Cooper was assembled in New Zealand in 1964 and imported to California, Gerardo acquired it in 2004 to restore it, a task to which he invested hundreds of hours of work and dedication, in addition to good savings.
The car must meet certain requirements to compete as a racing car, as it must comply with the international regulations of the International Automobile Federation "FIA", such is the case of a rollover protection cage, a sealed gasoline tank "so that it does not spill in the event of a rollover? special fire extinguishers, as well as special brakes and suspension, among many other features.
It should be noted that participating in the 35th edition of the Pan-American Race is not everything, since Gerardo, together with the pilot Pedro Vidal from Miami, brought school supplies and other necessities to children from the Casa Hogar Santa Julia Don Bosco orphanage, AC
Gerardo and Joaquín still have a long way to go, because after arriving in Querétaro this Sunday, they will head to Morelia, Michoacán, to then arrive in Guanajuato, from there to San Luis Potosí, and finally culminate in Durango.
A little history
old stage
The rally-type race began in 1950, which was designed as a means of attracting tourists and investors and the then recently created Pan-American highway was used as its route.
In that year, it only registered the registration of cars manufactured by some of the big American brands, in subsequent years it aroused the interest of European brands that manufactured sports cars and grand tourers, soon turning the race into a showcase in which the brands such as Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes Benz and Lancia, however, and due to tragedies in motorsport, the race stopped in 1954.
It was in 1988, when a group of promoters decided to revive the celebration of the Pan-American Race, and various automobile groups from around the world were summoned to participate, reserving the competition for cars manufactured between 1940 and 1965, depending on the category. but allowing the modernization of the units in the aspects of suspensions and safety.
Since its inception, the test has taken place on federal, state, and secondary highways in Mexico over seven days, with a total distance of approximately 3,000 kilometers.
Currently, the permitted car models are divided into four groups and nine categories:
- Group A, of Pan-American cars, with the categories Production Tourism, Major Tourism, Minor Sport and Major Sport;
- Group B, of historic cars, with the Historic A, A Plus, B and C categories;
- Group C, of original Pan-American cars, and
- Group D, show cars. This group includes all vehicles that cannot be grouped into the previous ones. It is a non-scoring group and without the right to award.
Those interested can follow the positions and learn more about the career on the website https://lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/.
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