1950 Carrera Panamericana

The 1950 Carrera Panamericana was the first edition of the Carrera Panamericana.

Background

After the Mexican section of the Panamerican Highway was completed in 1950, a nine-stage, five-day race across the country was organized by the Mexican government to advertise this feat and to attract international business into Mexico. The race ran almost entirely along the new highway, which crossed the country from north to south for a total distance of over 3,300 kilometres (2,100 mi). Antonio Cornejo, a Pontiac dealer in Mexico City, was the general manager of the event.

Drivers

Racers from the US, Italy, France, Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, and obviously, Mexico. The Formula 1 drivers Piero Taruffi and Felice Bonetto took part in the race. Also Bill France, the founder of NASCAR. Other NASCAR drivers participated as Hershel McGriff, Curtis Turner. The sporcar racer Jean Trévoux took part too.

The route

The first race ran from north to south, beginning in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, across the international border from El Paso, Texas, and finishing in El Ocotal, Chiapas, (now known as Cd. Cuauhtémoc) on the Guatemala-Mexico border opposite from La Mesilla, Guatemala. At least one stage was run each day for five consecutive days. The elevation changes were significant: from 328 feet (100 m) to 10,482 feet (3,195 m) above sea level, requiring amongst other modifications re-jetting of carburettors to cope with thinner air. Most the race was run between 5,000 feet (1,500 m) and 8,000 feet (2,400 m).

2008 Carrera Panamericana

The 2008 edition of the Carrera Panamericana Mexican sports car racing event started in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas and finished in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. This edition was composed by 7 stages. Bill Beilharz won this edition.

Results

Overall

By class

Stages

2010 Carrera Panamericana

The 2010 edition of the Carrera Panamericana Mexican sports car racing event started in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas and finished in Zacatecas, Zacatecas. This edition was composed by 7 stages and one day of qualification. Harri Rovanpera won this edition, in his first attempt. Jouni Närhi was his co-driver. Michel Jourdain, Jr. was the runner up.

Participants

There are 120 cars in 8 categories: Turismo Mayor, Turismo de Producción, Historico A, B and C, Sport Mayor, Sport Menor and Original Panam. And five in exhibition.

Harri Rovanpera (WRC), Michel Jourdain Jr. (CART), Jochen Mass (Formula One) and Jo Ramírez are outstanding drivers.

Route

The 2010 edition travel through ten states: start in Chiapas and passed by Oaxaca, Puebla, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco, Aguascalientes, and finally Zacatecas.

The 3,261 km (2,027 mi) of distance are divided in speed (582 km) and transit (2,679 km).

Results

Overall

By Category

Stages

Stage 0

This stage started in the installations of Feria de Chiapas, and finished in the Autódromo de Chiapas. The distance was 7 km This stage doesn't count in the total time, but determined the exit order.