Pan Am Race, La Carrera Panamericana. There is nothing like it in the world!
Each year, nearly one hundred of the worlds finest vintage racecars line up in Southern Mexico to race nearly 2000 miles north to the border with Texas. The Pan Am passes though the heart of the Country, a glorious string of mountains and quaint colonial cities. The event is a serious test of drivers and their vintage cars.

The modern race is a revival of the famous international Pan Am that was conducted between 1950-1954. Many of the world’s most famous drivers, including world champions like Phil Hill and Juan Manuel Fangio, came to Mexico during these years to test their cars, skill, and stamina. The race was started in 1950 by the Mexican government to inform the world that Mexico had a new system of highways that stretched across the country – from north to south – for commerce and tourism.

The event operates in a “pro-rally” format. Each car is given a route book with detailed instructions to follow for the entire seven days. Every turn along the entire route is listed, and each is rated by degree of difficulty. Warnings are given about dangerous conditions, and even speed bumps and special attractions are noted. But there can always be a surprise lurking around each blind corner.

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Each day is divided into “transit” and “special” stages. The transit stages are run from town to town on regular highways, in regular traffic. But several times a day the Pan Am cars line up for the special stages or speed sections. The road is cleared by 20 Mexican Highway Patrol, who travel with the race. After the road is secured, the Pan Am cars are started in thirty-second intervals. There are no speed limits--only open roads slicing through the mountains. Along the way thousands of spectators cheer the cars as they pass.

These special sections normally stretch from three to sixteen miles in length, mostly over good, paved mountain roads. The stages may also be run on a sports car track or freeways. At the end of the week, the cars with the lowest elapsed times for the special stages are declared the winners – overall and by class. Time penalty points may be awarded if you arrive too early or too late to a speed section, or commit an infraction of the rules.