Course notes for 2021, Ft. Stockton to Sanderson and return.
* Please note that these course notes are based on the 2017 race.
You will notice that there are no mileage markers listed on our course notes. When we did the survey, the mileage markers were being re-done as part of the continued maintenance on U.S. 285. There is a real possibility that they won’t be in place until after the race. It is highly recommended that you do your own survey and note reference markers that work for you.
Please remember that the Big Bend Open Road Race is called “One of the Most Exciting Open Road Races In the World” for a reason. In the last 50 miles leading to Sanderson there are 59 turns, some blind, a great many elevation changes, and two lanes that turn into four lanes that turn back into two lanes. These are Texas roads – wide and smooth with wide shoulders. There is an old saying in open road racing, “keep it between the white lines”. Good advice.
Enjoy!
2021 Course Calculation Sheet for download.
TERMS
Sweeper — A long, fast turn
Bend — A short, fast turn
Turn — Short, but slow
Corner — Slow and long
| MILE MARKER | MILES | TURN | SPEED | DESCRIPTION | NOTES |
| SOUTHBOUND LEG N 30 50. 862 S 102 51.103 (on west shoulder of road) GPS 0705444E, 3414709N |
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| 425.9 | Road closed at Mockingbird Lane | ||||
| 427.15 | 0.0 | STARTING LINE (3,080 ft elevation) | Gate on left | ||
| 0.9 | 1R | Right hand sweeper into long straight | |||
| 2.2 | Rough spot | ||||
| 3.3 | 2L | Left hand sweeper into very long straight | |||
| 7.7 | Six Shooter Draw Bridge | ||||
| 8.2 | 3R | Slight bend to the right | |||
| 8.4 | Bridge (culvert) | ||||
| 10.3 | Rough in left lane | ||||
| 10.5 | Blind hill – straight | ||||
| 12.0 | 4L | Left hand corner – up hill – thru cut and down to short straight | Four lanes wide | ||
| 12.8 | 5R | Right hand corner, down hill | Three lanes back to two | ||
| 13.1 | Bridge | ||||
| 14.6 | 6L | Left hand sweeper – then uphill to – | Three lanes wide | ||
| 15.1 | 7R | Blind right hand turn over crest into downhill straight | Watch out! – narrows to two lanes | ||
| 16.2 | 8R | Right hand bend to very short straight | |||
| 16.6 | 9R | Right hand bend | |||
| 17.6 | 10L | Left hand turn uphill into short straight | |||
| 17.9 | 11L | Blind left hand turn over hill into immediate – | |||
| 18.2 | 12R | Right hand turn downhill into very short straight | Caution | ||
| 18.5 | 13R | Right hand bend – downhill | |||
| 19.0 | 14L | Left hand corner downhill into blind exit | |||
| 19.8 | 15L | Left hand bend – downhill | |||
| 20.9 | Nineteen Draw Bridge with a blind rise | Rough surface on bridge | |||
| 22.0 | 16R | Slight right hand bend into very short straight | |||
| 22.3 | 17R | Right hand bend – slight uphill with Monument Draw Bridge at start | Rough surface on bridge | ||
| 23.3 | 18L | Slight left hand bend – Oxy Plant R.D. | |||
| 24.7 | Marsh Lea Ranch on left | ||||
| 25.6 | 19R | Right hand corner – slight upgrade | |||
| 25.9 | Blind uphill into straightaway | ||||
| 27.2 | Cerf Ranch on left | ||||
| 27.7 | 20R | Blind right hand sweeper over crest – long | |||
| 29.3 | 21L | Left hand sweeper with elevation changes – Escondido Draw Bridge ¾ of the way thru |
Dip at end of bridge | ||
| 30.6 | Blind crest in straight – elevator ride! | Look ahead | |||
| 31.7 | Blind crest in straight – very quick to next turn | ||||
| 32.0 | 22L | Left hand corner thru cut – Blind exit down hill into very short straight |
Look ahead – three lanes | ||
| 32.4 | 23L | Left hand bend downhill into immediate – | Roadside park on left – narrows to two lanes | ||
| 32.7 | 24R | Right hand bend – into immediate – | |||
| 33.0 | 25L | Left hand turn with blind exit with slight rise into straight | |||
| 35.6 | 26R | Right hand bend into very short straight | |||
| 36.0 | 27L | Left hand sweeper with blind exit | |||
| 36.6 | Big Canyon Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 37.0 | 28R | Right hand turn into immediate | Double sweeper | ||
| 37.2 | 29R | Right hand turn with blind exit | |||
| 38.0 | Old Water Tank | On Left | |||
| 38.2 | 30L | Very slight left bend | |||
| 38.8 | 31R | Right hand turn downhill with blind exit – to short straight | |||
| 39.4 | 32R | Right hand bend to short straight | |||
| 39.8 | Middle Fork Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 40.0 | 33L | Left hand turn to short straight | |||
| 40.6 | Sign – Sanderson 20 miles on right | ||||
| 41.1 | 34R | Long right hand corner with uphill rise | |||
| 42.4 | 35L | Left hand turn – slight down hill | |||
| 42.8 | Clark Place Draw Bridge | Warning! Approaching Quick Blind Corners | |||
| 43.8 | 36L | Long left hand corner uphill into very short straight | Three lanes wide | ||
| 44.2 | 37R | Right hand corner through cut into | Four lanes wide | ||
| 44.4 | 38L | Blind left hand corner downhill, long | |||
| 45.0 | 39L | Slight left hand bend into – | Back to two lanes | ||
| 45.2 | 40R | Long right hand corner – through cut – Caution very long – into short straight |
Three lanes wide | ||
| 45.6 | FM 2400 Junction on left | ||||
| 45.8 | 41L | Left hand turn uphill and over into | Four lanes | ||
| 46.0 | 42R | Slight right hand bend into short downhill straight | Be prepared; three lanes | ||
| 46.4 | 43R | Right hand corner into short straight | |||
| 47.1 | 44L | Left hand corner – long | Three lanes at entrance, narrows to two in turn | ||
| 48.0 | Ranch house on right | Left lane rough | |||
| 48.7 | 45L | Slight left hand bend | Left lane rough | ||
| 49.4 | 46R | Blind right hand corner downhill into long straight | Look up | ||
| 49.9 | Terrell County Sign | Pavement changes | |||
| 50.1 | Downie Draw Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 50.8 | Sign – Sanderson 10 miles | ||||
| 51.4 | 47L | Left hand corner uphill with a very late apex to exit, into very short straight |
Three lanes | ||
| 51.8 | 48L | Left hand sweeper, through cut, downhill – almost joins next turn to make a double left |
Widens to four lanes | ||
| 52.2 | 49L | Left hand turn, into very short straight | Three lanes, tighter than previous sweeper | ||
| 52.5 | 50R | Right hand corner downhill, blind exit, into – | |||
| 52.7 | 51L | Long left hand corner still downhill into | Two lanes at exit | ||
| 53.2 | 52R | Right hand corner into short straight | |||
| 53.7 | 53L | Left hand corner | |||
| 54.2 | 54R | Right hand bend | |||
| 54.9 | 55R | Slight right hand bend into very short straight | |||
| 55.3 | 56L | Left hand turn into short straight | |||
| 55.9 | 57R | Long right hand corner | |||
| 56.5 | Bridge | ||||
| 57.4 | 58R | Right hand turn – bridge just past exit – into immediate | Caution | ||
| 57.7 | 59R | Right hand corner | Caution – slower than previous turn! | ||
| 58.2 | 60L | Left hand sweeper – then head to finish line | |||
| 488.3 | 59.0 | FINISH LINE (2,885 ft elevation), GPS 0749705E, 3340148N |
Very short shutdown distance | ||
| Yellow flag | Slow down | ||||
| 488.9 | Red Flag – Cones and Waving Red Flag | Obey Speed Limit. Go into town and park at County Court House. You will be given instructions for return to re-start line. |
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| MILE MARKER | MILES | TURN | SPEED | DESCRIPTION | NOTES |
| NORTHBOUND LEG N 30 10.026 W 102 24.421(on east shoulder of road) GPS 0749705E, 3340148N |
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| 488.9 | Road Closed | ||||
| 488.3 | 0.0 | STARTING LINE (2,885 ft elevation) | Rodeo Arena Driveway on left | ||
| 0.6 | 60R | Right hand sweeper into short straight | |||
| 1.1 | 59L | Left hand corner goes into immediate – | |||
| 1.4 | 58L | Left hand sweeper, bridge just before entrance | |||
| 2.5 | Bridge | ||||
| 2.8 | 57L | Long left hand corner into short straight | |||
| 3.5 | 56R | Right hand turn into very short straight | |||
| 3.9 | 55L | Slight left hand bend | |||
| 4.7 | 54L | Left hand turn | |||
| 5.1 | 53R | Right hand corner uphill into short straight | |||
| 5.7 | 52L | Left hand corner uphill into immediate | |||
| 5.9 | 51R | Long right hand corner uphill into immediate | Three lanes wide | ||
| 6.4 | 50L | Left hand corner uphill to very short straight | |||
| 6.7 | 49R | Right hand turn approaching double cut into immediate | Be careful; 4 lanes at exit | ||
| 6.9 | 48R | Blind right hand sweeper thru double cut into very short straight | Narrows to 3 lanes | ||
| Caution: Begin steep downhill | |||||
| 7.4 | 47R | Right hand downhill corner into long straight | Caution | ||
| 8.8 | Downie Draw Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 9.1 | Pecos County Line | Pavement change | |||
| 9.4 | 46L | Left hand corner, uphill | Caution | ||
| 10.1 | 45R | Slight right hand bend | Right lane rough | ||
| 11.0 | Ranch house on left | Right lane rough | |||
| 11.5 | 44R | Long right hand corner uphill -into short straight | Widens to 3 lanes | ||
| 12.5 | 43L | Left hand corner to steep uphill with blind crest | |||
| 13.0 | 42L | Slight blind left hand bend to immediate | |||
| 13.1 | 41R | Right turn over crest into short straight | Watch out!; 4 lanes, narrows to 3 at exit | ||
| 13.3 | Highway FM2400 on right | ||||
| 13.5 | 40L | Long left hand corner thru cut into – | Narrows to 2 lanes at exit | ||
| 14.0 | 39R | Slight right bend | Three lanes wide | ||
| Three Turn Series | |||||
| 14.3 | 38R | Right hand corner thru cut downhill into | Four lanes wide | ||
| 14.6 | 37L | Left hand corner into very short straight | Narrows to 3 lanes at exit | ||
| 15.0 | 36R | Long right hand corner downhill into straightaway | |||
| 16.2 | Clark Place Draw Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 16.5 | 35R | Right hand turn uphill | |||
| 17.6 | 34L | Blind left hand corner downhill – tight – to short straight | |||
| 18.9 | 33R | Right hand turn to short straight | |||
| 19.1 | Middle Fork Big Canyon Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 19.5 | 32L | Left hand bend to short straight | |||
| 20.0 | 31L | Left hand turn uphill | |||
| 20.7 | 30R | Very slight right bend | |||
| 21.0 | Windmill on right | ||||
| 21.5 | 29L | Blind left hand turn at end of straight – to immediate | #29 & 28 almost like one turn | ||
| 21.9 | 28L | Left hand turn | |||
| 22.3 | Big Canyon Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 22.7 | 27R | Right hand sweeper into very short straight | |||
| 23.2 | 26L | Left hand bend into straight | |||
| 25.4 | Blind crest – straight | ||||
| 25.9 | 25R | Right hand turn – into immediate | |||
| 26.1 | 24L | Left hand bend uphill into immediate | Roadside park on right at exit | ||
| 26.5 | 23R | Right hand bend – steep uphill – into very short straight | Three lanes wide | ||
| 26.8 | 22R | Blind right hand corner – narrows thru cut on exit | |||
| 28.0 | Blind crest – straight | Four lanes wide | |||
| 28.3 | Blind crest into narrowing road | Two lanes wide | |||
| 29.3 | 21R | Long right hand sweeper – Escondido Draw Bridge shortly after entrance | Dip on entrance | ||
| 30.7 | 20L | Long left hand sweeper uphill – exit over crest | |||
| 31.1 | Crest near exit | ||||
| 31.8 | Cerf Ranch on right | ||||
| 33.0 | 19L | Left hand corner | |||
| 34.2 | Marsh Lea Ranch on right | ||||
| 35.5 | 18R | Slight right hand bend | Mitchell Road on right | ||
| 36.6 | 17L | Left hand bend over Monument Draw Bridge into very short straight | Rough bridge surface | ||
| 36.9 | 16L | Slight left bend | |||
| 38.1 | Nineteen Draw Bridge | Rough bridge surface | |||
| 38.6 | Bunger Cameron Ranch on right | ||||
| 39.1 | 15R | Right hand bend | |||
| 39.7 | 14R | Long right hand corner uphill | |||
| 40.4 | 13L | Left hand bend into very short straight | |||
| 40.8 | 12L | Short left hand turn uphill into immediate | |||
| 41.0 | 11R | Blind right hand turn into short straight | |||
| 41.3 | 10R | Right hand turn | |||
| 42.3 | 9L | Left hand bend to very short straight | |||
| 42.7 | 8L | Left hand bend | |||
| 43.6 | 7L | Left hand turn up and over hill – into very short straight | Four lanes wide, narrows to 3 after exit | ||
| 44.1 | 6R | Right hand sweeper downhill | Look up!, 2 lanes after exit | ||
| 45.9 | 5L | Left hand corner up steep hill – to short straight | Three lanes wide | ||
| 46.6 | 4R | Blind right hand corner out of cut – long | Four lanes wide | ||
| 47.0 | Back to two lanes | ||||
| 48.2 | Blind crest thru cut – straight | ||||
| 48.7 | Rough in right lane | ||||
| 50.6 | Bridge (culvert) | ||||
| 50.7 | 3L | Blind slight left bend – to very long straight | |||
| 51.3 | Six Shooter Draw Straight | ||||
| 51.7 | Sign – Ft. Stockton 10 miles | ||||
| 55.3 | 2R | Right hand sweeper – slight uphill – into long straight | |||
| 56.7 | Rough spot | ||||
| 57.8 | 1L | Left hand sweeper into finish line straight heading home | |||
| 427.15 | 59.0 | FINISH LINE (3,080 ft elevation), GPS 0705444E, 3414709N |
Gate on right | ||
| Yellow Flag | Slow down | ||||
| Red Flag | Observe posted speed limit | ||||
| Please go to Rooney Park for interview and viewing area. | |||||