User:Pattymooney/Montana Grande

Montana Grande Too Much Fun Promotions was founded in 1986 by Armando Carrasco, the former head promoter for the Baja Department of Tourism. Armando cut his teeth on events such as the Baja 1000 and the Rosarito-Ensenada, a 50-mile bicycle tour, and over the past two decades his company has organized hundreds of events in Baja. Specializing in motocross, mountain bike and beach events, Carrasco has built Too Much Fun into a successful business enterprise; with his experience and government contacts in Mexico, he is Baja’s promotional powerhouse. An accomplished BMX racer in the late 70's, and experienced motocross racer, Carrasco has won 4 Baja State Motocross Championships, raced the Baja 250, 500 and the World famous Baja 1000. He resides in Rosarito Beach with his wife and two children and is a visible and upstanding member of the local business community.

Rob Quinn met Carrasco in 1987, and the two started the "Montaña Grande" Mountain Bike Ride in Rosarito Beach. The first organized mountain bike event in Mexico, later founded the King of the Mountain, NITE RIDE in Tecate. Quinn has a background in radio management and held several positions at the Tijuana-based 91X and XTRA Sports Radio from 1987 to 1999. He later relocated to Denver, Colorado, where he has worked as vice president and general manager of Hispanic radio stations. He started Spectrum Marketing www.spectrum-marketing.com in 2006 and has maintained his contacts in San Diego and Tijuana with his consultation to various media outlets including Borderbillboard www.borderbillboard.com, the most dominant fixture at the border

An avid sportsman, Quinn and his family maintain residences in Denver and Summit County, Colorado. Quinn won the Tijuana to Ensenada road race in 1996 and was category champion at the Winter Park series in 2001. After competing in and finishing 11th (men 40-plus) at La Ruta de los Conquistadores, an epic off-road stage race across Costa Rica in 2003, Quinn realized this was the future of mountain biking: major multi-day stage races that challenge even the most accomplished riders. He returned from Costa Rica and told Carrasco that a Trans-Baja route would be perfect for such an endeavor. With Too Much Fun’s history in the area, Carrasco’s intimate knowledge of the geography, and both of their bike industry contacts and marketing savvy, the Baja Epic was destined to become a success.

With strong connections to the cycling world, Quinn and Carrasco will draw past, present and future stars to the Baja Epic MTB Race. The event is scheduled November 5-8, 2008. It will start and finish in Rosarito Beach, but will definitely include the Cities of Tecate and Ensenada. The course will highlight Baja’s diverse geography—from beach to high alpine to desert terrain. The race will be capped at 500 riders.