From Legacy to Launch: Darren Skilton, the Glickenhaus 008, and a new chapter at NORRA
Words - Willem Avenant ; Photos - Justin Coffey /WestX1000
There are few names in off-road racing in North America that carry both the weight of history and the clarity of vision quite like Darren Skilton. With decades of experience spanning Baja, Dakar, and factory-backed programs, Skilton isn’t just entering another race, he’s bringing something entirely new with him.
At the upcoming NORRA Mexican 1000, that “something” is the striking and unconventional Glickenhaus 008, a car born from imagination, refined through engineering, and now ready for its first true test.
The Race: Where Heritage Meets Adventure
The NORRA Mexican 1000 is unlike any other event in off-road racing. It blends competition with nostalgia, speed with storytelling, a race as much about experience as it is about results.
Often described as a “happening” rather than a pure race, its roots trace back to the late 1960s, when the first pioneers charged down the Baja Peninsula in raw, untested machines. The original event, first run in 1967, laid the foundation for what would eventually evolve into legendary races like the Baja 1000.
Revived by the National Off Road Racing Association, the modern version stays true to that spirit. It welcomes everything from vintage race cars and motorcycles to cutting-edge rally machines, all sharing the same course and the same challenge. The bikes in 2026 will have a completely separate course.
The 2026 edition continues that tradition, spanning multiple days and over 1,200 miles from Ensenada to San José del Cabo. With a mix of timed special stages and liaison sections, the event rewards not just outright speed, but consistency, navigation, and mechanical sympathy.
But what truly sets NORRA apart is its atmosphere. Evenings are shared in host towns, stories are exchanged, and competitors become part of a traveling community. In many ways, simply reaching the finish line carries as much meaning as standing on the podium.
Darren Skilton: A Life Built in the Desert
Skilton’s story begins where many off-road dreams do, Baja.
“I’ve been racing off-road since 1992,” he says. “My first Baja 1000… I fell in love with the sport at a very early age.”
That early passion evolved into a career defined by both success and depth. With eight Baja 1000 wins, multiple class championships, seven Dakar Rally starts, and two Dakar Open Class wins, Skilton has competed at the highest levels of the sport. His experience includes factory drives with both Jeep and Kia, as well as his present role as head of off road vehicles with the Glickenhaus Racing team.
But what separates Skilton isn’t just results, it’s his long-term commitment to the evolution of rally-raid racing in North America.
After years of competing internationally, he shifted focus toward building infrastructure and opportunity, founding the Sonora Rally to bring Dakar-style racing to a new audience.
“I wanted to give people a place to race rally in North America… and kind of learn what Dakar is like with dunes.”
Now, decades into his career, Skilton finds himself at the beginning of something new, evolving from competitor to developer and builder, and Director of Off-Road for Glickenhaus Racing, bringing an entirely new machine to life.
The connection between Willem Avenant and Darren Skilton was forged not in a single moment, but through years of shared work in the rally world.
They first met in 2020 at the Sonora Rally, when Willem joined the event working with Rally Comp. What began as a professional overlap quickly evolved into something deeper, built on mutual respect, shared experience, and a common understanding of rally at its highest level.
Since then, Willem has competed in multiple editions of the rally and has been closely involved in both the Sonora Rally School and the race itself. Over time, that collaboration has grown into a working relationship where competition, development, and education intersect.
Coming off the back of racing and coaching in the Middle East for the last 12 months with Big Red Racing, and winning the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge championship in the T4 class (with 2nd overall auto in the championship) with driver Bassam Kronfli, Willem is very excited and motivated to bring what he has learned and build on that, with a newer, faster car, paired with a driver of Skilton’s level.
Their shared history is part of what makes this NORRA entry significant. It’s not just a driver and navigator pairing, it’s a collaboration between two individuals who have seen the sport from multiple angles: competitor, organizer, coach, and strategist.
The Glickenhaus 008: A Bold Idea, Realized
The Glickenhaus 008 didn’t begin as a conventional project—it started as a bold idea.
“The 008 was actually born from an April Fool’s joke,” Skilton explains. “We talked about taking the body of the 004 sports car and placing it on an off-road chassis… and when one of the designers mocked it up, the reaction was instant. People loved it.”
What followed was something far more serious. Led by Jesse Glickenhaus and the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) team, the concept evolved into a fully realized off-road vehicle, one that blends sports car aesthetics with rally-proven engineering.
The result is a car that looks exotic, but is grounded in practical performance.
- Weight: Approximately 3,800 lbs
- Chassis: Lightweight buggy-style architecture
- Layout: Center cockpit, three-seater configuration
- Design: Italian-crafted bodywork inspired by the 004 race car
“It’s a unique car,” Skilton says. “Very aerodynamic… and in rally, with restrictors, that really matters.”
The aerodynamic focus isn’t just for style, it’s a strategic decision aimed at long-distance rally efficiency, where airflow and weight directly impact performance.
At the same time, the team deliberately avoided overcomplication.
“We didn’t want to build something so exotic that it becomes unattainable,” he explains. “We’re using a lot of American-based parts… to keep it accessible.”
That balance, between performance, usability, and cost, is central to the 008’s identity. Despite its futuristic appearance, it’s designed to be driven hard, tested properly, and ultimately delivered as a turnkey customer car.
NORRA: A Test, a test more than a statement
For all its ambition, this debut isn’t about winning, at least not yet.
Instead, the NORRA Mexican 1000 serves as something far more important: a proving ground.
“Our goal really is just to go down and finish,” Skilton says. “It’s the first race the car’s entered… we’re still developing it.”
The team has already logged significant miles in pre-running the Baja 1000 and made significant updates:
Improved steering system
- Larger brakes
- Revised body mounting
- New sequential transmission
Each of these changes now needs validation under real race conditions.
“We wanted a real test by fire before we release these cars to customers.”
But beyond mechanical validation, this race has a deeper purpose.
Skilton is using NORRA as a bridge between Baja and Dakar, a place to evaluate whether the 008 has the potential to compete at the highest level of rally-raid.
“I wanted to do it in a rally setting… to see if this thing is capable of going to Dakar.”
That includes understanding not just speed, but endurance, comfort, and navigational practicality, especially with a co-driver/navigator environment tailored for long-distance rallying.
“Number one goal is just to get to Cabo. Number two is to see what the limits are of the vehicle.”
If the NORRA test goes as planned, the vision extends far beyond a single race.
The Glickenhaus 008 is intended to become:
- A customer-ready rally car
- A lease platform for racers
- A potential entry point into Dakar-level competition
With a projected price point around $250,000 turnkey, it positions itself in a unique space, offering something visually striking, technically capable, and relatively accessible within the world of high-level off-road racing.
For Skilton, this isn’t just another chapter, it’s a culmination of everything he’s learned.
A lifetime in the desert.
A career at the highest level.
And now, a car that carries all of that forward.
Make sure to follow along @willemavenantracing for updates from the race, interviews, and more.
