No I haven't really seen the race in person, seen it in TV. But I have been to Baja California multiple times, and it is a magical place. It is therefore much more than a race from what I gather, it ends up becoming a quest. It is not much of a spectator sport, although there is plenty of spectator during the race at key point, but most of the time you race against yourself. I think that could be true for many races.
There are towns in the Baja, they call Pueblo Magico.... it is a national program... and popular with expats. I like them.