|
|
-
Busy pre-running begins Saturday in Mexico on
rugged
420.11-mile race course for 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 500
June 1-3 race in Ensenada has entries from 31 States, 13 countries;
Course map available at
www.score-international.com
LOS ANGELES— With the course map, course notes and GPS coordinates
released Monday, pre-race activity steps up significantly starting
Saturday when the world’s best desert racers officially begin their
pre-running and course logistics activities for next month’s
record-setting 39th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500, the second-oldest
desert race in the world.
-
Round 3 of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost
Desert Racing Series, will feature over 475 entries, competing in 28
Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. It
will be held June 1-3 in Ensenada, Mexico. Traditionally one of the
most popular events on the SCORE schedule, over 150,000 spectators are
expected to enjoy the world’s best desert racers in action at this
year’s race.
-
With late entries excepted up to race morning, over 475 entries are
expected from 31 U.S. States from Hawaii to Rhode Island as well as
Mexico, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Israel,
Italy, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. The green flag will drop
for the race at 6 a.m. on Saturday (June 2) for the motorcycle and ATV
classes in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, followed by the car and truck
classes three hours after the last ATV at approximately 10 a.m. The
455 vehicles entered to date include 261 cars and trucks and 194
motorcycles and ATVs. There will be an 18-hour time limit in the
elapsed-time race.
-
This year’s massive field will challenge the very technical and rugged
420.11-mile course. Pre-running, or repeated practice driving and
riding the course will be allowed up to the day before the race
(Friday, June 1).
-
Back to defend their overall 4-wheel vehicle and SCORE Trophy-Truck
title is the team of Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz./Brian Collins,
Las Vegas, in the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
Returning as the overall motorcycle and Class 22 champs is the team of
Robby Bell, Murrieta, Calif./Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif., on
the No. 1x Honda CRF450X. Back to defend their overall ATV and Class
25 victory is the team of Danny Prather, Ramona, Calif./Mike Cafro,
Carlsbad, Calif., on the No. 1a Honda TRX250R.
Starting and finishing in Ensenada on the majestic Baja California
peninsula, this year’s tight and technical course will run in a
clockwise direction, running East into the middle of the peninsula,
then South, followed by a West travel section, turning north, then
East, North, Northeast and back West for the final charge back into
Ensenada.
-
The race course is very similar to last year’s brutally-tough
adventure, with a few notable exceptions.
-
This year’s course will not go through the Pine Forest east of Ojos
Negros and the first 112.05 miles will be the same route as used in
March’s 21st Tecate SCORE Baja 250 through Tres Hermanos, El Alamo and
down to Valle de Trinidad.
-
The most significant course change from a year ago is the addition of
a new 50-mile stretch never before used in the 34-year history of
SCORE Baja races. After winding back to the Pacific Ocean and up to
Santo Tomas, the new section will run from Uruapan at race-mile 348.55
through the Cerro San Antonio mountains and back down to west of Ojos
Negros at race-mile 398.29.
-
The clockwise direction of travel will also have the racers run down
the infamous Simpson Hill, instead of the incredibly-tough uphill
route used in 2005.
-
“This will be an extremely challenging race course,” said Paul Fish,
SCORE Vice-President who has worked closely with his uncle Sal Fish,
SCORE President/CEO and Mexican officials in designing a dynamic race
course.
-
“We have been able to add an amazing section on the way back to the
finish and this area will provide many more stories to the legend of
SCORE Baja racing. We sincerely appreciate all of the assistance we
have received from local ranchers and government officials in defining
the race route for this year’s 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 500. This year’s
course will also have the shortest two-way section we have ever had in
this race.”
-
On the Southern-most part of the course behind Mike’s Sky Rancho, the
course has again added length by going south and west around Rancho
Meling before rejoining last year’s course around Rancho Coyote.
-
The diverse terrain and altitude variation also includes an
awe-inspiring sprint along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean of
approximately 30 miles starting around race-mile 300.
-
Several crossover/celebrity racers are already entered in this year’s
race, led by NASCAR’s Robby Gordon and Brendan Gaughan. Both second
generation desert racers, Gordon, Mooresville, N.C., who has won this
race three times, is a NASCAR Cup Team Owner/Driver and is entered in
SCORE Trophy-Truck while Las Vegan Gaughan, who is a NASCAR Truck
Series driver, is entered in Class 1.
-
Gordon, whose last win in this race was 2005, will again be pulling
double-duty, competing in the SCORE race in Baja on June 2 and the
NASCAR Cup race in Dover, Del.
-
Seven-time World Rally Championship race winner Armin Schwarz of
Austria is returning to Baja for the second time to race in Class 1
and Pikes Peak Hill Climb record holder Rod Millen of New Zealand is
back again to race in the Stock Mini class.
-
Supercross and AMA motocross legend Ricky Johnson, Encinitas, Calif.,
has signed on as a second driver in this race and the Tecate SCORE
Baja 1000 with Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, in SCORE Trophy-Truck.
-
Millen’s son Rhyss Millen, also a Pikes Peak Hill Climb veteran and a
national drifting champion, will be a co-driver for Chet Huffman,
Northridge, Calif., in SCORE Trophy-Truck.
-
Jamie Galles, of Albuquerque, N.M., a former Trans Am and Toyota
Atlantic racer, will be a co-driver for Josh Rigsby, Santa Fe, N.M.,
in Class 1.
-
Shawn Highland, Temecula, Calif., a star of the freestylemx.com
international tour, will co-ride with Marc Burnett, Chula Vista,
Calif. and 2005 SCORE Baja 500 overall motorcycle winner Mike
Childress, Wrightwood, Calif., on the No. 15x Suzuki RMZ450.
Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., is a motorcycle long jump former
world record holder who is entered in the unlimited Class 1.
The three celebrity drivers who are all SCORE regulars are Cameron
Steele, Jesse James and Max Thieriot.
-
Steele, San Clemente, Calif., who is a TV sports announcer for
Supercross, X Games and Champ Cars and whose wife Heidi Steele races
in Class 7SX, has entered three classes once again—SCORE Trophy-Truck,
SCORE Lite and Class 22.
-
James, Sunset Beach, Calif., whose wife is legendary motion picture
star Sandra Bullock, is the CEO of the world-famous West Cost Choppers
company and was the star of the old Monster Garage television series.
He races in SCORE Trophy-Truck.
-
Thieriot, 18 of Petaluma, Calif., is a budding Hollywood actor with
several supporting roles to his credit, races in Class 1 with his
father Cam Thieriot and Glenn Harris, Camarillo, Calif., who are both
veteran desert racers. Max Thieriot’s film credits include The
Pacifier (2005), Astronaut Farmer (2007) and a co-starring role in
this summer’s release of the Nancy Drew mystery movie. He drew the
first starting position in the unlimited Class 1 which has a race-high
52 entries.
-
To date, the Pro 4-Wheel vehicles classes with the most entries are:
Class 1 (52), SCORE Trophy-Truck (39), SCORE Lite (27), Class 1-2/1600
(23) and Class 51/600 (20).
-
Leading the Motorcycle classes in entries so far are Class 22 (23),
Class 30 (20), Class 40 and Class 21 (18 each). Class 25 for open ATVs
has 16 entries. Among the Sportsman classes, SPT Motorcycles over
250cc has 50 entries and SPT ATV has 18.
-
The starting line area will once again be in front of the Riviera del
Pacifico Cultural Center on Boulevard Costero in downtown Ensenada,
Mexico. The finish line will be where it was last year--inside the
Campo de Softball Jose Negro Soto stadium at 11th Street (Calle Once)
and Espinoza Avenue in Ensenada. The stadium is located approximately
1.5 miles east of the start line area. Vehicles will start in
30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race.
-
Pre-race festivities at the 39th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 will include
the colorful SCORE Midway and tech inspection between the San Nicolas
Hotel and the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada from 10
a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday (June 1). Racer registration will be held
in the Grand Ballroom at the San Nicolas Hotel from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
on Thursday (May 31) and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday (June
1).
-
The mandatory racer’s briefing will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday (June
1) in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
At 11 a.m. on Sunday (June 3), the awards celebration will be held
poolside at the San Nicolas Hotel.
-
As SCORE officials finalize the course layout for this year’s race,
pre-running will begin on Sat., May 19.
-
The 2007 SCORE Desert Series also includes the chase for the $75,000
Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several 2007 SCORE
Class point champions along with the run for the $12,000 Toyota True
Grit and Toyota Milestone Awards.
Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official
tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/Bryant Petroleum-official fuel supplier,
Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official
Mexican auto insurance, American Racing ATX Series-official wheel,
Slime-official tire sealant, Airstar America-official space lighting
provider, Red Bull--official energy drink and Bosch Power
Tools-official power tool. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer,
Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C
Communications, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bendix,
American Suzuki, NAPA Chassis, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios,
McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
-
For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters
818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series
at
www.score-international.com
|
