SCORE previously announced that the 2012 Laughlin race would utilize a longer course and expand from the 6 mile course loop that has been used for the past five years to the 12 mile course loop that we last used in 2005.
After a complete review of the Bureau of Land Management and Las Vegas Metro Police event stipulations, SCORE has determined that expanding to the 12 mile course loop will negatively impact the race in the following ways:
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT STIPULATIONS:
1 – No passing zones to prevent new disturbance to existing vegetation.
2 – Mandatory penalty for racers that create new vegetation disturbance.
3 – Severe financial penalties imposed on SCORE for new vegetation disturbance.
4 – Cancellation of the remaining parts of the event if harm occurs to desert tortoise.
5 – Prohibition against watering the expanded course will create severe dust conditions.
LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE:
1 – Prohibition against crossing the Needles Highway on Friday to prevent a traffic delay inconvenience at the High School means that racers will be unable to practice on the expanded course and the SCORE Trophy Trucks will be unable to qualify on the expanded course.
SCORE strongly believes that the Friday practice sessions on the entire traditional 6 mile course has created a safer racing environment at Laughlin over the past five years and we are not willing to move backwards from this safety aspect.
SCORE’s ability to water the entire traditional 6 mile course has allowed for five years of dust free racing and we are not willing to move backwards from a dust control standpoint because this will clearly have a negative impact on safety. Increased dust will also have a negative impact on the highly competitive nature of SCORE racing in Laughlin.
SCORE is proud of the excellent relationships we have established with both the Bureau of Land Management and the Las Vegas Metro Police. We respect the stipulations they have imposed on the 12 mile loop because we realize these governmental agencies are merely following the current applicable laws by imposing these stipulations.
The highly competitive world-class level of racing that occurs at our Laughlin event demands that SCORE recognize what impact certain governmental stipulations will have on the SCORE style of racing and it also demands that we act accordingly to minimize or eliminate those impacts by selecting the most racer friendly event format allowed by the government.
As a result, SCORE has made the decision to use the traditional 6 mile loop and firmly believes this format will create a much better overall racing experience than the 12 mile loop.
December 20, 2011 – Drawing for starting positions to be held Monday, Jan. 2nd For season-opening 18th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge
LOS ANGELES—With Las Vegas Events approving SCORE to produce the 18th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, SCORE has announced plans to make each day of the two-day Laughlin event separate race events for purposes of championship points, prize money and trophies.
The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge will once again be held on the Martin Luther King birthday weekend which in 2012 will be January 13-15.
The drawing for starting positions, by class, will be held on Monday, Jan. 2 at SCORE headquarters in Los Angeles.
“SCORE International is the premier desert racing organization in the world and Las Vegas Events has a great working relationship with Sal Fish and his dedicated team,” commented Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, the entity which will sponsor the January two-race format in Laughlin.
The Laughlin event will include course practice sessions for all classes and qualifying for SCORE Trophy Truck on Friday followed by two separate and independent races, the first on Saturday and the second on Sunday.
There will not be a Laughlin Leap competition prior to the race. While there will be two spectator areas, there will not be grandstand seating. The Laughlin Tourism Commission will manage the two spectator areas. One will be located on “The Hill” overlooking the entire infield area, and the other will be adjacent to the start/finish area. Admission is $5 per person for each area.
The five-race 2012 SCORE Desert Series, which features 36 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, buggies, motorcycles and ATVs, will kick off January 13-15 with the 18th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in the Southern Nevada resort city of Laughlin on the banks of the Colorado River. The season will conclude November 14-17 with the 45th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, the granddaddy of all desert races, which will start in Ensenada, Baja California and finish in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2012 SCORE Desert Series will both be held in Mexico. The 26th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 is set for March 9-11 in San Felipe, followed by the vastly popular 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 500, June 1-3, in Ensenada.
SCORE International, founded in 1973 by the late Mickey Thompson and headed by Sal Fish since 1974, continues today as the premier sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing.
Tecate Beer is the title sponsor of the 45th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000.
Official Sponsors of the SCORE Desert Series are:
-BFGoodrich Tires, Official Tire
-Volkswagen of America, Official Vehicle
-Sunoco Race Fuels, Official Race Fuel
-Slime, Official Tire Sealant
-Symons Ambulance Company, Official Ambulance
-Bilstein, Official Shock Absorber
-Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Official Mexican Auto Insurance
Official Sponsors of the SCORE Baja 1000 are:
-Coca-Cola, Official Soft Drink
-Volaris Airlines, Official Airline
-Lightforce Performance Lighting, Official Driving Light
Additional SCORE Sponsors are – Las Vegas Events, Proturismo Ensenada, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Blue C Advertising, SignPros, PCI 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 2012 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.