RENO, Nev. — SCORE International, for over four decades known as the world’s foremost desert racing organization, is taking another giant step into the future as Round 2 of the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship will mark the first time in its storied history that SCORE will present a race entirely in Baja California Sur, on the southern end of the Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula.
Following several years of negotiations and finalization of details with Mexican officials, SCORE, known as trail blazers in the sport of desert racing, will present the inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 on April 15-19. The race will start at the luxurious tourist destination of Cabo San Lucas on the southernmost tip of the peninsula and finish in the picturesque city of Loreto on the glistening Sea of Cortez on the east side of the peninsula.
SCORE was founded in 1973, SCORE Baja racing began in 1974 and SCORE is celebrating its 42nd year in 2015. With three races held annually for nearly 30 years in Baja, this race is the historical first time a SCORE Baja race will start and finish exclusively in the southern state of Baja California Sur. Previously the legendary SCORE Baja 1000 desert race has finished 20 times in La Paz and twice in Cabo San Lucas.
START DRAW TUESDAY
The live drawing for starting positions, by class, for the first-time event will be held Tuesday. To be included in the drawing, by class, vehicles must officially enter on-line on the SCORE website by noon on the day of the draw.
With entries accepted up to 5 p.m. the evening before the race, over 100 entries from over 15 US States and five countries expected to enter the inaguaral race that will feature competition in 25 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads.
SCORE COMMENTS
“SCORE International is extremely enthusiastic about producing this race entirely in Baja California Sur and we are sure that this will be the first of many future races down there,” commented Roger Norman, SCORE CEO and President. “The hospitality of the people, the warm welcome of the governmental authorities and the amazing terrain of the state are the perfect elements to develop a successful event. We salute and thank everyone involved in the organization of this historic event.”
“SCORE is always looking to produce high quality events that not only have a significant economic impact on the destinations that host a race, but most importantly to generate a positive promotion worldwide showing that Baja California Sur is a state that has some of the best terrain for desert racing as well as having a tremendous tourism infrastructure to host these types of events.
“In addition to the race itself, the international television exposure the race will receive will provide tremendous additional exposure for Mexico overall and specifically for Baja California Sur and all of the communities that are part of this landmark event.”
TOP TEAM
Working diligently with SCORE’s Norman and international liaison Oscar Ramos to make this dream race a reality have been numerous individuals in Baja California Sur, Here is the team from Mexico that have been working tirelessly to prepare for this first-time event:
· Marcos Alberto Covarrubias Villasenor, Governor of the State of Baja California Sur
· Gil Cueva Tabardillo, Baja California Sur State Congressman
· Jose S. Jassen, President of the Mexican Motorsports Federation
· Ruben Reachi Lugo, Secretary of Tourism of Baja California Sur
· Jose Antonio Agundez Montano, May of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
· Francisco Monroy Sanchez, Mayor of La Paz, Baja California Sur
· Jorge Aviles Perez, Mayor of Loreto, Baja California Sur
· Venustiano Perez Sanchez, Mayor of Comondu, Baja California Sur
SCORE has also enjoy tremendous cooperation and coordination between Federal, State and Municipal authorities as well as Hotel Associations, Restaurants, Chambers and many other groups involved in the tourist activities. The primary goal from the start of this project has been to provide the racers, teams and spectators with the quality of overall event structure to all them to enjoy the beauty of Baja Sur.
Significant in the preparation for this massive event has also been the congenial participation and involvement of the Mexican Army, Navy, Federal, State and Municipal Police, Red Cross and Civil Protection and the Mayors of Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondu and Loreto.
SKED HIGHLIGHTS
The pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway, contingency and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday (April 17). Contingency will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tech from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Yenecamu Fields in Cabo San Lucas. Racer registration will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday (April 16) and Friday (April 17) in the Pericues Ballroom at the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa, the race headquarters in Cabo San Lucas.
Both held prior to the start of the race, the Monster Energy SCORE Baja Sur 500 Party will be held at The Office on the Beach on Playa El Medano on Wednesday (April 15) from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and the pre-race Bud Light SCORE Kick-off Party will be held on Thursday (April 16) from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Casa Dorada.
In Loreto, La Mision Hotel is the race headquarters with the finish line adjacent to the resort on the Malecon on the Sea of Cortez. In the finish line area on Saturday (April 18), the Bud Light Finish Line Party will also be held. The awards celebration will conclude the festivities on the Malecon adjacent to La Mision Hotel on Sunday (April 19) at 10 a.m.
MAIN COURSE
A magnificent 424.43-mile course has been plotted with four physical checkpoints along the route from the start in Cabo San Lucas to the finish on the Malecon in Loreto. The exciting and challenging course will run northwest along the Pacific Ocean up through Todos Santos before moving northeast and inland at race mile 120. Going near La Paz, the course moves alongside the Sea of Cortez where it heads north to San Evaristo at race mile 220. From there, the course turns sharply southeast, heading back into the center of the peninsula. At Las Golondrinas (rm 260) the course turns back northwest and then north into Loreto passing near Cd. Constitucion and Cd. Insurgentes on the way up through Santo Domingo and San Javier into the finish on the Malecon in Loreto.
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK LEADERS
Led by Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr, who has 80 season points after winning the SCORE season opener in January in San Felipe in the No. 21 Branix Mexicana Logistics Ford Raptor, four SCORE Trophy drivers are among the top 12 in points as a total of just 13 points separate the top 12 in the SCORE Overall point standings after the season-opening event.
Tied for second in SCORE Overall points and second in SCORE Trophy Truck is Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin who has 74 points in the No. 97 Monster Energy Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado while seventh in SCORE Overall points and third in SCORE Trophy Truck is Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., who has 70 points in the No. 5 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck.
Tied for ninth in SCORE Overall points and fourth in SCORE Trophy Truck after one race is Justin Davis, Monclair, Calif., with 67 points in the No. 85 Green Army Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
SCORE Trophy Truck is the sport’s marquee racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks.
SIX CLASSES IN TOP 12 OVERALL
In addition to the four drivers from the SCORE Trophy Truck division, five other classes have at least one racer in the top 12 SCORE Overall point standings after San Felipe. The other classes in the top 12 are the unlimited Class 1 (two racers), Class 10 (two), Class 1/2-1600, Class 19 (two) and Class 7.
Tied for second in SCORE Overall points and leading Class 19 with 74 points is Scott McFarland, Moab, Utah (Polaris RZR XP1000), while tied fourth overall are Class 1 point leader Rob Archibald, El Cajon, Calif. (Jimco-Chevy) and Class 10 leader Mark Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Lothringer-Chevy) with 73 points each.
Jorge Sampietro, Ensenada, Mexico (Romo-VW), is sixth overall and leading Class 1-2-1600 with 72 points while eighth overall and second in Class 19 is John Angal, Mesa, Ariz. (Polaris RZR XP1000) with 70 points.
Completing the top 12 in SCORE Overall points with 67 each are Jim Anderson, Reno, Nev. second in Class 1 (Penhall-Chevy), Rafael Navarro IV, Temecula, Calif., second in Class 10 (Alumi Craft-Chevy) and Class 7 point leader Carlos Diaz, Mexicali, Mexico (Ford Ranger).
MOTORCYCLE CO-LEADERS
Tied with 67 points each, co-leaders for the SCORE Overall Motorcycle points are Colton Udall, Oceanside, Calif. (Open M/C, Honda CRF450X) and the team led by Jeff Powell, Reardan, Wash. (Class 40, Honda CRF 450X).
SCOREscope
In its 42nd year as the world’s foremost desert racing organization in 2015, the five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship series includes four special events in Baja California, Mexico, and one in the United States. Here is the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
· 29th Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250, held Jan. 22-25, San Felipe, Mexico
· Inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500, April 16-19, Cabo San Lucas to Loreto, Mexico
· 47th Bud Light SCORE Baja 500, June 4-7, Ensenada Mexico
· 3rd SCORE Imperial Valley 250, Sept. 24-27, Coyne Powersports Motorplex-Plaster City, Calif.
· 48th Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.18-21, Ensenada, Mexico
2015 CBS Sports Network Original Broadcast Schedule (subject to change, check local listings)
· Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250 (first telecasts-Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m. ET & 11 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 (first telecast-Sunday, May 31, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 (first telecast-Sunday, July 26, 9 p.m. ET)
· SCORE Imperial Valley 250 (first telecast-Sunday, November 15, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying @SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience (first telecast-Sunday, January 10, 2016, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 (two-hour special-first telecast-Sunday, January 17, 2016, 9 p.m. ET)
CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.