BAJA SUR, Mexico — Race week has started for the history-making Inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 desert race as the southern state of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula is prepared to host the first SCORE race entirely run on the southernmost part of the peninsula. With pre-running and final logistics being completed, festivities officially launch Wednesday for Round 2 of the five-race internationally-televised SCORE World Desert Championship.
Following two years of negotiations and finalization of details by SCORE CEO/President Roger Norman with Mexican officials, SCORE, known as trail blazers in the sport of desert racing, will present the inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 this week. 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 ‘Magical’ city of Loreto on the glistening Sea of Cortez on the east side of the peninsula.
A MAJOR FIRST
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.
REGISTRATION AT VILLA DEL PALMAR
SCORE will be holding a special on-site race registration on Wednesday exclusively for late entries from noon to 7 p.m. (MT) in the Pericues Ballroom at the Villa del Palmar Resort and Spa, the race headquarters in Cabo San Lucas. Pre-registered entries will be able to finalize their registration on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (MT) and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MT) in the Pericues Ballroom at the Villa del Palmar Resort.
MONSTER ENERGY SCORE BAJA SUR 500 PARTY
Bringing the community together with the world’s best desert racers, the Monster Energy SCORE Baja Sur 500 Party will be held on Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (MT) at the Baja Brewery at the Marina in the heart of Cabo San Lucas.
BUD LIGHT SCORE KICK-OFF PARTY
The pre-race Bud Light SCORE Kick-off Party will be held on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. (MT) at the The Office on the Beach on Playa El Medano.
MANUFACTURER’S MIDWAY/TECH INSPECTION
The colorful pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway, contingency and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday. With each race entry pushed through the area for photo ops and autographs, contingency will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MT) and tech from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (MT) on the Yenecamu Fields in Cabo San Lucas.
GREEN FLAG/CHECKERED FLAG
The green flag will drop first in the elapsed-time race for motorcycles and quads at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday. With a minimum of a four-hour gap in between the start of the motorcycles/quads, cars, trucks and UTVs will get the green flag starting at 11:15 a.m. The start line will be in the Cabo San Lucas Wash at the Yenecamu Fields and the finish line will be on the Malecon in Loreto adjacent to La Mision Hotel-Loreto. While the fastest vehicles are expected to finish in less than nine hours, all vehicles will have a 17-hour time limit to be an official finisher.
FINISH LINE CELEBRATION
In Loreto, La Mision Hotel is the race headquarters with the finish line adjacent to the resort on the Malecon alongside the Sea of Cortez. In the finish line area on Saturday, 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 at 11 a.m. (MT)
SCORE MEDIA CENTERS
In Cabo San Lucas, the official pre-race SCORE Media Center will be in the Pericues Ballroom at the Villa del Palmar Resort and Spa on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (MT) and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (MT).
In Loreto, the SCORE Media Center will be in the event center on the fourth floor at the La Mission Hotel-Loreto adjacent to the finish line on the Malecon. It will be open on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (MT), Saturday from 10 a.m. to Midnight (MT) and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (MT).
OFFICIAL ASSISTANCE
Working diligently with SCORE CEO/President Roger 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, Mayor 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 and Venustiano Perez Sanchez, Mayor of Comondu, Baja California Sur.
SCORE has also enjoyed 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 group.
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 15-19, 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
CBS SPORTS NETWORK COVERAGE
All races in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship series, along with the special SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and qualifying for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will once again be aired in the USA and Canada on the CBS Sports Network. New for 2015, in addition to SCORE Trophy Truck coverage, the shows will also feature top action and highlights from many other classes of trucks, buggies, motorcycles, quads and UTVs – making sure that the most exciting footage and most compelling stories are now part of each race event broadcast.
Capping off the 2015 broadcast season, the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 broadcast on CBS Sports Network will be expanded to a full two-hour program – providing the most expansive television coverage of the “Main Event” of all desert races ever, allowing all the major class action to be showcased around the globe to the SCORE International fan base.
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.
SCORE SPONSORS
Official Sponsors: Bud Light-Official Beer/Official Race Sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Rigid Industries LED Lighting-Official Lights, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris-Official UTV, Vision Wheel – Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, CBS Sports Network-Official Television Partner, Coca-Cola-Official Soft Drink, Coyne Powersports-Official Powersports Supplier,Wide Open Excursions- Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
Associate Sponsors: All Road Satellite, Symons Ambulance Company, Aero Calafia, Tessco.
Additional SCORE Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Visit Baja California Sur, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Mexicali Ayuntamineto, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, GoPro, PCI Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.