ENSENADA, Mexico — Fully engaged and well aware of the challenge that awaits, Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies and SoCal’s Ricky Brabec are full of confidence and enthusiasm as Menzies defends his overall race and SCORE Trophy Truck title and Brabec attempts to repeat as overall motorcycle winner at this week’s 47th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 desert race. Round 3 of the five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship is being held this week in Mexico’s Baja California Norte, starting and finishing in Ensenada, the seaside port on the Pacific Ocean, 85 miles south of San Diego.
It is an elapsed-time race with staggered starts as the green flag on Saturday drops first for the motorcycles and quads at 5:30 a.m. and approximately 10 a.m. for the cars, trucks and UTVs. While the fastest vehicles are expected to complete the brutally rugged 510.58-mile course in nearly 11 hours, all vehicles will have a 22-hour time limit to become an official finisher in the grueling race.
With late entries accepted on-site until the close of registration on Friday, nearly 250 entries are expected at the start line with entries from 26 U.S. States and 10 countries already in the field. Besides the USA and host country Mexico, other countries represented on the starting grid so far are Austria, Canada, Ecuador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala and Japan.
Among the entries are 72 races who have combined for 196 class wins in this historic race.
MENZIES’ MULTIPLES
While repeats are fickle in desert racing they aren’t impossible as SCORE young gun Menzies, 27, can clearly attest to after having won this amazing race three times in the last four years in the No. 70 Red Bull Menzies Motorsports Ford F-150 that he races in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division for high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks. In 2013, Menzies finished third behind race winner Robby Gordon and in addition to Menzies and Gordon, this year’s race has six of the last seven overall 4-wheel vehicle winners in the field.
BRABEC’S CHARM
Ricky Brabec, 24, Hesperia, Calif. gave Kawasaki its second overall motorcycle win in the last three years and its 10th overall win last year in the history of the race. Returning from their journey to the 2014 class season point championship last year to ride again in 2015 with Brabec is Max Eddy Jr, Barstow, Calif., and joining them this year is Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif. on the No. 1x Monster Energy THR Motorsports Kawasaki KX450F
SCORE BAJA FIESTA
SCORE is celebrating its 42nd year as the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization in 2015 and this race is traditionally one of the most popular events on the SCORE schedule.
This year is the 47th anniversary of the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500, the original desert race produced by SCORE on July 26, 1974.
Colorful race week festivities will start with qualifying for SCORE Trophy Truck and Class 1 followed by the Monster Energy SCORE Kick Off Party on Thursday from 7 p.m. until Midnight at the start/finish line area in the heart of Ensenada. With donations for La Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexico’s Red Cross), the event will be include a racer’s autograph party and vehicle display.
Friday will see the day-long, pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and contingency festival in the start finish line area in Ensenada.
On Friday evening, the Monster Energy Papas Y Beer SCORE Street Party will be held from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Avenida Ruiz in downtown Ensenada.
During the race on Saturday the Monster Energy SCORE VIP hospitality area, will be part of the start/finish line compound. The area will also include the massive Tecnovision LED screens broadcasting race festivities and start and finish line interviews.
All of the week’s festivities will be aired both live and same-day including the race, airing via the internet on the SCORE website.
AT THE RIVIERA
The Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, in the heart of Ensenada, will again be the site of many of the activities surrounding the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500. Racer registration and Media registration will be held in the Red room at the Riviera on Thursday and Friday and the SCORE Media Center will be in the Red room during the race with internet access and live race updates, vehicle tracking displays including unofficial elapsed times.
In the Cathedral Room at the Riviera will be pre-race media conference as well as the mandatory pre-race racer’s meeting on Friday. The post-race awards celebration will be in the outdoor Riviera amphitheater at noon on Sunday.
The start/finish line for the race will once again be adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Blvd. Costero.
QUALIFYING
On Thursday, qualifying for starting positions will be held. Qualifying will be for both the SCORE Trophy Truck and the unlimited Class 1 open-wheel desert race cars and will be held over a special course near Ensenada and will not be open to the public. The start drawing for these two classes determined their respective qualifying orders.
While most entries in these two top classes are expected to qualify, those who elect not to will be given the remaining start positions in the elapsed-time race based on the original drawing or entry into the race.
Qualifying is closed to the public because of safety concerns, but taped highlights of qualifying will be shown starting Thursday evening (June 4) on the SCORE website.
GRANDEST MARSHAL
SCORE is honored to have the legendary desert racer Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart, who turns 70 on Thursday as the Grand Marshal of this year’s race. Racing since 1973, Stewart joined the Toyota factory team in 1983 for Cal Wells at Precision Preparation Inc. (PPI). He won a total of 82 victories with PPI.
Stewart won a record 17 races in Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group’s (MTEG) stadium series, a record 17 SCORE Baja 500s (including 10 SCORE Baja 500 overall wins), three SCORE Baja 1000s, and five SCORE season class point titles, including SCORE overall point championships in 1990 and 1993. He also won four SCORE World Championships and three MTEG stadium racing titles.
Stewart was a 2006 inductee in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. In 2009, Stewart was also inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions Breitbard Hall of Fame.
MAIN COURSE
The historic race features a 510.58-mile course that runs in a clockwise direction going north out of the Ojos Negros area up to and along the U.S. border west of Mexicali over the infamous La Rumorosa grade. The race route is another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the seashore with elevations from sea level to over 4,000 feet. The course is another jewel reflecting the stark and magnificent beauty of Baja California.
ENTRY LEADERS
While SCORE Trophy Truck has the most entries of any class in the race with 31, other car/truck/UTV classes with double figure entries so far are Class 19 with 21, Class 1 and Class 10 with 20 each, Trophy Truck Spec with 14 and Class 1/2-1600 with 11 entries to date.
Leading the Pro motorcycle classes is the Unlimited M/C class with 12 entries as of today.
Leading the Sportsman classes is SPT M/C with nine entries so far.
MORE OVERALL WINNERS:
In addition to Menzies, Gordon and Brabec, among the overall race winners returning are nine drivers who have combined to win 17 overall car/truck titles and four riders who have combined to win 12 overall motorcycle titles, including drivers and riders from six of the last six 4-wheel overalls and the last two motorcycle overall winners. Leading the way with multiple overall wins in this race are Larry Roeseler with 11 overall victories (including nine on a motorcycle), Gordon with four, Menzies with three,Troy Herbst with two and B.J. Baldwin, Kory Halopoff, Harley Letner, Curt LeDuc and Rob MacCachren with one each in 4-Wheel, and in 2-wheel, Roeseler has nine and Brabec, Max Eddy Jr and Colton Udall with one each.
CLASS CHAMPS RETURN:
A total of 16 of the 23 defending class winners (seven classes had no finishers) from last year are entered this year, although several of them have switched classes. Returning 2014 class winners are Bryce Menzies, Las Vegas (SCORE Trophy Truck, Ford F-150), Cody Parkhouse/Brian Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif. (Class 1, Jimco-Chevy), J. David Ruvalcaba/Leon Ruvalcaba, Esteban Cruz, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 1-2/1600 VBR-VW), Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Luis Martinez/Jose Robles, Mexicali, Mexico. (SCORE Lites, Foddrill-VW), Gustavo Avina, Ensenada, Mexico. (Class 5-1600, VW Baja Bug), Chelsea Magness, Desert Hot Springs, Calif. (Protruck, Ford F-150), Jonathan Brenthal, Newport Beach, Calif. (Trophy Truck Spec, Chevy Silverado), Marc Burnett, Lakeside, Calif. (Class 19, Can-Am Maverick), Ricky Brabec, Hesperia, Calif. (Class 22, Kawasaki KX450F), Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala (Class 30, Honda CRF450X), Giovanni Spinali, Lake Forest, Calif. (Class 40, Honda CRF450X), Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif. (Class 60, Honda CRF450X), Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico (Pro Quad, Honda TRX450R) and Raul Hernandez, Tijuana, Mexico (SPT M/C, KTM 450EXC).
PRE-RUNNING
While pre-running began on May 15, the first 35 miles of the race course to Ojos Negros (which is used both directions) will be open for outbound pre-running only and only this Thursday and Friday. The updated official course map, the updated GPS files and revised course notes are available online on the SCORE website.
GRAN HISTORIA
The Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 is one of the top motorsports events in the world. It was started originally in 1969 by the NORRA organization. Mickey Thompson and his SCORE International organization were asked by Mexican government to take over the event in 1974. Sal Fish ran and later owned and produced the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 for 39 years until he sold SCORE to Roger Norman in December of 2012.
Ensenada has been the heart and soul of the Bud Light SCORE Baja 500. This year marks the 42nd time it has started and 38th time it will finish in Ensenada.
SCORE JOURNAL
Issue No. 5 of the SCORE Journal, the new monthly on-line digital magazine of SCORE International and the five-race SCORE World Desert Championship, is live on the SCORE website at www.SCORE-International.com and is available through SCORE social media channels as well as a direct link at http://scorejournal.digital/
The new digital magazine, which includes numerous attached video segments, is a major element in the media expansion that SCORE is implementing for 2015 which includes its most aggressive national and international television packages, four new online video series, each with 26 episodes and a new consumer based SCORE website.
DAKAR CHALLENGE 2015
This year’s Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 has been identified as a qualifying race for special entry packages into the 2016 Dakar Rally in South America. The winner in car and truck classes will come from SCORE Trophy Truck, Class 1 and Class 10 (all calculated with time adjustments). Complete regulations and other information on Dakar Challenge 2015 are available at http://score-international.com/dakar-challenge/.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.
47th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500
Round 3 of the five-race SCORE World Desert Championship
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Celebrating 42 years of SCORE International
•Schedule of Events(all times PDT)•
Thursday, June 4, 2015
9am-11am Qualifying-SCORE TT, Class 1–LOCATION PRIVATE
9am-4pm Chassis Inspections, Pre-Tech—Playa Hermosa Beach
11 am-7pm Racer Registration Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
1pm-6pm Media Registration Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
7pm-midnight Monster Energy SCORE Kickoff Party–Monster Energy VIP area-Start/Finish Line
Friday, June 5, 2015
9am-5pm Racer Registration Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
9am-5pm Media Registration Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
10am-5pm Contingency Row Blvd. Costero, next to Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Ctr.
10am-6pm Tech Inspection Blvd. Las Dunas, next to Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Ctr.
11:30am SCORE Media Conference Cathedral Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
12:45pm Jackson Motorsports Group Product Launch-Photo Op-Q&A-Cantina Courtyard, Riviera
6:15pm Mandatory SPT M/C, Quad Meeting—Cathedral Room, Rivera del Pacifico Cultrual Ctr.
7pm Mandatory Racer Meeting Cathedral Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
7pm Mandatory Worker Meeting Parking area behind Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
7pm-Midnight Monster Energy Papas Y Beer SCORE Street Party-Avenida Ruiz
Saturday, June 6, 2015
5am-Midnight SCORE Media Center Open Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
START/FINISH: 510.58-mile course (Class starting order subject to change)
5:30am MOTORCYCLES/ATVs (30-second start intervals)—OPEN M/C, LTD M/C, 30, 40, 50, 60, IRONMAN, PRO QUAD, SPT M/C, SPT ATV
9:15am Honor Guard, Salute to Flag ceremony—Start/Finish line
10am approx CARS/TRUCKS, UTVs
(TT, Class 1-60-second intervals, 30-second intervals for rest)—
TT, 1, TT Spec, 10, SL, 8, 1/2-1600, HM, 7, 3000, TL, BC, 19, 5, PT, 7SX, 5-1600, 2, 3, 3700, 1700, 4400, SF, SM, 9, 11, 19, SPT UNL TRUCK, SPT BUGGY, SPT LTD TRUCK, SPT UTV
TIME LIMIT: All vehicles will have a 22-hour time limit from the time each vehicle starts
Sunday, June 7, 2015
11am Posting of unofficial results Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
10am-Noon SCORE Media Center Open Red Room, Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
Noon Awards Celebration Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center-Amphitheater
Bud Light SCORE Baja 500
Ensenada, Baja California Mexico
All-Time Overall 4wheel & 2wheel champions (1969 through 2014)
Year—DRIVERS/RIDERS, VEHICLE
1969—Bud Ekins/Guy Jones, Baja Boot-Olds
Doug Douglas/Jim McClurg, Ducati
1970—Parnelli Jones, Ford
Bill Silverthorn/Gene Fetty, Husqvarna
1971—Bobby Ferro, Funco-VW
Malcolm Smith/J.N. Roberts, Husqvarna
1972—Bobby Ferro, Sandmaster-VW
Gene Fetty/Bill Silverthorn, Honda
1973—Parnelli Jones, Ford
Howard Utsey/Mickey Quade, Husqvarna
1974—Bobby Ferro, Sandmaster-VW
Mitch Mayes/A.C. Bakken, Husqvarna
1975—Ivan Stewart, Funco-VW
Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie, Harley-Davidson
1976—Bobby Ferro/Ivan Stewart, Funco-VW
Larry Roeseler/A.C. Bakken, Husqvarna
1977—Ivan Stewart, Chenowth-VW
Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson, Husqvarna
1978—Bud Feldkamp/Malcolm Smith, Funco-VW
Brent Wallingsford/Scot Harden, Husqvarna
1979—Malcolm Smith/Bud Feldkamp, Funco-VW
Jack Johnson, Husqvarna
1980—Bob Gordon, Chenowth-Chevy
Bruce Ogilvie/Chuck Miller, Yamaha
1981—Malcolm Smith/Bill Newbury, Chenowth-Chevy
Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie, Yamaha
1982—Larry Ragland, Funco-VW
Larry Roeseler/Chuck Miller, Yamaha
1983—Corky & Scott McMillin, Chenowth-VW
Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna
1984—Larry Ragland, Chaparral-VW
Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna
1985—Ron Gardner/Bud Feldkamp, Funco-VW
Kurt Pfeiffer/Scot Harden, Husqvarna
1986—Corky & Scott McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche
Garth Sweetland/Scot Harden, Husqvarna
1987—Bob Gordon/Tim Crabtree, Chenowth-Porsche
Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr, Kawasaki
1988—Mark McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche
Dan Ashcraft/Kurt Pfeiffer, Yamaha
1989—Robby Gordon, Ford
(no motorcycles)
1990—Robby Gordon, Ford
Larry Roeseler/Danny LaPorte, Kawasaki
1991—Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Garth Sweetland/Paul Krause, Kawasaki
1992—Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr/Paul Krause, Kawasaki
1993—Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Danny Hamel/Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr, Kawasaki
1994—Ivan Stewart, Toyota (SCORE Trophy Truck)
Dave Ashley/Dan Smith, Ford
Paul Krause/Ted Hunnicutt Jr, Kawasaki
1995—Curt LeDuc, Jeep (SCORE Trophy Truck)
Mike Julson/Bob Lofton, Jimco-VW
Paul Krause/Craig Smith, Kawasaki
1996—Rob MacCachren (SCORE Trophy Truck)
Troy Herbst, Smithbuilt, Smithbuilt-Porsche
Paul Krause/Ty Davis, Kawasaki
1997—Ivan Stewart, Toyota (SCORE Trophy Truck)
Mark McMillin, Jimco-Porsche
Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie, Honda
1998—Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie, Honda
1999—Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Jonah Street/Torsten Borstrom, Honda
2000—Larry Ragland, Chevy
Jonah Street/Steve Hengeveld, Honda
2001—Mark McMillin, Jimco-Chevy
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2002—Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler, Smithbuilt-Ford
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2003—Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler, Smithbuilt-Ford
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2004—Alan Pflueger, Chevy
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2005—Robby Gordon, Chevy
Mike Childress/Mouse McCoy, Honda
2006—Brian Collins/Larry Ragland, Chevy
Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda
2007—Larry Ragland/Brian Collins, Chevy
Robby Bell/Kendall Norman/Steve Hengeveld, Honda
2008—B.J. Baldwin, Chevy
Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda
2009—Harley Letner/Kory Halopoff, Tatum-Chevy
Bill Boyer/Donnie De Arman/Nicholas Blais/Rudy Iribe, Honda
2010—Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Ford
Kendall Norman/Quinn Cody, Honda
2011—Bryce Menzies, Ford
Kendall Norman/Quinn Cody, Honda
2012—Bryce Menzies, Ford
Robby Bell/David Pearson/Steve Hengeveld, Kawasaki
2013—Robby Gordon, Chevy
Timmy Weigand/Colton Udall/David Kamo, Honda
2014—Bryce Menzies, Ford
Ricky Brabec/David Pearson/Max Eddy Jr, Kawasaki
Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 Overall Champions
Racers
Cars & Trucks
11
*Larry Roeseler
10
Ivan Stewart
5
Larry Ragland
4
Bobby Ferro
Robby Gordon
**Malcolm Smith
3
Bud Feldkamp
Troy Herbst
Mark McMillin
Scott McMillin
Bryce Menzies
2
Brian Collins
Bob Gordon
Parnelli Jones
Corky McMillin
**Dan Smith
1
Dave Ashley
B.J. Baldwin
Bud Ekins
Ron Gardner
Kory Halopoff
Guy Jones
Mike Julson
Harley Letner
Bob Lofton
Curt LeDuc
Rob MacCachren
Andy McMillin
Alan Pflueger
*9 on motorcycle
**1 on motorcycle
Motorcycles
7
Steve Hengeveld
6
Johnny Campbell
5
Paul Krause
Bruce Ogilvie
Johnny Campbell
Kendall Norman
4
Robby Bell
Ted Hunnicutt Jr
3
Scot Harden
Jonah Street
2
Dan Ashcraft
A.C. Bakken
Quinn Cody
Gene Fetty
Jack Johnson
Chuck Miller
David Pearson
Kurt Pfeiffer
Bill Silverthorn
Craig Smith
1
Torsten Borstrom
Ricky Brabec
Mike Childress
Cameron Corfman
Ty Davis
Doug Douglas
Max Eddy Jr
Danny Hamel
David Kamo
Jim McClurg
Danny LaPorte
Mitch Mayes
Mouse McCoy
Mickey Quade
J.N. Roberts
Garth Sweetland
Colton Udall
Howard Utsey
Brent Wallingsford
Tim Weigand
Manufacturers
Overall 4wheel Vehicle Winners
Trucks/SUVs
10
Ford
7
Chevy
Toyota
1
Jeep
Cars
8
Chenowth
7
Funco
3
Jimco
2
Sandmaster
Smithbuilt
1
Baja Boot
Chaparral
Tatum
Overall Engine Winners
Cars & Trucks
13
Volkswagen
12
Ford
10
Chevy
Ford
7
Toyota
5
Porsche
1
Jeep
Oldsmobile
Motorcycles
17
Honda
12
Husqvarna
10
Kawasaki
4
Yamaha
1
Beta
Ducati
Harley-Davidson
Tires
4wheel vehicles
(missing 4 years)
30
BFGoodrich Tires
5
Western Auto Tires
2
Firestone Tires
Goodyear Tires
Yokohama Tires
1
Toyo Tires