SCORE Laughlin, Day 2 [Video]

The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge wrapped up its second race of the weekend today. After BJ Baldwin led from wire to wire in the Trophy Truck class after qualifying first, his toughest competition came from Rob MacCachren yesterday before he popped the tire off the bead in a sharp turn, forcing him to pull over and fix it which pushed him back in the pack but still salvaged with a ninth-place finish.

Today, the Trophy Trucks came off the line in the order they finished yesterday, and MacCachren worked his ways through the pack, getting by two racers in the first lap alone en route to a win in the class on the second race of the weekend in Laughlin.

“Yesterday was teeing up to be a great battle with B.J. (Baldwin) and I don't know what happened,” MacCachren said I just probably threw it into a berm too hard and debeaded the tire. Today we made a little adjustment to that to make sure it didn't happen so we came away with some success.”

Although Baldwin came out strong like he finished the day before, mechanical issues forced him off the course (it sounded like engine trouble, but we were not able to confirm). Baldwin was able to get running again although the truck was sluggish, and BJ pulled off shortly thereafter when word came that his father Bobby was forced to pull off with vision problems and light-headedness. BJ accompanied his father to the hospital, though Bobby was in stable condition. We’ll update his progress as we learn it.

Juan Carlos Lopez has a great weekend in Laughlin, taking another second-place finish today to back up the same result from Saturday.

“It was very hard out there; lots of whoopty-doops,” he said at the finish. “It was a lot of fun. The truck ran great and we had no problem.”

Following up his fourth-place finish yesterday, Steve Strobel improved on Sunday with third in Trophy Truck.

More 2012 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge:

Baldwin, Pfankuch Win Day 1

SCORE Laughlin Photo Highlights

“The course changed as the race went on and we lost some right at the end and I'm not sure what it was,” Strobel said. “The motor started to go a little bit soft and something in the suspension too, but I'm not sure what. It was chewed up out there today but we came home with a finish and going to San Felipe.”

Finishing in fourth place in the Trophy Truck class was Brendan Gaughan, while Josh Daniel earned fifth place (though Cameron Steele is the driver of record, though he raced in another truck and finished 7th in class). 
 

In Class 1, Cody Parkhouse was able to improve upon his second-place finish yesterday to earn the win today. Although he was tenth off the line, he was able to battle through the traffic to earn the win on corrected time.

“It is a brutal, brutal track today,” he said. “Everything is more squared off and twice as big – which sits this car well, but it beats you up.”

Finishing second in class was Harley Letner, who was using a backup motor in his car. With Class 1 running at the end of each day, and this being the final day, the course was extra rough by the time the Class 1s hit the course, but Letner credited his crew for getting the car in order.

“It was a flawless run but I had to put a backup motor in after Friday, so it's a little low on power but what it lacks in power, I make up on suspension,” Letner said. “Our crew sets it up so great and it just works great. It was rough out there. Yesterday was a freeway compared to today; today was insane.”

Finishing in third place was Damen Jefferies, while Cody Parkhouse’s father Brian finished in fourth. Rounding out the top five in Class 1 was Jaime Huerta.

In Class 10, Michael LaPaglia earned the victory, holding off Peter Hajas and Chuck Sacks in second and third, respectively. In SCORE Lites (Class 12), Otoneil Huerta took home the win, while Brian Burgess finished second (Brent Parkhouse is the driver of record) and Vic Bruckman third (Rafael Navarro IV is the driver of record).

More 2012 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge:

Baldwin, Pfankuch Win Day 1

SCORE Laughlin Photo Highlights