NOTE – Racers were divided into seven different groups, by individual class, to race two, three or four laps over a 13-mile desert course. The competition started and finished with a stadium-style course in front of grandstand seating. Combined with the hillside viewing and the event VIP tent, more than 15,000 spectators were on hand for the second of two days of racing (according to Bureau of Land Management estimates). Racers had a one-hour, 25-minute (85 minutes) time limit from the time each started to complete the required laps each day to be an official finisher for that day. The event finishing order, by class, was based on the combined two-day elapsed time of each racer. Sunday’s start order was inverted from their individual finishing position on Saturday.

GROUP #1 Classes 5 (4 laps), 1-2/1600 (4), 5/1600 (4), 9 (4), 11 (2) Sports Buggy (3)– 85-minute time limit (24 Total Starters)

• George Seeley (No. 500 from Glendale Calif., 58:31 Sunday time, 53.318 miles per hour Sunday speed), the only entry in Class 5, improved his time with every lap Sunday. Seeley won the Class 5 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge for the fourth-straight year and the fifth-time in the last six years. His two-day time total was 1:57:29 with 53.114 miles per hour “I like short-course racing,” said Seeley after the racing. “I just hammered it this weekend. It is great to become the first five-time winner in Laughlin. This is a fun event and Laughlin provides the racer with a great venue.”
  
• Kash Vessels (1606 from Tucson, Ariz., 1:00:11, 51.841 mph) grabbed the lead for good after lap one Sunday to win Class 1-2/1600 four-lap race by defeating Brian Jeffrey (1607 from Acton, Calif., 1:01:49, 50.471 mph Sunday). Vessels was 13 seconds behind David Scaroni (1602 from Heber, Calif., 1:01.56, 50.376 mph) after Sunday’s first lap and roared to the lead with a 14-minute, 46-second time on the second lap to gain the lead. Mitch Griffin (1603 of Newbury Park, Calif., 1:02:18, 50.080 mph Sunday) captured the 2002 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge title with a two-day total of 2:03:10 and 50.663 miles per hour. Griffin was second Saturday behind Ernie Castro (1649 from Aliso Viejo, Calif.), who did not finish Sunday. Vessels, who was second in Class 1-2/1600 SCORE points last season.
  
• Dave Hendrickson (579 from Murrieta, Calif., 1:09:19, 45:010 mph) overcame Allan Gregory (550 from Alpine, Calif., 1:09:41, 44.773) on the final lap with a 16-minute, 59-second time to capture’s Sunday’s Class 5/1600 race. Hendrickson did not complete a lap in Saturday’s race. Despite losing by 22 seconds Sunday to Hendrickson, Gregory captured the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 5/1600 title for the second-straight year. Ruben Guiterrez, Jr. (551 from Hemet, Calif., 1:14:19, 41.982 mph Sunday) finished second overall almost five minutes behind Gregory’s two-day elapsed time (2:16:49, 45.608 mph to 2:21:14, 44.182 mph). Gregory was the 2001 SCORE points champion in Class 5-1600.
  
• Tony Modica (949 from Long Beach, Calif., 1:22:28, 37.833 mph) led from the start Sunday to win the Class 9 race. With Arturo Velazco (901 from Beaumont, Calif., 1:25:27, 36.513 mph Sunday) falling over nine minutes behind Modica on Sunday’s first lap, Modica was awarded the overall SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge title as Velazco did not complete Sunday’s race in the required 85-minute time limit.. Velazco finished third in 2001 Class 9 SCORE points.
  • Scott Pellerin (1101 from Romoland, Calif., 40:46, 38.226 mph) won the Class 11 Sunday to secure his first SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge title. Pellerin covered the two-lap race in 40:37 Saturday. Eric Solozano (1100 from Tijuana, Mexico, 41:14, 37.833 mph Sunday), the 2001 SCORE Class 11 champion, was second overall in the two-vehicle field. Solozano won the 1998 and 1999 Laughlin Class 11 titles.
  
• Jeff Buss (1402 from Dana Point, Calif., 51:50, 45.144 mph) again led from the start Sunday to win the Sportsman Buggy race for the second-straight day. Buss won the overall title (1:42:57, 45.459 mph) by more than 13 minutes over Milt Moore (1404 from Telluride, Colo., 1:55:56, 40.368 mph). Moore was also second in Saturday’s race.

GROUP #2 Classes 7 (4 laps), 7S (3), Stock Full (3), Stock Mini (3) , 3 (3) – 85-minute time limit (23 Total Starters)

• Tim Carroll (707 from Long Beach, Calif., 53:15, 58.591 mph Sunday) led from the start to defeat Craig Turner (700 from Yorba Linda, Calif., 54:06, 57.670 mph) Sunday. Turner, who captured Saturday’s race by more than a minute over Carroll, won the overall 2002 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge title with a two-day time total of 1:47:30 with Carroll 31 seconds behind as he was unable to make up Saturday’s 82-second deficit. Turner was the SCORE 2001 Class 7 points champion.
  
• Doug Siewert (720 from Oceanside, Calif., 46:06, 50.759 mph Sunday) improved his time with each lap Sunday to win the Class 7S race for the second-straight day. Jamie Campbell (722 from San Clemente, Calif., 47:42, 49.056 mph Sunday) was second Sunday. Siewert was the overall 2002 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge winner with a two-day time total of 1:29:36. Dan Fresh (726 from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 50.36, 46.245 mph Sunday to place third), who was third in SCORE Class 7S points last season, was second overall at 1:37:12.
  
• Dave Sykes (862 from Del Mar, Calif., 49:51, 46.940 mph Sunday) won the Stock Full for the second-straight day as he gained the lead when defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge champion Marc Stein (861 from San Diego) broke after leading the first lap. Sykes won the 2002 SCORE Laughlin title with a two-day time total 1:35:21. Sykes also won the 1998 Laughlin Stock Full title. Stein placed second in the 2001 SCORE Stock Full points behind John Griffin (860 from Mission Viejo, Calif., 1:01:50, 37.842 mph Sunday). Griffin was second in Laughlin this season.
  
• Dr. Macrae Glass (760 from Kingman, Ariz., 59:53, 30.075 mph Sunday) continued to dominate the Stock Mini competition by winning Sunday’s race by 16 minutes over champion over Robert Land (761 from Lake Forest, Calif., 1:15:54, 30.830 mph Sunday). Dr. Glass won his third-straight SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Stock Mini title. Glass won the 2001 SCORE Stock Mini points champion with Land second.
  
• Donald Moss (301 from Sacramento, Calif, 58:39, 39.897 mph Sunday.) improve his time over Saturday’s three-lap race finish. Moss was the only entry in Class 3 and the new SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge champion with a two-day time of 1:59:02.

GROUP #3 Class 10 (4 laps) – 85-minute time limit (14 Total Starters)

• Dennis Kordonowy (1004 from Carson City, Nev., 52:56, 58.942 mph Sunday) improved his time by 28 seconds from his Saturday’s finish to capture the Class 10 race. Kordonowy’s 12-minute, 55-second lap on Sunday’s last lap also propelled him to the 2002 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge title over Martin Christensen (1003 from Escondido, Calif., 53:23, 58.592 mph Sunday), who finished 10 seconds behind Kordonowy’s two-day total of 1:46:20. Saturday’s winner Rick Ellison (1009 from Selma, Calif.) did not complete a lap Sunday. Eli Yee (1012, Tijuana, Mexico, 53:41, 58.281 mph Sunday), who placed fifth Sunday, was third overall. Mark Hutchins (1002 from Henderson, Nev., 55:32, 56.182 mph Sunday) and Steve Myers (1010 from Newport Beach, Calif., 58:59, 52.896 Sunday), who for second in the SCORE 2001 point standings for Class 10, also competed this weekend. Hutchins was sixth overall while Myers did not complete a lap Saturday.

GROUP #4 SCORE Trophy Truck (4 laps) – 85-minute time limit (11 Total Starters)

• Dan Smith, Riverside, Calif. (1 from Riverside, Calif., 46:44, 66.761 mph Sunday) drove their Ford F-150 to a win Sunday by edging Damen Jefferies (10 from Oak Hills, Calif., 47:03, 66.312 mph Sunday). With Smith the driver for Sunday’s win with Dave Ashley in the pits, the Riverside team captured the SCORE Laughlin Trophy Truck competition for the second time as they won the title in 1998. Brian Collins (12 from Las Vegas, Nev., 50:09, 63.565 mph Sunday), who won the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Trophy Truck title last season, placed third overall. Smith posted a two-day total of 1:35:29 with Jefferies 45 seconds behind and Collins three minutes, 45 seconds behind. Mark Post and Jerry Whelchel (3 from San Juan Capistrano, Calif. and Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., respectively, 1:06:30 and 46.917 mph Sunday), who won Saturday’s race, placed ninth Sunday after falling off the pace on the opening lap. Ed Herbst (10 from Las Vegas, 47:44, 65.363 mph Sunday), a three-time SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Trophy Truck winner, did not place in the overall standings after having transmission problems on the second lap Saturday.

GROUP #5 Class 1 (4 laps) - 75-minute time limit (13 Total Starters)

• In the closes competition Sunday, Troy Herbst (100 of Las Vegas, 48:02, 64.954 mph Sunday) edged Dale & Mike Dondel (102 of Hemet, Calif., 48:03, 64.932 mph Sunday) by one second to win Sunday’s race. Herbst held a 16-second lead after three laps Sunday before the Dondels mounted a late charge on the final lap. However, Dondels’ 96-second win Saturday over Herbst Saturday gave the Hemet team their first Class 1 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge overall title. Herbst is the 2001 SCORE Class 1 point’s champion. Herbst was third in Laughlin last January behind Steve Sourapas and Jeff Quinn. Sourapas (104 from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 53:19, 58.518 mph Sunday) was fifth this year.
• GROUP #6 Protruck (4 laps), Class 8 (4) – 85-minute time limit (19 Total Starters)
  • Alan Pflueger (255 from Honolulu, Hi., 55:42, 56.014 mph Sunday) led from the start to win Sunday’s Protruck race by defeating Rick Johnson (243 of Barstow, Calif., 56:36, 55.123 mph Sunday) by 54 seconds. Johnson was able to cut off 27 seconds off his deficit to Pflueger by posting his fastest lap on his final turn on the circuit. Steve Barlow (299 of Temecula, Calif., 1:00:33, 51.527 Sunday) captured his second-straight SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Protruck overall title by beating out Johnson by one-minute, 53 seconds (1:51:55 to 1:53:48). Scott Steinberger (270 of Cypress, Calif.), the 2001 SCORE Protruck point leader, did not finish as he completed only one lap.
  
• Beny Canela (803 from Indio, Calif., 1:03:35, 49.721 mph Sunday) won Sunday’s race by out-racing Joe Patelli (802 from Romoland, Calif., 1:03:35, 49.069 mph Sunday) to the finish. Patelli held a 28-second advantage after two laps and a 10-second edge after three laps over Canela, who covered the final 13 miles in 14 minutes, 39 seconds. Despite finishing second Sunday, Patelli won the 2002 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 8 title by almost three minutes over Nick Vanderwey (801 of Buckeye, Ariz., 1:11:04, 43.902 mph Sunday). Patelli posted a two-day time of 2:04:09 and Vanderwey 2:07:57. Vanderwey, who was second in the Class 8 standings last season on the SCORE circuit, captured Saturday’s Class 8 race and suffered through at 27-minute, 40-second second lap Sunday to cause his second-place overall.

GROUP #7 SCORE Lites (4 laps) – 85-minute time limit (10 Total Starters)

• Vic Bruckmann (1203 from Lemon Grove, Calif., 55:05, 56.641 mph Sunday) led from the start Sunday to capture both the daily race and the overall 2002 SCORE Lites Laughlin Desert Challenge title. Bruckman entered Sunday’s race in third spot behind both Shad Kennedy (1206 from Hemet, Calif., did not finish Sunday) and Jeff Kawell (1201 from Crestline, Calif., 56:26, 55.286 mph Sunday). Kennedy broke on the fourth and final lap and Kawell placed 21 seconds behind Bruckmann, who placed third last season in Laughlin. Bruckmann was also the No. 2 person in the 2001 SCORE Lites point’s race. David DeAtley (1208 from Needles, Calif., 55:20, 56.385 mph Sunday) was second Sunday and second overall.

• RACE NOTE – A 123 vehicles entered the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Out of the 114 vehicles that started Saturday’s races, 66 vehicles finished the required number of laps for two days. A total of 88 vehicles completed Saturday’s required laps.

OVERALL 4-LAP LEADERS AFTER SUNDAY’S COMPETITION
VEHICLE Class Elapsed Time Miles Per Hour
1. Dan Smith Trophy Truck 46:44 66.761
2. Damen Jefferies Trophy Truck 47:03 66.312
3. Ed Herbst Trophy Truck 47:44 65.363
4. Dale & Mike Dondel Class 1 48:03 64.932
5. Troy Herbst Class 1 48:02 64.954
• RACE NOTE – Ed Herbst posted the best lap time Sunday at 11:20 followed by Dan Smith’s 11:21. Both competed in the Trophy Trucks.

OVERALL 4-LAP LEADERS AFTER SATURDAY’S COMPETITION
VEHICLE Class Elapsed Time Miles Per Hour
1. Dale & Mike Dondel Class 1 45:25 68.697
2. Jerry Whelchel & Mark Post Trophy Truck 46:52 66.571
3. Troy Herbst Class 1 47:01 66.359
4. Jason Baldwin & Josh Baldwin Trophy Truck 47:43 65.386
5. Steve Sourapas Class 1 47:49 65.249
• RACE NOTE – Troy Herbst posted the best lap time Saturday at 11:16 followed by Jerry Whelchel’s 11:18.

OVERALL 8-LAP LEADERS AFTER TWO DAYS OF COMPETITION
VEHICLE Class Elapsed Time Miles Per Hour
1. Dale & Mike Dondel Class 1 1:33:28 66.762
2. Troy Herbst Class 1 1:35:03 65.650
3. Dan Smith Trophy Truck 1:35:29 65.352
4. Damen Jefferies Trophy Truck 1:36:14 64.842
5. Wayne Lugo Class 1 1:36:32 64.641

• RACE NOTE – Seven class champions from the 2001 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge were entered in the 2002 field, including Brian Collins (Trophy Truck), Steve Barlow (Protruck), Steve Sourapas (Class 1), George Seeley, Jr. (Class 5), Allan Gregory (Class 5 –1600), Dr. Macrae Glass (Stock Mini) and Marc Stein (Stock Full). Gregory, Seeley and Glass repeated as SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
  
• RACE NOTE – George Seeley, Jr. became the first five-time winner in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge.
  
• RACE NOTE – Of the 123 vehicle entries for the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, 92 teams are from California. Other vehicle entries are from Arizona (8), Nevada (6), Colorado (5), Illinois (1), Florida (1), Hawaii (1), Montana (1), Oregon (1) and Texas (1). Six entries are from Mexico.
  
• RACE NOTE – The SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge has attracted drivers from 12 states and two countries (Mexico and Japan). Other states represented on the driver’s roster are Pennsylvania and Utah. As for cities, the California towns of Alpine and Hemet have four vehicles each in the competition.
  
• RACE NOTE – The youngest driver in the competition is 15-year old David Scaroni (1602 of Heber, Calif.) in Class 1-2/1600. The oldest registered driver is 65-year old Beny Canela (803 of Indio, Calif.) in Class 8.

Class Saturday/Sunday Starts

1. CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two seaters) 13/13
2. CLASS 1/2-1600 (single or two-seaters - limited to 1600cc) 8/8
3. CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc) 14/10
4. CLASS 11 (Stock VW Sedans) 2/2
5. CLASS 3 (short wheelbase 4x4) 1/1
6. CLASS 5 (Unlimited Baja Bugs) 1/1
7. CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc Baja Bugs) 7/7
8. CLASS 7 (Open Mini Trucks) 6/5
9. CLASS 7S (Stock Mini Trucks) 9/9
10. CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks) 5/4
11. CLASS 9 (Short Wheelbase, single or two-seaters) 2/2
12. PROTRUCK (Limited Production Trucks) 14/14
13. SCORE LITES (Limited single or two-seaters - 1835cc) 10/9
14. SPORTSMAN BUGGY 4/4
15. STOCK FULL (Stock, Production Full-sized Trucks) 4/4
16. STOCK MINI (Stock, Production Mini Trucks) 3/3
17. TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks) 11/10
Overall 114/106