Racers divided into seven different groups, by individual class, to race two, three or four laps over a 13-mile desert course. The competition starts and finishes 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 first 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 starts to complete the required laps each day to be an official finisher for that day. The event finishing order, by class, will be based on the combined two-day elapsed time of each racer. Sunday’s start order will be inverter from n 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.), the only entry in Class 5, posted the best overall time (58 minutes, 58 seconds, average speed of 52.911 miles per hour) for the group. Seeley has won the last three Class 5 Laughlin events and four of the past five SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge events.
Ernie Castro (1649 from Aliso Viejo, Calif.) used a 14-minute, 50-second time on the fourth and final lap in Class 1-2/1600 to post the best time in the class (59:07 and 52.776 mph). Mitch Griffin (1603 of Newbury Park, Calif., 1:00:52, 51.259 mph) placed second after Brian Ickler (1601 from Poway, Calif.) was disqualified due to a technical violation. Ickler led Castro by 32 seconds after the first two laps and held a two-second edge entering the last lap. Keith Vessels, who was second in Class 1-2/1600 points last season, placed seventh Saturday (1:14:18, 41.991), but had the best lap time in his class with a 12-minute, 26-second clocking on his third lap.
Class 5-1600 saw the seven starters finish within 15½ minutes of each other. Ruben Guiterrez, Jr. (551 from Hemet, Calif.) led from the start to lead the class (1:06:55, 46.625 mph) as he jumped to a 15-second edge on the field after the first lap. Allan Gregory (550 from Alpine, Calif.) was second (1:07:08, 46.474). Gregory was the 2001 SCORE points champion in Class 5-1600 and winner of the Laughlin title.
Aruro Velazco (901 from Beaumont, Calif., 1:12:23, 43.103 mph) cruised to an almost eight-minute lead in Class 9 over Tony Modica (949 from Long Beach, Calif.). Velazco finished third in 2001 Class 9 points.
Scott Pellerin (1101 from Romoland, Calif., 40:37, 38.407 mph) has a 17-minute first day lead in Class 11. Eric Solozano (1100 from Tijuana, Mexico), the 2001 SCORE Class 11 champion, is second in the two-vehicle field. Solozano won the 1997 and 1998 Laughlin Class 11 titles.
Jeff Buss (1402 from Dana Point, Calif., 51:07, 45.778 mph) led from the start in the Sportsman Buggy to hold an eighth-minute, 20-second lead over Milt Moore (1404 from Telluride, Colo.).
GROUP #2 Classes 7 (4 laps), 7S (3), Stock Full (3), Stock Mini (3) , 3 (3) – 85-minute time limit (23 Total Starters)
Craig Turner (700 from Yorba Linda, Calif., 53:24, 58.426 mph) withstood a rush by three pickups on the last lap to gain the first-day lead in Class 7. Turner, who trailed Rick Taylor (702 from Brawley, Calif.) by three seconds after two laps, gained the lead on the third lap. Taylor broke on the fourth lap after trailing Turner by 21 seconds entering the final lap. The pickups of Gary Dircks (706 from Cave Creek, Calif.), Ernesto Cervantes (703 from Cuidad Insurgentes, Mexico) and Tim Carroll (707 from Long Beach, Calif.) all posted better times than Turner on the fourth lap. Turner will hold 57-second lead heading into Sunday’s race. Turner was the SCORE 2001 Class 7 points champion.
Doug Siewert (720 from Oceanside, Calif., 43:30, 53.793 mph) used a 14-minute, three-second final lap to gain a big lead entering Sunday’s final race to gain the lead in Class 7S. Dan Fresh (726 from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., 46:36, 50.214 mph) is second. Fresh was third in SCORE Class 7S points last season. Eric Hardin (725 from Anaheim, Calif.) was in second by six seconds after two laps, but broke on the final lap.
Dave Sykes (862 from Del Mar, Calif., 45:30, 51.428 mph) leads the Stock Full field after the first day by three seconds over defending SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Stock Full champion Marc Stein (861 from San Diego, Calif., 45:33, 51.372 mph). Stein, who led after two laps Saturday by eight seconds over Sykes, placed second in the 2001 SCORE Stock Full points behind John Griffin (860 from Mission Viejo, Calif., 54:42, 42.778 mph). Sykes won the 1998 Laughlin Stock Full title.
Dr. Macrae Glass (760 from Kingman, Ariz., 55:13, 42.378 mph) will take a five-minute, 29-second lead into Sunday’s Stock Mini final laps as he seeks his third-straight SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Stock Mini title. Glass is the 2001 SCORE Stock Mini points champion ahead of Robert Land (761 from Lake Forest, Calif., 1:00:42 , 38.550 mph).
Donald Moss (301 from Sacramento, Calif.) posted a three-lap time of 60 minutes, 23 seconds, 38.752 mph) as the only entry in Class 3.
GROUP #3 Class 10 (4 laps) – 85-minute time limit (14 Total Starters)
Rick Ellison (1009 from Selma, Calif., 52:13, 59.751 mph) posted 12-plus minute laps on his final two turns around the 13-mile course to take the lead in the Class 10 competition. Ranked sixth on the final 2001 SCORE point list for Class 10, Ellison was 24 seconds behind Dennis Kordonowy (1004 from Carson City, Nev., 53:24, 58.426 mph), who was leading the field. Ellison gained the lead after Lap No. 3 with a 12-minute, 32-second time and finished the fourth lap in 12 minutes, 38 seconds. Eli Yee (1012, Tijuana, Mexico, 53:01, 58.849) is Ellison’s closes competition followed by Martin Christensen (1003 from Escondido, Calif., 53:07, 58.738 mph) and Mark Hutchins (1002 from Henderson, Nev., 53:20, 58.500 mph). Hutchins tied Steve Myers (1010 from Newport Beach, Calif., did not finish Saturday) for second in the SCORE 2001 point standings for Class 10.
GROUP #4 SCORE Trophy Truck (4 laps) – 85-minute time limit (11 Total Starters)
Jerry Whelchel, who drove Saturday for Mark Post (3 from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. and San Juan Capistrano, Calif., respectively, 46:52, 66.571 mph) rallied from a 10-second deficit on the first lap to lead by 18 seconds at the midway point Saturday to gain the lead in the SCORE Trophy Truck competition after the first day of competition Saturday. Scott Steinberger (7 from Cypress, Calif.) posted a 12-minute, 4-second opening lap to lead the competition before being overhauled on the second lap by Post. Steinberger struggled in the third lap and place seventh Saturday. Jason, who drove Saturday for his younger brother Josh Baldwin (66 from Irvine, Calif., 47:43, 65.386 mph) posted the best time on the third lap (11 minutes, 38 seconds) and a strong fourth lap (11:24, six seconds behind Post’s 11:18) to finish second Saturday and 51 seconds behind Post. Brian Collins (12 from Las Vegas, Nev., 49:05, 63.565 mph), who won the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Trophy Truck title last season, ranked fourth Saturday. Collins ranked second on SCORE’’s final Trophy Truck point standings last season. Ed Herbst (10 from Las Vegas), a three-time SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Trophy Truck winner, did not finish Saturday after transmission problems on the second lap.
GROUP #5 Class 1 (4 laps) - 75-minute time limit (13 Total Starters)
Defending Class 1 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge winner Steve Sourapas (104, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 47:49, 65.249 mph) finished almost 2½ minutes behind Saturday’s leader as the veteran off-road racer “didn’t take any chances. If we are going to win this title again, I’ll have to be more aggressive Sunday.” Dale Dondel (102 of Hemet, Calif., 45:25, 68.697 mph) posted Saturday’s best Class 1 time to beat out 1999 Laughlin winner Troy Herbst (100 of Las Vegas, 47:01, 66.359 mph). Dondel led from the start taking a 24-second lead after the first lap, 21 seconds after the second lap and 54 seconds after the third lap. Herbst, who posted Saturday’s best lap time of 11 minutes, 16 seconds on Lap 2, was the 2001 SCORE Class 1 point’s champion with a win in Primm, Nev. Herbst was third in Laughlin last January behind Sourapas and Jeff Quinn.
GROUP #6 Protruck (4 laps), Class 8 (4) – 85-minute time limit (19 Total Starters)
Steve Barlow (299 of Temecula, Calif., 51:22, 60.739) opened defense of his SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Protruck title Saturday by edging Scott Steinberger (270 of Cypress, Calif., 51.41 of 60.367) for the first day lead. Steinberger, the 2001 SCORE Protruck point leader, placed seventh in Laughlin last January when he finished more than 10 minutes behind Barlow. Barlow held a 28- and 33-second leads after the first two laps, but Steinberger was able to decrease the deficit by 19 seconds by posting the best times on Lap 3 and 4.
Nick Vanderwey (801 of Buckeye, Ariz., 56:53, 54.849 mph) posted the best time in Class 8 as three vehicles finished the four laps Saturday as compared to no vehicles completing the required two-day total of eight laps in the 2001 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Vanderwey, who was second in the Class 8 standings last season on the SCORE circuit, led from the start and improved his time with each lap. Joe Patelli (802 of Romoland, Calif., 1:00:34, 54.849 mph) was second Saturday.
GROUP #7 SCORE Lites (4 laps) – 85-minute time limit (`10 Total Starters
Shad Kennedy (1206 from Hemet, Calif., 54:51, 56.882 mph) holds the first-day lead in the SCORE Lites competition by edging Jeff Bawell (1201 from Crestline, Calif., 55:19, 56.402 mph). Vic Bruckmann (1203 from Lemon Grove, Calif., 55:39, 56.064), who placed third last season in Laughlin, was third after Saturday’s run. Bruckmann was the No. 2 in the 2001 SCORE Lites point’s race. Kennedy led from the start and was able to gain nine seconds back on the fourth and final lap Saturday. Kennedy has the best lap time in the group at 13:21.
RACE NOTE – A 123 vehicles entered the
SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge with 114 vehicles starting
Saturday’s races and 88 finishing.
OVERALL 4-LAP LEADERS AFTER SATURDAY’S COMPETITION
VEHICLE Class Elapsed Time Miles Per Hour
1. Dale 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
6. Dale Ebberts Class 1 48:02 64.954
RACE NOTE – Troy Herbst posted the best
lap time Saturday at 11:16 followed by Jerry Whelchel’s
11:18.
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 (2), Florida (1), Hawaii (1), Oregon (1) and
Texas (1). Six entries are from Mexico.
RACE NOTE – The SCORE Laughlin Desert
Challenge has attracted drives from 12 states and two countries
(Mexico and Japan). Other states represented on the driver’s
roster are Montana, 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.
RACE NOTE – Seven class champions from
the 2001 SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge are in the 2002 field,
including Brian Collins (Trophy Truck), Steve Barlow (Protruck),
Steve Sourapas (Class 1), Geroge Seeley, Jr. (Class 5), Allan
Gregory (Class 5 –1600), Dr. Macrae Glass (Stock Mini) and
Marc Stein (Stock Full).
RACE NOTE – Drivers in the field with a chance to become five-time winners in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challnge are Brian Collins, Ed and Tim Herbst, and George Seeley, Jr.
Class Saturday Starts
1. CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two seaters) 13
2. CLASS 1/2-1600 (single or two-seaters - limited to 1600cc) 8
3. CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc) 14
4. CLASS 11 (Stock VW Sedans) 2
5. CLASS 3 (short wheelbase 4x4)— 1
6. CLASS 5 (Unlimited Baja Bugs) 1
7. CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc Baja Bugs) 7
8. CLASS 7 (Open Mini Trucks) 6
9. CLASS 7S (Stock Mini Trucks) 9
10. CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks) 5
11. CLASS 9 (Short Wheelbase, single or two-seaters) 2
12. PROTRUCK (Limited Production Trucks) 14
13. SCORE LITES (Limited single or two-seaters-1835cc) 10
14. SPORTSMAN BUGGY 4
15. STOCK FULL (Stock, Production Full-sized Trucks) 4
16. STOCK MINI (Stock, Production Mini Trucks) 3
17. TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks) 11 Overall 114
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