It's tough to call, but the today's racing was absolutely amazing. Although the Trophy Truck's were the most visually amazing, the Class 1 action was kicking ass. Try one second in between Mark Weyrich in the TSCO car and Dale Ebberts in the Inland Truss, Inc. car. To boot, the Class 1's were the fastest vehicles on the course.

Trophy Truck action was next on the charts. The real crowd pleaser was none other than the Riviera Trophy Truck, which tossed its horsepower around the course on the edge and nearing recklessness. Like the Riviera truck, Brian Collins was on the gas and turning some impressive times as well. His feat was being the first truck to completely clear the road crossing. Take a look at the video. You won't be let down.

Just when fast was almost fast enough, Harley Letner and Sean Sessa fired up the afterburners in their Class 10 cars with impressive speeds. It wasn't a game of hot pursuit. It was a nervous game of "how am I going to keep this guy from nerfing me?" Both were clocked launching over Needles Highway Road Crossing No. 1 at 73 MPH. Keep in mind though, they weren't the only ones in the mix. Ken Flippin, Steve Myers and Dennis Hunter were also zip tied to the throttles of their cars, blasting through at 71 MPH, but after all was said and done, it was Eli Yee crossed the finish line with the day's victory.

Pandering to the crowd's pleasure, Poor Man's Hill was finally open for spectating action. From what security officials were saying on previous days and the towing of vehicles, we were under the impression it may remained closed the weekend through. But again, the In classic off-road racing style prevailed. Prerunners, disco trucks, ice chests, race shirts, lounge chairs, boom boxes, American flags, and All-American ladies lined up along the course for an excellent day in the desert. Our hats off for the Freedom to spectate!

The Great Laughlin Lifestyle
Words would do little to describe and are hopeless in replacing the reality of actually being here at the 2003 Laughlin Desert Challenge. Wish you were here!
"Yeah, mama, check it out on Off-Road.com." This reader raps on the phone to headquarters, describing his 2003 Laughlin Desert Challenge experience. In that description, he makes mention of how a Geo Tracker smacked into his sweet Ford F-150. The Tracker was totaled. The Ford only suffered slight body damage and a tweaked rear axle, but the party raged on nonetheless.
For posters or prints of any of these photos, contact Trackside Photo at (888)578-3470. If you don't see your photo posted here now, stay tuned for thousands more!

Post/Whelchel leading SCORE Trophy-Truck
Weyhrich holding one second lead over Ebberts in Class 1
After Saturday's first half of SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

LAUGHLIN, Nev.-Mark Weyhrich, driving a Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car, roared to a slim one-second lead overall and in Class 1 Saturday during the first half of the season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Sunday's second half will feature 134 vehicles who are competing in Round 1 of the six-race 2003 SCORE Desert Series, America's Foremost Desert Racing Series. The popular event is being held along the banks of the Colorado River in the Southern Nevada resort destination of Laughlin, 90 miles south of Las Vegas.

Weyhrich, whose brother Gary will drive Sunday's four laps around the abbreviated 11.7-mile race course, covered Saturday's four laps in just 46 minutes, 10 seconds, averaging an impressive 60.82 miles per hour. His time was just one-second faster than Dale Ebberts, Canyon Lake, Calif., who will start Sunday's action in second place overall and in Class 1.

Wayne Lugo, Chino, Calif., is third overall and in Class 1 in his Stewart-Ford midway in the race, just 10 seconds behind the Weyhrichs. Racing will conclude Sunday, running from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., with the 16 Pro classes for cars and trucks and the two Sportsman classes split into seven separate time-limit, multi-lap races.Time limits are between 65 and 85 minutes. The start/finish line area, which includes the fan-friendly start/finish line area inside the Laughlin Events Park.

New this year is SCOREvision-a gigantic 18' X 22' Young Electric Sign Company L.E.D. screen, located in front of the grandstands showing live race action from several locations around the course.

With co-driver Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., driving Saturday, driver of record Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., will start Sunday leading the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division and fourth overall in a Ford F-150. In another close race, a total of just 51 seconds separate the top five leaders in SCORE Trophy-Truck.

Just nine seconds behind Post in SCORE Trophy-Truck and fifth overall is Las Vegas' Brian Collins in a Chevy Silverado while 21 seconds from the front in third place in the class and sixth overall is Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif., in a Ford F-150.

Fourth in the marquee class (eighth overall) is Jason Baldwin, Irvine, Calif., 45 seconds behind Post in another Ford F-150.

Mexico's Gus Vildosola, 51 seconds out of the class lead in a Ford F-150. Las Vegas' Rob MacCachren will drive Sunday in the Vildosola Racing SCORE Trophy-Truck. MacCacCachren will start Sunday in the ninth overall spot.

Among the other class leaders midway through the race are: Mexico's Eli Yee, Jimco-Honda (Class 10); Jeff Dickerson, Brawley, Calif., Ford F-150 (Ford F-150), Shawn Wanzek, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Ford Ranger (Class 7); David Hendrickson, Murrietta, Calif., Raceco (Class 1-2/1600); Robby Fallers, Peoria, Ariz., Chevy Silverado (Class 8); Brian Ickler, Poway, Calif., Jimco (SCORE Lite) and Brent Shermak, Fort Mojave, Ariz., VW Baja Bug (Class 5/1600).

Class 10 has the most vehicles with 20, followed by Class 1 with 18, and Class 1-2/1600 with 17.

The 9th annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge is sponsored by the Laughlin Tourism Committee, the Laughlin Visitors Bureau and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in association with Las Vegas Events. The race is sanctioned and produced annually by Los Angeles-based SCORE International.

Saturday's top 20 leaders from the first half of the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge with place, driver, hometown, vehicle make-engine (Class), elpased time and miles per hour over 4 laps of the 11.7-miles (46.8-miles):

1. Mark Weyhrich, Troutdale, Ore., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 46 minutes, 10
seconds (60.82 miles per hour)
2. Dale Ebberts, Canyon Lake, Calif., Jimco-Toyota (Class 1), 46:11 (60.80)
SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, First day story, page 2
3. Wayne Lugo, Chino, Calif., Stewart-Ford (Class 1), 46:20 (60.60)
4. Mark Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Rancho Santa
Margarita, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 46:59 (59.77)
5. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 47:08
(59.58)
6. Scott Steinberger, Cypress, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 47:20
(59.32)
7. Jeff Darland, Phoenix, Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 47:40 (58.91)
8. Jason Baldwin, Irvine, Calif., Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 47:44
(58.83)
9. Gustavo Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
(SCORE Trophy-Truck), 47:50 (58.70)
10. Bob Lofton, Westmorland, Calif./Mike Julson, El Cajon, Calif.,
Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 47:59 (58.52)
11. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Ronny Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-VW
(Class 1), 48:13 (58.24)
12. Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 48:39 (57.72)
13. Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck), 50:25
(55.70)
14. Scott McMillin, Poway, Calif., Porter-Chevy (Class 1), 50:30 (55.60)
15. Kevin McMullen, Glendale, Ariz., McMullen-Chevy (Class 1), 50:41 (55.40)
16. Ron Brant, Torrance, Calif., Jimco-Chevy (Class 1), 50:42 (55:38)
17. Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford (Class 1), 50:50 (55.24)
18. Shawn Wanzek, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Ford Ranger (Class 7), 51:19
(54.72)
19. Eli Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, Jimco-Honda (Class 10), 51:45 (54.26)
20. Harley Letner, Orange, Calif., Chenowth-Honda (Class 10), 52:06 (53.90)