ENSENADA, Mexico — While deservedly grabbing the majority of the headlines will be the race for the season title in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division for 850-horsepower high-tech, unlimited production trucks, this week’s internationally-televised iconic 48th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will also include everyman racers from across the U.S. and around the world along with nearly two dozen cross-over racers from other motorsports disciplines as well as business leaders and entertainers.
Season finale of the five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship, this year’s competition will be a loop race, starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, 65 miles south of the U.S. Border at San Diego.
Season class point titles as well as the SCORE Overall point championship of the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship will be decided in multiple classes for cars, trucks, utvs, motorcycles and quads. In all, this year’s talented field includes 114 racers who have combined for 357 class wins in the legendary Granddaddy of all Desert Races. Included in that total are 14 racers who have combined for 37 overall race wins in either four-wheel or two-wheel categories.
MORE SCORE RACING COVERAGE
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GREEN FLAG
Like so many other past years helping celebrate the 105th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, motorcycle and quad classes will leave the start line, one vehicle at a time in the elapsed-time race, starting at 6 a.m. PT Friday with the car, truck and UTV classes beginning their odyssey starting at 11 a.m. PT Friday in a similar single-file procession into the majestic mysterious and foreboding northern portion of Mexico’s spectacular Baja California Peninsula.
With pre-running in its final days on the 821.38-mile race course, nearly 250 entries, from 30 U.S. States and 20 countries competing in Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads are expected to take the green flag. While the fastest vehicles in the elapsed-time race are expected to finish in around 17 1/2 hours, all vehicles will have a 33 hour time limit from the time each started to become an official finisher in the epic event.
SCORE LIVE HD
Pre-race activities starting Thursday as well as coverage from the start line and finish line during the race on Friday and Saturday will be streamed by SCORE Live HD at www.score-international.com with announcers George Anthill, Dianna Dahlgren and Fernanda Vargas. Providing staff support for the streaming will be Tecnovision of Tijuana. Fans around the start/finish line will be able to view the pre and post race interviews on SCOREvision, the massive, double-sided LED boards that SCORE will be using for the race.
TIME TRAVEL
It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a racer. Since 1967, the race has been run over the mysterious Baja California peninsula every year except 1974 when the international fuel crisis forced a cancellation.
This year’s race will start for the 41st time and finish for the 23rd time in Ensenada. The race will start and finish on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the picturesque Bahia de Todos Santos in front of the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada.
PRE-GREEN
The race week festivities start Wednesday and run through Sunday, with the race and all side events starting and finishing in Ensenada. It will be a loop race this year of approximately 840 miles with the start line and finish line adjacent to the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada and the first and last several spectator-friendly miles running up and back down the Ensenada Arroyo.
Pre-race festivities on Thursday for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, including the vastly popular tech and contingency of all vehicles and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will also be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
Racer registration will be held in the Red Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada. Racer registration will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT on Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Thursday. Media registration will be held as well in the Red Room at the Riviera from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. PT on Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Thursday and the BFGoodrich Tires/Baja California Secretary of Tourism SCORE Media Center will be open on Friday at 5:30 a.m. PT until the course closes at approximately 11 p.m. PT on Saturday and will re-open on Sunday from nine a.m. until Noon PT.
Two special Monster Energy parties, open to the public will be held before the race starts. On Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. PT at the start/finish line area will be the SCORE Baja 1000 Goes Green Monster Energy Party. On Thursday, the night before the start of the race, the Monster Energy SCORE Papas & Beer Street Party on Avenida Ruiz in front of Papas & Beer will start at 7 p.m. PT.
A special Bud Light SCORE racers welcome party will be held at the Riviera del Pacifico CC on Wednesday evening.
POST GREEN
As the celebration continues all-night on Friday, all day and evening on Saturday while official finishers cross the line and tales are added to the legacy of the event, the post-race awards fiesta will be held in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera starting at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday.
GLOBAL INTEREST
In addition to the 30 States represented on the entry list, racers have officially entered from 17 countries. In addition to the United States, entries so far have come from Austria, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Columbia, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and the US Territory of Guam.
WHAT A COURSE
SCORE has put together another memorable race course, this one for a loop race, with all of the foreboding, unforgiving terrain the northern state of the majestically mysterious Baja California peninsula has to offer. Starting and finishing in the heart of Ensenada in front of the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, the course travels in a counter-clockwise direction. It includes the approximate 35 mile stretch to Ojos Negros which is used in both directions. Outgoing, the course heads Southwest from Ojos through Santo Tomas and then runs South along the picturesque Pacific Ocean for over 100 miles.
Featuring seven checkpoints, the nearly 830-mile course covers both sides of the peninsula parallels Highway 1 for nearly half of the race, looping south back to the Pacific and then crossing over to the other side of the peninsula below Puertocitos. The course then heads back North along the tranquil Sea of Cortez, past San Felipe paralleling Highway 5 and up to the junction with Highway 3.
The rugged course then parallels Highway 3 traveling west then northwest back into Ojos Negros and to the finish line in Ensenada. Pre-running is scheduled to open on Friday, allowing competitors three weeks of practice time and logistics planning on and around the course.
HALL-MARKS ALL OVER BAJA
This year’s race will commemorate the achievements of legendary desert racers like Rod Hall, Ron Bishop, Johnny Johnson, and Larry Roeseler. Hall, who will turn 78 on Nov. 22, has a record 22 class wins (including one overall win in 1972), and is the only racer who has competed in all 47 SCORE Baja 1000 races. Bishop, who passed away last year, was the only racer who competed in the first 40 SCORE Baja 1000 races all on a motorcycle.
Hall will be racing this year in the Stock Full class with his son Chad Hall, Damien Michelin and Mike Winkel as he attempts to add to his untouchable legacy. Michelin helped give the elder Hall his 22nd class win in 2012.
Roeseler, has won 17 times in this race, including 13 overall wins (10 on a motorcycle). Roeseler will share driving duties this year in SCORE Trophy Truck with Tim Herbst in the No. 19 Monster Energy Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150. Roeseler won the unlimited Class 1 for four consecutive years (2004-2007), driving with the youngest of the three racing brothers, Troy Herbst, in the Smithbuilt-Ford open-wheel desert race car that was known as the ‘Land Shark’. Roeseler is the only racer in the history of the event to win the overall 4-wheel in a truck and also in a car as well as the overall 2-wheel title as well.
In 2008, Roeseler split the driving with driver of record and team owner and now SCORE owner Roger Norman when they were the overall 4-wheel and SCORE Trophy Truck champions and the pair was second in 2009. In 2010, Roger Norman drove solo the length of the peninsula and finished third overall.
Retired from racing, Johnson, had 15 class wins, amazingly in eight different classes.
‘FIVE-ALIVE’ SCORE TROPHY TRUCK SHOWDOWN
Led by Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr, with 326 points in the No. 21 Vildosola Racing Ford Raptor, five SCORE Trophy drivers are among the top 20 in overall points.
Fourth in SCORE Overall points and second in SCORE Trophy Truck is Mexico’s Eduardo Laguna, winner of this year’s Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500, who has 304 points in the No. 17 RPM Racing Chevy Silverado, while ninth in SCORE Overall points and third in SCORE Trophy Truck is Mexico’s Carlos Lopez, who has 279 points and won this year’s 47th SCORE Baja 500 in the No. 5 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck and 10th in SCORE Overall points while fourth in SCORE Trophy Truck is Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren who has 272 points in the No. 11 Rockstar Energy MacCachren Motorsports Ford F-150.
MacCachren, a six-time AARWBA All-America driver is the all-time winningest SCORE Trophy Truck racer with 12 career SCORE race wins. MacCachren is the defending SCORE Baja 1000 race winner as he teamed last year to win the peninsula run to La Paz with Andy McMillin and Jason Voss. San Diego’s A. McMillin will race with MacCachren again this year while Voss, Cupertino Valley, Calif., will be the second driver for San Diego’s Luke McMillin, Andy’s racing cousin, in the No. 83 McMillin Ford F-150.
In 13th in SCORE Overall points and fifth in SCORE Trophy Truck after four races with 261 points is defending SCORE Overall and SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion Steven Eugenio, Carlsbad, Calif. and his new teammate Armin Schwarz, who is from Germany but lives in Austria, in the No. 1 Galindo Motorsports Chevy Silverado
MORE TIGHT POINTS
Several classes enter the 48th Bud SCORE Baja 1000 with very tight title point’s races for the SCORE season championship in each class. SCORE Trophy Truck is one and Class 19 for UTVs has a total of three points separating the top three racers.
What will close the gap even more is that in order to qualify for a SCORE class point title, a racer must run four of the five races with one of them being the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000.
In Class 19, brothers Derek and Jason Murray, Eastvale, Calif., are leading with 304 points in a Can-Am Maverick Max followed Scott McFarland, Moab, Utah, with 302 points in a Polaris RZR XP1000 and third is Brandon Schueler, Phoenix, with 301 points in a Polaris RZR XP1000.
In Class 40 for motorcycle riders over 40 years old, Kyle Abney, Albuquerque, N.M. and his team on a KTM 500XCW lead Las Vegas’ Colie Potter and his team on a Honda CRF450X by just three points, 272-269.
MULTI CLASS WINNERS
Leading the multiple class winners in this race to the starting line this year is the venerable Rod Hall, who has 22 class wins as the all-time race leader and he will be racing in the Stock Full class this year. Second all-time is Larry Roeseler with 17 class wins and he will be in SCORE Trophy Truck this year.
The other racers with the most class wins in the field this year are led by motorcycle age-group riders Chris Haines (15), Richard Jackson (14), Jim O’Neal (11), Bill Nichols (9) and Francisco Septien (7).
Pacing the other multi-class winners in the car and truck classes entered this year are Donald Moss (11, Class 3), Chad Hall (8, Stock Full), Rob MacCachren (7, SCORE Trophy Truck), Dan Chamlee (6, Class 7), Troy Herbst (6, SCORE Trophy Truck), Darren Skilton (6, SCORE Trophy Truck), Ernesto Arambula (5, Class 1/2-1600), Vic Bruckmann (5, SCORE Lites), Wayne Matlock (5, Class 19) and J. David Ruvalcaba (5, Class 1/2-1600).
TOP CLASS COUNTS
A total of 226 vehicles are officially entered as of today.
So far among the car, truck and UTV classes, SCORE Trophy Truck has the most entries with 32, followed by Class 19 with 24, Class 10 with 18, Trophy Truck Spec with 17, the unlimited Class 1 with 15 and Class 1/2-1600 with 11 entries to date.
Among the motorcycle classes, the unlimited M/C class has 11 entries and Class 40 (m/c riders over 40 years old) has six entries so far.
BFGOODRICH TIRES UNMATCHED
In 2015, BFGoodrich Tires is celebrating its 40th year as a major player in SCORE Baja racing. In addition to being the official tire of SCORE International for nearly four decades, BFGoodrich Tires has produced the tire of choice for 26 of the overall 4-wheel vehicle winners in the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, including 26 of the last 29 years that featured a record-run of 20 straight from 1986 through 2005.
In total, BFGoodrich Tires has now be the tire of choice for the overall 4-wheel vehicle winner in 84 SCORE Baja races including 31 in the SCORE Baja 500.
BFGoodrich Tires also provides unmatched pit support for pre-registered racers using their tires with six full-service pit areas along the race course out of and back into Ensenada along with complete radio relay the entire 821.38 miles.
CBS SPORTS NETWORK COVERAGE
All races in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship series, along with the special SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and qualifying for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway are once again airing in the USA and Canada on the CBS Sports Network. New for 2015, in addition to SCORE Trophy Truck coverage, the shows also feature top action and highlights from many other classes of trucks, cars, UTVs, motorcycles and quads – making sure that the most exciting footage and most compelling stories are now part of each race event broadcast.
Capping off the 2015 broadcast season, the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 broadcast on CBS Sports Network will be expanded to a full two-hour program – providing the most expansive television coverage of the “Main Event” of all desert races ever, allowing all the major class action to be showcased around the globe to the SCORE International fan base.
2015 CBS Sports Network Original Broadcast Schedule (subject to change, check local listings)
Remaining Shows:
· Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250 presented by the City of El Centro (first telecast-Sunday, November 15, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, November 29, 9 p.m. ET) SCORE Imperial Valley 250 TV show trailer
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying @SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience (first telecast-Sunday, December 20, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 (two-hour special) (first telecast-Sunday, December 27, 9 p.m. ET)
Completed Broadcasts:
· Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250 (first telecasts-Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m. ET & 11 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 (first telecast-Sunday, May 31, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, June 7, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 (first telecast-Sunday, July 26, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, August 2, 9 p.m. ET)
CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
MORE SCORE RACING COVERAGE
Tavo Vildosola Wins 2015 SCORE Imperial Valley 250
It’s Official: Apdaly Lopez Earns Victory at SCORE Baja 500
Lalo Laguna Wins SCORE Baja Sur 500
SCOREscope
The five-race 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship will include five special events and for the first time all five will be in Baja California, Mexico. Here is the complete 2016 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
· 30th Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250, Feb. 25-28, San Felipe, Mexico
· 2nd Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500, April 14-17, La Paz, Mexico
· 48th Bud Light SCORE Baja 500, June 1-5, Ensenada Mexico
· Inaugural Bud Light SCORE Desert Challenge, presented by Rosarito Beach, Sept. 14-18, Rosarito Beach, Mexico
· 49th Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.16-20, Ensenada, Mexico
SCORE JOURNAL
Issue No. 9 of the SCORE Journal, the highly-popular 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 linked 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.
SCORE SPONSORS
Official Sponsors: Bud Light-Official Beer/Official Race Sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Rigid Industries LED Lighting-Official Lights/Official Race Sponsor, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris-Official UTV, Vision Wheel – Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, CBS Sports Network-Official Television Partner, Coca-Cola-Official Soft Drink, Coyne Powersports-Official Powersports Supplier,Wide Open Excursions- Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
Associate Sponsors: All Road Satellite, Symons Ambulance Company, Aero Calafia, Tessco.
Additional SCORE Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Visit Baja California Sur, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Mexicali Ayuntamineto, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, GoPro, PCI Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.
Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Pro Multi-Class Champion Leaders(1967 thru 2014)
(Entered in 2015 race with three or more wins as of 11.16.15)
DRIVER/RIDER (Years)*TOTAL
22
Rod Hall–1967, 1969, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009(2), 2012
17
Larry Roeseler–1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
15
Chris Haines–1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014
14
Richard Jackson—1980, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
11
Donald Moss—2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Jim O’Neal—1998, 2004, 2005, 2006(3), 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
9
Bill Nichols—1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014
8
Chad Hall–1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
7
Rob MacCachren–1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2014
Francisco Septien—2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
6
Dan Chamlee—2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
Troy Herbst—1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Darren Skilton–1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2009
5
Ernesto Arambula—1987, 1988, 1996, 2007, 2013
Vic Bruckmann—1993, 1994, 2005, 2007, 2013
Wayne Matlock—2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
J. David Ruvalcaba–1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2014
4
Francisco Arredondo—2007, 2008, 2013, 2014
Pancho Bio—1990, 1998, 2008, 2009
Kevin Carr—2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
Shane Esposito—2008, 2009, 2013, 2014
Andy McMillin—2006, 2009, 2011, 2014
Wes Miller—2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
Jerry Penhall—1997, 2001, 2009, 2011
Gerardo Rojas—2003, 2004, 2006, 2009
Greg Row–1987, 1991, 1993, 2000
Clyde Stacy—2010(2), 2012, 2013
Scott Steinberger—1991, 1992, 1996, 2000
3
Ryan Arciero—1998, 2003, 2004
Justin Davis—2010, 2011, 2014
Robby Gordon—1989, 1990, 2006
Ricky Johnson—1997, 2003, 2010
Chelsea Magness—2012, 2013, 2014
Justin Matney—2010, 2011, 2012
Hector Sarabia—1999, 2001, 2005
*Includes racers who have been driver/rider of record at least once