Cameron Steele changes his number for 40th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500

SCORE Trophy Truck racer Cameron Steele and his Desert Assassins team will not be running their customary #16 at the upcoming SCORE Tecate Baja 500. The 40th annual race is to take place on May 31st and Steele will once again take on the premiere class in desert racing in his Yokohama Tires/ATX Wheels sponsored 2008 Geiser Bros. built truck but this one time he will do it carrying the #36.



"The one change for this event will be that our truck will run the #36 to honor my best friend Brandon Piorek's son Cameron Piorek who was tragically paralyzed from the chest down playing high school Lacrosse," said Steele. The team normally runs a black, white and red crosshairs logo with our number 16 in it with the words Desert Assassins. This race the team will sport a similar logo with teal, white and black for Cameron Piorek, who was named after Cameron Steele and ironically shares the same February 28 birthday. The colors are young Piorek’s Aliso Niguel High School team colors and will have the #36 from Piorek's team jersey inside the sights.



Brandon and Cameron went to high school together and have been close for 25 years. Cameron Piorek is 17 years old and has ridden with his father in off road races over the last two years and loves desert racing.



Cameron Piorek sustained his injuries, a fractured C-7 and a displaced T-1 while on defense for his team when he and another player went helmet to helmet during an impact.



"This is a terrible ordeal but I know Cameron is strong and will rebound from this" said Steele of his younger namesake. "We hope that this raises the spirits of the entire family and we pray for the best recovery possible," added Steele.



Cameron and his Wife Heidi are SCORE regulars and Heidi continues to lead the SCORE points championship for mid size trucks going into this Baja 500 where she has been a class winner previously.



For more information on Cameron Piorek and his recovery process or to donate funds please go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cameronpiorek