15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Opens as 113 Vehicles Entered in 16 Classes

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT - Dominic Clark (dominiccnv@aol.com), 702/298-2242, Room 2720 January 24, 2009


Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Opens as 113 Vehicles Entered in 16 Classes
FIRST DAY RACE RECAPS - Saturday, January 24, 2009



NOTE – Racers divided into five different groups, by individual class, to race three, five, six, seven or eight laps over a 6.25-mile desert course. The competition starts and finishes with a stadium-style course in front of grandstand seating. Combined with the hillside viewing, the event VIP tent, and a one outlying spectator area, more than 7,000 spectators were on hand for the first of two days of racing (according to Laughlin Tourism Commission Officials). Racers had one-hour, 20 minutes (80 minutes) time limits 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, will be based on the combined two-day elapsed time of each racer and in order to be a finisher, the racer must finish all required laps both days. Sunday’s start order will be in the same order as they finished Saturday, except for those classes that had 10 or more finishers on Saturday. The top 10 finishers from each of those classes will have a drawing to determine their start order for Sunday. Because they qualified for starting positions, SCORE Trophy-Truck will start Sunday in the order they finished Saturday.



GROUP #1......................................... Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), SPT Car (6), 23 Total Starters, 20 Finishers

· CLASS 1-2/1600 (6 laps, 37.5 miles, 18 Total Starters, 17 finishers) - Eighteen (17) of the 19 entries started Saturday with 17 finishers led by Adam Pfankuch (1600, Carlsbad, Calif. with Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage, 51 minutes, 31 seconds ,43.675 miles per hour), the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1-2/1600 season champion with two event wins. Pfankuch finish third in the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 1-2/1600 race. Brian Burgess (1603, Riverside, Calif. with Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, Seagrove, :51;33 (43.646 mph) was second followed by Cody Robinson (1616 with Roberto Romo, El Centro, Calif., Curry, :52:16, 43.048 mph). Pfankuch was down seven seconds to Burgess after four laps and tied his rival after five laps to post a two-second advantage on the sixth and final lap. The Boyers (1612, Rick Boyer/Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer, ;56;42, 39.682 mph), the defending Laughlin Class 1-2/1600 champions and second-place finishers to Pfankuch on the season list, were 14th Saturday by being over five minutes behind the leader.

· CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only two entries, two racers started Saturday with one finishing as Alonso Angulo (552 with Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico) completing the required six laps in 1 hour, 5 minutes, 52 seconds (34.160 miles per hour). Angulo was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5/1600 points list.

· SPORTSMAN CAR (6 laps, 37.5 miles) - All thre entries started Saturday with only two finishing Saturday’s six-lap, 37.5-mile circuit. Louie Serna (1403, Flagstaff, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy, 51 minutes, 3 seconds, 44.074 miles per hour) led from the start to best Rory Ward (1401 with Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, :53:48, 41.822 mph). The Wards are the defending Laughlin Sportsman car champions. Peter Lang (1400, Santa Rosa, Calif. Homebuilt-Chevy), the 2007 and 2008 SCORE Desert Series Sportsman car champions did not complete a lap Saturday.



GROUP #2................................. Classes 8 (6 laps), 6 (6), 7 (6), 7SX (5), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck(5)

.................................................................................................................................. 23 Total Starters, 19 finishers



· CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With two entries, both starters Saturday finished the required six laps with Greg Adler (802, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 50 minutes, 35 seconds, 44.481 miles per hour) finishing first followed by Clyde Stacy (801, Bristol, Va. with Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 1:10:31, 31.907 mph). Adler placed third in the 2007 SCORE Desert Series Class 8 point standings and did not complete the required two-day lap total in the 2008 Laughlin Class 8 competition.

· CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only one entry, Heidi Steele (601, San Clemente, Calif. with Ross Savage, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 16 minutes, 16 seconds, 29.540 miles per hour) completed the required six laps. Two miles into the last lap, Steele’s car broke an axle and Savage completed the last four miles as the driver as the vehicle finished nearly four minutes ahead of the course cut-off.

· CLASS 7 (Open mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With seven entries and six starters, four racers finished the required six laps as Jose Canchola Jr. (703, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 52 minutes, 5 seconds, 43.200 miles per hour) holds a one minute lead over A.J. Rodriguez (704, Perris, Calif., Ford Ranger, :53:05, 42.386 mph). Dan Chamlee (700 with Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, :54:00, 41.666 mph) finished the first day in third-place. Chris Taylor (719, El Centro, Calif. with Josh Quintero, Imperial, Calif., Ford Ranger) had a 1 minutes, 43 second lead after five laps before breaking a spindle on the last lap. Chamlee is a four-time SCORE Desert Series Class 7 champion (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Taylor placed third for the season in 2008 with Rodriguez fifth.

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

FIRST DAY RACE RECAPS - Saturday, January 24, 2009, Page 2



GROUP #2................................. Classes 8 (6 laps), 6 (6), 7 (6), 7SX (5), Stock Full (5), Stock Mini (5), Class 3 (5), SPT Truck(5)

.................................................................................................................................. 23 Total Starters, 19 finishers



· CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With only one entry, John Holmes (759, Olivenhain, Calif. with Mark Landersman, Temecula, Calif., Ford Ranger, 54 minutes, 12 seconds, 34.594 miles per hour) completed the required five laps. Holmes has finished fourth and second in the 2007 and 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 7SX standings. He won the 2007 Laughlin Class 7SX title and did not complete the required laps in 2008.

· STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With only one entry, Justin Matney (861, Bristol, Tenn. with Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va., Dodge Ram 2500, 1 hour, 4 seconds, 31.215 miles per hour) completed the required five laps. Co-driver Stacy was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Stock Full standings for the season. Matney and Stacy did not complete the required Laughlin laps in 2008.

· STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini-sized trucks, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - With one entry, Gavin Skilton (779, Anaheim, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 58 minutes, 50 seconds, 31.870 miles per hour) completed the required five laps Saturday. Skilton placed second to Rod Hall on the Stock Mini 2008 SCORE Desert Series standings for the season.

· CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4, 5 laps, 31.25 miles) - Donald Moss (300, Sacramento, Calif. with Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco, :51 minutes, 23 seconds, 36.490 miles per hour) was the only entry in the class. He is seeking his seventh Laughlin Class 3 title (2002-2006, 2008). He captured the 2008 Class 3 SCORE Desert Series point’s title.

· SPORTSMAN TRUCK (5 laps, 31.25 miles) - Eight of the 10 entries that started Saturday finished the required five laps led by Gary Messer (1506 with Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite 2008-Chevy, 45 minutes, 46 seconds, 40.968 miles per hour) with a one second lead over Jonathon Libby (1502 with John Libby Jr., Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra, :45:47, 40.954 mph). Rob Anderson (1503, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, :49:23, 37.968 mph) was third. Libby held a 54-second lead after the first lap, 75-second edge after two laps and 76 seconds after three laps. Messer made up the deficit on the fourth lap to take a five second lead with Libby making up four seconds on his final lap.



GROUP #3............................................... Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7), 19 Total Starters, 14 finishers



· CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - With nine entries, only four of the nine starters completed the required seven laps Saturday led by Robert McBeath (1003 with Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 59 minutes, 1 second, 44.478 miles per hour). McBeath was fourth after the first three laps and gained the lead when Larry Job (1007, Las Vegas with Bryce Menzies, Henderson, Nev., Jimco-Honda) could not complete the final lap. Job held a 51-second lead entering the last lap over McBeath. Scott Gailey (1004 with Patrick Gailey, Norco, Calif., GET-VW, 1:02:17, 42.146 mph) finished second followed by Mikey Lawrence (1000, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 1:02:25, 42.056 mph). Lawrence won the Class 10 SCORE Desert Series points standings in 2008. Brian Freemal (1005, Las Vegas with Dave Deatley, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Jimco-Honda, 1:18:09, 33.589 mph) held 75 and 98 second leads over Lawrence and McBeath after the first three laps, but had mechanical problems on his fourth lap where he posted a time of 28 minutes, 29 seconds.

· SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - All eight entries started and finished Saturday’s required seven laps. Rick St. John (1200, Encinitas, Calif. with Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 1 hour, 5 seconds, 43.689 miles per hour) hold a six-second edge over Dan Worley (1201, Encinitas, Calif. with Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco, 1:00:11, 43.616 mph). Michelle Bruckmann (1206 with Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer, 1:00:42, 43.245 mph) is third. Jake Jones (1203, Aliso Viejo, Calif., Henry) held a 40 second lead over St. John entering the seventh lap, but did not finish the last lap. Entering the last of seven laps, St. John was only one second ahead of Worley, who had led Saturday’s winner through five laps as both racers were trailing Jones. St. John was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Score Lite champion as he opened the season by winning the Laughlin race. Worley and Potter were the 2007 Laughlin Score Lite champions.

· CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - Only two of the three entries and starters finished Saturday’s seven required laps. Kevin Carr (500, San Diego, 1 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds, 41.988 miles per hour) led from the start to become the first day leader over Carlos Albanez (501, Calexico, Calif., with Luivan Voelker, Mexicali, Mexico, 1:03:59, 41.026 mph). Carr was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5 champion as he won three races last season, including the Laughlin Desert Challenge title.

Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge

FIRST DAY RACE RECAPS - Saturday, January 24, 2009, Page 3



GROUP #4...................................................................... SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps), 19 Total Starters, 14 finishers



· Nineteen of the 22 entries started the race Saturday with 14 finishers led by Gus Vildosola Jr. (4 with Gus Vildosola Sr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, 58 minutes, 32 seconds, 51.253 miles per hour) followed by Robby Gordon (77, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, :58:45, 51.063 mph) and Justin Lofton (20, Westmorland, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 1:00:06, 49.916 mph). Gordon led for the first six laps with a 10-second edge over Vildosola, who gained the advantage on the seventh lap by posting a seven minute, 20 second lap as compared to Gordon’s :07:41. While Gordon has won seven SCORE Trophy-Truck races, Vildosola is seeking his first SCORE Trophy-Truck title. His father won once in 2003 at San Felipe. Roger Norman (8, Reno, Nev., Ford F-150, 1:06:54, 44.843 mph) and Brian Collins (12, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, completed four laps) posted the best lap times of seven minutes, two seconds. Both Norman and Collins were tied for the lead after three laps, with Norman leading after four laps with a 14 second edge over Gordon. Vildosola Jr. was also the first day leader at the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge, but failed to finished the required laps the next day. Two-time Laughlin winner B.J. Baldwin (1, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK, 1:00:31, 49.573 mph) was fifth after Saturday’s racing. Baldwin, who finished second in Laughlin last year after capturing titles in 2006 and 2007, was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Trophy-Truck points champion. Vildosola Jr. was 15th last season while Gordon was 24th.



GROUP #5............................................................................................ Class 1 (8 laps), 19 Total Starters, 14 finishers



· With 21 entries, 19 racers started Saturday with 14 finishing led by Harley Letner (118. Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 1 hour, 2 minutes, 5 seconds, 48.322 miles per hour) with Pat Dean (109 with Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 1:02:56, 47.669 mph) 51 seconds behind. Armin Schwarz (104, Germany with Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-BMW, 1:04:57, 46.189 mph), who struggled with a broke spindle on the left front wheel near the finish line) was third. Letner was 12th on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1 standings. After Letner led the first lap, Dale Ebberts (114, Wilton, Calif. with Danny Ebberts, Canyon Lake, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 1:05:31, 45.789 mph) led for the next six laps as he built a 17 second lead. However, Ebberts posted an :11:35 time on the last lap, driving the last three-quarters of a mile in reverse because he lost all gears except reverse. Dean, who was seventh overall last season in Class 1, is the defending Laughlin champion. Ebberts was sixth overall last season in Class 1 while Schwarz was third.