Venerable Rod Hall celebrates 70th birthday with record 19th class win

Herbst/Roeseler win 4th straight in Class 1

Venerable Rod Hall celebrates 70^th birthday with record 19^th class win

As record 239 official finishers end 40^th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000

Post/MacCachren/Renezeder in 4-wheel and Team Honda

In 2-wheel top 424 starters in front of nearly 350,000 fans in Mexico

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico—Starting his 70^th birthday party a bit early, venerable veteran desert racer Rod Hall lit the candles on his celebration by earning a record 19^th class win during the final hours of the legendary 40^th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race Thursday. As the final checkered flag drop early Thursday evening for the last of a race-record 239 official finishers in the 40^th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, it was obvious that another incredible and colorful chapter had been added to the legacy of this popular desert race down the majestic Baja California, Mexico, peninsula.

The personable Hall who lives by the adage that ‘you have to first finish, in order to finish first,’ split the driving with his oldest son Josh who lumbered their Team Hummer H3 into the finish line just before sunrise on Thursday, earning the Stock Mini class win and yet another chapter for his family in his remarkable desert racing career. With 19 class wins, he is the only racer who has competed in a car or truck in all 40 Baja 1000 races, Hall’s son Chad was also a class winner, coming in a few hours before his famous father to win the Stock Full class in the very first race of a Hummer H3 Alpha, earning his sixth career class win in the race. Between them, Rod, Josh and Chad Hall are the winningest family in the history of the race with 29 career class wins.

The near race-record 424 starters from a SCORE-record 44 U.S. States and a SCORE-record 20 countries, represented the second largest field in the history of the desert classic. They competed in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. The race was the season finale of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series, the world’s foremost desert racing series.

Mexico tourism officials estimated record crowds of nearly 350,000 spread out along the course from Ensenada down both sides of the Baja California peninsula to Cabo San Lucas.

In an yet another impressive display of power and poise, American Honda motorcycle teammates Robby Bell, Steve Hengeveld, Johnny Campbell and Kendall Norman along with the team of Mark Post/Rob MacCachren/Carl Renezeder posted the overall motorcycle and 4-wheel victories early Wednesday to lead the field. The finish line on the outskirts of Cabo San Lucas closed quietly at 6 p.m. Thursday, just after the VW sedan driven by Mexico’s Ramon Fernandez became the last of the SCORE record finishers, ending the 53-hour time limit each starter had to complete the journey.

The granddaddy of all desert races, the flagship event of the world’s foremost desert racing series was a rugged peninsula odyssey of 1,296.39 miles from Ensenada in Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Baja California Sur. It was the 33rd time the race started in Ensenada, and just second time it finished in Cabo.

First to cross the finish line was the No. 1 Honda CRF450X of Bell/Hengeveld/Campbell/Norman, who methodically marched down the grueling course to an overall winning time of 24 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds. Bell, as rider of record took the green flag in Ensenada Tuesday morning, followed by Norman, Campbell and Hengeveld captured the checkered flag, after riding for most of the night portion of the race. The team average speed over the tougher-than-usual course was 53.43 miles per hour.

While the American Honda teammates rode the fastest vehicle in the demanding race, Post, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., MacCachren, Las Vegas, and Renezeder, Laguna Beach, Calif., split driving in the No. 3 Riviera Ford F-150 won the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division, leading all four-wheel vehicles to the finish line by covering the extremely demanding course in 25:21:25, with an average speed of 51.13mph.

Winning the unlimited Class 1 for an amazing fourth straight year Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif. and Las Vegas’ Troy Herbst were third overall 4-wheel finishers with a class-winning time of 26:30:10 in the Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford-powered Smithbuilt desert race car. In earning a SCORE record 23rd race win since 1997, the remarkable open-wheel race car will be retired to permanent display at the Terrible Herbst Race Shop in Huntington Beach, Calif.

Roeseler’s 16^th class win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 moved to second by himself on the all-time class win list in this race. Troy Herbst now has six career class wins in this race.

Giving Honda its 11^th consecutive victory and 18^th total overall win in this desert racing classic. Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif., reached the finish line in Cabo San Lucas at 6:55 a.m. Wednesday. Hengeveld, of Oak Hills, Calif., earned his 10^th class win including seven Overall motorcycle titles and extended his winning streak to six Bell, Murrieta, Calif., earned his first class win in this race, Campbell, San Clemente, Calif., won his 10^th overall motorcycle crown while Norman picked up his second.

“The bike ran flawless, the Honda CRF450X is an awesome machine,” said Hengeveld, who rode the majority of the night section from Loreto to Cabo San Lucas. “The engineers at Japan, American Honda and Precision concepts, without those guys we wouldn’t be here today. It was a dark night and there wasn’t a moon and the lights worked flawless. Nothing went wrong. I pre-ran my section 5 or 6 times. I learned where the cattle was going to be at different times of the day, learned their patterns and everything worked out. There’s some pressure to win but I don’t let it bother me, I come out here to do what I do. You have to be smart out there. You have to pace yourself. This my 10^th SCORE Baja 1000 win and it feels very, very good.”

“We had very little mechanical error on the truck this year,” said Mark Post. We had three SCORE wins this year. To win the overall SCORE Baja 1000 and the SCORE Trophy-Truck is a dream come true. The entire team did a flawless job. This is very exciting for Riviera Racing. Rob is a great driver and was just the addition we needed to put our team at the pinnacle like this year has been.”

For Post and MacCachren, their third race win of the year was the fifth class win in this race for MacCachren and first for Post. The first overall win in the SCORE Baja 1000 also earned Riviera Racing its first SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championship.

“This has allowed me to do what I want to do, to do what I love doing, come here and win the 40th anniversary of the Baja 1000,” said MacCachren, a three-time selection to the Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters All-America Motorsports Team. “To come here and win the overall is pretty cool. I have never had the overall win and I finally got that done. In the middle of the night there are fires all along the course and it really keeps you motivated, you see thousands upon thousands of fans spread out along the course and cheering you on. We didn’t have any flat tires at all because BFGoodrich Tires are simply the best”.

Finishing second overall among four-wheel vehicles and in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division was the Mexican father and son team of Gus Vildosola and Gus Vildosola Jr. in a time of 25:42:20 in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford F-150. Fourth overall and third in SCORE Trophy-Truck was NASCAR Owner/Driver Robby Gordon, Mooresville, N.C., last year’s overall champion with Andy McMilin with a time of 27:26:44 in the No. 71 Robby Gordon Chevy CK1500.

A very surprising fifth overall and third in Class 1 was the team of Steve Strobel, Clarks, Neb./Gay Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo./Bob Lofton, Westmorland, Calif., with a time of 27:26:44 in a Jimco-Chevy.

In the manufacturer’s battle of ‘beat the Baja’ research and development, a Ford-powered vehicle won for the 12^th time, and BFGoodrich returned to its pre-eminent position after it’s string of 20 straight wins was broken last year.

The near race-record 424 starters is second-only to last year’s 431. The SCORE record of 239 finishers broke the race-record of 234 set in this race last year. The finishing percentage this year was an impressive 56.4 percent.

In the SCORE Lite class, Tim Noe, San Diego, Tom Watson, El Centro, Calif., Gary Arnold of El Cajon, Calif. and Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., finished ninth overall in a Jimco-VW to earn the $10,000 Contingency bonus from Volkswagen of America for being the highest finishing VW-powered vehicle in the race.

Mexico’s Arnoldo Ramirez/Misael Arambula, Jacob Gutierrez defeated a large field of 25 starters to win Class 1-2/1600 in a Curry-VW while the unbeatable Moss Brothers, Donald of Sacramento, Calif. and Kenneth of Marrysville, Calif., continued to dominate Class 3 with their sixth straight win in the race in their sturdy Ford Bronco which has now won a class-record 25 SCORE races.

Running against a formidable field of 20 starters in Class 5/1600, Mexico’s Ernesto Aramblua/Roberto Green/Adolfo Arambula/Hector Ramos, had a victory margin of nearly an hour and a half in their VW Baja Bug in Class 5/1600.

Winning back-to-back SCORE races to end the 2007 SCORE season, brothers Glen Greer, Green Valley, Ariz./Thomas Greer, Tucson, Ariz./Bruce Greer, Oro Valley, Calif. and Shane Pavolka, Vail, Ariz. Topped a field of 13 trucks in Class 8.

In Class 7SX, the Sierra brothers Noe and Tony, of San Bernardino, Calif., and Fontana, Calif. won a hard-fought battle of Ford Rangers with Rich Severson, Mesa, Ariz., winning Class 7SX over a field of 11 starters.

Winning the Protruck class in a Ford F-150 for the third time in this race was Rick L. Johnson, Oak Hills, Calif., with help from his teammates Dane Cardone, Huntington Beach, Calif., and Jimmy Nuckles, Brawley, Calif.

Mexico’s Ramon Fernanez claimed his third Class 11 win this season in a stock VW sedan

Several age group motorcycle stars increased their class win totals this year.

In Class 50 (racers 50 years and older), riders Chris Haines, Dana Point, Calif./Jack Johnson, Boulder City, Nev./Craig Adams, San Clemente, Calif./Scott Pfeiffer, Costa Mesa, Calif./Jimmy Sones, Banning, Calif., on a Honda XR650R.

Haines now has 13 class wins in this race while Johnson has won 12 titles, Adams (who was also a co-rider for the Class 40 winning team) he now has 11, Pfeiffer has five and Sones got his third.

Veteran motorcycle racer Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif., pulled of his first Class 30 victory in this event, aided by the help of teammates Scott Myers, Sun City, Calif./Jeff Sheets, Henderson, Nev./Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico/Taber Murphy, Wenatchee, Wash./Mouse McCoy, Santa Monica, Calif./Jimmy O’Neal Jr., Chatsworth, Calif. They rode a Honda CRF450X.

O’Neal increased his class win total to six with the win.

In Class 40, Brett Helm, Poway, led a talented team to victory on a Honda CRF450X. Besides Helm and Adams, also riding were Jeff Kaplan, Thousand oaks, Calif., and Bob Johnson, Temecula, Calif.

In the super veterans Class 60 (riders over 60 years old), Richard Jackson, Acton, Calif., led a grizzled team to victory on a Honda CRF450X. His riding partners were Bill Nichols, Peoria, Ariz./Gary Colbert, Bishop, Calif./John Etchart, Hemet, Calif./Gary Vanderpool, Morgan Hill, Calif. It was Jackson’s first SCORE race since being seriously injured in the 2004 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. It was both Jackson and Nichols’ sixth class win in this race.

Other class winners included Dan Chamlee, Summerland, Calif. (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Mike Horner, Mission Viejo, Calif., (Class 7S, Toyota Tacoma) and Francisco Arredondo, Guatemala (Class 21, Honda CRF450X).

The special Baja Challenge class for identically-equipped Subaru-powered Baja touring cars that helps introduce crossover racers and celebrities to SCORE desert racing saw all 18 starters finish and was won for the first time by the team led by Jim Christensen, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

The unique Sal Fish SCORE IronRider Award offered to any motorcycle and ATV racer who finished the race while riding entirely solo drew 25 total riders and six of them made it to the finish line within the 53-hour time limit. Sal Fish SCORE IronRider award winners were: Gabriel Williams, Provo, Utah (33:16:08, Class 22-Honda CRF450X) (FASTEST SOLO RIDER); Greg Godfrey, Draper, Utah (40:14:12, Class 22-KTM 520XC); James Curzon, Jackson, Wyo. (52:38:11, Class 30-KTM XC510); Todd Harrison, Center, Colo., (46:17:12, SPT M/C>250cc-KTM XCW525); John Crowley, Flagstaff, Ariz. (51:12:18, SPT ATV, Honda TRX450R).

This year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour NBC Sports special for the fourth consecutive year, airing on Dec. 30 on the NBC Television Network. It will also air on a delayed basis outside of the U.S. on ESPN International.

The 2007 SCORE Desert Series also included the chase for the $75,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several 2007 SCORE Class point champions along with the run for the $12,000 Toyota True Grit and Toyota Milestone Awards.

The race included the special $40,000 cash contingency purse provided by Volkswagen of America. Top finishers in all classes where VW engines are required or allowed will be eligible.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/Bryant Petroleum-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Volkswagen-official vehicle, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, American Racing ATX Series-official wheel, Slime-official tire sealant, Red Bull--official energy drink and Bosch Power Tools-official power tool. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Kartek Off-Road, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Bendix, American Suzuki, NAPA Chassis, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

Additional associate sponsors, for the 2007 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 were: Cotuco de Ensenada, Fideicomiso Publio para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, the government of Baja California Sur, the State Tourism Department of Baja California Sur the city tourism fund of Loreto and the city tourism fund of Los Cabos.

For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.