SCORE Laughlin Sunday Recaps

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT - Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123



January 25, 2009


Round 1, 2009 SCORE Desert Series

15th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge Concludes as 113 Vehicles Compete in 16 Classes
SECOND DAY RACE RECAPS - Sunday, January 25, 2009



NOTE - Racers divided into five different groups, by individual class, to race 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 20,000 spectators viewed the three 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 was 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 had a drawing to determine their start order for Sunday. Because they qualified for starting positions, SCORE Trophy-Truck started Sunday in the order they finished Saturday.



GROUP #1...................... Classes 1-2/1600 (6 laps), 5/1600 (6), SPT Car (6), 21 Total Starters, 17 Finishers

· CLASS 1-2/1600 (6 laps, 37.5 miles) - Eighteen (18) of the 19 entries started Sunday with 15 finishers as Adam Pfankuch (1600, Carlsbad, Calif. with Steven Eugenio, El Centro, Calif., Mirage, 52 minutes, 35 seconds ,42.789 miles per hour) won the Class 1-2/1600 racing for the second-straight day to capture his second Laughlin Desert Challenge title as the lead driver and third overall. He won the Class 1-2/1600 crown in 2005 and teamed with Eric Allen to win in 2003. Pfankuch’s two-day, 12-lap time was 1 hour, 44 hours, 6 seconds (43.228 miles per hour). Pfankuch was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1-2/1600 season champion with two event wins. Pfankuch finished third in the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge Class 1-2/1600 race before teaming with Rick St. John to win the SCORE Lite title.. Brian Burgess (1603, Riverside, Calif. with Aaron Hawley, Las Vegas, Seagrove, 1:44:36 overall time, 43.021 mph) was second followed by Cody Robinson (1616 with Roberto Romo, El Centro, Calif., Curry, 1:46:45 overall time, 42.155 mph). Pfankuch entered Sunday with a two second lead as Burgess became the overall leader by a second after the day’s first lap. Pfankuch regained the lead on Sunday’s second lap and steadily built his final 30-second win over Burgess. The Boyers (1612, Rick Boyer/Cory Boyer, Bakersfield, Calif., Lothringer, 1:50:22 overall time, 40.773 mph), the defending Laughlin Class 1-2/1600 champions and second-place finishers to Pfankuch on the season list, finished fourth Sunday to place 11th overall by being over six minutes behind the leader.

· CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With only two entries, one racer started and finished Sunday as Alonso Angulo (552 with Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico) completing the required six laps in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 38 seconds (34.811 miles per hour). Angulo’s two-day time total for 12 laps was 2 hours, 10 minutes, 30 seconds (34.483 miles per hour). Angulo was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5/1600 points list.

· SPORTSMAN CAR (6 laps, 37.5 miles) - Only two of the three entries started Sunday with only Rory Ward (1401 with Tracy Ward, Mohave Valley, Ariz., Chenowth-Chevy, 55 minutes, 44 seconds, 40.370 miles per hour) finishing the required six-lap, 37.5-mile circuit. Ward’s two-day total for 12 laps was 1 hour, 49 minutes, 32 seconds (41.083 miles per hour). The Wards won the 2008 Laughlin Desert Challenge sportsman car with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 43 seconds (35.23 miles per hour). Louie Serna (1403, Flagstaff, Ariz., Tatum-Chevy, 51 minutes, 3 seconds, 44.074 miles per hour), who led from the start Saturday to capture the first-day race, led the Wards by 4 minutes, 18 seconds entering Sunday’s last lap, but did not complete the final circuit around the 6.25-mile Laughlin course. 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 and did not race Sunday.

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

.................................................................................................................................. 22 Total Starters, 16 finishers



· CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With two entries, both starters Saturday and Sunday finished the required six laps each day. Greg Adler (802, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Ford F-150, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 26 seconds, 42.681 miles per hour) posted a 23-plus minute win over Clyde Stacy (801, Bristol, Va. with Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 2:08:36, 34.992 mph). Adler’s time Sunday was 54 minutes, 51 seconds (41.020 mph) as comparted to Stacy’s 58 minutes, 5 seconds (38.737). 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, 2 hour, 13 minutes, 18 seconds, 33.758 miles per hour) completed the required 12 laps for two days. Two miles into the last lap Saturday, 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. On Sunday, Steele bettered the Saturday time by over 19 minutes with a time of 57 minutes, 8 seconds (39.381 mph). Steel won the Class 7SX Laughlin title last season with Tim Lawrence (Santee, Calif.) in a Ford Ranger.

· CLASS 7 (Open mini trucks, 6 laps, 37.5 miles) - With seven entries and six starters, three racers finished the required 12 laps for two days of racing. After finishing third Saturday, Dan Chamlee (700 with Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 51 minutes, 1 second, 40.534 miles per hour) captured Sunday’s six-lap race by over three minutes to win the 2009 Laughlin title. Chamlee is a four-time SCORE Desert Series Class 7 champion (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Jose Canchola Jr. (703, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 27 seconds, 38.314 mph), who won Saturday’s race by a minute over A.J. Rodriguez (704, Perris, Calif., Ford Ranger, completed only one lap Sunday), placed second after placing third Sunday behind Chris Taylor (719, El Centro, Calif. with Josh Quintero, Imperial, Calif., Ford Ranger, completed only five laps Saturday). Taylor had Sunday’s best time for six laps at 53 minutes, 24 seconds (42.134 mph). Taylor placed third for the season in 2008 with Rodriguez fifth.

· 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, 1 hour, 46 minutes, 25 seconds, 35.239 miles per hour) completed the required five laps each day. Sunday, Holmes bettered his Saturday time by nearly two minutes as he posted a 52 minute, 13 second time Sunday after being clocked at 54 minutes, 12 seconds the first day. 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, did not finish) completed only two of the required five laps Sunday. Co-driver Stacy was third on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Stock Full standings for the season. Matney and Stacy also 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, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 36 seconds, 31.888 miles per hour) completed the required five laps on both Saturday (58 minutes, 50 seconds) and Sunday (58 minutes, 46 seconds). 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, 1 hour, 45 minutes, 32 seconds, 35.534 miles per hour) was the only entry in the class. After completing the five required laps in 51 minutes, 23 seconds Saturday, the Moss crew posted a 54 minute, 9 second time Sunday with a 34.626 miles per hour. Moss has now captured seven Laughlin Class 3 titles (2002-2006, 2008-2009). Moss also captured the 2008 Class 3 SCORE Desert Series point’s title.

· SPORTSMAN TRUCK (5 laps, 31.25 miles) - While eight of the 10 entries that started Saturday finished the required five laps, only six racers completed the requirement on Sunday. First-day leader Gary Messer (1506 with Mike Simpson, Kingman, Ariz., Trophy Lite 2008-Chevy, 1 hour, 33 minutes, 24 seconds, 40.150 miles per hour) placed third Sunday (47 minutes, 38 seconds), but was able to maintain his overall lead to finish over two minutes ahead of the second finisher. Rob Anderson (1503, San Clemente, Calif., Ford Ranger, 1:35:47, 39.151 mph), who was third Saturday, out-raced Chris Shive (1548 with Dennis Sprong, Ramona, Calif., Ford F-150, 1:40:05, 37.469 mph) and Messer on Sunday with a five-lap time of 47 minutes, 38 seconds. Shive placed third overall after finishing 67 seconds behind Anderson Saturday. Jonathon Libby (1502 with John Libby Jr., Dillingham, Alaska, Toyota Tundra, did not finish), who was a second behind Messer Saturday, led for the first two laps Sunday before breaking on the third lap.



GROUP #3............................................... Class 10 (7 laps), SCORE Lite (7), Class 5 (7), 17 Total Starters, 12 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 with five of Sunday’s eight starters finishing. Despite finishing fourth Sunday with a seven-lap time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, 20 seconds (42.112 mph), Robert McBeath (1003 with Jessica McBeath, Las Vegas, Jimco-Honda, 2 hours, 1 minute, 21 seconds, 43.263 miles per hour) won the completion by 64 seconds over Mikey Lawrence (1000, Sunset Beach, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 2:02:25, 42.886 mph). Lawrence won the Class 10 SCORE Desert Series points standings in 2008. Scott Gailey (1004 with Patrick Gailey, Norco, Calif., GET-VW, 2:03:41, 42.447 mph) finished third. Adam Wik (1010, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Honda, did not complete 14 laps), who completed only one lap Saturday, had Sunday’s best time of 58 minutes, 17 seconds (45.038 mph) with Lawrence second (1 hour, 43.750 mph) and Gailey third (1:01:24, 42.752).

· SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - While all eight entries started and finished Saturday’s required seven laps, Sunday saw only five of the eight starters complete the competition with 14 total laps. Rick St. John (1200, Encinitas, Calif. with Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 1 hour, 58 minutes, 28 seconds, 44.316 miles per hour) entered Sunday with a six-second edge over Dan Worley (1201, Encinitas, Calif. with Stan Potter, San Marcos, Calif., Jimco, 2:04:30, 42.169 mph). With Worley nearly six minutes behind St. John Sunday for the seven-lap race, St. John had a nine-second edge over Michelle Bruckmann (1206 with Vic Bruckmann, Lemon Grove, Calif., Lothringer, 1:59:14, 44.031 mph) Sunday (58 minutes, 23 seconds, 44.961 mph) to win the two-day competition by 46 seconds. St. John was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Score Lite champion as he opened the season by winning the Laughlin race with Pfankuch, who won the Class 1-2/1600 race earlier Sunday to increase his Desert Challenge win count to five. Bruckmann was third entering Sunday, but finished second as she covered Sunday’s seven laps in 58 minutes, 32 seconds (44.846 mph). Brent Parkhouse (1208, Long Beach, Calif. with Chuck Sacks, Canyon Lake, Calif., Moulton, 2:02:41, 42.793 mph) was third with Worley fourth overall. Worley and Potter were the 2007 Laughlin Score Lite champions.

· CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs, 7 laps, 43.75 miles) - Both starters completed the seven laps Sunday after two of the three entries and starters finished Saturday’s seven required laps. Kevin Carr (500, San Diego, 2 hour, 7 minutes, 57 seconds, 41.032 miles per hour) led from the start on both Saturday and Sunday to win his second-straight Laughlin Class 5 title. Carr was the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 5 champion as he won three races last season. Carlos Albanez (501, Calexico, Calif., with Luivan Voelker, Mexicali, Mexico, 2:16:51, 38.363 mph) was second.



GROUP #4........................................................................ SCORE Trophy-Truck (8 laps), 18 Total Starters, 9 finishers

· After 19 of the 22 entries started the race Saturday with 14 finishers, 18 competitors began Sunday’s race with nine racers completing eight laps each on the final day. For the two days, seven racers completed the required 16 laps led by Robby Gordon (77, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 1 hour, 57 minutes, 54 seconds, 50.891 miles per hour). After finishing 13 seconds behind first-day leader Gus Vildosola Jr. (4 with Gus Vildosola Sr., Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150, completed only 12 of 16 laps), Gordon posted Sunday’s best time of 59 minutes, 9 seconds (50.718 miles per hour) for 50 miles of racing to edge Brian Collins (12, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram1500, completed four laps Saturday) by 50 seconds. It was Gordon’s eighth SCORE Trophy-Truck win and first since November 2006 in Baja. Vildosola, who also led after the first-day of racing at the 2008 Laughlin race, slowed during Sunday’s third lap and failed to complete his fifth lap on the final day of racing. Cameron Steele (16 with Justin Smith, San Clemente, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:02:07, 49.133 mph) finished second followed by Ed “Clyde” Stout (13, Santa Ana, Calif. with Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 2:03:11, 48.708 mph). Stout (1:00:44, 49.396) was third for Sunday’s racing with Justin Smith, who was driving for Steele, placing fourth (1:01:00, 49.180). Two-time Laughlin winner B.J. Baldwin (1, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado) completed only seven laps Sunday due to gear problems. 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), 16 Total Starters, 10 finishers

· With 21 entries, 19 racers started Saturday with 14 finishing. Sunday, 16 racers started and 10 finished as Danny Anderson (109, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy, 2 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds, 47.213 miles per hour) won the daily competition to post the best two-day total. Anderson, who was subbing for Pat Dean (recovering from shoulder surgery), covered the eight laps Sunday in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 9 seconds (46.765 mph) to edge Ronny Wilson (120 with Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:10:53, 45.842 mph) for daily honors. Dean, who was seventh overall last season in Class 1, was the defending Laughlin champion. Anderson made up the 51 second difference from first-day leader Harley Letner (118, Orange, Calif., Alpha-Chevy, 2:09:54, 46.189 mph) by defeating his rival by nearly four minutes Sunday. Letner continued to lead the race after the first lap Sunday, but had a flat tire on the second lap to lose his lead. Letner still placed second with Randy Wilson (102, Lakewood, Calif. with Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 2:10:32, 45.965 mph) was third followed by Ronny Wilson. Letner was 12th on the 2008 SCORE Desert Series Class 1 standings