McBeath, MacCachren and Lavie take top drawing spots for legendary Mint 400

Las Vegas, NV- Las Vegas native Bill McBeath will be the first Unlimited Truck off the starting line at the 24th General Tire Mint 400 to be held next weekend at the Moapa Indian Reservation. Starting positions for the historic race were drawn Wednesday night at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street and announced live on Totally Off Road Radio.

Television color commentator Cameron Steele drew the 2nd position with George Rosenbaum taking 3rd draw in unlimited truck. Pierre Lavie will drive the first Class 1 off the General Tire Mint 400 starting line. Following Lavie will be Rick Romans and Chuck Roderick. Legendary racer and Las Vegas local Rob MacCachren will lead the charge in the 1600 class at the Mint. Behind MacCachren will be Patrick Nirshl and David Schweigart. Vehicles will start single file on race morning.

A total of 240 race vehicles are entered to race the General Tire Mint 400, with more entries expected up to race day. Festivities will kick off with a special FanFest meet & greet/autograph party on Thursday March 26th 2009 on Fremont Street from 6pm-8pm. Fans can get up-close with the race vehicles and meet the drivers. Friday March 27th from 8:30 am-7 pm, the incredible sighs and sounds of the General Tire MINT 400 continue with the famed Tech/Contingency inspection being held the world-renown Fremont Street Experience and Fremont East Entertainment District.

The green flag will drop on Saturday March 28th at 7 am on the Moapa Indian Reservation Travel Plaza 25 minutes north of downtown Las Vegas.

Racing News: Toyota Prepares for a "Must-Win" Formula One Season

NEARLY GONE: Toyota officials acknowledged that slumping car sales nearly led to the company pulling its Formula One racing program. Tadashi Yamashina, chairman of Toyota Motor Sports, said the pressure is on and for the team to survive it “must win” this season.

A SAD DAY: Fans and racers alike are morning the loss of one of America’s historic short tracks. Manzanita Speedway, located in Phoenix, was sold March 12 and will be used for industrial development. The final race at the half-mile oval, which has been holding auto races for 58 years, will be April 11.

FUEL CONSIDERATIONS: As the Indy Racing League considers a new engine formula that would be used beginning in 2012, one thing holding up the process is the fuel to be used. While the IndyCar Series currently uses ethanol, several of the manufacturers interested in supplying engines would prefer to use a gasoline/ethanol blend. No decision has been made either way at this point in the process.

BUD RUNS DRY: Currently in its 30th season of sponsoring Kenny Bernstein Racing, Anheuser-Busch informed the legendary NHRA drag racer that its Budweiser brand will not return to sponsor the team with Kenny’s son Brandon driving in 2010, ending the longest sponsorship relationship in motorsports history.

HIRED: Joe Mattes has been named interim president of Motorsports Authentics.

TOP DOG: With Donny Schatz struggling during a two-day World of Outlaws visit to Silver Dollar Speedway, Kyle Busch moved to the top of the National Speed Sport News Power Rankings. The rankings appear weekly in America’s Motorsports Authority.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click here for a special industry rate.

San Felipe 250 Photos by Durka

All photos now up at http://www.DurkaDurkaPhoto.com

10% off for the next 5 days.


A few of my favorites.

Miller Motorsports Park and Race Central Partner for 2009 Season

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:

Rich Branch, Executive Vice President

Motorsports Media Group, Inc. /Race Central TV & Radio

Phone: 949.200.7369

Email: rich@racecentralmedia.com

Miller Motorsports Park and Race Central Partner for 2009 Season



Denver, CO - March 18, 2009 - Race Central TV and Radio, the premier home for all forms of motorsports, is proud to announce a partnership with Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, for the 2009 season. Race Central will feature promotional activities, interviews with key venue staff, driver guests, etc. for all Miller Motorsports Park events. Miller Motorsports Park promotions will be seen on Race Central's newest partner, MavTV, in the Friday Night Prime Time Motorsports Block. Also, Miller Motorsports Park features and guests will be a regular part of programming starting in April on Race Central TV, distributed via the Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network, and the Race Central Radio Show during Prime Time Drive.



"Having raced professionally at many of the premier facilities in North America, my first trip to Miller Motorsports Park was in 2007," said Kurt Hansen, COO of Motorsports Media Inc. "I was awestruck by the whole layout and compound. When I took to the track and competed at over 160 mph with the best historic racers in America, I was convinced this may be the best track and facility for any and all motorsports events in America".



John Gardner, Media Manager at Miller Motorsports Park, said, "Race Central provides an I.V. directly into the vein of our target audience, and is a perfect fit with the DNA of our facility, our partners and what we want to accomplish here at Miller Motorsports Park in 2009 and beyond."



"Miller Motorsports Park is one of the finest road course facilities in North America, and is destined to join the ranks of other legendary road course circuits in the history books," said Rich Branch, Executive Vice President of Race Central. "We at Race Central are proud to be partnered with such a great road racing facility."


About Race Central

Race Central TV, Race Central Radio and Race Central Webcasts are the productions of Motorsports Media Group, Inc. Founded by former driver and current motorsports insider and 2008 National Broadcast Television "Telly" Award winner Kurt Hansen, Race Central brings the greatest names in motorsports to race fans throughout America and the world via multiple platforms: TV, radio and webcasts. Race Central TV reaches 10s of millions of American homes, and enables its many sponsors and partners to reach their target audiences with marketing horsepower. Race Central is presented weekly by Colorado National Speedway, Daveco Liquors, Bimmerhaus, Stuggart MBZ and Bear Frame and Axel. For more information visit www.racecentralmedia.com. For sponsorship, partnership and editorial opportunities please contact Rich Branch E.V.P. of Race Central TV and Radio Network Partners at 949.200.7369 or rich@racecentralmedia.com

About Miller Motorsports Park:

Miller Motorsports Park is a state-of-the-art road racing facility located 30 minutes from Salt Lake International Airport in Tooele, UT. The 511-acre facility, designed by renowned track designer Alan Wilson, includes a multi-configurational 4.5-mile road racing track, a 0.9-mile multi-configurational karting track and a seven-acre Off-Road Course. Miller Motorsports Park is home to the Miller Performance Training Center, which offers a variety of driving programs including the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School. Miller Motorsports Park hosts many of the world's top professional road racing championships including the FIM HAN spree Superbike World Championship, the American Le Mans Series, the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series, AMA Pro Road Racing and the NASCAR Camping World Series West, as well as numerous local, regional and national amateur automobile and motorcycle racing series. For more information, call 435-277-RACE (7223) or visit www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com.



###

Thank You,

Rich Branch
Executive Vice President/Executive Editor
Race Central TV/Motorsports Media Group, Inc.
p - 949.200.7369
c - 949.422.2121
rich@racecentralmedia.com
http://racecentral.tv
Member - Motor Press Guild

ROD HALL RACING LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

ROD HALL RACING LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE -

We invite our race fans to check out the new rodhallracing.com. Not only does our website continue to highlight the team's racing effort, it is a virtual portal for all things Hall in the world of off-road. The new and improved website includes information on Rod Hall Products and Rod Hall Events. Backed by years of experience, off-road is not only our passion, it is our business. We hope you will check back regularly as we continue to build and grow our online content.

LATEST RACE NEWS -

Emily Miller departs today for Morocco to compete in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles - March 14-28th. She will be competing against over 100 teams in the class and is the only US team. Rod and Donna Hall are currently in Morocco and will follow the team for a portion of the event. For the team's blog, click here. Live satellite tracking will be available throughout the race. Rod will return to the states early to compete in the Mint 400 on March 28th.

Chad Hall will race Terrible's at Primm on April 18th in the Class 10 car - #1055. Live tracking will be available.

Thanks to all our friends, fans and sponsors for your continued support.

SCORE San Felipe 250 POST-RACE QUOTES

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123



23rd ANNUAL TECATE SCORE San Felipe 250

Round 2 of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series

March 13-15, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

Post-race racer quotes


Cars and trucks



SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK

BRIAN COLLINS, No. 12 (First in class and first vehicle overall. This was Collins’ sixth career SCORE Trophy-Truck victory.) – No flats, nothing. It was just a perfect day. B.J. Baldwin (who was leading at the time) broke down and we got past him about race mile 190, I think. The truck was absolutely awesome. Billy (Goerke, my navigator) did a great job because if you would have asked me earlier today if we were going to win, I would have said ‘I don’t know, it’s going to be a long day.’ But I put a plan together, being patient, and I told Billy that’s what we were going to do and he monitored my speed all the time down the real rough sections so we didn’t have a flat or hurt our shocks and we just had a great day. It’s nice when you put a plan together and it works. You know the course is rough but you don’t know if everybody else is going to follow the plan and have problems. Two SCORE San Felipe 250 wins in a row, that’s great. We had a hard time getting around the Herbsts at one point but I just stuck to my game plan of being patient and everyone else cooperated by having problems. I told people I was going to go slow off the start and no one ever believes you. I just drove my own race today and everyone came to me. That’s a lucky day of racing and I wish every one of them were that way. There’s a lot of season left and a lot of races but I can’t say enough about the Collins Motorsports team. We had one faux pas today; we didn’t fuel the fuel truck so the guys broke it down and switched it from one section of the course back to the other. We had to make two stops. We were just following B.J. – we were within a minute of B.J. – and I had three and a half minutes to get to him. They refueled the truck again, a second time, and that was the excitement of the day. But the guys were great. It was a great day – especially when you don’t need anything but fuel. We were within a minute of B.J. – we had him all day – so we weren’t really worried about it. There’s no reason to try to pass on this course – it’s too wicked. We just sat back there in the dust and watched him and stopped and got fuel a second time and reeled him in. It was just a perfect day. Billy (Goerke) really helped me today. Without him today, I wouldn’t have done what I did today. Today, he gets the credit.

ROBBY GORDON, No. 77 (Second in class and second vehicle overall.) I got a flat tire about mile marker 40 and our jacks didn’t work. I ended up getting back in the car and driving about a mile and a half on a flat tire to some locals that had a floor jack and were pitting their car. I had a breaker bar and that was our flat-tire changer. That was the only problem we had. We were 20 minutes behind (Brian Collins) at out first pit area, where we took fuel at mile 68, and I think he beat us home by about 10 minutes, so we had a good run. We didn’t have any mechanical problems. I don’t know why the impact gun and the jack didn’t work but that’s the only problem we had. I almost got crashed by (Ed) Stout, who clobbered the back of us on Zoo Road (at about race mile 93). He didn’t make it much farther than where he hit me. We were joking that he wasn’t going to go very far and it was about 10 more miles and I think he had the rear suspension ripped off of it. The course was what we expected (but) it was surprising that (Brian Collins) had the run like he had, but he does that here all the time and I had a very strong run, too, so congrats to those guys. We’ll be back for the SCORE Baja 500. We continue our points lead. I like to win, but we’ll take a second if we can’t win.

MARK POST, No. 3 (Third in class and fourth vehicle overall.) We had a real nice run going and then we lost our drive shaft about race mile 100. And then I had about a five-minute flat but other than that, we had a solid day. But the drive shaft really killed our day. We changed the drive shaft on the course so that put us down pretty good. Other than that, the truck was flawless. That was the rockiest SCORE San Felipe 250 ever, I’ll tell you that. There was just no sand between the rocks anymore and all those washes have a zillion rocks. It made it a lot rougher course. When I had the flat, that’s when Robbie (Gordon) got by us.

JERRY WELCHEL, No. 40 (Fourth in class and sixth vehicle overall. Driver of record Chet Huffman drove the first 100 miles and Welchel finished.) It was a fun race. Chet did the first 100 and handed it over to me. There were some big rocks out there and I’m glad I had 39-inch tires.

ADAM HOUSEHOLDER, No. 24 (Fifth in class.) We got stuck out there and two quad guys stopped and helped push me out. If not, I’d probably still be back there digging. I drove all the way and I had a good experience so we’ll be back for the SCORE Baja 500 and possibly the SCORE Baja 1000. We’re very happy. We had a good showing in Laughlin and decided to come here for the SCORE San Felipe 250 and see what would happen. I got a flat about 50 miles from the end and then I got stuck with 40 miles left. After getting out and changing the tire, I was winded. And then after getting stuck I was like, ‘That’s it, I was almost done.’ I lost about 15 minutes, so the problems were substantial. But, hey, I’m stoked just to finish.

B.J. BALDWIN, No. 1 (Sixth in class.) I lost a (shock) bypass at (race mile) 190 but I could still go really well, but then I lost a ring gear about five miles later. I was doing well without the bypass – it wasn’t holding me back too bad. I couldn’t hit jumps or it would roll over and I couldn’t hit big (curves) or it would roll over. I was going to start going really fast right about when we broke. What can you do? I had a great time anyway.

CLASS 1

RONNY WILSON, No. 109 (First in class and third vehicle overall.) We had zero problems. I probably got a ‘C’ for listening to (my navigator) because I blew a lot of lines that he wanted me to take, but the car worked great. We had no flats, the Wik motor ran great, no problems with the gearbox. We had a lot of nervous moments. We almost threw it away a couple of times but we stuck to our game plan, we drove about 75 percent to the 61-mile mark and then we started pushing. It’s always a good sign when the Herbst helicopter is coming back to see where you are. We chased them and we passed them when they were getting fuel at (race mile) 192 and we were just on a mission after that. I’m glad they’re back racing the desert but I wish they weren’t as good as they were. What a day. The course was the same San Felipe course and we just love it down here.

TIM HERBST, No. 106 (Second in class and fifth vehicle overall.) The day went OK. We got stuck out there once and had one flat but other than that we had a pretty good day. I got stuck in the silt in a big ditch. I was going up into somebody’s dust and got stuck. There happened to be a guy with four-wheel drive – if not, I would have been there forever. (Are you glad to be back racing in score?) That was fun; that was a good time. I missed it a lot. I should have been better but this car was sitting in the mall (in Primm, Nevada) about six weeks ago. There was a lot of gum on it but the guys did a great job getting it ready to race. (Was there any rust on the driver?) Absolutely. You just can’t jump into these things and go, that’s for sure. We hope to race all the races in Baja. Next is the SCORE Baja 500 and then the SCORE Baja 1000 and then maybe the Primm race. We are going to run a limited schedule but we are going to be back in Mexico, for sure. (You look different in the black car and the black fire suit after all those years in red.) Monster Energy Drink is a great partner of ours – not only on our off-road program, but also in our stores. We sell a lot of their product and we’re just happy to have the relationship with them.

MARTIN CHRISTENSEN, No. 104 (Third in class and ninth vehicle overall. Driver of record Armin Schwarz drove to race mile 120 and Christensen drove from RM 120 to the finish.) It was OK. We had some small challenges prior to the race. Pulling the car up to the starting line, we had a leaky control valve on the steering. We tried to change it out but for some reason, the line was not correct so we had to go back in with the old part. So that was a little havoc right up to the starting line, like two minutes before the start. We ran with it but we’ve got pretty good capacity in the reservoir because we’ve got a jacking system, so that saved the day. We didn’t have to stop to add any (fluid). We’re happy with our podium position here. For what we had going on, that was a good finish for All-German Motorsports.
CLASS 1-2/1600

JUSTIN SMITH, No. 1643 (First in class.) The run went perfectly. Really, it was a flawless day. I had a rear pivot bushing go out on me about mile 30 but I was able to milk it enough the whole way to make it last. Other than that there were no issues. I was a little bit worried about some of the competition but we had a good pre-run and everything worked out. A lot of guys were breaking and rolling and pushing too hard. It was a rough course so I knew there was going to be a lot of endurance involved and we definitely played it smart and did what we could do to make sure we were here at the finish. We went to Laughlin hoping to come out a little better but we ended up ninth. But to come out here and win in San Felipe is just phenomenal. Hopefully we can keep it going.

CLASS 5

KEVIN CARR, No. 500 (First in class.) The course was a lot more torn up than pre-running, I’ll tell you that much. Everything went real well. We only had one flat, shortly after Matomi (near race mile 145). I think I hit it in Matomi and it just kept going down until it went flat. It (the course) took its tool but the car held up. I think it’s harder to finish this race than, say, the SCORE Baja 500 because this course beats you up.
CLASS 5/1600

NORBERTO RIVERA, No. 550 (First in class. Driver of record Marcos Nunez started and drove to race mile 122. Rivera drove from RM 122 to the finish.) It was a clean race. No flat tires, nothing bad. This was the second consecutive win here in San Felipe. Last year, I finish the race too. I’m very happy.

CLASS 6

MARC BURNETT, No. 601 (First in class.) It was a good run. Pretty much all day we had a good run going, we just had to take it slow because we were overheating a lot – ever since the beginning. It was really hot. The alternator went bad about 160 miles in and we had no radio the whole way back. Other than that, it was good. This is the second time racing SCORE in the truck and we won the SCORE Baja 1000 and this one here so we’re really happy about it. We’re 2-for-2 in this truck. The only other thing was we hit the Cops (Racing) guys – they wouldn’t let us go by so we had to push them out of the way. But it was a pretty flawless race – no flats. We were nervous about the temperature the whole way through but we just dealt with it. I’m going to continue driving solo – I Iron Manned the SCORE Baja 1000 and I’m going to Iron Man every race from now on.

CLASS 7

JOSE CANCHOLA JR., No. 701 (First in class.) Everything was fine. I drove it the whole way and it was a very clean race. Everything was perfect – no flats, no trouble – and we had a very good race. It was pretty rough today, pretty rough. I never did get challenged by another (Class) 7 car all day. I pre-ran three times so I knew the course pretty well.

CLASS 8

MIKE THURLOW, No. 802 (First in class. Driver of record Dave Crinklaw started and drove to race mile 92 and Thurlow drove from RM 92 to the finish.) Dave (Crinklaw) took it to mile 92 in perfect and delivered me a truck that was barely dirty and I put the pedal down from then on and had a blast. No problems, a lot of fun and the truck ran great. It was a great course. We were saying, ‘Come on, bring us more, that’s not enough.’ I had a lot of fun. We got stuck just for a little bit but our crew was there in about five minutes. My biggest thing was I got a cactus in my toe. It was right where I pressed the gas so maybe that’s why I didn’t get any flats. I may have to do that more often.

CLASS 10

MIKE LAWRENCE, No. 1000 (First in class.) I got stuck in the silt at race mile 114 and had to get pulled out. Besides that, it was smooth sailing. Some locals were there and they helped us out – greatest fans in the world. I only lost about two minutes, at most. We had really low oil pressure. We stopped once just to make sure everything was good. We fueled up and cruised around the course. I drove the whole way. We had a couple nervous moments. Right after Zoo Road (about race mile 93), I almost went end over end. The car didn’t like it but besides that, I kept my cool. I just figured I’ll let everybody else make the mistakes and I’ll drive my race. The course was even rougher than during pre-running.

SCORE LITE

RICK ST. JOHN, No. 1200 (First in class.) It was great. This car is so awesome, it’s unbelievable – it’s almost like cheating, this car works so well. Adam Pfankuch started and he took a rear start and he just drove past everyone. It’s too easy, almost. He gave me the car in first place halfway through and all I had to do was keep it there. We hit a cactus and while we were digging out the cactus, I hit a rock so there was a little downtime. Other than that, it went well.

PROTRUCK

MAX POST, No. 233 (First in class.) I rolled the truck about mile 96, somewhere around there. I was in dust and there was a turn I really didn’t see. It landed on its top but some people came over and helped us flip it back over. We lost about five or seven minutes, that’s about it. That was the only problem we had. We hit a few things – I don’t think there’s one piece of bodywork left. I drove the whole way and it was fun. The course was really rough, but fun. The truck handled really well.



Pro Motorcycles


CLASS 22

KENDALL NORMAN, No. 3x (First in class, first motorcycle to finish and fifth vehicle overall. Norman started and rode to race mile 30, Tim Weigand rode from RM 30 to 166.9 and Norman rode from RM 166.9 to the finish.) It wasn’t a walk in the park. I got knocked silly for a second. I was going good the first eight miles and I slowed down when it got super rocky and I tagged a rock and rode the front wheel for like 50 feet and finally ate it. When I crashed I hit my head and when I went to get up, I fell on the ground again. I got back up and going and the next 500 yards, the same thing happened, but this time I didn’t go down. We just had a solid ride. We were behind our teammates, the 4x, but when they came into the pit where I got on, they had radiator problems and lost all of their coolant and they had to change it. We took over the lead again then and just cruised in. Luckily I don’t hit my head very often so when I do, I don’t get hurt too bad. I made it out of there alive.

JEFF KARGOLA, No. 4x (Second in class, second motorcycle ton finish and eighth vehicle overall. Subbed for rider of record Colton Udall, who has a broken wrist. Kargola replaced Udall at the 50-foot mark and rode to race mile 30. Quinn Cody rode from RM 30 to RM 166 and Kargola rode from RM 166 to the finish.) It was the same as pre-running, just a lot faster and it seems the rocks come a lot faster. I didn’t fall off but I got real close to getting off – those rocks, when you’re hitting them doing 80 miles an hour, it has a tendency to throw you over the bars. I’m happy we (Johnny Campbell Racing) finished 1-2. (How much time do you think you lost replacing the radiator?) I don’t know, how much did he beat me by? Twelve minutes? We lost about 12 minutes (laughing).
CLASS 21

CARLOS CASAS, No. 100x (First in class. Casas rode to race mile 120, Noe Ibarra rode from RM 120 to 177 and Casas finished.) We just had to change a tire, but otherwise we had no problems. I want to thank South Bay Motorsports for all their help. We struggled a lot to get here and it paid off. It was a great race for us. We weren’t even going to race three weeks back because we didn’t have the money. At the last moment, our friends threw together some money and South Bay Motorsports helped us out with a lot of tires and parts. We’re going to keep on going, for sure.
CLASS 20

HECTOR CASTILLO, No. 154x (First in class. Split riding duties with Sergio Valenzuela, David Gonzalez Jr. and Rene Pojodes.) We borrowed a (Yamaha) WR250 at 9 o’clock last night before the race. We had no issues, no tire changes; we just brought it around. We’re really happy.
CLASS 30

MIKE JOHNSON, No. 305x (First in class. First career SCORE class victory. Johnson rode the first 30 and the last 70 miles. Rex Cameron rode the middle leg.) It ran great. I’m tired but, overall, I feel pretty good. We were hoping for a good finish and this is pretty good for us. We’re happy with it. We had no problems at all; everything went good. We didn’t even have to change a tire. From the first day of pre-running to the last day, the course changed a lot. We ran (Thursday) and it didn’t change a lot from then. Going through some of those washes, with all those imbedded rocks, was pretty scary. Going at a high speed and hitting one of those (rocks), that’s what split the rear rim. It happened in one of those washes but we were able to finish. I’m real happy. This is our first time getting first in our class. Last year we were top 10 in the SCORE San Felipe 250, the SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 1000, so this is great.
CLASS 40

BRIAN SWEENEY, No. 401x (First in class. Shared riding duties with driver of record Brian Campbell, Bill Cotton and Pete Cochran.) I rode to the first pit and handed it over in first place and got it back in first place at the last pit, so everybody did their job. I had a blast out there. It was real rough. You could find some smooth lines but sometimes they were a lot longer so it was just better to pound up the middle. (Did you have any close calls?) A (passenger) car pulled right onto the course in front of me. I had to lock up the brakes to keep from hitting it. This is my first time doing this – I’ve never done a Baja race before. My teammates have been on me for the last four or five years to come and do this stuff with them. They wanted someone who was good in the whoops and that was my job. (Will you race in the Baja 500?) If these other guys (my teammates) are, I’m in. I’m hooked.
CLASS 50

JIM O’NEAL, No. 500x (First in class. Shared riding duties with Dan Dawson, Andy Kirker and Tim Withers.) After the week we had, all I wanted to do was finish. I told everybody, ‘just get there’ and we hung in there. We had Dan do the start, Andy did a little section of whoops, we also had Tim Withers and it was mainly Dan. They did a great job because we were up against a tough team (the No. 501x of Charlie Marshall). We just hung tough and everybody did well. They were ahead of us off and on but we were always close, but I don’t know what happened to them. The 300x team, that was a real rough ride. We had three riders get hurt and transfer to the local hospital ... for x-rays and broken bones and stitches and everything. Then I called a couple old friends and, no pre-running or nothing, and our leadoff guy, who was a rookie to Baja but a good desert racer, crashed and destroyed that bike in the first 15 miles, so we rode that thing all day with bent bars, no number plate, no light, no front brake ... and we’re just really happy to get this finished. We’ll have our regular team in the SCORE Baja 500 and everybody had better look out because it’s going to be business as usual. I don’t accept second-place trophies – the guys can have them, I don’t want them.


Pro ATVs

CLASS 25

WAYNE MATLOCK, No. 1a (First in class. Matlock rode to race mile 25; Harold Goodman Jr. rode from RM 25 to RM 93; Josh Caster rode from RM 93 to RM 170; and Matlock rode from RM 170 to the finish.) The last time I heard, we had about an eight-minute lead so everything couldn’t have been better. I had no plan – just ride as fast as I can and see what happens. It looks like it worked out good. We didn’t even change tires; we just put gas in and didn’t have any problems. You can’t ask for more. I’m ready to go again – you always are when you win. It was rough out there but it was fun. The biggest obstacle has always been keeping ourselves on the bike. We did that and everything worked out great. This is our fourth win here in the San Felipe 250, so that’s great. This has always been my favorite race just because the atmosphere is so great.
CLASS 24

CRAIG CHRISTY, No. 100a (First in class. Shared riding duties with Dave Scott, Steve Abrego and Andy Lagzdins – each rode a quarter of the race, with Christy finishing.) It was real rough. We got the lead a little early, lost it in the silt beds but I’ve got the greatest team and they all pulled it together. We’re just happy to have our second first in SCORE. No surprises today. The bike was flawless and it just kept going and going. We were out here for at least seven full days of pre-running and the course just got rougher. A lot of rocks got dug up by the big trucks but some good lines presented themselves, too. We had some good competition. There were at least two guys that we were real worried about. We won the championship last year and we won the SCORE Baja 1000 last year and we just wanted to see if we could make it stick and apparently we can. We’re coming to the SCORE Baja 500 looking for a first.

SCORE San Felipe 250 Results STORY 3.15.09

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark 702.735.7123



March 15, 2009





Round 2 of 2009 SCORE Desert Series

Collins earns 2nd straight Overall, SCORE Trophy-Truck

Victory Saturday at 23rd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250



Wilson Bros capture Class 1 in Jimco-Chevy,

Norman/Weigand ride Honda to Overall Motorcycle & Class 22 win





SAN FELIPE, Mexico—Second-generation veteran Las Vegas desert racer Brian Collins roared through the rugged trails and washes of Mexico’s Baja California desert Saturday, earning his second straight overall and SCORE Trophy-Truck victory in the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Mopar Dodge Ram1500 at the 23rd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race.

Round 2 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series was held in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, along the shores of the picturesque Sea of Cortez.

Setting a blistering pace right from the start in San Felipe and driving solo, he covered the sandy, silty, rocky and dusty 232.4-mile course in just three hours, 47 minutes, 49 seconds, averaging a stellar 61.21 miles per hour.

Overpowering a strong field of 226 desert racers and mastering the race course with blazing speed and power, Collins’ time beat not only the cars and trucks, but also the motorcycles and ATVs that competed in the popular ‘spring break’ event to earn his fifth class win in San Felipe including his third overall triumph and his sixth career SCORE Trophy-Truck race win in the 15-plus year history of SCORE’s marquee racing division for high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

It was also just the second time since 1979 that a Dodge-powered vehicle won a SCORE race.

Finishing second overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck in the elapsed-time race, 11 minutes and 31 seconds behind the masterful Collins was NASCAR Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., who finished Saturday’s race in 3:59:20, averaging 58.26mph in the No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500.

Finishing third overall while winning the unlimited Class 1 in Round 2 of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series were brothers Ronny and Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., with a time of 4:05:43 and an average speed of 56.75mph in the Wilson Motorsports Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheeled desert race car.

The 226 starters from 17 States, 10 countries competed in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, truck, motorcycles and ATVs. The dramatic 232.4-mile course covered three of the legendary, picturesque and treacherous Baja washes: Matomi, Azufre and Huatomote before heading back to the finish line in the shadow of the landmark San Felipe Arches. The race featured the 14th-largest number of starters in the 23-year history of the event. A total of 162 adventurers completed the rugged course within the 10-hour time limit for an extremely high 71.7 percent finishing percentage.

“It was just a perfect day, our BFGoodrich Tires kept us totally in the game all day long and we covered a brutally-rough course with absolutely no flats,” said the happy Collins at the finish line. “B.J. Baldwin was physically ahead until he broke down at race mile 190, but we had him covered on corrected time all day. The Dodge truck was absolutely awesome. Billy (Goerke, my navigator) did a great job because if you would have asked me earlier today if we were going to win, I would have said ‘I don’t know, it’s going to be a long day’.”

Collins had plenty to say at the finish, adding “But I put a plan together, being patient, and I told Billy that’s what we were going to do and he monitored my speed all the time down the real rough sections so we didn’t have a flat or hurt our shocks and we just had a great day. It’s nice when you put a plan together and it works. There are a lot of places you can go race in the desert, but there is nothing anywhere in the world that comes even remotely close to these unforgettable SCORE Baja races we get to experience three times a year.”

Winning the overall Motorcycle and Class 22 title was the talented team of Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara Calif., and Tim Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif., on a Johnny Campbell Racing Honda CRF450X. Finishing fifth among all vehicles, the pair crossed the finish line in 4:09:27 with an average speed of 55.90mph. It was Norman’s third overall win in this race in the last four years and Weigand’s first as the pair defeated a group of 69 motorcycles that took the green flag.

Norman started the race and rode to race mile 30, Weigand rode the section from race mile 30 to 166.9 and Norman brought it to the finish line from race mile 166.9.

“It wasn’t a walk in the park, I got knocked silly for a second,” said Norman while celebrating at the finish line. “I was going very well for the first eight miles and I slowed down when it got super rocky and I tagged a rock and rode the front wheel for like 50 feet when I finally ate it. When I crashed I hit my head and when I went to get up I fell on the ground again. I got back up and going and the next 500 yards, the same thing happened, but this time I didn’t go down.”

“We just had a solid ride,” Norman added. We were behind our JCR teammate Colton Udall and his riders, but when they came into the pit where I got on, they had radiator problems and we took over the lead again and just cruised it.”

Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif., led a team to the Overall ATV and Class 25 victory for the third time in the last four years and second consecutive year in this race on a Honda TRX700X. He split the riding time equally with co-riders Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich., and Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif. Goodman was part of last year’s winning team with Matlock while this was Caster’s first.

Matlock started the race and rode to race mile 25 and finished the race, riding the final 62 miles. Goodman rode from race mile 25 to 93 and Caster rode from race mile 93 to 170.

Finishing fourth overall and third in SCORE Trophy-Truck was the team of Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, who crossed the line 20 minutes, eight seconds behind Collins in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150. All four top car and truck finishers completed the course quicker than the top motorcycle team. MacCachren drove the first half of the race and Post the second.

Returning to SCORE desert racing in the first time in over a year, Tim Herbst of Las Vegas drove solo to finish fifth overall among four wheel vehicles and second in Class 1 in the legendary Terrible Herbst Motorsports Smithbuilt-Ford open wheel desert race car. Tim Herbst, whose older brothers Troy and Ed Herbst debuted their new No. 19 Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck with a seventh-place finish in class, 7:34 behind Class 1 winners Ronny and Rick Wilson.

Creative veteran age group motorcycle rider Jim O’Neal, 62, Simi Valley, Calif., won Class 50 for motorcycle riders over 50 years old, adding his race-record 10th class win in San Felipe. Splitting the riding on a Honda CRF450X with O’Neal, who finished second in Class 30 on another talented team, was Andy Kirker, Santa Ana, Calif./Dan Dawson, Agua Dulce, Calif. and Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii.

Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, picked up his ninth win in the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in Class 11 for stock VW Sedans.

Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif., won Class 3 in his sturdy Ford Bronco for the seventh time in the last eight years for his 30th career SCORE race win. They also remained undefeated in 2009 with their second win.

Also winning their second consecutive race of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series were: Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Duvel-VW), Kevin Carr, San Diego (Class 5, VW Baja Bug) and Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif. (Honda Ridgeline).

Among the other car and truck Class winners late Saturday were: Jose Canchola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico (Class 7, Ford Ranger), Mike Lawrence, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Dave Crinklaw, Reedley, Calif. (Class 8, Ford F-150), Norm Turley, Long Beach, Calif., (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif. (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Marcos Nunez, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, VW Baja Bug), Daniel Reyes Jr., Calexico, Calif., (Class 9, Venegas-VW) and Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif. (Class 1-2/1600, Fraley-VW).

Among the other motorcycle class winners were teams led by Carlos Casa, Chula Vista, Calif. (Class 21, Honda CRF450X), Brian Campbell, Bakersfield, Calif. (Class 40, KTM 450XCF), Hector Castillo, Calexico, Calif., (Class 20, Yamaha WR250) and Ramon Isuarieta, Mexico City (Class 60, Honda CRF450X).

Winning the ATV Class 24 was the team led by defending SCORE Desert Series point champion Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif., on a Honda TRX450R.

The fastest overall Sportsman motorcycle was ridden by a team led by Jeff Leonard, Bakersfield, Calif., who rode a Honda CRF450X to win the SPT M/C>250cc class.

The fastest Sportsman car or truck was driven by the team led by Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif., who drove a Homebuilt-Chevy in the SPT Car class.

Leading the Sportsman ATV classes was the hometown team led by Manuel Jimenez, San Felipe, Mexico, on a Honda TRX450R.

SCORE Trophy-Trucks have now won 14 overalls in San Felipe in the 16-year history of the marquee SCORE racing division.

Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, has eight wins in Class 11 for stock VW Sedans while Moss, Sacramento, Calif., has six wins in the last seven years in Class 3 in his sturdy Ford Bronco.

The World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series was visiting Mexico for the first of three races in 2009.

Through the efforts of SCORE’s electronic media partner, Aura360 Ventures of Maine, the motorcycle and ATV portion of the race will be featured in the April 26 NBC Sports telecast of the Jeep World of Adventure Sport. This will mark the third time these classes have been featured on that NBC show and Aura360 will also produce a complete-race DVD on the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 for the first time. SCORE official race DVDs are available at www.thebajaunlimited.com.

The world’s best desert racers return to Mexico for Round 3 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series, June 5-7 for the 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 5000 desert race in Ensenada.

In addition to season point class point championships, drivers in the Pro car and truck classes are also racing to earn prestigious SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards given to all car and truck class drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 24th consecutive year, a total of 52 drivers remain eligible after Round 1 of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series.

Current SCORE official annual sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Volkswagen of America-official vehicle, Sunoco Race Fuels -official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Slime-official tire sealant and Red Bull--official energy drink. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Blue C Enthusiast Advertising, Off-Road, American Suzuki, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

Associate sponsors for the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 were the Tourism and Convention Bureau of Mexicali/San Felipe, and Cotuco.

For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2009 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.



23rd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250

Round 2 of 2009 SCORE Desert Series

March 14, 2009—San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, 232.4 miles



TOP OVERALL FINISHERS

Cars & Trucks

1. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram 1500, 3:47:49 (61.21mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 3:59:20 (58.26mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

3. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:05:43 (56.75mph) (Class 1)

4. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 4:07:57 56.24mph (SCORE Trophy-Truck

5. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithuilt-Ford, 4:13:17 (55.05mph) (Class 1)

6. Chet Huffman, Northridge, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Portola Hills, Calif., Chevy C1500, 4:17:05 (54.24mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

7. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Jimco-BMW, 4:19:42 (53.70mph) (Class 1)

8. Julio Herrera/Carlos Olmos, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, 4:23:05 (53.00mph) (Class 1)

9. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 4:25:16 (52.57mph) (Class 1)

10. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:34:01 (50.89mph) (Class 1)

11. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:34:40 (50.77mph) (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

12. Paul Keller, El Cajon, Calif./Charles Rudolph, San Diego, Jimco-Chevy, 4:42:14 (49.41mph) (Class 1)

13. Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif./Ben Monroy, Torrance, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:48:35 (48.32mph) (Class 1)

14. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Tommy Kirkmeyer, Adelanto, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 4:48:45 (48.29mph) (Class 1)

15. Jose Canchola Jr./Francisco Gonzalez, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 4:51:48 (47.79mph) (Class 7)

16. Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif./Blake Kirkpatrick, Hacienda Heights, Calif./Joel Liska, Banning, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 4:54:43 (47.31mph) (Class 10)

17. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 4:54:48 (47.30mph) (SCORE Lite)

18. Josh Rigsby/Steve Ewers, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Penhall-Chevy, 4:58:15 (46.75mph) (Class 1)

19. Dave Crinklaw, Reedley, Calif./Mike Thurlow, Kingsburg, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:59:05 (46.62mph) (Class 8)

20. Kevin Carr/Noe Valdez, San Diego, 5:11:18 (44.79mph) (Class 5)

Motorcycles

1. Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif./Timmy Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:09:27 (55.90mph) (Class 22)

2. Colton Udall, San Clemente, Calif./Quinn Cody, Los Olivos, Calif./Jeff Kargola, San Clemente, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:17:19 (54.19mph) (Class 22)

3. Ivan Ramirez, Ensenada, Mexico/Brent Harden, Menifee, Calif./Jose Villalobos, Tecate, Mexico, Honda CRF450X, 4:35:17 (50.65mph (Class 22)

4. Mike Johnson, El Paso, Texas/Rex Cameron, Albuquerque, N.M., Honda CRF450X, 4:47:46 (48.46mph) (Class 30)

5. Brian Campbell/Bill Cotton, Bakersfield, Calif./Pete Cochran, Laguna Beach, Calif., KTM 450XCF, 4:53:40 (47.48mph) (Class 40)

6. Carlos Casas/Noe Ibarra, Chula Vista, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:55:18 (47.22mph) (Class 21)

7. Cameron Corfman, El Centro, Calif./Jimmy Lopez, El Cajon, Calif./A.J. Stewart, Jamul, Calif., Beta RR525, 4:56:17 (47.06mph) (Class 22)

8. Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Tom Willis, Las Vegas/Derrick Paiement, Corona, Calif./Brian Sweany II, Lancaster, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:58:28 (46.72mph) (Class 30)

9. Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Andy Kirker, Santa Ana, Calif./Dan Dawson, Agua Dulce, Calif./Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii, Honda CRF450X, 5:00:09 (46.46mph) (Class 50)

10. Adam Thissen, Reno, Nev./Robert Underwood, Coleville, Calif., KTM XC505, 5:02:46 (46.06mph) (Class 22)

ATVs

1. Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich./Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., Honda 700XX, 5:16:36 (44.04mph) (Class 25)

2. Felipe Velez, San Felipe, Mexico/Stefano Caputo, San Felipe, Mexico (Italy)/Heriberto Marquez, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 5:31:01 (42.12mph) (Class 25)

3. Santos Perez, Tijuana, Mexico/Juan Sanchez/Raul Cano, Chula Vista, Calif., KTM 450, 5:32:25 (41.95mph) (Class 25)

4. Jeff Hancock, Salome, Ariz./Joshua Edwards, Peoria, Ariz., Honda TRX450R, 5:32:47 (41.90mph) (Class 25)

5. Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif./Steve Abrego, Covina, Calif./Dave Scott, Belen, N.M./Andy Lagzdins, Baltimore, Honda TRX450R, 5:43:48 (40.56mph) (Class 24)



Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250

All-Time Overall Champions

Cars & Trucks

Year--Driver(s), Vehicle (Class)

1982--Dan Cornwell, Chenowth-VW (Class 1)

1983--Corky McMillin/Scott McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche (Class 2)

1984--Scott McMillin/Corky McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche (Class 2)

1990--Brian Collins/Jack Johnson, Chenowth-VW (Class 1)

1991--Larry Ragland, Chevy C1500 (Class 8)

1992--Bob Richey/Boyd Cox, Raceco-Porsche (Class 1)

1993--Scott Douglas, Ford Ranger (Class 7)

1994--Ivan Stewart, Toyota SR5 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1995--Larry Ragland, Chevy C1500 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1996--Robby Gordon, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1997--Curt LeDuc, Jeep Grand Cherokee (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

1998--Mark Post/Jerry Whelchel, Riviera-Chevy (Class 1)

1999--Ed Herbst/Tim Herbst, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2000--Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2001--Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2002--Dan Smith/David Ashley, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2003--Gus Vildosola/Rob MacCachren, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2004--Mark Post/Jerry Whelchel, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2005--Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Jimco-Chevy (Class 1)

2006--Garron Cadiente, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2007--Mark Post/Rob MacCachren, Ford F-150 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2008--Brian Collins, Dodge Ram1500 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

2009--Brian Collins, Dodge Ram1500 (SCORE Trophy-Truck)

Sportsman Cars & Trucks

Year--Driver(s), Vehicle (Class)

2008--Peter Lang, Homebuilt-Chevy (SPT Car)

2009--Peter Lang, Homebuilt-Chevy (SPT Car)



Motorcycles

Year--Rider(s), Vehicle

1982--Bob Balentine, Honda XR500 (Class 22)

1983--Jack Johnson, Honda XR500 (Class 22)

1984--Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna CR500 (Class 22)

1990--Dan Smith/Danny Hamel, KTM (Class 22)

1991--Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicut Jr, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)

1992--Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicut Jr, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)

1993--Danny Hamel, Kawasaki KX500(Class 22)

1994--Danny Hamel, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)

1995--Danny Hamel, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)

1996--Paul Krause, Kawasaki KX500 (Class 22)

1997--Tim Staab, Honda XR650 (Class 22)

1998--Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab, Honda XR650 (Class 22)

1999--Johnny Campbell/Cole Marshall, Honda XR650 (Class 22)

2000--Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab, Honda XR650 (Class 22)

2001--Steve Hengeveld/Jonah Street, Honda XR650R (Class 22)

2002--Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda XR650R (Class 22)

2003--Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda XR650R (Class 22)

2004--Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda XR650R (Class 22)

2005--Chris Blais/Andy Grider/Quinn Cody, KTM MXC525 (Class 22)

2006--Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)

2007--Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)

2008--Robby Bell/Johnny Campbell, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)

2009—Kendall Norman/Timmy Weigand, Honda CRF450X (Class 22)

Sportsman Motorcycles

Year--Rider(s), Vehicle

2008--Bill Gilbert, Honda CRF450X (SPT M/C>250cc)

2009Jeff Leonard, Bakersfield, Calif., Honda CRF450X (SPT M/C>250cc)

SCORE San Felipe 250 FINISHERS 3.15.09

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, 702.735.7123


23rd Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250

Round 2 of five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series

March 14, 2009—San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, 232.4 miles

Total Entries: 236 Total Starters: 226 Total Finishers: 162 (71.7 percent)



O F F I C I A L F I N I S H E R S

Pro Cars & Trucks

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks)—1. Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Dodge Ram 1500, 3:47:49 (61.21mph); 2. Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy CK1500, 3:59:20; 3. Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 4:07:57; 4. Chet Huffman, Northridge, Calif./Jerry Whelchel, Portola Hills, Calif., Chevy C1500, 4:17:05; 5. Adam Householder, Orange, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 4:34:40; 6. B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado, 5:43:50; 7. Troy Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 6:18:12; 8. Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:34:36; 9. Greg Nunley, Visalia, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 7:54:57; 10. Ed Stout, Santa Ana, Calif., Chevy Silverado, 9:59:37

(17 Starters, 10 Finishers)

CLASS 1 (Unlimited single or two-seaters)—1. Ronny Wilson/Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:05:43 (56.75mph); 2. Tim Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithuilt-Ford, 4:13:17; 3. Armin Schwarz, Germany/Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. (Denmark), Jimco-BMW, 4:19:42; 4. Julio Herrera/Carlos Olmos, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Jefferies-Chevy, 4:23:05; 5. Dale Lenk/Brett Lenk/Grant Lenk, Costa Mesa, Calif., Penhall-Chevy, 4:25:16; 6. Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif./Rick Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:34:01; 7. Paul Keller, El Cajon, Calif./Charles Rudolph, San Diego, Jimco-Chevy, 4:42:14; 8. Ron Brant, Oak Hills, Calif./Ben Monroy, Torrance, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 4:48:35; 9. Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, Calif./Tommy Kirkmeyer, Adelanto, Calif., Jefferies-Chevy, 4:48:45; 10. Josh Rigsby/Steve Ewers, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Penhall-Chevy, 4:58:15; 11. Armin Kremer, Germany/Sam Osmon, Escondido, Calif., Jimco-Chevy, 5:13:39; 12. Rob Bruce, Sublimity, Ore./Mark Witte, Silverton, Ore., Jefferies-Chevy, 5:36:45

(15 Starters, 12 Finishers)

CLASS 1-2/1600 (VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc)—1. Justin Smith, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Fraley, 5:11:30 (44.76mph); 2. Brian Wilson, Long Beach, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, Kreger, 5:36:39; 3. Eric Duran/Hiram Duran/Evan Duran, Tecate, Calif., Neth, 5:37:40; 4. Mario Gastelum/Isaac Gastelum, El Centro, Calif., Jimco, 5:38:32; 5. Myan Spaccarelli, Simi Valley, Calif., Mirage, 5:40:59; 6. Luis Martinez, Mexicali, Mexico/Victor Lugo, Calexico, Calif., Mayoral, 5:42:07; 7. Marco Gallo/Juan Gallo, San Felipe, Mexico, Curry, 5:55:17; 8. Dave Caspino, Woodland Hills, Calif./Mike Malloy, Las Vegas, Lothringer, 6:36:50; 9. Edgar Alvarez/Edgar Alvarez Sr., Mexicali, Mexico, Curry, 7:04:45; 10. Arturo Velazco/Abel Velazco, Banning, Calif., Porter, 7:13:10; 11. Cody Robinson, El Centro, Calif./Roberto Romo, Mexicali, Mexico, TL, 8:45:12; 12. Samuel Araiza, La Paz, Mexico/Federico Montes, Ensenada, Mexico, Fraley, 9:33:05; 13. Josue Delgado/Marcos Valenzuela/Alonso Viveyos, Mexicali, Mexico, Borm, 9:58:34

(20 Starters, 13 Finishers)

CLASS 3 (Short Wheelbase 4X4)—1. Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif./Ken Moss, Marysville, Calif., Ford Bronco, 7:40:55 (30.25mph); 2. Ken Leavitt, Ventura, Calif./Tom Blair, Twin Falls, Idaho, Ford Bronco, 8:41:55

(2 Starters, 2 Finishers)

CLASS 5 (Unlimited VW Baja Bugs)—1. Kevin Carr/Noe Valdez, San Diego, 5:11:18 (44.79mph); 2. Carlos Albanez/Luivan Voelker, Mexicali, Mexico, 6:25:09; 3. Shaun Dunbar, La Mesa, Calif./Trevor Terra, El Cajon, Calif., 7:01:30

(3 Starters, 3 Finishers)

CLASS 5/1600 (1600cc VW Baja Bugs)—1. Marcos Nunez/Norberto Rivera, Ensenada, Mexico, 6:04:21 (38.27mph); 2. Miguel Rosales/Edmundo Fernandez, Ensenada, Mexico, 6:20:00; 3. Gustavo Avina/Lucia Avina, Chula Vista, Calif., 6:23:12; 4. Trevor Anderson/Mark Anderson, Carlsbad, Calif., 6:54:47; 5. Pedro Athie/Ruben De La Fuente, Ensenada, Mexico, 7:12:31; 6. Alonso Angulo/Roberto Escobedo, Ensenada, Mexico, 7:13:52; 7. Sergio Moreno, Tijuana, Mexico/Carlos Iribe, Rosarito, Mexico, Fernando Rivera, Tijuana, Mexico, 7:17:28

(8 Starters, 7 Finishers)

CLASS 6 (Unlimited, production mini trucks)—1. Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif., Ford Ranger, 5:25:20 (42.86mph); 2. Mike Koenig, Sacramento, Calif./Stuart Klein, Lakeside, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 7:04:10; 3. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Ross Savage, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 8:20:45

(4 Starters, 3 Finishers)

CLASS 7 (Open, production mini trucks)—1. Jose Canchola Jr./Francisco Gonzalez, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford Ranger, 4:51:48 (47.79mph); 2. Igor Galvan/Guillermo Galvan, Bahia de Los Angeles, Calif., Ford Ranger, 5:32:57; 3. Dan Chamlee/Tom Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., Ford Ranger, 6:25:13; 4. Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Rene Brugger, San Diego, Ford Ranger, 7:22:00

(7 Starters, 4 Finishers)

CLASS 7SX (Modified, open mini trucks)—1. Norman Turley/Trevor Turley, Long Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger, 7:21:00 (31.62mph); 2. Nick Moncure/Ted Moncure/Doug Hood, Long Beach, Calif., Toyota Tacoma, 8:20:42; 3. John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif., Ford Ranger, 9:05:00; 4. Eduardo Gonzalez, Lucerene Valley, Calif., Ford Ranger, 9:55:25

(5 Starters, 4 Finishers)

CLASS 8 (Full-sized two-wheel drive trucks)—1. Dave Crinklaw, Reedley, Calif./Mike Thurlow, Kingsburg, Calif., Ford F-150, 4:59:05 (46.62mph); 2. Clyde Stacey, Bristol, Va./Justin Matney, Bristol, Tenn., Chevy Silverado, 6:23:23; 3. Juan C. Lopez, Tecate, Mexico, Ford F-150, 8:21:42

(5 Starters, 3 Finishers)

CLASS 9 (VW-powered, Short wheelbase, single or two-seaters)—1. Daniel Reyes Jr., Calexico, Calif./Julian Rivera, Indio, Calif./Hector Ortega, Tijuana, Mexico, Venegas, 7:16:15 (31.96mph)

(3 Starters, 1 Finisher)

CLASS 10 (Single or two-seaters to 1650cc)—1. Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif./Blake Kirkpatrick, Hacienda Heights, Calif./Joel Liska, Banning, Calif., Lothringer-VW, 4:54:43 (47.31mph); 2. Tito Robles/Lobsam Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, Jimco-Honda, 5:15:44; 3. Scott Gailey/Scott Whipple, Norco, Calif., GET-VW, 6:20:30

(10 Starters, 3 Finishers)

SCORE LITE (VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc)—1. Rick St. John, Encinitas, Calif./Adam Pfankuch, Carlsbad, Calif., Duvel, 4:54:48 (47.30mph); 2. Brent Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif./Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif., Molton, 5:47:00; 3. Lee Banning, Laveen, Ariz./Chris Godfrey, Phoenix/Lee Banning Jr., Litchfield Park, Ariz., Foddrill, 6:23:05; 4. Bill Hernquist/Scott Reams, La Mesa, Calif., Jimco, 6:48:15

(7 Starters, 4 Finishers)

CLASS 11 (Stock VW Sedans)—1. Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico, 9:11:15 (25.30mph)

(2 Starters, 1 Finisher)

STOCK FULL (Stock, Full-sized trucks)—

(2 Starters, 0 Finishers)

STOCK MINI (Stock, Mini-sized trucks)—1. Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif./Vlad Chioreanu, Santa Monica, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 8:40:20 (26.80mph)

(1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

PROTRUCK (Limited, Production Trucks)—1. Max Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Alex Zachary, San Jacinto, Calif., Ford F-150, 5:26:25 (42.72mph)

(1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

PRO MOTORCYCLES

CLASS 22 (250cc or more)—1. Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif./Timmy Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:09:27 (55.90mph); 2. Colton Udall, San Clemente, Calif./Quinn Cody, Los Olivos, Calif./Jeff Kargola, San Clemente, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:17:19; 3. Ivan Ramirez, Ensenada, Mexico/Brent Harden, Menifee, Calif./Jose Villalobos, Tecate, Mexico, Honda CRF450X, 4:35:17; 4. Cameron Corfman, El Centro, Calif./Jimmy Lopez, El Cajon, Calif./A.J. Stewart, Jamul, Calif., Beta RR525, 4:56:17; 5. Adam Thissen, Reno, Nev./Robert Underwood, Coleville, Calif., KTM XC505, 5:02:46; 6. Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Mike Childress, Wrightwood, Calif./Jeff Laubscher, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Cody Stuart, Capistrano Beach, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:08:03; 7. Ruben Senudo/Ruben Senudo Jr. /Raul Garcia/Sammy Garcia, San Diego, Honda CRF450X, 6:35:00

(8 Starters, 7 Finishers)

CLASS 21 (126cc to 250cc)—1. Carlos Casas/Noe Ibarra, Chula Vista, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:55:18 (47.22mph); 2. Ronnie Wilson, Glendale, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:27:34; 3. Jeremy Purvines/Ron Purvines, Henderson, Nev./Scott Glimp, Las Vegas, Honda CRF450X, 5:37:49; 4. Alfredo Osornio, Mexicali, Mexico/Alberto Ruiz, Ensenada, Mexico/Rene Magana, San Ysidro, Calif., Kawasaki KX450, 5:46:26; 5. Carlos Becerril, Calexico, Calif./Michael Stein, Phoenix/Colie Potter, San Diego, KTM 450XCR-W, 5:55:20; 6. Bill Boyer, Lomita, Calif./Stuart Goggins, Upland, Calif./Nicholas Blais, Chino, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 6:15:37; 7. David Zarate, Los Cabos, Mexico/Ramon Davila, La Paz, Mexico/Alberto Ross, Los Cabos, Mexico, Honda CRF450X, 7:17:51

(9 Starters, 7 Finishers)

CLASS 20 (125cc)—1. Hector Castillo, Calexico, Calif./Rene Pojodes, Mexicali, Mexico/David Gonzalez Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Yamaha WR250, 6:07:03 (37.99mph); 2. Anna Cody, Simi Valley, Calif./Talya Dodson, Truckee, Calif./Cathy Duncan, Los Alamos, Honda CRF250X, 6:31:16; 3. Jesus Rios/Cuauhtemoc Beltran, Calexico, Calif./Edgar Espinoza, El Centro, Calif., Honda CRF250X, 7:04:16; 4. Manuel Reyes, Dulzura, Calif./Roberto Diaz, Campo, Calif./Abraham Chavez, Tecate, Calif., Yamaha YZ250F, 9:09:05

(4 Starters, 4 Finishers)

CLASS 30 (Riders over 30 years old)—1. Mike Johnson, El Paso, Texas/Rex Cameron, Albuquerque, N.M., Honda CRF450X, 4:47:46 (48.46mph); 2. Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Tom Willis, Las Vegas/Derrick Paiement, Corona, Calif./Brian Sweany II, Lancaster, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 4:58:28; 3. Sean Bradley, Ridgecrest, Calif./Kyle Abney, Albuquerque, N.M., Kawasaki KX500, 5:17:50; 4. Javier Hernandez, Obregon, Mexico/Edujardo Rosas, Huatabampo, Mexico/Mike Crowford, Phoenix, Honda CRF450X, 5:40:17; 5. Justin Hambleton, San Marcos, Calif., KTM 300XC, 5:50:13; 6. Alejandro Olguin/Miguel Coria/Victor Lujan, Mexicali, Mexico, Honda XR650R, 6:15:50; 7. Sol Saltzman, Red Cliff, Colo./Tony Larese, Vail, Colo./Pete Schmidtmann, San Felipe, Mexico, Honda CRF450X, 7:38:00

(7 Starters, 7 Finishers)

CLASS 40 (Riders over 40 years old)—1. Brian Campbell/Bill Cotton, Bakersfield, Calif./Pete Cochran, Laguna Beach, Calif., KTM 450XCF, 4:53:40 (47.48mph); 2. Scott Myers, Menifee, Calif./Brett Helm, Poway, Calif./Lou Franco, Sherman Oaks, Calif.,/Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, Calif./Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii, Honda CRF450X, 5:04:12; 3. Julio Abril/Oscar Hale/Mario Acosta, Ensenada, Mexico, Yamaha WR450, 5:55:42; 4. Tom Vogt, Mesa, Ariz., Honda CRF450X, 8:25:34; 5. Chris Dornsife, Murrieta, Calif., Honda XR650R, 8:38:58

(6 Starters, 5 Finishers)

CLASS 50 (Riders over 50 years old)—1. Jim O’Neal, Simi Valley, Calif./Andy Kirker, Santa Ana, Calif./Dan Dawson, Agua Dulce, Calif./Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii, Honda CRF450X, 5:00:09 (46.46mph); 2. Charlie Marshall, Carmichael, Calif./Doug Smith, Upland, Calif./Dave Potts, Burbank, Calif./Chuck Sun, Las Vegas, KTM530XCW, 5:14:13

(2 Starters, 2 Finishers)

CLASS 60 (Riders over 60 years old)—1. Ramon Isuarieta/Luis Zarate/Luis Farell/Manuel Cardona, Mexico City, Mexico, Honda CRF450X, 8:28:05 (27.44mph)

(1 Starter, 1 Finisher)

PRO ATVs

CLASS 25 (over 251cc)—1. Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich./Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., Honda 700XX, 5:16:36 (44.04mph); 2. Felipe Velez, San Felipe, Mexico/Stefano Caputo, San Felipe, Mexico (Italy)/Heriberto Marquez, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 5:31:01; 3. Santos Perez, Tijuana, Mexico/Juan Sanchez/Raul Cano, Chula Vista, Calif., KTM 450, 5:32:25; 4. Jeff Hancock, Salome, Ariz./Joshua Edwards, Peoria, Ariz., Honda TRX450R, 5:32:47; 5. Nick Nelson, Tehachapi, Calif./Brandon Brown, Eumantilla, Ore.; Jorie Williams, Wash., Suzuki LTR450, 5:43:49; 6. Greg Row, Alpine, Calif./Travis Dillon, Avojoaze, Ariz./Kyle Pethers, Avondale, Ariz., Honda TRX450R, 6:30:32

(9 Starters, 6 Finishers)

CLASS 24 (under 251cc)—1. Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif./Steve Abrego, Covina, Calif./Dave Scott, Belen, N.M./Andy Lagzdins, Baltimore, Honda TRX450R, 5:43:48 (40.56mph); 2. Victor Lopez/Jorge Lopez, San Felipe, Mexico/Gonzalo Curiel, Ensenada, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 5:55:54; 3. Miguel Arellano/Adan Arellano/Bernardo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico, Suzuki LTR450, 6:03:54; 4. Jose Juarez/Ivan Fellez, Tijuana, Mexico/Daniel Delgado, Imperial Beach, Calif., Honda TRX450R, 6:07:48; 5. Roberto Ruiz/Francisco Espinoza/Jose Vieblas, El Centro, Calif., Honda TRX450R, 6:13:15; 6. Abraham Romero, Tijuana, Mexico/Sigifredo Jimenez, Chula Vista, Calif./Efrain Haros, Tijuana, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 6:15:42; 7. Jovany Pimental/Jose Pimentel, Chula Vista, Calif./Romulo Gomez, San Diego, Honda TRX450R, 6:18:33; 8. Luis Berumen, Tijuana, Mexico/Sergio Lopez Jr. /Adrian Cruz, San Diego, Honda TRX450R, 6:24:07; 9. Tom Wright, Tabernacle, N.J./Pierre-Yves Denault/Renaud Fortin, Canada, Honda TRX450R, 6:24:59; 10. Shawn Robins/Jesse Van Maarion, Canada/Pedro Tarango, La Paz, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 6:33:32; 11. Benjamin Lopez/Jesus Lopez/Gary Gonsalez, San Diego, Honda TRX450R, 7:14:21

(12 Starters, 11 Finishers)

CLASS 26 (Limited, Utility)—1. Reid Rutherford, Montrose, Colo./ Benn Vornadakis, Rico, Colo./Tony Valerio, Telluride, Colo., Arctic Cat, 7:24:02 (31.40mph); 2. Rob Ransford, Downers Grove, Ill./Tim Winiarski, Carson, Calif./Joe Rice, Lomita, Calif., Can Am Renegade, 9:02:30

(4 Starters, 2 Finishers)

SPORTSMAN

OVERALL SPT CAR—Peter Lang/Frans De Kock/Terry Cotter, Santa Rosa, Calif., Homebuilt-Chevy, 7:01:15 (33.10mph)

(2 Starters, 1 Finisher)

FIRST SPT TRUCK—

(2 Starters, 0 Finishers)

OVERALL SPT UTV—

(3 Starters, 0 Finishers)

FIRST SPT M/C<250CC—1. Humberto Valle, Tecate, Mexico/Javier Ochoa/Ivanhoe Ochoa, Tecate, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:56:39 (39.12mph)

(13 Starters, 11 Finishers)

OVERALL SPT M/C>250cc—Jeff Leonard, Bakersfield, Calif./Eugene Lane, Redondo Beach, Calif./Jack Cox, Oceanside, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 5:29:26 (42.33mph)

(17 Starters, 15 Finishers)

OVERALL SPT ATV—Manuel Jimenez/Carlos Lopez/Carlos Castaneda, San Felipe, Mexico, Honda TRX450R, 6:12:32 (37.43mph)

(15 Starters, 11 Finishers)

Tecate Score San Felipe 250: Tip-toeing at 190 kph to climb the podium

Third place at the second round of the SCORE Offroad Championship is reason enough to pop the cork! Oh well, I don’t want to moan, but to be honest I would have preferred a repeat result from last year when we won our class.

Start on San Felipe's Pacific beach



I reckon I’ve never driven our 640 hp Buggy so carefully. I knew after our practice that the torque limiter, which protects our drive train from hefty knocks, wasn’t working – like at the first race of the year. And that’s why my team mate Martin Christensen and I reined back the horses and concentrated on getting home. Over the first 15 kilometres I had to let four of my rivals pass me. For someone like me that’s not easy.

It was a long night before the start in the service tent ...

... and it was clear for Martin (r) and me: we had to conserve the car



But at the finish our caution proved to be right. These 232 miles or 370 kilometres of the 23rd San Felipe 250 were the worst that I’ve seen in a long time. I drove the first 80 kms over a washboard track – but you’ve got to imagine the corrugations were half a metre high. I felt like I was riding a bucking bronco at a rodeo and was completely hammered afterwards. For a change we then followed a river bed filled with rough, deep gravel – here you needed endless power, torque and momentum not to get stuck.

But then came a dry salt lake, normally a scorching oven, but today cool. Twenty minutes of full throttle, that’s over 190 kph. It was fantastic: Our eight-cylinder roared, the wind whipped around my helmet, and we sucked up those salty miles – awesome! The following dunes with powder-like sand and endless possibilities to get stuck quickly dragged us back into reality.



Fast but cautious: our drive at this year's San Felipe 250



Driver change after 122 miles. I felt a mixture of joy to have handed the car in good condition over to Martin, pumped with adrenalin but incredibly frustrated to be reined in. After all, I compete to win.

Martin had a tough job ahead of him. Down in the southern part of the loop (satellite photos are on SCORE-International.com) he was faced with huge dunes, mountains and a canyon which is an ultra tough and very difficult “trial” section. If Martin knows one thing, it’s to stay calm and drive through fast and clean. Hat off and thanks for the great team work!

Hat off to Armin Kremer as well: Armin drove the entire 232 miles alone. At the finish Armin was sure of one thing: He had never had such a tough experience in a competition car. But he brought our second Buggy home eleventh in our class and rounded off our team result perfectly.



Sunset over the Pacific: who could stay mad for too long?



Now we have a two and a half month until round three, the Tecate SCORE Baja 500. Still, over the next weeks we have a couple of extremely exciting and wonderful things to report. I’ll tell you more in 14 days. See you back here.

Until then,

best wishes,

Armin Schwarz





Armin Schwarz