April 22, 5p.m.-8 p.m.
Pechanga Resort & Casino site of ‘live’ drawing for starting Positions for 38th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race

Nearly 400 entries expected June 2-4 in Ensenada, Mexico,
For Round 3 of six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series

LOS ANGELES—Launching pre-race festivities, a special ‘live’ drawing for start positions for June’s 38th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race will be held on Saturday, April 22, at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. Being hosted by Mike Voyles Racing, the event will also include a charity raffle and a preview of two soon-to-be-released desert racing films

Round 3 of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series, will feature nearly 400 entries, competing in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, will be held June 2-4 in Ensenada, Mexico. Traditionally one of the most popular events on the SCORE schedule, over 150,000 spectators are expected to enjoy the world’s best desert racers in action at this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500. Conducting the drawing will be SCORE International CEO/President Sal Fish, in his fourth decade leading the world’s foremost desert racing organization. SCORE was founded in 1973 by the late motorsports legend Mickey Thompson.

“It’s always a lot of fun to get together with our SCORE racing family away from the tension of race weekend and it’s a great change of pace to have a live drawing for start positions instead of the regular computerized drawing we normally have,” said Fish, who began his SCORE career in 1974. “We sincerely appreciate Pechanga Resort & Casino welcoming us and also the effort by Mike Voyles Racing to put together this special event for SCORE.”

The drawing festivities will start with a reception at 5 p.m. and conclude around 8 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the Pechanga Resort, located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula. A special room block with a special rate for April 22, is available at the Pechanga Resort. Those interested in lodging for this event are requested to contact the Pechanga room reservations, using the promo code ‘Baja 500 Drawing’, by calling 1.888.732.4264 by Friday, April 14.

A charity raffle, conducted by Mike Voyles Racing, will be part of the drawing festivities. The prize will be a free entry into this year’s race. All proceeds from the special raffle, with tickets priced at $10 each, will be donated to the Malcolm Smith Foundation in the name of Chase Feldkamp, the infant son of SCORE racer Buddy Feldkamp who died tragically last month.

The evening will also feature special showing of trailers for two upcoming films that showcase SCORE desert racing, ‘Dezert People DP4’, and the new documentary film, ‘Chasing the Horizon’.

With nearly 400 entries expected from 15 U.S. States, Mexico, Canada and Japan, the green flag will drop for the race at 6 a.m. on Saturday (June 3) for the motorcycle and ATV classes in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, followed by the car and truck classes two hours later at approximately 9 a.m. Over 275 of the anticipated entries are expected to be entered in time for the April 22 start draw.

The starting line area will once again be adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Convention Center in downtown Ensenada, Mexico. The finish line will again be inside the Deportivo Antonio Palacios baseball stadium at 9th Street and Guadalupe Avenue in Ensenada. It is located approximately 1.5 miles east of the start line area. Vehicles will start in 30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race.

Pre-race festivities for the 38th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 will center around the Riviera del Pacifico convention center in downtown Ensenada on Friday (June 2). Traditionally drawing approximately 50,000 spectators, the pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and display of every race vehicle will be held adjacent to the San Nicolas Hotel, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday (June 2). The post-race awards celebration will be held at the San Nicolas Hotel on Sunday (June 4) at 10 a.m.

NASCAR’s Robby Gordon, Mooresville, N.C., is expected to return to defend his overall 4-wheel vehicle and SCORE Trophy-Truck crown as is last year’s overall motorcycle and Class 22 winner Mike Childress, Wrightwood, Calif., who is racing this year for the American Honda A team with Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif.

The highly-competitive SCORE Desert Series has 20 racers separated by just 39 points after the record-setting 2006 season-opening 12th SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge and 20th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Both races had race-record starting grids, with 233 leaving the line in Laughlin and 341 starting the race in San Felipe.

After driving solo for a pair of podium finishes, Gary Weyhrich assumed the Overall SCORE Desert Series point lead while keeping the top spot in the unlimited Class 1 after two of six races. Weyhrich, 38, of Troutdale, Ore., has 139 points for the season in his TSCO Racing Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car.

Planned before the season started that whoever was higher in the points would stay in the Class 1 point championship chase, Weyhrich’s younger brother Mark, 36, who drove solo in the team’s new Jimco-Chevy for the first two races, will join the class leader to form one team starting with the upcoming Tecate SCORE Baja 500. Second in overall points with 126 and leading the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800 horsepower unlimited production trucks is Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin in the Baldwin Motorsports No. 97 Chevy Silverado. Baldwin, 26, had his first SCORE class win in Laughlin in a race-record field of 33 SCORE Trophy-Truck starters in Laughlin and backed it up with a second place in San Felipe in a race-record field of 24 SCORE Trophy-Trucks. His Chevy Silverado is prepped and the race crew is provided by Collins Motorsports of Las Vegas.

After one of three SCORE Desert Series races for motorcycles, the overall motorcycle point leaders are the team of Brian Pinard, Murrieta, Calif./Taber Murphy, Wildomar, Calif., who lead Class 30 for riders over 30 years old, with 62 points on a Honda XR650R. Tied for second with 60 points each are Class 22 point leaders Robby Bell, Murrieta, Calif./Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif. (Honda CRF450X) and Class 21 leaders Kenneth Lopez, Tijuana/Roberto Villalobos, Tecate, Mexico (Yamaha YZF450).

The overall ATV point leaders after their season-opening Class 25 victory at the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 is the team of Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Chad Prull, Laveen, Ariz., with 70 points on a Honda TRX450R.

Third in overall four-wheel vehicle points with 121 is Randy Wilson, Lakewood, Calif., who is second in Class 1 in another Jimco-Chevy, while fourth in the overall hunt and leading Class 1-2/1600 with 120 points in a Seagrove-VW is Brian Burgess, Riverside, Calif. Completing the top five in the overall point standings is the team of Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif./Dave Mason, Valley Center, Calif., with 117 points in a Jimco powered by the only BMW engine in the series.

The 2006 SCORE Desert Series includes the chase for the $50,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several qualified 2006 SCORE Class point champions.

The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes the hunt for the annual Toyota Milestone and $12,000 Toyota True Grit Awards. The prestigious Toyota Milestone Awards are presented to every racer who completes every required mile of every race in the 2006 SCORE Desert Series. The $12,000 Toyota True Grit purse is split among the SCORE season point champions who are also Toyota Milestone award winners in several non-factory-backed classes.

Current SCORE official 2006 sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/C.L. Bryant-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Airstar America-official space lighting provider. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Suzuki, SignPros, Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official 2005 SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com