| 2007 Tecate SCORE Baja 500 Desert Race | ||||||||||||||||||||
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SCORE Record field in Mexico
NASCAR’s R. Gordon one of 9 racers who have 15 combined
ENSENADA, Mexico—Led by brothers Ed, Tim and Troy Herbst along with Rob MacCachren, Brian Collins, Brendan Gaughan, B.J. Baldwin and B.J. Richardson, Nevada has 32 entries in this year’s record-setting 39th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race. Not only is the entry list that is rapidly approaching 525 vehicles the largest in the long and storied three-decade-plus history of SCORE International, the race is also filled with the most former class winners ever in a SCORE race with 102 competitors who have combined for 273 class wins. Included in that illustrious group of former class winners are nine SCORE desert racing daredevils who have combined for 15 Overall 4-wheel vehicle titles and seven riders who have combined for 21 Overall motorcycle crowns in the world’s second oldest desert race. The pacemakers in the huge field are Rod Hall and Larry Roeseler, who each have 16 career class wins in this race--the most among active racers, second only to the race record of 17. Round 3 of the six-race 2007 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series, featuring a all-time SCORE record lineup of entries competing in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, will be held this weekend in Ensenada, Mexico. Ensenada is located 65 miles south of the U.S. Border at San Diego. The race will be filmed for television by Aura360, SCORE’S TV production partner, to air later this year as a one-hour special on The Outdoor Channel in the U.S. and ESPN International worldwide. Several crossover/celebrity racers are also entered in this year’s race, led by NASCAR’s Robby Gordon and Brendan Gaughan. Both second generation desert racers, Gordon, Mooresville, N.C., who has won this race three times, is a NASCAR Cup Team Owner/Driver and is entered in SCORE Trophy-Truck while Las Vegan Gaughan, who is a NASCAR Truck Series driver, is a SCORE regular this season in the unlimited Class 1. Gordon, whose most recent win in this race was 2005, will again be pulling double-duty, competing this week in the SCORE race in Baja and the NASCAR Cup race in Dover, Del. Gaughan will also be pulling double-duty, competing in the NASCAR Truck Series race on Friday before flying down to Ensenada with Gordon. “I like to keep myself going and run the desert races,” said Gaughan, who is driving his new Chevy-powered Kreger open-wheel desert race car. “Driving a desert race is 10 times more difficult than any NASCAR race you could ever race, so it keeps me on my toes. It keeps my reflexes good.” “And most of all, it’s a passion for me. My father did it his whole life. Since I was a baby, I have been at the desert races. There are pictures of me at two-years-old in my daddy’s arms and he’s in his helmet and race suit." Ed and Tim Herbst along with Rob MacCachren, Brian Collins and B.J. Baldwin will all be racing in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division while Troy Herbst and Gaughan are among the favorites in the unlimited Class 1 division. Also a favorite in Class 1 will be Las Vegas’ B.J. Richardson, the current SCORE Overall and Class 1 point leader after two races in the 2007 SCORE Desert Series season. Starting and finishing in Ensenada on the majestic Baja California peninsula, this year’s tight and technical 420.11-mile course will run in a clockwise direction, running East into the middle of the peninsula, then South, followed by a West travel section, turning north, then East, North, Northeast and back West for the final charge back into Ensenada. The venerable Rod Hall, 69, of Reno, who earned his first Tecate SCORE Baja 500 class win in 1970 and his most recent last year, is the favorite in the Stock Mini class in his Hummer H3. Hall is the only person who has raced in all 39 previous Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 races in a 4-Wheel vehicle, where he has the most class wins of anyone with 18. With late entries accepted up to race morning, entries are from 32 U.S. States (from Hawaii to Rhode Island), Mexico, Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. The SCORE record 516 vehicles entered to date include 290 cars and trucks, 228 motorcycles and ATVs. The green flag will drop for the race at 6 a.m. on Saturday for the motorcycle and ATV classes in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, followed by the car and truck classes three hours after the last ATV at approximately 10 a.m. The motorcycle and ATV classes will start one every 15 seconds, the faster car and truck classes will start one every 30 seconds and the slower 4-wheel vehicle classes will start one every 15 seconds in the elapsed-time race. All vehicles will have a 20-hour time limit to complete the course and become official finishers. For the first time in race history, Volkswagen of America officially entered two of its Dakar Rally factory teams. Driven by American Mark Miller and South African Giniel de Villers, the two turbo-diesel VW Race Touareg SUVs will compete in a special SCORE Int’l Truck class. They will start between SCORE Trophy-Truck and Class 1. Miller, who has won the SCORE Trophy-Truck class twice in the SCORE Baja 500 (in 2002 with Larry Ragland and in 2003 with Ryan Arciero) was fourth overall in this year’s Dakar Rally while de Villers won four stages in the rally and finished 11th overall. Back to defend their overall 4-wheel vehicle and SCORE Trophy-Truck title is
the team of Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz./Brian Collins, Las Vegas, in the
No. 12 Collins Motorsports Chevy Silverado. Returning as the overall
motorcycle and Class 22 champs is the team of Robby Bell, Murrieta, Calif./Kendall
Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif., on the No. 1x Honda CRF450X. Back to defend their
overall ATV and Class 25 victory is the team of Danny Prather, Ramona,
Calif./Mike Cafro, Carlsbad, Calif., on the No. 1a Honda TRX450R.
In all, 20 of 22 class winners return from last year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500 that had a current SCORE Baja race-record 438 starters. Besides Ragland/Collins, Bell/Norman and Prather/M.Cafro, other racers who will be back to defend their class titles this year are Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif./Troy Herbst, Las Vegas (Class 1, Smithbuilt-Ford), Gerardo Iribe, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 1-2/1600, Curry/ISRT-VW), Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif. (Class 3, Ford Bronco), Marcos Nunez, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja Bug), Dan Chamlee, Summerland, Calif., (Class 7, Ford Ranger), John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif. (Class 7SX, Ford Ranger), Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix (Class 8, GMC Sierra), Eric Fisher, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 9, Garibay-VW), Tim Noe/Tom Watson, El Centro, Calif. (SCORE Lite, Jimco-VW), Terry Henn, Walnut, Calif. (Stock Full, Hummer H2), Rod Hall, Reno (Stock Mini, Hummer H3), Rob Reinertson, Woodside, Calif. (Protruck, Ford F-150), Jason Trubey, Bullhead City, Ariz. (Class 21, Suzuki RMZ450), Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif. (Class 50, Honda XR650R). The four class winners from last year who have switched classes are: Darren Hardesty, Ramona, Calif. (from Class 10 to Class 1), Dave Bonner, Norco, Calif. (from Class 5 to SCORE Lite), Chad Erl, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Class 20 to Class 21) and Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif. (from Class 40 to Class 30). Roeseler, 49, Hesperia, Calif., has 11 overall wins in this race including nine on a motorcycle, earning his frist class win 1972 and his most recent last year. This year Roeseler is the driver of record for Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, in the unlimited Class 1 in a Smithbuilt-Ford open wheel desert race car. Together Herbst and Roeseler earned three straight Class 1 wins in 2002, 2003 and 2004 prior to last year’s win. Troy Herbst has seven class wins total in this race. Besides Gordon and Gaughan, leading the lengthy list of celebrity/crossover racers is seven-time World Rally Championship race winner Armin Schwarz of Austria is returning to Baja for the second time to race in Class 1 and Pikes Peak Hill Climb record holder Rod Millen of New Zealand is back again to race in the Stock Mini class. Supercross and AMA motocross legend Ricky Johnson, Encinitas, Calif., has signed on as a second driver in this race and the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 with Alan Pflueger, Honolulu, in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Millen’s son Rhyss Millen, also a Pikes Peak Hill Climb veteran and a national drifting champion, will be a co-driver for Chet Huffman, Northridge, Calif., in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Jamie Galles, of Albuquerque, N.M., a former Trans Am and Toyota Atlantic racer, will be a co-driver for Josh Rigsby, Santa Fe, N.M., in Class 1. Shawn Highland, Temecula, Calif., a star of the freestylemx.com international tour, will co-ride with Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif. and 2005 SCORE Baja 500 overall motorcycle winner Mike Childress, Wrightwood, Calif., on the No. 15x Suzuki RMZ450. Trigger Gumm, Mission Viejo, Calif., is a motorcycle long jump former world record holder who is entered in the unlimited Class 1. Mike Lafferty, Temecula, Calif., a 7-time AMA National Enduro champion, and Brent Harden, Sun City, Calif., was the 2006 AMA District 37 Enduro Series champion, will ride with Brent’s father Scot Harden, Menifee, Calif., a three-time overall Tecate SCORE Baja 500 winner, in Class 21 on the No. 111x KTM 450XC. The three celebrity drivers who are all SCORE regulars are Cameron Steele, Jesse James and Max Thieriot. Steele, San Clemente, Calif., who is a TV sports announcer for Supercross, X Games and Champ Cars and whose wife Heidi Steele races in Class 7SX, has entered three classes once again—SCORE Trophy-Truck, SCORE Lite and Class 22. James, Sunset Beach, Calif., whose wife is legendary motion picture star Sandra Bullock, is the CEO of the world-famous West Cost Choppers company and was the star of the old Monster Garage television series. He races in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Thieriot, 18 of Petaluma, Calif., is a budding Hollywood actor with several supporting roles to his credit, races in Class 1 with his father Cam Thieriot and Glenn Harris, Camarillo, Calif., who are both veteran desert racers. Max Thieriot’s film credits include The Pacifier (2005), Astronaut Farmer (2007) and a co-starring role in this summer’s release of the Nancy Drew mystery movie. He drew the first starting position in the unlimited Class 1 which has a race-high 54 entries. Following this weekend’s race, the 2007 SCORE Desert Series comes to the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, July 19-21, for the special SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup III. 39th Tecate SCORE BAJA 500
OFFICIAL ENTRIES-516 (as of 5/29/07)
(By Class Starting Order)
SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
(Unlimited Production Trucks)—
1 B.J. Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
4 Gus Vildosola/Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico/Bryan Freeman, Henderson,
Ford F-150
3 Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
12 Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz./Brian Collins, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
19 Tim Herbst/Ed Herbst, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
51 Kory Scheeler, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
96 Bobby Baldwin, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado
91 Bill McBeath, Las Vegas, Ford F-150
CLASS 1
(Unlimited single or two-seaters)--
100 Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, Calif./Troy Herbst, Las Vegas, Smithbuilt-Ford
106 B.J. Richardson/John Gaughan, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy
109 Pat Dean, Las Vegas, Bunderson-Chevy
120 Mark Levrett, Sparks/Mitch Karadinis, Reno, HMS-Chevy
126 Brendan Gaughan/Bill Holbrook, Las Vegas, Kreger-Chevy
132 John Harrah, Reno, HMS-Chevy
133 Bill Witt, Henderson/Rick Ellison, Selma, Calif., Porter-Chevy
138 Danny Anderson, Las Vegas, Jimco-Chevy
CLASS 1-2/1600
(VW-powered, single or two-seaters to 1600cc)--
1647 L.J. Kennedy, Orange, Calif./Sammy Ehrenberg, Las Vegas, Jimco
SCORE LITE
(VW-powered, Limited single-1776cc-or two-seaters-1835cc)--
1208 Dave Bonner, Norco, Calif./Drew Belk, Coachella, Calif./Mike Belk,
Indio, Calif./Jim Anderson, Reno, Porter
1213 Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif./Kash Vessels, Bonsall, Calif./Aaron
Hawley, Las Vegas
1215 Mike Belk, Indio, Calif./Jim Anderson, Reno/Drew Belk, Coachella,
Calif./Dave Bonner, Norco, Calif., Porter
STOCK FULL
(Stock, Full-sized trucks)--
862 Josh Hall, Reno/Thad Stump, Gilbert, Ariz., Hummer H2
STOCK MINI
(Stock, Mini-sized trucks)--
760 Rod Hall/Chad Hall, Reno, Hummer H3
PROTRUCK
(Limited Production Trucks)--
204 Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali, Mexico/Bryan Freeman, Henderson, Toyota
Tundra
240 Rob Kittleson, Palm Springs, Calif./Tommy Bradley Jr., Las Vegas, Ford
F-150
JEEPSPEED 1
(Identically equipped Jeep Cherokees)--
1705 Michael Shaffer, Dayton/Eric Palacios, Las Vegas/Jonathan Robertson,
Boulder City, Jeep XJ Cherokee
PRO MOTORCYCLES
CLASS 22 (250cc or more)--
3x Shannon Powell, Las Vegas/Jerry Parsons, Boulder City, Honda CRF450X
7x Chris Blais, Apple Valley, Calif./David Pearson, Las Vegas, KTM 525XC
12x Kevin Johnson, Henderson/Eric Rasmussen, Reno/Greg Bruning, Carlsbad,
Calif., Honda CRF450X
CLASS 20 (125cc)--
153x Mark Chicado, Las Vegas, Yamaha WR250F
CLASS 30 (Riders over 30 years old)--
313x Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif./Scott Myers, Sun City, Calif./Steve
Garnett, Carson City/Taber Murphy, Wenatachee, Wash., Honda CRF450X
PRO ATVs
CLASS 25 (over 251cc)--
4a Brandon Brown, Umatilla, Ore./Shane Strunk, Chandler, Ariz./Josh
Frederick, Moapa, Can-Am Renegade
SPORTSMAN
SPT TRUCK--
1502 Andrew Leavitt, Las Vegas/Gordon Powers, Henderson, Ford F-150
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