Baja 500, LOTS of past winners in this years line-up

[tri5ron]

well guy's(and gals),
I'll be heading out in about 3 hours or so to head down to the 500. This should be a really fun one. lots of winners in the lineup, lots of good coverage, and this time I'll be running Check Point #3 at race mile 296, just south of San Vincente,(sp?).
heck, We will probably be on TV!!!

There will be live web cast race coverage, on a few different sites, but the easiest for you to find would be at
http://www.score-international.com/
as well as plenty of other info on the race.

I will be going down there with my buddy in his 36' Bounder motorhome. we will be in charge of running check point 3, I will probably have the flagpole mounted to the rear ladder, with my 2-way antenna mounted on top. so if you see use, give us a yell!

below is a little info on who's running this weekend,
Enjoy....

Baja 500 Past Winners
Courtesy of SCORE International
Thursday, June 04, 2009
While defending overall champions B.J. Baldwin in 4-wheel vehicles, Kendall Norman in motorcycles and Wayne Matlock in ATVs are all looking to repeat, there will be no shortage of former overall winners in the starting grid for this weekend’s 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race.


Mike Childress and Mike McCoy piloted their Honda XR650R to an impressive overall victory in the 2005 Baja 500. Among nearly 275 entries expected to take the green flag in Ensenada on Saturday are 16 driver/riders who have combined to win 46 overall car/truck, motorcycle and/or ATV titles, including drivers and riders from the last seven straight four-wheel, 11 of the last 12 motorcycle and last year’s ATV overall winners. The field also includes 71 racers who have combined for 187 class wins in this popular summer classic.

Round 3 of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the second-oldest desert race in the world and part of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series, will feature racers competing in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. It will be held Thursday through Sunday in Ensenada, Mexico. Traditionally one of the most popular events on the SCORE schedule, over 100,000 spectators are expected to enjoy the world’s best desert racers in action at this year’s 41st anniversary of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500.

In the 4-Wheel competition, former overall winners in the field hoping to unseat Baldwin will be Larry Roeseler (11 overall wins including nine on motorcycles), Robby Gordon and Troy Herbst (3 each), Brian Collins (2) and Mike Julson (splitting driving this year with Robbie Pierce), Curt LeDuc (with Nick Vanderwey), Rob MacCachren (with Mark Post) and Alan Pflueger (1 each). All, except Troy Herbst, race in SCORE Trophy-Truck. Herbst drives in Class 1 in the legendary Smithbuilt-Ford open-wheeler.

Among the motorcycle riders, former overall winners besides Norman in the field are Steve Hengeveld (6 overall motorcycle wins), Johnny Campbell (5) and Mike Childress and Craig Smith (1 each).

With late entries accepted up to race morning, over 275 entries are expected for the 432.51-mile race from 25 U.S. States from Hawaii to Vermont along with the additional countries of Mexico, Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan and Portugal.

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. With vehicles starting one every 30 seconds in the elapsed-time race, it will start and finish in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Boulevard Costero in the heart of Ensenada, leaving and returning into the city through the spectator-laden Arroyo Wash. While the fastest vehicles are expected to cover the course in approximately nine hours, there will be a 20-hour time limit for each vehicle to become an official finisher.

Last year, in the closest race in the 36-year history of SCORE Baja racing, Las Vegas’ B.J. Baldwin won the overall 4-wheel vehicle title by a mere seven seconds over the team of Mark Post, Laguna Beach, Calif./Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas. Baldwin, the reigning SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion, will start third this year in his No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado while Post/MacCachren, the 2007 SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champions will start second in the No. 3 Riviera Racing Ford F-150.

With a new riding teammate this year in motocross star Tim Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif., Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif., will be looking for his fourth consecutive overall motorcycle win on the No. 4x Johnny Campbell Racing Honda CRF450X. The pair won this year’s Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in March.

Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif., was the 2008 SCORE Class 25 and Overall ATV season point champion and is back to defend his overall ATV win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 on the No. 1a Honda TRX700XX. Splitting the riding with Matlock this year will be Harold Goodman, Brownstown, Mich., Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., and Wes Miller, Fallbrook, Calif. The team, minus Miller, won this year’s race riding together in San Felipe and Matlock is looking for his fifth straight SCORE Desert Series race win.

“What can I say except that I relish being in this position as the defending overall 4-wheel vehicle race champion and driving the No. 1 SCORE Trophy-Truck,” said Baldwin, 29, who has three career SCORE Trophy-Truck race wins and has won the season point crown two of the last three years in the SCORE marquee racing division for high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks.

“Competition makes everyone work harder and work smarter and I thrive on this. We have a great field in this race, but then again, we have stellar fields at all SCORE Baja races. I learned a tough lesson a few years ago, though. You can’t race the competition like on a short-track. You run against the unforgiving Baja desert and sort out all of the rest after the checkered flag.”

Besides Troy Herbst, expected to lead the charge in the unlimited Class 1 field in the hunt for the overall 4-wheel vehicle win are brothers Ronny and Randy Wilson along with Germany’s Armin Schwarz and teammate Martin Christensen.

Both driving Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race cars, Ronny Wilson is leading the 2009 Class 1 point standings while Randy Wilson is second.

Schwarz, the veteran of 119 World Rally Championship races, and the veteran Christensen are the top returning unlimited Class 1 finishers from last year when they finished third in class and eighth overall in their All-German Motorsports Jimco-BMW.

NASCAR Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., will be commuting from the NASCAR road race at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Gordon, who has committed to the entire SCORE series this year, won in Laughlin and finished second in San Felipe to lead the 2009 SCORE Trophy-Truck point standings in his No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500. Gordon won this race in 2005 and finished second in 2007.

Brian Collins, Las Vegas, finished third in this race last year after winning it in both 2006 and 2007. Collins won this year’s Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 for the second straight year in March driving solo and he will split the driving this year at the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, like last year, with veteran Chuck Hovey, Escondido, Calif., in the No. 12 Collins Motorsports Dodge Ram1500.

Larry Roeseler, Boulevard, Calif., is the second driver this year for Roger Norman, Reno, Nev., in the No. 8 Norman Motorsports Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck. The duo won the last two races of the 2008 season and they are currently in 10th place in the 2009 point standings in SCORE Trophy-Truck. They were fifth overall and fourth in SCORE Trophy-Truck last year in this race, which was also their first race together.

In the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 Roeseler’s 11 overall wins are the most in race history.

Besides Roeseler, who has 16 class wins in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500, the other racers entered this year with the most class wins are: Richard Jackson-Class 60 and Jim O’Neal-Class 30 and Class 50 (12 each), Marcos Nunez-Class 5/1600 (8), Steve Hengeveld-Class 22 and Troy Herbst-Class 1 (7 each), Eric Solorzano-Class 11 and Nick Vanderwey-SCORE Trophy-Truck (6 each), Johnny Campbell-Class 22, Ted Hunnicutt Jr.-Class 8, Rob MacCachren-SCORE Trophy-Truck and Pancho Bio-Class 9 (5 each) and Robby Gordon-SCORE Trophy-Truck, Rick D. Johnson-SCORE Trophy-Truck and Jerry Penhall-Class 1 (4 each).

Included in nearly $400,000 in contingency posting and the cash purse for the race, Sunoco Race Fuels, the official race fuel of SCORE, has posted a special US$5,000 cash contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel vehicle winner.
For the second straight year and just the second time in the 41-year history of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race, the colorful pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and Contingency, the start and finish line will all be located in the heart of Ensenada, Mexico on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. It will be the second time in race history that both the pre-race activities and the finish will be held on this historic boulevard.

The SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, on Blvd Costero. Racer registration will again be held in the Grand Ballroom of the San Nicolas Hotel. Registration hours will be from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

The awards celebration will be held poolside at the San Nicolas Hotel on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Living tracking of every vehicle in the race will be available from International Race Consultants through its website www.racetheworld.net.

Live streaming several times during race week starting Wednesday will available at www. dirtnewz.com.
This popular SCORE summer race began in 1969 and SCORE began its enduring run with it on July 26, 1974. This year will be the 36th anniversary of the first SCORE race in Baja.

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 drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. Being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 24th consecutive year, a total of 32 drivers remain eligible after Round 2 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, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.

Additional sponsors for this race are the Baja California Department of Tourism, Cotuco and ProTurismo de Ensenada.
For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

Tecate SCORE Baja 500
All-time Overall winners

Year—DRIVERS/RIDERS, VEHICLE
1969--Bud Ekins/Guy Jones, Baja Boot-Olds
Doug Douglas/Jim McClurg, Ducati
1970--Parnelli Jones, Ford
Bill Silverthorn/Gene Fetty, Husqvarna
1971--Bobby Ferro, Funco-VW
Malcolm Smith/J.N. Roberts, Husqvarna
1972--Bobby Ferro, Sandmaster-VW
Gene Fetty/Bill Silverthorn, Honda
1973--Parnelli Jones, Ford
Howard Utsey/Mickey Quade, Husqvarna
1974--Bobby Ferro, Sandmaster-VW
Mitch Mayes/A.C. Bakken, Husqvarna
1975--Ivan Stewart, Funco-VW
Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie, Harley-Davidson
1976--Bobby Ferro/Ivan Stewart, Funco-VW
Larry Roeseler/A.C. Bakken, Husqvarna
1977--Ivan Stewart, Chenowth-VW
Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson, Husqvarna
1978--Bud Feldkamp/Malcolm Smith, Funco-VW
Brent Wallingsford/Scot Harden, Husqvarna
1979--Malcolm Smith/Bud Feldkamp, Funco-VW
Jack Johnson, Husqvarna
1980--Bob Gordon, Chenowth-Chevy
Bruce Ogilvie/Chuck Miller, Yamaha
1981--Malcolm Smith/Bill Newbury, Chenowth-Chevy
Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie, Yamaha
1982--Larry Ragland, Funco-VW
Larry Roeseler/Chuck Miller, Yamaha
1983--Corky & Scott McMillin, Chenowth-VW
Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna
1984--Larry Ragland, Chaparral-VW
Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft, Husqvarna
1985--Ron Gardner/Bud Feldkamp, Funco-VW
Kurt Pfeiffer/Scot Harden, Husqvarna
1986--Corky & Scott McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche
Garth Sweetland/Scot Harden, Husqvarna
1987--Bob Gordon/Tim Crabtree, Chenowth-Porsche
Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr., Kawasaki
1988--Mark McMillin, Chenowth-Porsche
Dan Ashcraft/Kurt Pfeiffer, Yamaha
1989--Robby Gordon, Ford
(no motorcycles)
1990--Robby Gordon, Ford
Larry Roeseler/Danny LaPorte, Kawasaki
1991--Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Garth Sweetland/Paul Krause, Kawasaki
1992--Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Larry Roeseler/T. Hunnicutt Jr./P. Krause, Kawasaki
1993--Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Danny Hamel/L. Roeseler/T. Hunnicutt Jr., Kawasaki
1994--Ivan Stewart, Toyota (Trophy-Truck)
Dave Ashley/Dan Smith, Ford
Paul Krause/Ted Hunnicutt Jr., Kawasaki
1995--Curt LeDuc, Jeep (Trophy-Truck)
Mike Julson/Bob Lofton, Jimco-VW
Paul Krause/Craig Smith, Kawasaki
1996--Rob MacCachren, Ford (Trophy-Truck)
Troy Herbst, Smithbuilt-Porsche
Paul Krause/Ty Davis, Kawasaki
1997--Ivan Stewart, Toyota (Trophy-Truck)
Mark McMillin, Jimco-Porsche
Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie, Honda
1998--Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie, Honda
1999--Ivan Stewart, Toyota
Jonah Street/Torsten Borstrom, Honda
2000--Larry Ragland, Chevy
Jonah Street/Steve Hengeveld, Honda
2001--Mark McMillin, Jimco-Chevy
Steve Hengeveld/Jonah Street, Honda
2002--Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler, Smithbuilt-Ford
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2003--Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler, Smithbuilt-Ford
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2004--Alan Pflueger, Chevy
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell, Honda
2005--Robby Gordon, Chevy
Mike Childress/Mouse McCoy, Honda
2006--Brian Collins/Larry Ragland, Chevy
Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda
2007--Larry Ragland/Brian Collins, Chevy
Robby Bell/Kendall Norman/Steve Hengeveld, Honda
2008—B.J. Baldwin, Chevy
Robby Bell/Kendall Norman, Honda

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[dehner47]

good luck down there bro. and be safe. and makes sure you represent atvrider.com by kicking some @$$:D

[tri5ron]

Originally posted by dehner47
good luck down there bro. and be safe. and makes sure you represent atvrider.com by kicking some @$$:D
I'll be wearing my red ATVRIDERS.COM hat, (up until I get my new BAJA 500 hat) LOL!

[scuzz]

Do you guys know what network will carry the race if any?

[tri5ron]

try here
http://race-dezert.com/home/
or
http://www.thebajaunlimited.com/

[tri5ron]

Hey guy's, I'm probably going to lose my internet coverage in the next hour or so.
I am currently doing 75 mph, passing thrugh San Diego, riding shotgun in my buddies motorhome.
usually lose internet somewhere a little past TJ.

hope you enjot the race, and get to see some live coverage.

I'll be stopping in Puerto Nuevo in about 2 hours to have a nice lobster lunch, and get the first lubrication of mamacita's Marguerita's going...

then off to Ensenada to meet up with Bill Wick at SCORE OP'S, to pick up our assignments and radio's.

will party tonight in Ensenada, the in the morning, head on down towards San Vincente.

[tri5ron]

Wow! I've still got connection!
just left Pyurto Nuevo, got a belly full of bugs, and 'rita's, headin' for Ensenada....

[scuzz]

1. Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif./Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich./Wes Miller, Fallbrook, Calif./Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., Honda TRX700XX,9:36:23(45.23mph);

2. Santos Perez /Juan Sanchez/Raul Cano/Roberto Villalobos, Chula Vista, Calif., Honda CRF450X, 9:54:48

3. Nick Nelson, Tehachapi, Calif./Brandon Brown, Eumantilla, Ore./Jorie Williams, Longview, Wash., Suzuki LTR450, 10:16:24;

4. Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico/Alfonso Cota, Tecate, Calif./Javier Robles Jr., Guadalupe Victoria, Mexico/Marc Spaeth, Ramona, Calif., Honda TRX450R, 11:11:10;

5. Travis Dillon, Spring Valley, Calif./Shiloh Strunk, Tucson, Ariz., Can Am DS450, 12:38:39

(6 Starters, 5 Finishers)

[tri5ron]

After over 8 grueling hours, R. Gordon beats B.J. Baldwin
For 4-wheel Overall victory at 41st Tecate SCORE Baja 500
Norman rides Honda CRF450X to fourth Overall Motorcycle desert racing victory over 267 starters in Ensenada, Mexico

(NOTE: SCORE has stated that results will become final and official after the extensive IRC tracking data has been completely reviewed.
Any infractions will modify the results and final results will be posted on the SCORE website by Thursday, June 11.)

ENSENADA, Mexico—NASCAR Cup team owner/driver Robby Gordon began his double duty race weekend with a sterling overall victory Saturday over defending race champion B.J. Baldwin in the
41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race in Ensenada, Mexico. Working his way up the field after starting sixth in the elapsed-time race, Gordon covered the rugged 432.51-mile desert course in a time of eight hours, 35 minutes and 49 seconds, averaging 50.31 miles per hour in the No. 77 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500.
Battling closely the entire race with Las Vegas’ Baldwin and several other challengers, Gordon finally pulled away in the closing miles to post a narrow victory margin of four minutes, 45 seconds over Baldwin and his No. 1 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado. With no time to celebrate his ninth career race win in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck division for high-tech, 800-horsepower, unlimited production trucks, Gordon immediately flew back to the U.S. for Sunday’s NASCAR race at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.
Round 3 of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the second-oldest desert race in the world and part of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series, featured 267 starters competing in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs. It will be held Thursday through Sunday in Ensenada, Mexico. Traditionally one of the most popular events on the SCORE schedule, over 100,000 spectators enjoyed the world’s best desert racers in action at the 41st anniversary of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500.
Entries came from 25 U.S. States from Hawaii to Vermont along with the additional countries of Mexico, Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan and Portugal, Romania and South Africa.
With racing continuing in the elapsed-time race that had a 20-hour time limit until 7:12 a.m. Pacific Time Sunday, both the start and the finish line were located in the heart of Ensenada, Mexico on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. It was the second time in race history that the pre-race activities and the finish were all held on this historic boulevard. Mexican tourism officials estimated the race-day crowd spread out along the course at more than 100,000.
The total number of starters (267) was the 19th most in the 41-year history of the popular race. The starting list included 136 cars and trucks and 131 motorcycles and ATVs. There were an amazing total of 195 finishers, equaling 2008 as the third most finishers in the event’s 41-year history, for a race-record 73.0 percent finishing rate.
With two victories and a second in three races in 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the impressive victory was Gordon’s fifth class win, fourth overall victory and first win in this race since 2005.
“It was a very good run for us. We had a great race with B.J. (Baldwin) – some of the better racing we’ve ever had,” said Gordon, a second-generation desert racer. “We didn’t have radio communication with our team for the last 250 miles so it was really hard. We gave up a bunch of time, probably, not being able to use the true navigation. Still, we just paced it and kept it smooth. I had a couple of strategies in place. If I was close to him and I had enough gap, I was going to stop at (Race Mile) 80 and they were going to stop at 100. That gave me track position on everybody but Rob (MacCachren) and then Rob stopped at like 130 and that gave me track position on him. But, honestly, I just cruised most of the day. Once I was the first truck on the road, I knew they had to pass me to beat me and that would be hard to do.”
Third overall and in SCORE Trophy-Truck was the team of Roger Norman, Reno, Nev./Larry Roeseler, Boulevard, Calif., whose first race together was a fifth overall in this race last year, finished just 1:25 behind Baldwin and 6:10 behind Gordon with a time of 8:41:59 in the No. 8 Roger Norman Racing Ford F-150.
With SCORE Trophy-Trucks claiming the first seven and eight of 10 overall 4-wheel vehicle finishing positions, the team of Robbie Pierce/Mike Julson, Santee, Calif., finished fourth overall, edging Las Vegas’ Troy Herbst by just 16 seconds. Pierce/Julson finished in 8:51:58 in the No. 35 MasterCraft Racing Chevy Silverado while Herbst completed the course in 8:52:14 in the new No. 19 Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150.
Earning his fourth consecutive overall motorcycle victory was Kendall Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif., who led his team on the No. 4x Johnny Campbell Racing Honda CRF450X. The defending SCORE Desert Series Class 22 point champion used his experience and the riding assistance of teammates Timmy Weigand, Santa Clarita, Calif./Quinn Cody, Los Olivos, Calif. to overcome JCR teammates Colton Udall/Jeff Kargola, both of San Clemente, Calif., completing the course in 8:30:03, averaging 50.88mph. It was the first overall win in this race for both Weigand and Cody.
Norman and his team had to overcome a crash and other mechanical issues to come from behind against their young teammates, finishing with a victory margin of just one minute, five seconds over the JCR Honda CRF450x of Udall/Kargola.
Riding the fastest ATV in the race for his second win of the season and second straight in this race was the team led by Wayne Matlock, El Cajon, Calif. His co-riders this year were Harold Goodman Jr., Brownstown, Mich./Wes Miller, Fallbrook, Calif./Josh Caster, El Cajon, Calif., on a TRX700XX. Matlock and his team finished in 9:36:23, finishing an impressive 10th overall among all motorcycle and ATV finishers.
Norman started and finished the race, riding a total of 269 miles. Cody rode the second section and Weigand the third leg.
“I put the bike in a comfortable spot and then my teammate (Quinn Cody) fell and messed the bike up pretty good near race mile 200. We got behind our teammates (Colton Udall) and we really had to work hard after we got behind them. The course was really good, I liked it and my part of the race was a lot of hard work but I had a very clean ride and I was able to bring home my fourth straight overall win in the SCORE Baja 500 which is something I had only dreamed of being able to do.
Finishing eighth overall while winning the unlimited Class 1 in a Chevy-powered Tatum open-wheel desert race car was third-generation desert racers Harley Letner and Kory Halopoff of Orange, Calif.
All German Motorsports finished second and third in Class 1 and ninth and 11th overall with three of the four drivers all experienced World Rally Championship drivers and the fourth a veteran SCORE desert racer.
Germany’s Armin Schwarz and Martin Christensen, Escondido, Calif. were second in Class 1, two minutes and 7 seconds behind Letner/Halopoff in a Jimco-BMW while Germany’s Armin Kremer and Austria’s Andrea Aigner were third, just under 20 minutes behind their teammates in a Jimco-Chevy.
Dan Chamlee, Carpenteria, Calif., earned his fourth straight Class 7 race win in this race in a Ford Ranger. It was also his second Class 7 race win in three 2009 SCORE races.
Also earning his fourth class win in this race was John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif., who captured Class 7SX in a Ford Ranger. It was also his second SCORE Desert Series race win this year.
Mexico’s veteran SCORE desert racer Eric Solorzano picked up his seventh career race win in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 when he captured Class 11 in his stock VW sedan.
Winning the Stock Full class performance driving instructor and cancer survivor Joe Bacal, Anthem, Ariz., who drove the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Lexus LX570. It was the first Lexus SUV to ever compete in a SCORE desert race.
Brothers Gavin and Darren Skilton both won their classes, finishing early Sunday morning in Ensenada.
Remaining unbeaten this season with his third race win in the Stock Mini class was Gavin Skilton, Anaheim, Calif., in a Honda Ridgeline. Darren Skilton, Orange, Calif., picked up his fourth class win in this race and first since 2000 by winning Class 3 in a Jeep Wrangler.
Also winning his third race of the season was Kevin Carr, San Diego, who won for the second straight year in this race in Class 5 in his unlimited VW Baja Bug.
Among the other four-wheel vehicle class winners were: Eric Duran, Tecate, Calif. (Class 1-2/1600, Neth-VW) Rodrigo Ampudia Jr., San Diego (Class 8, Ford F-150), Robert Pickering, Las Vegas, (Class 6, Ford Ranger), Alonso Angulo, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600, VW Baja Bug), Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif. (Class 10, Lothringer-VW), Lee Banning, Laveen, Ariz. (SCORE Lite, Foddrill-VW), Daniel Reyes, Calexico, Calif. (Class 9, Mayoral-VW) and Rob Kittleson, Palm Springs, Calif. (Protruck, Ford F-150).
Earning his 13th career class win in this race and 12th in the last nine years, Jim O’Neal won Class 50 (riders over 50 years old) on a Honda CRF450X. O’Neal’s co-riders in Class 50 were Andy Kirker, Santa Ana, Calif./Dan Dawson, Agua Dulce, Calif./Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii/Craig Adams, San Clemente, Calif. It was Adams fourth class win in this race and the team was 12th overall among motorcycle and ATV finishers. It was also the team’s second straight class win this season.
O’Neal was also rider of record for a Class 30 (riders over 30) team that finished fourth in class.
Veteran SCORE desert racer Richard Jackson, Acton, Calif., earned his 13th career class win in this race as well, leading a team to victory in Class 60 (riders over 60) on a Honda CRF450X. His teammates in the special racing class were Bill Nichols, Phoenix/Mark Force, Bakersfield, Calif./Dave Olen, Morongo, Calif.
Finishing a surprising fourth overall among motorcycles and ATVs and winning Class 21 was the Shane Esposito-led team on a Kawasaki KX450F. Esposito, Lake Elsinore, Calif., teamed with Brian Pinard, Sun City, Calif./Franciso Septien, Ensenada/Brent Harden, Menifee, Calif.
In Class 40 (riders over 40), Scott Myers, Menifee, Calif., led the talented team of Brett Helm, Poway, Calif./Lou Franco, Sherman Oaks, Calif./Jeff Kaplan, San Diego/Rick Johnson, Trabuco Canyon. They rode a Honda CRF450X to sixth overall among the motorcycle and ATV racers.
Mike Johnson, El Paso Texas and co-rider Rex Cameron, Albuquerque, N.M, captured Class 30 for the second straight race on a Honda CRF450X, finishing 11th overall among motorcycles and ATVs.
In the closest class race of the day, Hector Castillo, Calexico, Calif., won Class 20 for the second straight race on a Honda CRF250X, narrowly edging the team led by Jesus Rios, also of Calexico, by just one second.
In ATV Class 24, Craig Christy, Burbank, Calif., won for the second straight race this season, leading his team on a Honda TRX450R. His teammates were Steve Abrego, Covina, Calif./Dave Scott, Belen, N.M./Andy Lagzdins, Baltimore.
Among the 65 Sportsman racers who competed in six classes, the fastest four-wheel vehicle was again Peter Lang, Santa Rosa, Calif. (SPT Car, Homebuilt-Chevy) while the fastest sportsman motorcycle time was turned in by the team led by Enrique Guerro, Ensenada, Mexico (SPT M/C>250cc, Kawasaki KX450F.
Included in nearly $400,000 in contingency posting and the cash purse for the race, Sunoco Race Fuels, the official race fuel of SCORE, posted a special US$5,000 cash contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel vehicle winner.
For the second straight year and just the second time in the 41-year history of the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race, the colorful pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and Contingency, the start and finish line was all located in the heart of Ensenada, Mexico on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. It was the second time in race history that both the pre-race activities and the finish were held on this historic boulevard.
This popular SCORE summer race began in 1969 and SCORE began its enduring run with it on July 26, 1974. This year was the 36th anniversary of the first SCORE race in Baja.
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 drivers who complete every required mile of the five-race season. The awards are being presented by Toyota Motorsports for the 24th consecutive year
Round 4 of the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series will be the 14th SCORE Terrible’s Primm 300 on Sept. 11-13 in Primm, Nev.
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, SignPros, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
Additional sponsors for this race were the Baja California Department of Tourism, Cotuco and ProTurismo de Ensenada.
For more information regarding the series, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.

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Post-race racer quotes

Cars and trucks

SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK
ROBBY GORDON, No. 77 (First in class and first overall four-wheel vehicle, driving solo.) It was a very good run for us. We had a great race with B.J. (Baldwin) – some of the better racing we’ve ever had. We didn’t have communication for the last 250 miles so it was really hard. We gave up a bunch of time, probably, not being able to use the true navigation. Still, we just paced it and kept it smooth. I had a couple of strategies in place. If I was close to him and I had enough of a gap, I was going to stop at (Race Mile) 80 and they were going to stop at 100. That gave me track position on everybody but Rob (MacCachren) and then Rob stopped at like 130 and that gave me track position on him. But, honestly, I just cruised most of the day. Once I was the first truck on the road, I knew they had to pass me to beat me and that would be hard to do.
B.J. BALDWIN, No. 1 (Second in class and second overall four-wheel vehicle, driving solo.) We broke a brake line and that hurt us as we were trying to chase down Robby (Gordon). We didn’t have front brakes the last 70 miles. I was focused on (Brian) Collins, (Rob) MacCachren and mostly, Robby. I think Robby is the fastest guy out here. If he doesn’t have any issues, he is tough to beat. He had a perfect day and we had some issues. We actually had some motor issues right from the start. It would run strong on the top end and the bottom. We didn’t have any mid-range with the engine. I passed Robby on the beach but, about 20 miles later, I clipped a rock and had a flat tire and broke a brake line. I didn’t think the tire would go down, but it came apart later. Robby got back around me and I followed him into the finish. Hats off to Robby today. Robby is a bad ***. I totally look up to him. I have been watching him race since I was a kid. It is great to race against him. I have beaten him before and we are fastest enough to beat him. We just didn’t have enough today.
ROGER NORMAN, co-driver No. 8 (Third in class and third overall four-wheel with Larry Roeseler.) We stopped four times to fix the shock and we finally lost it completely. The truck got hard to handle and the brakes didn’t work as well either. It was tough with no left front shock. But we managed to bring it in and take third. It was battle today, a very hard drive. We were right in the thick of things for the lead. Fortunately, we had no flat tires today. We had some tough steering issues with the broken shock. Larry had some steering problems too. I took me a long time to get used to the truck when I jumped in it. But considering the problems today, we’ll take third and get ready for Primm.
LARRY ROESELER, No. 8 (Third in class with Roger Norman.) Well, starting 13th with this competitive field, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I got through a couple of guys early and, of course, the dust was bad. I had to be patient early, but I knew the front-runners might then get away from me. I lost three or four minutes in the early stages but I made that back up by the time I got to 200 miles. I was third on the road and in the hunt. When I got the driver change at mile 260, we were ahead on corrected time. We did fuel and a driver change and, when Roger left, we had a 15-second lead on corrected time. Roger drove great today. On the beach, he lost a shock hose and lost all of the oil. That took six or seven minutes and that was the difference. Roger is getting better with each race. He is aggressive and he wants to win. He has made a major commitment to the sport and it is great to have him in off-road racing. Our team planning and strategy has been working for us. It worked at Primm and at the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and we were on track here to win again. We are very proud of our performance today.
ROBBIE PIERCE, No. 35 (Fourth in class and fourth overall four-wheel vehicle. Co-driver Mike Julson drove the first 225 miles and Pierce drove the final 207.5 miles.) We had a good day. We felt like we stepped it up a notch today. We had a good start off the eighth today and had a little trouble when (Greg) Nunley got crossed up at Race Mile 8 or whenever it was. We ended up clipping him when we came down the hill. But what a great day. We had one flat but we were running fourth or fifth all day long. We just couldn’t reel in Robby or Baldwin or Larry. We’re really happy with fourth. That’s the next step. Before you can win one, you’ve got to start knocking on the door and that’s where we are.
TROY HERBST, No. 19 (Fifth in class and fifth overall four-wheel vehicle, driving solo.) It was a really tough course. You’ve got to get back in shape in this stuff and the truck ran good all day long. To go 500 miles in this thing with no breakdowns just proves that we can go. It was (this truck’s) second race. It took a little while to get it to go, to see the speed again. These (other drivers) have stepped it up a huge notch; they’re not waiting for the very end anymore, it’s a full-on race. We tried to stay close to these guys but we just missed our marks. But the truck was perfect to make it all the way.
BRIAN COLLINS, No. 12 (Sixth in class. Collins drove the first 225 miles and co-driver Chuck Hovey drove the final 207.5 miles.) We had some problems today. We just stayed in line with everybody – everything was running really tight. We got a flat, broke the air jack and then broke the manual jack. I think Chuck got one flat tire, too. I’d liked to have done better than sixth, but it is what it is. We finished and a lot of guys didn’t finish.
RICK D. JOHNSON, No. 71 (Seventh in class.) We caught up the tangle right off the start, maybe mile 20. People were going every which way. I had to actually back up and drive around the mess. Then I got stuck behind some slower trucks for about 180 miles. They were not on pace but I couldn’t get around. Our truck was good all day but getting stuck behind slower trucks let the front-runners just get away. One of the first 10 trucks got stuck in the road and it was just mayhem. It was absolute mayhem for 20 minutes out there. It was unbelievable but we finally got through it. But the slower trucks hurt us. It’s tough when you start back in the behind. We just had a bad draw for the start. Hopefully, we can get a better draw for the next race.”
CLASS 1
HARLEY LETNER, No. 114 (First in class. Co-driver Kory Halopoff drove the first 225 miles and Letner drove the final 207.5 miles.) Kory lost brakes at about mile 70 and at the driver change I said, ‘You want to change them?’ He said, ‘No, you’ll figure out how to drive it.’ We were nursing the brakes the whole time but really didn’t have any other problems. No flats ... we just did a rear tire change when we changed drivers. That was about it.
ARMIN SCHWARZ, No. 102 (Second in class with Martin Christensen. Schwarz drove the first 262 miles and Christensen drove the final 170.5 miles.) The team had first or second from the start. It was a good run. We had no real problems. We had one flat and we changed it quickly. No other problems, though. The car was fantastic today. We were a little bit unlucky with the dust. We got stuck behind some slower Trophy Trucks. You need some patience in the car. I think I was swearing too much under the helmet.
ARMIN KREMER, No. 110 (Third in class with Andreas Aigner.) We had some problems, but not too much. Just minor things. Everything was fine and we drove really, really good. It was Andreas’ first time driving in Baja and he did a really good job.
TIM HERBST, No. 106 (Fourth in class driving solo.) We got out of the car too much. We got a couple of flats, we got stuck and then Pistol Pete (Sohren) turtled it and we got stuck behind him. We just got out of the car too much.
CLASS 1-2/1600
ERIC DURAN, No. 1647 (First in class with brother Hiram.) It was pretty close on time for the win. It was a good race. We had only one flat tire today. We had to change a wheel that was bent but the tire was okay. We are going for the points and I was really trying to keep it together for the distance. We ran pretty hard and just stayed with 1605 car since he started well ahead of us.
CLASS 5
KEVIN CARR, No. 500 (First in class with Perry McNeil. McNeil drove first 220 miles with Carr finishing up.) Perry ran the first 220 miles and he said it was very rough. Perry left me with a great car and wonderful position. We were running well because we were in front of all of the 1600s and all of the 1200s. I think we had one Class 10 car in front of me. I made a couple of mistakes on the coast run. The starter went out and I stalled the car. We got a lot of spectators to push us and we kept going. Going up the hill from the beach, I made a right hand turn and got stuck in a ditch. We got more people to help us. I ran pretty conservatively from there. We never saw any other Class 5 cars from that point. It feels great to win our third race in the row.
CLASS 5/1600
ALONSO ANGULO, No. 551 (First in class with co-driver Mario Reynoso. Angulo drove the first 100 miles and the final 182 miles and Reynoso drove a 150-mile leg.) It’s a long day. The closest car (in Class 5/1600) was about a half an hour behind us, which is nice. In the morning, 10 or 15 miles (from the start), we had a flat tire but that was the only problem we had.
CLASS 6
ROBERT PICKERING, No. 604 (First in class with Mike Childress. Pickering drove the first 200 miles and Childress drove the final 232.5 miles.) This is incredible. This is our first SCORE race and our first season and just our fifth race ever. The only problem we had was we could not keep a jack in the truck. We lost three jacks during the race. For some reason, they kept flying off. We had two flats during the race and with no jack, it was tough. The locals were great. The second time around, they picked the truck up and changed the tire for us while they were holding it up. Other than that, it was an event-free race.
CLASS 7
DAN CHAMLEE, No. 700 (First in class driving solo.) We were been running out of gas every couple of seconds for the last 20 miles. It just kept sputtering and then it would catch again and go. Our radio wasn’t transmitting so we couldn’t call for a splash of gas at Ojos (Negros, near Race Mile 400) so we thought we would have plenty but it turned out we didn’t. But we didn’t have any flats. This is four Baja 500 wins in a row for us and first race, first place on a new truck. We wanted this race but we were afraid to ask for us because this is a new truck and you never know about any bugs and stuff. This is great.
CLASS 8
RODRIGO AMPUDIA JR., No. 801 (First in class with Rodrigo Ampudia Sr.) It was an awesome day for us. I started in second and move into first. We had some issues with overheating and we had to stop for a couple of minutes around mile 160. We got going again at Borrego and we were 11 minutes behind the leader. I was able to pressure the leader and he hit a rock and went off the course. We had to make three stops due to the transmission overheating a bit, but the truck ran to the finish. The BFG tires were great today. We ran a little more conservative at the end. But, overall, it was a good day for our team.
CLASS 10
MIKE LAWRENCE, No. 1000 (First in class with Blake Kirkpatrick.) We really didn’t have any problems today. It was pretty smooth. It was really hot on the other side of the mountains. The silt was deep in several spots. We went with a different shaving pattern on the BFG tires. We just shaved the sides of the tires. The car was just bogging down in the silt. The competition seemed to get a lot of flats and we didn’t have any today. It was a great run for us.
SCORE LITE
LEE BANNING, No. 1202 (First in class with his son, Lee Jr.) The first 200 miles were really rough out there. I picked to run the first sections and it took me about three hours to recover from the pounding. Lee Jr. jumped in the car after Borrego and it was much smoother for him. We never had a flat all day long. We had a very clean race for us. We put new rear tires at the driver change and just dumped to fuel loads. We ran hard but we let a lot of guys go by and it hurt them. We finished second here last year and we had some engine problems in the 1000 that cost us the championship. So this is exciting to win the Baja 500.

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Post-race racer quotes


Pro Motorcycles

CLASS 22
KENDALL NORMAN, No. 4x (First in class and first overall vehicle. Norman rode the first and fourth legs and rode a total of 269 miles. Quinn Cody rode the second leg and Tim Weigand rode the third leg.) I put the bike in a comfortable spot and then my teammate (Quinn Cody) fell and messed the bike up pretty good (near Race Mile 200). I guess they had to change the ignition cover and something happened to our decompression system on the bike and so we made a pit stop and changed the rear wheel and I couldn’t start it. We had to bump start it and lost another three minutes after I passed (the 15x bike) back. That was around Santo Tomas so it’s just been one helluva lot of hard work. The course was really good; I liked it. I had a pretty darn clean ride.
QUINN CODY, co-rider No. 4x: Our race started out very well. I was trying to get through my section and make clean lines. A quarter-mile before Borrego, I hit a rock and it landed right on the ignition cover. It put a one-inch by three-inch hole in the cover and all of the oil dumped out instantly. But we had a pit within a quarter mile, and I rode into it. And the crew guys just ripped the ignition cover off and changed everything. They got us back out within a minute of the 15x bike. Kendall (Norman) just pulled off a miracle in the last 30 miles. The guys on the 15x did an amazing job today. They really gave us a race today.
TIM WEIGAND, co-rider No. 4x: Our race was filled with a lot of excitement and drama. We broke an ignition case and we got behind. Quinn pulled out a good lead and we needed that extra time to fix some of our mishaps today. I rode my little section and then Kendall just put his head down and hammered it to the finish. Colton (Udall) and Ox (Jeff Kargola) rode a great race on the 15x too. They were so close to a win -- just over a minute difference after 500 miles. Our team (Johnny Campbell Racing) finished 1-2 today and it doesn’t matter who wins. The course was smoother than in recent years due to the rain that came down in the winter. It was a fun race for our entire team.
COLTON UDALL, No. 15x (Second in class and second overall vehicle. Udall rode the first 100 miles, Jeff Kargola rode the next 100 miles, Udall took over and rode approximately 62 miles, Kargola got on the bike and rode approximately 110 miles and Udall rode the last 40 miles) We’re happy with second place. This was my first Baja 500. I’ve got Baja experience but this was my first 500. It was really rough out there and on the way back in, it was super rough. The last 30 miles was absolutely nuts. I pretty much lost the race in the last 30 miles because I made two big mistakes and that’s probably a minute right there. It’s just not my time to win, really, right now. That’s why I am where I am right now. I just rode as good as possible and so did my teammate. I wasn’t fatigued all day because my stints weren’t that long.
CONNOR PENHALL, No. 5x (Third in class with Chad Black, Cale Wallace and Matt Henderson.) I had a pretty clean ride. I tipped over in a corner but that was about it. Everyone rode well and we got third.
CLASS 21
SHANE ESPOSITO, No. 106x (First in class. Esposito rode the first 80 and final 60 miles. Teammates Brian Pinard, Francisco Septien and Brent Harden shared riding duties.) We really had no issues. I had some close calls but nothing where I almost got off the bike. Someone told me we passed about 33 bikes out there. For all that dust and what I passed, I’m surprised we had no close calls, no problems.
CLASS 20
HECTOR CASTILLO, No. 152x (First in class with David Gonzalez, Sergio Valenzuela and Arturo Contreras.) Co-rider David Gonzalez said: It was dusty and rocky out there but it was pretty fun. The motor, at the end, I think something happened to the valves. The motor didn’t respond. I think a rider got lost, too. We were 30 minutes ahead of (the 151x team) at Borrego. I thought we had first place easy but we had the problems with the bike and it was real close.
CLASS 30
MIKE JOHNSON, No. 303x (First in class with Rex Cameron.) The front and the back side of the course was really slippery. I had one mishap early and it was a smooth race after that. Just a lot of dust for the 40 miles. We ran a good steady pace. That was our plan and it paid off. That is the way we like to run the races.
CLASS 40
SCOTT MYERS, No. 400x (First in class with Brett Helm, Lou Franco, Jeff Kaplan, Bob Johnson and Rick Johnson.) We ended up having some problems against the 404x guys. They were tough. Brett (Helm) had some real hard racing against them. (Jeff) Kaplan was up by ten minutes but then he crashed and it bent a rotor. We weren’t sure what exactly broke and we changed several things. I think we ran 30 miles with the front brakes. We finally changed the front wheel and it got better from there. They were two minutes ahead of us in San Vicente and Bob (Johnson) got on the bike and he passed them and put about a minute and a half on them. It was a great effort by our crew to get us back running. It was nice to race wheel-to-wheel with some guys in Class 40.
CLASS 50
ANDY KIRKER, No. 500x (First in class with Jim O’Neal, Dan Dawson, Tim Withers and Craig Adams.) This was our fourth Baja 500 win in a row in Class 50. We ran into some serious cactus. This Scott Dunlavey/Berkeley Honda was a great bike. We just kept handing it off to each other and it kept running great. We hammered the bike all day long and it ran flawless. I think we are close to Top 10 overall in motorcycles with a bunch of 50-year-old-guys. We had a good battle with the 501x bike. We had the deck stacked against us with a lot of famous names like Danny LaPorte, Chuck Sun, Eric McKenna and Charlie Marshall. I got behind a quad on the beach and he was only going fourth gear speed. I was buried in dust through that section. It was tough.
CLASS 60
RICHARD JACKSON, No. 609x (First in class, riding with Mark Force and Dave Olen.) It was real rough. The bike was set up a little too stiff for it and to make matters worse, going into Borrego, I had the front go away so it wouldn’t hold the line so it was really a fight. We had to stop and change tires. Dave Olen gave me the bike with the lead and all I had to do was finish in front of the SCORE Trophy-Trucks.

Pro ATVs

CLASS 25
WAYNE MATLOCK, No. 1a (First in class in Wes Miller, Josh Caster, Harold Goodman Jr.) It was awesome today. No one made any mistakes all day. We got the quad over to Wes and he got us in the lead and we just took off from there. Once we got into the lead, we didn’t see any other quads. There were just a bunch of motorcycles in our way. We had a good team of riders. It’s always exciting to win in Baja.
CLASS 24
CRAIG CHRISTY, No. 100a (First in class.) We had about a 30-minute lead starting about halfway through the race and we just kept it there and started trying to save the bike and that was it. I almost hit three outbound trucks in the last 20 miles. I almost did a header with a Class 7 truck that I guess just got going. Other than that, no close calls and no problems. It was an uneventful day. We had a flawless bike and never changed a tire. We just kept putting fuel in and going.

[scuzz]

Holy screen dump batman!