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Miller/Arciero win in SCORE Trophy-Truck
Honda's Hengeveld/Campbell
& Fortin/Townsley's Jimco capture overall wins
As 153 adventurers official finishers
at 36th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
BFGoodrich Tires win 18th straight overall 4-wheel crown as over 200,000
watch 272 starters in season finale in Ensenada, Mexico
ENSENADA,
Mexico (November 22, 2003) -- In what will be considered one of the
toughest races in the history of this legendary event, American Honda motorcycle
teammates Steve Hengeveld and Johnny Campbell along with Jimco teammates Doug
Fortin and Charlie Townsley posted the overall motorcycle and 4-wheel victories
late Saturday at the 36th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race.
 A
total of 272 of 283 adventuresome entries took the green flag Friday in Ensenada,
competing in 27 Pro and 5 sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and
ATVs. The challenging 808-mile route down the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja
California peninsula, across and back up the eastern side of the peninsula along
the Sea of Cortez before ending back in Ensenada was the season-finale of the
six-race 2003 SCORE Desert Series. When the finish line closed inside of the
Antonio Palacios Devportivo baseball stadium in the heart of Ensenada late Saturday,
153 vehicles survived, making it to the finish line within the 32-hour time
limit.
Mexico tourism
officials estimated crowds around the course in Ensenada and across Baja California
at over 200,000, a record for the event.
First to cross
the finish line was the Honda XR650R of Hengeveld and Campbell, who methodically
marched across the technical, tight, and twisting course to an overall winning
time of 15 hours, 39 minutes and 52 seconds. Campbell took the green flag, riding
for 381 miles and Hengeveld captured the checkered flag, after riding for 427
miles. The pair average speed was 51.58 miles per hour, which clearly reflected
the difficulty of the course.
While the American
Honda teammates were the fastest vehicle in the grueling race, Fortin and Townsley
in their Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert racecar led all four-wheel vehicles
to the finish line, covering the challenging course in 16:24:28 while averaging
49.27 mph.
For Hengeveld,
Oak Hills, CA, the victory was his fourth class win and his second straight
while his teammate Campbell, San Clemente, CA, improved his record run in this
desert classic to seven straight.
"We had a
very good race over a very, very rugged course," said Hengeveld, 28, as
he relaxed in the winner's circle. "Johnny's a great rider and got us a
big lead, although he did hit a rock and broke the front wheel at about mile
70."
"I knew what
I needed to do, but with the darkness, the fog around Ojos Negros, and the toughness
of the race course, I had to pay attention and keep focused and under control.
My adrenaline is pumping now, but when it wears off, my body will definitely
tell me it took a beating. There is no greater thrill or accomplishment in our
sport than to be champions of the SCORE Baja 1000. Don't
wake me up, it's unbelievable."
With a starting
grid jammed with former overall and individual class champions, dramatic racing
action covered the northern part of the foreboding Baja California peninsula
Friday and Saturday during the 36th running of the legendary Tecate SCORE Baja
1000, the granddaddy of all desert races.
Celebrating its
30th anniversary this year as the world's foremost desert racing series, the
SCORE Desert Series returned to Mexico for the last of its three annual races
in Baja California. Entries came from 28 U.S. States, Washington, D.C., Mexico,
Brazil, Canada, France, Guatemala, Israel, Japan and Uruguay.
In the manufacturer's
battle of 'beat the Baja' research and development, Chevy won it's sixth overall
4-wheel crown, Honda earned it's 14th overall motorcycle win and BFG Tires captured
its 18th consecutive overall 4-wheel vehicle triumph.
Fortin and Townsley
also were the overall 4-wheel vehicle winners in this race in 2001, making them
the only non-SCORE Trophy-Trucks to win this crown in the 10-year history of
this legendary race.
"Our car
ran great, we didn't make any serious mistakes and our BFG tires were once again
tougher than Baja, we had absolutely no flats on the toughest SCORE Baja 1000
course ever," said an elated Fortin as he greet Townsley at the finish
line.
Second overall
among 4-wheel vehicles and winners of the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck class was
the Chevy Silverado of Mark Miller, Carefree, AZ,/Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch,
Calif. With Miller starting the race and Arciero finishing, the pair held off
a record field of 24 in their class, finishing in 16:28:45, four minutes and
43 seconds behind Fortin/Townsley. Miller/Arciero also won the Tecate SCORE
Baja 500 in June.
 Second
in SCORE Trophy-Truck and third overall were Las Vegas brothers Tim and Ed Herbst,
in a time of 17:17:04 in their Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150. The Herbst
brothers, who have won a record 11 times in this class, were second last year
as well in this race. With their finish, the talented brothers clinched their
record fourth SCORE Trophy-Truck season point championship.
Fourth overall
and second in Class 1 was the father/son team of Scott and Andy McMillin, Poway,
CA, at 17:23:28 in a Jimco-Chevy. Finishing fifth overall and in third in SCORE
Trophy-Truck was the team of Gus Vildosola, Mexicali, Mexico/Rob MacCachren,
Las Vegas, in the Vildosola Racing Ford F-150 with a time of 17:46:38.
Finishing sixth
overall and third in Class 1 was the team of brothers Dale and Darren Ebberts,
Canyon Lake,  CA/Ernie
Castro Jr., Newport Beach, CA, in 18:00:05 in a Jimco-Toyota. The finish, combined
with the DNFs of Mark and Gary Weyhrich, Troutdale, OR, and Troy Herbst, Las
Vegas/Larry Roeseler, Hesperia, CA, earned Ebberts his first SCORE Overall point
championship and his second in Class 1. The title snapped Herbst's six-year
class winning streak. Herbst went out of the race with severe front-end damage
in his Smithbuilt-Ford.
Ron Brant, Torrance,
CA/Richard Boyle, Ridgecrest, CA, were seventh overall and fourth in Class 1
with a time of 18:03:30 in another Jimco-Chevy. Eighth overall and fourth in
SCORE Trophy-Truck was the team of Dan Smith/David Ashley, Riverside, CA, at
18:25:50 in a Ford F-150. Smith and Ashley had won this race overall the last
three years.
In just his second
race in SCORE Trophy-Truck, Las Vegas' B.J. Baldwin teamed with fellow Las Vegas
Larry Job to finish an impressive ninth overall and fifth in their class at
18:31:48 in a Ford F-150.
Rounding out the
top 10 overall four-wheel vehicle finishers while winning Class 10 in a Henry
Chassis-Honda was Orange, California's youthful duo of Kory Halopoff, 20, and
third-generation desert racer Harley Letner, 19, in 18:41:02. The pair also
won Class 10 in this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 500 in June.
Second overall
in the motorcycle race and second in Class 22 was the team of Chris Blais, Stanton,
CA/Chuck Dempsey, Van Nuys, CA/Andy Grider, Los Olivos, CA, with a time of 16:32:44
on a Honda XR650.
A surpising third
overall motorcycle was the Class 40 (for riders over 40 years old) winning team
of Chris Haines, Dana Point, CA/Craig Adams, San Clemente, CA/Paul Ostbo, Cle
Elum, Wash./Jack Johnson, Las Vegas/Rich
Binckley, Woddinville,
Wash., at 17:37:30 on a Honda XR650R. For Haines, it was his 10th career class
win in this race while Johnson earned his ninth in the storied race.
The fourth overall
motorcycle was the Class 30 (for riders over 30 years old) winning team of Sergio
Vega, Ensenada, Mexico/Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico, at 17:43:18
on a Honda XR650R. The team was the highest finishing Mexican team out of the
54 entered in the race.
Second in Class
40 and the fifth overall motorcycle finishers were the team of Jim O'Neal, Chatsworth,
CA/Tim Withers, Pepeekeo, Hawaii/Jeff Kaplan, Thousand Oaks, CA, just three
seconds behind the Vega team at 17:43:21 on a Honda XR650R.
Picking up their
fourth straight class wins in the race on Honda XR650R motorcycles were Richard
Jackson and Jim O'Neal. Jackson, 56 of Acton, CA, won Class 50 for riders over
50 years old, tying Roeseler for the most class wins on a motorcycle with 11.
The Factory Honda
ATV team of John Gregory, Chula Vista, CA/Doug Eichner, El Cajon, CA/Tim
Farr, Canton, Ohio/Marc Spaeth, Ramona, CA, won Class 25 and were the fastest
overall ATV team in a time of 18:27:24 on a new Honda TRX450R. It was the team's
second win in three races this season and this race marked the racing debut
of the Honda TRX450R.
Completing a storybook
racing season, high school student Brian Ickler, 18, of Poway, CA, earned a
season-high fifth SCORE Lite victory, teaming with Gus Vildosola Jr., Mexicali,
Mexico, in a time of 19:18:17 in a Jimco-VW.
Dave Sykes, Del
Mar, CA, won for the fourth time this year in Class 8, teaming with Dave Westhem
to finish in 22:45:05 in their Chevy Silverado.
 The
other four-time winner this season was in Class 3, where brothers Donald Moss,
Sacramento, CA, and Kenneth Moss, Marysville, CA, claimed the victory in 23:18:04
in a Ford Bronco.
Class 7 was won
for the third time this season by Craig Turner, Yorba Linda, CA, at 26:44:15
in a Ford Ranger.
Winning for the
third time this season in Class 7S was the team of Bob Graham, Yorba Linda,
CA/Mike Horner, Mission Viejo, CA, with a time of 27:39:58 in a Toyota Tacoma.
Mexico's Marco
Nunez won for the third time this season in Class 5/1600, teaming with Norberto
Rivero, also of Ensenada, finishing in 22:25:45 in their 1600cc VW Baja Bug.
Also picking up
his third win of the season in Class 9 was Eric Fisher, Ensenada, Mexico, at
24:27:22 in a Garibay-VW.
 In
Class 5 for unlimited VW Baja Bugs, the team of Joe Heger/Shawn McCallum of
Imperial, CA, won for the third time this year with a time of 21:00:46.
Earl Thigpen,
Murrieta, CA, picked up his third straight win to go undefeated this season
in ATV Class 24, teaming with Brian Pinard, Wildomar, CA, in 22:39:30 on a Honda
TRX250R.
The Protruck class
was won for the first time this year by Matt Scaroni in 19:08:48 in a Ford F-150.
He split the driving with his father Steve Scaroni and Supercross racing legend
Ricky Johnson.
Richard Jackson,
57 of Acton, CA, won Class 50 (motorcycle riders over 50) for the fifth time
in this race and second time this season.
Riding a Honda
XR650R, Jackson split the riding time with Bob Wadlow, Arcadia, CA, Mark Force
and Guy Wilson, Bakersfield, CA, along with John Rogers, Palm Desert, CA, in
20:27:04
Capturing the
win in Class 1-2/1600, which had a race-high 27 starters, was ESPN sportscaster
Cameron Steele, San Clemente, CA, at 21:00:10 in a Prep By Jake-VW.
The special Centrix
Financial Baja Challenge class was won for the second straight year by Bob Sutton,
Englewood, Colo., at 23:37:10 in one of 11 identically prepared Porsche-powered
Baja touring cars. Sharing driving duties this year were Rod Millen, Huntington
Beach, CA, Stefan Johansson, Indianapolis, Jeff Zwart, Woody Creek, Colo., and
Andrew Thomason, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Winning Class
21 for the second time in three races this year was Joe Desrosiers, San Marcos,
CA, who teamed with Julian Guerra, Goleta, CA, and Mark Daniels, Oxnard, CA,
at 19:25:22 on a Yamaha YZ250.
Daniel Fresh,
San Juan Capistrano, CA, teamed with Vince DiMaio, San Clemente, CA,
to capture Class 7SX at 29:06:56 in a Jeep Comanche. Chad Hall and his brother
Josh, Reno, Nev., in a Stock Full, AM General Hummer H1.
Las Vegas' Bekki
Freeman, a three-time Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 class champion, finished seventh
out of eight finishers in the special Centrix Financial Baja Challenge class
with an all-female team.
Also being decided
at the race were the winners of the $12,000 Toyota True Grit and Milestone Awards.
The purse will be split among four non-factory class point champs who completed
every required mile of the season to join the Toyota Milestone Award winners.
The race was also
being filmed for a new sports documentary film, 'Dust to Glory,' with a crew
of over 80 by critically acclaimed director Dana Brown.
It was shot with
Brown's father Bruce Brown as the creative consultant. Bruce Brown is responsible
for such notable specialty films as 'On Any Sunday', and 'Endless Summer'. This
year, Dana Brown released the popular 'Step Into Liquid' surfing documentary.
'Dust to Glory' is scheduled for release internationally next June.
The essence of
this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 was summed up best by Mouse McCoy, 34 of
Santa Monica, CA, who rode solo on a HondaXR650R. An accomplished stuntman
in Hollywood and one of the 'Dust to Glory' producers, McCoy, who wore a helmet
camera to provide footage for the film, finished second in his class in 18:02:40.
"Baja is
really an amazing place," said McCoy as he exhaustedly spoke to over 100
reporters and photographers gathered at the finish line. "The SCORE Baja
1000 is not about winning or losing, it's about being down here doing it with
your friends. I experienced this race with my best friends in the world taking
care of me and nothing could be better than being here. It's an experience I
will have with me for the rest of my life. A lot went on out there inside my
brain. It's you, your bike and the desert. I was riding solo for 18 hours.
The one thing
that I will always be able to have is the fact that I know I never gave up.
The SCORE Baja 1000 is a big, big deal, and I had it covered."
"I was coming
in and my hands were numb; I couldn't use my hands.
They shut off
so I couldn't use them. I hit a rock and endoed big time. After I crashed, I
was laying there in the desert waiting for someone to run over me. I crawled
back up and kicked my bike over and knew nothing was going to keep me from getting
to the finish line. I just knew I had to make it. I was really worn out but
I kept pushing. Thanks for letting us race in the incredible country."
The extremely
popular Grand Marshall for this year's race was legendary motorsports figure
Mario Andretti.
In addition to
the sport's biggest names, cross-over drivers and riders including NASCAR's
Gordon and Brendan Gaughan, CART's Jimmy Vasser and Michel Jordain Jr., Supercross
and motocross legend Ricky Johnson, SCCA's Jeff Zwart, Rally racer Rod Millen
along with former open wheel racers Mike and Robbie Groff, Roberto Guerrero,
Stefan Johansson and Johnny Unser competed in this year's version of the legendary
granddaddy of all desert races. Also among the other entries for this year's
classic were TV star Jesse James (Monster Garage), snowboarding champion Tara
Takides and TV sportscasters Paul Page and Cameron Steele.
 SCORE
official sponsors for 2003 are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Southern
California Ford Dealers-official vehicle, 76 Racing Fuel-official fuel and Rental
Service Corporation-official equipment supplier. Associate sponsors are: Tecate
Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Bilstein, Signpros,
P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's, Off Road Innovations and Advanced Color Graphics.
Additional associate
sponsors of this year's Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 were: Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico
para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada and Centrix Financial of Denver.
With the season
complete, the SCORE Tribute Night on Dec. 13 at the Gold Coast Hotel in Las
Vegas will honor SCORE's 30th anniversary along with this year's season point
champions and the annual off-roadsman of the year awards will also be presented.
For more information,
contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official
website of the 2003 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.
For information contact:
SCORE International at its Los Angeles headquarters
(818) 225-8402 or visit
the official Optima SCORE Desert Series website at:
www.score-international.com
For
Sponsorship Information, contact:
Mark Handley
(760) 750-1905
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