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Baja 500 Race-record field now at 437
Each with 15, Hall & Roeseler leading group of 88 racers with
227
Career class wins in
this weekend’s 38th Tecate SCORE Baja 500
NASCAR’s R. Gordon one of nine racers who have combined for 22 4-Wheel
Overall wins,
Five others have 21 combined M/C Overalls
On-site internet coverage: desertracing.com...
LOS ANGELES—Not only is the entry list of nearly 440 vehicles the largest
in the long and storied three-decade-plus history of this weekend’s 38th
Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race, it is also filled with the most former
class winners ever in a SCORE race with 88 competitors who have combined for 227
class wins.
Included in that illustrious group of former class winners are nine
SCORE desert racing daredevils who have combined for 22 Overall 4-wheel vehicle
titles and five 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 15 career class wins in this race--the
most among active racers. Round 3 of the six-race 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost
Desert Racing Series, featuring a race-record lineup of over 440 entries
competing in 25 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs,
will be held this weekend in Ensenada, Mexico. The race will be filmed for
television by Aura360, SCORE’S TV production partner, to air in December as a
one-hour special on NBC in the U.S. and ESPN International worldwide.
“I just can’t properly put into words how huge this year’s Tecate SCORE
Baja 500 race is going to be this week,” said Sal Fish, SCORE President/CEO
who has been with SCORE since it produced its first SCORE Baja 500 on June 26,
1974. “It is mind blowing to think that we already have 53 more entries than
the race record and 92 more than last year’s race that had 345 starters.”
“We have a field this year full of talented SCORE veterans as well as a
large number of rookies, many of whom haven’t even been to Mexico prior to
this event, let alone compete in a SCORE Baja race. While the race itself
promises to be one for the ages, we exhort all the racers, chase crews and the more
than 150,000 spectators we are expecting to be patient, cautious, and safe. We
all want to return from Mexico with nothing but wonderful stories from an
incredible racing extravaganza.”
Starting and finishing in Ensenada on the majestic Baja California
peninsula, this year’s tight and technical 424.29-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 and back West to
the finish in Ensenada.
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 two hours later at approximately 9 a.m. Vehicles will start in
30-second intervals in the elapsed-time race, and while the fastest vehicles are
expected to finish in approximately nine hours, all will have an 18-hour time
limit to become official finishers in the summer classic.
The starting line area will once again be adjacent to the Riviera del
Pacifico Cultural Center on Boulevard Costero in downtown Ensenada, Mexico. For
the first time, the finish line will be at the Campo de Softball Jose Negro
Soto Stadium at 11th Street (Calle Once) and Espinoza Avenue in Ensenada. It is
located approximately 1.7 miles east of the start line area.
 NASCAR team owner/driver Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C., will defend his
overall 4-wheel vehicle and SCORE Trophy-Truck crown as will last year’s
overall motorcycle and Class 22 winner Mike Childress, Wrightwood, Calif., who is
racing this year on the American Honda A team with Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills,
Calif., and Josh Frederick, Moapa, Nev., the defending Overall ATV champion.
Gordon, the 1996 SCORE Trophy-Truck season point champion with five
career race wins in the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech,
800-horsepower unlimited production trucks, has announced his plans for his triple-duty
week of NASCAR and SCORE racing. Gordon will be commuting this week to and from
Dover, Dela., where he will be competing in this week’s NASCAR Nextel Cup race.
Gordon, who has four class wins and three overall titles in the Tecate
SCORE Baja 500, has finalized his plans for the two SCORE Trophy-Trucks he has
entered. Third generation SCORE desert racer Andy McMillin, Poway, Calif., is
driver of record this season in the No. 83 Team Gordon Chevy CK1500 that
Gordon drove solo in last year to victory in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500 and Gordon
himself is driver of record in the No. 89 Team Gordon Hummer H3. Gordon
announced plans last week to drive the No. 83 SCORE Trophy-Truck for the first half
of the race before turning the vehicle over to McMillin, who will ride shotgun
during the first half. Robby Gordon’s dad Bob Gordon, Orange, Calif., who
himself has three class wins and two overalls in this race, will drive the first
half, before turning the wheel over to his son to drive the second half. The
No. 83 SCORE Trophy-Truck will be the eighth vehicle to leave the line while the
No. 89 will start in the 28th slot, 10 minutes later.
A total of 16 of the 18 defending 2005 Pro class winners (six classes
had no finishers) are entered, although four of them have switched classes.
Besides Gordon, Childress and Frederick, other racers who will be back to defend
their class titles are George Seeley, Glendale, Calif. (Class 5, unlimited VW
Baja Bug), Danny Ledezma, Chula Vista, Calif. (Class 5/1600, 1600cc VW Baja
Bug), Todd Wyllie, New River, Ariz. (Class 8, Chevy C1500), Eric Fisher,
Ensenada, Mexico (Class 9, Garibay-VW) Lobsam Yee, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 10,
Jimco-Honda), Ricardo Malo, Mexicali, Mexico/Arturo Honold, Calexico, Calif. (SCORE
Lite, Curry-VW), Gerardo Rojas, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico (Class 30, Honda
XR650R), Jim O’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif. (Class 40, Honda XR650R) and Eizaburo
Karasawa, Japan (Class 50, Honda XR650R).
The four class winners from last year who have switched classes are:
Andy McMillin/Scott McMillin, Poway, Calif. (from Class 1 to separate SCORE
Trophy-Trucks), Rob MacCachren/Bryan Freeman (MacCachren from Class 1-2/1600 to
SCORE Trophy-Truck and Freeman to Protruck), John Holmes, Olivenhain, Calif.
(from Class 7S to Class 7SX) and Kirk Schreier, Phoenix (from Class 24 to Class
25).
The venerable Hall, 67, Reno, Nev., who earned his first Tecate SCORE
Baja 500 class win in 1970 and his most recent in 1994, returns after a 12-year
absence as a favorite in the Stock Mini class in his Hummer H3. Hall is the
only person who has raced in all 38 previous Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 races, where
he has the most class wins of anyone with 18.
Roeseler, 49, Canyon Lake, Calif., has 11 overall wins in this race
including nine on a motorcycle, earning his frist class win 1972 and his most
recent in 2004. This year Roeseler will again be the co-driver 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.
 Two of the other former Overall winners who are entered again this year
in Class 1 are SCORE veterans Malcolm Smith and Bud Feldkamp. The two classic
desert racers won the overall together in 1978 and 1979, Smith won it again in
1981 with Bill Newbury and Feldkamp won again in 1985 with Ron Gardner.
This year, Smith, 65, will be a second driver for Cam Thieriot in the
No. 133 RPS-Chevy while Feldkamp, 61, will be the second driver for his son
Buddy Feldkamp, 28, in the No. 119 Penhall-Chevy.
Marcos Nunez, Ensenada, Mexico, has seven class wins in this race and is
entered in Class 5/1600 in a 1600cc VW Baja Bug while racers entered this
year with six career class wins are George Erl, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Class
20), Steve Hengeveld, Oak Hills, Calif. (Class 22), Troy Herbst (Class 1), Jim O
’Neal, Chatsworth, Calif. (Class 40) and Eric Solorzano, Tijuana, Mexico
(Class 11).
Racers entered with five class wins are Johnny Campbell, San Clemente,
Calif. (Class 22), Rob MacCachren, Las Vegas (SCORE Trophy-Truck), Mark
McMillin, El Cajon, Calif. (Class 1), Scott McMillin, Poway, Calif. (SCORE
Trophy-Truck), Larry Ragland, Cave Creek, Ariz. (SCORE Trophy-Truck), George Seeley,
Glendale, Calif. (Class 5) and Malcolm Smith.
With four class wins each are: Eric Fisher, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 9),
Robby Gordon (SCORE Trophy-Truck), Rick D. Johnson (Protruck), Jerry Penhall,
Costa Mesa, Calif. (Class 1), Dean Sundahl, Santee, Calif. (Class 25) and Nick
Vanderwey, Phoenix (Class 8).
The eight racers with three class wins entered this year are: Mike
Cafro, Carlsbad, Calif. (Class 25), Bud Feldkamp (Class 1), Bob Gordon (SCORE
Trophy-Truck), Eizaburo Karasawa, Japan (Class 50), Donald Moss, Sacramento, Calif.
(Class 3), J. David Ruvalcaba, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 30), Hector Sarabia,
Ensenada, Mexico (Class 5/1600) and Kirk Schreier, Phoenix (Class 25).
A number of internet sites will provide varying degrees of real-time or
near real-time coverage of the event.
In addition to score-international.com, other sites scheduled to have
daily coverage from the event are: desertracing.com.
Entries have come from every state in the Western U.S., Hawaii, and
Texas, from across the Midwest including South Dakota, Illinois, Minnesota,
Kansas, Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin, as well as New York, Ohio and Massachusetts
in the East and Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida
and Alabama in the South.
Late registration will be accepted up until race morning, and the
current total of 437 entries guarantees a final starting grid of over 400 for this
first time in the 38-year history of the race. The current record for number of
starters is 384, set in 1976 and tied in 1977. The current record for number
of finishers is 202, set in 1988 (332 starters), when the race started in
Ensenada and finished in Santo Tomas. Both marks are expected to be eclipsed by
this year’s totals.
Amazingly, there is actually one 1976 class winner entered this year and
two class winners from 1977. Larry Roeseler won Class 21 in 1976 and Class 22
in 1977 while Rod Hall won Class 4 in 1977.
To date, entries have been received from 28 U.S. States, Mexico, Canada,
Colombia, France, Japan and New Zealand. The Pro classes with the most
entries are: Class 1 (42), SCORE Trophy-Truck, with a class-record 41, SCORE Lite,
with a class-record 33, Class 1-2/1600 (30) and Class 22 and Class 30 (each
with 17). Leading the Sportsman classes is SPT Motorcycles over 250cc with a
class-record 51 for the relatively new class and SPT ATV with a class-record 28
all-terrain vehicles entered.
Pre-race festivities for the 38th Tecate SCORE Baja 500 will be held in
Ensenada on Friday. Traditionally drawing nearly 50,000 spectators, the
pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway and display of every race vehicle will be held behind
the San Nicolas Hotel, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The post-race awards
celebration will be held at the San Nicolas Hotel on Sunday at 10 a.m. Racer and
media registration will be held on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on
Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Nicolas Hotel. 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, NAPA Chassis, 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.
Tecate SCORE Baja 500
A l l - T i m e O v e r a l l C h a m p i o n s
Year, Cars & Trucks/Motorcycles (second line)
1969--Bud Ekins/Guy Jones
Doug Douglas/Jim McClurg
1970--Parnelli Jones
Bill Silverthorn/Gene Fetty
1971--Bobby Ferro
Malcolm Smith/J.N. Roberts
1972--Bobby Ferro
Gene Fetty/Bill Silverthorn
1973--Parnelli Jones
Howard Utsey/Mickey Quade
1974--Ivan Stewart/Bill Hrynko
Al Baker/Steve Holladay
1975--Ivan Stewart
Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie
1976--Bobby Ferro/Ivan Stewart
Larry Roeseler/A.C. Bakken
1977--Ivan Stewart
Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson
1978--Bud Feldkamp/Malcolm Smith
Brent Wallingsford/Scot Harden
1979--Malcolm Smith/Bud Feldkamp
Jack Johnson
1980--Bob Gordon
Bruce Ogilvie/Chuck Miller
1981--Malcolm Smith/Bill Newbury
Larry Roeseler/Bruce Ogilvie
1982--Larry Ragland
Larry Roeseler/Chuck Miller
1983--Corky & Scott McMillin
Dan Ashcraft
1984--Larry Ragland
Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft
1985--Ron Gardner/Bud Feldkamp
Kurt Pfeiffer/Scot Harden
1986--Corky & Scott McMillin
Garth Sweetland/Scot Harden
1987--Bob Gordon/Tim Crabtree
Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr.
1988--Mark McMillin
Dan Ashcraft/Kurt Pfeiffer
1989--Robby Gordon
(no motorcycles)
1990--Robby Gordon
Larry Roeseler/Danny LaPorte
1991--Ivan Stewart
Garth Sweetland/Paul Krause
1992--Ivan Stewart
Larry Roeseler/T. Hunnicutt Jr./P. Krause
1993--Ivan Stewart
Danny Hamel/L. Roeseler/T. Hunnicutt Jr.
1994--Ivan Stewart
Paul Krause/Ted Hunnicutt Jr.
1995--Curt LeDuc
Paul Krause/Craig Smith
1996--Rob MacCachren
Paul Krause/Ty Davis
1997--Ivan Stewart
Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie
1998--Ivan Stewart
Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie
1999--Ivan Stewart
Jonah Street/Torsten Borstrom
2000--Larry Ragland
Jonah Street/Steve Hengeveld
2001--Mark McMillin
Steve Hengeveld/Jonah Street
2002--Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell
2003--Troy Herbst/Larry Roeseler
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell
2004--Alan Pflueger
Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell
2005-—Robby Gordon
Mike Childress/Mouse McCoy
Tecate SCORE Baja 500
**Multiple Overall Champions**
Cars & Trucks
11 Ivan Stewart
Larry Roeseler*
4 Malcolm Smith**
3 Larry Ragland
Bud Feldkamp
Bobby Ferro
Robby Gordon
2 Bob Gordon
Troy Herbst
Parnelli Jones
Corky McMillin
Mark McMillin
Scott McMillin
*Nine on motorcycle
**One on motorcycle
Motorcycles
5 Paul Krause
Bruce Ogilvie
Steve Hengeveld
Johnny Campbell
4 Ted Hunnicutt Jr.
3 Jonah Street
Scot Harden
2 Gene Fetty
Jack Johnson
Chuck Miller
Kurt Pfeiffer
Bil Silverthorn
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
For
Sponsorship Information, contact:
Mark Handley
(760) 750-1905
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