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Evans, Mark McMillin Grand Marshals for SCORE Baja 400
SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com August 12, 2023 ‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’ presented by VP Racing Fuels SCORE Legends Walker Evans, Mark McMillin Co-Grand Marshals for 4th SCORE Baja 400 spectacular event is Round 3 of four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship; September 13-17 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico; more info at… https://score-international.com/raceinfo/2023-baja-400-sept-12-17-2023/ #SCORE Baja 400 ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’ this year, SCORE champion racing legends Walker Evans and Mark McMillin will be the co-Grand Marshals for the upcoming 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels. WHEN The youngest race in the long and storied 50-year history of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization will be held Sept. 13-17 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. WHAT Online racer registration along with a detailed schedule of events both are available on the SCORE website for Round 3 of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship. Entries from across the United States and around the world are anticipated for the upcoming desert race in Mexico’s Baja California. Inaugurated in 2019, the SCORE Baja 400 was not held in 2020 because of the international pandemic and in 2021 started and finished without spectators Northeast of the central city and returned to the heart of the city in 2022. The three defending overall and SCORE Trophy Truck champions in this new race are Ryan Arciero, Foothill Ranch, Calif. (2019) and Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies (2021 and 2022). GRAND MARSHALS FOR THE SCORE BAJA 400 Walker Evans and Mark McMillin, two of the biggest names in the history of desert racing, will be the co-Grand Marshals for this year’s SCORE Baja 400. Both legendary members of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, Evans, 84, Riverside, Calif., and McMillin, 67, San Diego, had amazing careers in SCORE desert racing over several decades. Evans is one of the true pioneers of the sports of off-road racing and 21 won season championships in the desert, short-course, stadium, NASCAR Trucks, and rock-crawling. He started in desert racing in 1969 in the original NORRA Mexican 1000. In SCORE racing, Evans has class wins in the SCORE Baja 1000, SCORE Baja 500, SCORE Parker 400, SCORE Fireworks 250 and the original Mint 400. Among his many victories was the 1979 overall victory in the SCORE Baja 1000 that marked the first time that a full-sized pickup won the iconic race. He earned over 150 victories in his career. Overall, Evans had nine class wins in the storied SCORE Baja 1000 and six in the SCORE Baja 500. Evans, who has also had a very successful Walker Evans racing products company, was also one of the original founders of and drivers in the NASCAR Truck Series. In his SCORE racing career, Evans had six career season class point championships (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986) Evans was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004 and later was recognized by induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in the class of 2015. After many years working as an ambassador for the organization, Evans was named a 2022 inductee into the SEMA Hall of Fame. Evans is truly one of the original legends of desert racing. Evans commented several years ago, “Everybody who has ever driven in a SCORE Baja race knows it is the greatest experience of his or her life. And it took over mine over 50 years ago”. Mark McMillin is one of the pillars of SCORE Baja racing, and a major part of the Big Blue M McMillin Racing machine. Mark McMillin was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2018 when he joined his late father Corky McMillin (ORMHOF class of 2006) as the first father and son team to earn the prestigious honor. McMillin Racing launched in 1976 and continues today with third-generation McMillin SCORE Trophy Truck racers Andy McMillin, Dan McMillin, and Luke McMillin. In his SCORE racing career, Mark McMillin earned six season class point championships (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2005). In the SCORE Baja 1000, Mark McMillin had five overall victories (1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1988, and eight total class victories. In the SCORE Baja 500, he had three overall wins and five total class wins. Mark McMillin has also been the Chairman of the Board of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame since 2015. The McMillin family legacy, started by family patriarch Corky McMillin, includes their prominence in San Diego County as developers, homebuilders, and real estate holdings for over 60 years. In desert racing, Mark and has younger brother Scott have numerous Baja wins as do Mark’s children Dan and Luke and Scott’s children Andy and Jessica. GRANDEST MARSHAL FOR GOLDEN YEAR Sal Fish, admired as the iconic ‘godfather’ of SCORE desert racing who is a foundational pillar of the organization, is the Grand Marshal of the Year for the entire four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship. Revered all over Baja California, Fish, who turned 84 in May, is a former publisher of Hot Rod Magazine and a 2006 inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. He led SCORE for 38 years, from 1974 until he sold the organization on Dec. 20, 2012. His footprint left an indelible mark on all of desert racing as he was an extraordinary innovator and visionary for SCORE and the entire world of desert racing. He expanded TV coverage of SCORE races and in 1994 created the SCORE Trophy Truck class, the marquee racing division in the sport of desert racing. Fish has a very special reason that will keep him from being on-site for this race. He and his wife Barbara will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary during race week. He has recorded a very special video tribute that will air during race week in Ensenada. He will be in person for the season-ending SCORE Baja 1000 in November SCOREscope 2023 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SCHEDULE Here are the dates for the remaining two races in the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Golden Anniversary season, ‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’, which are being held totally in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive year:
- 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—
- BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000—