Who is Fastest of the Fastest--iconic SCORE Baja 1000

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominic@score-international.com
October 15, 2019
Who is really the fastest?
Motorcycles have had the fastest overall time 38 years,
Cars/Trucks 13 times in annual iconic SCORE Baja 1000
Race week-Nov. 19-24; Pre-running opens Oct. 26 on 799.1-mile course in BC;
Start/Finish adjacent to Ensenada’s Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center
for iconic season-finale of four-race SCORE World Desert Championship
ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—While SCORE clearly recognizes three overall group winners, the endless armchair debate on whether two-wheel or four-wheel vehicles are fastest in the desert will play out once again at November’s iconic internationally-televised season-ending 52nd annual SCORE Baja 1000—the Granddaddy of All Desert Races.
There will be SCORE Overall 4-Wheel, SCORE Overall 2-Wheel and SCORE Overall UTV champions at this year’s race—awarded to the vehicle with the fastest elapsed time in each of the three groups of classes. But the never-ending debate will rage on way past the final checkered flag on whether the 4-wheel vehicles or the 2-wheel vehicles are the fastest in this legendary motorsports event.
Still very early in the online registration process, entries to date have come from 23 U.S. States and 11 countries.
The final round of the four-race 2019 SCORE World Desert Championship will start and finish in the heart of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico with race-week festivities and the race itself being held Nov. 19-24.
The SCORE Baja 1000 endures at the pinnacle of motorsports as the most iconic, oldest, prestigious, toughest and longest continuously held desert race in the world.
NUMBERS SAY—BIKES RULE?
Statistics relate a telling story and while the endless debate on who is the fastest of the fastest overall in the iconic SCORE Baja 1000, motorcycles have had the fastest, fastest time overall 38 times in this race while car/truck classes have produced 13 overall, overall fastest times.
Interestingly, car/truck vehicles won six of the first seven years of the legendary behemoth race as well as six of the last nine years, but in between, the fastest, fastest overall times in the race have gone to motorcycles except in 1993 when Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart was the fastest, fastest in his unlimited Class 1 Toyota SR5 truck.
The longest motorcycle streak has been 18 consecutive years with the fastest, fastest overall time in this race from 1975 through 1992.
With help first from factory teams from Kawasaki and later from American Honda, motorcycles also had another run of fastest, fastest overall times for 16 years from 1994 through 2009.
In 2010, Mexico’s Gus Vildosola and his son Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola Jr broke the motorcycle streak by becoming the first Mexican Nationals to win the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division and be the fastest of the fastest in the peninsula run from Ensenada to La Paz.
With the course distance and actual terrain different each year, times between years can’t be accurately compared.
Individually, a trio of legendary SCORE Baja desert racers have recorded the fastest, fastest overall times in the iconic event. Johnny Campbell leads the way with 11 top times on Honda motorcycles. His 11 fastest of the fastest times were earned in just a 12-year period from 1997 through 2008.
Next is Larry Roeseler with nine top times on three different motorcycles—Husqvarna, Yamaha and his final five on Kawasaki. Roeseler earned his fastest of the fastest between 1976 and 1994.
Steve Hengeveld earned seven fastest of the fastest top times all on Honda motorcycles in an eight-year period between 2000 and 2007.
Recording fastest of the fastest times in six of the last nine years have been SCORE Trophy Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 950 horsepower, unlimited custom trucks. Pacing this group has been Rob MacCachren who won three consecutive times (2014, 2015, 2016) in his Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy Truck.
NOTE: Scroll to the bottom to see the complete year-by-year breakdown of the ‘fastest of the fastest’ racers in the iconic SCORE Baja 1000.
52nd SCORE BAJA 1000
Many of the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s massive SCORE Baja 1000. The race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour special on ABC TV’s World of X Games programming.
Ensenada, “The Off-Road Capital of the World” is a coastal city on the Bahia de Todos Santos area of the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of the U.S. border at San Diego.
Over 250 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from over 30 U.S. States and as many as 20 countries anticipated. Long-time SCORE sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has also posted a US$40,000 contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel winner to help commemorate the renewal of this legendary SCORE race.
This year’s SCORE Baja 1000 will be a loop race of 799.1 miles in the northern state of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula.
It will start for the 45th time and finish for the 26th time in Ensenada and the race is annually the finale of the four-race SCORE World Desert Championship, which has been held exclusively for the past four years on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
The race and its festivities will be held primarily in and around the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada and the start and finish of the legendary race will be adjacent to the Riviera.
With a total time limit of 34 hours in the elapsed-time race, the motorcycle and quad classes will start at 3 a.m. (PT) on Friday, Nov. 22 and the car, truck and UTV classes will follow with their start on at 10:30 a.m. (PT). While the fastest vehicles are expected to cover the course in approximately 16 hours, all vehicles will have 34 hours from the time each starts to become an official finisher.
STATES, COUNTRIES
Included in the first 66 official entries of the more than 250 anticipated for this year’s renewal of the world’s most iconic desert race are competitors from 23 U.S. States and 11 countries.
U.S. States represented in the field of competitors to date are from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Besides the United States and host Mexico, countries represented to date in the total entry field are from Canada, Chile, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Peru and Spain.
RACER REGISTRATION
Online racer registration continues at www.SCORE-International.com under Race Info on the SCORE Baja 1000 page. Questions should be directed to SCORE Registration and Membership Director Audreonna Garcia at 775. 852.8907.
PRE-RUNNING
Pre-running on the official race course will open on Saturday, Oct. 26. After the two-way section out to the Ojos Negros area, the course will run in a counter-clockwise direction down to along the Pacific Ocean and around near San Felipe before heading back up through Laguna Salada, La Rumorosa, the Pine Forest and back to Ojos Negros and the finish in Ensenada.
Pre-running will start at race-mile 33.22 and finish at rm765.9.
This year’s course map is available on the SCORE website under race info on the SCORE Baja 1000 page at www.SCORE-International.com.
PRE-GREEN
The 52nd SCORE Baja 1000 race and race week festivities will cover Nov. 19-24.
Pre-race festivities include two days of Contingency and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway (Wednesday, Nov. 20 and Thursday, Nov. 21) on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. Contingency will run each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and pre-race tech will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. On Wednesday (Nov. 20), Contingency will be held for all motorcycles, quads and UTV classes along with several car/truck classes. On Thursday (Nov. 21), Contingency will be held for the balance of the car and truck classes including the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, unlimited Class 1, Trophy Truck Spec and Class 10.
The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will be held on Wednesday (Nov. 20) at 7 p.m. PT at the Hotel Lucerna Ensenada.
Racer registration will be held in the Red Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada. Racer registration will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT on Tuesday (Nov. 19), and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT on both Wednesday (Nov. 20) and Thursday (Nov. 21).
Media registration will be held in the Red Room as well at the Riviera from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. PT on Tuesday (Nov. 19), and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on both Wednesday (Nov. 20) and Thursday (Nov. 21)
The BFGoodrich Tires/Baja California Secretary of Tourism SCORE Media Center will be open on Friday (Nov. 22) starting at 2:30 a.m. PT through the close of the race course. It will also be open on Sunday (Nov. 23) from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. PT. The SCORE Media Center will have WiFi available as well as live streaming from the start/finish line and live tracking of the vehicles in the race
SCORE sponsor Monster Energy will host the Monster Energy Papas y Beer SCORE Street Party on Avenida Ruiz in downtown Ensenada from 6 p.m. to midnight PT on Thursday, Nov. 21.
POST GREEN
As the celebration continues Friday (Nov. 22) night to all day and evening on Friday and Saturday until shortly after midnight on Sunday (Nov. 23) while official finishers cross the line and tales and epic accomplishments are added to the legacy of the event.
The post-race awards fiesta will be held at the Hotel Lucerna Ensenada starting at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday (Nov. 23).
OH, WHAT A COURSE!
As it has for over four and one-half decades, SCORE has put together another memorable race course for the 52nd anniversary, this one a loop race, with all of the foreboding, unforgiving terrain and inspiring beauty that the northern state of the majestic Baja California peninsula has to offer.
SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva has designed and finalized this year’s race course of 799.1 miles. The course will have three physical checkpoints and 267 virtual checkpoints along the way to the finish line. There will also be 16 speed zones for a total of 85.28 race miles.
Starting and finishing in the heart of Ensenada adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, the course travels East to Ojos Negros and then runs counter-clockwise in a weaving route around both the West and then the East side of the northern part of the peninsula.
The course will run in a counter-clockwise direction after the two-way section to the Ojos Negros area and down along the Pacific Ocean through Uruapan, Santo Tomas, Erendira, Santo Domingo Wash and San Quintin.
From there it will travel Northeast going by Rancho El Coyote, across and around Mike’s Sky Rancho, down by Simpson’s Ranch. The route then continues up to a speed zone on Highway 3 before going down over Laguna Del Diablo through Morelia Junction down and back up past San Felipe before heading back up through Laguna Salada, up La Rumorosa, through El Condor, over the Pine Forest, then down to Agua Dulce and back to Ojos Negros and the finish on the two-way section back into Ensenada.
The course will include going through two of Baja California’s infamous washes on the east side of the course—Matomi Wash and Amarillas Wash.
The three physical checkpoints will be located starting with Checkpoint 1 which will be near Vicente Guerrero (race mile 224.25), Checkpoint 2 will be at the El Chinero Highway 3 Road Crossing (rm535.94) and Checkpoint 3 will be in the El Condor area (rm 701.2).
Because of two extremely challenging areas on the course, Class 11 (stock VW sedans), Vintage Classes and all Sportsman classes will be running a reduced course of 699.94 total miles.
SCOREscope
2019 REMAINING SCHEDULE
52nd SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.19-24, Ensenada, Mexico
2020 SCHEDULE
Here is the four-race 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship and for the fifth consecutive year all races will be held in Baja California, Mexico:
34th SCORE San Felipe 250, March 25-29, San Felipe, Mexico
52nd SCORE Baja 500, June 3-7, Ensenada, Mexico
2nd SCORE Baja 400, Sept. 16-20, Ensenada, Mexico
53rd SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.16-21, Ensenada, Baja California to La Paz, Baja California Sur
ABC TV IN 2019
The 2019 SCORE World Desert Championship is being televised on the ABC TV family of networks, marking the first time back on the ABC network since the 1967 and 1968 coverage of the Baja 1000 on ABC’s old Wide World of Sports show.
The one-hour shows on the 33rd SCORE San Felipe 250, 51st SCORE Baja 500 and the 52nd SCORE Baja 1000 will be televised as part of ABC’s World of X Games year-long programming. Presented by SCORE sponsors Monster Energy and BFGoodrich Tires, the ABC World of X Games series profiles iconic action sports figures and also highlights athletes, artists, event previews and recaps.
The inaugural Lucerna SCORE Baja 400 held in September will air as a one-hour special on ESPN2 TV, also on the World of X Games programming. It will first air on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. (PT) and 2:30 p.m (ET).
All of the SCORE race coverage shows will continue to air internationally in nearly 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and South America via syndication and ESPN International.
SCORE SPONSORS…
Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and official race title sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, RACELINE Wheels-Official Wheel, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel, Lucerna Hotels & Resorts-Official Hotel, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
SCORE Official Partners: PCI Race Radios, The Satellite Phone Store.
Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Baja California Secretary of Tourism, XXIII Ensenada Municipal Government, XXIII Mexicali Municipal Government, Mexicali and San Felipe COTUCO, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters.
For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCOREInternational.com.
SCORE Baja 1000 FASTEST Overall Champions
(4-wheel and 2-wheel vehicles--1967 through 2018)
YEAR DRIVERS/RIDERS VEHICLE TIME
1967 Vic Wilson/Ted Mangels Meyers Manx VW 27:38
1968 Larry Berquist/Gary Preston Honda 20:38:28
1969 Larry Minor/Rod Hall Ford Bronco 20:48:10
1970 Drino Miller/Vic Wilson Miller VW 16:07
1971 Parnelli Jones/Bill Stroppe Ford Bronco 14:59
1972 Parnelli Jones/Bill Stroppe Ford Bronco 16:47
1973 Bobby Ferro/Johnny Johnson Funco VW 16:50:25
1974 NO RACE (Fuel Crisis)
1975 Al Baker/Gene Cannady Honda 18:22:55
1976 Larry Roeseler/Mitch Mayes Husqvarna 11:30:47
1977 Brent Wallingsford/Scot Harden Husqvarna 14:37:07
1978 Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson Husqvarna 10:23:47
1979 Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson Husqvarna 19:48:04
1980 Larry Roeseler/Jack Johnson Yamaha 12:45:13
1981 Scot Harden/Brent Wallingsford Husqvarna 17:14:05
1982 Al Baker/Jack Johnson Honda 17:25:27
1983 Dan Smith/Dan Ashcraft Husqvarna 14:48:10
1984 Chuck Miller/Randy Morales Honda 14:34:34
1985 Randy Morales/Derrick Paiement Honda 17:44:42
1986 Bruce Ogilvie/Chuck Miller Honda 18:05:52
1987 Dan Ashcraft/Bruce Ogilvie Honda 12:02:14
1988 Paul Krause/Larry Roeseler/Danny LaPorte Kawasaki 11:33:45
1989 Larry Roeseler/Danny LaPorte/Ted Hunnicutt Jr. Kawasaki 17:53:16
1990 Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr./Danny LaPorte Kawasaki 11:11:45
1991 Larry Roeseler/Ted Hunnicutt Jr./Marty Smith Kawasaki 13:35:25
1992 Danny Hamel/Garth Sweetland/Paul Ostbo Kawasaki 16:50:12
1993 Ivan Stewart Toyota SR5 13:29:11
1994 Danny Hamel/Larry Roeseler/Ty Davis Kawasaki 10:20:47
1995 Paul Krause/Ty Davis/Ted Hunnicutt Jr. Kawasaki 19:31:19
1996 Paul Krause/Ty Davis/Greg Zitterkopf Kawasaki 14:11:02
1997 Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab/Greg Bringle Honda 13:19:59
1998 Johnny Campbell/Jimmy Lewis Honda 18:58:48
1999 Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab Honda 14:15:42
2000 Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab/Craig Smith/Steve Hengeveld Honda 30:54:12
2001 Johnny Campbell/Tim Staab Honda 13:51:40
2002 Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell/Andy Grider Honda 16:17:28
2003 Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell/Bruce Ogilvie Honda 15:39:52
2004 Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell/Kendall Norman, Honda 15:57:37
2005 Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell/Mike Childress, Honda 14:20:30
2006 Steve Hengeveld/ Mike Childress/Quinn Cody, Honda 18:17:50
2007 Robby Bell/Steve Hengeveld/Johnny Campbell/Kendall Norman, Honda 24:15:50
2008 Robby Bell/Kendall Norman/Johnny Campbell, Honda 12:29:18
2009 Kendall Norman/Timmy Weigand/Quinn Cody, Honda 13:27:50
2010 Gus Vildosola Jr./Gus Vildosola Sr., Ford F-150, 19:00:04
2011- Kendall Norman/Quinn Cody/Logan Holladay, Buellton, Calif., Honda, 14:14:25
2012- B.J. Baldwin, Ford F-150, 20:00:59
2013- Timmy Weigand/Colton Udall/David Kamo/Mark Samuels, Honda, 18:29:14
2014- Rob MacCachren/Andy McMillin/Jason Voss, Ford F-150, 22:31:28
2015- Rob MacCachren/Andy McMillin, Ford F-150, 15:58:32
2016- Rob MacCachren/Jason Voss, Ford F-150, 17:12:58
2017- Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez/Juan C. Lopez, Chevy Rally Truck, 19:53:36
2018- Justin Morgan/Mark Samuels/Justin Jones, 16:23:26
4-wheel vehicles Total: 13
Motorcycles Total: 38