Gordon, Menzies latest entries--52nd SCORE Baja 500

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominiccnv@aol.com
August 21, 2020
Presented by 4 Wheel Parts

Gordon, Menzies, McMillin duo, Matlocks, Stacy, Dickerson, Cafro
more early entries for BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500

 

ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico – Veteran champions Robby Gordon and Bryce Menzies lead the most recent group of early entries along with champion racing brothers Dan McMillin, Luke McMillin and fellow SCORE desert racing champs Wayne Matlock and his wife Kristen Matlock, Clyde Stacy, Broc Dickerson and Mike Cafro for next month’s BFGoodrich Tires 52nd Annual SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts, in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
To date, 43 earliest entries have come from 15 U.S. States along with host country Mexico.
The first of two races on the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule will be held September 22-27 in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
San Felipe is the serene fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif. All 2020 SCORE races will be held on Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula for the fifth consecutive year.
Competition will include classes for cars, trucks UTVs, motorcycles and quads for the internationally-televised BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
Most the world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s celebration of one of the top 10 motorsports events in the entire world. The race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour special on the ABC Network World of X Games programming and syndicated internationally to as many as 25 countries.
ONLINE RACER REGISTRATION
Online registration, by class, for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads, is now open through the SCORE website. Information on all SCORE races can be found on the home page under the Race Info tab.
For more info, visit http://score-international.com/raceinfo/baja-500-2/.
Official entries received after the drawing will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes. Online entries will be accepted until 8 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 11.
GORDON RETURNS
Champion second-generation desert racer Robby Gordon, 51 of Charlotte, N.C., will be heading to Baja with his No. 77 Chevy Silverado. Gordon, who has had successful careers in both NASCAR and IndyCar, is back in his desert racing roots. He is tied for second on the all-time win list with 11 career SCORE race wins and he is a two-time SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion (1996, 2009).
Gordon has five class wins in the SCORE Baja 500, 1988, 1989 and 1990 in Class 8 and 2005 and 2013 in SCORE Trophy Truck.
MENZIES IN
Back for another run at a SCORE race win, former SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion and international rally racer Bryce Menzies, 32 of Las Vegas, has entered this year in his No. 7 Mason Motorsports-built AWD Ford Raptor.
Menzies has five career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins, including three in the SCORE Baja 500 (2011, 2012 and 2014) and he was voted the 2011 SCORE Rookie of the Year on his way to capturing the 2011 SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion.
He has won two major U.S desert events this year including the King of the Hammers.
McMILLIN BROS
Third-generation desert San Diego racing brothers Dan McMillin and Luke McMillin have each entered the race in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division. Dan, 32, will be driving in his new No. 23 Mason-Built Mark Racing AWD Chevy 1500 while Luke, 27, will be behind the wheel of his No. 83 Racer-built Mark Racing Ford F-150.
Luke has two class wins in the SCORE Baja 500. He won Class 1/2-1600 in 2011 as an 18-year old phenom and moved up to win Class 1 in the 2012 SCORE Baja 500.
Two of the rising stars in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck racing division, Luke finished in second place just one minute, 54 seconds behind his winning cousin Andy McMillin in the 2019 SCORE Baja 500 while Dan finished eighth in last year’s race out of 38 starters in the division for high-tech, 950-horsepower unlimited production trucks.
THE MATLOCKS
Clearly the most prolific husband/wife racers in the SCORE World Desert Championship, Wayne Matlock, 42, and his wife Kristen Matlock, 39, from Alpine, Calif., are another pair of veteran SCORE desert racers and both had superlative seasons in the last two years racing in two separate UTV classes. The Matlocks also have two young children, both boys.
With two race wins and two second-place finishes, Wayne Matlock was the 2018 SCORE Overall season point champion while winning the Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) class in his No. 2971 Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo. He repeated his class point title last year as well with one race win.
Wayne Matlock has won seven SCORE class season point championships in his illustrious career, the first five on a quad and he has five class wins in the SCORE Baja 500.
Kristen Matlock finished third in the season points in the Pro UTV NA (Naturally Aspirated) in 2018 after starting the season with two impressive class victories. In the 2018 SCORE Baja 500 she was also the overall UTV winner, defeating over 50 UTVs in the race.
Kristen Matlock finished second in season points in her class in 2019 earning two race wins along the way.
CLYDE STACY
Co-owner of the prominent RPM Racing of Bristol, Tenn., SCORE champion racer Clyde Stacy, 75 of Bristol, Va., has entered this race in the SCORE TT Legend class for drivers over 50 years old in his No. 5L RPM Racing Geiser-built Chevy V16.
Starting SCORE racing at age 64 and a veritable Southern Gentleman, Stacy has earned 10 SCORE season class point titles in 13 years of race. In 2019 he won the season crown in the SCORE TT Legend class.
BROC DICKERSON
The son/father duo of Broc, 19, and Jeff Dickerson, 45, of Brawley, Calif., both former SCORE Class point champs, will be racing in the unlimited Class 1 in their No. 123 Ford-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car.  Jeff Dickerson was the SCORE Class 20 motorcycle season champion in 1991 while Broc Dickerson, just 16 at the time, won the Class 10 season title in 2017.
Broc Dickerson also has two Class 2 wins in the SCORE Baja 500, both in 2017 and 2018.
MIKE CAFRO
A veteran SCORE season class point champion in quad classes where he has three titles with his brother Carmen, Mike Cafro, 50 of Fallbrook, Calif., also has six career class wins in the SCORE Baja 500 (1994, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2013) has switched to racing in UTVs and has entered two classes in this year’s SCORE Baja 500.
For the upcoming race, he will be the driver of record in the No. 2975 Polaris RZR Turbo in Pro UTV FI as well as the No. 3955 Polaris RZR Turbo S in the Pro UTV Stock class.
EL DORADO RANCH S/F
Following planning with and approval from city and state governments, SCORE International has announced that all the official pre-race activities and the start/finish line compound for this year’s SCORE Baja 500 will be held in a restricted area at the prominent El Dorado Ranch resort with no spectators allowed. Spectators following health and safety protocols will be allowed in the open areas around the 495-mile race course.
With the safety and health restrictions in place, SCORE will produce extensive live streaming of the race and pre-race festivities air on the SCORE website and SCORE social media platforms.
START ORDER/DRAW DEADLINE
For all the non-qualifying classes, the starting order within each class for this race will be determined by a start order drawing, if the individual entry is received and all fees paid in full by 8 p.m. on Friday, September 11.
The results of the drawing, to determine the remainder of the start order within each class, will be posted on the SCORE website at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 18.
Between September 11 and 5 p.m. PT on September 18, entries will be accepted in the SCORE Ensenada office but those entries will not be able to qualify or be in the start draw. Late, on-site racer registration will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (September 23, 24, 25) and will be given the next available start position within their respective classes.
All entries received after 8 p.m. PT on Friday, September 11 will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Because of the significant health and safety protocols developed by SCORE in conjunction with and the approval of state and local health authorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all race-week festivities and the start/finish line compound will be restricted access only and closed to the general public. All race-related activities and the race start/finish compound will be on the grounds of the popular El Dorado Ranch gated resort which is located seven miles North of downtown San Felipe alongside of Mexico Federal Highway 5.
QUALIFYING
SCORE will hold a qualifying session for this race starting at 7 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Sept 23 to determine the starting positions within each class for the SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec divisions. Entries in these classes must also be completed by Friday, September 11 to be eligible to qualifying. Start order for qualifying will be based solely on entry order into race, by class.
Starting positions for the other classes will be determined by a random drawing after the close of online racer registration which is at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.
Late, on-site entries will receive the next starting position within the class entered.
Qualifying will be held South of San Felipe across from the local airport.
GREEN FLAG
It is an elapsed-time race with staggered starts as the green flag on Saturday (Sept. 26) will drop first for the motorcycles and quads at 4 a.m. PT and approximately 8 a.m. PT for the cars, trucks and UTVs.
Nearly 250 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from over 25 U.S. States and as many as 10 countries anticipated. Long-time SCORE sponsor and race title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has also posted a US$25,000 contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel winner to help commemorate this year’s race.
GRAN HISTORIA
This year’s SCORE World Desert Championship includes another special tribute to the iconic SCORE Baja 500 when it is held this year in San Felipe for just the second time in the 52-year history of the race.
The SCORE Baja 500 is one of the top motorsports events in the world. It was started originally in 1969 by the NORRA organization. Mickey Thompson and his SCORE International organization were invited by the Mexican government to take over the event starting in 1974. Sal Fish ran and later owned and produced the SCORE Baja 500 for 39 years until he sold SCORE in December of 2012.
The first Baja 500 organized and produced by SCORE was held on July 26, 1974 in Ensenada as the first of over 150 SCORE Baja races.
This year will be the second time that the race has started and finished in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. The only other time the race was held in San Felipe was 1989 and featured only the four-wheel vehicle classes.
While this will be just the second time for the SCORE Baja 500 to be held in San Felipe, the SCORE San Felipe 250 has been held in San Felipe for 32 of its 33-year history.
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 495.0-mile race course for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts will begin at 8 a.m. PT on Saturday, September 12 starting at race mile 0.16 and finishing at race mile 485.16. Pre-running starting at 8 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 23 through Friday, September 25 will start at race mile 0.0 to race mile 7.80 outbound only.
The official SCORE Racer Brief, course map and GPS files will be available by 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, September 10.
MAIN COURSE
The race will feature a course, when finalized and plotted over the next several days by SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva of right around 495.0 miles. It will run both North and South of San Felipe in a counterclockwise direction on the East side of the Baja California peninsula.
When completed, the historic race course will be another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the ocean with elevations from sea level to over 3,000 feet. The course will be another jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.
There will be three physical checkpoints, much of the course will run through Laguna Salada as well as going through parts of four of Baja California’s infamously magnificent washes: Amarillas, Chanate, Huatamote and Azufre.
DETAILS
As required by the health and safety protocols required to conduct this race, race week activities will have restricted access at the Eldorado Ranch with no spectators allowed for contingency, tech inspection and the start/finish compound.
On-site Racer Registration and Media Registration, again with restricted access, will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (September 22-25) at the Pavilion at El Dorado Ranch.
Racer registration will be held for racers who are qualifying from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 22). Racer registration for the balance of the entries will be held on Wednesday (Sept. 23) from Noon to 7 p.m. PDT, on Thursday (Sept. 24) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 25) with no new entries accepted after 3 p.m. PDT on that final day of registration.
SCORE Media registration will be held in the Pavilion at El Dorado Ranch from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 22) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on Wednesday (Sept. 23) and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT on both Thursday and Friday (Sept. 24-25).
LIVE STREAMING
On the two days of contingency (Sept. 24-25) and during the race on Saturday, Sept. 26 until the course closes on Sunday morning, Sept. 27, there will be extensive live streaming from the start/finish line compound broadcasting race activities and start and finish line interviews. Popular Rat Sult will again serve as primary host of the SCORE live streaming along with assistance from Karolina Hirales.
With no spectators allowed in the start/finish line compound, all of the week’s activities will be streamed both live and same-day including the race, airing via the internet on the SCORE website and social media platforms.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPS
San Diego’s Andy McMillin is expected to be back to defend his overall win in last year’s SCORE Baja 500 in his No. 1 McMillin Racing all-wheel drive Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy Truck built by Mason Motorsports. In Pro Motorcycles, Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif. and his co-riders Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif. and Justin Jones, Murrieta, Calif. are expected to defend their overall motorcycle title on their No. 1x Honda CRF450X, competing once again in the Pro Moto Unlimited motorcycle.
SCOREscope
2020 SCORE SKED
BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
September 22-27, San Felipe, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 53rd SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
November 17-22, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
ABC TV AGAIN IN 2020
For the second straight year, the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship will air on the ABC family of networks. The two-races will air as specials on ABC TV’s World of X Games program with replays on ESPN2.
ABC first covered the 1967 and 1968 Baja 1000 races on the old ABC Wide World of Sports show with Jim McKay and again in the late 1980s with veteran motorsports journalist Sam Posey.
All of the SCORE race coverage shows also continue to air internationally in nearly 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and South America via syndication and ESPN International. The shows are co-produced by SCORE International and SoCal’s award-winning BCII TV.
SCORE SPONSORS…
Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and Race Title Sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, 4 Wheel Parts-Official Off-Road Retailer and Race Presenting Partner, Ford-Official Truck and SUV, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, RACELINE Wheels-Official Wheel, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
SCORE Official Partners: PCI Race Radios, The Satellite Phone Store, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Lucerna Hotel.
Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Baja California Secretary of Sustainable Economy and Tourism, XXIII Ensenada Municipal Government, XXIII Mexicali Municipal Government, Mexicali and San Felipe COTUCO, Cruz Roja Mexicana.
For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCOREInternational.com.