Roeseler, MacCachren, Troy Herbst, Gordon, A. McMillin seek more gold at BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominic@score-international.com
September 14, 2020
Presented by 4 Wheel Parts

Roeseler, MacCachren, Troy Herbst, Gordon, A. McMillin
seek more gold at BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500

 

ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico – Past overall race winners Larry Roeseler, Rob MacCachren, Troy Herbst, Robby Gordon, and Andy McMillin will be seeking more glory and another pot of gold as they are among the entry field for next week’s BFGoodrich Tires, 52nd annual SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
With 23 SCORE Baja 500 overall wins between the five of them, racers from around the world are converging on Baja California, Mexico as pre-running on the challenging 493.00-mile course opened this past Saturday.
BACK TO BAJA
Entries continue to climb well past the century mark in these uncertain times for next week’s BFGoodrich Tires 52nd Annual SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts, in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico. After a 10-month absence, this will be the first SCORE race of 2020 and first in Baja since last November’s SCORE Baja 1000.
To date, 129 official entries have come from 18 U.S. States along with host country Mexico, Bolivia, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands and New Zealand. The first of two races on the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule will be held next Wednesday through Sunday (Sept. 22-27) in San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
San Felipe is the peaceful village on the Sea of Cortez, 125 miles south of the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif. Both 2020 SCORE races will be held on Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula for the fifth consecutive year.
THE SHOW
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.
Many of 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. The shows are produced by SCORE in association with prominent SoCal company BCII TV. Lead announcer for the show will be veteran Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHoF) inductee (2018), SCORE Trophy Truck champion racer and action sports TV announcer Cameron Steele.
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 3 a.m. PT and approximately 7 a.m. PT for the cars, trucks and UTVs.
Nearly 150 vehicles are expected at the start line. 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.
THE CHAMPS
With two of the former champions entered from Las Vegas, all five former overall champs are racing in this year’s race in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division, the featured racing division for high-tech, 950-horsepower unlimited custom trucks. Included on the entry list are former SCORE Baja 500 overall winners Roeseler (11 overalls, including 9 on a motorcycle), MacCachren (1996, 2018), Troy Herbst (1996, 2002, 2003), Gordon (1989, 1990, 2005, 2013) and A. McMillin (2010, 2017, 2019).
AMA motorcycle Hall of Fame and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame racer Roeseler, 63, of Imperial, Calif., is a SCORE Baja racing icon with nine overall wins (1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993) over five decades on a motorcycle and two (2002, 2003) in a four-wheel vehicle (unlimited Class 1 with Troy Herbst) in the SCORE Baja 500. This year he will be the Driver of Record in the No. 43 Baja Jerky Cantina Racing Toyota Tundra (ID Designs-built) in SCORE Trophy Truck.
Another ORMHoF inductee, MacCachren, 55, Las Vegas, drives the No. 11 MacCachren Motorsports Ford F-150 (Geiser). The Mac Attack won the 50th SCORE Baja 500 in 2017. He also has the most career SCORE Trophy Truck race victories with 17 among his more than 300 total class wins in his legendary career in the desert, short-course and stadium off-road racing.
Troy Herbst, the youngest of the three racing Las Vegas Herbst brothers at 53, has seven class wins in the SCORE Baja 500 including his three overall wins. He will be the second driver this year for his older brother Tim Herbst, 57, in the No. 19 Monster Energy Terrible Herbst Motorsports Ford F-150 (Herbst/Smith). All three of his SCORE Baja 500 overall wins were in the unlimited Class 1 Terrible Herbst Motorsports ‘Landshark’ that prowled the desert successfully for over a decade.
Troy’s son Riley Herbst is a budding NASCAR star, competing this season in the Xfinity Series.
Gordon, 51, the SoCal transplant and former NASCAR Cup racer/team owner, Indy Car and Dakar Rally racer who lives in Charlotte, N.C., has five class wins in this race, including his four overalls and he pilots the No. 77 Speed Energy Team Gordon Chevy Silverado (Custom). Gordon won the overall and Class 8 title in the 1989 SCORE Baja 500, the only other time the race has been held in San Felipe.
San Diego’s third-generation desert racer  A. McMillin, 33, who won this race last year and is the reigning SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion, has four class wins in the SCORE Baja 500 including his three overall wins and will be racing this year in his No. 1 McMillin Racing Chevy Silverado (Mason).
MAIN COURSE
The race features a course, as finalized and plotted by SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva of 493.00 miles. It runs both North and South of San Felipe in a counterclockwise direction on the East side of the Baja California peninsula.
The historic race course is another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky and silty natural terrain, dry lake beds, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the ocean with elevations from sea level to over 3,000 feet. The course is another jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.
There are three physical full-stop checkpoints and 198 virtual checkpoints. Checkpoint 1 is at race mile 155.63 (Laguna Salada), CP2 is at rm278.11 (Laguna Amarga) and CP3 is at rm459.11 (Camino altura Percebu). There are just six speed zones for a total of only 8.65 miles.
     Much of the course runs through Laguna Salada as well as going through parts of four of Baja California’s infamously magnificent washes: Amarillas, Chanate, Huatamote and Azufre.
All Sportsman classes along with Pro classes 7SX, 11 and 9 will run an abbreviated course of 433.34 miles.
THE COUNT
The total of 129 online entries to date prior to on-site, late registration next week in San Felipe have come from 18 U.S. States and seven total countries--host country Mexico, Bolivia, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands and New Zealand.
Leading the entries so far is the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division with 21 official entries.
SCORE Trophy Truck, in its 27th year as the featured racing division in the sport, has produced the overall winners of the SCORE Baja 500 for the last 10 consecutive years and 15 of the last 16.
The other class with double-figure entries so far besides SCORE Trophy Truck with 21 is Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) with 17.
Leading the motorcycle classes so far with five entries is SPT Moto.
SCORE TROPHY TRUCKS & SCORE TT LEGENDS
SCORE Trophy Truck, the marquee SCORE racing division for high-tech, 950-horsepower unlimited custom trucks lead the entry list with 21 trucks (including five SCORE TT Legend entries) in the lineup so far. SCORE Trophy Truck entries to date include defending race and series overall point champion Andy McMillin, 32, San Diego (No. 1 Chevy Silverado), Rob MacCachren, 55, Las Vegas (No. 11 Ford F-150), Tim Herbst, 57, Las Vegas/Troy Herbst, 53, Las Vegas (No. 19 Ford F-150), Robby Gordon, 51, Charlotte, N.C. (No. 77 Chevy Silverado), Larry Roeseler, 63, Boulevard, Calif. (No. 43 Toyota Tundra), Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (No. 16, Ford Raptor), Alan Ampudia, 29/Aaron Ampudia, 27, Ensenada, Mexico (No. 10 Ford Raptor), A. McMillin’s cousins Luke McMillin, 27, San Diego (No. 83 Ford F-150) and Dan McMillin, 32, San Diego (No. 23 Chevy 1500), Mike Lawrence, Banning, Calif. (No. 85 Ford F-150), Chris Miller, 46, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (No. 40 Chevy Silverado), Dave Taylor, Page, Ariz. (No. 26 Chevy Silverado), Eric Hustead, 49, St. George, Utah (No. 38, Ford F-150), Carlos Penunuri Ibarra, 39, Canada (No. 35 Chevy C1500) and Josh De Jong, San Jacinto, Calif. (No. 17 Chevy Silverado).
In SCORE TT Legend for SCORE Trophy Truck drivers 50 years and older, entries so far are Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va (No. 1L Chevy V16), Mark Winkelman, 61, Cedar Hill, Texas (No. 25L Chevy Silverado), Bobby Patton, 57, Fort Worth Texas/Robbie Pierce, 61, Alpine, Calif. (No. 20L Chevy Silverado), Jose De Jesus Flores, 57, La Paz, Mexico (No. 55L Chevy Silverado) and Jim Bult, 59, Monee, Ill. (No. 47L Dodge Ram2500).
2019 SCORE BAJA 500 CLASS WINNERS IN
Besides last year’s SCORE Baja 500 overall winner A. McMillin (SCORE Trophy Truck),  other class winners from last year who have entered the this year’s SCORE Baja 500 are Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va./Nick Vanderwey, Phoenix (SCORE TT Legend, No. 1L Chevy V16), Jeff Proctor, Glendale, Calif. (Class 7, No. 709 Honda Ridgeline), Craig Scanlon, Yorba Linda, Calif. (Pro UTV FI—No. 2931 Polaris RZR Turbo), Kaden Wells, St. George, Utah (Pro UTV NA, No. 1995 Polaris RZR XP1000), Angel Barajas, Ensenada, Mexico/Eli Yee, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 1/2-1600, No. 1600 Barajas-VW), Edward Muncey, San Diego (Baja Challenge, BC4 BTC-Subaru) and Gerardo Novelo, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 7SX—No. 740 Nissan Frontier).
Leading the motorcycle winners from last year who have entered this year’s SCORE Baja 500 are led by motorcycle overall winner Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif./Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto Unlimited—No. 1x Honda CRF450R).
Other San Felipe 2-wheel class winners entered in this race are Santiago Creel, Mexico City (Pro Moto Limited, No. 100x KTM 350XCF), Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico (Pro Moto 30—No. 370x Honda CRF450X) and Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif. (Pro Moto 50—No. 500x Yamaha YZ450FX).
Creel has entered this year as driver of record in Trophy Truck Spec and as rider of record in the Pro Moto Unlimited Class.
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 493.00-mile race course for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts began this past Saturday (Sept. 12) starting at race mile 0.11 and finishing at race mile 492.89.
The official SCORE Racer Brief, course map and GPS files are available under racer info on the SCORE website.
START ORDER/DRAWING
For all the non-qualifying classes, the starting order within each class for this race is being determined by a start order drawing, if the individual entry was received and all fees paid in full by 8 p.m. last Friday (Sept. 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, Sept. 18.
Until 5 p.m. PT on Friday (Sept. 18), walk-in 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 (Sept. 23, 24, 25) and will be given the next available start position within their respective classes.
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 had be completed by last Friday to be eligible to qualifying. Start order for qualifying will be based solely on entry order into race, by class.
Qualifying will be held on a 3.47-mile course South of San Felipe near the local airport.
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 493.00-mile race course.
With the Biosecurity Protocols 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. Popular regular SCORE announcer Rat Sult returns as host of the SCORE live streaming for this race.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Because of the significant health and safety Biosecurity 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 the East side of Mexico Federal Highway 5.
DETAILS
As required by the health and safety Biosecurity 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.
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
Andy McMillin returns 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. Back to defend in Pro Motorcycles, Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif. and his co-riders Justin Morgan, El Cajon, Calif. and Justin Jones, Murrieta, Calif. will defend their overall motorcycle title on their No. 1x Honda CRF450X, competing once again in the Pro Moto Unlimited motorcycle. Morgan was the rider of record last year.
GRAN HISTORIA
The SCORE Baja 500 is one of the top motorsports events in the world. It was started originally in 1969 by the NORRA organization.
With tremendous assistance from Ensenada tourism advocate Nico Saad, Mickey Thompson and his fledgling 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.
Prior to this year, only four times has the race not been held in Ensenada at all. Because of continuing friction between the government and land owners, Sal Fish moved the 1984 race to the desert near Barstow, Calif., USA and again in 1989 for the same reason Fish moved the race to San Felipe.
With no spectators allowed because of the Biosecurity Protocols, this year’s race will start and finish at the El Dorado Ranch resort in San Felipe.
While this will be just the second time for the SCORE Baja 500 to be held in San Felipe, the SCORE San Felipe 250, which was not held in 2020 because of the pandemic, has been held in San Felipe for 32 of its 33-year history.
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.#scorebaja500.

BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500,
presented by 4 Wheel Parts

(Numerical, before Drawing)

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (21)
(Numerical, Before Qualifying)
1 Andy McMillin
*5L Clyde Stacy
10 Alan Ampudia
11 Rob MacCachren
16 Cameron Steele
17 Josh de Jong
19 Tim Herbst
*20L Bobby Patton
23 Dan McMillin
*25L Mark Winkelman
26 Dave Taylor
35 Carlos Penunuri Ibarra
38 Eric Hustead
40 Chris Miller
41 Justin Lofton
43 Larry Roeseler
*47L Jim Bult
*55L Jose de Jesus Flores
77 Robby Gordon
83 Luke McMillin
85 Mike Lawrence
*SCORE TT LEGEND
CLASS 1 (8)
(Numerical, Before Qualifying)
103 Gabriel Torres
114 Al Torres
121 Rodimiro Amaya
123 Broc Dickerson
127 Cody Parkhouse
162 Brendan Gaughan
163 Ruben Torres
179 Mario Fuentes
TROPHY TRUCK SPEC (9)
(Numerical, Before Qualifying)
210 Ted Moncure
211 Pat Sims
225 John McNeil
241 Chase Laven
260 Santiago Creel
264 Pierce Herbst
285 Clay Lawrence
294 Vincent Munoz
295 William Hedrick Jr
CLASS 10 (8)
1000 Hiram Duran
1001 Oliver Flemate
1006 Freddie Willert
1013 Harley Meservey
1051 Adam Gonzalez
1078 Augie Cortez
1087 Ivan Tagle
1088 Chase Warren
PRO UTV FI (17)
2910 Scott Trafton
2914 Martin Christensen
2917 Jason Murray
2918 Justin Lambert
2920 Roberto Ruiz
2927 Justin Smith
2930 Sean Cook
2931 Craig Scanlon
2940 Erick Korzin
2948 Matthew Burroughs
2974 Jorge Cano
2975 Mike Cafro
2977 Justin Elenberg
2978 Jose Juarez
2989 Wes Miller
2999 Bob Jablonsky
2971 Wayne Matlock -RS
SCORE LITES (6)
1201 Mario Alcala
1205 Miguel Cortez
1211 Oscar R. Alvarez
1218 Gustavo Pinuelas
1229 Douglas Satterfield -RS
1247 Wes McKenzie
PRO UTV NA (6)
1911 Scott Bergen
1912 Rickey Arslanian
1938 Kolton Hustead
1954 Kristen Matlock -RS
1957 Joe Bolton
1995 Travis Wells
CLASS 1/2-1600 (3)
1616 Eli Yee
1662 Julie Boyer
1696 Chris Racan
PRO UTV STOCK (4)
3930 Douglas Cornwell
3933 Randy Emberton
3955 Mike Cafro
3957 Torey Rush
CLASS 8 (1)
828 Jesus Beltrones
CLASS 7 (3)
700 Daniel Chamlee
709 Jeff Proctor
713 Mario Murillo Jr
CLASS 1700 (1)
1755 Bruce Gevenden
HAMMER TRUCK UNLTD (1)
4421 Mike Hales-RS
PRO UTV UNLIMITED (6)
1850 Jesus Mendez Jr
1851 Herman Johnson
1855 Blade Hildebrand
1869 Mike Lesle
1893 Eliott Watson
1894 Christopher Polvoorde
CLASS 5 (1)
500 Gerardo Ibarra-RS
CLASS 3 (1)
313 David Orzolek
CLASS 5-1600 (0)
BAJA CHALLENGE (1)
BC4 Edward Muncey
CLASS 7F (2)
714F Justin Park
720F Doug Siewert
CLASS 7SX (2)
742 Brandt Anderson
741 Gerardo Novelo -RS
CLASS 11 (2)
1108 Luis F. Garcia
1147 Francisco Valdez

SPT UNLTD TRUCK (1)
1404 Jessalyn Sells
SPT OPEN-WHEEL (1)
1501 Christian Courtney

PRO MOTO UNLIMITED (3)
1x Mark Samuels
5x Colton Udall
66x Santiago Creel
PRO MOTO 30 (1)
370x Francisco Septien
PRO MOTO LIMITED (2)
121x Ana Rivas
180x Fernando Beltran
PRO MOTO 50 (3)
500x Giovanni Spinali
514x Lawrence Janesky
522x Vance Kennedy
PRO MOTO 40 (0)
PRO MOTO IRONMAN (1)
725x Juan Carlos Salvatierra

Pro Quad (2)
1a Adolfo Arellano
37a Ricardo Villafana

SPT M/C (5)
201x Bradley Loveday
203x Giovanni Aviles
212x Carlos Silva
213x Scott Borden
299x Shane Redline
SPT QUAD (7)
1XXa Imanol Gormez Fierro
105a Francisco Valle
112a Daniel Gaytan
114a Luis Ortega
119a Estevan Ramirez
123a Hector Camacho
129a Sergio Gutierrez