SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominic@SCORE-International.com
February 1, 2021
Show airing on website, You Tube

BFGoodrich Tires, Baja Gov. Bonilla, Burroughs, McMillins
C. Parkhouse, Salvatierra winners at  2020 SCORE Awards

    ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—BFGoodrich Tires, Baja California Governor Jamie Bonilla, Matt Burroughs, Luke McMillin, Cody Parkhouse and Juan Carlos Salvatierra were all major winners Sunday night as SCORE International officially concluded the 2020 SCORE World Desert Champioship with its first-ever recorded SCORE Awards Night airing on the SCORE website and through the SCORE social media platforms.
The SCORE Awards show remains available on the SCORE website at www.SCORE-International.com, the SCORE You Tube channel and the SCORE facebook page.
The 41-page digital event commemorative program previews the show and salutes the 2020 SCORE point champions in text, images and embedded videos. It is available on the SCORE website and at this direct link 2020SCOREAwardsNightdigitalprogram.
SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year awards were officially presented in 14 categories along with the 43 winners of the Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards, presented by VP Racing Fuels, as well as the overall and class point champions of the pandemic-abbreviate two-race 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship.
The streamed event, with the gregarious Rat Sult as the host once again, was also a celebration of 47 years of SCORE championship desert racing.
“We want to sincerely acknowledge the support, assistance and sacrifices made by family members, friends and sponsors--because without their support, the accomplishments of our racers in the series would not have been possible,” commented Jim Ryan, SCORE Marketing and Sales Director. “Becoming a SCORE overall or class point champion, winning a coveted SCORE Off-Roadsman Award or a Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Award, presented by VP Racing Fuels, are all achievements of the highest degree in our beloved sport.”
SCORE PERSON OF THE YEAR
SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva and SCORE General Manager Juan Tintos Funcke teamed up to honor Baja California State Governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez as the 2020 SCORE Person of the Year.
Working closely with SCORE in all of 2020 Governor Bonilla provided the leadership in the overall effort to see that SCORE was able to at least hold its iconic SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000 races in Baja California last year.
“Fortunately for SCORE, we had a tremendous ally in Gov. Bonilla who helped us through some very tough times in 2020,” commented Tintos Funcke. “He is an ally we first met a few years ago as a representative of the President of Mexico in Baja California and then as a Mexico Federal Congressman and then Federal Senator from Baja California. Even back then he was already a great SCORE supporter and that support grew even more in 2020.”
Governor Bonilla became Governor in November 2019 but his history with SCORE obviously transcends many years. A prominent entrepreneur as well, Bonilla, who was born in Tijuana, has owned several radio and television stations in both Tijuana and Ensenada. He started his journalism career in 1984 as the director general and columnist of the Diario de Baja California newspaper.
BFGOODRICH TIRES ROLLS
BFGoodrich Tires, the official tire of SCORE for 45 years, received two awards. BFGoodrich Tires was honored as the SCORE Contingency Company of the year for the 30th time as well as being voted the SCORE Pit Support Team of the Year for the 32nd time.
BFGoodrich Tires has been the choice of 33 of the 52 overall winners of the popular SCORE Baja 500 and 31 of the 53 overall winners of the iconic SCORE Baja 1000. BFGoodrich Tires also was the title sponsor of both of the iconic races again in 2020.
SCORE ROOKIE
Second generation SCORE desert racer Eliott Watson, 20, of El Centro, Calif. was voted the 2020 SCORE Rookie of the Year.
With just two races on his SCORE resume, Watson drove the new No. 1893 Honda Talon 1000R Turbo UTV. In his first SCORE race as driver of record, Watson finished second in his class in last September’s SCORE Baja 500 before winning his growing class at last year’s SCORE Baja 1000.
Tom Watson, Eliott’s father, had a winning career in SCORE desert racing, teaming with Tim Noe to win the SCORE Lites season point championship for four consecutive years (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007).
Watson started his short-course racing career at age 10, and as time went on, he took on management roles on his team, shouldering sponsorship and engineering responsibilities. He won his class again this season in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Series, winning eight of 10 races.
He is part of the factory-backed Honda Off-Road Racing Team led by Class 7 racer Jeff Proctor
Eliott Watson now joins previous winners of the SCORE top rookie award like Bekki Freeman-Wik, Frank Vessels, Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Johnson, Robby Gordon, John Herder, Andy McMillin, Brian Wilson, Luke McMillin, Bryce Menzies, Tony Gera, Carlos ‘Apdaly’ Lopez, Broc Dickerson, A.J. Jones, Liz Karcz and Chad Broughton.
SCORE OFF-ROADSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The SCORE Off-Roadsman awards were determined by online vote of SCORE members as well as the general public. Among the other honorees were the class point champions and top class point leaders from the pandemic-abbreviated two-race 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.
BURROUGHS OVERALL
A senior vice-president of Monster Energy and winner of his Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) class at the SCORE Baja 500 for his first SCORE race victory, Matt Burroughs, 51, Norco, Calif., also won the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship Overall point championship. He finished second in his class at the SCORE Baja 1000 to secure the title.
Burroughs, who joined the Can-Am factory UTV team in 2017, split the driving in 2020 with Bradley Howe, Leona Valley, Calif. and Mitchell Alsup, Bakersfield, Calif. in the No. 2948 Can-Am X3 Turbo UTV.
MCMILLIN MAGNIFICENCE
Second in SCORE overall points and winning his first SCORE Trophy Truck season point title was San Diego’s Luke McMillin, 27, in his No. 83 McMillin Racing Racer-built Ford F-150. Luke McMillin was also the 2020 SCORE Overall Truck point champion as well.
The youngest of the legendary three-generation Big Blue M racing machine, Luke McMillin, drove solo to a third-place finish in the 52nd SCORE Baja 500 and capped his championship season by teaming with Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer Larry ‘Mr. Baja’ Roeseler to win the season-ending 53rd SCORE Baja 1000.
It was Luke McMillin’s first SCORE overall race win and the race-record 14th for the legendary Roeseler, 63, Boulevard, Calif. It was also first career SCORE Trophy Truck race win for Luke McMillin and the fourth in SCORE Trophy Truck for Roeseler.
It was his third career SCORE class season point championship for Luke McMillin, his first two being in 2010 and 2011 in Class 1/2-1600.
MORE MCMILLIN WINNERS
McMillin Racing was also voted the winners of three SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year Awards as Rogelio Pereira was selected the SCORE Mechanic of the Year, Chris Olimon was picked as the SCORE Team Manager of the Year and Caleb Norman chosen the SCORE Videographer of the Year. It was the first selection for all three winners.
PARKHOUSE PATROL
With help from his co-driving father Brian, Cody Parkhouse, 33, Long Beach, Calif., earned his third career unlimited Class 1 point and his first SCORE Overall Open Wheel point title in the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Cody Parkhouse, who won his first two titles in 2012 and 2013, split the driving this year with his father Brian, 60, in their No. 127 Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car.
The son/father duo won their class in both races to earn their title the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship. They also finished fourth in overall points for the season.
SALVATIERRA SAGA
Winning his brutally tough Pro Moto Ironman class for solo riders in both 2020 races, Bolivia’s SCORE rookie Juan Carlos Salvatierra also earned the 2020 SCORE Overall Motorcycle point championship on his No. 725x KTM 500EXCF motorcycle. Overall, he rode solo on two wheels for 1,291.40 miles.
Salvatierra, 39, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, has raced nine years in the Dakar Rally.
He rode solo on the No. 725x motorcycle in the 53rd SCORE Baja 1000 to a winning tedious time of 33 hours, 36 minutes, 49 seconds over the brutally-tough 898.40-mile race course.
SCORE MANUFACTURER POINTS
Manufacturer point titles won were led by Robbie Pierce's Jimco Racing, winners of the 2020 SCORE Original Open-Wheel Chassis Manufacturer point championship. Based in Santee, Calif., Jimco Racing vehicles were among the top finishers in several SCORE classes in 2020 including the top spots in the unlimited Class 1 and SCORE Lites. It was a record 25th SCORE manufacturer's point title for the company that was opened in 1975 by the Julson family and was purchased by Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Famer Pierce in 2018.
Founded in 1995, Geiser Brothers Design and Development of Phoenix won the SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer season point title for the sixth straight year.
After another banner year in the SCORE World Desert Championship in 2020, Kevin Kroyer's Kroyer Racing Engines of Las Vegas captured the 2020 SCORE Engine Builder point championship for the seventh time in the last 11 years..
KTM won the SCORE Motorcyle Manufacturer of the Year point title for the fifth time.
In the sixth year decided by points, Polaris Industries won the 2020 SCORE UTV Manufacturer of the Year points for the sixth straight year.
SCORE MILESTONE AWARDS
Another element of the diverse awards program was the presentation of the 2020 Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards, presented by VP Racing Fuels.  As it has for 35 years, the coveted SCORE Milestone Awards were presented to those drivers who finished all required miles as official finishers of the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship. A total of 43 racers completed all 1,291.40 required miles as official finishers in the pandemic-abbreviated two-race 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Since 2014 motorcycle and quad classes were eligible for the award along with the pro car, truck and UTV classes.
SCORE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
SCORE General Manager Juan Tintos Funcke presented five SCORE Special Achievement awards to Mexican officials who all orchestrated and oversaw so many details to allow SCORE to hold its two major races in 2020. Receiving the awards were Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, Mayor of Mexicali, Armando Ayala Robles, Mayor of Ensenada, Mario Jesus Escobedo Carignan, Secretary of Sustainable Ecomony and Tourism of Baja California, Dr. Alonso Oscar Perez Rico, Secretary of Health for Baja California and Dr. Aaron Urena Zaragoza, SCORE Health Consultant.
SCORE MEDIA AWARDS
Dan Sanchez, Editor of the popular SCORE Journal digital magazine during its six-year existence and SCORE race programs for the last six years, was voted for the fourth time as the SCORE Journalist of the Year, while GetSomePhoto (Art Eugenio) earned the SCORE Photographer of the Year honors for the sixth time in the last seven years.
Winning the SCORE Videographer of the Year award for the first time was Caleb Norman (McMillin Racing).
SHOW CREDITS
This very special awards show has been produced by SCORE International. Producer of the show was Aaron Laub of SCORE Media House. Host for the event was popular SCORE Live announcer Rat Sult.
Dominic Clark, longtime SCORE Media Operations Director along with SCORE Marketing and Sales Director Jim Ryan developed the script for the show.
Also providing editorial and content input were Jose A. Grijalva, SCORE President and Race Director, Juan Tintos Funcke, SCORE General Manager and Audreonna Garcia, SCORE Registration and Membership Director.
The show includes colorful videos and photographic tributes to the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship provided by racers, SCORE Live and Art Eugenio, GetSomePhoto.
SCOREstory
The original SCORE International was founded in 1973 by the late Mickey Thompson and headed by Sal Fish from 1974 until Fish sold SCORE International on Dec. 20, 2012. SCORE continues as the premier sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing. SCORE races feature classes for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads competing in the internationally-televised four-race SCORE World Desert Championship.
SCOREscope
2021 SCORE SKED
Here are the dates for the four-race 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship which will be held in Baja California, Mexico for the sixth consecutive year:
BFGoodrich Tires 34th SCORE San Felipe 250, presented by Ford—
April 14-18, San Felipe, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 53rd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
June 9-13, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
2nd SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—
September 14-19, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
November 15-20, Ensenada, Baja California to La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
ESPN TV NETWORKS AGAIN IN 2021
For the third straight year, the 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship races are airing on the ESPN family of networks. The four-races will air as specials on the World of X Games program 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.SCORE-International.com.

2020 SCORE Off-Roadsman of the Year Award Winners

2020 SCORE Mechanic of the Year—Rogelio Pereira McMillin Racing
2020 SCORE Contingency Company of the Year—BFGoodrich Tires
2020 SCORE Journalist of the Year—Dan Sanchez, SCORE Journal
2020 SCORE Photographer of the Year—Art Eugenio, GetSomePhoto
2020 SCORE Videographer of the Year—Caleb Norman, McMillin Racing
*2020 SCORE Original Open-Wheel Chassis Manufacturer of the Year—Jimco Racing (Robbie Pierce)
*2020 SCORE Engine Builder of the Year—Kroyer Racing Engines (Kevin Kroyer)
*2020 SCORE Original Truck Chassis Manufacturer of the Year—Geiser Bros (Jeff and Rick Geiser)
*2020 SCORE Motorcycle Manufacturer of the Year—KTM North America
*2020 SCORE UTV Manufacturer of the Year—Polaris Industries Off-Road
2020 SCORE Team Manager of the Year—Chris Olimon, McMillin Racing
2020 SCORE Pit Support Team of the Year—BFGoodrich Tires
2020 SCORE Rookie of the Year—Eliott Watson, Pro UTV Unlimited
2020 SCORE Person of the Year—Jaime Bonilla Valdez, Governor-State of Baja California
  *Determined by points; others-online voting

2020 SCORE Class Point Champions

PRO CARS, TRUCKS AND UTVs
SCORE TROPHY TRUCK—Luke McMillin, San Diego
SCORE TT LEGEND—Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va.
CLASS 1—Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif.
TROPHY TRUCK SPEC—Santiago Creel, Mexico City, Mexico
CLASS 10—Chase Warren, Phoenix
CLASS 7—Dan Chamlee, Montecito, Calif.
*PRO UTV FI—Matt Burroughs, Norco, Calif.
SCORE LITES—Gustavo Pinuelas, Mexicali, Mexico
PRO UTV NA—Kristen Matlock, Alpine, Calif.
CLASS 1/2-1600—Eli Yee, Tijuana, Mexico
PRO UTV STOCK—Randy Emberton, El Cajon, Calif.
HAMMER TRUCK UNLIMITED—Mike Hales, Rogers, Ark.
PRO UTV UNLIMITED—Eliott Watson, El Centro, Calif.
CLASS 5—Trey Hernquist, Encinitas, Calif.
CLASS 3—David Orzolek, Coppell, Texas
CLASS 5-1600—Cesar Iniguez, Mexicali, Mexico
BAJA CHALLENGE—Edward Muncey, San Diego
CLASS 7F—Justin Park, Encinitas, Calif.
CLASS 7SX—Brandt Anderson, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
CLASS 11—Luis F. Garcia, Mexicali, Mexico
SPORTSMAN
SPT UNLTD TRUCK—Jessalyn Sells, Sun Valley, Idaho
PRO MOTORCYCLES
PRO MOTO UNLIMITED—Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif.
PRO MOTO 30—Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico
PRO MOTO LIMITED—Fernando Beltran, Ensenada, Mexico
PRO MOTO 50—Vance Kennedy, Peoria, Ariz.
PRO MOTO IRONMAN—Juan Carlos Salvatierra, Bolivia
PRO QUADS
PRO QUAD—Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico
SPORTSMAN
SPT MOTO—Carlos Silva, Mexicali, Mexico
SPT QUAD—Imonal Gomez F., Mexicali, Mexico
*Overall Season Point Champion

2020 Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards,
presented by VP Racing Fuels

SCORE Trophy Truck (4)
Luke McMillin, San Diego
Tim Herbst, Las Vegas
Alan Ampudia, Ensenada, Mexico
Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C.
SCORE TT Legend (1)
Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Va.
Class 1 (6)
Cody Parkhouse, Long Beach, Calif.
Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas
Ruben Torres, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Mario Fuentes, El Paso, Texas
Broc Dickerson, Brawley, Calif.
Gabriel Torres, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Trophy Truck Spec (4)
Santiago Creel, Mexico City, Mexico
William Hedrick Jr, Vicente Guerrero, Mexico
Pierce Herbst, Las Vegas
Vincent Munoz, Yucaipa, Calif.
CLASS 7 (1)
Dan Chamlee, Montecito, Calif.
Pro UTV FI (4)
Matt Burroughs, Norco, Calif.
Justin Elenburg, Mesa, Ariz.
Sean Cook, Twain Harte, Calif.
Jorge Cano, Culiacan, Mexico
SCORE Lites (3)
Gustavo Pinuelas, Mexicali, Mexico
Miguel Cortez, San Diego
Doug Satterfield, San Diego
Pro UTV NA (2)
Kristen Matlock, Alpine, Calif.
Kaden Wells, St. George, Utah
Pro UTV Stock (1)
Randy Emberton, El Cajon, Calif.
Pro UTV Unlimited (1)
Eliott Watson, El Centro, Calif.
Class 5/1600 (1)
Cesar Iniguez, Mexicali, Mexico
Baja Challenge (1)
Edward Muncey, San Diego
Pro Moto Unlimited (2)
Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif.
Santiago Creel, Mexico City, Mexico
Pro Moto 30 (1)
Francisco Septien, Ensenada, Mexico
Pro Moto Limited (1)
Fernando Beltran, Ensenada, Mexico
Pro Moto 50 (2)
Vance Kennedy, Peoria, Ariz.
Giovanni Spinali, El Cajon, Calif.
Pro Moto Ironman (1)
Juan Carlos Salvatierra, Bolivia
Pro Quad (1)
Adolfo Arellano, Tijuana, Mexico
SPT M/C (3)
Carlos Silva, Mexicali, Mexico
Giovanni Aviles, Tijuana, Mexico
Scott Borden, Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Current Awards
(1974 thru 2010-voted by SCORE membership; since 2011-online voting)

SCORE ORIGINAL TRUCK
CHASSIS MANUFACTURER
(By Points)

SCORE UTV MANUFACTURER
(By Points)

SCORE ORIGINAL OPEN-WHEEL
CHASSIS MANUFACTURER