M/M Matlock, Alosi new entries--54th SCORE Baja 500

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com
May 12, 2022
Race week—June 1-5

BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500,
presented by 4 Wheel Parts
M/M Matlock, Alosi, Arjona IV, Davis, Tres Amigos,
Scanlon, Steele/Blurton all latest adds to entry list

 

ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico – Among those gifted SCORE champion racers adding their name to the entry list this week have been Wayne Matlock, his wife Kristen Matlock, Jason Alosi, Matias Arjona IV, Justin Davis, ‘Tres Amigos’-Stan Potter/Freddie Willert/Dan Worley, Craig Scanlon and the new super team of Cameron Steele/Phil Blurton/Beau Judge for next month’s BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
To be held June 1-5 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, the race will start/finish and colorful pre-race activities are returning for the first time in four years to the heart of Ensenada at the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center and the adjacent fantastically fan-friendly Boulevard Costero.
Ensenada, ‘The Off-Road Capital of the World’, is located 80 miles South of the U.S. Border near San Diego.
Entries from all across the United States and around the world are expected as online registration continues for Round 2 of the four-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship.
NEWEST ENTRIES
Among the latest additions to the entry list are SCORE Champion racers Wayne Matlock in Pro UTV Open, Kristen Matlock in Pro UTV Open, Alosi in Pro Moto Unlimited, Arjona IV in Class 10, Davis in Trophy Truck Spec, ‘Tres Amigos’ Potter, Willert and Worley in Class 10, Craig Scanlon in Pro UTV Open and Steele/Blurton/Judge in Pro UTV Open.
DETAILS
With over 250 entries expected from 30 U.S. States and 15 countries, 45 competition classes are offered for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads. To date, there are 161 total entries from 26 U.S. States, U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico and 11 countries. Joining the USA in the field so far are racers from host country Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, England, France, New Zealand and Peru.
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 ESPN2 World of X Games programming.
Domestically, the race will be televised on a delayed basis on the World of X Games show on ESPN2 as co-produced by SCORE International and award-winning BCII TV of Los Angeles. Intro announcer for the race show will be Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee and SCORE champion desert racer Cameron Steele who will again pull double duty racing in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck class as well in his No. 16 Desert Assassins Monster Energy Ford Raptor.
SCORE Live will be streaming throughout race week on the SCORE website. Colorful Rat Sult is in his seventh season as the host and lead announcer of SCORE Live. Assisting him again at this race will be veteran voice Dave Arnold.
All four 2022 SCORE races are being held on Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula for the seventh consecutive year.
SCORE, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization, is celebrating its 49th season in 2022.
ONLINE RACER ENTRY APPLICATIONS
Racer entry applications are now available at www.SCORE-International.com under Race Info on the SCORE Baja 500 page. Questions should be directed to SCORE Registration and Membership Director Eduardo Kawanishi at 775.852.8907. Online racer entry applications will be accepted through Friday, May 20.
MR. & MRS. MATLOCK
After many championship seasons and race wins driving in separate classes, Wayne Matlock and his wife Kristen Matlock, of Alpine, Calif. are entered in the same class for the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Both are racing in the Pro UTV Open class in separate (but equal) new Polaris RZR Pro R UTVs. Each vehicle has a chassis built by TSCO in El Cajon, Calif. Wayne pilots the No. 1871 Polaris RZR Pro R UTV and Kristen is behind the wheel of the No. 1854 Polaris RZR Pro R UTV.
In the SCORE Baja 500, Wayne Matlock, 44, has five career class wins (2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016) including several in quads before moving to UTV classes.
Kristen Matlock, 41, who has been racing many far less years than her husband, has earned two UTV class wins in this race (2018 and 2020) in the Pro UTV NA.
In their simultaneous debut in the Pro UTV Open class in San Felipe, Wayne Matlock was the fastest of all the UTVs in four classes including winning his class while Kristen Matlock finished in seventh place out of 10 starters in their class.
MOTO DEFENDER
After racing several times as a co-rider, Jason Alosi, 38, Reno, Nev., decided about six weeks before last year’s SCORE Baja 500 that it was time from him to ‘to do my own thing’. His immediate result was extremely promising as he and his team were the overall motorcycle and Pro Moto Unlimited winners in last year’s SCORE Baja 500.
His team for this year’s SCORE Baja 500 includes Ray Dal Soglio, 31, Temecula, Calif. and Irving Powers, 32, Dayton, Nev. This year’s team will again ride the No. 4x Husqvarna FE501 in Pro Moto Unlimited. Alosi opened this season with a second-place finish in the Pro Moto Unlimited class.
Alosi has accomplished his first goal as rider of record to “be taken seriously as a SCORE racer in Baja.”
TEAM ARJONA
Another of the plethora of SCORE family of racers, Matias Arjona IV, 22 of San Diego and his father Matias Arjona III, 57 of Ensenada, Mexico, have been a formidable team in SCORE Baja racing for several years.
After winning the SCORE Lites classes in both the 2019 and the 2021 SCORE Baja 500, Team Arjona moved to Class 10 for this year.
To open the 2022 season, Matias Arjona IV and his father finished ninth out of 19 starters in Class 10 in the SCORE San Felipe 250.
This year they are splitting the driving in their No. 1002 Team Arjona Alumi Craft-Chevy.
THE GREEN ARMY
Justin Davis, 28, of Chino Hills, Calif., is leading the Green Army back again into Baja as the driver of the No. 258 Green Army Motorsports Brenthel-Chevy in the Trophy Truck Spec class.
A race winner and a season point champion in several different SCORE racing classes, Davis, a second-generation SCORE desert racer, has two career Class 1 wins in the SCORE Baja 500 (2018, 2019) and two SCORE season class point championships (2010, 2011).
He had a rare DNF is the San Felipe 2022 season opener.
TRES AMIGOS
Class 10 Stan Potter, 60, San Marcos, Calif., Freddie Willert, 54, El Cajon, Calif, Dan Worley, 62, Encinitas, Calif., Alumi Craft-Chevy
Definitely a trio with a multitude of years of SCORE Baja racing experience with a combined 176 years in age between them, ‘Tres Amigos’ San Potter, 60, San Marcos, Calif. is driver of record this year and his additional compadres Freddie Willert, 54, El Cajon, Calif. and Dan Worley, 62, Encinitas, Calif. moved up to Class 10 in 2020 after winning the SCORE Lite season point title in 2019.
After several years away from the sport, the trio returned full-time in 2017 and finished seventh in the SCORE Lite points with one race win. In 2018, the talented trio finished fourth in the SCORE Lite points before last year’s championship season in SCORE Lite where they won the SCORE San Felipe 250, the SCORE Baja 400 and the SCORE Baja 1000.
With the team’s Jimco-VW race car sitting quietly for nearly a decade, the team actually won their class (SCORE Lites) in the 50th SCORE Baja 1000 in 2017.
All three of them have raced in several different SCORE classes over the years and Worley won the 1992 Pro Moto 30 season points.
‘Tres Amigos’ moved up to Class 10 where they split the driving in their No. 1006 Alumi Craft-Chevy, which is shod with BFGoodrich Tires, King Shocks and Raceline Wheels.
Matt Willert, the 17-year old son of Freddie Willert, will make his SCORE racing debut in this year’s race, driving the No. 1606 Bunderson-VW in Class 1/2-1600.
SCANLON WANTS MORE
Automotive industry key executive Craig Scanlon, 48, Orange, Calif., currently with 4 Wheel Parts, has moved to the Pro UTV Open class in his No. 1831 4 Wheel Parts Polaris RZR Turbo.
His teammate who will drive once again is Keith Redstrom, 54, Glendale, Ariz.
The pair won the Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) class in the 2019 SCORE Baja 500 for their only SCORE race win to date.
NEW DESERT ASSASSINS
As if he wasn’t having enough fun as driver of record for the No. 16 SCORE Trophy Truck, Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Cameron Steele, 54, San Clemente, Calif., will also be the DOR for the No. 1828 Monster Energy Can-Am X3 in the Pro UTV Open class.
Steele is also the intro announcer for the SCORE TV show for the race. He has picked up two superstars for his Desert Assassins team for this race in Pro UTV Open.
Sharing the wheel time with Steele in the Pro UTV Open vehicle will be the super team of Phil Blurton, 36, Auburn, Calif. and Beau Judge, 45, Rockland, Calif.
Climbing the ladder race-by-race, noted Northern California racer and businessman Phil Blurton enjoyed his first season competing full-time in SCORE last year by winning the SCORE Overall, SCORE UTV overall and Pro UTV FI class point championships in the 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship.
In 2021, starting cautiously with a fourth place in class in the season opener, Blurton and his driving teammate Judge finished in second place in each of the next two races and culminated their championship campaign by winning their class in the season-ending legendary SCORE Baja 1000 to earn their season crowns.
START ORDER/DRAW DEADLINE
The starting order within each class for this race is being determined by the individual finishes at this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250, if the individual entry is received and all fees paid in full by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 20.
All entries received and paid in full by May 20 who didn’t race in San Felipe, will be part of a drawing to determine the remainder of the start order within each class. The draw results will be posted on the SCORE website at 5 p.m. PT on Friday, May 27.
Up until and 5 p.m. PT on May 27, entries will be accepted in person at the SCORE Ensenada office but those entries received after May 20 will not be in the start draw. Late, on-site racer registration will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (June 1-3) and will be given the next available start position within their respective classes.
All entries received after 5 p.m. PT on Friday, May 20 will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes.
ON-SITE RACER REGISTRATION
Being held in the Salon Rojo at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada, regular on-site and late racer registration will be held on Wednesday (June 1) from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT, on Thursday (June 2) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT and on Friday (June 3) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No new entries will be accepted after 7 p.m. on Wednesday (June 1), 3 p.m. PT on Thursday (June 2) and 3 p.m. PT on Friday (June 3).
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 463.72-mile race course for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts will begin at 8 a.m. PT on Saturday, May 21 starting at race mile 33.82 and finishing at race mile 430.78. The section from the start to rm33.82 section will be open only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Thursday (June 2) Outbound ONLY and Friday (June 3) Inbound ONLY.
The official SCORE Racer Brief, Penalty brief, course map and GPS files will be available by 8 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 19 on the SCORE website under race info/SCORE Baja 500.
COURSE PREVIEW
With pre-running opening on Saturday, May 21 for the BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts, SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva has put together another memorable race course to challenge the world’s best desert racers. The final distance is 463.72 miles.
It will be starting and finishing for the first time in four years (since 2018) on fan-friendly Blvd. Costero adjacent to the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada. Contingency will also be held on Blvd. Costero on Friday, June 3 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.
The course will run in a clockwise direction out of and back to the start/finish in Ensenada, traveling through such noted areas as Cordillera de Molina, Coabuso, La Ventana, Chinero, Mikes Sky Ranch, La Lagrima and Ojos Negros.
The course will have two complete stop physical checkpoints, 175 total virtual checkpoints and 10 speed zones for a total of 34.59 miles.
Checkpoint 1 will be located at race mile 240.07 (San Matias Pass) and Checkpoint 2 will be at rm360.64 (El Alamo access road).
All Sportsman classes, Class 11 and Class 7SX will run a reduced course of a total of 452.92 miles.
GREEN FLAG—JUNE 4
The motorcycle and quad classes will start at 4 a.m. PT Saturday (June 4) while the car, truck and UTV classes will begin their journey starting at 9 a.m. PT. SCORE Trophy Truck, TT Legend, Class 1, Trophy Truck Spec and the Pro Moto Unlimited classes will start one vehicle every 60 seconds race while all other classes will start one every 30 seconds.
While the fastest vehicles in the elapsed-time race are expected to finish in approximately nine hours, all vehicles will have 20 hours from the time each starts to become an official finisher in the historic race.
GRAND MARSHAL: ‘IRONMAN’
When it comes to desert racing there is only one ‘Ironman’ standing at the top of the list of solo drivers/riders. San Diego’s iconic Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart has accepted SCORE’s invitation to be the Grand Marshal for the upcoming BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
The legendary ‘Ironman’ will be celebrating his 77th birthday on June 4, the day that this year’s SCORE Baja 500 will start. Being the Grand Marshal is just some more icing on his championship cake.
Racing since 1973, Stewart, who retired in 2000, joined the Toyota factory team in 1983 for Cal Wells at Precision Preparation Inc. (PPI). He had a total of 84 career off-road race victories in stadium, short course and desert.
GRAN HISTORIA
This year’s SCORE World Desert Championship includes another special tribute to the iconic SCORE Baja 500.
The SCORE Baja 500 is one of the top motorsports events in the world. It was started originally in 1969 by the NORRA organization. After NORRA was removed from Baja after the 1972 race, the local Baja Sports Committee produced the 1973 event. 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 nearly 160 SCORE Baja races.
This year’s SCORE Baja 500 will start for the 48th time in Ensenada and finish for the 44th time in Ensenada.
BFGOODRICH TIRES UNMATCHED
BFGoodrich Tires, the official tire of SCORE for 46 years, received two awards for the 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship. BFGoodrich Tires was honored after the 2021 season as the SCORE Contingency Company of the year for the 31st time as well as being voted the SCORE Pit Support Team of the Year for the 33rd time.
BFGoodrich Tires has been the choice of 34 of the 53 overall winners of the popular SCORE Baja 500 and 32 of the 54 overall winners of the legendary SCORE Baja 1000. BFGoodrich Tires is also the title sponsor of both of the iconic races again in 2022.
BFGoodrich Tires also has been the choice of 29 of the 35 overall winners of the SCORE San Felipe 250, all three SCORE Desert Challenge races, the lone SCORE Challenge of Champions in San Felipe, the one SCORE Baja Sur 500 and one of the two overall winners in the SCORE Baja 400.
This year’s SCORE San Felipe 250 overall victory by San Diego’s Luke McMillin marked the 100th BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja overall race win.
BFGoodrich Tires has posted a contingency bonus for the overall winner of this race of US$20,000.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Presenting sponsor for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500 is 4 Wheel Parts, the Official Off-Road Retailer and Race Presenting Partner of SCORE and the SCORE World Desert Championship.
SCOREscope
2022 SCHEDULE
Here are the remaining three dates in the four-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship which is being held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the seventh consecutive year:
BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
June 1-5, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
3rd SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—
September 13-18, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
November 15-20, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
ESPN TV NETWORKS AGAIN IN 2022
For the fourth straight year, the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship races will air 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 journalists Sam Posey and Jack Arute.
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 and Race Title Sponsor, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, RACELINE Wheels-Official Wheel, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel and race presenting sponsor, Optima Batteries-Official Batteries, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino and PCI Race Radios.
SCORE Official Partners: The Satellite Phone Store, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, Lucerna Hotel.
Additional SCORE Associate Partners: Baja California Secretary of Tourism, MEXICO Secretary of Tourism, San Felipe Foundational Municipal Council, Ensenada Municipal Government, San Felipe Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Marketing Tourism Committee, Ensenada Hotel and Motel Association, Proturismo Ensenada and Cruz Roja Mexicana.
For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.

BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500,
presented by 4 Wheel Parts
Round 2 of four-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship

PRO MOTO UNLIMITED (4)
4x Jason Alosi
10x Juan Carlos Salvatierra
19x Drew Watson
69x Oliver Gamez
PRO MOTO 30 (2)
325x Jano Montoya
332x Jack Lundin
PRO MOTO LIMITED (3)
103x Giovanni Aviles
122x Ignacio Laviosa
180x Fernando Beltran
PRO MOTO 50 (1)
500x Giovanni Spinali
PRO MOTO 40 (6)
400x Ryan Liebelt
401x James Avery
415x Brad Baker (ROR-Quinn Cody)
419x Jacob Nieder
432x Brad White
441x Alirio Amado
PRO MOTO IRONMAN (9)
712x Eddie Meek
733x Paul Hart
739x Aaron Richardson
740x Carlos Cardenas
748x Guillermo Hale Bolio
750x Brandon Wright
760x Adam Rachac
778x Aaron McDowell
785x Fabricio Fuentes

Pro Quad (4)
5a Steven Lopez
7a Luis Ernesto Villafana
11a Danny Magdaleno
27a Carlos Napoles

SPT M/C (5)
214x David Navarro
218x Christian Espinoza
237x Fermin Vargas
245x Filiberto Garcia
246x Chael Pável Avilez Urcadiz
SPT QUAD (4)
105a Francisco Valle
122a Samir Garciayala Coy
130a Nakul Nacul Hernandez
133a Julian Zepeda