PJ, Dickerson, Hagle new entries for SCORE Baja 500

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com
May 16, 2022
Race week—June 1-5

BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500,
presented by 4 Wheel Parts
PJ Jones, Sampietro, Dickerson, Hagle Brothers,
Schueler, Creel, Christensen, all adds to entry list

 

ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico –PJ Jones, Jorge Sampietro, son/father duo Broc and Jeff Dickerson, brothers tandem Ben and Ethan Hagle, Brandon Schueler, Santiago Creel and Martin Christensen are among the latest new entries 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 Jones in Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction), Sampietro in Trophy Truck Spec, the Dickersons in SCORE Trophy Truck, the Hagle Brothers in Class 10, Schueler/Cayden MacCachren in Pro UTV FI, Creel in Pro UTV FI and Christensen in Class 10.
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 201 total entries from 28 U.S. States, U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico and 12 countries. Joining the USA in the field so far are racers from host country Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, 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.
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.
SCORE LIVE
There will be extensive SCORE live streaming coverage from pre-race contingency (June 3) and the start/finish line compound broadcasting the start, live action around the course and finish line interviews.
Popular Rat Sult is in his seventh year as primary host of the SCORE live streaming which will also air on the new SCORE TV app. Sult will be assisted again by the veteran voice Dave Arnold.
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.
DOUBLE DIGITS
The race includes 33 entries to date in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division (Including six SCORE TT Legend vehicles for SCORE Trophy-Truck drivers over 50 years old), the marquee racing division for high-tech, 1000-horsepower unlimited custom trucks.
Besides SCORE Trophy Truck, the other Pro four-wheel classes with double figure entries to date and their totals are Trophy Truck Spec with 24 entries, Pro UTV FI with 20 entries, and Class 10 (18).
Among two-wheel classes, leading the entry count so far is Pro Motorcycle Ironman (solo riders) with nine entries.
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.
ANOTHER JONES
Son of a legend, PJ Jones has carved his own niche as a race-car driver while racing in the shadow of his very famous father Parnelli Jones, a former Indy 500 and SCORE Baja 1000 winner. The younger Jones races in the Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) class.
PJ Jones, 52, lives in Cave Creek, Arizona and his driving career includes multiple disciplines of motorsports including NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, American Le Mans Series, USAC, the Chili Bowl and Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks.
A regular in SCORE Baja racing, he owns PJ’s Performance in Scottsdale, Ariz. In San Felipe PJ Jones will be the driver of record in the No. 2998 Can-Am X3.
In the San Felipe 2022 season opener, PJ Jones finished on the podium in third place out of 29 starters in his class.  Jones splits the driving with Kyle Vestermark, 51, Aliso Viejo, Calif.
SAMPIETRO
Another of Mexico’s many hometown heroes, Jorge Sampietro, 31, Ensenada, Mexico, has entered to race again in the Trophy Truck Spec class.  He is driver of rector in the No. 297 Mason-Chevy and his co-driver is again SCORE champion racer Santiago Creel, 34, Mexico City.
The pair won the Trophy Truck Spec with Creel as DOR in the 2020 SCORE Baja 500 and the pair finished ninth in last year’s race.
This year Sampietro and Creel opened the season with a seventh place finish out of a race-high 36 starters in Trophy Truck Spec.
SON/FATHER TANDEM
From Brawley, Calif. and both former SCORE class season point champions, racing for the first time together in SCORE Trophy Truck after many successful years in the unlimited Class 1 with be Broc Dickerson and his father Jeff Dickerson.
Broc Dickerson, 21, and his dad Jeff Dickerson, 46, will share the driving duties in their team’s No. 34 Ford Raptor built by TSCO.
Like most SCORE desert racers, the Dickersons started SCORE racing at a young age and have raced in a number of classes in their careers. Broc Dickerson won the 2017 SCORE Class 10 season point title and Jeff Dickerson won the Class 20 Motorcycle class championship in 1991.
Together, the Dickersons opened the 2022 season with a 19th place finish out of 34 starters in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck class.
HAGLE BROS
They’re back! The Hagle brothers return as the reigning Class 10 season point champions in the SCORE World Desert Championship.
Ben Hagle is DOR this year.
Ethan Hagle, 29, Somis, Calif. and his brother Ben Hagle, 32, Somis, Calif., won Class 10 last year paired up for driving duties and won the last two races of the year to win their class and finished 10th in the 2021 SCORE Overall point standings. The brothers also won the 2021 Open Wheel Overall season point title. While Ethan Hagle was the driver of record last year, Ben is the DOR this season.
In the 2022 SCORE San Felipe 250 to open the season, the Hagle brothers finished fourth out of 19 starters in Class 10, splitting the wheel time in their No. 1000 Hagle Lumber Alumi Craft-Chevy.
In last year’s SCORE Baja 500, the Hagle brothers finished 10th out of 22 starters in Class 10 on their road to the season championship.
SCHUELER/MacCACHREN
One of the top UTV teams in the SCORE World Desert Championship is the second-year team of Brandon Schueler, 33, Phoenix and Cayden MacCachren, 19, Las Vegas.
The pair splits the driving in the No. 2919 Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo S. They finished eighth out of 29 starters in this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250.
They also finished third out of 30 starters in Pro UTV FI in last year’s SCORE Baja 500.
In their first race as a team, Schueler/MacCachren won the Pro UTV FI class at last year’s SCORE San Felipe 250.
They also finished their ‘rookie’ season as a team by finishing third in the 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship point standings in the Pro UTV FI class.
In the early years of UTV competition classes in SCORE, Schueler won the 2015 SCORE Class 19 season point championship for Naturally Aspirated UTVs. Schueler has earned six prestigious Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards, presented by VP Racing Fuels. The award is presented annually to every racer who completes every required race mile for that season.
The youthful MacCachren, son of Rob MacCachren, the legendary G.O.A.T. of off-road racing, was voted as the 2021 SCORE Rookie of the Year as he begins to emerge from the giant shadow cast by his famous father.
CREEL COMPLIMENTS
Mexico’s international motorcycle rally racer and prominent businessman, Santiago Creel, 35, of Mexico City, won two 2019 motorcycle class point titles and became the first racer to earn three Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards, presented by VP Racing Fuels, in the same season.
In just six seasons competing in the SCORE World Desert Championship, Creel has won five motorcycle season class point championships (2017, 20018, 2019(2), 2020).
Overall Creel has also now won eight total SCORE Milestone Awards.
While he has entered in three or four classes in many races over his tenure in SCORE Baja racing, Creel is racing this year in both the Trophy Truck Spec and the Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) classes. He is the second driver in Trophy Truck Spec for Jorge Sampietro (No. 297 Mason-Chevy) and the DOR in the Pro UTV FI class in his No. 2966 Monkey Business Racing Can-Am Turbo XRC RR.
Creel has two SCORE Baja 500 class wins, 2019 in Pro Moto Limited, 2020 in Trophy Truck Spec.
In last year’s SCORE Baja 500, Creel finished ninth in Trophy Truck Spec with Sampietro.
In this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250 in Pro UTV FI Creel finished 22nd out of 29 starters and seventh out of a race-high 36 starters in Trophy Truck Spec.
GREAT DANE
With roots in his native Denmark, Martin Christensen, 53, Escondido, Calif. is returning for an appearance once again in a SCORE Baja race.
A reputable San Diego County businessman, Christensen has raced in several classes in his long SCORE career including SCORE Trophy Truck, Class 1, Class 10 and Class 9.
In SCORE Trophy Truck and in Class 1, he raced in competitive BMW-powered vehicles with World Rally Championship race winner Armin Schwarz of Germany.
For many years a regular SCORE racer, Christensen no longer races on a regular because of his significant other daily commitments.  Early in his SCORE racing career, Christensen earned three coveted SCORE season point championships 1998, 2002, 2003.
He also has one SCORE Baja 500 class victory in 1998 in Class 9.
For this year’s SCORE Baja 500, Christensen is driver of record for his No. 1050 All-German Auto ID-Chevy with San Diego’s Mark Smith listed as his additional driver.
Christensen has earned two career SCORE Milestone Awards, 1998 in Class 9 and 2006 in Class 1.
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).
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.
The legendary Stewart has been inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (2006), the San Diego Hall of Champions Breitbard Hall of Fame (2009) and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2020).
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 (2)
500x Giovanni Spinali
522x Vance Kennedy
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
750x Brandon Wright
778x Aaron McDowell
785x Fabricio Fuentes
748x Guillermo HaleBolio-2nd RS
760x Adam Rachac-1st RS

Pro Quad (4)
1a Ricardo Villafana
5a Steven Lopez
7a Luis Ernesto Villafana
27a Carlos Napoles

SPT M/C (6)
214x David Navarro
217x Dustin Davis
218x Christian Espinoza
237x Fermin Vargas
245x Filiberto Garcia
246x Chael Pável Avilez Urcadiz
SPT QUAD (5)
105a Francisco Valle
111a Fidel Gonzalez
122a Samir Garciayala Coy
130a Nakul Nacul Hernandez
133a Julian Zepeda