SCORE Latest News
2023 SCORE 50th Anniversary Season Announced
Celebrating 50 years of Desert Racing Excellence…
SCORE International—The World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization
SCORE announces four races in Baja California, B.C. Sur
for Golden 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship
Four-race series for Cars, Trucks, UTVs, Motorcycles, Quads all SCORE Baja races,
Season grand finale—2023 BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
Peninsula Race—Starting for the first time in La Paz, B.C. Sur, finishing in Ensenada
ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico— August 5, 2022 Celebrating five decades of Desert Racing Excellence next year, SCORE International released today its four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Champion Golden Anniversary schedule.
Continuing to innovate and create an increasing variety of opportunities, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula will again host the official four-race schedule for the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Featuring all four races on the Baja Mexico peninsula for the eighth consecutive year in the storied history of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization, race coverage will air domestically as well as being syndicated internationally. SCORE will celebrate its 50th desert-racing season in 2023.
Here is the direct link to the official 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship race schedule… https://score-international.com/raceinfo/2023-score-race-schedule/
While the season-opener will once again be in San Felipe, the two of other three events on the 2023 calendar will start and finish in Ensenada, the off-road capital of the world while the golden grand finale of the season will start in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico and finish in Ensenada, Baja California.
LONG HISTORY
SCORE Baja desert racing officially began on July 26, 1974 with the SCORE Baja Internacional which later became the SCORE Baja 500. SCORE was founded in August, 1973 by the legendary late Mickey Thompson with the SCORE World Championship short-course event at the old Riverside International Raceway.
SCORE was then owned and run for over 38 years by the iconic Sal Fish, considered by many as the godfather of desert racing around the world. Fish sold SCORE on Dec. 12, 2012 to Roger and Elise Norman.
The Normans continue today developing SCORE marketing and Sponsor programs with Abelardo Grijalva as SCORE President/Race Director, Juan Tintos Funcke as the SCORE General Manager and Jim Ryan as the Vice-President of Marketing and Sales.
SCORE’s first desert race was the SCORE Parker 400 in early 1974. It included one lap on the California side of the Colorado River, a transit and two laps around the Arizona side of the Colorado.
Over the many years, SCORE has produced many races no longer on the annual schedule, both in the U.S. and Mexico. The foundation of SCORE Baja racing has been the SCORE Triple Crown of Baja events—the SCORE San Felipe 250, the SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 1000.
In its U.S. history, among the numerous memorable events SCORE has produced have been the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Primm 300, the SCORE Nissan Mint 400, the SCORE Fireworks 250, the SCORE Great Mojave 250, the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup and the SCORE Henderson Terrible 250.
For seven years, from 1985 through 1991, SCORE combined with the late Walt Lott’s High Desert Racing Association of Las Vegas to run the combined HDRA/SCORE Desert Series.
Thompson (2007), Fish (2006) and Lott (2007) are all inductees in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame.
THE TRADITIONAL
Recognized around the globe as two of the very top motorsports extravaganzas in the world, adding to their legacies again in 2023, the BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts, will be held May 31-June 4, 2023 in Ensenada and the Golden season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4Wheel Parts.
The iconic Granddaddy of all Desert Races will be held Nov. 13-18, 2023 starting for the first time in La Paz, Baja California Sur, and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California.
The 2023 SCORE Baja 500 will start in Ensenada for the 49th time and finish in Ensenada for the 45th time. The 2023 SCORE Baja 1000 will start in La Paz for the first time and finish in Ensenada for the 29th time.
THE NEWEST
The 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels, the newest event on the SCORE World Desert Championship schedule, will be held Sept. 12-17, 2023 in Ensenada, Baja California. It will be just the third year for the newest SCORE Baja race and third time that it has started and finished in Ensenada.
The SCORE Baja 400 has been positioned once again in 2023 between the vastly popular SCORE Baja 500 and the venerable season-ending iconic SCORE Baja 1000.
2023 OPENER
The 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship season-opener for the 11th time will be the King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250 to be held March 29-April 2 on the Sea of Cortez side of Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula. It will start and finish in San Felipe for the 35th time.
CONTINGENCY DAY X2
In 2023, the SCORE Baja 1000 is scheduled to have two days of tech and contingency in La Paz where the race will start. The SCORE San Felipe 250, SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 400 are scheduled to have one day of the extremely popular tech, contingency and manufacturer’s midway at those races.
The colorful pre-race festivities include manufacturer and vendor displays, vehicle displays and racers with their vehicles.
For the SCORE San Felipe 250, pre-race activities and the start/finish line area are scheduled to return to the picturesque Malecon along the Sea of Cortez.
For the two SCORE Baja races in Ensenada, the pre-race activities and the start/finish line area are both scheduled to return to the heart of Ensenada, adjacent to the landmark Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center on Boulevard Costero. The location of the pre-race festivities in La Paz for the SCORE Baja 1000 will be announced at a later date.
QUALIFYING
Special Qualifying sessions for the SCORE Trophy Truck, SCORE TT Legend, Class 1 and Trophy Truck Spec classes will be held during race week of the SCORE San Felipe 250 and the SCORE Baja 400. The final results for all classes in the SCORE San Felipe 250 will determine the start order for the SCORE Baja 500 and the final results of the SCORE Baja 400 will determine the starting order in all classes for the season-ending SCORE Baja 1000. Entries that don’t race in either qualifying race will receive the remaining starting positions based on the results of a random draw for those starting positions within each class.
THE CAST
SCORE racing features the best competitors from all over the United States and as many as 30 total countries. Races include classes for Pro and Sportsman Cars, Trucks, UTVs, Motorcycles and Quads.
SCORE COMMENTS
“What an extremely phenomenal precious treasure we all have in SCORE International and to be able to be part of celebrating the Golden anniversary of SCORE in 2023 is extremely humbling and inspiring for all of us at the same time”, commented Jose A. Grijalva, President/Race Director of SCORE International.
“Our Golden 2023 schedule will include the SCORE Baja Triple Crown races along with our newest race—the SCORE Baja 400.”
“Mexican races are the cornerstone of SCORE and to have all four races south of the border for the eighth consecutive season and eighth time in SCORE’s long history is a distinct honor and a wonderful privilege. We welcome the challenge to continue to add to the illustrious SCORE Baja racing legacy. And to finish the season with the iconic SCORE Baja 1000 always attracts racing extremists from around the world and 2023 will be a one-of-a-kind experience with the Granddaddy of all Desert Races starting in La Paz for the first time and finishing in Ensenada.”
GOLDEN JUBILEE
“Shining a spectacular spotlight on the Golden jubilee of the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization is our major goal for 2023 and with the diligence and creativity of award-winning BCII TV, SCORE continues to have a viable domestic television package for expanded series coverage and exposure as well as with our expanding international syndication platform,” commented Jim Ryan, SCORE Vice-President of Marketing and Sales.
“Our highly successful live-streaming programming and SCORE app, social media growth and the SCORE Journal digital magazine and website’s unprecedented viewer/reader growth have continued to expand the exposure for SCORE races, racers and sponsors to our global fan base. We are also developing several ancillary events in 2023 to complement the races in paying tribute to the legendary SCORE Baja races.”
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SCHEDULE
Here are the dates for the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Golden Anniversary season which is being totally held in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive year:
King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250—
March 29-April 2, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
May 31-June 4, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels—
September 12-17, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts—
November 13-18, La Paz, Baja California Sur to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
2023 POINT TITLES
In order to earn a 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship class point title, drivers/riders of record must start and/or finish all four events. In the event that a driver/rider of record is unable to compete in an event, another SCORE member may act as the alternate driver/rider of record for that race if processed according to SCORE requirements. No alternate driver/rider of record will be allowed for the 56th SCORE Baja 1000.
SCOREscope
2022 SCHEDULE
Here are the remaining two dates in the four-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship which is being held exclusively in Baja California, Mexico for the seventh consecutive year:
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 are airing on the ESPN family of networks. The four-races are airing 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 Euro/pe, 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. Bud Brutsman is the Executive Producer. Intro announcer for the SCORE race shows is SCORE Trophy Truck champion racer and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Cameron Steele.
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.
Celebrating 50 years of Desert Racing Excellence…
SCORE International—The World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization
2023 SCORE World Desert Championship
Schedule of Events
King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250
San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico
March 29-April 2, 2023
Single loop race – 280 miles (approx.)
March 29 – On-site Racer Registration for qualifying teams only
March 30 – Qualifying and Registration check-in opens
March 31 – Tech & Contingency, Registration
April 1 – Start of the SCORE San Felipe 250
April 2 – King Shocks 36th SCORE San Felipe 250 Awards
BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
May 31-June 4, 2023
Single loop race – 500 miles (approx.)
May 31 – On-site Registration check-in opens
June 1-2 – Racer Registration
June 2 – Tech & Contingency
June 3 – Start of the SCORE Baja 500
June 4 – BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts Awards
4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
September 12-17, 2023
Single loop race – 400 miles (approx.)
September 12 – On-site Racer Registration for qualifying teams only
September 13 – Qualifying and On-site Racer Registration and check-in opens
September 14-15 – Racer Registration
September 15 – Tech and Contingency
September 16 – Start of the SCORE Baja 400
September 17 – 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels Awards
BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
November 13-18, 2023
Point to Point race – 1,100 miles (approx.)
November 13 – On-Site Racer Registration check-in opens
November 14-15 – Racer Registration
November 14-15 – Tech and Contingency
November 16 – Start of SCORE Baja 1000
November 18 – SCORE Baja 1000 Awards
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