2022 SCORE Baja 1000 Airing Sunday on ESPN2

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com
 
December 9, 2022
 
Presented by 4 Wheel Parts
ESPN2 airing prime-time special at 8 p.m. PT this
Sunday: BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000
 
Finale of 4-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship in Ensenada, Mexico;
828.25-mile race had 276 Pro, SPT cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads
 
     ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—Coverage of the four-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship concludes this Sunday (Dec. 11) on ESPN2 with the premier of multiple airings of November’s season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
The one-hour special on the newest SCORE race will be broadcast on the World of X Games show on ESPN2 on Sunday. It is scheduled to air in Prime Time at 8 p.m. PT, but check local listings to confirm the time in your region.
Co-producing the show with SCORE is award-winning BCII TV of Los Angeles. Bud Brutsman is the executive producer.
55th SCORE BAJA 1000
This race is annually the grand finale of the SCORE World Desert Championship, which has been held exclusively for the past seven years in Baja California.
Most of the world’s best desert racers were in action at this year’s massive BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts.
Ensenada, “The Off-Road Capital of the World” is a coastal city on the Bahia de Todos Santos area of the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles south of the U.S. border at San Diego.
This iconic race started for the 48th time in Ensenada and finished for the 28th time in Ensenada.
The SCORE Baja 1000 is at the pinnacle of motorsports as the oldest, most iconic, most prestigious, toughest and longest continuously held desert race in the world.
The SCORE Baja 1000 is the Grandaddy of All Desert Races and is at the foundation of the lasting legacy of SCORE International as the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization.
FINAL FLAG
The excruciatingly challenging 828.25-mile race course started and finished and two-days of pre-race contingency and tech inspection were held on Boulevard Costero in the SCORE start/finish line compound adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
When the final checkered flag fell, a total of 276 vehicles left the in the elapsed time race. When the course officially closed there were 153 official finishers for a solid 55.44 percent finishing rate on the long, extremely challenging race course.
The legend grows. Overall, the 276 courageous starters are the 21st-most in the 55-year race history and the 153 sturdy finishers are the 20th-most finishers out of five-plus decades of the monstrous event.
The results were made official following complete data tracking review of the devices on each vehicle later in the morning that the race finished.
The 276 total in this year’s Granddaddy of All Desert Races, racers represented 37 U.S. States, U.S. Territory Puerto Rico and 18 countries.
U.S. States represented in the field of competitors to date were Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
The countries were United States, U.S. Territory Puerto Rico, host country Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, India, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Peru and Spain.
This iconic race started for the 48th time in Ensenada and finished for the 28th time in Ensenada.
This race is annually the grand finale of the SCORE World Desert Championship, which has been held exclusively for the past seven years in Baja California.
THE BIG BLUE M MACHINE & THE G.O.A.T.
In a race full of ‘SCORE Super Teams’ that turned into a true ‘survival’ test, San Diego’s youthful super star Luke McMillin and the admired G.O.A.T. in desert racing, Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren teamed to rise above the rest in a field of 276 starters to win the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck title in the legendary season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts. The international event was the season-finale of the four-race 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Starting second physically on the road in the elapsed time race and splitting the driving in McMillin’s Big Blue M racing machine all-wheel drive 4 Wheel Parts/BFGoodrich Tires No. 83 Chevy 1500 built by Mason Motorsports, the dynamic duo patiently worked their way to the front of the pack and finished the beautifully bodacious 828.25-mile race around the Northern Part of Mexico’s majestic Baja peninsula in a sterling penalty-free time of 16 hours, 37 minutes and 46 seconds with an average speed of 49.81 miles per hour.
One of several ‘Super Teams’ competing in this race primarily because of the length of the course, Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee MacCachren, 57, stabled his aging two-wheel drive thoroughbred when invited to join the Big Blue M race team again for this historic race and be Luke McMillin’s second driver in the McMillin’s No. 83 McMilling Racing AWD Chevy 1500 built by Mason Motorsports.
A third-generation desert racer, Luke McMillin, 29, and venerable Hall of Famer ‘Rob Mac’ started second behind another ‘Super Team’ of Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies and Luke McMillin’s cousin Andy McMillin, also of San Diego.
Last year, the McMillin family allowed MacCachren to be driver of record while driving in Luke’s truck and the pair won that race as well and MacCachren earned the SCORE Trophy Truck season point-championship.
PODIUM FINISHERS
     Following the Cool Hand Luke/G.O.A.T. talented tandem onto the podium where Luke’s older brother Dan McMillin and ageless warrior Larry Roeseler.
Dan McMillin, 35, also of San Diego and Josh Daniel, 47, Bonsall, Calif., split the driving in the No. 23 McMillin Racing AWD Chevy 1500 built by Mason Motorsports in 16:59:40 (48.74mph).
Completing the podium was Larry ‘Mr. Baja’ Roeseler, 65, Boulevard, Calif., who drove solo for the second straight year, covering the course in 17:38:44 (46.92mph) in his No. 43 Baja Jerky Toyota Turndra, built by ID Designs. Roeseler has a SCORE-record 18 overall wins in the SCORE Baja 1000, including 14 on motorcycles, two in Class 1 cars and two in SCORE Trophy Truck. His last overall win was in 2020 when he was the second driver for Luke McMillin in SCORE Trophy Truck.
FAMILY LEGACY
With an enduring legacy started by the late family patriarch Corky McMillin, Luke McMillin added to the Big Blue M rich history with his third career victory in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division.
With his victory, L. McMillin also earned a US$25,000 contingency bonus from long-time SCORE sponsor and race title sponsor BFGoodrich Tires offered to the winner of this year’s race.
The victory also marked the 33rd overall victory in this race for vehicles equipped with BFGoodrich Tires.
Besides his late grandfather Corky, Luke McMillin’s champion family members include his brother Daniel McMillin, his dad Mark McMillin, his uncle Scott McMillin, and his cousins Andy McMillin and Jessica McMillin. As a family, the McMillins now have earned a race-record 15 overall victories in the SCORE Baja 1000.
While Luke McMillin earned his third (straight) SCORE Baja 1000 overall, his father Mark has five as does his cousin Andy and his uncle Scott has two overalls in this storied race.
Luke won in 2020 teamed with Larry Roeseler and the last two years with the legendary G.O.A.T. MacCachren.
With his overall win, L. McMillin became just the third driver in race history to earn a three-peat with his third consecutive SCORE Baja 1000 victory. The other two Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame racers to accomplish the feat have been MacCachren (2014, 2015, 2016) and super vet Larry Ragland (1995, 1996, 1997).
Ragland, Carefree, Ariz., who will turn 80 in December, was the second driver in this year’s race for Las Vegas’ Dallas Luttrell and they finished seventh in SCORE Trophy Truck and 14th overall.
OVERALL UTV, ETC.
     Defeating 55 starters in five different UTV classes in the race, Branden Sims, 36, Prescott Valley, Ariz., emerged as the Overall UTV and Pro UTV Open class winner in this year’s race. He drove his No. 1869 Polaris RZR Pro R to the fastest time among the UTVs, covering the course in 20:37:09 (40.16mph).
Austin Weiland, 30, El Cajon, Calif., captured the checkered flag over the largest UTV field in this year’s race, Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) which had 27 starters, running the distance in 21:15:57 in his No. 2954 Can-Am X3.
Winning the Pro UTV Stock class which had 11 starters was Antonio Mendez, 57, Puebla, Mexico, in his No. 3959 Polaris RZR XP4 Turbo in 26:20:36.
Kaden Wells, 24, Hurricane, Utah, claimed his second 2022 SCORE victory in the Pro UTV NA (Naturally Aspirated) class with a time of 23:01:57 in his No. 1995 Polaris RZR XP1000.
SLR M/C SAGA CONTINUES
Continuing their winning ways individually and as a team were Mark Samuels, 33, Yucca Valley, Calif. and his teammates Justin Morgan, 32, El Cajon, Calif. and Kendall Norman, 38, Santa Barbara, Calif. who won the Pro Moto Unlimited class on their No. 7x Slam Life Racing Honda CRF450X.
Winning their 13th consecutive SCORE race (that they entered as a team) in the SCORE World Desert Championship, the super team finished the grueling course in a winning time of 18:51:30 with an average speed of 43.92 mph.
Individually this was the seventh SCORE Baja 1000 overall victory for Samuels, sixth overall for Morgan and eighth for Norman. As a team, SLR has a combined 21 overall motorcycle wins in the SCORE Baja 1000.
Morgan started the race and rode the first 280 miles. Samuels took over from race mile 280 to rocket to race mile 475. At the point, Norman took over and rode the motorcycle to race mile 726 where Morgan jumped backed on and cruised it to the finish line and a victory margin of just under one hour.
The victory also earned Honda motorcycles its race-record 32nd overall motorcycle victory in the SCORE Baja 1000.
SCORE TT LEGEND
Mexico’s veteran SCORE champion Gustavo Vildosola Sr, 69, Mexicali, Mexico, finished an undefeated season in SCORE TT Legend (drivers over 50 years old) following his four 2022 victories, one in San Felipe and three in Ensenada.
He won all four races in 2022 with help from legendary racer Ricky Johnson, 58, El Cajon, Calif. who drove the first half of each race in the Vildosola Racing No. 21L AWD Ford Raptor built by Mason Motorsports. The third driver for this year’s race was Mike Coleman of San Diego.
The Vildosola Racing team completed the rugged SCORE Baja 1000 course in a penalty-free 18:08:10 (45.67mph). Vildosola finished seventh overall in additional to winning his class, the highest overall placement for his class since it was introduced in 2017.
SCOREscope
2023 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SCHEDULE
Here are the dates for the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Golden Anniversary season, ‘Celebrating 50 Years of Desert Racing Excellence’, which will be held totally 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
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.