September 17, 2023

    
this year, helping cap the week-long celebration of the 213th anniversary of Mexican Independence, Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies repeated as overall and SCORE Trophy Truck winner for the third consecutive year at Saturday’s K&N 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels. The race launched the second half of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Menzies qualified sixth, but moved up quickly, battling for over 100 miles with runner-up Luke McMillin and Alan Ampudia, who eventually finished fourth overall in his class. He eventually got by both and finished with a victory margin of two-minutes, 16.73-seconds.
Menzies stayed in front of the race-record hungry field of 207 starters in his Mason Motorsports-built All Wheel Drive No. 7 Menzies Motorsports Ford Raptor, posting an admirable error-free, penalty free winning time of seven hours, 53 minutes, and 54.72 seconds with an average speed of 48.70 miles per hour over the typically-challenging 384.66-mile race course.
Under cloudy skies light winds with mild temperatures in the mid-70s Fahrenheit, finishers enjoyed the mostly temperate weather as well as the rugged race course.
Results were made official late Sunday morning by SCORE President/Race Director Abelardo Grijalva following complete data tracking review of all finishing vehicles.
There were a race-record 207 official starters and 143 official finishers for a solid finishing rate of 69.08 percent.
DIRT FAX
Round 3 of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship was held this week in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The race started, finished and colorful pre-race activities were again held in the heart of Ensenada at the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center and the adjacent fantastically fan-friendly Boulevard Costero. Tourism officials estimated over 150,000 fans for the event which included tech and contingency on Friday and the race itself on Saturday and Sunday.
Ensenada, ‘The Off-Road Racing Capital of the World,’ is located 80 miles South of the U.S. Border near San Diego.
Helping mark the 50th year of SCORE International, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization, was the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division with a total of 37 of these ‘Super Stars of the Desert’ starting the race.  Created by SCORE and started in 1994 by then SCORE-owner Sal Fish, SCORE Trophy Truck is the featured SCORE racing division in the sport for high-tech, 1000-horsepower unlimited custom trucks.
Participating racers represented 27 U.S. States, U.S. Territory Puerto Rico, and 10 countries. The countries with at least one racer so far are United States, host country Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, France, Israel, New Zealand, and Peru.
All four 2023 SCORE races are being held on Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula for the eighth consecutive year.
SCORE, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Organization, is celebrating its 50th season in 2023.
MENZIES’ MOMENTS
An international Rally Racer as well as a long jump artist, Menzies, 36, was the 2011 SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion earning the 2011 SCORE Rookie of the Year award as well.
Saturday’s victory was not only his third straight in the K&N SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels, Menzies has now earned 10 career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins.
It was his second straight 2023 victory as he also won June’s SCORE Baja 500.
PODIUM FINISHERS
Menzies led a parade of Mason Motorsports AWD SCORE Trophy Trucks to the podium as San Diego’s Luke McMillin and his cousin Andy McMillin, finished second and third overall on Saturday.
After starting fourth, Luke McMillin, 30, finished pushed to the end and led a few times and finished second in his No. 1 McMillin Racing Chevy 1500 in a time of 7:56:12, averaging 48.47 mph.
Claiming the final spot on the podium in third place, Andy McMillin, 36, also of San Diego, completed the course in 7:58:54 with an average speed of 48.19 mph.
MENZIES MIKE TIME
An ecstatic Menzies had plenty to say at the finish line, “It was a good day. We started sixth and it was dusty, we knew we were going to have to fight really hard, so we just charged as hard as we could. We got Letner (Harley, No. 70) early on, he had a big crash, and Tavo (Vildosola, No. 21) pulled off. We got Alan (Ampudia, No. 10) in the pits and then we caught Luke (McMillin, No. 1) right at the crossover. Down the highway, he pulled off in his pit and we got him there.”
“My plan was to try to be first on the road by the beach, but when I got there, around race mile 230, I lost my front-wheel drive. I knew it was going to be a long way from there with those guys charging hard from behind me. I just had to play it smart, keep my eyes on the ball and have no flats because that was really going to make it hard for us.
“We kept those guys behind us and just kind of cruised all the way from there. I had to go back to my two-wheel drive days, but it was unreal. What a day. To win the SCORE Baja 400 three times in a row and get to start first in the SCORE Baja 1000, I can’t wait for it.”
BOLIVIAN BOMBER STRIKES AGAIN
Following significant penalties imposed on the first two unofficial finishers, Bolivia’s super star motorcycle racer Juan Carlos 'Chavo' Salvatierra with a nine-year history in the Dakar Rally, and his team were declared the official overall and Pro Moto Unlimited winners in this year’s race. Riding the No. 1x KTM 450SX-F motorcycle with riders from three countries, Salvatierra overcame significant mechanical issue to win the race in a time of 8:52:58 with an average speed of 43.30 mph.
Salvatierra, 42, of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, teammates for this race were Shane Logan, 21, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Diego Llanos, 30, Argentina, and newcomer Justin Carnes, 21, El Centro, Calif.
Logan started and rode to race mile 120, Llanos rode from race mile 120 to race mile 230, Justin Carnes rode from race mile 230 to race mile 330, and Salvatierra rode from race mile 330 to the finish line.
M/C WINNER QUOTES
At the finish line, were Salvatierra was unofficially in third place, said, “We’re happy to be here at the finish and that everyone is fine, which is the most important. It was a fun race and we had great battles with 3x (Ciaran Naran) and 11x (Arturo Salas Jr). We had some good moments, but missed some time fixing our exhaust pipe, but that’s racing. We don’t give up. Racing has many surprises and we were blessed today to get this win after all. We’ll be back for the SCORE Baja 1000 and we are even more pumped to go for the season point championship again.”
HEGER TOPS UTVs…AGAIN
Defeating 48 UTVs in four different classes and 16 in his own class alone, Brock Heger, 23, El Centro, Calif., was the Overall UTV and Pro UTV Open winner with a corrected time of 9:01:57 in his No. 1896 Polaris RZR Pro R. He averaged 42.59 mph and won the UTV Overall by nearly seven minutes. Heger finished 10th in class in the SCORE San Felipe 250 in his first race with the new Polaris Factory Team and was the Overall UTV and Pro UTV Open winner in the SCORE Baja 500 as well.
The class win gives the new Polaris Factory Team three straight wins in the Pro UTV Open class as team principal Craig Scanlon won the class in San Felipe.
MORE UTV RESULTS
Winning the other UTV classes in this year’s K&N 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels were Marc Burnett, 52, Chula Vista, Calif. (No. 2905 Can-Am X3, Pro UTV FI), Gabe Matthews, 40, Lakeside, Calif. (No. 1980 Polaris RZR XP1000, Pro UTV NA) and Antonio Mendez, 58, Puebla, Mexico (No. 3959 Polaris RZR XP4, Pro UTV Stock).
TOP 10 OVERALL ALL SCORE TROPHY TRUCKS
Behind podium finishers Menzies, Luke McMillin and Andy McMillin, the top 10 finishers were all behemoth SCORE Trophy Trucks.
Fourth overall in this race for the second straight year in this race was Mexico’s hometown hero Alan Ampudia, 32, of Ensenada, with a time of 8:01:01 in the No. 10 Papas Y Beer AWD Ford Raptor built by Mason Motorsports.
Fifth overall was Cameron Steele, 55, San Clemente, Calif., with a time of 8:07:44 in his No. 16 Desert Assassins Ford Raptor, sixth was Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren, 58, in his No. 11 MacCachren Motorsports Geiser-built Ford F-150 with a time of 8:08:44, seventh overall was Mike Walser, 56, Comfort, Texas, in his No. 89 Chevy Silverado built by Mason Motorsports in 8:08:56 and eighth was Larry Roeseler, 66, Boulevard, Calif. with a time of 8:09:30 in his No. 43 Baja Vida Toyota Tundra built by ID Designs.
Ninth was San Diego’s Dan McMillin, 35 (Luke McMillin’s older brother) in a time of 8:09:58 in his No. 23 McMillin Racing AWD Chevy 1500 also built by Mason Motorsports.
Completing the top 10 overall was Christopher Polvoorde, 23, Hemet, Calif., with a finishing time of 8:12:19 in his No. 91 Optima Batteries Ford Raptor built by Mason Motorsports. It was Polvoorde’s first race in SCORE Trophy Truck after being a leading competitor in the Trophy Truck Spec class the last few years.
Besides Menzies and Luke McMillin, other top 10 SCORE Trophy Trucks with penalty-free races were MacCachren, Dan McMillin, and Polvoorde.
IRONMAN PERFECTO
A part-time SCORE racer for several years, San Diego’s Edgar Cota, 26, won the Pro Moto Ironman class for solo riders over a field of six starters in this year’s race for his second win in this formidable class.
In the SCORE Baja 400, he rode his No. 723x GasGas EC350F motorcycle to a winning time of 9:56:43.
His first SCORE race win was in the Pro Moto Ironman Class in the 2021 SCORE San Felipe 250.
VILDOSOLA SR—SCORE TT LEGEND
Mexico’s veteran SCORE champion Gustavo Vildosola Sr backed up his 2022 season point championship in SCORE TT Legend (drivers over 50 years old) following his undefeated season of four straight class wins with his third straight 2023 victory in this year’s K&N 4th SCORE Baja 400.
Vildosola Sr, 70, Mexicali, also won the SCORE TT Legend season point championship in 2018 with Scott Bailey as a second driver.
He won all four 2022 races and the three two in 2023 with help from legendary Hall of Fame racer Ricky Johnson, 59, El Cajon, Calif. who drove the first half of each race in the Vildosola Racing No. 1L AWD Ford Raptor built by Mason Motorsports. Their finishing time was 8:20:12.
Vildosola Sr won against eight starters in his class in San Felipe and seven in the SCORE Baja 500 and eight in his class in this race. He also finished eighth overall out of 285 starters in this year’s San Felipe race and ninth out of 240 starters in the SCORE Baja 500 and 12th out of 207 starters in the SCORE Baja 400.
Vildosola Sr also has three career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins in his illustrious career in SCORE desert racing.
FOUR-TIMERS IN SCORE BAJA 400
Remaining undefeated in the history of the SCORE Baja 400, winning their respective classes for the fourth time in this race were Daniel Chamlee, 61, San Felipe, Mexico (Montecito, Calif.) (No. 700 Ford Ranger, Class 7) and Ryan Liebelt, 43, Reedley, Calif. (No. 400x Yamaha WR450F, Pro Moto 40).
As always, the veteran Chamlee drove solo in the race while Liebelt split the riding with Jason Trubey, 44, Henderson, Nev. and JD Triffon, 40.
TRIPLE 2023 CLASS WINNERS
A total of eight SCORE racers have won their classes in all three races now to obviously lead the point standings in their respective classes, three in Pro car and truck classes, three in Pro motorcycle classes and two in Pro quad classes.
At the top of the list is Vildosola Sr who leads the SCORE TT Legend class for SCORE Trophy Truck drivers over 50 years old.
The other three-time winners among four-wheel vehicles are Eli Yee, 49, Tijuana, Mexico (Class 5, No. 511 Jake’s-Chevy), and Oliver Flemate, 46, Ensenada, Mexico (Class 11, No. 1105, VW Sedan).
The unbeaten two-wheel class racers are Jano Montoya, Winter Garden, Fla. (Pro Moto 30, No. 3200x KTM 450EXCF), Kevin Ward, 61, Longview, Texas (Pro Moto 60, No. 644x Honda CRF450x) and Robert Creemers, 58, New Zealand (Pro Moto 50, No. 501x Honda CRF50X).
In Pro Quad, the undefeated racers are Faelly Lopez, 39, Puerto Rico (Pro Quad Ironman, No. 83a Honda TRX450R) and Nicolas Velez, 17, San Felipe, Mexico (Pro Quad No. 1a Honda TRX450R).
MORE PRO CLASS WINNERS
Among the other class winners in this year’s K&N 4th SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels were, Damen Jefferies, 51, Poolville, Texas (Apple Valley, Calif.) (No. 121 Jefferies-Chevy, Class1), Jason McNeil, 45, El Cajon, Calif. (No. 234 TSCO-Chevy, Trophy Truck Spec), Francisco Vera, 32, El Rosario, Mexico (No. 1091 Alumi Craft-Chevy, Class 10), Gabe Matthews, 40, Lakeside, Calif. (No. 1980 Polaris RZR XP1000, Pro UTV NA), Eric Pavolka, 54, Sonoita, Ariz. (No. 1625 Foddrill-VW, Class 1/2-1600).
Another class winner among the motorcycle classes was Ely Ramirez, 20, Tecate, Mexico (No. 114x Honda CRF450X, Pro Moto Limited).
BRIEF HISTORY
Inaugurated in 2019, the SCORE Baja 400 was not held in 2020 because of the international health pandemic, in 2021 started and finished without spectators Northeast of the central city and returned to the heart of the city in 2022.
BOMBASTIC BAJA
The race featured a remarkable course, designed, plotted, and fully marked by SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva, SCORE Assistant Race Director Rodolfo Fernandez and their staff, of 384.66 miles of rugged Baja California terrain in the Northern part of the State.
The race course ran in a clockwise direction in Baja California, staying almost entirely on the West side of Highway 3. The farthest South that it goes is just past Mike’s Sky Rancho (rm149.90) and includes the magnificently beautiful stretch of more than 10 miles along the coast of the Pacific Ocean past Erendira.
The course had one physical checkpoint at race-mile 222.00 at Llano Colorado, 185 total virtual checkpoints and a total of 10 speed zones for a total of 54.47 miles.
The highest point on the course was at race mile 152.05 at Cerro Blanco with an altitude of 4,741 feet.
The first 33.98 miles of the route East and West to and from the Ojos Negros area were raced in both directions.
Heading South from Ojos, the course wound slowly east until it hit Highway 3 for a brief speed zone section before traveling near Santa Catarina (rm 89.23), Jamau (108.16) before going downhill on the infamous Goat Trail. After a short section on Highway 3, the course moved Southwest up to Mike’s Sky Rancho (rm 149.90) before taking the downhill at Simpson Ranch heading North.
The race course turned west towards the Pacific Ocean Southeast of Valle de la Trinidad then West to the only physical checkpoint at rm 220 (Llano Colorado). The course turned north to run up the coastline near Colonet (rm243.75). At La Calavera (rm 281.30), the course leaves the Pacific Ocean and winds slowly inland up to Santo Tomas (rm302.06) then just south of Uruapan (rm307.96) and east and then north up to Rancho El Mezcal (rm343.70) and the final section to the finish, running just west of Ojos Negros and past Ejido Piedras Gordas to the finish line in Ensenada.
Overall, the challenging race course was another memorable example of all that Mexico’s Baja California has to offer, including high-speed dirt trails, sandy, rocky, and silty natural terrain, majestic Baja washes and canyons, stretches along the seashore with elevations from sea level to 4,741 feet. The course is another jewel reflecting the stark and eternal beauty of Baja California.
UP NEXT-SCORE BAJA 1000
The results of the SCORE Baja 400 also have determined the start order within each class for November’s iconic season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N. The iconic season-ending SCORE Baja 1000 will be held Nov. 13-18, starting for the first-time in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico for the 29th time in the long history of the most famous desert race in the world..
SCORE LIVE presented by BFGoodrich Tires
From the new state-of-the art SCORE Studio in El Cajon, Calif., host Brandon Johnson provided exclusive race coverage, along with vehicle tracking, live drone and in-car camera footage from various locations around the race course.
Legendary SCORE racers will be working with Johnson during the race-days show will include legendary SCORE racers Scot Harden, John Griffin, Heidi Steele, and Mark Samuels.
Popular Rat Sult, in his eighth season with SCORE, will be the host announcer on the SCORE ramp during contingency and the race start and finish. Assisting Sult will be veteran voice Dave Arnold, who will also be in-studio for some of the race, and Mexico’s Gabriel Garcia, who will be working with Sult on finish-line interviews.
GRAND MARSHALS FOR THE SCORE BAJA 400
Walker Evans and Mark McMillin, two of the biggest names in the history of desert racing, were the co-Grand Marshals for this year’s K&N SCORE Baja 400, presented by VP Racing Fuels.
Both legendary members of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, Evans, 84, Riverside, Calif., and McMillin, 67, San Diego, had amazing careers in SCORE desert racing over several decades.
Evans is one of the true pioneers of the sports of off-road racing and 21 won season championships in the desert, short-course, stadium, NASCAR Trucks, and rock-crawling. He started in desert racing in 1969 in the original NORRA Mexican 1000.
In SCORE racing, Evans has class wins in the SCORE Baja 1000, SCORE Baja 500, SCORE Parker 400, SCORE Fireworks 250 and the original Mint 400.
Among his many victories was the 1979 overall victory in the SCORE Baja 1000 that marked the first time that a full-sized pickup won the iconic race. He earned over 150 victories in his career.
In his SCORE racing career, Evans had six career season class point championships (1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986)
Evans was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2004 and later was recognized by induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in the class of 2015.
After many years working as an ambassador for the organization, Evans was named a 2022 inductee into the SEMA Hall of Fame. Evans is truly one of the original legends of desert racing.
Mark McMillin is one of the pillars of SCORE Baja racing, and a major part of the Big Blue M McMillin Racing machine.
Mark McMillin was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2018 when he joined his late father Corky McMillin (ORMHOF class of 2006) as the first father and son team to earn the prestigious honor. McMillin Racing launched in 1976 and continues today with third-generation McMillin SCORE Trophy Truck racers Andy McMillin, Dan McMillin, and Luke McMillin.
In his SCORE racing career, Mark McMillin earned six season class point championships (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2005). In the SCORE Baja 1000, Mark McMillin had five overall victories (1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1988), and eight total class victories. In the SCORE Baja 500, he had three overall wins and five total class wins.
Mark McMillin has also been the Chairman of the Board of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame since 2015.
GRANDEST MARSHAL FOR GOLDEN YEAR
Sal Fish, admired as the iconic ‘godfather’ of SCORE desert racing who is a foundational pillar of the organization, is the Grand Marshal of the Year for the entire four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
Revered all over Baja California, Fish, who turned 84 in May, is a former publisher of Hot Rod Magazine and a 2006 inductee into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. He led SCORE for 38 years, from 1974 until he sold the organization on Dec. 20, 2012.
His footprint left an indelible mark on all of desert racing as he was an extraordinary innovator and visionary for SCORE and the entire world of desert racing.
He expanded TV coverage of SCORE races and in 1994 created the SCORE Trophy Truck class, the marquee racing division in the sport of desert racing.
     Fish has a very special reason that kept him from being on-site for this race.  He and his wife Barbara were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary during race week. Bravo Sal and Barbara!
He had recorded a very special video tribute that will air during race week in Ensenada.
He will be in person for the season-ending SCORE Baja 1000 in November.
SCOREscope
2023 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY FINALE
Here is the remaining date for the the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship Golden Anniversary season, ‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’, which are being held totally in Baja California, Mexico for the eighth consecutive year:
BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N—
November 13-18, La Paz, Baja California Sur to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
SCORE SPONSORS…
Official SCORE Sponsors: BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire and Race Title Sponsor, Ford-Official Truck and SUV, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber and Race Title Sponsor, Polaris RZR-Official UTV, VP Racing Fuels-Official Fuel and race presenting sponsor, Baja Vida-Official Snacks and race presenting sponsor, Optima Batteries-Official Batteries, Rugged Radios-Official Radio Communications, Wide Open Excursions-Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
SCORE Official Partners: The Satellite Phone Store, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance.
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.

SCORE Baja 400 All-Time Stats
Ensenada, Baja California Mexico

Year—DRIVERS/RIDERS, VEHICLE
2019—Ryan Arciero, Ford
Justin Morgan/Mark Samuels/Ricky Dietrich, Honda
2021—Bryce Menzies, Ford
Shane Redline/Chris Phillips/Phillip Herrera/Larry Serna/Carlos Pardini/Brandon Prieto, Honda
2022—Bryce Menzies, Ford
Juan Carlos Salvatierra/Arturo Salas Jr/Shane Logan/Clayton Roberts, KTM
2023—Bryce Menzies, Ford
Juan Carlos Salvatierra/Shane Logan/Diego Llanos/Justin Carnes, KTM

Racers
Cars & Trucks
3
Bryce Menzies
1
Ryan Arciero
Motorcycles
2
Shane Logan
Juan Carlos Salvatierra1
Justin Carnes
Ricky Dietrich
Phillip Herrera
Diego Llanos
Justin Morgan
Carlos Pardini
Chris Phillips
Brandon Prieto
Shane Redline
Clayton Roberts
Arturo Salas Jr
Mark Samuels
Larry Serna
Manufacturers
Overall 4wheel Vehicle Trucks/SUVs*
4
Ford
Overall Engine Winners
Cars & Trucks*
4
Ford
Motorcycles
2
Honda
KTM
Tires
4wheel vehicles
3
Toyo Tires
1
BFGoodrich Tires

SCORE Baja 400
(All-Time Starters, Finishers, Race Sites)