Menzies trio tops newest SCORE Baja 1000 entries

SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com
 
October 20, 2023
 
‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’
Presented by K&N
BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000…
Pre-running opens Saturday on 1310.94-mile race course;
Menzies, McNeil, Mini-Mac, Scanlon, Schmoke, Heger,
M/M Matlock, Quinn, Brad Wilson, Brandt, Amado, all in
 
Starting for first time in La Paz, Baja California Sur, finishing in Ensenada…
SCORE Baja peninsula race to be held Nov. 13-18 UP Baja California, Mexico;
epic event is finale of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship;
legendary ‘godfather’ Sal Fish, Grand Marshal for the 2023 SCORE racing season
more info at…
 https://score-international.com/raceinfo/2023-baja-1000-nov-13-18-2023/
 
#SCOREBaja1000
NOTE: Current unofficial media entry list at bottom of text
 
     ENSENADA, Baja California, Mexico—‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’ this year, with official pre-running on the official race course opening at 8 a.m. MT/PT on Saturday for racers from across the U.S. and around the world, Bryce Menzies, Jason McNeil, Cayden MacCachren, Craig Scanlon, Dylan Schmoke, Broc Heger, Wayne Matlock, Kristen Matlock, Kyle Quinn, Brad Wilson, Eric Brandt, and Alirio Amado, are all among the latest entries for November’s iconic season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N, the season finale of the four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
LA GRAN CARRERA
The Granddaddy of All Desert Races, the SCORE Baja 1000 is at the pinnacle of motorsports as the most iconic, oldest, prestigious, toughest, and longest, continuously held desert race in the world.
 This year, starting for the first time in La Paz, Baja California Sur Mexico, and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, race-week festivities and the race itself will be held Nov. 13-18.
This year’s race, the 25th Peninsula run in race history, will be a point-to-point race of 1310.94 miles UP Baja California’s majestically masterful, poignantly picturesque peninsula.
PRE-RUNNING
Official practice, or pre-running, on the official 1310.94-mile race course for this year’s BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000 will open in La Paz at 8 a.m. MT on Saturday (Oct. 21). Pre-running will be open from the start to race-mile 1277.04.
This year’s course map is available on the SCORE website under race info on the SCORE Baja 1000 page at www.SCORE-International.com.
GPS, ETC.
     The Racer’s Brief, Penalty Bulletin, Course Notes and GPS files along with the official course map are available on the SCORE website under the SCORE Baja 1000 logo under Race Info.
BAJA RUTA MUY ESPECIAL!
The race features a course, fully plotted, and marked by SCORE President/Race Director Jose A. Grijalva, and Assistant Race Director Rodolfo Fernandez, of 1,310.94 miles of rugged Baja California terrain.
The challenging, pre-dominantly up-hill rugged race course is 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 over 4,000 feet. The course is another crown jewel reflecting the stark beauty of Baja California.
The 1310.94-mile race course, the longest ever between La Paz and Ensenada for the BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N, runs for the first time from La Paz to Ensenada, UP Mexico’s magnificent Baja California peninsula.
The iconic race will start for the first time on the picturesque El Malecon in La Paz along the Sea of Cortez and finish on Boulevard Costero, adjacent to the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada.
The incredibly beautiful, and ridiculously rugged race course has 30 Speed Zones, 308 Virtual Check Points, three physical, full-stop Check Points, and feature nine BFGoodrich Tires Pits.
Physical Check Point No. 1 is at race mile 233.88 (Valle de Santo Domingo), CP 2 is at RM 599.34 (South of Vizcaino) and CP3 is at RM 922.25 (South of Catavina).
After leaving El Malecon in La Paz, the course begins its windy road North from the Mexican State of Baja California Sur to the Mexican State of Baja California. The race course passes near several of the legendary Spanish Missions on its way North.
From RM 50 across Arroyo Seco, the course runs adjacent to the Pacific Ocean for the first time up to RM 220.
At RM 277.46 the course passes by Mission de San Javier on top of the Sierra de La Giganta and at RM 300.05 for the first time in SCORE history, the race course goes through El Malecon in Loreto, again by the Sea of Cortez.
At RM 632.75, the course crosses from Baja California Sur into Baja California for the final half of the race.
At RM 821.35, the course is near the Pacific Ocean for the final time near Bahia Blanco.
While the race course includes numerous Baja washes, at race-mile 1014.24, the course will begin a treacherous trek through six of the gloriously majestic washes around San Felipe: Matomi, Azufre, Boulder Canyon, Huatamote, Chanate, and Amarillas.
At RM 1200.75, the course passes Valle de Trinidad and up the infamous Goat Trail, behind Santa Catarina (RM 1226.36) by Rancho El Mezcal to Ojos Negros (RM 1277.04) and to the finish line in Ensenada.
For safety reasons, all the Sportsman classes along with Class 11 and Class 7SX will run a reduced course of 1197.04 miles.
THE FIELD
     With over 300 entries anticipated at the start line, as of today 250 total entries have been received to date for the Granddaddy of All Desert Races, with racers representing 33 U.S. States, U.S. Territory Puerto Rico, and 16 countries. The countries with at least one racer so far are United States, host country Mexico, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, and Venezuela.
NEWEST ENTRIES
Among the newest entries for this year’s race are Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies, San Diego’s Andy McMillin and Mexico’s Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola Jr in SCORE Trophy Truck, Jason McNeil, El Cajon, Calif., in Trophy Truck Spec, Las Vegas’ Cayden ‘Mini Mac’ MacCachren, in Pro UTV Open, Craig Scanlon, Orange, Calif. (Helena, Mont.), in Pro UTV Open, Dylan Schmoke, Santee, Calif., in Pro UTV Open, Brock Heger, El Centro, Calif., in Pro UTV Open, Wayne Matlock and his wife Kristen Matlock, Alpine, Calif., racing in separate vehicles in Pro UTV Open, Kyle Quinn, Long Beach, Calif., in Class 1, Brad Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., in Class 1, Eric Brandt, Brawley, Calif., in Class 11, and Alirio Amado, The Woodlands, Texas, in Pro Moto 40.
DOUBLE DIGITS
Several classes in this year’s race already have double-digit entries. At the top is the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck division with 29 entries so far (including nine in SCORE TT Legend for drivers over 50 years old). Created by former SCORE Hall of Fame owner Sal Fish in 1994, SCORE Trophy Truck is the amazing class for high-tech, 1000-horsepower, unlimited, custom trucks.
Also, with double digits so far among 4wheel vehicle classes are Trophy Truck Spec with 32 entries, Class 1/2-1600 with 19 entries, Pro UTV Open with 11, and Pro UTV Stock with 11.
Among the two-wheel vehicle classes, leading so far with 25 entries is the Pro Moto Ironman class for solo riders.
56th SCORE BAJA 1000
The world’s best desert racers will be in action at this year’s massive BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N. There will be live streaming from two days of pre-race contingency and start-to-finish live coverage on the SCORE website and social media channels.
Race week activities will be held Nov. 13-18.
Over 300 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from nearly 40 U.S. States and as many as 20 countries anticipated. Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads will be competing in the Granddaddy of All Desert Races.
This year’s SCORE Baja 1000 will be a point-to-point race of an exhilaratingly exhausting 1310.94 miles starting for the first time in La Paz, Baja California Sur and finishing for the 29th time in Ensenada, Baja California.
La Paz is the Capital of Baja California Sur, located nearly 1000 miles from the U.S. Border at Calexico, Calif.
Ensenada, “The Off-Road Racing 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 race is annually the finale of the SCORE World Desert Championship, which has been held exclusively for the past eight years in Baja California.
ONLINE RACER ENTRY APPLICATIONS
Racer entry applications for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads are now available at www.SCORE-International.com under Race Info on the SCORE Baja 1000 page. Questions should be directed to SCORE Registration and Membership Director Shannon Lund at 775. 852.8907. Online racer entry applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. PT on Monday, October 30.
The SCORE Ensenada office will accept walk-in entries up to 5 p.m. PT on Thursday, Nov. 2.
MENZIES’ TRIPLE-DOWN
As if having a team of Bryce Menzies and Andy McMillin sharing driving duties for the fourth consecutive year was not enough, Menzies has added Mexico’s legendary Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola Jr as the third driver for this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 in the No. 7 Red Bull Menzies Motorsports Ford Raptor all-wheel drive SCORE Trophy Truck built by Mason Motorsports.
A one-time protégé of his hometown hero Rob ‘The G.O.A.T.’ MacCachren, Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies has molded his own enviable career in desert racing and rally racing out of the Menzies Motorsports race shop in his hometown.
Menzies, 35, literally exploded onto the SCORE desert racing scene in 2011 winning the SCORE Overall point championship, the SCORE Trophy Truck season point crown, two individual race wins and was voted as the 2011 SCORE Rookie of the Year.
Menzies has 10 career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins, the most recent ones being in June when he won the SCORE Baja 500 for the fourth time in his career and in September when he won the SCORE Baja 400 for the third consecutive year.
A great start that has evolved into branching out into short-course racing, rally raid, long-jump record feats and rock-crawling victories.
In 2016 Menzies made history by jumping his off-road truck 115.6m (379.4ft) over a New Mexico ghost town to set a new truck distance record.
     This year’s SCORE San Felipe 250 was yet another example of his extreme tenacity and talent as he overcame a significant pre-running rollover and six flat tires during the race to finish third overall and in SCORE Trophy Truck.
Combined with his victories in this year’s SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 400, Menzies is leading the SCORE Trophy Truck season point standings and he is third in the overall standings behind, Jason McNeil, and Thor Herbst.
…ANDY McMILLIN
Andy McMillin, who won the SCORE San Felipe 250 in 2019 on the way to winning the SCORE Trophy Truck season point championship that year.
Andy McMillin is tied for second with 11 career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins and he was the 2019 overall and SCORE Trophy Truck season point champion.
At the end of the 2022 season, Andy McMillin sold his race truck and his race shop for economic reasons and returned for this year’s SCORE Baja 400 to drive the Menzies Motorsports No. 31 Red Bull Ford Raptor built by Mason Motorsports where he finished third overall behind Menzies and runner-up Luke McMillin.
…GUSTAVO ‘TAVO’ VILDOSOLA JR
Considered the first family of Mexican desert racers, Gustavo Vildosola Sr and his son Gustavo ‘Tavo’ Vildosola Jr are both entered in the SCORE Baja 1000.
From Mexicali, Gustavo, 70, and Tavo, 42, are both veteran SCORE champion racers with numerous race wins and season point titles on their impressive resumes.
For this year’s SCORE Baja 1000, they will be in different trucks, one in SCORE TT Legend (SCORE Trophy Truck drivers over 50 years old) and Vildosola Jr as the third driver with Menzies and A. McMillin in SCORE Trophy Truck.
Vildosola Jr finishing fifth in SCORE Trophy Truck in San Felipe, 12th in the SCORE Baja 500 and a rare DNF in the SCORE Baja 400.
‘Tavo’ has six career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins.
McNEIL MOVIN’
After his most recent class victory in the SCORE Baja 400, Jason McNeil continues to lead the points in not only Trophy Truck Spec but also is the SCORE Overall point leader in the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
McNeil, 45, of El Cajon, Calif., drives the No. 234 TSCO-Chevy in the class with the largest number of entries so far this season. He has a total of 405 points after the first three races of the season.
Part of an avid desert racing family with several relatives racing as well, McNeil won the Trophy Truck season point championship in 2021.
After his victory in this year’s SCORE Baja 500, McNeil said at the finish line, “A lot of things happened today, but it was good. Besides all that, we had a flawless day and never got out of the truck. We ran into a SCORE TT Legend truck in an accident, he pulled over but was halfway on the course and I tried to get out of the groove and there was really nothing we could do. The hood was flapping in my face for like 80 miles and that was frustrating, but we cut it off during our pit stop.”
“From there on, we were just cruising. We picked up quite a few cars and got a lot of cars between us and the second place. That was the big difference today. It’s a dream coming true. It’s really hard to win the SCORE Baja 500 in this class, there’s a lot of competition. There are nine or ten fast guys who can win on any day. We had some close calls and some risks we had to take, but that’s what you have to do here. No risk, no reward.”
POLARIS FACTORY RACING
New super-team on the block this year is the Polaris Factory Racing team and the sport’s first purpose-built race ready UTV. Driving three all-new Polaris-engineered race machines all in the Pro UTV Open class are Cayden MacCachren, Dylan Schmoke, and Brock Heger.
Team principal is Craig Scanlon, a key K&N Engineering executive who continues to race in the Pro UTV Open class, former SCORE champion racer Ryan Thomas is the general manager and Adam Arsenault is operations director at the team’s 10,000 sq. ft. race shop in San Diego. Crew Chief is Johnny Nelson, a two-time winner of the SCORE Mechanic of the Year Award (2013, 2019).
The team made an auspicious debut at the 2023 King Shocks SCORE San Felipe 250 by all finishing in the top 10 in their class—first, fourth, sixth and 10th. In the 2023 BFGoodrich Tires SCORE Baja 500, PFR finished first, ninth, 14th and one DNF out of 20 starters in their Pro UTV Open class. In the SCORE Baja 400, PFR finished first, sixth, seventh, and 14th, out of 16 starters.
The team shares the same sponsors and vehicle livery supported by a team of Polaris off-road engineers.
While most of the group have driven solo so far this year, they will all have prominent addition drivers for this year’s SCORE Baja 1000.
--SCANLON
Team principal of SCI Motorsports, Craig Scanlon, 49, Orange, Calif. (Helena, Mont.) drives the No. 1831 Polaris RZR Pro R where he started the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship by winning the Pro UTV Open class as well as recording the fastest time of a SCORE-record 64 total UTVs competing in the SCORE San Felipe 250 in five different classes. He endured an unfortunate DNF in the SCORE Baja 500 in June and came back with a sixth in the SCORE Baja 400.
Technically he is not part of the new Polaris Factory Racing team, but he obviously receives considerable assistance from the team that the leads.
His second driver for the SCORE Baja 1000 will be Max Eddy, 40, of Barstow, Calif. Eddy is a former SCORE motorcycle racing champion and his third driver will be VP Racing Fuels executive Mike Emerson, 50, Menifee, Calif.
--MINI-MAC
Being son of the G.O.A.T. of off-road racing (Rob MacCachren), Las Vegas’ third-generation desert racer Cayden ‘Mini-Mac’ MacCachren, 21, has clearly stepped away from his famous father’s tracks and is forming his own talented trail in desert racing.
In just a few short seasons, Cayden MacCachren has raced in multiple SCORE classes
Cayden MacCachren finished his ‘rookie’ season by finishing third in the 2021 SCORE World Desert Championship point standings in the Pro UTV FI class as the second driver for Brandon Schueler. Cayden MacCachren was voted as the 2021 SCORE Rookie of the Year for his exemplary efforts. Last season he raced part of the season in Pro UTV FI and part in the Trophy Truck Spec class.
     Cayden MacCachren has spent several years in Baja prior to the last two-plus seasons. Mini-Mac has driven for pre-running with his famous father while dad Rob records all the course notes for both of them.
He opened the 2023 season with a fourth-place finish in Pro UTV Open in San Felipe. He finished 14th in class in the SCORE Baja 500 and finished seventh in the SCORE Baja 400 this year.
With his new Polaris Factory Racing team, Cayden MacCachren is the driver of the No. 1821 SCI Motorsports Polaris Pro-R.
His ‘super-team’ of additional drivers for this race will be SCORE motorcycle champion Justin Morgan, 33, El Cajon, Calif., and International Drifting champion and SCORE champion Rhys Millen, 51, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New Zealand).
--SCHMOKE
     Dylan Schmoke, 30, Alpine, Calif., has taken over as the DOR on the PFR team for Austin Weiland who is no longer with the team.
     Schmoke was a long-time co-driver with Weiland and this season, the pair finished sixth in Pro UTV Open in San Felipe, then ninth-place in the SCORE Baja 500 and 14th in the SCORE Baja 400 this year.
Schmoke has raced nationally in motorcross.
Schmoke is driver of record the No. 1841 SCI Motorsports Polaris Pro-R. which is a different vehicle number, but the same Polaris RZR R vehicle.
In the season opener in San Felipe, Weiland, driving solo, finished sixth in Pro UTV Open. He followed that up as Schmoke drove the season as a second driver with a ninth-place finish in the SCORE Baja 500 and a 14th place in the SCORE Baja 400 this year.
Schmoke’s additional drivers for this race will be veterans Larry Job, 62, Henderson, Nev., and James Hill, 38, Lake Elsinore, Calif.
--HEGER
     Brock Heger, 23, El Centro, Calif., has excelled in every discipline of racing and has over 100 wins and 200 podiums on his resume so far. Most recently, Heger has raced in Pro-Lite short course trucks and Production UTVs in the Champ Off Road Series, earning championships in both classes as well as most recently as the second driver in the Trophy Truck Spec class in SCORE races.
Heger drives the No. 1896 SCI Motorsports Polaris Pro-R. He opened the new campaign with a 10th place finish in his new class. He won his class in the SCORE Baja 500, and the SCORE Baja 400 to increase point lead in his Pro UTV Open class in the SCORE World Desert Championship.
Heger’s additional drivers for this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 will be champion short-course racer Ronnie Anderson, 23, Riverside, Calif., and veteran domestic racer JD Marsh, 39, Star, Idaho.
MR & MRS MATLOCK LOCKED IN
After many championship seasons and race wins driving in separate classes, Wayne Matlock and his wife Kristen Matlock, of Alpine, Calif. are racing in the same class for the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship for the second straight year.
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 Newline Products.
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. Both have been solo drivers this year, but both will have additional drivers for this grueling race.
Second driver for Kristen Matlock will be rapidly developing racer Elliott Watson, 23, El Centro, Calif. Sharing wheel time with Wayne Matlock for this race will be second-generation SCORE champion racer Josh Row, 34, of Lakeside, Calif.
Kristen Matlock, 42, who has been racing many far less years than her husband, has results of DNF, followed by a third-place podium finish and a fourth place in the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
In the 2022 Pro UTV Open season points, Kristen Matlock finished on the podium in third place in class while Wayne Matlock finished in fifth. In season-ending SCORE Baja 1000 Wayne Matlock finished third in class while his wife Kristen Matlock was fourth.
In this year’s season-opening SCORE San Felipe 250, Wayne Matlock, 45, finished second in Pro TV Open, then finished fifth in class in the SCORE Baja 500 and 10th in the SCORE Baja 400..
In 2023 SCORE Pro UTV Open points, Wayne is still currently second while Kristen has moved up to the ninth position.
WILSON MOTORSPORTS
One of numerous prolific third-generation desert racing teams competing with SCORE, Wilson Motorsports has once again entered two race cars in the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars. Both race cars are Chevy-powered Jimco vehicles.
Brad Wilson, 33, of Long Beach, Calif., is the driver of record for the No. 153 race car while long-time additional driver Kyle Quinn, 35, Lakewood, Calif. is the driver of record again this year with SCORE in the No. 100 Wilson Motorsports race car as the defending Class 1 season point champion.
For many years a second driver for the wonderful Wilson Motorsports team, Quinn, stepped into the lead driver position in one of the team’s entries last year and won the unlimited Class 1 at the SCORE San Felipe 250 in the No. 138 Chevy-powered Jimco open-wheel desert race car.
Quinn took the lead and shared driving duties in San Felipe with Brad Wilson’s father Ronny Wilson, 61, of Long Beach, Calif. At the SCORE Baja 400, with Brian Wilson’s cousin Brad Wilson as the second driver, Quinn finished on the podium in third place again and took the lead in Class 1. At the season-ending SCORE Baja 1000, Quinn won Class 1 with Ronny Wilson and Greg DiStefano as his driving mates to earn the 2022 SCORE Class 1 season point title.
In last September’s SCORE Baja 400, Quinn/R. Wilson stayed consistent with their third straight podium, finishing in third place in Class 1 while Brad Wilson was the victim of equipment failure.
Brad Wilson finished third in the final point standings for the class for unlimited open-wheel desert race cars despite enduring DNFs the final two race of 2022.
Brad Wilson opened the 2023 season with a second-place finish in the SCORE San Felipe 250 while Quinn suffered a rare DNF. In this year’s SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 400, Brad Wilson and Quinn both endured uncharacteristic DNFs.
For this year’s SCORE Baja 1000, Justin Munyon, 37, San Clemente, Calif., and Ronny Wilson, will be the additional drivers for Brad Wilson while sharing the driving duties for this race Kyle Quinn will veteran SCORE racer John Herder, 54, Tucson, Ariz., and Greg Distefano, 53, San Diego.
LIVIN’ LA VIDA BAJA
Baja Vida Snacks is a SCORE official product sponsor and presenting sponsor of the SCORE San Felipe 250, they are also the major sponsor of two entries in SCORE races.
Newest Baja Vida entry is in the venerable Class 11 for highly-modified stock VW sedans. The other Baja Vida entry is Larry Roeseler in the marquee SCORE Trophy Truck.
Driver in Class 11 for Baja Vida is adventure athlete Eric Brandt, 48, Brawsley, Calif., who is the driver in the No. 1143 VW Sedan constructed by Sletten Engineering of Palm Springs, Calif.
Brandt opened his first full SCORE season with an impressive third-place podium finish in the SCORE San Felipe 250. Unfortunately, Brandt suffered a DNF in the SCORE Baja 500, and came back with a second-place in the SCORE Baja 1000, moving the team into a tie for second in the Class 11 season point standings with Eric Solorzano, behind the undefeated Oliver Flemate of Ensenada, Mexico.
Helping earn his SCORE desert-racing stripes, Brandt has been the solo navigator numerous times for solo-driving Roeseler, including the 1,226.35-mile SCORE Baja 1000 in 2021.
Brandt expects to have several additional drivers for the SCORE Baja 1000, including Tim Sletten, Palm Springs, Calif., co-founder of Sletten Engineering which built his race car.
AMADO
Starting the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship with his first race win, Alirio Amado, 45, The Woodlands, Texas, is the rider of record in Pro Moto 40 (riders over 40 years old), on his No. 441x Yamaha WR450F motorcycle.
For this race, Amada is going to use a seven-rider team over the long course, including himself, Peter Eiland, 45, The Woodlands, Texas, Pedro Gonzalez, 58, Raleigh, No. Carolina, Curtis Lisenby, 58, Houston, Manuel Vazquez, 45, Tijuana, Mexico/ Nick Lanning, 46, Albuquerque, N.M., and Justin Moore, 46, Las Vegas.
In his third season racing with SCORE, Amado finished second in the Pro Moto 40 class point standings with second place finishes in the 2022 SCORE Baja 400 and another second in the SCORE Baja 1000. His other two finishes in 2022 were third place in the SCORE San Felipe 250 for three podium finishes and a fourth place in the 2022 SCORE Baja 500.
Amado and his talented team opened 2023 by winning their class in both the SCORE San Felipe 250 and SCORE Baja 500, finished third in class in the SCORE Baja 400 to continue to lead in their class point standings in the 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship.
STARTING GRID-SCORE BAJA 1000
The results of the SCORE Baja 400 determined the start order within each class for November’s iconic season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N.
A special drawing for the remaining starting positions within each class will be held for all the additional entries and the results posted on the SCORE website at 6 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 3. All entries received after that date will receive the next available spot within their respective classes.
GREEN FLAG
It is an elapsed-time race with staggered starts with the green flag dropping on Thursday (Nov. 16). Motorcycles and Quads will start at 1 a.m. MT, Cars, Trucks, and UTVs will start at 9 a.m. MT.
While the fastest vehicles in the 1310.94-mile race are expected to finish in about 23 hours, the elapsed-time race will have a 50-hour time limit to become an official finisher.
A HAPPENING…
Two days of the colorful pre-race Manufacturer’s Midway, Contingency and Tech inspection will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 14-15) along the captivating El Malecon along the Sea of Cortez in La Paz.
Popular Rat Sult will once again serve as host of the SCORE Live streaming. Assisting Sult will once again be veteran voice Dave Arnold.
Contingency and the race itself will be streamed live, airing via the internet on the SCORE website and SCORE social media channels. Included in the exclusive race coverage, along with vehicle tracking, will be live drone and in-car camera footage from various locations around the race course. There will also be hosts in the SCORE Studio bringing live updates during the race.
CITY EXPRESS…
The City Express Hotel on the Northeast end of El Malecon in La Paz, will host racer registration and media registration on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Nov. 13-15).
On Monday (Nov. 13), racer registration will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST. On Tuesday (Nov. 14) it will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST, and on Wednesday (Nov. 15) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST.
SCORE Media Registration will be held at the City Express on Monday (Nov. 13) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. MST and from 9 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday (Nov. 14-15) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT.
The race will start along the picturesque El Malecon in La Paz.
BFGOODRICH TIRES UNMATCHED
BFGoodrich Tires, the official tire of SCORE for 47 years, was honored after the 2022 season as the SCORE Contingency Company of the year for the 32nd time.
BFGoodrich Tires has been the choice of 35 of the 55 overall winners of the popular SCORE Baja 500 and 34 of the 55 overall winners of the legendary SCORE Baja 1000. BFGoodrich Tires is also the title sponsor of both iconic races again in 2023.
BFGoodrich Tires also has been the choice of 30 of the 36 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 four overall winners in the SCORE Baja 400.
This year’s SCORE San Felipe 250 overall victory by San Diego’s Luke McMillin marked the 103rd SCORE Baja overall race win for BFGoodrich Tires.
BFG BIG BONUS
SCORE major sponsor BFGoodrich Tires has posted a US$25,000 contingency bonus for the overall 4-wheel race winner to help commemorate the Granddaddy of all Desert Races.
US$20,000 PRO MOTO UNLTD PURSE
     Through the coordination and efforts of SCORE Motorcycle liaison, Andy Kirker, a former SCORE motorcycle racer, four companies have combined to put up a special $20,000 bonus purse exclusively for the Pro Moto Unlimited Class, the fastest class on two wheels.
The four companies posting this unprecedented purse for this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 are: Anube, from Spain, Taco Moto Company from Las Vegas, Baja Bound of Mexico, and AHM Factory Services of Yorba Linda, Calif.
This unique payout will be for first through fifth place on the official results: first-$10,000, second-$5,000, third-$3,000, fourth-$1,500 and fifth-$500.
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 of this year, 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.
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, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Baja California Sur State Secretary of Tourism and Economy, Baja California Sur State Tourism Trust (FITUES), Municipal Government of La Paz, Municipal Government of Comondu, Municipal Government of Loreto, and the Municipal Government of Mulege.
For more information regarding SCORE, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.
‘Celebrating 50 Years of SCORE Desert Racing Excellence’
BFGoodrich Tires 56th SCORE Baja 1000, presented by K&N
Finale of four-race 2023 SCORE World Desert Championship
Nov. 13-18 – 1310.94 miles – La Paz, Baja California Sur to Ensenada, Baja California
Total Entries: 250 (as of 10/19/23)
(from 33 U.S. States, U.S. Territory Puerto Rico, host Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, Canada,
Chile, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, Venezuela)
 
(Numerical order, by class)
Pro Cars/Trucks/UTVs

SCORE TROPHY TRUCK (28*)

1 Luke McMillin

*1L Gustavo Vildosola Sr

*3L Mark Post

*5L Clyde Stacy

6 Dan Myers

7 Bryce Menzies

9 Ethan Ebert

10 Alan Ampudia

16 Cameron Steele

19 Tim Herbst

23 Dan McMillin

26 Dave Taylor

33 Roberto Romo Jr

43 Larry Roeseler

45 Gary Magness

*52L John Shenouda-2nd RS

*55L Jose Flores

60 Cole Potts

*61L David Payne

64 Matthew Legg

69 Andrew Myers

70 Kevin Thompson

*72L Rob Reinertson-1st RS

82 Sam Baldi

*85L Clay Lawrence

*86L Marc Martinez-3rd RS

87 Dallas Luttrell

89 Mike Walser

91 Christopher Polvoorde

*SCORE TT LEGEND

CLASS 1 (9)

100 Kyle Quinn

121 Damen Jefferies-1st RS

125 Butch Jensen

127 Cody Parkhouse

144 Mario Hernandez

153 Brad Wilson

162 Brendan Gaughan

168 Cody Reid

198 Alejandro Sanchez

TROPHY TRUCK SPEC (32)

205 Joe Delucie

206 Joshua Cobb

207 Mason Cullen

211 Pat Sims

219 Thor Herbst

231 Carlos Ramos

233 Stephen Gidman

234 Jason McNeil

235 Zach Lumsden-1st RS

236 Michael Marsal

239 Jason Rich

240 Chris Miller

241 Stephen Beal

242 Bryce Swaim

244 Oliver Flemate

260 Santiago Creel

263 EJ Herbst

265 Isaac Mercado

266 David Ziegler

268 Paul Kraus

270 Jimmy Diaz

273 Jordan Brenthel

276 Gerardo Iribe

277 Travis Williams

279 Guillermo Barreda

280 Bryan Scheible

281 Damon Lewis

282 Brent Fox

294 Vincent Munoz

295 William Hedrick Jr

298 Riley Herbst

299 Charles Dorrance

CLASS 10 (8)

1002 Matias Arjona IV

1006 Stan Potter

1023 Britney Myers-1st RS

1040 Kevin Derby

1044 Jason Shipman

1078 Augie Cortez

1082 Carlos Jimenez

1099 Julio Garza

PRO UTV OPEN (11)

1821 Cayden MacCachren

1831 Craig Scanlon

1841 Dylan Schmoke

1854 Kristen Matlock

1896 Brock Heger

1869 Justin Lambert

1871 Wayne Matlock

1873 Ruben OG

1885 Tyler Backus

1895 Kaden Wells

1899 Kyle Ahrensberg

PRO UTV UNLTD (1)

3985 Josh Smith

PRO UTV FI (9)

2905 Marc Burnett

2911 Aaron Aguilar

2915 Rickey Arslanian

2917 Jason Murray

2929 Damian Velasco

2930 Sean Cook

2948 Matt Burroughs

2951 Austin Johnson

2995 Matt Montieth

CLASS 7 (2)

700 Daniel Chamlee

710 Mike Shaffer

SCORE LITES (7)

1200 Miguel Cortez

1203 Oliver Flemate

1208 Rich Roberts

1211 Oscar R. Alvarez

1220 Jeremy Sundt

1221 Scott Wisdom

1234 Todd Katanchik

PRO UTV NA (3)

1914 Lawrence Janesky

1925 Zach Sizelove

1957 Joe Bolton

CLASS 1/2-1600 (19)

1603 Victor Barreda

1606 Matt Willert-4th RS

1610 Jordan Souza Price

1612 Juan Sanchez

1617 Francisco Escareno

1624 Emilio Estrada

1625 Eric Pavolka

1628 Leonel Orozco

1644 Roman Pereya

1650 Silvestre Arce

1656 Raul Ojeda-2nd RS

1669 Mark Winston

1670 Jaime Avalos

1672 Gustavo Avina

1675 Emilio Salcido-3rd RS

1679 Enrique Zazueta Jr

1686 Juan Pinales Jr-1st RS

1690 Robert Fleishman

1698 David Winkel

PRO UTV STOCK (12)

3900 Anibal Lopez

3901 JD Daniels

3903 David Clay

3920 Cecilia Alvarez

3927 Brandon Puderbach

3933 Randy Emberton

3936 Jorge Cano

3943 Dennis Romero

3943K Lucy Block

3953 Nick Bruce

3955 Scott Sappington

3959 Antonio Mendez

CLASS 8 (2)

810 Henk Theunisssen

852 Spencer Morgan

HEAVY METAL (3)

8008 Rob White

8013 Preston Lewis

8021 Jose Norman Cesena

HAMMER TRUCK UNLTD (2)

4469 Arthur Smith

4482 Cole Johnson

CLASS 5 (4)

501 Trey Hernquist

511 Eli Yee

512 Mike Belk

523 Don Chase

CLASS 3 (1)

303 Dave Sykes

CLASS 5/1600 (2)

558 Luis Herrera

598 Jorge Gutierrez

BAJA CHALLENGE (5)

BC1 Kyle Tucker

BC2 Michael Brodeur

BC3 Keely McGarity

BC4 Edward Muncey

BC6 Joshua Strebel

CLASS 7F (4)

700F Gerardo Novelo

704F Aaron Celiceo

714F Justin Park

719F Cesar Gutierrez

CLASS 7SX (1)

758 Willy Valdez

STOCK FULL (1)

8188 Tomonori Noto

CLASS 11 (5)

1104 Jose Ortiz

1105 Oliver Flemate

1111 Eric Solorzano

1121 Dennis Hollenbeck

1143 Eric Brandt

Sportsman

SPT TRUCK (6)

1416 Jorge Guerrero

1423 Dennis Lebow

1435 Chris Greenwood

1440 David Lawler

1444 Kevin Hornberger

1491 Nathan Sumrall

Pro Motorcycles

PRO MOTO UNLIMITED (7)

1x Juan Carlos Salvatierra

3x Ciaran Naran

9x Austin Eddy

13x Adrian Ortiz

15x Eric Holt

18x Aaron Volle

71x Dustin Davis

PRO MOTO 30 (7)

300x Jano Montoya

301x Corin Fator

308x James Justin Shultz

313x Nicola Dutto

319x David Smith

324x Edgar Najar

338x Levi Gill

PRO MOTO LIMITED (8)

100x Fernando Beltran

102x Steven Abrams

103x Giovanni Aviles

107x Luis Esquivel

110x Erick Gonzalez

114x Ely Ramirez

129x Austin Miller

186x Nathan DiAngelo

PRO MOTO 50 (4)

500x Giovanni Spinali

501x Robert Creemers

507x Tony Motto

550x Scott Rattray

PRO MOTO 40 (5)

400x Ryan Liebelt

402x Patrick Meade

441x Alirio Amado

447x Todd Wallace

452x Mike Reed

PRO MOTO IRONMAN (25)

700x Brandon Wright

703x Tibi Imbuzan

706x Kevin Daniels

710x Alex Ohman-2nd RS

718x Kurt Steever

720x Patrick Culligan

723x Edgar Cota

727x Luke Burlet

729x Robert Longhurst

733x Paul Hart

734x Scott Purcell

735x Dustin Ashe-Everest

744x Merril Campbell

751x David Harris-1st RS

761x Steven Coulsen

762x Brian Englund

763x Kellen Davies

764x Mark Burke

772x Javier Perez Potzsch

773x Jhovani Brito

785x Fabricio Fuentes

787x Chance Blackwell

791x Stefano Pagliani

797x Kevin Clyde

798x Reed Christensen

PRO MOTO 60 (2)

628x Scott McIntosh

644x Kevin Ward

Pro Quads

Pro Quad (2)

1a Nicolas Velez

21a Jose Castro

Pro Quad Ironman (2)

83a Faelly Lopez

96a Jose Enriquez

Sportsman

SPT M/C (5)

236x Andy Valencia

239x Kuzunari Iriki

242x Cesar Morales

254x Kenji Oikawa

276x Shawn Nelson

SPT QUAD (6)

105a Francisco Valle

123a Eva Hernandez

130a Oscar Rousseau

138a Jose Hernandez

145a Jovani Marquez

185a Rene Rocha