SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, Dominic@SCORE-International.com
October 24, 2023

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

 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 continuing for racers from across the U.S. and around the world, Cameron Steele, Lucy Block, Damen Jefferies, Mark Samuels, Marc Burnett, Lawrence Janesky, Eli Yee, Clyde Stacy, Brendan Gaughan, Daniel Chamlee, Preston Lewis, and Oliver Flemate 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.
THE FIELD
With over 300 entries anticipated at the start line, as of today 270 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.
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.
NEWEST ENTRIES
Among the newest entries for this year’s race are Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif, in SCORE Trophy Truck, Lucy Block and her daughter Lia Block, Corona, Calif., in Pro UTV Stock, Damen Jefferies, Poolville, Texas (Apple Valley, Calif.) in Class 1, Mark Samuels, Yucca Valley, Calif., in Pro Moto Unlimited, Marc Burnett, Chula Vista, Calif., in Po UTV FI, Lawrence Janesky, Middlebury, Conn., in Pro UTV NA, Eli Yee, Tijuana, Mexico, in Class 5, Clyde Stacy, Bristol, Virginia, Brendan Gaughan, Las Vagas, in Class 1, Daniel Chamlee, San Felipe, Mexico (Montecito, Calif.), Preston Lewis, Oakland City, Ind, in Stock Full, and Oliver Flemate, Ensenada, Mexico, in three classes—Trophy Truck Spec, SCORE Lites, and Class 11.
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 10 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 34 entries, Class 1/2-1600 with 19 entries, Pro UTV Open with 14, Pro UTV Stock with 12 and Class 10 with 11.
Among the two-wheel vehicle classes, leading so far with 26 entries is the Pro Moto Ironman class for solo riders.
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 opened in La Paz last Saturday. Pre-running is open from the start to race-mile 1277.04. Inbound only pre-running will be allowed from rm1277.04 to rm1310.94 and Oct. 28 and Oct. 29.
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.
STEELE-Y CAM
He may not play a musical instrument or carry a note singing, yet he is another of the many second-generation champion SCORE desert racers who can sing his way around a desert race course.
Cameron ‘Steele-y Cam’ Steele is not only a two-time SCORE Trophy Truck race winner he is also the affable leader of the Desert Assassins race team.
He also finds time to help operate his SoCal Baja HQ aftermarket company, lead both an annual motorcycle and his annual ‘Trail of Missions’ truck tour down the Baja peninsula, emcee numerous events, host live stream internet shows, and is an action sport TV commentator who has announced a variety of competitions from IndyCar to the SCORE race coverage TV shows.
As far as racing is concerned, Steele, 55, of San Clemente, Calif., loves to stay busy and in years past has competed and had podium finishes in multiple classes in the same race, but now focuses on his No. 16 Desert Assassins Ford Raptor, built by Geiser Bros, in SCORE Trophy Truck.
Steele won the last two SCORE Trophy Truck races of the 2018 season after finishing second in the iconic 50th anniversary of the legendary SCORE Baja 1000 in 2017.
Steele’s second driver will once again be third-generation champion racer Ryan Arciero, 50, Foothill Ranch, Calif., who has four career SCORE Trophy Truck race wins.
While Steele is hunting for his first class win in this race, Ryan won the overall and SCORE Trophy Truck division as the second driver for Mark Miller in the 2003 SCORE Baja 500.
The Steele/Arciero pair started the 2023 season with a 17th place finish in SCORE Trophy Truck in the SCORE San Felipe 250, had a rare DNF in the SCORE Baja 500, and bounced back with a fifth-place finish in the SCORE Baja 400. They enter this race currently 12th in the SCORE Trophy Truck season point standings out of 38 total starters this year.
BLOCK BUSTERS
Among the very special racers entered in this year’s SCORE Baja 1000 are the mother/daughter tandem of Lucy Block and her daughter Lia Block.
The multi-talented ladies are the widow and daughter of the late star rally racer, social media mogul Ken Block and luminary of the Hoonigan Racing rally team.
Ken Block, who died from injuries suffered in a Snowmobile accident in January of this year, raced in the 2021 SCORE Baja 1000 with Alan Ampudia and Jax Redline.
The Block House Racing drivers have entered in the Pro UTV Stock class with the special race number of 3943K in memory of Ken Block whose Rally race number was 43.
Lucy Block, 48, Park City, Utah, and Lia Block, 17, Park City, Utah, will drive the No. 3943K Can-Am Maverick R along with champion SCORE racer Rodrigo Ampudia Jr, 39, Ensenada, Mexico.
Also entered as co-driver/navigators are Terry Madden, 46, Pioneertown, Calif., JC Guevara, 30, Ensenada, Mexico, and Jarod Birzer, 46, Great Bend, Kansas.
Both have racing backgrounds, although Lia Block is far more experienced than her mother. This summer, at age 16, Lia Block captured American Rally Association's (ARA) Open Two-Wheel Drive class.
Mother and daughter both competed in this year’s Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado.
JEFFERIES/STROBEL
Veteran SCORE champion racer Damen Jefferies, 51, Poolville, Texas (Apple Valley, Calif.) is entered in the Unlimited Class 1 in his No. 121 Jefferies-Chevy.
His principal additional driver for this race is veteran SCORE racer Steve Strobel, 59, Clarks, Neb.
Racing in multiple classes over his lengthy SCORE racing career Jefferies has won three career SCORE season class point championships—1994 in Class 9, 1997 in Class 1/2-1600 and 1998 in Class 10. He has also built several race vehicles including a SCORE Trophy Truck that he raced for a few years.
Jefferies finished second in Class 1 season points in 2022 and is currently second in the standings again this year with a fourth-place class finish in San Felipe and a second place in the SCORE Baja 500 in June.
In this year’s SCORE Baja 400, the Jefferies/Strobel duo won Class 1 with Jefferies driving to race mile 225 and Strobel drove the balance of the race. Jefferies is now in second place in the Class 1 season point standings, just three points behind class leader Cody Reid.
Strobel’s navigator is his son Christian Strobel, 18, who is being mentored by his father to become a SCORE racer.
In the SCORE Baja 1000, Jefferies won Class 1 in 2013.
SLR SHOOTING FOR SIX
Mark Samuels and his Slam Life Racing (SLR) team are back to attempt to win an amazing sixth consecutive Pro Moto Unlimited and Pro Moto Overall title in the SCORE Baja 1000.
Samuels, 34, Yucca Valley, Calif., and his team will ride the SLR No. 7x Honda CRF450X. Samuels will have one rider from a previous year along with two new riders for his SLR team.
Co-riders this year will be Kade Tinkler-Walker, 26, Canada, Arturo Salas Jr, 20, Chula Vista, Calif., and Brandon Prieto, 32, Ensenada, Mexico.
Prieto was part of his winning team in 2021, Tinkler-Walker is a SCORE Baja rookie and Salas Jr has moved over from his own team for this race with remarkable Samuels.
Canadian Tinkler-Walker, from Quebec, is a veteran motocross racer who raced for several years in Europe. This year, he joined SLR after missing the first race of the season and then went on to capture the 2023 AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) Pro II National Championship on a Honda CRF250RX.
Salas Jr, originally from Tecate, Mexico, ran his own team for two races in this year’s SCORE World Desert Championship, winning the SCORE Baja 500 in Pro Moto Unlimited and then finished fourth in the SCORE Baja 400.
Samuels has won three SCORE season class point titles (2018, 2019, 2020) and in the SCORE Baja 1000, he has eight career class wins, including seven SCORE Overall motorcycle victories.
ON THE MARC
Marc Burnett, 52, Chula Vista, Calif., is a veteran champion SCORE desert racer, with over 30 years of accomplishments in SCORE Baja racing.
For this year’s SCORE Baja 400, Burnett will again be among the favorites in the Pro UTV FI (Forced Induction) class, driving solo in his No. 2905 Can-Am X3.
Burnett started racing motocross at the tender age of five, eventually riding for Factory Kawasaki, Honda, and Suzuki motorcycle teams in SCORE Baja racing.
Burnett moved to racing Class 6 trucks after several years where he again earned first place in the 2008 SCORE San Felipe 250, first place at the 2008 SCORE Baja 1000 and first place in at the SCORE Baja 500 in 2011.
Overall, Burnett has earned three SCORE season point championships in his career (1995, 2014 and 2017) including three class wins in the SCORE Baja 500, 1996 in Pro Moto Limited, 2011 in Class 6 and 2014 in Pro UTV.
Burnett has also earned four prestigious Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards in his career for completing every required mile in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2019.
In this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250, Burnett finished 20th out of a SCORE record 30 starters in the Pro UTV FI class. He followed that up with an unfortunate DNF in the SCORE Baja 500 and came back on won his class in the SCORE Baja 400. He is currently eighth in his class point standings.
Burnett also founded FreestyleMX in 1997, the group that traveled across the globe presenting Freestyle motorcycle shows for over 20 years.
In the last three years of the SCORE Baja 1000, Burnett, racing in Pro UTV FI, finished third in class in 2020, fifth in 2021 and suffered a DNF last year.
JANESKY
Lawrence Janesky is a successful businessman from Middlebury, Connecticut, who started riding dirt bikes late at age 32 with his brother. When his son Tanner Lawrence turned five, Lawrence got him on a dirt bike and the two have been riding regularly ever since. Years later, after touring in Utah, South Africa, and Columbia, the two decided to tour with Chris Haines Baja Motorcycle Adventure Tours where they first learned about the SCORE Baja 1000. The two later teamed up with the Hall of Famer Haines as their team manager and raced their first SCORE Baja 1000 in 2015, winning the Sportsman Motorcycle Class.
From that humble start, Lawrence and his son Tanner quickly morphed into racing several times in the Pro Moto Ironman class for solo riders, especially attempting to finish the iconic SCORE Baja 1000.
What evolved from their inspirational efforts were four separate memorable You Tube documentaries: Into the Dust, Into the Dust2, Into the Dust3 and Into the Dust4 which have had over four million views.
Lawrence Janesky, 58, has entered the Pro UTV NA (Naturally Aspirated) class. in the No. 1914 Honda Talon.
In this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250, Lawrence Janesky opened the season with a fourth-place finish in Pro UTV NA and he also led a team in the Sportsman Motorcycle class where they finished fifth out of nine starters in the class. He backed that up with a second-place podium finish in Pro UTV NA in the SCORE Baja 500 and then a fourth-place in that UTV class in the SCORE Baja 400. He enters the SCORE Baja 1000 second in the Pro UTV NA points, 16 points behind leader Joe Bolton.
Lawrence Janesky’s three recent finishes in the SCORE Baja 1000 were fourth in Pro Moto Ironman in 2020, fifth in Pro UTV NA 2021 and a DNF last year in Pro UTV NA.
ELI YEE
Another of the prominent and veteran Mexican racers in the SCORE World Desert Championship, Eli Yee, 49, of Tijuana has won numerous races and the 2020 class point title in Class 1/2-1600.
Yee has raced with SCORE for nearly 30 years and among his recent class wins are in the SCORE Baja 500 and the SCORE Baja 1000 in both 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, after an unsettling DNF in the San Felipe, Yee marched back with three consecutive class wins at the SCORE Baja 500, the SCORE Baja 400 and the SCORE Baja 1000 in his class to finish second in the Class 1/2-1600 season point standings.
Yee has switched classes for this year and is racing in Class 5 in his No. 511 Chevy-powered Jake’s Baja Bug. He won his class in both this year’s SCORE San Felipe 250 and SCORE Baja 500 while driving solo and won again at the SCORE Baja 400 with Angel Barajas as his second driver. Barajas will also race the SCORE Baja 1000 with Yee.
In the SCORE Baja 1000, Yee has four class wins (Class 10 in 2005, Class 1/2-1600 in 2018, 2021 and 2022).
RPM TRIO
Long-time powerful SCORE racing team RPM Racing, of Bristol, Tenn., has entered this year’s SCORE Baja 400 with an enviable team in the SCORE TT Legend class.
Clyde Stacy, 78, Bristol, Va., is driver of record and his team Nick Vanderwey, 56, Litchfield Park, Ariz., and Robby Gordon, 54, Anaheim, Calif., in the No. 5L Chevy Twin V6 (Geiser-built), in the SCORE TT Legend class for drivers over 50 years old.
Driver of record and team co-owner Stacy has an exciting history with 11 SCORE season class point titles, including two each in 2011 and 2013. (2009, 2010, 2011(2), 2012, 2013(2), 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020).
Stacy’s class championships have come in six classes (two in SCORE TT Legend), one each in Trophy Truck Spec, Class 4, Class 8, Class 9, and Class 2. Stacy has also earned seven SCORE Milestone Awards presented to drivers who finish every required mile each season.
Super-vet Vanderwey has been an RPM driver for many years. He has five career SCORE season class point titles, and two SCORE Milestone awards (2007) in Class 8, and in SCORE Trophy Truck (2010).
The youngest of the RPM trio, Gordon, who has raced successfully in off-road, stadium, IMSA, Trans-AM, IndyCar, NASCAR Cup Series, and the Dakar Rally, has been a popular shining SCORE star since he was a teenager.
Gordon, who was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2019, has seven SCORE season class point titles and three SCORE Milestone Awards.
In the SCORE Baja 1000, Stacy has five class wins—2010 in Class 8 and Class 9, 2012 in Class 2, 2013 in Trophy Truck Spec, and 2018 in SCORE TT Legend.
CITY LIGHTS SHINE
For this year’s SCORE Baja 1000, Brendan Gaughan has listed two additional veteran drivers for his unlimited Class 1 No. 162 South Point Racing HMS-Chevy—second gen racers Buddy Feldkamp, 45, Redlands, Calif., and former 15-year NASCAR Cup star Casey Mears, 45, Bakersfield, Calif.
Gaughan is the son of 2015 Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Michael Gaughan, Feldkamp is the son of 2016 ORMHOF inductee Dr. Bud Feldkamp while Mears is the youngest son of 2021 ORHOF inductee Roger Mears.
Prominent Las Vegas businessman, former NASCAR star and second-generation desert racer Gaughan is back in his desert racing roots in the unlimited Class 1.
The gregarious and very personable Gaughan, 48, is a veteran of 23 years of driving in NASCAR’s three elite division including the top tier Cup Series along with the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Truck Series.
In 2019 Gaughan returned to his roots for an emotional Class 1 victory in the 2019 SCORE Baja 1000. Also driving that race with Gaughan were R.J. Anderson, Buddy Feldkamp and Billy Goerke.
Driving South Point Hotel/Casino (Las Vegas) vehicles, Gaughan had 67 starts over nine seasons in the Cup series, 219 starts over 10 seasons in the Xfinity series and 217 in the Truck series over 14 seasons. He retired from NASCAR racing officially after the 2020 season.
Gaughan, who also is a part of numerous national radio programs, is the son of legendary Las Vegas hotel/casino magnate and former SCORE champion and Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Michael Gaughan.
Owner of City Lights Shine (17A distillery) in Las Vegas, Gaughan will be the driver of record in the No. 162 South Point Hotel HMS-Chevy. Gaughan is also an administrative executive at the South Point Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.
CLS (produced by 17A Stillery) is the first and only legal distillery in the history of Las Vegas.
Gaughan was plagued with issues last year of various kinds and had four very unfortunate DNFs.
Unfortunately, his 2023 season also started with two more DNFs for the popular Gaughan. He decided to rebuild the car and did not race in the SCORE Baja 400.
CLASS 7 MASTER
Veteran SCORE champion Daniel Chamlee, 60, of Montecito, Calif., who now lives mostly in San Felipe, races in Class 7 in his No. 700 The Factory Racing Ford Ranger.
Chamlee has driven consistently to earn 18 SCORE Class 7 season point championships in the last 19 years.
In last year’s season-opener in San Felipe, Chamlee was on the podium again, finishing third in Class 7. In June’s SCORE Baja 500, Chamlee earned another Class 7 victory to add to his legacy and in September he earned his third consecutive victory in the three-year old SCORE Baja 400. He capped his 2022 championship season with another podium finish, third place.
In his career Chamlee has also earned eight Rod Hall SCORE Milestone Awards, for racers who complete every required mile for that season.
This season, Chamlee is leading the point standings in Class 7 again with class wins in the SCORE San Felipe 250 and the SCORE Baja 400 along with an unusual DNF in the SCORE Baja 500.
In the SCORE Baja 1000, the ultra-dedicated Chamlee, who drives mostly solo, has won Class 7 a total of 11 times (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020).
OFF-ROAD MOTORSPORTS YOUTH FOUNDATION
Another of the very special entries in this year’s race will be the Heavy Metal class entry from the Off-Road Motorsports Youth Foundation in Evansville, Ind.
The founder and Executive Director, Preston Lewis, 23 of Oakland City, Ind. Is the driver of record for the No. 8013 Ford Ranger built by Geiser Brothers in Phoenix. Lewis is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 15.
Additional drivers for this Baja adventure are scheduled to be Caleb McKinney, 24, Boonville, Ind., Sheldon Lewis, 20, Oakland City, Ind., Taryn Hamilton, 23, Evansville, Ind. And Ayden Clark, 17, Francisco, Ind. This will be the first SCORE race for the entire team.
The Off-Road Motorsports Youth Foundation is a non-profit organization.  OMYF and is comprised of a team of young adults dedicated to growing their skills and abilities through hands-on learning and mentorship.
OMYF provides recreational and educational programs for young people who are interested in off-road motorsports.
The Make-a-Wish Foundation helped Lewis form the OMYF non-profit organization to successfully launch the OMYF program.
For more information, visit the OMYF website at www.omy-foundation.org.
3 FOR FLEMATE
It will obviously take a lot of help from his friends, but prominent Ensenada entrepreneur Oliver Flemate, 46, wants to triple his pleasure as has entered an unprecedented three classes as the driver of record for this year’s SCORE Baja 1000. He is the driver of record in Trophy Truck Spec (No. 244), SCORE Lites (No. 1203) and Class 11 (No. 1105).
Flemate warmed up for this Herculean effort by racing in two classes in the San Felipe, winning Class 11 and finishing 17th out of a SCORE-record 43 starters in the Trophy Truck Spec class. He also finished 12th out of 31 starters in the SCORE Baja 500 and 16th out of 37 starters in this class in the SCORE Baja 400. Also in the SCORE Baja 500, he finished second in SCORE Lites.  This year in Class 11, Flemate is undefeated with three straight wins.
Helping with driving for Flemate in the Trophy Truck Spec class will be his daughter, Ana Paula Flemate, 18, Ensenada, Mexico, Santiago Creel, 37, Mexico City, Luis Magana, 30, Ensenada, Mexico, and Cristian Castellano, Ensenada, Mexico, in the No. 244 TSCO-Chevy.
His additional drivers in SCORE Lites will be Patricio Flores, 42, Ensenada, Mexico, Ramon Fernandez, 47, Ensenada, Mexico, and his daughter Ana Paula Flemate, 18, Ensenada, Mexico, in the No. 1203 Record-VW.
In Class 11, additional drivers for Flemate will be Antonio Espinoza, 29, Ensenada, Mexico, Valentin Marcado, 42, Ensenada, Mexico, Oscar Flores, 30, Ensenada, Mexico, Ricardo Gomez, 30, Ensenada, Mexico, and his daughter Ana Paula Flemate, 18, Ensenada, Mexico, in the team’s No. 1105 VW Sedan.
In last year’s SCORE Baja 1000, Flemate won Class 11 and he and his team finished fifth in Trophy Truck Spec.
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 31 Speed Zones for a total of 201.81 miles, 324 total 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.
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.
SCORE LIVE
From the new state-of-the art SCORE Studio in El Cajon, Calif., SCORE LIVE with host Brandon Johnson, will provide 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.
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, and Mexico’s Gabriel Garcia, who will be assisting with finish-line interviews.
SCORE LIVE may be viewed on the SCORE website, SCORE APP, SCORE Facebook page and the SCORE International YouTube Channel.
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.

TOTAL ENTRIES: 270 (as of 10/24/23

(Numerical order, by class)
Pro Cars/Trucks/UTVs

Pro Quads