RPM’s Matney earns top SCORE Trophy Truck qualifying position for 48th Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 desert race

48th SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying Results Story, 11.4.15
SCORE MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic Clark, dominiccnv@aol.com
November 4, 2015
To Air on CBS Sports Network
RPM’s Matney earns top SCORE Trophy Truck qualifying
position for 48th Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 desert race
co-driver and Supercross legend Ricky Johnson tops qualifying field for driver of record Matney,
Sells tops Class 1 qualifiers on unique 3.6-mile course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
pre-running continues for iconic Granddaddy of all Desert Races;
pre-race festivities include SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience, presented by BFGoodrich Tires
through Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center
LAS VEGAS, Nev., USA—Helped by a huge assist from legendary Supercross Hall of Fame co-driver Ricky Johnson, RPM Racing’s Justin Matney has earned the first starting position in the featured SCORE Trophy Truck division in this month’s 48th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000.
The special Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying, presented by BFGoodrich Tires was held on a purpose built, very technical 3.6-mile course that started and finished on the Off-Road Track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The legendary race itself, starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, this year’s Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 will be held Nov. 18-22. The race is the season-finale of the five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship.
In front of an appreciative capacity crowd at the LVMS Off-Road Track on Tuesday night, Johnson, who won 38 Supercross races and seven season championships in his Hall of Fame motorcycle career, blistered the dirt and asphalt covering the course in three minutes, 46.11 seconds with an average speed of 57.32 miles per hour in Matney’s new No. 4 RPM Racing four-wheel drive Chevy Silverado built by Geiser Brothers of Phoenix. He was quickest among the 23 trucks out of the 32 entered in the race that elected to participate in the optional qualifying event.
Johnson, driving Matney’s SCORE Trophy Truck, finished nearly two seconds faster than the runner-up qualifier as all of the top 10 qualifiers finished the course in less than four minutes.
The 3.6-mile qualifying course at LVMS incorporated off-road, dirt and asphalt elements, utilized two race courses including one lap around the paved LVMS stock car short track, and required the drivers to use their lights and qualify in the darkness of the Las Vegas night.
With long-time SCORE sponsor BFGoodrich Tires claiming the top four positions and nine of the top 10 qualifiers, second was Mexico’s Gus Vildosola Jr who covered the course in 3:48:00 (56.84mph) in the No. 4 Vildosola Racing Ford Raptor, while third was Las Vegas’ Bryce Menzies (3:49.74, 56.41mph) in the No. 70 Menzies Motorsports Ford F-150 and fourth was Las Vegas’ Rob MacCachren (3:50.41, 56.24mph).
Earning the fifth qualifying spot despite suffering a flat tire near the end of his run was last year’s top qualifier, Robby Gordon, Charlotte, N.C. (3:51.00, 56.10mph) in the No. 77 Gordon Motorsports Chevy Silverado.
Leading the second five top qualifiers in sixth was Mexico’s Carlos Lopez (3:54.00, 55.39mph) in the No. 5 RPM Racing Chevy Rally Truck while seventh was Luke McMillin, El Cajon, Calif. (3:55.17, 55.11mph) in the Mark Racing Ford F-150, eighth was Jesse Jones, Phoenix (3:55.344, 55.05mph) in the No. 76 Jones Motorsprots Ford F-150, ninth was Mexico’s Eduardo Laguna (3:57.00, 54.69mph) in the No. 17 RPM Racing Chevy Silverado and completing the top 10 qualifier list was Cameron Steele, San Clemente, Calif. (3:57.18, 54.64mph) in the No. 16 Desert Assassins Chevy Silverado.
With Matney receiving the Fastest Qualifier Award, 23 SCORE Trophy Trucks and two Class 1 open-wheel race cars participated in the optional qualifying for starting positions within their respective classes. SCORE Trophy Truck is the marquee racing division for high-tech, 850-horsepower unlimited production trucks. With late entries accepted up to Thursday, Nov. 19, SCORE Trophy Truck has 32 official entries to date at Class 1 has 14 total entries so far.
The SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying was part of the massive celebratory SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience that is a spotlight attraction this week at the annual SEMA Show trade gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Both special activities were presented by BFGoodrich Tires.
With some teams in the race using multiple drivers, several co-drivers actually drove for qualifying. Fastest qualifier in Class 1 was Steven Sells, Phoenix (4:28.05, 48.35mph) in the No. 142 Chevy-powered MCM open-wheel desert race car.
The vehicles that elected not to qualify for starting positions were part of a random draw today at the SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience to determine their starting order behind all of the vehicles that elected to qualify on Tuesday night.
With pre-running continuing on the nearly 840-mile race course, nearly 250 entries, from 30 U.S. States and 20 countries competing in Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads are expected to take the green flag on Friday, Nov. 20 for this year’s 48th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000. The granddaddy of all desert races will be held in Baja California Norte on Mexico’s majestic Baja California peninsula, starting and finishing in the seaside port of Ensenada, 65 miles south of the U.S. Border at San Diego.
TOP CLASS COUNTS
A total of 207 vehicles are officially entered as of today.
So far among the car, truck and UTV classes, SCORE Trophy Truck has the most entries with 32, followed by Class 19 with 23, Class 10 with 18, Trophy Truck Spec with 16, the unlimited Class 1 with 14 and Class 1/2-1600 with 11 entries to date.
Among the motorcycle classes, the unlimited M/C class has 10 entries and Class 40 (m/c riders over 40 years old) has six entries so far.
Entry registration for the race continues at Register Here for Race.
GLOBAL INTEREST
In addition to the 24 States represented on the entry list to date, racers have officially entered from 14 countries. In addition to the United States, entries so far have come from Austria, Australia, Canada, Columbia, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and the US Territory of Guam.
TIME TRAVEL
It’s the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a racer. Since 1967, the race has been run over the mysterious Baja California peninsula every year except 1974 when the international fuel crisis forced a cancellation.
This year’s race will start for the 41st time and finish for the 23rd time in EnsenadaThe race will start and finish on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the picturesque Bahia de Todos Santos in front of the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada.
PRE-GREEN
The race week festivities will cover Nov. 18-22, with the race and all side events starting and finishing in Ensenada. It will be a loop race this year of approximately 840 miles with the start line and finish line adjacent to the iconic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada and the first and last several spectator-friendly miles running up and back down the Ensenada Arroyo.
Pre-race festivities on Thursday (Nov. 19), for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, including the vastly popular tech and contingency of all vehicles and the SCORE Manufacturer’s Midway will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. PTon Boulevard Costero in front of the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center. The pre-race mandatory driver/rider briefing will also be held on Thursday (Nov. 19) at 7 p.m. PT in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center.
Racer registration will be held in the Red Room at the Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in Ensenada. Racer registration will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT on Tuesday (Nov. 17), from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday (Nov. 18) and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Thursday (Nov. 19). Media registration will be held as well in the Red Room at the Riviera from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. PT on Wednesday (Nov. 18), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Thursday (Nov. 19) and the BFGoodrich Tires/Baja California Secretary of Tourism SCORE Media Center will be open on Friday at 5:30 a.m. PT until the course closes at approximately 11 p.m. PTon Saturday and will re-open on Sunday from seven a.m. until Noon PT.
Two special Monster Energy parties, open to the public will be held before the race starts. On Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. PT at the start/finish line area will be the SCORE Baja 1000 Goes Green Monster Energy Party. On Thursday, the night before the start of the race, the Monster Energy SCORE Papas & Beer Street Party on Avenida Ruiz in front of Papas & Beer will start at 7 p.m. PT.
POST GREEN
As the celebration continues all-night on Friday, all day and evening on Saturday while official finishers cross the line and tales are added to the legacy of the event, the post-race awards fiesta will be held in the Cathedral Room at the Riviera starting at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday.
SCORE…OH, WHAT A COURSE
SCORE has put together another memorable race course, this one for a loop race, with all of the foreboding, unforgiving terrain the northern state of the mysterious Baja California peninsula has to offer. Starting and finishing in the heart of Ensenada in front of the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center, the course travels in a counter-clockwise direction. It includes the approximate 35 mile stretch to Ojos Negros which is used in both directions. Outgoing, the course heads Southwest from Ojos through Santo Tomas and then runs South along the picturesque Pacific Ocean for over 100 miles.
Featuring seven checkpoints, the approximately 840-mile course covers both sides of the peninsula parallels Highway 1 for nearly half of the race, looping south back to the Pacific and then crossing over to the other side of the peninsula below Puertocitos. The course then heads back North along the tranquil Sea of Cortez, past San Felipe paralleling Highway 5 and up to the junction with Highway 3.
The rugged course then parallels Highway 3 traveling west then northwest back into Ojos Negros and to the finish line in Ensenada. Pre-running is scheduled to open on Friday, allowing competitors three weeks of practice time and logistics planning on and around the course.
CBS SPORTS NETWORK COVERAGE
All races in the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship series, along with the special SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience and qualifying for the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway are once again airing in the USA and Canada on the CBS Sports Network. New for 2015, in addition to SCORE Trophy Truck coverage, the shows also feature top action and highlights from many other classes of trucks, cars, UTVs, motorcycles and quads – making sure that the most exciting footage and most compelling stories are now part of each race event broadcast.
Capping off the 2015 broadcast season, the Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 broadcast on CBS Sports Network will be expanded to a full two-hour program – providing the most expansive television coverage of the “Main Event” of all desert races ever, allowing all the major class action to be showcased around the globe to the SCORE International fan base.
2015 CBS Sports Network Original Broadcast Schedule (subject to change, check local listings)
Remaining Shows:
· Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250 presented by the City of El Centro (first telecast-Sunday, November 15, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, November 29, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying @SEMA SCORE Baja 1000 Experience (first telecast-Sunday, December 20, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 (two-hour special) (first telecast-Sunday, December 27, 9 p.m. ET)
Completed Broadcasts:
· Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250 (first telecasts-Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m. ET & 11 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500 (first telecast-Sunday, May 31, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, June 7, 9 p.m. ET)
· Bud Light SCORE Baja 500 (first telecast-Sunday, July 26, 9 p.m. ET; key repeat broadcast-Sunday, August 2, 9 p.m. ET)
CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
SCOREscope
The five-race 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship includes four special events in Baja California, Mexico, and one in the United States. Here is the complete 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship schedule:
Remaining race:
· 48th Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000, Nov.18-21, Ensenada, Mexico
Completed races:
· 29th Bud Light SCORE San Felipe 250, held Jan. 22-25, San Felipe, Mexico
· Inaugural Bud Light SCORE Baja Sur 500, held April 15-19, Cabo San Lucas to Loreto, Mexico
· 47th Bud Light SCORE Baja 500, held June 4-7, Ensenada Mexico
· Rigid Industries SCORE Imperial Valley 250, presented by the city of El Centro, Sept. 24-27, Coyne Powersports Motorplex-Plaster City, Calif.
SCORE JOURNAL
Issue No. 9 of the SCORE Journal, the highly-popular new monthly on-line digital magazine of SCORE International and the five-race SCORE World Desert Championship, is live on the SCORE website at www.SCORE-International.com and is available through SCORE social media channels as well as a direct link at http://scorejournal.digital.
The new digital magazine, which includes numerous linked video segments, is a major element in the media expansion that SCORE is implementing for 2015 which includes its most aggressive national and international television packages, four new online video series, each with 26 episodes and a new consumer based SCORE website.
SCORE SPONSORS…
SCORE corporate offices are located in Reno, Nev.
Official Sponsors: Bud Light-Official Beer/Official Race Sponsor, Monster Energy-Official Energy Drink, BFGoodrich Tires-Official Tire, Rigid Industries LED Lighting-Official Lights/Official Race Sponsor, King Shocks-Official Shock Absorber, Polaris-Official UTV, Vision Wheel – Official Wheel, Axial R/C-Official R/C Vehicle, CBS Sports Network-Official Television Partner, Coca-Cola-Official Soft Drink, Coyne Powersports-Official Powersports Supplier,Wide Open Excursions- Official Arrive and Drive Company, Crystal Bay Casino-Official Casino.
Associate Sponsors: All Road Satellite, Symons Ambulance Company, Aero Calafia, Tessco.
Additional SCORE Partners: Proturismo Ensenada, Visit Baja California Sur, Baja California Secretary of Tourism, Baja California Sur State Government, Mexicali Ayuntamineto, COTUCO Mexicali/San Felipe, Cruz Roja Mexicana, Corporate Helicopters, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance, GoPro, PCI Race Radios, McKenzie’s Performance Products, Advanced Color Graphics.
For more information, visit the official website of the SCORE World Desert Championship at www.SCORE-International.com.
48th annual Bud Light SCORE Baja 1000 Qualifying
Presented by BFGoodrich Tires
Nov. 3, 2015 -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway off-road truck
Race Dates: Nov. 18-22, Season Finale of the 2015 SCORE World Desert Championship
Race Distance/Location: 840 miles, loop race around Mexico’s Baja California Norte
Race Start/Finish: Ensenada, Baja California
Race Participants: Nearly 250 entries are expected from 30 U.S. States and 20 countries with competition in Pro and Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads
(NOTE: Entries that elected not to qualify had a separate random drawing today, Nov. 4, to determine their starting order and they will start after the vehicles that qualified in their respective classes).
2015 Bud Light Baja 1000 Qualifying
Las Vegas November 03, 2015
SCORE Trophy Truck
1. 4 Justin Matney Bristol, TN DOU 1 00:03:46.108
2. 21 Gustavo Vildosola Jr.Ensenada, MX FOR 1 00:03:48.000
3. 70 Bryce Menzies Las Vegas, NV FOR 1 00:03:49.735
4. 11 Rob Mac Cachren Las Vegas, NV FOR 1 00:03:50.411
5.77 Robby Gordon Charlotte, NC CHV 1 00:03:51.000
6. 5 Apdaly Lopez Tecate, MX gei 1 00:03:54.000
7. 83 Luke Mc Millin El Cajon, CA CHV 1 00:03:55.170
8. 76 Jesse Jones Phoenix, AZ FOR 1 00:03:55.435
9. 17 Eduardo Laguna Mexicali, CA gei 1 00:03:56.996
10. 16 Cameron Steele San Clemente, CA gei 1 00:03:57.180
11. 93 Chris Kemp San Clemente, CAFOR 1 00:04:00.000
12. 59 Craig Potts Scottsdale, AZ CHV 1 00:04:01.137
13. 9 Mark Weyhrich Troutdale, OR FOR 1 00:04:01.387
14. 44 Kyle Jergensen Oakhills, CA RAR 1 00:04:02.092
15. 14 Heidi Steele San Clemente, CACHV 1 00:04:04.871
16. 23 Dan Mc Millin La Mesa, CA gei 1 00:04:05.905
17. 91 Troy Herbst Huntington Beach, CA FOR 1 00:04:06.912
18. 50 Zak Langley El Segundo, CA FOR 1 00:04:13.086
19. 75 Mike Cook Orem, UT gei 1 00:04:20.743
20. 42 Jesse Hooker Newhall, CA CHV 1 00:04:38.846
DNF
1 Steven Eugenio Carlsbad, CA CHV 1 00:04:05.458 DNF
19 Tim Herbst Huntington Beach, CA FOR 0 00:00:00.000
Class 1
1. 142 Steven Sells Phoenix, AZ CUS 1 00:04:28.053
2. 168 Shelby Reid Apply Valley, CA CHV 1 00:04:35.708